#and like comics are INTIMIDATING. I’m currently making a game plan for where to start when I CAN get to a library.

[ghostinacardboardbox-oldblog]

Just saw a post accusing anyone who says that they aren’t able to read comics rn is a “lazy ass fake fan” like what the literal fuck does that even mean. I don’t pirate books for moral reasons and comic books fall under that, bitch, googling “free comics” isn’t gonna do shit for me. I know libraries have them, that doesn’t mean I can go there right now. Some of us have actual things we have to do that keep us from doing whatever we want.

I 100 percent get and agree with the frustration of people who haven’t read comics acting like authorities, but acting like anyone who hasn’t yet read a comic for any reason is a “lazy ass fake fan” who is “bitching on tumblr” is so fucking rude and I’ll be stealing your shoes.

[n0bamak1s]

clueless - maki zenin x reader

request: “I was thinking Maki Zenin x Fem reader where y/n is really intimidated by Maki and has avoided her since they first met each other. Despite that, they both have feelings for each other and after a while Maki gets annoyed with y/n and confronts her to figure out why she keeps avoiding Maki. And then the reader accidentally confesses and says something like “how could I not feel intimidated by someone so hot!?”” - @wh0legrain

summary: it’s difficult for you to read maki’s intent when she tries to become more approachable to you, which throws of your plan of trying to avoid her at all costs. alternatively titled: maki zenin is terrible at flirting (genre: fluff, attempt at humor, idiots to lovers)

warnings: like one or two swear words, mentions of bruises/scrapes from training

word count: 2.6k

a/n: i honestly had so much fun with the dynamic between maki and reader here! i love the idea that maki would have no idea how to flirt lmao

“don’t look now, but she’s looking at you again.” panda, your current sparring partner, peered at her over your shoulder as you got into a fighting position. of course, out of curiosity you immediately turned around, and unluckily for your own ego, you made direct eye contact with maki. she seemed to have no intent of backing down from your impromptu staring contest, intense black eyes remaining on you, and had you not been so focused on trying to figure out what had caused this sudden interest in you, you’d have noticed the amused glint in her eyes.

did she really have no shame in being caught staring at you?

before giving yourself any more time to process her expression, you whipped your head back around to face panda. at least you were able to take note of the amusement on his face.

“i don’t get why she keeps glaring at me.” you huffed annoyedly, still feeling her gaze burn into the back of your head. shouldn’t she be busy sparring with inumaki? “if it’s about that one time i borrowed her uniform skirt because mine was in the wash, she should be more mad about inumaki and gojo taking it every time she’s on a mission to try it on.”

panda had a shocked expression on his face, as if to ask why the hell you knew about the boys prancing around in the girl’s skirts whenever the opportunity arose, but it was quickly wiped off to be replaced by a knowing sort of smile.

“no, i doubt that’s why.” his voice rang with the sing-songy sound of knowing something you didn’t, but you simply chose to raise an annoyed eyebrow at his annoying little game rather than question him.

even as you ran at him, fists raised defensively, you swore you could still feel a pair of sleek eyes trailing your movements. you slid to dodge panda’s swing at you, leaving a layer of dirt on the hem of your shorts. despite succeeding in avoiding sparring with maki, which admittedly sounded absolutely brutal, you felt extremely ungrateful for panda’s strength as he lifted you up by the wrist. somehow he managed to end up with you flipped onto your back, despite your best efforts to sweep his legs out from under him. if losing to a literal panda in a fight wasn’t embarrassing enough, it didn’t help that this was the moment maki had decided to suddenly start paying attention to you, a fact you became acutely aware of as she hovered over you, her figure shadowed by the sun behind you.

“you okay?” she cocked an eyebrow, extending a hand to pull you to your feet, making you suddenly conscious of how her legs were positioned on either side of you, so you laid beneath her. when you were unable to sputter out a response, she sighed softly, leaning down so she knelt with her knees resting on the dirt on either side of your thighs. a hand waves in front of your face, and makis brows furrow slightly. “did you hit your head or something because of that idiot?” she cocked a thumb at your sparring partner.

something about her sudden proximity seemed to shock you out of your distracted daze, making you push yourself up so you held yourself by palms flat on the ground. taking note of how close your face was to hers, the corners of her mouth turned up in a smirk, her lips parting slightly to show her teeth. you weren’t even sure if she was aware of the fact that she was smiling right now, or the effect she was having on your already embarrassed state as she leaned over you, her figure shadowing yours.

why was she so intent on making fun of you?

“i’m fine!” you managed to blurt out, pulling your knees close to you to escape the compromising position she’d put the both of you in.

her eyes remained playfully narrowed and her lips turned up, but as she opened her mouth to say something, you practically sprung up from the ground as if you weren’t bruised and tired from fighting, turning on your heel to go back to panda. you flashed an awkwardly apologetic smile, before shrouding yourself in panda’s shadow.

you found yourself grateful for the shadow panda cast on you, as it shielded your eyes from the sun, and the glare you knew was inevitably resting behind maki’s glasses.

the four of you remained sparring until the first glimpse of heavy gray clouds masqueraded the blistering sun. you helped panda up from where he’d laid on the ground, spotting out of the corner of your eye none other than gojo, who looked almost comical inspecting the state of the sky with his usual dopey smile while still adorning his iconic blindfold. had you not known any better, you’d say he looked like a complete idiot.

on the other hand, maki, who did know better, seemed to have no problem stating that he did, in fact, look like a complete idiot.

“so are you just gonna stand there all day, moron? or do you actually have something important to say for once.” maki crossed her arms over her chest, making her jacket taut over her muscles, catching your attention for the briefest of moments. you quickly averted your eyes back to gojo in hopes of not being caught staring as she had earlier, as if you were a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. though you couldn’t see gojos eyes, you could sense a sort of mischief from him as he smiled at you. was today just some weird holiday where people stared at you for no reason that no one had informed you about?

“you guys seem to have the sky on your side today.” gojo smiled widely as his gaze flickered between the four of you lined up in front of him. “since it seems to be about to rain, you guys can get off a little early today, just go clean up in the bathrooms if you need to.” he waved his hands at you all, in a motion that seemed to be shooing you away.

you begin to feel the beginnings of drizzling rain hitting the tip of your nose, and the top of your head, and take that as your cue to leave. letting out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding in, you unzipped and shrugged off your hoodie, throwing it over your shoulder as you turned towards the heavy doors of the school building. you’d only gotten a couple steps closer than you’d been before you heard the familiar sound of your name, called from the less familiar source that was maki zenin.

“wait up!” she called, taking long strides to catch up to you. “if we’re cleaning up now, i’ll come with you and i can help you if you got scraped or anything.” her hand rubbed the back of her neck, and a soft smile cracked onto her lips, egging you on to respond.

you furrowed your brows slightly. she had never bothered to help you out like this before, so what made it different. “i think i’ll be fine.” you hoped your embarrassment at the idea of the situation didn’t show on your face.

“tch, it’s not like i’m planning to kill you in there or anything.” honestly, you wouldn’t be surprised if she had been. “it’ll just be weird if we’re both patching ourselves up in silence when there’s clearly a more efficient way to do it.”

screw her for always being correct.

you nodded your head in agreement in a way that was comically defeated. she motioned for you to follow her, and so you trailed behind her like a lost puppy.

though you had no way to prove it, you could’ve sworn that gojo winked at you from underneath his blindfold as you passed him.

the two of you walked in silence that seemed comfortable for you, but maki seemed clearly impatient.

“i wanted to check on you and ask if you were alright.” she broke the silence, pulling off her rain stained glasses to wipe them on the edge of her shorts. “you seemed really frazzled earlier, so if you hit your head or something we can take you to shoko, i wouldn’t want you to get seriously hurt or something.”

you were somewhat surprised by her words, but feigned indifference as you smiled reassuringly. “i’m fine, was just kinda lost in my thoughts earlier. guess you kinda just caught me off guard.” you were telling the truth, so why did it feel as if you were lying straight through your teeth?

as she swung open the girls bathroom door, she gave you an incredulous look, as if she was trying to recall the events of the day that could have made you so tense. you hoisted yourself up to sit on the sink, leaning back with a sigh of relief from finally relaxing your muscles. maki grabbed the small first aid kit, positioning herself to stand between your legs,a position that was oddly reminiscent of when you’d been on the field earlier. she caught your wrist in your hand, causing you to jump slightly as her eyes scanned your forearm, riddled with some bruises from training, but nothing that really needed cleaning.

“what could i have possibly done to catch you off guard?” her words sounded concerned, but contrasted the teasing smile playing at her lips. under the fluorescent lights, you could make out the flush tinted on her cheeks from being outside all day, as if she’d been kissed by the sun herself.

suddenly you felt very shy, twiddling with your thumbs in your lap, and willing your eyes anywhere but where they’d meet maki’s. to her, your current flustered state was an amusing contrast to how you were when fighting curses, your usual confident and strong willed demeanor had been replaced with the attitude of a bashful school girl. still, you knew you’d have to be confrontational in this moment.

“please stop teasing me, maki.” you looked her dead in the eyes, wiping the amusement from her face, and swapping it with a mixture of shock and worry.

“i’m not making fun of you.” she shook her head, her already pink dusted cheeks turning more red. “what makes you think I am?”

you chucked humourlessly. “well if the glaring at me wasn’t enough, you seem to keep trying to embarrass me. if it’s because of that time i borrowed your skirt without telling you, i really am sorry, but stop trying to make fun of me.”

“when did you borrow my skirt? i always just assume it’s the boys being idiots. you can borrow my skirt anytime you want.” you wished you could be mad at her for her nonchalance. “besides, YOU’RE the one who’s always avoiding me, panda told me i should try to be more approachable, so i thought eye contact might help.” she shrugged exasperatedly, placing her hands flat on sink, resting on either side of your thighs.

“well, you don’t exactly have the most approachable face when you’re making ‘eye contact.’ you had me thinking you were plotting my downfall in your head or something.” she stifled a laugh at your overdramatization. “it was totally intimidating.”

“oh?” her smile was dopey, one that only you would be flustered by. “does that mean i make you nervous?” her voice was hushed as she tilted her head downwards toward you, looking satisfied with herself.

“well you’re gonna make anyone nervous if you’re sending them death glares one second and offering to clean their wounds the next.”

her only response was a laugh as she buried her face in her hands. it wasn’t a mean laugh, not one directed at you, more so just her laughing at what idiots the both of you were being.

“you really thought i hated you?” her words were spaced apart by involuntary giggles, her mouth was stretched into a wide grin, almost like one from gojo. “man, i thought i was so obvious!” she turned to hoist herself next to you on the sink, leaning her head on your shoulder as her whole body shook from laughter.

you said nothing in response, just processing if this moment was real. you’d hardly seen maki smile before today, let alone laugh.

“you mean to tell me you’ve spent all this time avoiding me because you thought i hated you?” admittedly, when she repeated it back to you after her outburst of laughter, it did sound rather ridiculous. but to be fair, she should’ve considered the possibility before her sorry attempt to be more approachable.

“it’s not my fault you scare the crap out of me, i mean, how could i not be intimidated by someone so hot!” your mouth moves faster than your brain, and she lifts her head from your shoulder, making you hyper aware of both your words and your sudden proximity to her face.

shit.

your eyes are wide as saucers as you stare at her, convinced that, like a dinosaur, if you don’t move, she won’t even notice you’re there. much to your dread, she smiles yet again (seriously, today alone make up a solid 90% of the times you’d ever seen her smile.)

“you’re such a dumbass, you know?” you can hear the laughter threatening to bubble up in her voice. you wish you could come up with a clever comeback, but you just stared back, moth gaping like a fish out of water. “the reason i was asking panda for advice was because i like you. in hindsight, i suppose he’s probably not the most reliable when it comes to relationship advice.”

“all you really got out of following his advice was making a fool out of me.” you looked down at your feet. “but i guess i kind of did that myself anyways.”

“don’t beat yourself up about it. it’s cute.” she leaned forward so she was in your peripheral, willing you to look at her. “plus if you weren’t such an idiot, i’d have to keep sending you ‘death glares’, as you like to call them, to get your attention.” she chuckled, and you lifted your hand to shove her playfully, before she caught your wrist effortlessly, tugging slightly so you could feel her breath fan on your face.

once again, your mouth moved before you had time to think. “maki...can i kiss you?” you’d taken note of how her eyes darted between your eyes and your lips.

it was her turn to be bashful now. she nodded slowly, her eyes half lidded, as she dared to close the small amount of distance between the both of you. without second thought, you press your lips to hers tenderly, letting your arms loop around her neck, hands meeting between her shoulder blades. her eyelashes tickle your face as they flutter closed, with her hands balancing her, palms flat on the sink counter. the pitter pattering sound of rain from outside echoed in you ears.

the kiss is messy and awkward, but in that moment, you felt on top of the world, smiling into it without a care in the world as your fingers played with the ends of her ponytail. you break away reluctantly for air, taking in the dopey smile on her face, and the way her hands reached to grab yours to hold in her own, rubbing small circles in the back of your hand with her calloused thumb. her breathing is soft and steady, clearly still readjusting after your kiss. wordlessly, she leans forward to rest her head on your shoulder, so you can feel her breath hit the crook of your neck, making your breath hitch in your throat.

“thank god you’re such an idiot.”

[fettsvette]

Under the Crimson Moon

You have your period and feel gross. Boba Fett wants to fuck. A little blood never stopped the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy from doing his job, and doing it damn well.

Pairing: Boba Fett x Reader Words: 7.2k Rating: Explicit Warnings: Menstruation/blood kink, penetrative sex

Can be found on Archive of Our Own here.

Mando’a terminology:

   cyar’ika - Mando’a term of affection meaning sweetheart, darling, beloved

  -

  “If I want you to do something, girl

We both know that you will

I’m a dirty old man with a dirty set of dreams

Take off that dress if you wanna keep it clean...”

  ‘Up in Them Guts,’ Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds

   -

You hadn’t known he was coming until he’d actually arrived.

 One minute, you had been in a deep sleep, wrapped in the warm blankets that shrouded the king-sized bed, and then suddenly, you were wide awake. Because you’d heard it, and you knew in your heart of hearts that it hadn’t been the lasting echo of a dream.

 The sound of heavy bootsteps and the unmistakable jangle of spurs echoed in the crisp night air, emanating down the hall towards your bedroom doorway.

 You sat up quickly, blood roaring in your ears and your heart pounding wildly in your chest, and your head snapped towards the entryway, illuminated only by the moonlight flooding in through the bay window. 

 And there he was, stepping out of the deep midnight shadows with that slow, methodical walk that seemed to encompass his very being: Boba Fett, the greatest and most feared bounty hunter to ever live.

 And your lover.  

 If you didn’t know better, you would’ve sworn he was a statue of some ancient warrior, carved from marble and brought to life by a warlock’s spell. The way he stood unmoving and ramrod straight, just staring at you, always sent a thrill down your spine, his expression unreadable behind the darkened, T-shaped visor of his helmet.

 But still you groaned - not out of arousal, the expected reaction to the presence of the imposing yet entirely irresistible man who was currently gazing at you - but out of annoyance. You squeezed your eyes shut, almost willing him to disappear, to take the hint, by the time you opened them again.

 His timing couldn’t have been worse.

 “Boba, please go away ... ” You grumbled pathetically under your breath, cracking an eye open to look up at the silent figure clad in dark green armor, looking at you expectantly. You heard him let out a sharp hiss under the helmet, and he gave a start, his head snapping downwards, and you just knew he was glaring at you murderously. You had no idea how he’d heard you from all the way across the room, but he had.

 “ Oh ? What’s that , girly? You don’t like me anymore?” He stalked forward slowly, and the question came not with a teasing edge nor with an air of apprehension, but with an icy lilt to it. It chilled your blood, and it occurred to you that you may have just made a huge mistake in telling Boba Fett himself to fuck off. As much as you enjoyed the sexual satisfaction you got from these illicit romps with one of the most dangerous men in the known universe, the confident realization that he could potentially grow angry or bored enough to dispose of you at any time without even batting an eye absolutely terrified you. He was a bounty hunter, after all. At the same time, though, that same fear excited you beyond the wildest depths of your imagination. He’d shown you time and time again just how deadly he could be, and yet you had never turned away when you’d had the chance. And there had been plenty of those times. 

 “ No ! Boba, no. I - I s-still like you. Of c-course I still like you. But…” You began, stuttering and stammering like a nervous child, but stopped abruptly when Fett took another step forward, spurs clanking again. He either didn’t notice the effect his brief intimidation had on you, or he didn’t care. You assumed it was most likely the second one.

 “ There’s a problem. ” Fett wasn’t asking you. It was a statement. Maybe another time you would have attempted to lie your way out of it just to save yourself the embarrassment that you knew was coming, but tonight you couldn’t even find the energy to attempt it. 

 “I can’t tonight. I just... can’t .” You murmured, almost tearfully defeated, gingerly sitting up in the bed to take a better look at your nighttime visitor. You could see yourself reflected in the viewscreen of his helmet, disheveled from sleep and sickly-looking, although you didn’t know if that was a trick of the moonlight or a sign of your current condition. Despite the intense cramping in your belly that was overtaking most other sensations, you still felt a flutter of longing travel to your loins upon seeing Boba Fett. How badly you wanted to grab him by that clunky belt and drag him down onto the bed next to you, free him from his trousers, and ride him until you found your release, but your body wasn’t in agreement with your wishes in the least bit. You took a deep breath, and steadily looked him in the eye.

 “ I got my period this morning. ”

 Silence. Not even a tilt of the dented helmet, a gesture you sometimes received after making references that he didn’t understand.

 Feeling your cheeks aflame and slightly embarrassed by the lack of response, you tried again.

 “...I’m menstruating, Boba. You know… moon blood? The curse? I don’t know if that’s a thing that happens to people where you come from, but I’m bleeding out of my vagina and I feel fucking miserable and -”

 Fett cut off your babbling with a sharp gesture through the air with one hand, the other settled nonchalantly on his hip as he shifted his weight. He let out a gruff sigh that lifted and dropped his shoulders in an almost comical display of exasperation. 

 “I know what it is. I’ve been with enough humanoid females in my lifetime. Is that supposed to change our plans tonight, little one?”

 It was your turn to go silent. You should have known something venomous and snarky like that would’ve been his answer. And of course he had more experience than you, he was older - by just how much, you weren’t exactly sure. He’d never shared his age, and you didn’t ask. He barely spoke as it was. And you still had yet to see his face. He’d never offered to show you, however, as if it were some closely guarded secret only he was the keeper of. And you didn’t dare try removing that strange, heavy helmet of his yourself. Boba Fett had never hurt you, but you felt if you were to reach underneath the sharp edges of his armor, peel it away from the complicated, mysterious creature underneath, there was no telling what he would do. 

 Hell, you had never even seen this man’s face and yet you had let him fuck you within an inch of your life . You’d never been ‘that kind of girl’ before you’d met him, upsetting everything you thought you’d known about yourself and the universe around you, but here you were. And here he was. 

 But his comment about being with other women in his past still spun ‘round your head like some mad arachnid’s twisted web, and made you wonder if he was presently doing this very same dance elsewhere - in other cities, on other worlds. 

 ‘ If this is just a physical thing, no strings attached… ’ You found yourself brooding as you watched him languidly stalk over to the window next to your bed, tilting the green and red helmet upwards and search the night sky for things you could only vaguely guess at if you tried, ‘ Then why am I jealous of something I don’t even know is really happening? ’

 “I just thought...you wouldn’t be… into that ...” You finally replied, meek as a mouse, and instantly trailed off once you realized you had no idea what else to say to him on this matter, your face burning. You should have been overwhelmed with desire at Boba wanting to fuck you this badly, but you found yourself apprehensive and shy - over a little bit of blood . It was times like this that you couldn’t fathom why a man from outer space, an intergalactic cowboy like something out of a comic book, had fallen from the sky and had chosen you.

 His head turning slowly in your direction, Fett marched back towards the end of your bed, his hands gripping the leather belt at his waist.

 “Your condition doesn’t matter to me. It’s a basic bodily function. Have you forgotten, foolish girl? I take what I want, when I want it .” He intoned brusquely, and your eyes widened, a delicious chill crawling up your spine, and you felt your cunt clench at nothing. The crimson tide had come in, and he still wanted to claim you.

 Usually, you talked enough for the both of you. Now you found yourself utterly speechless. 

 There was silence while he stood at the end of the bed, and you goggled blankly at him. Fett was challenging you. He showed no signs of leaving, or of heeding your apprehension in the least bit. He just continued to stand there and stare mutely, stubbornly standing his ground. Damn it.

 He had played this strange game several times before after one of your numerous meetings, lingering after it had become clear that you were way too fucked out to stay awake any longer. He’d never forced you into a situation that you hadn’t been game for, but he always seemed to want to make sure you knew who exactly owned you - or your cunt , at least.

 So he hung around. You’d mostly hear him pacing the room, sometimes quietly rummaging through your bookshelves as if in a library, but more often than not, he would sit himself in the chair across the room, large gloved hands gripping the armrests and well-muscled legs spread mockingly wide, reclining back and holding a silent vigil over you as you fell asleep. He was always long gone when you awoke, although once there had been some sort of dried flower left behind on your nightstand, dark red petals with a metallic tint to them - quite obviously nothing that had grown on this planet. You had asked him about it the next time he had shown up, after an excruciating three month absence that he re-emerged from with several more dents in and copious chips of paint missing from his armor. He had gruffly feigned any knowledge of the gift, his focus only on the flower between your legs. The dried one, however - the little token of his appreciation or whatever you wanted to call it - stayed pressed inside one of your favorite books. 

 As a reminder.

 Boba hadn’t moved in a while, still penetrating you with his eyes through that damned visor, when you finally decided to give in to him. You wanted him. Badly. Your reproductive system was in full rebellion against the idea and you felt fucking gross, but you weren’t sure you cared any longer. You needed him, couldn’t resist him. Hadn’t you read somewhere that orgasms were supposed to help relieve menstrual cramps, anyway?

 You bit your lip and let him have his way. 

 “In that case, Boba… I think I might feel a little bit better if you fucked me.”

 The self-satisfied, smug chuckle came like a rumble of thunder.

 “Well, well… that’s my good girl. ”

 He was across the room in the time it took you to blink. 

 Boba was extraordinarily light on his feet for a big man, and he was on top of you in the span of a breath. Rough leather gloves formed a vice around the muscle and bone of your wrists, pinning your arms above your head. You let out a shriek of surprise rather than pain - while his grip was firm, it didn’t necessarily hurt - and he answered with a low growl, kneeling on either side of your hips. He used one huge hand to continue pinning both of your wrists down, the other masterfully unclipping the heavy armor of his codpiece. You let out a near-hysterical giggle as Boba tossed it to the side and it unceremoniously hit the carpeted floor with a harsh thunk , smiling even broader as he brought the same hand up to rest against your cheek, stroking the flushed skin there.

 “I told you, girl. I always get what I want, when I want it . Tonight isn’t going to be an exception just because you’re cycling and feeling sorry for yourself. If you’re not going to cooperate with me, nice and easy... too bad .”

 Gooseflesh broke out all over your body at his words. You were absolutely fucking drenched for him already, and you wished he would just hurry up and take you already, tear off your panties and fuck into you until you were screaming yourself hoarse. You still weren’t sure of where exactly the man who called himself Boba Fett had come from, or why he was here , or why he’d chosen to mark you for his territory on this shitty little backwater world. Fucking hell, you didn’t even really know this man at all, did you? All you did know is that you were addicted to his touch, and despite your initial hesitations, you were practically begging for it now. 

 Boba used his free hand to slightly peel back the blankets concealing your thin nightie and period panties. With a contented hum, he lazily reached out to trace a thick gloved finger right along the line of your slit, and you let out a high-pitched, keening whimper, your hips twitching up involuntarily towards his touch. Boba clucked his tongue disapprovingly and shook his head at you, sighing and looking up towards the ceiling.

 “How pathetic … is that really all it takes to make you fall apart for me, sweet girl?” Boba teased, releasing his grip on your wrists momentarily in order to fully pull the covers off the bed and toss them onto the floor. It only took those few seconds for you to take him unawares, weaseling out from underneath his looming form and using both hands to forcefully shove him backwards. Caught off guard by your unexpected show of strength, Boba fell on his back with a startled grunt, which was immediately followed by a groan as he watched you crawl on top of him. With shaking legs, you straddled his waist and positioned your heat right over his generous crotch, planting your sweaty palms against the reassuring coldness of his armor, and began to sloppily grind into him, dropping down to lie flat against his abdomen as you continued.

 Trying to conceal his own quiet moans underneath his helmet, Boba allowed you to frantically grind your hips against the growing hardness in his trousers for a few more moments, one large hand cupping your ass and the other on your undulating back, holding you steady as you hectically rocked back and forth, up and down. You whined pitiably and grasped at the grooves of his breastplate like a drowning woman before his tolerance towards your juvenile ministrations finally ran thin. As you went to roll your hips against the outline of his length yet again, Boba grunted bestially and grasped you by the waist, pushing you off of him roughly so that you went tumbling onto your back next to him. Your chest heaving, you looked sideways at him with heavy-lidded eyes, your cheeks burning with desire. The dark helmet slowly tilted to the side as Boba stared at you, and you heard a disgusted scoff echo from within.

 “That’s enough, you. Kriff, you’re a desperate little thing, aren’t you? Rutting in my lap like a loth-cat in heat and I’ve barely even touched you. Is that what you want, princess? Do you want me to touch you?” He purred mockingly, reaching down to lightly stroke your outer thigh with a gloved hand, briefly squeezing the soft flesh there and leaving fingermarks in his wake. You let out a throaty groan and thrust your hips towards his retreating hand, needing to feel his touch on your body, on your core.

 “I need you to touch me, Boba, plea-” He reached out and grabbed you by the face, squeezing your cheeks together hard enough for it to almost be painful, and you let out a squeak as he tightened his grip, turning your face towards his.

 “Oh no, little one. It’s not going to be that easy to get what you want from me, not after the way you carried on earlier.”  He lowered his helmet until the forehead of it was touching your own damp one, and as you stared into the blackness of his visor, you found yourself wondering what color Boba’s eyes were, and what he would do if you were to reach up and pull that big green bucket away from his face. Before you could even truly consider it, though, he loosened his grip and released your cheeks. You exhaled sharply, a rush of cool air gradually taking the place of the rough leather on your skin. 

 Boba sat back on his knees, and grabbed you under your arms, hoisting you up and pivoting your body so you were now hanging off the bed, your feet dangling several inches above the floor. He lowered you slowly, making sure your feet were flat on the ground before he let his hands leave your sides, fingers purposefully trailing and pressing into the supple, pliant flesh of your still-covered, swollen breasts as he withdrew. The sensation of his trace along the tender tissues set your nerves on fire, and your nipples hardened to an almost excruciatingly painful degree. You considered reaching out to snatch one of those gauntleted wrists and plant his hand right on your tit, willing him to knead and squeeze and flick at the oversensitive bud at its tip, but were brought back to reality by a sharp smack to your ass. 

 You yelped, grabbing at your backside and whirling around to see Boba sitting on the bed, staring at you. He had taken his gloves off, and had swatted you with them, both forming a makeshift crop in his calloused hand. He let out an amused snort at your look of shock, and patted the palm of his other hand with the fisted leather.

 “Go to the ‘fresher and clean yourself up.” You sensed by the edge to Boba’s voice that his patience was running low, and he gestured vaguely to the doorway with a jerk of his head. His rugged timbre crackled through the vocoder of the helmet, adding an even more ominous tone to his speech. He reclined on your bed, his ankles crossed nonchalantly, armored form looking massive and mind-bogglingly out of place as he lounged back against the pillows. It would have almost been a comical sight if it hadn’t been for the heady arousal you could sense in his gaze. 

 “And take that kriffing absorbent out while you’re in there. I want you nice and wet and open for me.”

 You felt your heart sink right to your cunt at his last words. Stars, you were fucking dripping for him. A wave of liquid heat that had nothing to do with your cycle had pooled between your legs, and you felt your knees buckle as visions of what intense pleasures this man might put you through tonight swam in your mind. You shambled to the bathroom on legs that seemed to be made of gelatin, breathing heavily through your nose, trying to keep calm as you wiped away the sweat that had accumulated on your body in an attempt to make yourself somewhat presentable. You splashed your face with cold water to keep yourself from falling faint at the knowledge of what was to come, glancing at yourself in the mirror briefly. Your eyes were glassy, your pupils blown wide, almost completely black in the harsh light. A fresh round of cramps erupted in a band around your groin, and you were starting to think you’d die if Boba didn’t fuck you soon. Resting one leg on the toilet seat, you shoved your panties to the side and slowly removed the offending menstrual cup that you had inserted before you’d retired for the night, hastily discarding it in the bin. You didn’t care if it had tipped over and made a mess, you’d clean it up in the morning. All you cared about right now was getting back to Boba and feeling him twitch and throb inside of you.

 He was waiting for you when you re-emerged, immediately rising to stand on the side of the bed. Beckoning you with the crook of a finger, he held out his hand to you as you practically ran towards him. As soon as the pads of your fingers had made contact with his, he spun you around to lie flat on the bed, head propped up behind the pillows, feet planted on the mattress and your legs spread so that he had a perfect view of your damp panties. Whether it was blood or arousal or a mixture of both, you weren’t sure - free-bleeding had never been your ‘thing’ and you weren’t sure if you liked the feeling - but as Boba climbed back onto the bed, openly admiring the wetness between your legs, you began to think that maybe it was something you could get used to. 

 He yanked down your underwear in one deft movement, grabbing hold of your calves one by one to remove your panties from around your legs, and tossed them to the side, where they landed in a crumple. He immediately leaned forward to spread your wet lips apart with his rough fingers, and you heard a sharp intake of breath come from underneath the helmet. It was barely audible, and you could tell that it had been involuntary from the way he had attempted to cut it off before it had even truly escaped. You flung one arm across your eyes, blushing furiously as you felt two thick fingers shallowly dip into your folds, swiping upwards briefly to gather some of the slick gathered there, then retreating just as quickly, before you could buck your hips into the welcome presence.

 “ Such a dirty girl …” He cooed darkly, and you opened your eyes cautiously just to see what exactly he was talking about. He perched above you on his knees, gazing at his own hand, the one he had just been briefly exploring your wetness with. 

 His fingers were coated in blood - your blood, your menstrual blood - and he was smearing the red between his thumb, index, and middle fingers, as if utterly fascinated by it. His helmet briefly dipped down to his fingers as he greedily inhaled your most secret scent, and the low groan he released made you throw your own head back in an echo, fire traveling from your slick cunt throughout your body. Your cry came out much louder than anticipated, and his head immediately snapped up, his hidden eyes boring into you. You embarrassedly tore your eyes away from the darkened visor and noticed the impressive bulge straining at the crotch of his flight suit, along with the telltale damp patch that could only mean his cock was already weeping precum - fuck, this was turning him on. 

 He moved forward once more, brushing your legs further apart with a swat of the backside of his other hand and, resting his palm atop your shaking knee, almost calculatingly smeared the blood from his fingers along your inner thigh, back and forth, until the digits were nearly clean. You noticed a bit of dried redness still staining his skin, and the sight made you dizzy with arousal. 

 You threw your head back against the pillows once more and whined morosely at the mark your essence had left on him, offering no resistance when Boba grabbed you by your elbows, easing you onto your feet in front of his own kneeling form. 

 “Up you get, girl. Come on.” 

 You looked down at him, slightly puzzled as to exactly what he was doing, until he sharply prodded the backs of your knees with his arm, causing you to stumble forward. He caught your fall by positioning one thick thigh to rest between your legs, and you landed with your sopping core pressed directly against the grey fabric of his flight suit. Upon realizing your situation, you clutched at his biceps and buried your face in his neck with a muffled groan, every fiber of your being going into restraining yourself from fucking against the expanse of hard muscle. Boba Fett had remembered what you liked best, and he’d weaponized it. 

 “Go on. Ride my thigh, little one. Make yourself nice and slick so you’re ready to take my cock inside of you. You’ll probably have to cum at least once before you can handle it - I'm too big for you, aren’t I? ...But that’s what you want, isn’t it? My cock in your pretty little pussy?” Boba asked sweetly, his tone oozing with sarcasm. He jiggled his leg ever so slightly, and a shockwave of pure pleasure coursed through your veins, and you couldn’t help but let out a strangled squeal. Your calves shook in a futile attempt to hold yourself still despite it, to not give in to what he expected of you.

 Boba had another idea though. He growled and clutched at your hips and began forcefully dragging you back and forth across the coarse material of his pants, causing you to emit a wail that echoed throughout the room. Boba hummed, satisfied with the effect his domination of your movements had on you, and lowered his head so that he was whispering in your ear, the sound delightfully harsh and metallic through his helmet’s vocoder.

 “What was that, precious thing? You love fucking yourself against my leg like the needy little brat that you are, I know you do… now say it . Answer me, girl.” Boba punctuated his order with a slap to your ass, aggressively driving the muscle of his thigh up into your quim.

 “Y-yes, Boba…” You weakly murmured, hiding your face against his shoulder, thighs clenching around his upper leg like a vise, your hips finally - almost involuntarily - thrusting into the meat of Boba’s thigh in time with the rhythm he jerked them back and forth with. “I… I l-love fucking m-myself on your thigh…”

 “ Very good …” Boba chuckled darkly to himself as he continued to bounce his leg up and down while guiding your hips with his firm, strong hands, reveling in the soft grunts you let out as he controlled your riding of his thigh. He began flexing his quadricep to usher your impending orgasm along, occasionally pressing the tops of your thighs down to create more friction against your clit, friction you desperately needed as you chased your first release.

 Your hips started to stutter much sooner than you had anticipated and you locked your arms around Boba’s neck in a death grip, lifting your face away from its place pressed against his breastplate to look into his eyes through the blackness of the T-shaped visor. Boba pinched the tip of your chin with his index finger and thumb, keeping your head in place so you were forced to meet his gaze as you came, his other hand planted firmly on your waist as he continued to shove your body back and forth.

 “Come on, sweet thing. Cum on my thigh for me,” Boba encouraged as your grunting turned into high-pitched whines, spaced out with every push of your hips into his leg. Wriggling yourself in small circles and grinding your clit into the rough flak of his flight suit, you tipped your head back as you were finally pushed over the edge. Your inner walls clenched around nothing, devastating waves of pleasure rolling through your cunt and up through your clit as you rode out your orgasm. Boba didn’t slow his ministrations in the least bit, continuing to pump his leg up and down, holding you tightly in place as the spasms finally began to slow down and your clit became horribly oversensitive, until he finally allowed you to push yourself away from him, falling back onto the bed, panting loudly.

 Trembling and shivering from the orgasm that had ripped cataclysmically through your body, you laid back on the bed, chest heaving violently, legs splayed and arms thrown limply above your head. You opened your watering eyes briefly to look at Boba, and they widened considerably when you saw that he was curiously running his fingers over several incredibly noticeable stains on the thigh of his flight suit.

 Incredibly noticeable dark red stains. More like streaks, actually, following the line your pussy had made rutting against his thigh as you had sought your climax on the thick canvas.

 You felt the warmth drain from your face, slightly horrified and ready to sink into the floor out of embarrassment. You’d been bleeding like a stuck pig all over his leg as he’d forced your orgasm out of you, and you hadn’t even realized it.

 “Oh, Boba … I…” You began, rising up on your elbows, trying to think of what to say to placate him so he wouldn’t reprimand you for ruining a part of the armor that he cherished more than most other things. He was staring at you, unmoving, and that’s when you noticed his hands were actually shaking . The heat immediately rushed back to your face tenfold, and your cunt grew even warmer, your own arousal coating your inner thighs anew at how much of a mess you’d made of this man, in more ways than one.

 “ Filthy girl. I’m going to fuck you hard for that.” The words came out in a feral snarl, and suddenly his hands were around your throat. You let out a gasping whoop as the air was forced from your lungs, although he wasn’t choking you hard enough to cause damage. The moderate pressure on your windpipe sent black spots to your vision, your own hands coming up to scrabble at the backs of his, more out of longing for his touch than a desire for him to stop, and Boba knew your limits by now. It ended soon enough, his iron grip relaxing almost as quickly as it had begun, and you gulped in fresh air. He ghosted the backs of his fingers over your exposed neck for a moment, wordlessly making sure that you were okay, and you pressed a chaste kiss to his knuckles as he dragged the digits over your mouth for a brief moment. Another growl left his lips as you did so, and your hammering heart flipped in your chest as you felt him still quaking from just how horny he was, how eager to finally take you.

 Boba hurriedly unbuttoned the fly of his trousers, his normally deft fingers stumbling in his aroused rush to free himself. You couldn’t imagine just how turned on he must be to completely lose his cool like this, and it dazed you to comprehend that he was like this because of you . He finally shoved aside the rough material and pulled his cock free. You’d seen him too many times to count, but that first glimpse still sent your mind reeling. He was fucking huge. A perfect eight inches, ever-so-slightly curved to the right, veiny and deliciously wide, the glans plump and dusky pink and already slick with precum. He’d gone commando under his flight suit, and you found yourself wondering if he did all the time. You hoped so - it was fucking hot .

 “Boba, wait - are you absolutely sure you want to do this? It’s… going to... make a mess…” You said weakly, grasping at his bracer with your trembling fingers and feeling as if you might faint as he lined up his considerable girth against your entrance. You felt the fat head of his cock against your lips, and it was like every nerve-ending in your body was fucking screaming at the tease.

 He paused for a moment, sitting back and studying you intently, slowly pumping his engorged member and spreading glistening precum over the velvety, blunt head with a still-bloodstained thumb. A taunting rumble emanated from under his helmet, and his length twitched in his hand. Leaning down to cup your face with one hand, the other on the root of his erection, hot and hard and throbbing against you, you could hear the smirk in Boba’s voice.

 “Oh, princess… I’m a bounty hunter. A little blood has never scared me.”

 He entered you without any further warning, one deep, agonizingly slow thrust, and it felt like you were being ripped apart from the inside in the best way. No matter how many times you’d taken him, no matter how drenched and ready you were for him, Boba Fett’s cock was massive , the biggest you’d ever had. Tears sprang to your eyes and you wrapped your arms around his neck, knees involuntarily drawing up so that you could wrap your legs around his still-clothed waist, wanting him closer and deeper despite the initial burn. He bottomed out just as he was starting to hurt beyond your threshold, just as you were considering asking him to stop, letting out a deep, low groan as his balls and the dark patch of curls surrounding them made contact with your skin. You could feel the seam of his trousers against your ass as well, the knowledge that he hadn’t even bothered to take off his pants in order to fuck you sending a thrill up your spine.

 And then he started to move.

 Boba pistoned his hips back and forth at a near-frantic pace right from the start, already grunting with the exertion, and you knew that he was trying his hardest to keep some semblance of rhythm, to not mindlessly fuck into you like a wild animal, solely focused on chasing his own orgasm. Your whole body moving with every thrust, your cloth-covered tits bouncing as he slammed into you, you looked down between your bodies and watched his thick cock slide in and out of you. Your walls squeezed and fluttered urgently as you noticed the wet sheen of your blood coating his member as he plunged deeper and deeper into you. He dragged his cock out of you until only the head was still sitting inside, then rammed back home - once, twice; you began to lose count as your mind became hazy with the pleasure.

 “Take the helmet off.” You found yourself gasping out, and Boba stopped as if he’d been frozen in time. He pulled his head back slightly to stare directly into your eyes, holding his body still above you.

 “Please,” you continued, “I want to see you, I need you to kiss me, I need to see your face, pleaseplease please, Boba-“ You chanted as if in prayer, stopping mid-sentence as you realized just how still he had become. 

 Boba gave no discernible reply, either audibly or physically, but you could still feel his surprise through your hands, the taut muscles under your touch having suddenly turned to stone. He didn’t even seem to be breathing. Panic rising in your gut, you expected him to pull himself from inside of you and push you away, to disappear into the night never to be seen again, you began to utter a quiet “I’m sorry, Bo-“ when he shushed you with a hiss, and reached down between your bodies to press his index and middle fingers to your clit, rubbing slow, lackadaisical circles over the swollen nub. He chuckled from somewhere low in his chest, both at your pleading to see his face, and your renewed mewls of ecstasy at his teasing fingers.

 “Hush, little princess. Some other time.”

 With that, he pressed his fingers into your waist and lifted you off your back with ease, scooting himself to the edge of the bed so that his legs were hanging over the side, your own positioned on either side of his waist so that you were sitting flush in his lap, your thighs pressed firmly to his, his pulsating member buried deep inside of you. Boba gave you a moment to settle in his lap and adjust to the new position, then wrapped one arm around your waist to keep you from tumbling backwards and began slamming into you with an almost murderous intensity, his other arm reaching between you and covering your pussy with his hand, using his thumb to rub frenzied circles into your engorged clit, periodically pinching and flicking. You bit back a scream and your walls clenched painfully around his cock, and buried your face in the scratchy material protecting his throat. Your head tucked underneath the lip of his helmet, you could hear Boba panting and letting out throaty little moans, the sound unaltered by his vocoder at this angle, and the rasp of his true voice made you squirm with delight, grinding back against the sharp, shallow juts up into your core.

 You felt a dampness forming on the material beneath your slack-jawed mouth as he fucked up into you; knowing that you were drooling right onto his clothing, completely cock-dumb and at the mercy of the man jackhammering into you, seemed to set off fireworks within your core. You heard a whining noise, steadily growing louder and higher-pitched as it went on, and it took a moment for you to realize that you were making that sound. Your second orgasm was building faster and faster, your own movements becoming hectic and sloppy against his rhythmic thrusting, and you persisted crying out wordlessly, rocking wildly on Boba’s lap. He continued to pound into you, growling and grunting like a beast, and that’s when you began to scream in earnest, the blunt tip of his cock finally scraping against that sweet spot deep inside your core, again and again and again. 

 Boba brought one hand up to stroke your cheek as his aggressive thrusts bounced you up and down in his lap, a soft shushing noise emanating from underneath the helmet. When that didn’t work to stifle your cries, he clamped one hand over your mouth, squeezing your face with the force of it.

 “There you go, little one. That’s it, come on… cum on my cock. Let me make you feel good…” He murmured, thrusting up into you one final time and grinding his hips in a semi-circle as he did, his glans catching against the spongy patch deep inside you again, finally setting off a volley of apocalyptic spasms throughout your cunt. You clenched painfully around Boba, your pussy fluttering, your entire body shuddering and heaving with the waves of pleasure rolling through your system. The orgasm dragged on and on as Boba continued to grind into you and you shrieked into his hand, tears rolling down your cheeks from the intensity of it. His thrusts were too overstimulating, bordering on painful, as the spasms finally began to ebb, but Boba’s movements had become increasingly erratic, his own grunts louder, and finally - with a muttered curse in a guttural language you didn’t recognize - he harshly yanked himself out of your still-spasming cunt and pressed his cock against your belly. Streaks of Boba’s cum spurted up, leaving his mark all over the front of your nightie. When he was sure his cock had been milked for all it was worth, just before he began to go soft, Boba quickly lifted your ass up with one hand and sank you back down onto him, causing you to gasp and rut against him several times in your overstimulated state. He stilled you by wrapping an arm around your waist, resting his chin atop the crown of your hair, both of you completely exhausted and unable to even consider a second round anytime soon.

 For a few minutes afterwards, you were pliant and vulnerable in his arms, your cheek pressed against the cool armor of his breastplate, shivering both with delight and the aftershocks of your climax. Boba’s own chest heaved as he attempted to catch his breath, his fingers running up and down your back, occasionally wiping the sweat and tears away from your face. You found yourself clinging desperately to his shoulder pauldrons, silently willing him not to move, to finally stay the night by your side. Neither one of you spoke, but you didn’t need to. You could have fallen asleep in his lap like this, legs dangling on both sides of his hips, his cock still inside of you, a strangely comforting sense of fullness. 

 It was too good to last, of course. With a relaxed sigh, Boba shifted, slowly lifting you off his cock. He left your opening with a wet pop , a mixture of pinkish menstrual blood and both of your arousals dribbling down the inside of your thigh as he flopped you down on the bed, stretching lazily as if he hadn’t just fucked your brains out. He stalked off to the bathroom without a word, probably to wash your blood off of himself. You closed your eyes for a moment, almost on the cusp of sleep and still sniffling from the tears your powerful orgasm had brought on, when you heard soft bootsteps returning from the other room, followed by the feeling of a damp cloth between your legs, gently cleaning your wrecked sex. You sighed softly at the unexpected sensation, and hummed contentedly when the cloth was removed and a warm hand settled itself over your lower belly, kneading the sore flesh there. 

 “Feeling better, cyar’ika?” Boba asked, and his tone made your heart ache. This affection was something fairly new, and you gave an affirmative, sleepy murmur in response. He had never called you that name before - he’d never even called you your actual name before - and you wondered what it meant, but knew you would only receive a brooding stare if you deigned to ask. You were too tired to consider it, anyway. You doubted you could stay awake for much longer.

 The hand withdrew from your tummy, and as your eyes fluttered closed, you saw Boba standing over you, looking every bit the fearsome warrior. He reached out and tapped his fingers under your chin delicately, and you heard the sound of spurs moving across the room, away from your bed.

 “ Good. ”

 He was gone in the morning, of course. 

 It had been silly to think maybe you’d open your eyes and see him sitting in the chair across the room, waiting for you to wake up.

 The only sign that someone else had been there at all was the delicious ache between your legs that always lasted for several days after one of Boba’s visits and the lingering scent of post-coital musk in the air, as well as a few bloodstains on the sheets and dried cum on your nightshirt that you hoped would come out in the wash. 

 And last night’s underwear had mysteriously vanished.

 You thought you had a vague idea of where it might’ve ended up.

[tywrites]

reaction to s/o being flirted with | headcannons

request: can I get an imagine on how bokuto and ushijima would react if they turned a corner and suddenly saw there fem!s/o getting cornered against a wall by a random 3rd year that has been recently flirting with her. And s/o is small 152cm/5'0 please make them seperate scenarios :)

a/n: ahh i'm really trying to get the hang of characterisation rn so i'm sorry if they're a lil ooc :( but please leave me any feedback, it'd honestly be really helpful! hope you enjoy anon <3

warnings: hmm, some swearing but that's all :))

pairings: ushijima wakatoshi x fem!reader

BOKUTO

After winning a match, Bokuto's first instinct is to run to you and allow you to shower him in the praise. Especially if it had been a particularly hard match with strong opponents.  He'd run to you and scoop you up into his arms, not caring about the deadpan looks he'd get from his team mates, holding you close as you told him how well he'd done. Knowing how proud of him you were just made him so incredibly happy and to see you waiting for him at the entrance to the auditorium was the thing he looked forward to most during matches.

However, on this particular day, you were nowhere to be found.

He looked high and low when the match had finished, but he just could not seem to find you. You weren't waiting by the entrance like you usually were, nor were you by the vending machines getting him a post-game snack like you would occasionally do. You also weren't answering any of his excited texts. Due to this, Bokuto simply became more and more dejected as he and the rest of his team mates walked towards the receptionists area, his emo-mode settling into place.

"Bokuto-san, she's probably just in the bathroom," Akaashi reminded him, sighing quietly to himself as Bokuto looked to him with sorrow in his eyes.

"But... but Akaashi, she always waits for me after games. She wouldn't let her BLADDER stop her! And I saw her in the crowd! So she's here somewhere, maybe she just didn't wanna see me..." he cried dramatically, allowing his arms to drag by his sides.

Rolling his eyes, Akaashi rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Immediately, he put one hand on Bokuto's shoulder to gain his attention and pointed down the hallway. There you were. In quite the predicament. Caged between a tall third year's arms, the discomfort was incredibly clear on your face, even from the distance Bokuto and Akaashi were standing. The boy was talking animatedly to you while you smiled politely up at him, though anyone would have been able to tell the smile was really forced.

Bokuto knew this boy. He'd seen him talking to you when he'd come to pick you up after classes, sliding his arm around your shoulders and getting far too close for comfort. Of course, Bokuto wasn't the type to immediately assume the worst. He trusted you and knew you wouldn't do anything to prove him otherwise. However, it was the third year he didn't trust.

The aura radiating off Bokuto switched quickly, going from downcast to fiery.

What the fuck did this dude think he was doing?

In a few quick steps, he was standing right behind the perpetrator and (more aggressively than he'd intended to) pulled him back from you by his shoulder. Frustrated at the interruption, the boy flew around to face him and was met with 6'1 of pure muscle, this clearly intimidating him quite a lot. This boy may have been tall, but compared to Bokuto, he stood no chance.

Shrinking back, the boy spoke timidly. "What do you w-"

"Y/N, I found you!" Bokuto let out a happy cry and pushed the guy aside while wrapping his arms around your waist, hugging you tightly to him as the third year watched on awkwardly. Keeping one arm around your waist, Bokuto then turned to the cowering boy. "Is this what was keeping you?" He asked you, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked him up and down.

"Uh, look man, I'm sorry. We were just talking, I swear," the boy babbled, holding up his hands in defense, not wanting to provoke Bokuto even more. Bokuto frowned at him and looked down at you for confirmation. Playing with the sleeves of your boyfriend's jersey that was wrapped around you, you avoided his gaze, not wanting to make the situation worse. Luckily for you, Akaashi decided to step in.

"I'm glad we found you, Y/N-san. Bokuto-san, let's go, we have to get to the bus," he said pointedly, taking your boyfriend's elbow and dragging him gently, but firmly, in the opposite direction. Bokuto's gaze didn't waver for a few seconds, honestly looking more comical than intimidating at this point—walking away with Akaashi pulling him, his arm wrapped around you while craning his neck to glare at the boy who'd been heavily flirting with you.

No sooner had you rounded the corner before he threw his arms around you yet again. "Y/N! I thought you were avoiding meeee," he said childishly, as he held you tightly to him. "Did you see me hit that awesome spike!!"

You giggled lightly at his antics. "I sure did! You were amazing, babe,"

Your praise made everything totally worth it.

USHIJIMA

For Ushijima, seeing you just before a match had become a routine. You'd help him stretch or simply sit in eachother's company while you did most of the talking, chatting about how excited you were for the game or about something silly you'd seen Tendou do that day. He wasn't the type to get nervous before a match, but having you there with your soft voice filling the air, set him at ease.

Which is why right now, he was beginning to get slightly worried.

Not about the match. He was incredibly confident that they'd be able to win even without your presence. But he was worried about you.

After you'd exited the bus, you'd mentioned that you needed to go to the bathroom before parting ways with the team. They'd continued onto the auditorium and hadn't really paid much attention to your absence until now. The whole team was so used to your encouraging tone and they way you'd fuss over them to make sure they had everything they need; not having you there felt strange indeed.

"Y/N-senpai sure is taking a long time..." Goshiki mentioned to Tendou as he looked around the room. "I hope nothing's happened. I want her to see me ace this match! Do you think she's okay?"

Tendou looked down at him, pondering, before turning to Ushijima and repeating the question. "Hey Wakatoshi, you worried about Y/N? She's taking a long time for just a bathroom break, dont'cha think?" he asked, tilting his head slightly while attempting to read Ushijima's current feelings.

Ushijima stayed silent; though for Tendou, the sight furrow in his forehead answered his question. Without saying a word, Ushjima rose up from his stretching position on the floor and left the room, the eyes of his team mates following him curiously.

As he wandered the halls, all the ace could think about was where you were. You were honestly one of the only things that could push the thought of volleyball out of his mind, even for just a brief moment. In the beginning of your relationship, it wasn't uncommon for Ushjima to blow off your plans to practice late or leave you waiting while going over strategies with the team. However, your patience with him and the progression in your relationship since then truly showed how much he cared for you.

Ushijima was not a very expressive man, that was for sure. He never exactly had much to say and really only spoke him mind when it was necessary. Jealousy wasn't an emotion he was accustomed to to say the least and he rarely got jealous, even when you were spending a lot of free time with a certain friend of yours. Though he was slow with social cues sometimes, Ushijima was no fool and knew when someone was flirting, and this friend of yours was certainly crossing the line with you a few weeks back.

You being one of the only people able to read him, you had understood immediately that the ace was jealous and had tried to distance yourself from this friend as politely as possible. But still, while he was looking for you, all that seemed to go through Ushijima's mind was images of you and your friend together.

And his worries were correct.

As he rounded the corner of the hallway that led to the bathrooms, Ushjima stopped in his tracks and took a second to process the situation in front of him.

He'd found you. But so had someone else. You were gingerly leaning against the wall while your friend (that seemed twice your size at this point) was cupping your face with one hand, bending down slightly to really invade into your personal zone. Ushijima honestly had never felt an emotion quite like this before. A frown on his face, he approached quickly and cleared his throat viciously once he'd gotten behind your friend.

Scoffing, the boy turned around, coming face to face with your boyfriend's intense stare. There was something in his eyes that just screamed danger—or maybe it was more accurate to say it screamed "get the fuck away from my girlfriend."

Due to the change in position, you were finally able to free yourself from in between the wall and your friend, moving to the side and awkwardly watching the staring contest that was going on between Ushijima and his fellow third year. If you didn't break this up, they'd be there forever and neither seemed to be backing down. Though you couldn't tell whether your friend was frozen in defiance or fear.

Stepping forward, you took Ushijima's arm in your hands and tugged it gently, causing him to look down at you.

"Babe, can we go? You'll miss the match," you said, trying to diffuse the situation before anything got out of hand.

At the sound of your voice and the reminder of the match, Ushijima calmed down a considerable amount. "Yes. You're right," he replied, turning his body towards you and starting to walk away. Before you turned to go around the corner, your boyfriend stopped walking and looked behind him to your friend standing alone in the middle of the corridor.

"Don't touch her again."

[hils79]

Fic Tag Game

I saw this on @kholran’s tumblr, liked it to fill in later and then promptly forgot. Don’t check Tumblr as soon as you wake up, fam. You will forget what you did an hour later. Anyway, this looks fun and now that I’m actually writing regularly again I thought I’d give this a go. 

Name: Hils

I am an ancient internet crone who, when I set up a Livejournal back in 2001, decided to just use a version of my actual name. I’m some version of Hils most places.

Fandoms: Since this is specifically about fic, I’m going to limit it to fandoms I’ve written in. Because otherwise we’d be here all night. I’m also not going to include fandoms where I only wrote one fic on a whim. All of the below are fandoms where I’ve written two fics or more. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: This was my first experience with online fandom and still the longest and most prolific time I’ve spent in any fandom I think. My ship of choice was Buffy/Spike. I’ll be honest, when it became canon on the show I kind of lost interest. Be careful what you wish for :D

Pirates of the Caribbean: Yeah, I have a think for enemies to lovers. Jack/Norrington was my ship of choice here. This was also my first m/m OTP. 

Lord of the Rings RPF: This was my first RPF fandom (I know it's not for everyone don't judge me) and my pairing of choice was Sean Bean/Viggo Mortensen. It was a pretty small pairing even in terms of LOTRRPF but I had a lot of fun. 

Smallville: I started shipping Clark and Lex from pretty much the first episode. Which was funny because I’ve been a Superman fan since I was a little kid and never expected to end up here. This was another big fandom for me where I wrote a lot. It’s second after Buffy for number of fics I’ve posted. 

Merlin: This was another one where I started shipping Merlin/Arthur from pretty much the beginning. It’s funny that, as a Brit, this is the only British fandom I’ve ever been in. 

Supernatural: Another big one. I’d watched the show from pretty much the beginning but it wasn’t until Castiel arrived in season 4 that I started writing fic. This is my third biggest fandom in terms of number of fics published and it’s also responsible for my two longest fics

Marvel: I’m using this as a broad umbrella to cover a bunch of different MCU movies, the comics, and the Agents of SHIELD TV show. Pairings I have written are: Tony/Pepper, Tony/Steve, Steve/Bucky, Phil/Clint

The Man From UNCLE: I grew up watching repeats of the old 60s show which I adored, and then the movie came out and was also fantastic, so my fics cover both the movie universe and the TV universe. Mostly Napoleon/Ilya with some Napoleon/Gaby/Ilya thrown in

Check Please: My introduction to hockey and I’m ashamed to say I still haven’t read the end of it despite owning a hard copy of it. Jack/Bitty are so sweet but, again, I kind of lost interest once they actually got together in canon

Hockey RPF: Sort of a natural progression from Check Please really. All my hockey fic is locked and comment moderation is on but it’s there if you feel the need to look. Pairings I wrote were Sid/Geno, Gabe/Tyson and Phil Kessel/Carl Hagelin which was a nice little rare pairing to play with.

The Untamed: My introduction to cdramas. I’ve only posted a couple of fics because I find the fandom quite intimidating in terms of volume and quality.  Weirdly this is one of the few fandoms where the pairing being canonically together just inspired me to write instead of putting me off. This fandom got me writing again after a couple of years of barely posting anything at all. 

Guardian: I fell into this one HARD. I posted my first fic about a month after I finished the show and I still have ideas for more. This was kind of a turning point for me in getting me to write regularly again. 

DMBJ/The Lost Tomb: This is where I pretty much live at the moment. I don’t know what it is about these silly shows that inspires me so much but I love them and the characters dearly. This is one of the few fandoms where I’m just as happy writing gen as I am writing shippy stuff. I just love the Iron Triangle friendship so much. 

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort is the big one for me. Pretty much all my fics involve this trope in some sense. Other than that I think it depends on the characters and the fandom. 

Fic I spent most time on: Definitely  Misha Collins Makes A Match (yes it’s an RPF fic). I had to plot out a whole road trip route set in a country where I don’t live. 

Favorite fic(s) you’ve written: Ooh, that’s a tough one. I generally don’t read my fics after I’ve published them and once they’re out there I consider them Done and move on to thinking about the next one. 

And There's That Pesky Thing Called Reality - I had a lot of fun playing with the meta aspects of fandom. It’s dated quite badly now but if you want a taste of what fandom was like in 2010 this is it.

He's My Brother - I enjoyed exploring different characters’ points of view for this one and how they see Wei Wuxian at different points in the show

Fic I spent least time on: I think I wrote and posted  Love On Ice in one evening. 

Longest fic: Discounting things I’ve written with other people it’s  Misha Collins Makes A Match again

Shortest fic: According to AO3  Three Little Words which is a 200 word Buffy/Spike fic

Most hits/kudos/comments/bookmarks:

Hits:  The Truth About Cats, Dogs and Penguins which is a Sid/Geno hockey RPF fic

Kudos and Bookmarks:  Unleashed which is a Steve/Bucky AU where they meet in their local dog park

Comments: He's My Brother. The Untamed fandom might be a bit scary but they are also very kind

Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: I’m already planning at least one addition to the Zhu Yilong/Chen Minghao series I wrote for this year’s Sundial Exchange

Share a bit of a WIP: I generally only have one WIP on the go at a time and I just write outlines for any other ideas I have. So, this is a bit of what I’m working on at the moment. This is not, despite the below snippet, a Zhu Yilong/Chen Minghao fic. 

“Do you want his number?” Chen Minghao asks with a grin. “You can ask him yourself. I’ll need to check with him first but I think he’ll be fine with it.”

Something drops in Zhu Yilong’s stomach. He’s a mature adult who has met plenty of famous actors during his time in the industry. But there’s something different about being introduced to someone you admire. He’s not going to let his shyness get in the way of this opportunity though, not when it could help with his current role.

“That would be great. If you’re sure it’s no trouble.”

Chen Minghao waves a dismissive hand. “Of course it’s no trouble. All I need to do is send a text.”

I tag: ALL of my writer friends. I want to know all about your projects. TELL ME.

[dorevenge]

where ignorance is bliss - chapter 4: except the willow

SUMMARY: Maria is forcefully escorted from the betting room, when she encounters the owner of the casino himself.  [AO3 LINK]

CHAPTERS: 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ☆

November 20, 1959 – Monaco, France, The Hellfire Club

I’ve never thought about my what last words would be. I had always assumed I would be 98, having aged better than brie, lying in bed surrounded by my family, my curls perfectly falling around my face, with a pristine pale pink lipstick and pearls on my neck and diamonds on my ears. I’d have outlived my husband, as I’ve always flocked towards older men, but I would see him reflected in my great-grandchildren, one of whom would have shared my philanthropic interests. I’d leave them all with some well-planned poetry, a single sentence that would change every one of their lives, resound in them and inspire them to change their actions for the better, but, as of now, due to my arrogant foolishness, my last words were to be “I’d rather stay here and keep losing.” And no one would remember them.

Thick arms wrap around mine, hiking me up by the armpits, and I am escorted out of the casino and through the hotel lobby, my high heels scrambling to make purchase on the ground below me. The few people scattered in the lobby pause to look at me, and then keep walking. The fun from the baccarat game has dwindled, the rosiness falling from my cheeks and panic settling in my chest. I couldn’t pull against them; there’s no way I could win in a fight even with some of Peggy’s training. I should have taken her up on her thigh holster offer.

The men stop briefly at the front desk. “What room is Ms. Carbonell staying in?”

“Obadiah won’t let you get away with this,” I grit, my arms pinned behind my back.

“Mr. Stane is currently preoccupied.” One of the men asks for a spare key, and the desk attendant fumbles in the cabinet to find the correct one.

A man in glasses walks past, tall but not intimidating, broad-shouldered but not bulky, nose buried in a pile of papers in his hands, and glances up, pausing to evaluate the scene. Our eyes make contact, and it takes him a second to evaluate my panic.

“Do you need any help, madam?”

“She’s fine,” one of the suited men replies. I’m too startled to scream, or speak, or even think at all. All I can hope is that someone in the lobby reads my face and intervenes. Grumbling, they forgo the key, and pull me out of the hotel lobby towards the parking lot.

This is how I’m going to die, I think, reminiscing what a waste finishing school was since I never learned to hold my tongue anyway, and it is my penchant for petty remarks sending me to an early grave. I can’t keep up with their pace, my high heels catching in almost every dent in the asphalt, and I almost lose my balance several times.

We approach a long, sleek black car with darkened windows, and I finally start calling out, “Obie! Obadiah!” to the empty parking lot, writhing against the arms around me.

“Ms. Carbonell! I think you dropped an earring.” The voice comes from behind. It’s the man in glasses, walking swiftly, with authority, except for the little cowlick of dark black hair on the right side of his head, twirling in the breeze as he stalks forward.

The men holding me turn to confront him as he takes off his glasses and slides them into his breast pocket. The men’s postures drop and their faces fall. Their grip on me lessens. He runs a hand through his hair and stares them down.

“Mr. Stark.”

“Release Ms. Carbonell at once.”

“We’re sorry, Mr. Stark, she-”

“You do know what at once means, don’t you, boys?”

They release me.

“I cannot apologize enough, Ms. Carbonell, for the behavior of these men. If they offend you again, I will personally write to their employers.” He looks at each one of them sternly, in turn.

One of the men stiffens defiantly. “We didn’t recognize you, Mr. Stark. In the betting room-”

“When you are the one who owns the casino, only then should you be concerned about its finances.” Stark’s stern face softens when he turns to me, offering me his elbow. He nods at each man with authority, and they shrink away. My heart is still racing, and I still must not be thinking straight, because I loop my arm through his, my life in the hands of yet another stranger.

-

The dinner at one of the restaurants inside Hellfire is delectable, but dining with the owner probably helps. There were too many options on the menu that I eventually pointing to something at random and ordered that. I had very little to say, besides non merci to the waiters who kept offering us champagne and thanking Mr. Stark for his kindness. The anxiety has set into my bones and I can’t help but fidget.

“I already told you, Maria, just call me Howard.” Up close, I can see that he’s older, probably in his forties. Creases line his eyes and mouth, probably from charming the pants off too many investors, and the investors’ wives.

“Okay, Howard, does wearing glasses actually work? To go unnoticed.” I peer at him over the top of my waterglass.

“It does. Works wonders. I had read about it in a comic and wanted to give it a try. People act different when their boss is lurking around the corner, and sometimes I just want to be a guest in my own hotel.”

A waitress clears Howard’s empty plate, leaving my full one, and she brings the dessert menu to him. Without looking at it, he hands it back to her, ordering two beignets. She asks if we need anything else, chest puffed high and smiling bright, and Howard responds in near-perfect French without looking away from me. The waiter walks away, dejected, her hopes of charming the billionaire dashed.

I pick at the dish, too rich for my current anxious appetite. My anxiety hadn’t run out of fuel yet. “What’s eating you, doll?”

“Why were those men watching me? And where were they going to take me? I wasn’t cheating.”

“I know you weren’t cheating.”

“You know? How?”

“There are cameras everywhere in the game rooms, tiny ones in lamps and plants and around every corner. They can tell when someone is cheating, and your moves seemed very intentional. And putting money in my pocket isn’t exactly cheating.” I don’t ask how the cameras would be able to tell, as I’ve been to two of his expos now and haven’t understood any of the gadgets presented. Any explanation would just go over my head. I wonder how many cameras litter the restaurant.

He doesn’t answer my question and instead asks one of his own. “Why were you spending your partner’s money like that?”

My partner. That’s right, I am technically in business with Obadiah; we’ve kept our short engagement to ourselves, and he’s always introduced me as his accountant. I slide my hands into my lap to hide the ring on my finger, and slide the ring off once it’s out of view. “My answer to your question might be the same as your answer to mine.”

Howard’s face lights up, and he leans forward on the table to get a better look at me. “So you’re clever, too, and not just pretty.” He doesn’t ask it like a question, but a statement, and I try with all my might not to blush like a child. The waitress returns and clears our plates, bringing the dessert he ordered. Howard leans back with a sigh. “I’ve kept my eye on Stane for the last few years. Not a bad man, but not a great one. Desperate. I was desperate, too, for a while, ‘til I realized the only thing that gets you anywhere is hard work. That’s how America does it.”

“He says while dining in France.”

“Hey, I paid for the meal in America dollars, doll.” His smile is wide, and honest, and youthful and endearing and… and it belongs to Howard Stark, notorious womanizer. Still, I find myself smiling in return, chin propped up in my hand, gazing at him. I can’t get caught up in his displays of wealth, but his confidence is something else. Obadiah isn’t confident like Howard. Howard has confidence to spare. He could bottle it and sell it, and convince everyone he met to buy it, that’s how confident he is. “How long are you in Monaco?”

“I leave November 22nd. Obadiah has had long meetings every day.”

“And because he leaves you alone in your room, you squander his earnings at the betting table in retaliation?” I look up at him, in surprise and defense, and he chuckles to himself.  “If I were him, I’d bring you to every meeting with me. You belong in the business room. What do you do at Stane International?”

“I keep the books. Accounting. I went to Columbia.” I want to impress him.

“And what do you do when you’re not working?”

“I work a lot with charities.”

“When you’re not working.”

“I suppose I dine with handsome strangers in foreign hotels.”

Howard takes one bite of the dessert delivered, then wipes his hands and rises to his feet. “Let’s go have some fun, Maria.”

-

“You’re only here for one more full day, is that right?” Howard asks me from the rooftop of the Hellfire Club. “Spend it with me. Obadiah won’t mind.”

He’s right; Obie wouldn’t even notice, and I don’t feel guilty for accepting. “What do you have in mind?”

We sit up there for hours, talking until sunset, the wind licking at his hair, teasing it from the gel. The soft colors of dusk make Howard look younger. I want to kiss him, I realize, and I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone before. At least, not like this. I push the feeling down deep. Every woman wants to kiss Howard Stark, with his deep brown eyes and his even deeper pockets. And if he wants to kiss me, he’ll have to work for it.

As if reading my mind, he whispers, “God, Maria, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’d give it all up just to kiss you.”

“Does that line usually work?” I turn away. I feel like a child in his gaze, naïve and eager.

“I don’t know. I’ve never used it before.” I don’t look at him, but I can feel his eyes on me. I fix my gaze hard on the horizon in front of me. After a moment, “Actually, I take it back. I don’t want to kiss you until I’ve earned it. I want to do right by you, Maria. I’ll become an honest man for you.”

I want to believe him, but I also believe the stories. I don’t know what makes me so special in Howard’s eyes, but I feel more seen with him than I ever did with Obadiah, and it’s the last sign I need to leave him.

[thelightofthingshopedfor]

as usual, an unrealistic list of things I’d really like to get done over the three-day weekend, which is not super likely to go well considering I’m posting this at 5 fucking p.m. but whatever:

gaming-related

I have exactly a month left on my (so far unused, whoops) PC Game Pass subscription, so I need to go over my wish list again and identify

which games have achievements

each game’s average playtime so I can prioritize

which ones interest me the most (emphasis on spooky games because...it’s spooky season)

try Fallout 76 once it finally finishes downloading, because I played the free weekend on Steam before and this is Microsoft, and...I think my character should just be on their servers but I don’t actually know hahahaha yeah that super didn’t work, maybe in a week when our billing cycle restarts I’ll try redownloading and reinstalling it, and anyway I did download and test a couple other Game Pass games

cancel my current SWTOR subscription so I’m not still paying for that while focusing on Game Pass games

play one of a few Flash games on my to-play list, if there’s something short

misc/housekeeping

check out my current backup situation and see how hard it would be to modify, I mean at some point I have got to set up an actual system but for some reason that’s intimidating so if what I currently have is at all usable, I should add to it

and then verify my drivers. I don’t know what’s wrong with my PC and I’m really not sure how to figure that out but since Memtest86 ran for three fucking hours and came back clear, it seems like this is the next major step in the troubleshooting process okay I actually didn’t do this but I did try some other things that also didn’t work

finish claiming all the Black Panther comics

a tiny bit of room cleaning? maybe?? I actually already did a very tiny bit, and this is something (one of...many things) I could do while on a call with friends, which is also in my plans

open a couple packages from one of said friends, which keen-eyed readers might note was in a to-do list ages ago oops

check Tumblr drafts

work on modifying or fixing some masks that currently aren’t working well

send an email that’s been on my to-do list for...a while

actually another email would be a good one too

keep trying to get Hazy to learn that letting people handle her paws results in good treats, so we can make an appointment for a Petco nail trim (and ideally clip them ourselves, sometimes)

ah fuck I still need to finish my will

creative

mildly edit the short fic I posted a few days ago, give it a title, and toss it on AO3

as always, some typing would be really really good

so would...some writing...

make some more potion bottles with, uh, random stuff I’ve collected on recent walks around the neighborhood (other potion bottles with other random ideas I’ve had wouldn’t be a bad idea either...and I would like to try one of the Youtube tutorials I found for making tiny hourglasses, but I guess that’s probably not a priority)

do a little reorganizing in my giant to-do lists for a) 1/6-scale projects and b) lyrics for titles

doing more research on parts for a 1/6 female Loki is really not urgent but...I might want to...and some things are on sale right now...

repair Tiny Loki’s tiny mask

rewrite my paper list of prioritized projects, which I needed to do anyway, but now I’ve also lost the original and that’s very annoying (also make a pocket for it in my notebook so this is less likely to happen again)

make designs for a few new Pride Cap shields, maybe? it really would not take long to make just a few, and now is when I should be adding stuff to Etsy if I have any hope of like...holiday sales

for that matter, now would be an extremely good time to at least start planning what kinds of holiday-specific things (and/or other new listings) I might be able to make in time to list them on Etsy

mental health

write up a post for the ADHD Reddit and maybe other related places

experiment with Notion and Airtable as organizational options

research some bullet-journal layouts to see if anything seems like it would work for me

in general, spend some time just kind of...brainstorming the type of system that would be useful for me in keeping my shit together, so I have a better idea of what I’m looking for (also probably helpful to list like...the big problems I’m trying to fix)

see if Penzu seems like a good option for a keeping-my-shit-together strategy I have in mind from my latest therapy session, and if not, do a little research on other journal-type possibilities

shopping I probably shouldn’t be doing

make a Michaels order tomorrow when both coupons will be active, because...there are some Halloween things that are somehow already sold out at the nearest store but I still want them...and they’re available at the store all the way across town...so...

possibly go to an estate sale benefiting the rescue group where we got Scully and Hazy, which is also all the way over on the other side of town but if I’m going over there anyway, I might as well

some stuff in my Etsy cart that I don’t want to miss

ditto eBay, I think mostly in my cart but also check watch list

AliExpress is also having some sales and yes there are more tiny things I want to buy for Loki’s arcane workshop, shut up (but also if I’m going to buy another Hot Toys body, this time for Thor, I gotta...take some measurements)

politics

call legislators

I really don’t know why I bother but I’ve found a bunch more articles recently that I’d like to throw on Facebook

for that matter at some point I’m probably just going to do a Facebook post like “hey, if you care about me at all, please consider voting Biden,” which also probably won’t make a difference but like...there’s a tiny chance it might

actually write those Sierra Club letters to voters that I meant to do like...two weeks ago...and maybe also some postcards, idk

maybe go to a thing Monday afternoon

also maybe just like...look through my links and folders to see who’s doing textbanking? like I don’t necessarily have to do any of it this weekend, just figure out what’s available?

........hmm this is all a terrible idea, probably, in part because my brain is looking at this absurdly long list and still going “oh shit, oh fuck, we’re forgetting something major aren’t we!!!”

[rockethorse]

I was tagged to do this meme by @roguebotanist ! Sorry it took me so long!

1. If you could travel one place in the world where would you travel?

Probably be to the USA to visit all my friends there, and my partner's extended family! I'm planning to go to Japan again soon with my partner, too, but because Australia is closer to Japan, that's a lot more attainable than visiting the states. So if I had magic-genie-travel-vouchers, I'd definitely pick the US. Just... maybe not for a few years, lol. It's a dream of mine to be able to take the two of us on a kind of foodie driving tour down through different American states, visiting a bunch of people we know, and tasting all the stuff we see on Instagram, LOL.

2. What do you do in your free time away from Sims?

I draw, cook, dabble in writing (I'm not very good but I really enjoy it), translate/subtitle videos from Japanese and close caption videos/podcasts in English, and work on eventual-someday comic ideas. I also keep meaning to get into gardening and sewing - I have all the equipment, but the attention... not so much.

3. What other games do you play besides The Sims?

Animal Crossing, Pokemon (even though I still haven't finished SWSH), Stardew Valley, a little bit of Slime Rancher (highly recommend, I think a lot of y'all would really like it), and the Ace Attorney series though I haven't played much beyond the original trilogy even though I really like it. Since we got our Switch I started playing Zelda BoTW too, which is my first real "gamer" game and I really, really liked it, so I'm sort of dabbling in more games of those kinds of genres that I used to be intimidated by.

4. How tall are you?

5'11"/180cm, last time I measured.

5. One random interest of yours?

I collect/love to pore over retro cook books with really terrible photography. I have a small collection of them. Some of them are genuinely good and others are hilariously bizarre. I daydream about starting a YouTube channel some day and I think about making a week's worth of breakfast/lunch/dinners from these old books and recording the process. My current favourite is all about what you're supposed to like to eat based on your star sign, from the 1990s. There's a lot of the word "moist".

6. Current favourite bands/artists?

“Current” is hard to say because if I actually manage to get attached enough to an artist/group to specifically like them, they become my favourite for a loooooonnnnggg time. So I would have to say my "current" favourites are exist†trace, Go-Bang’s, BARBEE BOYS, and Yes.

7. Something you’re looking forward to?

I'm looking forward to getting my life back together now that I've finally been able to finish a really stressful irl project, lmao. I'm looking forward to having enough money saved up to hopefully travel to Japan as early as next year and surprise my friends there. I'm looking forward to breakfast tomorrow and painting my nails :9

8. Current favourite films?

I have the same problem with this as I do music, LMAO. I really liked Birds of Prey! The most recent new-to-me film I saw that left an impression on me which I can remember was the Ghibli film "Only Yesterday". If you're a little older and a bit stressed about the pressures of adult life then this movie is a real treat. Also saw Big Eden for the first time semi-recently with my partner and was really sweet and pretty funny. Now that I think about it, it had a lot in common with my cook books.

9. What food could you not live without?

I was thinking of all the foods I love and would hate to go without, like tofu (for real), but I'm actually watching my diet right now and as it turns out I can apparently live without a lot of stuff, LOL. But I'm trying to eat "healthier" not just change weight and the only thing that's really tripped me up is the idea of forgoing sugar-free drinks. I knoowwww Pepsi Max probably isn't """good""" for me or """a substance human beings should consume""" but I grew up on it, I drink a sugar-free energy drink every second day (used to be every day but my heart said don't do that), and I like black coffee but even that has its limit. So I guess the answer here is "terrible, bad, laboratory-constructed soda", lmao. Can’t live without it, questionable if I can live with it.

10. Favourite series (book or movie)?

If I'm allowed to pick a TV series then this is where I slide in and say the 2003-4 Sailor Moon live action series (shoutout to Lady Bane for making excellently niche Sims 2 content for it, too). If not, I'm stuck again with not really knowing and not wanting to say Harry Potter since I haven't really engaged with it for a million years. Hey! Maybe you guys should recommend a new book or movie series to me! Especially if the book is available as an audiobook, because I have more patience/attention for them than reading these days.

I don’t know who to tag because I don’t know who’s already done it - let’s start with @afro-sims-for-you, @didilysims and uhhhhh @katatty-main​ ? Plus anyone else who follows me and wants to do it! Tag me back so I can read ‘em :0

[redrebecca]

Get It Yourself

When your regular movie night with your friends takes an unexpected turn because your friend Shawn misses his ride home.

Warning(s): I don’t think there are any?

A/N: Apparently my brother can play the Fur Elise thing on the piano so i’m currently adapting to being the least talented sibling and i don’t really like it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day!

Words: 2.6k

*

“Bye!” You shouted as the boys clambered into their cars. They all waved back as they started buckling up their seat belts. You were going to stand and wait for them all to drive off before heading back inside but you had greatly underestimated just how cold the wind was. Shivering, you wrapped your arms around yourself and closed the door behind you, trudging towards the living room and groaning when you saw just how much mess there was. Sure, you loved having the team over for pizza, movies and a few video games, but the aftermath always made you question why you even let them step anywhere near your property in the first place.

You grabbed a bin bag from your kitchen and got to work, scrunching your face up slightly as you picked up the pizza box that was soaked in grease. You were just about to start collecting all of Brian’s beer bottles off the floor when you heard the bathroom door swing open. You spun around with wide eyes, relaxing when you saw that it was Shawn.

“Scared you eh?” He joked, an airy chuckle leaving his lips as he moved further into the room, closer to you.

You huffed, sending him a half-hearted glare, which didn’t work very well as a small smile broke out on your face, only widening the smirk on Shawn’s face. “No, I just thought you’d left with the others.” He nodded slightly, as he scanned the room, taking in the bomb-site that was currently your apartment.

“Oh,” You said, bringing his attention back to where you were stood, an empty coffee mug in one hand and the half full black bag grasped firmly with the other, “How are you getting home? You came with Geoff right?” His hazel eyes widened, almost comically as he began fumbling with his jean pocket for his phone.

“What are you doing?” You asked with a chuckle.

“I’m gonna ring Geoff, tell him to turn around and pick me up.” He murmured already scrolling through his contact list to try and find the number he needed.

For a moment you were going to let him, which was before you remembered how Geoff had been complaining about how exhausted he was as you two sat and watched the others play a match of FIFA. You knew that having to drive Shawn home as well as Brian and Teddy was not going to help how tired he was.

Walking forward, you plucked the phone out of his hands and placed it on the coffee table next to yours.

“Hey! What are you doing?” He exclaimed, confusion lacing his voice.

“Don’t worry, you can stay over here.” At his surprised expression you began to explain. “I’ve got the pair of joggers and the t-shirt that I forgot to give you back after I did your washing, and I’ve got a spare toothbrush in the bathroom that you can use.” You assured him.

“Are you sure?” He raised an eyebrow. “I can just get him to come and pick me up.” He said, shuffling forward on the couch and reaching out for his phone again. You stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Shawn you’re staying.” He sighed, sending a muffled “Thanks.” before he returned to his original position of being slumped against the back of the couch.

“But,” You added, looking around at your cluttered living room “You have to help me clean-up.”  

He scoffed at that, grabbing the TV remote and scrolling through the channels. “Na-uh, not happening honey.” He emphasized what he said with an adamant shake of his head. You hated that you blushed slightly at the nickname that fell too easily from his lips.

You sighed in defeat, knowing how much of a stubborn child he could be “I’ll make you pancakes for breakfast.” You muttered. Now this got his attention, his eyes met yours and you could almost see his thought process - a result of his lack of poker face.

“With whipped cream and strawberries.” You added, knowing that he had never, ever turned that offer down in all the years you’d known him.

Instantly, his eyes widened and he practically leaped off the couch. Snatching the bin bag out of your hand he started chucking pieces of rubbish and half eaten pizza slices into it. 

You joined him, the two of you working together to get your room back to the state it was before the boys had come.

However it hadn’t taken long before you were holding the bag open from one corner of the room with Shawn stood on the opposite side trying to throw random pieces of litter in. When he eventually did get one in, the two of you did a ridiculous celebratory dance, both laughing your heads off as you ran and hugged each other. Your laughter died down after a few minutes and the two of you stood in the middle of nearly clean sitting room, arms still wrapped around each other, his warm breath on your neck, relaxing you as you rested your cheek against his chest.

It wasn’t long until the piece was disturbed. On the coffee table, your phone buzzed, the sudden noise made the two of you flinch and pull away from each other. You were going to ignore it but before you could tug Shawn back in for another one of his comforting hugs, he was releasing you from his hold and moving towards the bench to pick up your phone. After being best friends for years you had no qualms about letting him read your notifications, it happened many times especially when you were driving and you’d tell him to type your reply. His eyebrows furrowed and a few lines appeared on his forehead. “Who’s David?” he inquired, his eyes scanning the notification before they stopped on something which he stared at in disbelief, a mix between a sigh and a groan left his lips “And why are you on tinder, you promised you’d never join a dating app. Do you realise how dangerous they can be? There was a news story the other day ab-”.

You stepped forward and clamped your hand over his mouth to stop his concerned rambling. You appreciated his protectiveness but it normally annoyed you. “Yeah well when I said I wouldn’t it was because I didn’t really want a boyfriend but now…” You sighed, trying to find the right words “I just don’t want to be alone anymore, I just want someone who I can share my life with.”

You looked up and met his understanding eyes, they searched yours for a second before you felt him lick the palm of your hand. You squealed, pulling your wet hand away from his mouth. “Shawn!” You explained, disbelief coating your words at the fact that he had just licked your hand. He did nothing but grin down at you.

“Give me back my phone.” You huffed, sticking out your hand that didn’t have Shawn’s saliva on it.

“Why? Oh so you can text David.” He mocked, doing a horrible impersonation of your voice. You kept your hand held out and your gaze firm.

“Give. It.” You demanded slowly. His grin widened and you could tell he was trying not to laugh, because to him, your intimidation tactics never worked - the whole height and muscle difference between the two of you made it very hard for him to be scared of you. It was something he loved and something you absolutely loathed. He dramatically shook his head, the universal sign for ‘no’.

“If you want it, get it yourself.”

Hoping to catch him off guard, you lunged for your phone. Only for him to hold it up high above his head.

It was times like this that you really hated his height. Knowing that you would never be able to reach your phone, you extended your arm up to his face and wiped the drool from your hand onto his rosy cheeks. His face scrunched up but he didn’t move his arm any closer to you. You took a step back and crossed your arms over your chest. You clenched your jaw when his smile grew even wider, his eyes still looking forward and not at you.

Oh so he was enjoying this? Your next plan of action was to poke his stomach, hoping that he would bend over which would make your phone more accessible. But no, instead he chuckled and replied smugly, “If you wanted to feel my abs you could’ve just asked.”.

So you tried tickling his sides, to which he only replied with “Not gonna work sweetheart.”. After you had exhausted every method you could think of - you had even pushed your dignity aside and jumped - you stepped back and sighed. You groaned when you saw his smile widen once again. With hands on your hips you scanned the room looking for any form of leverage, smiling to yourself when you saw his phone still lying on the coffee table. Quickly walking over, you grabbed his phone and turned towards him. Your eyes met his brown ones instantly and you couldn’t hold back the smirk as his eyes widened.

“You want this?” You questioned as innocently as possible, gesturing at his phone that you had clutched in your hand. He glanced at the phone before looking back at you. Shawn nodded hesitantly and cautiously held his hand out. Without a word and whilst not moving your gaze away from his face, you slipped his phone into your bra underneath your sweatshirt. Shock crossed his face, his mouth dropping open slightly. You had never been this confident around him before. “G-give me my phone back.”.

You tapped your index finger on your chin, pretending to be in deep thought. “What was it that you said earlier? Get it yourself.” And with that you turned towards the kitchen, grasping the top of the bin bag and taking it with you. It didn’t take long before you heard the hurried sound of Shawn’s footsteps as they followed you into the kitchen. You tensed at first when you felt an arm wrap around your shoulders before you relaxed knowing it was just Shawn. You were too busy stacking the plates that you had left on the draining board that you didn’t realize what Shawn’s intention was. When you felt his fingers accidentally brush underneath your collar bone you immediately caught his wrist and brought his hand out from under the neckline of your sweatshirt. An accusing expression covered your face and he lowered his head in defeat.

“Nearly.” Shawn muttered, nodding slightly to himself. He then sauntered back through the door and jumped onto the couch. You continued to clear the sink whilst trying to control your breathing and desperately attempting to wipe the blush off your cheeks.

After you had put all of the bowls and plates back in their usual places, you went and joined Shawn on the couch, chuckling to yourself when you noticed he had decided to put on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. When you had first became friends, for your birthday he had bought you the DVD collection of all the Harry Potter movies. As a result of the amount of times you’ve had to watch them with Shawn, you were almost certain you knew every line of Deathly Hallows part 2 and Chamber of Secrets. However whenever you would mention this to Shawn he would always deny this because ‘You didn’t know the snake parts.’.

You settled beside him and it wasn’t long before he had tugged you closer to him so you were tucked securely into his side, his hand resting across your stomach. This wasn’t unusual for the two of you. Through years of friendship you had become inseparable, your friends often joked that it was never a party if the two of you weren’t there. As cliché as it was you liked Shawn but you pushed it aside every time, reminding yourself that he had said countless times in interviews that he didn’t have time for a girlfriend, and although it hurt whenever he said that, you understood where he was coming from, knowing first-hand how hard it was to try and organize things with him.

About half an hour into the film, you felt Shawn’s intense stare. You ignored it for a bit until you eventually couldn’t, craning your neck to see him easier, you sent him a questioning look, silently congratulating yourself for not blushing when you met his hazel brown eyes.

“C-can I kiss you?” He stuttered. You sat up in shock, expecting anything but that. Was it possible that he liked you?

“Can I, please?” he shyly asked, quieter than before, his insecurities taking over as he began to ramble “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Oh my god do you even want to, I’m so sorry I-I just couldn’t help it. Should I go, I can g-“His words were cut short when you pressed your lips onto his. It took him a second before he reciprocated his soft lips moving against yours. His large hands moved to tilt your chin up slightly to give him better access which made you gasp. He wasted no time, slipping his tongue into your mouth, finally exploring a place he’d wanted to get to for way too long.

You broke the kiss first, desperate for air. Shawn whined at the loss of contact so you moved towards him and pressed your forehead against his, his eyes fluttering shut. He carefully manoeuvred you so you were sitting on his lap. You tilted your head and kissed him again, but this time with slightly more passion than previously, Shawn quickly followed your lead, responding with more intensity than he had previously. You felt his hand slip under the hem of your t-shirt, and rested it above your hip bone, his calloused fingers rubbing circles on your warm skin. He slowly moved his hand up until he was close enough to your bra to get his phone.

When you moaned into his mouth he took it as his opportunity, quickly grabbing the top of it and sliding it out of your bra. You hadn’t realised what he was doing until you felt the absence of the cool phone against your chest, gasping and pulling away shortly after.

“Please don’t tell me that was just to get your phone” You blurted, you couldn’t care less if you sounded desperate in that moment, you just really needed to know.

“What, god no! Honey I really like you, I would never take advantage of you like that” He panicked, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“I-I like you too” you smiled, Shawn did too “Can I have my phone now?”

He hesitated “As long as you don’t text Daniel and I get at least ten kisses” he says seriously

“It’s David actually” You giggle slightly at his raised eyebrow, him clearly not finding that funny. “I’m kidding Shawn, and anyways, there’s not much use in a dating app any more, I mean I’ve got you now” you tap his nose causing him to scrunch up his face, making you laugh, to which he smiles at, loving the sound of your laugh and loving the fact that he was the reason behind it.

“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend” he asks, a large toothy grin on his face as he does so.

“I guess I am, is that alright with you Mendes?”

“I think I can manage that, yeah.” He teases admiring the way your eyes and nose crinkle when you laugh. “And anyway miss, I believe you owe me at least ten kisses” He jokingly puckered his lips and closed his eyes. You reach out to place your hand on his cheek, 

“Better get to it then hadn’t I?” he hums in agreement before you bring your lips down to meet his

[monsterislandbuddies]

Why the Trendmasters “Godzilla Wars” Package Design is Awful

Before we start, an important note about context...

In the 1990s, now-defunct toy company Trendmasters released several waves of Godzilla action figures in the United States. For the purposes of my upcoming criticisms, context is extremely important: from the mid-1980s to 1998 (when Tristar’s Godzilla film hit theaters), there wasn’t much Godzilla activity in the states. Most Americans were unaware of the new movies being produced in Japan, and aside from a Nike commercial here or an MTV Lifetime Achievement award there, Godzilla was rarely on the minds of the average American.

Therefore, for this deep dive, please keep in mind that Trendmasters already had an uphill battle as there were no movies, comics, video games, or TV shows to support their first waves of Godzilla toys. They were riding almost entirely on Godzilla’s position as a tremendously recognizable IP.

The first Trendmasters line of action figures were under the name “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, with the second main line being “Godzilla Wars” in 1995. I recently added a “Godzilla Wars” Baragon to my collection (seen above), and I couldn’t help but study its packaging. Out of the gate, I like how I was able to remove Baragon without damaging the box at all. But other than that, I found the box art and copy to be so atrocious that I personally believe it stunted the success of this toy launch. Everything I’m going to say is based on my own opinions but I do want to note - without divulging too much personal information - that my career is in this field and has been for over a decade. That doesn’t make me automatically right, so in the end, I invite you all to share your thoughts! Now, let’s begin...

What's the “Story” Here?

Let’s break down the act of marketing an action toy line to it’s bare bones: most lines have a main hero, and then the main adversary. They’re the two figures kids should want first (and the two toys your company is almost guaranteed to sell). He-Man and Skeletor. Optimus Prime and Megatron. Luke and Darth Vader. In a Godzilla line, the prime character (and probably the only one kids have any vague familiarity with) is Godzilla. After Godzilla, where do you go? What are the “Godzilla Wars”? Let’s investigate.

This art includes Godzilla, as it should. Behind him is... a second Godzilla? With a spike of some sort on his head? Remember: this is 1995. It would still be a few years before Godzilla Vs. Space Godzilla would come to America on VHS. In the states, most people don’t understand who that character is. Is it a supercharged Godzilla? Or is it the foe we’re going to war with? Maybe the back of the packaging will offer some help...

There’s no story synopsis on the back, and that’s sometimes okay... but in this case--where the toys have no support in other media--a brief synopsis is a good idea. Even a blurb under the logo would be helpful. For example (off the top of my head):

Earth’s armies are helpless as giant-sized aliens invade with one goal in mind: DESTROY. Only Godzilla and his friends are powerful enough to defend our planet, but will their war save humankind... or end it?

A little blurb like that is a great way to kick-start the imagination and inspire someone to purchase these toys and play out the story. Plus a “war” implies ARMIES, so this incentivizes kids to want to collect as many “soldiers” as possible!

Back to interpreting the story as it’s presented: does the front picture imply that Space Godzilla is the main villain? The back of the box has him all the way in the bottom right corner, so not likely. If he is the main villain, Space Godzilla is better served at the top of one of the two columns (preferably right next to Godzilla). Even better, the columns should be split with heroes on one side, and villains on the other. This will would help kids instantly understand what the sides are in this war.

To understand the story of “Godzilla Wars”, it seems that all we have to go by are the character descriptions, and they are the most offensive part of this entire box...

Who Are These Characters?

I cannot stress this enough: the Heisei era Japanese Godzilla films were not wildly available in America in 1995. For this section, you need to divorce yourself of all of your current Godzilla knowledge and pretend you’re being introduced to many of these characters for the very first time.

In general, Americans read from left to right and top to bottom. The layout of these columns is already confusing because I’m not sure if I should start at Supercharged Godzilla (left) or regular Godzilla (top). Let’s start with regular:

He began life as Godzillasaurus--millions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Exposed to radiation in the mid 1950′s, Godzilla--as he came to be called--transformed into a towering monster capable of delivering a devastating atomic blast with his breath. Since then, Godzilla has menaced the cities of Japan and fought off many seemingly unbeatable adversaries, earning him the title, “The King of the Monsters”.

It’s not a bad description of our hero. Personally I would’ve simplified the opening and cut the “Godzillasaurus” stuff:

Once a slumbering prehistoric monster, Godzilla was awakened by man’s atomic testing in the 1950s. Now radioactive with a devastating atomic blast, he has risen to release his fury on all of us! But when Earth is invaded by powerful monsters from far away galaxies, Godzilla may now be our only hope for survival!

This revision quickly explains Godzilla’s origin and ties him to the toy line’s story in a meaningful way. Now let’s see what Supercharged Godzilla is all about:

Caught in the powerflux of Dr. Shiragami’s Re-Genesis trap...

...and I’m already lost. Dr. Shiragami? Powerflux? Re-Genesis trap? I appreciate the attempt at creating a specific explanation for Supercharged Godzilla, but this description has too many unfamiliar ideas and can actually intimidate kids away from the toy line. Always keep it simple:

Godzilla’s heart is a full-blown nuclear reactor, and to stay energized, the king of the monsters needs to feed off of our power plants! But when he absorbs too much energy, Godzilla’s skin turns black and his atomic powers temporarily DOUBLE in strength!

A nice, easily digestible explanation like this is much more inviting to children. Now for Mothra’s blurb (the first non-Godzilla description a kid might read):

Hatched form an egg that flew from space, Mothra fires an ultra-sonic wave beam of considerable destructive force from his antennae. The poisonous powder stored in his wings can temporarily paralyze the muscles in Godzilla’s body, and neutralize Godzilla’s atomic blast.

There are three things I would immediately change: first, I’d remove the “space” part of Mothra’s origin. Remember, in my Godzilla Wars, the alien invaders are the bad guys... and we want Mothra to fight for good! Second, I don’t see any reason Mothra can’t be a female here. Last: why is half of this description about how Mothra can attack Godzilla when they’re on the same side? I suggest:

Worshiped by natives as a goddess on the secluded Infant Island, Mothra has been a spiritual protector of the Earth for thousands of years. She saved Japan from one of Godzilla’s earliest attacks, but now they must work together to defend our planet from dangerous new foes.

Since there’s a chance people might be more familiar with Mothra (due to seeing Showa-era films on broadcast television or posters in video stores), her position on the packaging roster is not bad. Who’s next?

Well this is an odd (but at least familiar) bunch of characters to present in this order. Rodan’s blurb isn’t great, but it’s also not offensive so I’m going to skip that one. This brings us to King Ghidorah, and oh-boy:

Engineered by the Earth Union Organization in the year 2204 as a bio-weapon with which to destroy Japan, three Dorats were sent back in time to the 1940′s where they fused into the three-headed King Ghidorah! But the EUO’s plan to destroy Japan was soon put to an end by the mighty Godzilla!

Questions: why would the Earth Union Organization want to DESTROY Japan? What’s a dorat? Why did they send them to 1940, and how’d they get back to the present? I appreciate how Trendmasters wanted to respect the source material, but that source material was only available in Japan at this point! Without context, King Ghidorah’s description is puzzling. It’s also not a good idea to imply that this character was already defeated.

Further, like Mothra, there’s a chance people might actually recognize King Ghidorah. Therefore, it’s a smart idea to stick to the Showa-origin for this character and (again) keep it simple. I submit:

One of the most dangerous monsters in the universe, King Ghidorah has traveled across numerous planets and galaxies leaving only a path of destruction behind. Now, this three-headed monstrosity has landed on Earth, and it will take the combined forces of ALL of our mightiest monsters to stop him!

No more implying that King Ghidorah was already defeated; instead, let’s beef him up. If anything, look at it from a commerce angle: Godzilla can’t defeat King Ghidorah on his own, kiddies... you’re going to need to buy him some help!

Mecha-King Ghidorah’s blurb is also problematic:

After a losing battle with Godzilla, Ghidorah lay at the bottom of the ocean. The Earth Union Organization salvaged the battered bio-weapon and gave it a new life as Mecha-King Ghidorah--an even more powerful Cyber-Monster--and returned him back in time to face Godzilla!

This is a tricky one. We just read a blurb about King Ghidorah, and now we’re reading about how he already lost a battle with Godzilla. We don’t want to make King Ghidorah sound weak right out of the gate, but how else do you describe his cyber transformation? I say keep it vague:

The only thing more powerful than King Ghidorah is the enhanced Mecha-King Ghidorah! This near-invincible cyber monster is faster, stronger, and worst of all, SMARTER. But who provided all of these mechanical upgrades? Is someone on Earth rooting for the space monsters to win?

A smarter King Ghidorah? A human conspiracy? Just writing that made me want to go home and start playing with my toys! Here’s what they have for Mecha-Godzilla:

In 1992, the Godzilla Force recovered the remains of the decimated Mecha-Ghidorah...

Hold up. So you mean to tell me that my King Ghidorah action figure was already defeated, and he became Mecha-King Ghidorah, and now THAT character was “decimated”? Why would I want to buy any of these toys if they’re all defeated already? The box copy already had my play time for me!

Now we’ve got a couple of characters who are very likely new to Americans: Battra and Biollante. I think Battra’s description is decent; we understand that he’s evil, and we understand his relation to Mothra.

Biollante, on the other hand, starts off with a very confusing statement:

Biollante is the genetic combination of a plant, a human and the mighty Godzilla himself.

Reading that (and seeing Biollante’s human-like legs), I would assume that she used to be some type of mad scientist who injected both plant and Godzilla DNA into herself only to mutate into Biollante! To avoid confusion, I would remove that first sentence entirely and start with the next one:

Created by Dr. Shiragami in an effort to produce an immortal plant, Biollante instead grows to become a giant monster of unthinkable power!

There’s Dr. Shiragami again. As you might have guessed, I would remove his name (and just have it say “Created by a team of geneticists”). To fit the “alien invasion” narrative I pitched earlier, I’d also throw in a line such as:

Now, Biollante has sided with the alien army, united by their hatred of Godzilla and ANY monster that stands in their way!

Gigan’s description is decent, so let’s jump ahead to the last three monsters.

Anguirus is the first and only monster described as an ally of Godzilla. I also believe his description to be the best one currently on the box. It’s the only one to mention Monster Island, it guesses (but doesn’t confirm) his origin, it explains his relationship to Godzilla, and it explains his skill set. The only change I’d suggest is shortening the word count 2-3 lines.

Moguera, on the other hand, is an assault of overwhelming information.

The newest and most powerful of all Godzilla destroying weapons created by the U.N.G.C.C (United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center), Moguera is actually two ultra war vehicles: The Land Moguera and the Star Falcon.

In all of these descriptions combined, we’ve been introduced to THREE human organizations with the exact same goal: destroy Godzilla. In my opinion, only G-Force should be involved with this universe. "G-Force” is easy to read, it’s easy to remember, and Trendmasters already had some G-Force-related toys at this point so there IS a little familiarity.

Second, unless the toy itself can split into two vehicles and recombine into Moguera, I would leave this transformation line out of the description entirely. In a void, it reads like this will be a feature of the Moguera toy, and that’s misleading.

FINALLY we get to SpaceGodzilla (remember him? He’s the guy on the front of the box art with Godzilla). And guess what’s in the very first sentence?  “The dead monster Biollante...”. Another monster is already dead! That’s four in total! Why would I want to ask for toys that are already dead?

Here’s something you may have not noticed: this is the Baragon box we’re looking at, and Baragon’s nowhere to be found in the character roster on the back! Neither are Megalon or Varan, who are also in the Godzilla Wars toy line.

Size Matters

Before we wrap this up, I want to show you one more thing real quick. Look at this packaging for the American Dreamworks Ultraman line. I’m not suggesting that this is far superior box art, but one element I really like is the inclusion of the skyline at the bottom of the box. This visual helps you immediately understand that these are GIANT characters.

I like the Trendmasters Godzilla toys themselves (for what they are), but there’s nothing in the presentation to help me remember that these are giant monsters I’m playing with. Even some simple art on the front or back of a couple of buildings around Godzilla would be helpful. I know that most people understand that Godzilla is enormous, but the added visual would sure make for a great reminder that this toy can theoretically CRUSH every other toy I own.

In Conclusion

Godzilla is one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world, and in my opinion, there’s no reason this popularity can’t thrive in mainstream American culture. Toy companies who are marketing toward kids need to find a balance of giving kids enough context so they’re attracted to new characters, while also leaving OUT enough information so the kids’ imaginations can fill in the blanks.

More important, if you hand kids a conflict and the beginning of a story, it’ll excite them into engaging with the toy line by keeping the story going. Think about it: without a story, why exactly IS “Godzilla Wars” different than the previous Trendmasters toy line?

The primary purpose of this post is to let all of these thoughts spill out of my noisy head... but the second purpose is to hopefully inspire you to think a little more about packaging: when you’re attracted to toy packaging, can you pinpoint why? What kind of elements repel you? And as a G-Fan, what do you think American-produced Godzilla toys can do yo appeal to broader audiences?

Action figures can be works of art, and their packaging can be too. I hope this stream of consciousness will get you thinking about it - even if you disagree with everything I’ve said.

Thank you for hearing my thoughts!

-MIB

[inconvenient-sneezes]

steve wakes up in the 21st century with a horrible cold (of course).

[[this is a continuation!! read part one here]]

Time After Time

Chapter Two: Waking Up (During)

***

Steve slowly opens his eyes and blinks. Once, twice, just taking in his surroundings. He’s in a bed, nothing special, and the radio’s on. I must be sick, Steve thinks to himself, then glances around the room, looking for Bucky. 

If there’s one person that’d be taking care of him, it’d be Bucky. But wait. Steve remembers being Captain America, that gorgeous doll-of-a-girl Peggy, Bucky falling, Bucky’s death. Steve sits up faster than he’d planned to and immediately brings a hand to his pounding head. His nose is completely blocked and he can’t smell anything, but he can hear the radio. Hmm... maybe I am sick after all.

“Just an absolutely gorgeous day here at Ebbets field. Philly’s have managed to tie it up, four-to-four, but the Dodger’s have three men on... pitch, it’s a strike. He leans in, here’s the pitch swung on, it’s a line drive. It gets past Grissom. Rizzo will score, Reiser heads to third...” 

The rest of the radio broadcast turns into white noise as Steve recognizes something familiar about that particular game. He sits up completely, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and just listening until his nostrils start to flare. Steve feels the strong urge to sneeze and his eyes are watering. 

For him, it’s a feeling that he hasn’t experienced for quite some time. “Hehhh...” Yet something feels wrong, scratch that, everything feels wrong about the room he’s currently sitting in. Where am I? “ITSSCCHHH!” 

It’s a harsh sneeze, right from the throat, and leaves Steve bent at the waist.

“Bless you.”

Steve looks up to see a pretty woman beaming at him. “Also, good morning.”

“Where ab I?” Steve croaks, then flinches at his voice.

The brunette’s curls bounce every time she takes a step. “You’re in a recovery room in New York City.”

“Doe, really.” He rubs his nose a bit before repeating himself. “Where ab I?”

She smiles and her red lipstick contrasts greatly with her teeth. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

There’s just something about her voice that Steve doesn’t trust. “Hh’KSHHH!”

“Bless you,” she says again, but it sounds fake. Everything about the room is fake, almost as if he’s been set up... and there’s something about the bra she’s wearing. Steve tries not to stare at the woman’s chest but... what is she wearing?

“The gabe.” He pauses to she if she’ll take the hint, but she doesn’t. “Id’s frob Bay, 1941. I kdow, because I was there.”

The young woman doesn’t say anything more, but her eyes give her away. She’s been found out; it is a lie. 

He stands up and towers over her. “I’b dot goig to say id agaid.” Steve figures he’d be a little more intimidating if he could just talk properly.

Two men burst in the room and that’s all Steve needs. He shoves one guy, kicks another and the both fly through the thin walls, revealing the whole set-up. It’s like a film, and Steve is a mere actor, subdued by a confusing, often comical plot. Only he doesn’t get the joke.

“Captain Rogers, wait!” the woman calls after him, stepping through the wreckage. Seeing he’s not coming back, she speaks into a little device and her voice reverberates through the entire building. 

Before Cap realizes it, there’s about fifty men chasing him through this unfamiliar building and he’s pushing people over, left and right, until his hands make contact with a door. 

He shoves it open and runs out into the street, where he’s nearly hit by a cab. So this is New York City, he thinks, but everything looks different. He stops in the middle of traffic and turns around twice. There’s films on the buildings and people are staring at him staring at the buildings.

“At ease, soldier.” A man wearing an eye patch is striding towards him and begins making conversation. Something about he’s been asleep for 70 years.

*** Steve is sitting at a table in a S.H.I.E.L.D. office when a stunning redhead walks in on him blowing his nose. “Looks like the new century doesn’t agree with you.”

He flushes pink and tosses the tissue in a waste basket. “I haven’t been sick for seventy years or more. It’s just another new thing to get used to, I guess.”

“Natasha Romanov,” she introduces herself and extends her hand. “And you are?”

Steve shakes his head at her patiently waiting hand. “Sorry, I just wouldn’t want to get you sick. I’m Steve.”

“That’s okay.” Her hand drops to her side. “You’re the Super Soldier everyone’s talking about?”

“AhH’TSHH! Excuse be.”

“Bless you.”

“Thags,” he says thickly, reaching for another tissue. Natasha pulls up a chair. “They stdill haven’t found a cure for the cobbon cold?” His voice is somewhat muffled by the tissue clamped over his mouth and nose.

“No.” She gives him a rare smile. “We still have tea, though. And Vick’s VapoRub. I’d be happy to get someone to bring you some.”

“Thad’s okay. I’b fide.” 

Actually, he sounded horrible and felt even worse. All Steve wanted was Bucky, but nobody could grant him that request.

Natasha nods. “In that case... do you mind meeting with someone? He’s actually... well, let’s just say he’s a Captain America fan. You must know the type, the comic-book collecting, sticker-wielding, I-have-eighty-plush-figures-of-Captain-America fan?”

Steve chuckles. “Sure, send hib id. You’ll have to ward hib though, about by, uh... I just wouldn’t wand to get hib s-sigg... ehh’KTSCHHH!”

“Oh, I don’t think he’d mind at all. In fact, he’d probably be honored to catch a cold from the great Captain America.” Natasha pulls a device out of her pocket and speaks to it. “Send him in, it’s all clear.”

Steve is expecting a child but what he gets is a grown man who has to be at least 40, give or take.

“Hi,” Steve greets him, then cringes at his own voice. “Sorry about by voice, I’b stdill gettig over a cold.”

The man just stands there in the doorway, almost as if he’s in shock. 

Natasha rolls her eyes. “For God’s sake.” She gets up, tugs the man over to them and sits him down in a chair. “This is Agent Coulson.”

“You can call me Phil, if you want.” He’s beaming. “It’s a pleasure, a real pleasure, to meet you, sir.”

“Ligkewise,” Steve tells him, obviously fighting another sneeze. His eyes squeeze shut and he thinks he sees Natasha slide back in her chair. “Ehh’SHHOO!” One isn’t enough apparently and Steve is left practically gasping for breath. “Ehh! HehhH! ErT’SSHOO!”

“Bless you!” Coulson exclaims.

Steve blindly gropes for a tissue and Natasha nudges the box in his general direction. “Hept’TSHHH!”

“‘Scuse be,” he mutters, embarrassed, and buries his face in a tissue.

After a few minutes of polite admiration from the agent, Natasha gives Steve a sympathetic look. “You know what? Maybe we should let him get some rest.” Natasha suggests to Coulson, standing up.

He nods eagerly. “You’re probably right. Nice meeting you, Cap!” He smiles and waves before the pair disappears out the door.

“Drat! I forgot to ask if he’d sign my Captain America cards!” Steve hears him say.

“Tomorrow,” is all Natasha responds with as her heels click down the corridor.

***

Steve finally decides to just go home and get some sleep. S.H.I.E.L.D. sets him up with a nice little apartment, directly in the complex. He unlocks the door and is pleasantly surprised to find a container of Vick’s VapoRub, chamomile tea and a little bag of throat lozenges on the table.

He can’t resist popping the top to the VapoRub and inhaling its scent. Steve almost immediately recoils as the strong smell attacks his nose. “H-hoo...” he exhales shakily, knowing full well he’ll start sneezing again. And sneeze he does. 

“Ihh... Ihh’SHUHhh! Hept’SHOO! Ahh... hahhH! ATSCHH!” Steve puts the tube down and shakes his head, dizzy. “That’s one way to clear your sinuses.”

***

The next week, Natasha Romanov is sneezing as well and cursing Steve Rogers’ name. “I hate this!” she snarls to Clint Barton, the only one brave enough to visit Natasha in her room when she’s like this. He wonders whether he should pat her on the back or start running, far, far away.

“T’sHH! It’SHH! Ihh... hiiihH! ISHH!”

“Bless you,” Clint says as soon as he knows she’s done.

“I’m going to kill him!” she snaps, standing up and swaying a little.

“No, no,” he argues, gently pushing her into bed. “You’re gonna stay here and rest. Besides, Steve’s still pretty new and it’s not like he purposely gave you his cold. In fact, you don’t even know for sure that it was his cold that you got.” He stops talking when he realizes Natasha’s glaring at him. 

Before long though, her eyes water and she twists away from the archer. “Hh’TSHh!”

“Bless you, Tasha,” he tells her, climbing into bed.

“Trust me, you don’t want this,” she warns him, turning away.

“But I do want you.”

“Touché.”

***

request some stuff/give me feedback!! read more stuff!!

[strife-and-discord]

Small Allies

Read on AO3 here

Characters: Aizawa Shouta, Todoroki Shouto

Summary: Aizawa has been turned into a teenager by a villain’s quirk. Until the issue is resolved the adults decided to put him with Class 1A. Unfortunately, teen Aizawa is a lot more vulnerable then he is as an adult and he gets a bit overwhelmed... until someone unexpected comes to save him.

A/N: Uh hey! Long time no see, I’m back with one of the most common tropes known to man but this idea was just too cute not too do.

This story is unrelated to my other one, this is just some wholesome bonding between characters I think share a lot of similarities.

I also decided to try shorter paragraphs, tell me what you think! I hope this story manages to brighten someone’s day like it did mine!

This situation was less than ideal.

It was also stupid. What kind of quirk is turning your opponents into teenagers! That’s gotta be one of the weirdest things Shouta’s ever encountered and never would he have thought it would cause him this much damn trouble. Nonetheless, here Shouta is, in a body he can’t say he missed. He forgot how perpetually uncomfortable it was being 15.

Despite still having all his memories and years of experience, being a teenager means that all the decisions are being left up to the adults. They- with their fancy, fully matured brains- came to the genius conclusion that Shouta should just stay with class-1A until either the quirk wears off or someone figures out how to change Shouta back. Shouta, personally, voted that everybody should just mind their own damn and let him go home to rest up in peace.

Alas, apparently Shouta’s plan was “ridiculous” and considered “a security risk to himself”. This is how Shouta finds himself gazing after the sauce at the other end of the table with numerous rowdy teenagers between him and it. He’d try and ask for it but he genuinely didn’t think he’d be heard and, well, class-1A seem a lot more intimidating given his current stature.

Shouta resigns himself to a bland, sauceless meal and sets himself a goal of just getting away from all this mayhem as soon as possible. Another forgotten discomfort Shouta had forgotten from his childhood was just how overwhelming everything could be sometimes. While this hadn’t gone away as an adult, it was certainly much easier to manage.

Right now he couldn’t help but feel like his students were trying upset him. Shouta makes his way out of the dining area and curls up on one of the living room lounges. Shouta knows the kids don’t really have any ill will towards him- despite how much of a hardass he can be in class- they really are just a very energetic group of kids. This is only exaggerated by the fact that it’s the end of the day, they’re all packed under one roof, and they’re completely unsupervised.

He’d leave if he could but he doesn’t really have anywhere to go. He was told he has to stay with the class so he doesn’t get into trouble and, considering he doesn’t have a room, he would probably be sleeping on the lounge anyway. At the very least someone could have given him his sleeping bag, his students would probably leave him alone than out of habit. What he wouldn’t give to just curl up and go to sleep right now.

With dinner and clean up all done, everyone starts to make their way to the living room, much to Shouta’s chagrin. How could these kids possibly have so much to talk about? Even as a teenager, Shouta was a man of few words. He just didn’t see the purpose in mindless chatter, not that that ever stopped his friends back then. When Shouta finally tunes into the conversation, it’s to Kaminari and Jirou arguing about what they should watch for movie night.

That gives him a sliver hope, movies are something you’re supposed to watch in silence right? Although, Shouta doubts class-1A’s ability to anything quietly and at this point just being around so many people is upsetting. Shouta tries to curl in on himself further, praying no one notices him and tries to engage. God, Shouta wishes so badly he was allowed to go back to his nice, lonely apartment, where it was quiet and he had his cats and his sleeping bag.

Suddenly the smell of popcorn washes over him as Mina returns with a full bowl. Shouta hides his grimace into the lounge, it’s not that he doesn’t like popcorn, but when he’s as worked up as he is right now the smell just makes him nauseous. Shouta takes several deep breaths in through his mouth and out through his nose in an attempt to forget the overpowering smell, with littleeffect.

Shouta resorted to just doing his best to just disappear. He curls up so tight it’s uncomfortable and squeezes his eyes shut just to try and shut everything out. He refuses to let himself cry in front of his students but damn if the idea isn’t tempting him at the moment. It’s all just too much, too much, and he wants to make the whole world stop for just a few minutes until he can come back to himself.

Suddenly, something taps Shouta on the shoulder. As a pro hero, he’s ashamed to say nearly jumped out of his skin and barely managed not yelp out loud. When he turns to see who the hell had snuck up on him he’s greeted by Todoroki’s face only inches from his. Shouta imagines he looks something like a startled cat when jerks his head back into the couch at the site before him.

Todoroki seems completely unperturbed at Shouta’s reaction, tilting his head curiously as he continues to look Shouta straight in the eye. After a moment of just staring, all Todoroki gives him is a gesture to follow him before heading to the dormitory exit. When he gets there he turns back to Shouta, once again staring at him with expectation.

For a second, all Shouta can do is sit and ponder just how fucking weird this kid is, before deciding that he can’t get in trouble for leaving if it’s with another student. If anything goes wrong he’ll just pin it on Todoroki, Shouta’s sure he won’t mind. Too much.

Shouta scrambles, but by the time he’s off the lounge, Todoroki is already making his way out the door. He almost runs to catch up but that would draw the attention of the other students. Calmly and quietly, Shouta leaves the dorm, closing the door quietly behind him. Class-1A is easily distracted, so the chances of them noticing the disappearance of him and Todoroki are low.

Reaching the hallway, Shouta looks around for any signs of where Todoroki ran off to, he finds him standing at the end of the hall, once again staring Shouta down. Before heading to him, Shouta considers the fact that this feels like he’s being lured into a murder trap. Regardless, Shouta sets off towards his possible doom. Like last time, as soon as he starts walking, Todoroki moves on as well in another direction.

The journey continues on like this and Shouta can’t help but be reminded of a video game he played as a kid that made the player do something a bit like this. Although he doubts Todoroki is going to lead him to a magic sword, the situation is still one of the stranger ones that Shouta has been in. Is Todoroki always this weird and cryptic?

When Todoroki leads him up the rooftop access staircase, Shouta’s starting to get pretty nervous. Todoroki’s aware he’s still his teacher right? He’s not going to participate in anything against the rules. God this is all so creepy. Shouta wishes Todoroki had at least walked with him so he didn’t have to go up the dark staircase alone.

He’s at least pleased to find Todoroki waiting for him at the top of the staircase, not running off this time. When Shouta reaches the door to the roof, Todoroki just looks at him before wordlessly going through the door. Shouta has to brace himself before doing the same, hoping he’s not about to enter into Narnia or a murder trap.

What Shouta finds on the roof almost seems less likely than either of his guesses. Right in the middle of the roof, between the two tall towers of the UA dorms, is a fort. Like a pillow fort that kids make in their lounge room. It’s not very fancy, just a mattress with some sort of pole and a couple of chairs as the support and a huge blanket as the roof. It looks fucking cozy as shit.

Todoroki just walks straight up and tucks himself in like it’s a completely normal thing to have a secret fort on the roof of your dorm. Shouta absolutely wants to join him but right now he’s too shocked to move, after a few seconds, Todoroki pokes his head out and says his first words of the night.

“Are you gonna join me or what?”

Shouta doesn’t really know how to respond to that, so he just does as Todoroki says and goes to join him in the fort. On the inside, he sees that there are a few pillows, some… comics? And a gaming device? Shouta wouldn’t have thought Todoroki would be into such things.

Once he’s settled onto the mattress, Todoroki grabs one of the pillows and starts rummaging around in the pillowcase, in the next second he’s holding a Kit Kat out to Shouta.

“Do you want something to eat?” Todoroki says it so deadpan that Shouta can’t help but take a second to appreciate how surreal all of this is.

“Sure,” he responds, figuring a Kit Kat would be nice after the flavourless dinner he was subjected too.

For a while they just sit, like that, munching on their respective Kit Kats. After a minute or so Shouta starts to appreciate how peaceful it is. He can see all the stars clearly, he’s warm in the fort, and it’s nearly silent up here. He’s feeling a hundred times better then he was just a few minutes ago down in the dorm living room.

Shouta swallows his last bite of Kit Kat, “Why did you bring me up here? I’m still your teacher, you could get in trouble for having all this.”

It’s the one thing that’s still bothering him about all this.

Todoroki munches on his Kit Kat, looking like he’s pondering the question. “I suppose I could get in trouble, but you looked like you needed help. I think that’s more important.”

Shouta stares at him for a second before turning to look at the stars. The simple kindness of it all, in Shouta’s more vulnerable current state, is making him emotional. He feels a surge of pride and, for maybe the first time, he thinks he must be doing something right teaching his kids. It could just be Todoroki, but Shouta can’t help but wonder how such a genuine kid could be raised by someone like Endeavour.

After their short exchange, the pair just sat together in silence. Todoroki got out a blanket from somewhere to spread over them, and Shouta fell asleep along the way. It was everything Shouta had wanted. A little while later, Todoroki woke Shouta up to tell him it was nearly time for curfew, and they should head back down now.

As they walked down the stairs side by side, Shouta took a moment just to say,

“Thank you, Todoroki.”

[tombraider-china]

Exclusive Interview with Phillip Sevy - Tomb Raider Comic Artist

June: Could you introduce yourself to the fans in China? (How did you become a comic book artist? What was your first comic book? How many series have you done so far and which ones are your favorite?)

Phillip: Sure. My name is Phillip Sevy and I’ve been working in comics for a few years now. I’ve wanted to draw comic professionally since I was 9 years old and bought a copy of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s X-Men #1. It’s been a long road (I started showing my portfolio of comic art at San Diego Comic Con in 1999) but I love making comics and am blessed to be able to do so. After attending the Savannah College of Art and Design I drew a miniseries called “The F1rst Hero” for Action Lab comics before placing as a runner-up in the Top Cow talent hunt. For Top Cow I drew a few oneshots for their Aphrodite IX series before I drew issues 5 – 8 of “The Tithe.” While drawing The Tithe, I got offered Tomb Raider, so I drew two series at once for a few months (I don’t recommend this as sleep and life was sacrificed to do this – ha!).

Since the end of Tomb Raider, I’ve turned my attentions toward my own projects. I released a scifi oneshot for free online called “Paradox.” (you can read it at paradoxcomic.tumblr.com)

Around the same time, Drew Zucker and I started releasing our long-gestating horror series “The House” on Comixology that I’m just writing and Drew is drawing. Issue 5 of the series just came out and there will be 7 issues in total.

 Tomb Raider was a fantastic experience that introduced me to so many passionate and welcoming fans, but my favorite series (so far) has to be Paradox. It was short and very different from my other works, but it was very personal. It was also my first venture into creating a series where I do all aspects of production (writing, penciling, inking, coloring, and lettering). I’m working on a pitch for an longer series right now where I’m doing just about the same.

June: Most fans in China got to know you for the most recent Tomb Raider comics, could you tell us how did you start the Tomb Raider series? and how long did it take to complete those 12 issues?

Phillip: The editor of the first six issues or so was Patrick Thorpe and I met him over two years earlier at San Diego Comic Con. We had kept up with each other since then as I’d sent him samples of work. Early fall of 2015 I had emailed him some pdfs of the work I was doing for Top Cow as a way of updating him on what I was doing. I was busy with “The Tithe” and wasn’t looking for a new project at the moment, but Patrick responded and asked if I was available to start a new project that was “pretty big.” He called me up and as soon as he said ‘Tomb Raider” my heart skipped a beat. I was a big fan of the earlier Tomb Raider series that Top Cow had produced – Michael Turner was and is one of my all-time favorite artists. I knew that no matter how crazy my life would be – I HAD to draw Tomb Raider. I talked to him at about 6pm on a Monday night. I started the next morning.

It took me roughly 14 months to draw the 12 issues. I had deadlines that ranged from 3 – 5 weeks per issue, depending on a lot of factors. It was really hard and exhausting, but I wouldn’t have traded it. Looking at the numbers, I haven’t drawn the most issues of Tomb Raider (that record belongs to Andy Park, I believe), but I’m one of the longest runs by an artist on the title. I feel very proud to be able to say that.

June: In your opinion, what is the difference between your art style (in Tomb Raider series) from the other Tomb Raider comic artists (in Reboot or Classic Topcow version)

Phillip: I was very lucky in that I was allowed to put my style on the series. My style is more in line with the reboot comics/game – more realistic and grittier – but I think my work is darker and more textured than the reboot comics that came before. I loved being able to push the blacks and textures in my work.

June: What is the general process of making the artwork of this Tomb Raider comic series? Did you involve any other part other than line art?

Phillip: Again, I was very lucky to work with great collaborators. Mariko (Tamaki) would send me drafts of the scripts and ask for feedback or input. She looked at the work I was producing and found ways to play to my strengths and allowed me to cut loose. So even before I started drawing an issue, I’d have been involved in the issue. She’s a great writer and did a great job not only writing but making me feel apart of the process.

Once her scripts were approved by Crystal Dynamics, I’d work on layouts that would get approved by my editors. From there, I’d pencil the whole issue and send to CD for approval. From there, inks and approvals. After that, Michael Atiyeh would work his color magic while Michael Heissler would add the final touch of great letters.

 June: What was the most difficult part to you? Did you have to follow certain guidelines?

Phillip:It took me a little bit to get the look of Lara down right. I was drawing her too muscular at first. I have lots of female friends who are big into crossfit – so that got into my early drawings and I gave Lara much broader shoulders and muscled arms. Working with Crystal Dynamics, they helped me develop a look for her that was more consistent with the games. But after that, we were set.  

(Above is an early drawing of Lara Croft from page 2 of issue 1, which emphasized her muscular build)

(Published version)

June: We heard the storyline of this series was completed by both of you and the writer - Mariko Tamaki, could you tell us more about it? Did you make any twist on the storyline?

Phillip:There were a lot of great discussions and back and forth between Mariko and I as we worked on the book. Obviously, she’s an award-winning, fantastic writer so I always trusted the choices she made and did my best to bring them to life. One of the big areas of focus she had was the relationship Lara had with her friends – often times the price her friends paid because of Lara’s actions – but that her friends were what gave her the strength to do what she did. I believe I suggested that Jonah be the one to save Lara and shoot the head bad guy at the end of issue 6. Lara is strong and capable and can do anything because of who she surrounds herself with. She’s strongest when she’s with others. That’s part of her strength – her love.

June: Obviously, many TR comic followers were focusing on a specific character – Sam. In your interview of “20 Years of Tomb Raider”, you mentioned Sam is also your favorite character other than Lara Croft, what is your thought between these two characters? What is your explanations on the ending of #12 issue between Lara and Sam?

Phillip: What I love about the dynamic between Lara and Sam is that as far as Lara goes into the world of adventuring, cults, spirits, ancient evil, artifacts, etc – Sam is the person who grounds Lara and returns her to normalcy. Sam is who she cares about above all and it’s what will always guide Lara to do the right thing.

 As far as the ending to issue 12, I’m curious to see where the story goes from there. Obviously, we had some plans that we weren’t able to see through, but I know Tomb Raider is in good hands and I can’t wait to see where the story goes.

June: We noticed you started the series with pencil sketch and then transfer to digital process, what is the difference between the two process?

Phillip: My process evolved over the course of the year plus I spent on the book. The first five issues, I penciled digitally and then printed my pencils on the board and inked the pages by hand (combination of brush, nib, and pen). By issue 6, I switched to full digital work. As my deadlines got tighter, I had to find ways to speed up. It took about two full issues until I adjusted to the digital workflow, but I loved it. There were a few pages in each issue I’d normally ink by hand, but the bulk of 6 – 12 were done digitally.

With digital work, I was able to make corrections and changes much easier. I was also able to build 3d models of the environments for each issue and then drop them into my pages and ink over them.

June: What is the current comic book you are doing ?Will you come back for the future TR series?

Phillip: I’m working on a new series that I’m writing, penciling, inking, and coloring. It’s the first time I’m doing full-fledged colors on a sequential work and it’s been both intimidating and exciting. The project doesn’t have a publisher yet, but I’m pitching it to a few companies next month. Fingers crossed that I’ll be able to announce it in the next six months or so.

I would love to come back and do more Tomb Raider work. Even though I got to do 12 issues, it felt like I was just starting to hit my stride.

June: Would you like to say anything to your fans in China? Many of them want to become a comic book artist, what is your advises to them?

Phillip: I want to thank them for the support of the series, my work, and Tomb Raider, in general.

As far as becoming a comic artist – if I can do it – anyone can. Ha! Each market for comics is very different, so the best advice I can give is to educate yourself. You don’t have to go to formal art school, but study anatomy, visual storytelling, perspective, etc. Just practice won’t make you a great artist – you need to study your craft and then practice.

It has been a great pleasure to get to know and talk to Mr. Sevy and found out all the back story about this most recent Tomb Raider comics series. Mr. Sevy is very easy to communicate with and super friendly to talk to, many of us adore his artworks and the image of Lara Croft that he drew in this series. He is definitely one of my favorite Tomb Raider comic artist other than Andy Park.

If you are interested in his artwork, please visit his face book page or other social medias (see below).

Facebook:  facebook.com/phillipsevycomicart

Twitter：@phillipsevy

Instagram： @phillipsevycomicart

Personal illustration of Lara Croft

中英文双语版请点击这里

[futuristicallyironbread-blog]

Would You Attempt The New 8 Factor Renovation?

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[conbravoofficial]

August's ConBravo! Spotlight is Cosplayer Xgouki Cosplay!

Check out the full interview and don't forget to apply here: http://conbravoofficial.tumblr.com/spotlight

1. How did you become interested in cosplaying?

I first found out about cosplay on the Internet when I was 10. I loved the idea of becoming my favorite characters and escaping from reality! I really wanted to enter the cosplay world, but my cosplay journey has been a long and gradual one mostly due to disapproving parents and a difficult life in general. In 2016, I was finally able to break free and enter the cosplay community full-time, and it’s been a fantastic experience for me.

2. What was the first character you cosplayed as and why?

The first character I ever cosplayed was Joey Wheeler (Katsuya Jounouchi) when I was 11, because Yu-Gi-Oh! was the major kids’ fad at the time and I tended to get swept into them. My mom even put it together for me! As an older teen, I briefly considered cosplaying him again once I started watching the Abridged Series (it helps that Red-Eyes Black Dragon would probably be my favorite Duel Monster), but it’s unlikely nowadays since I have so many other, better cosplay options.

3. What’s your favourite cosplay to date that you’ve done and why?

My favorite cosplay to date, by far, is Zero Suit Samus. I absolutely love being Samus because she’s badass, iconic, beautiful and sexy. In general, she’s such a great character - she’s a woman protagonist who’s just this powerful, legendary bounty hunter and doesn’t suffer from the typical “female sci-fi character” stereotypes (except in one infamous game). Her looks are simply gorgeous, and I always feel pretty when cosplaying her <3

4. What’s a dream cosplay you’d like to do?

More on Samus - my dream cosplay would be her Varia Suit. While the Zero Suit shows off her figure, her beauty and her more “human” side, the Varia Suit basically defines Samus as a character and is where most of her powers come from. I’m a big fan of complex, streamlined mechanical designs, and wearing the Varia Suit would be really awesome and empowering. I could even wear it without the helmet on occasion and use my Zero Suit wig and makeup for the best of both worlds!

5. Besides cosplay, what else do you like to do in your spare time?

My spare time is very vaguely defined. Most of my time is spent on a Master’s degree that I’m very, very nervous about. Probably the activity that I enjoy the most is just going out and seeing places, especially urban areas. It’s one reason I love Toronto so much. Other than that, I’m an avid gamer and I’m just starting to read comics again.

6. What cosplays do you have planned for the future?

Mm, that’s a tough one. I usually have a lot of cosplay ideas floating around in my head, so when I pick one to actually carry out, it sometimes feels like I picked it at random. Right now, I’m probably planning to cosplay the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Spider-Man (Peter Parker), since he was my childhood superhero and it was amazing (no pun intended) seeing him in Civil War and Homecoming. I’m also a Pokémon fan; I did a fairly crappy Charizard gijinka once, but might do a new version of it or Mewtwo, preferably based on an existing fanart that “clicks” with me so that the design has more coherency.

7. Any tips for anyone who wants to get into cosplaying?

First of all, there’s nothing wrong with buying costumes as opposed to making them. Just be careful where you buy; most cosplay shopping sites are overseas sites with mixed reviews, and many sellers use stock photos that don’t represent the product quality very well. Miccostumes is one of the better options, I’ve had one large order from them that shipped very quickly. Wigs and hair are important. A cheap wig can ruin a costume (I’m ashamed of my current Link wig), so I recommend ordering from a reputable site like Arda or EpicCosplay. If your character has a natural/normal hairstyle (especially for live-action characters), you might find good wigs at a beauty salon. If you use your own hair, I recommend getting it styled by an expert to match the character’s look. If you care about character accuracy, you can’t just go “I’ll dye my hair blonde, braid it, look like Ed Elric, and call it a day”; you also need the right color, shade, thickness and bangs.

Secondly, some new cosplayers might be intimidated by more experienced cosplayers, thinking that they’re an “elite” of sorts that they aren’t/won’t be good enough to join. In most cases, that’s not true at all! Most of us are just fellow nerds who want to hang out, express our fandom, and make friends. In fact, some experienced cosplayers are willing to mentor newbies in need. That said, don’t overstep your boundaries. If I were to give advice as concisely as possible, I’d say a) be yourself and don’t be nervous, and b) don’t have any ulterior motives when joining the community and talking to cosplayers.

Photo credits: Asuka - photo by: The Otaku Crypt, edit by: Hidamari Snaps Samus - Alex O'Neill/Con Mom Photography Link - Neffy Avese Videography and Photography

[aion-rsa]

X-POSITION: Dennis Hopeless Dives Into Cyclops & Jean Grey’s Psyches

After taking an extended road trip and running afoul of everyone from Toad to the Goblyln Queen, the teens of “All-New X-Men” have almost reached their journey’s end. Their tenure on the road concludes in next month’s “All-New X-Men” #19, and the team will move on to an all-new series — “X-Men Blue.” That series will reunite the team with their long lost fellow time-displaced hero Jean Grey, just in time for Jean to get her own ongoing series. ResurrXion lies ahead, and changes are coming with it.

RELATED: All-New X-Men Sets Up X-Men Blue’s Magneto/Teen Team Dynamic

This week in X-POSITION, “All-New X-Men” and “Jean Grey” writer Dennis Hopeless joins us and answers all of your questions about what lies ahead after “IvX.”

CBR News: Welcome back to X-POSITION, Dennis! We’ll start with the big question that everyone’s asking, even weeks after “Death of X” #4 came out: why are people in-universe comparing Cyclops to Hitler? We’ve heard different takes on this on the page and from other writers, but what’s your take on it? Is what Emma’s projection of Cyclops did in “Death of X” really that bad?

Dennis Hopeless: My story there has always been about teenage Scott struggling to deal with the public perception of his older self. The world thinks of Cyclops as a villain because of what transpired with the Inhumans. That’s how we discussed it in the room when all of this was first being conceived. That’s the status quo Scott is dealing with. “Death of X” fleshes out the how and why of all that in a really interesting way. The reality of the situation was much more nuanced than “Cyclops is an Evil Terrorist!” But of course it was. Unfortunately, Teen Scott isn’t tormented by reality. He’s tormented by the ugliest version of public perception. He’s spiraling down a deep dark self-loathing Internet hole that makes him question everything. That’s enough to mess anybody up.

And we’ve all seen that you can find pretty much any kind of hot take on the Internet, too. Cyclops should frequent better news sites! Moving on a little, MarvelMaster616 also has a question about Cyclops and Emma.

Mr. Hopeless, I loved “All-New X-Men” #18 and how teen Cyclops now finally knows the truth about what happened in “Death of X.” I thought it was one of your best issues of “All-New X-Men” to date. Could you talk for a moment about what this revelation means for Cyclops moving forward? More specifically, what does it mean for his future with Emma Frost? She’s a big part of what happens to him. After a revelation like this, how will that affect his mission going forward?

MarvelMaster616! Thank you so much for saying that! We’re super proud of that issue. At the end of #18, Scott is on the warpath for Emma. He is coming at her as soon as humanly possible. You’ll see how all of that plays out in “IvX” and in issue #19. Scott’s story is ongoing.

Next up, Time Like Lightning wonders what’s going to happen to your cast now that they’re heading over to “X-Men: Blue.”

Since some of these characters are moving into Cullen Bunn’s “X-Men” book, did you and Cullen ever talk about possible directions for him to take the characters? And do you know where Idie and Genesis might be seen after this book ends?

Time Like Lightning! Cullen Bunn is a creep. No one likes him and I avoid talking to him at all cost. The fact that he is taking over these characters frankly frightens and disturbs me. They deserve better.

As for Idie and Evan, I’m not actually sure. There are big plans afoot across the X-Men line, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pop up soon, but I’m not certain where that will be.

Actually X-Editor Daniel Ketchum wanted everyone to know that Idie and Evan will be popping up in Christina Strain and Amilcar Pinna’s “Generation X,” at least in cameo roles. They’re not being left behind! Moving on, Psimitar has a question about a character you didn’t use in “All-New.”

When it became apparent that you weren’t going to get to use teen Jean Grey in “All-New X-Men,” did you ever consider using Hope Summers in her place? You seemed to really enjoy writing her in “Cable & X-Force” and with Idie on the team she seemed like a good fit. Also, with the upcoming “Jean Grey” solo series is there any possibility of Hope Summers showing up considering she previously hosted the Phoenix Force?

Psimitar! I did consider Hope briefly, but I was always concerned about growing the cast too large. My favorite thing to write is intimate character drama and the more stars you have in a book, the more juggling you have to do. Larger casts make what I do much more difficult. That said, I do love writing Hope (and everyone else from “Cable & X-Force” frankly). Don’t be surprised to see her show up in “Jean Grey.”

Also, yes, Jean will absolutely interact with previous Phoenix Force hosts. That’s a big part of our second issue.

EXCLUSIVE: “Jean Grey” #2 cover by David Yardin

And you can all see that in action on David Yardin’s cover for the second issue, which is debuting (above) in this very article! Next, Anduinel wants to know if there are any other stories you wanted to tell with this cast.

With “All-New X-Men” coming to a close, are there any stories you would have liked to tell that you just didn’t have time to get to?

Anduinel! Yes! So many stories. Because “ANXM” was always intended as a road trip book, I have a notebook full of exotic locales and the various sorts of trouble the kids could’ve gotten up to. We hit my favorite beats from the notebook, but I had so many more. Jean might just steal of few of the best ones for herself though, so I’ll never tell.

Moving onto “Jean Grey,” the aptly named Grey has a question about your ideas going into a new series.

I got “X-Men: Season One” for Christmas to see how you wrote Jean in the past and I absolutely loved it! I really look forward to your homecoming to the “Jean” solo book. As a writer, do you already have an end game in mind when you start a book? Does that change based on the duration of the book changing?

Grey! Thanks for saying. “Season One” was my first paid writing work and we had a blast making it. Jamie [McKelvie], Matt [Wilson] and Mike [Norton] made me look incredibly good right out of the gate. That book is gorgeous.

As for endings, I do usually have some sort conclusion in mind. That can be tricky on an ongoing because you don’t always know exactly how long it will last, but there’s always a goal. We usually have little touchstone moments worked in along the way to make sure the characters grow and change in interesting ways. Marvel stories rarely truly end, so you can only throw down so much punctuation, but a satisfying final issue is always a good thing.

“All-New X-Men” #19 cover by Mark Bagley

Speaking to Jean Grey herself, mbm721 wants to know what your take on her is.

What do you like most about Jean Grey as a character and do you find the notion of writing a Jean solo overwhelming and intimidating considering all her history? Expectations are high for this book.

Mbm721! I find Jean’s potential endlessly fascinating. Both times I’ve written the character, I’ve gotten her as a teenager. My Jean isn’t quite fully formed. She’s still learning the ropes with her powers and struggling with self-confidence on some level. That’s great fun because we all know how incredible she’ll grow up to be. The funky twist with time displaced Jean is that she now knows it too. She knows it and it haunts her dreams. That’s a fun dynamic and we’ll be leaning in.

I’m not super intimidated, though, no. Writing Jean feels like coming home and I’m a fantastic comic book writer. We’ll be spinning gold. No worries.

Here’s Gary, with a specific request for one of Jean’s many iconic foes.

Please tell us teen Jean will meet the real Maddie Pryor who was brought back a few years ago. The Goblin Queen is fun, but I would love to see teen Jean meet her adult clone seeing as the actual adult Jean is gone.

Gary! Nope! Goblin Queen or bust, my friend.

Short and sweet answer! On a similar note, Soulsword323 also wants to know if Jean will run into a particular someone.

Thus far, the Original Five have had the opportunity to interact with their adult counterparts, except for Jean. Do you have any plans for this teenage Jean to interact with her adult counterpart, whether it be through a dream or some type of vision? Seeing as how we’ve seen adult Jean interact or send messages from the White Hot Room before.

Soulsword323! Yowza… Do we have surprises in store for you! Great question, but that’s all I can say.

Color me intrigued! Coming up on the end of the “Jean Grey” questions, here’s an ask from venomblasting.

Hi Dennis! I want to express my thanks for giving Jessica Drew back her own series and redefining Spider-Woman. In her original run she had made great friends with the X-Men. Can we expect to find Jessica and Jean interacting at all?

Venomblasting! Thanks so much for reading “Spider-Woman”! That book is near and dear to my heart. I love writing Jess so I’d never rule out having her guest star (in anything). No current plans but now that you’ve planted that seed.., Who knows?

And we’ll end this week with a look at the larger ResurrXion line, from akiresu_.

Besides your own, which ResurrXion title excites you most?

Akiresu! I’m super stoked for “Iceman” and “X-Men Blue.” I’m a big fan of Sina Grace and was thrilled to see him on that series [“Iceman”]. Bobby is one of my favorite characters and he’s in great hands.

And while Cullen Bunn may be reprehensible, he’s a fantastic writer with some exciting plans for the O5. I’ll just mark out his name on the covers and pretend it was written by someone else.

“All-New X-Men” #1 arrives in stores on March 29, and “Jean Grey” #1 follows on May 3.

Special thanks to Dennis Hopeless for taking on this week’s questions!

Next week, incoming “Weapon X” writer Grg Pak returns to X-POSITION to answer your questions! Have a question for Greg? Go ahead and send ’em in via e-mail with the subject line “X-Position”. But get ’em in quickly, because the deadline’s Friday. Make it happen!

The post X-POSITION: Dennis Hopeless Dives Into Cyclops & Jean Grey’s Psyches appeared first on CBR.com.

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