#and the illustrations that were made to go along with it were made by someone who only has an instagram so i cant contact them

[redflagshipwriter]

Check Yes (to go on a date with a dead guy) ch3

“So, what’s your deal?” Jason asked, when Danny’s mouth was full of food. “You’re dead, I notice.”

Danny choked. He gave Jason a betrayed look with big blue eyes, a hand clapped over his mouth to contain any mess.

Jason smirked back, unrepentant. “I died once,” he shared. “Got better though.”

“You got be-”

“You were surprised about what it’s like to fight humans,” Jason continued. It was hard not to laugh at the confused outrage on his date’s face. “So that implies you fight someone else? You’re fighting ghosts or something? Or do ghosts have some kinda natural enemy? Vampires or some shit?” He might have been a bit flippant but sue him, it sounded a lot more magical than his daily life.

Danny opened his mouth and no words came out. He looked like he was in pain when he grudgingly admitted, “I do have a lot of beef with this one vampire guy, Vlad.”

Jason threw his head back and laughed. That was such a vampire guy name, what the hell?

“No, no, it’s not funny,” Danny protested. He waved his hands wildly, flinging a bit of bean from his burrito across the roof they were perched on. “He’s also a ghost- well, he’s a half of a ghost, but that’s a long story from when he was in college.”

“The half-ghost vampire has an undergraduate degree?” Jason interrupted. He needed to know what this fucker studied. Was it like, social science? Literature? Theater? That might explain Danny’s implied belief that a theme was an inherent rogue thing. No, wait, business administration?

Danny gave him a withering look. “He’s got a Doctorate.”

Jason flung his hands up in defeat against the world. That made more sense than an undergraduate degree somehow. There was just something about the type of person who got a Doctorate that made them, you know, creeps.

‘Or maybe they’ve just got enough specialized knowledge to act on latent creepiness,’ he mused. ‘...Shit, am I developing an anti education stance? Can I blame this on Crane and Quinn?’

Danny was continuing with his explanation of the vampire’s background. Every word made it nuttier. “He’s a scientist, actually, and the mayor of a small town. And he lives in a cheese mansion.”

This was a sharp divergence from vampire stereotypes and he needed to know everything.

“Is the mansion made of cheese?” Jason interrupted. He was leaning in, intent on every word. Why was this vampire the most interesting man in the world?

He got a weird look for that. “No, it just belonged to the Dairy King,” Danny said, like it was everyday knowledge that you could expect a layperson to have.

“Of course, the Dairy King,” Jason said wisely.

"Enough about me though!" Danny flailed a bit. "How did you get my uh, number?"

Ah. Jason took a big bite to delay while he chose his words.

There was no point in trying to hide his vigilante identity from Danny. The guy probably didn't even understand the concept.

So he might as well top whatever story Danny had.

"The bat guy who taught me all about being a child soldier got grabbed by this group of loser cultists, right?" He gestured in a way that did absolutely nothing to illustrate the situation.

Danny cocked his head. "This is off to a good start."

"They tried to sacrifice him. You gotta remember him - big ugly guy, dressed in black and gray, underwear on the outside of his pants in a way that's never been cool?"

Danny didn't seem to have words, but he lifted his hands to make two ears on top of his head.

He pointed with both hands. "That's the guy," Jason agreed. "At the time, we didn't know what kind of sacrifice it was. We were thinking more along the lines of blood sacrifice?" He shrugged as if the idea of B biting it meant nothing to him.

Danny made a pffft sound of air escaping between his lips. "I tossed him back." He flailed in place. "I- isn't- wasn't that- that was a while ago," he stuttered. "I kinda forgot about him."

"...You got offered a cape, then a few weeks later a bunch of others, and you didn't make a mental connection?" Jason checked.

Danny flushed. "Time doesn't match up between the realms and anyway, I'm really busy!" He crossed his arms and accidentally knocked over his drink. "I've got a lot going on in my life. Anyway, for a ghost?" Danny blew a raspberry. "I'm sorry to break your heart, but none of you dress wild enough to stand out in the Infinite Realms. We've got robot dudes and child pirates and giant eyeballs and stuff." He gave Jason a smug look. It was cute.

Jason acted on impulse and reached out to ruffle Danny's hair. He realized what he was doing too late. His hand froze above Danny's head.

Danny tilted his face up and made an inquisitive sound.

"There was a bug." Jason pulled his hand back. What was wrong with him? He didn't go touching other people just because they were cute. "It flew off."

"...Right," Danny said. "You're being very normal." He seemed delighted by this, the little gremlin. "So. You were a child soldier too?"

Jason nearly fell off his perch.

Danny shrieked a laugh and pointed. "Ha!" He crowed. "I win! I shocked you first!"

"There wasn't a competition!" Jason lied. His face was bright red. It was too late to save face. "What do you mean too?" He demanded. "Were you a child?"

"Somewhat recently," Danny said. He gave Jason a catlike smile. "Adults come from teenagers, teenagers come from kids, kids come from babies. Do you need to know-"

"I know where babies come from." Jason cut him off. He tried to look off put at the way Danny laughed at him but fuck it, it was funny, in a dumb way. "Of course you were a kid, that was silly of me," he admitted. "Ghosts are made from humans, right?"

"Well yes, but actually no," Danny said, philosophical. "Some of us. I was. Other ghosts are made from like, vultures, or ideas."

It kinda seemed like ghost taxonomy was more complicated than he was ready to get into at the moment. Those two things were pretty fuckin disparate.

Jason sighed heavily and picked up his food again, just to have something to do with his hands.

A thought occurred. He didn't let it show on his face but he felt sick to his stomach.

Danny was dead. Danny said he'd been a child recently, and a child soldier.

Someone needed their ass kicked.

Danny: we are having such a whimsical time!

Jason: sirens screaming

[livelaughpeg]

I'm writing this from a throwaway account, because you know...Scientology.

I want to preface this post by saying I am not one of those "I knew it all along!" people. I can't stand that attitude. I was pretty ambivelant towards Neil Gaiman. Prior to the allegations, I didn't hate him but I wasn't that interested in him as a person either. I don't think you can always tell when someone is a bad or good person simply by the topics they write about. If that was the case we'd be arresting every horror writer on earth.

But one thing that did always rub me up the wrong way was the way he talked about getting work.

I borrowed and read "Make Good Art" (a small book based on a speech he gave to graduates at the University of the Arts) at a time in my life that I was really struggling to get by (I still am to some extent, but in a different way). I expected to see some practical advice. Instead it was a bunch of glib shit like:

I got out into the world, I wrote, and I became a better writer the more I wrote, and I wrote some more, and nobody ever seemed to mind that I was making it up as I went along, they just read what I wrote and they paid for it, or they didn’t, and often they commissioned me to write something else for them. Looking back, I’ve had a remarkable ride. I’m not sure I can call it a career, because a career implies that I had some kind of career plan, and I never did. The nearest thing I had was a list I made when I was 15 of everything I wanted to do: to write an adult novel, a children’s book, a comic, a movie, record an audiobook, write an episode of Doctor Who… and so on. I didn’t have a career. I just did the next thing on the list.

Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

Yeah, well, no shit. If you're a writer or artist you probably do anyway. Whether you get paid for it or not, whether you draw fan art or original art. But the point of Gaiman's speech was to give advice to people who wanted to be paid for their art. To make a career of it. Making art every day isn't always enough. You have to pay the damn rent, you have to eat, you have to network and do social media and promote yourself, and you have to do it while thousands of other people are doing the same thing in a massive crowd of people who want the same thing. Practical advice is much more valuable than platitudes and theory.

I am not a writer, I'm an illustrator, and let me tell you that for most people, 'getting your foot in the door' isn't a one time thing. Quite often you have to work at getting your foot in the door again and again until you become established, and it's very easy to be forgotten. I still feel like I'm in that stage now.

I watched my peers, and my friends, and the ones who were older than me and watch how miserable some of them were: I’d listen to them telling me that they couldn’t envisage a world where they did what they had always wanted to do any more, because now they had to earn a certain amount every month just to keep where they were. They couldn’t go and do the things that mattered, and that they had really wanted to do; and that seemed as a big a tragedy as any problem of failure.

The implication was that he was successful because he wrote every day and his friends weren't because they didn't, because you know, working a second job is tiring. He called this a tragedy, but there was something very glib about the way he narrated this.

I think someone had more financial cushion that he was letting on.

And yes, sometimes it does work that way, (some people are very lucky and make all the right connections) but Gaiman was getting Big Jobs right off the bat and something about that never smelt right to me after the way he talked about it.

And then I saw Jeff's tweets. Oh, that's why...

I suspect the truth is he was living off his family's money and connections, and while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that if you're a struggling artist, his family are Scientologists, and I don't think he ever struggled.

I suspect it's all a lie.

[bodyhopper-files]

Neighborly Desires

I couldn't help but notice my hot new neighbors as they moved in next door. My attention was immediately drawn to the husband - his short, muscular build, bushy brown hair, and piercing eyes were all too irresistible to me. I yearned to have him for myself, to explore every inch of his body and discover what kind of a man he truly was.

One morning, I decided to take action. Using my spiritual abilities, I put myself into a deep sleep and allowed my spirit form to travel next door to their place. I found him getting ready for a morning run, shirtless as usual. With a practiced inhale and exhale, I fully immersed myself in him, taking control of his body and making it mine to manipulate like a puppet.

"Mmm…" I moaned with his deep voice, admiring the sight of his furry chest and abs that had captivated me before, now from a different perspective. His body was now under my command and I ran my hands over his strong muscles and through his beard and hair. And then came the moment I had been waiting for - discovering what kind of meat this man was working with. I loosened the waistband of his shorts and revealed an impressive member. It was thick and hairy just like him, and from scanning his memories I knew he was highly skilled using it. I couldn't wait to give it a try myself.

I caught up on his day through his most recent memories. His wife Sarah was still asleep in their bed.

"The run can wait," I thought slyly.

With the layout of their house ingrained in my mind as if it were my own, I made my way back to the master bedroom, slipping out of the running shorts along the way and letting his dick swing between my thighs. As Sarah stirred awake, I took over her husband's spot beside her in bed and began to wake her up with gentle touches.

"Thought you went for a run?" she half-asked half-asleep.

"I was going to…" I ran a finger along her naked breast, something I knew from his mind would turn her right on, "But then I got horny…"

I wouldn't typically be so casual and confident in initiating sex, especially with someone as sexy as Sarah. But for this man, it was like a natural right to have sex with hot women whenever he desired it. He was the epitome of virility - and damn, was I feeling virile too! This was going to be one wild ride for both Sarah and me.

"Oh…" she moaned in response, now fully awake and excited at the idea of being fucked by the stud she’d married, "I'm glad you decided to stay in!"

"Me too," I replied with a mischievous grin, ready to put this man's body to the test, "This'll be better cardio than a run anyway!"

----- ----- ----- Original story and AI Illustration by @bodyhopper-files

[sunny44]

You’re muse

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Verstappen!reader

Warnings: English is not my first language and this story is in the third person point if view.

Summary: Everyone who draws has something or someone to be inspired by, and for Y/n that someone is Charles.

The sun shone brightly on the Monza circuit, reflecting off the asphalt and the gleaming metal of the cars. The sound of revving engines and the loud chatter filled the paddock. I was sitting in a quiet corner, lost in my thoughts as I sketched in my notebook. My fingers glided over the paper with skill, bringing to life yet another image of Charles, capturing his focused and determined expression.

I was so absorbed in my work that I didn't notice when my brother, Max, approached me.

"Hey, Y/n, let's go for lunch?" he called, breaking my concentration.

"Oh, sure," I replied quickly, closing my notebook and standing up. In my haste, I didn't realize that the notebook had slipped from my lap and fallen to the ground, along with all the images I took great care to ensure were seen only by my eyes.

As Max and I walked away, Charles, who was passing by, noticed the forgotten notebook. He bent down to pick it up and, upon seeing the name on the cover, raised an eyebrow.

"Y/n Verstappen," he murmured to himself, curious.

It was a leather-bound notebook, large and heavy. Just by looking at it, he could see that the pages at the beginning were well-used, their edges worn differently from those at the end of the notebook.

Intrigued, he opened the notebook and began to leaf through it. Each page revealed drawings of him in different moments—some laughing with the team, others focused before a race, dressed casually in public places they had both been at on the same day, and even some capturing his thoughtful expression during interviews. Charles couldn't help but smile as he realized the care and attention to detail in each illustration. It was as if he were seeing himself through Y/n's eyes.

All the drawings had dates, and the last one did not, but he could tell it was from today because he remembered the moment. Also, because all the other drawings were colored, many of them with vibrant shades of red, and today's drawing was only in pencil.

Holding onto the notebook, he went to find her. It didn't take long to spot her chatting with Max near the food stalls. She laughed at something Max said, and her laughter made Charles smile. God, how he loved hearing that laugh. He could easily say it was one of his favorite sounds.

He then approached with a smile on his face and the notebook in hand.

"Y/n. I believe this is yours," he said, handing the notebook to her.

I immediately turned red, realizing what he had in his hands. Part of me desperately hoped he hadn't opened it, but I doubted that. The temptation to look through someone else's things is strong.

"Oh, thank you," I murmured, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Charles couldn't resist teasing me a little. "I didn't know I was your muse," he said with a mischievous smile.

I felt my face burn with shame and looked away. "I... I just like to draw, that's all," I tried to explain, but my voice faltered.

With a gentle gesture, Charles held my face with both hands, making me look at him.

"I believe you," he said. "But if I knew how to draw, you would be my muse too," he said softly, his gaze locked onto mine.

The world around us seemed to disappear as we stared at each other. I felt my heart race, and before I could think of a response, Charles leaned in and kissed me. The kiss was soft and full of unspoken feelings, a mix of years of bickering and hidden emotions.

When we parted, both of us were breathless and blushing. Max, who had been watching the scene closely, couldn't help but smile. "Finally," he murmured to himself and walked away, leaving them alone.

Charles took my hand, intertwining our fingers.

"I think it's time we stop pretending we hate each other," he said, his voice filled with newfound determination.

I nodded, still a bit dazed. "Yes, I think so," I replied, feeling a new beginning unfolding between us.

As we walked back to the paddock, side by side, with Charles still holding my hand, we both knew that things would never be the same. And for the first time, we were eager to see what the future held.

[meanbossart]

I finally thought of a question! What does your Astarion think of all that's happened to him, now that it's all Over, and what does Drow think about what he knows about Astarion? Does he ever contemplate and compare, does he have passing thoughts like "Oh yeah, he told me this" brought on by nothing in particular? If Drow or Shadowheart were to bring it up either when drinking, or after a heated moment, what would happen?

Thank you so much for your art and your words! Your handle on Drow made me really crack open my Tav like a nut

AND WHAT A GOOD QUESTION IT IS.

(I use some dialogue excerpts from for A Novel Experience here to illustrate my points that some might consider to be spoilery, I don't think it's stuff that would affect one's reading enjoyment too much. Still, just figured I would mention it for anyone who minds it.)

In regards to Astarion, it is understandably complicated. I think the way he's found to get by so far is by not dwelling at all in what has happened. He's tried to turn the symbolic new leaf that night in the cemetery and likes to think of himself as not only freed, but a new man open to what life has to offer him and unburdened by his past - when memories rush back, he pushes them away. When something bothers him for reasons that relate to his past experience, he tries to push past the discomfort because he doesn't want to be defined by it. He is fairly self-conscious of being seen as a weakling or a victim, especially when he's constantly confronted by DU drow's utter indifference to his own past.

He has, by all intends and purposes, done well. He understands that he's a grown man who's been given a second chance at un-life by an exceptionally lucky turn of events, he absolutely does not want to waste a second more of his own time by being sullen, broken, or guilt-striken. He thrives for as long as his past doesn't directly confront him - but when it does, the avoidance catches up and he very easily loses his cool.

His feelings regarding the decisions he made underneath Cazador's palace are mostly rigid. He's happy to not have Ascended and content that the spawn were set free, but he does not like to dwell on what their lives may be like moving forward and, if ever discussing it, does so with callousness and indifference, shutting down the conversation before it can begin. While he doesn't bask in the feeling, he does take the smallest bit of pride in the fact that he has sacrificed eternal power for the freedom of thousands - when doubt arises and he's haunted with the could-have-beens, he soothes himself with the fact that his sacrifice had a purpose.

DU drow has no moral quandries with what Astarion did while under Cazador's control or regard for the people he victimized at all, but he dwells constantly on the suffering he's endured. He flip-flops between thinking of Astarion as a perfectly capable individual and someone who is overly sensitive and finicky the moment something upsets him - someone who needs protection. He has a grand hero's complex about him and at times difficulty trusting Astarion's capacity to make his own choices - since he didn't have the opportunity for such a long time. He isn't controlling, but Astarion knows him well enough to read the doubt in his face even when he's quiet about it.

Interestingly enough, this seems to mostly apply to when Astarion's ideas go against his own, or make him feel powerless or unneeded in some way or another. He's perfectly happy to go along with his impulses otherwise - even when they seem to be made in bad judgement.

It also applies to intimacy for a while, with DU drow proceeding to avoid sex even after he's rid of his urge - not only because he's still afraid of his own desires, but also because he doesn't trust Astarion to express his agency during the act.

But that's an issue that they solve fairly quickly (well, ten-chapters-in quickly. sixteen if you only count when they first have sex since the events of the game) , especially as Astarion asserts himself as the more dominant half of the relationship.

I don't think either DU drow or Shadowheart have the nerve to use Astarion's actions while enthralled against him. DU drow because he doesn't care or thinks he's held accountable in any way, and Shadowheart because she knows better. That said, things do come up between him and other characters and then - well. He doesn't deal well with it at all:

[alfredo0724]

Final Timeline Headcanons pt 2

Here's a continuation of my headcanons for the final timeline 💕

Manga spoilers below -

Part one Part three

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The Haitani brothers and the Kawata twins have a love-hate friendship. Nahoya bickers with them while Souya is more relaxed. They spend time with each other outside of Toman meetings at restaurants. The Haitanis invite them to parties sometimes.

Yumi and Pah have a very wholesome and soft relationship. They didn't put a label on their relationship in the beginning, people already assumed they were a couple. It was like that until Pah was asked about it by his close friends. He formally asked Yumi to be his girlfriend after that.

Yasuda is the one that asks out Peh-Yan. Mitsuya knew they liked each other all along and both of them confided in him before they started a relationship. Yasuda becomes protective of Peh in a 'tsudnere' way. Peh-yan doesn't admit it all the time, but he likes doing cliche relationship things with her.

If Takemichi and Hina were to ever have kids, they would all look exactly like Takemichi. Hina often teases him that he cries more than their kids when they were babies, which is true.

The Sano house became a popular spot for sleepovers when everyone was really young. Shinichiro made sure to have enough sleeping bags for Mikey, Takemichi, Sanzu, Baji, Izana and Kakucho. Senju and Emma would have their own sleepover and often had to kick Mikey out when he came to steal their snacks.

Since Ryusei is canon to the story, I think he would come by Peke J land a lot in the future. Mostly to annoy Chifuyu on purpose.

When Draken and Emma have their kid, all the ex-toman members become very protective of them. Mitsuya personally makes clothes for their child that aren't in his brand. The baby refers to Mitsuya as an uncle sometimes. Hina also becomes very close with their baby too. She volunteers to take care of them when Draken and Emma go on dates. Their baby refers to her as an aunt sometimes too.

I think Emma may have confessed to Draken first. She was getting anxious about how he felt about her, so Takemichi and Hina convinced her it would all work out just fine.

When Draken and Emma started dating, her brothers all reacted differently. Mikey was finally relieved the secret was out, Shinichiro was very happy Emma was with someone he knew would be good for her, and Izana became a bit protective of her and kind of threatened Draken if he were to hurt her, which he obviously never would.

Thousand Winters still forms after Toman disbands. Their reactions are all pretty much the same. They've got a photo album with pictures they all took in the t-shirts. However, it took a lot of convincing for Inui to be in the pictures.

Sanzu and Senju often wear clothing that closely matches with one another. They have their own sense of style, but sometimes it blends together and they wear similar things.

Luna and Mana are still very close with Taiju. He picks them up from school a lot and takes them to amusement parks and stuff. However, he doesn't like to admit he enjoys it even though everyone else knows he does. Yuzuha and Hakkai have dozens of photos where he's dressed in costumes or wearing cosmetics when Luna and Mana ask him too. When they're older, they sometimes still call him 'Tai' (the nickname they used in the birthday illustration).

Taiju is good at cooking, but he sucks at baking like the epilogue mentioned. He does thinks like burn chocolate, doesn't use enough flower or even squeezes piping bags too hard, causing them to explode.

Yuzuha is an older sister figure to Luna and Mana. She takes them shopping for clothes, teaches them how to put on makeup when they're older and watches over them while they grow up.

[linkspooky]

Hi I really love ur metas your jjk ones really made me appreciate the story even more. I was curious about ur analysis on why Gojo is important to Geto.

It's obvious as to why Geto is important to Gojo and how Geto effected him but I don't think it's talked about enough of the reversal

That's a good observation anon, the story makes it less obvious what Geto needs Gojo for, while spending a long time lingering on the tragedy of Geto's loss and what the loss of his only real friend meant for Gojo.

I think part of this is because Geto is a character of deep self-reflection so a lot of his internal narration is about his feelings towards his self and thinking through his own ideals and what that means. Whereas Gojo doesn't really self reflect but he does observe other people. We don't know what Gojo's opinions on a lot of things are, but we know what Geto meant to him because he's much clearer on how he felt towards Geto. Geto's staring into himself trying to figure what he feels personally, Gojo is always staring at other people trying to figure out what they feel.

As for why Gojo means so much to Geto, it's important to remember that they are a duo. They're the same idiot in different fonts. Geto's a much more human character and we are inside his head more often so it's easy to forget that when they were young Geto had the same kind of god / superiority complex that Gojo did.

Geto is associated with religious imagery over and over again, the same way that Gojo is associated with budhist ideals of enlightenment and escaping karma. They are both people who were in their teenage years more powerful than everyone around them, and because of that looked down on everyone.

Even Geto's stated ideals of "protecting the weak" come from a place of superiority. He still divides people mentally into the weak and the strong. The special ones and the common rabble. He sees people the same way Gojo does, he just believes that the strong like him and Gojo have a moral obligation to use their powers responsibly in service of others.

Geto's not more humble than Gojo. Their moral disagreement comes from how they should use the power they've been given, but they both feel that the power they have puts them in a position above other people.

All of this to illustrate the fact that if Gojo felt isolated as a teenager because all the power he had made him feel lonely and unable to connect with others, then so Geto probably felt isolated in the same way too. They each found in each other someone they could finally call their equal. Because of it they gained someone they could be vulnerable around and someone they could trust to watch their back.

The things Geto does for Gojo (check on his feelings when no one else would, go out of his way to reassure him), Gojo does for Geto in return. It's not Geto always taking care of Goo it's a partnership between the two of them where they lean on each other.

When Kuroi is kindapped and Geto immediately falls into a funk and starts to blame himself for his mistake, it's Gojo who reassures him by hurrying him along and telling him they need to focus on planning what they should do next. Gojo knows Geto well enough to know his tendency to get trapped in his own thoughts and gives him the kick in the pants he needs.

In the same scene where Geto checks on Gojo's well-being to make sure he's not overusing his power, Gojo returns the sentiment by reassuring Geto not to worry about him because he won't push himself too hard and that he's not in this alone Geto's here too.

That's probably a big part of it for Geto. Yes, Geto tends to naturally slide into the caretaker role, watching out for Gojo and checking in on him but at the same time Geto probably likes that there is someone who needs him in that way. If Gojo's defined by his lack of connection with other people, Geto's defined by the way he goes out to make connections. It's nice to be needed as they say. The fact that someone as seemingly self-sufficient as Gojo not only relies on Geto a great deal, but lets Geto take care of him is probably a big part of their bond.

Which is probably why Gojo's awakening post Toji is a big part in why they started to grow apart from each other. If Geto likes to live in service to other people, and defines himself by his connection to others he probably interpreted Gojo no longer needing his support on missions and suddenly doing everything by himself as Gojo pulling away from him.

I think a big part in Geto's downfall was the hit he took when one he was defeated by Toji someone without Jujutsu and too, Gojo suddenly became out of his reach. Gojo himself never said that they were no longer the strongest duo, or that they were no longer the strongest together it's all Geto. As I said Geto has as much of a god complex as Gojo does.

He thought they were on the top together, and not only is he suddenly confronted with his own weakness at the exact same time Gojo's become so strong it appears on the surface that he no longer needs anyone's support, especially not Geto's.

Nanami says it out loud, but Geto probably echoes the sentiment. If Gojo is now strong enough to handle every mission on his own then what need does he have for other sorcerers - and Geto in particular? Geto goes from feeling needed in a lot of ways by Gojo who was just as important a friend to him as he was to Gojo to watch Gojo suddenly handle everything alone. In a lot of ways it probably felt like Geto lost Gojo far before the KFC breakup and his defection from Jujutsu High. From Geto's perspective their relationship was over, their partnership broken and Gojo just did not realize it until after the village massacre.

At first Geto had as big of an ego with Gojo, and connected in a special way with him because the two of them were on top together. However, he came to believe that the only reason their partnerhsip worked was because they were both the strongest. When Gojo became the strongest alone Geto believed incorrectly that what they once had was lost and Gojo no longer needed him when Gojo's emotional reaction to Geto's defection shows that's anything but true.

In Geto's mind it is though because he's kind of got the same messed up way of dividing people into strong and weak that Gojo does, he probably just realized that he was one of the weak ones and feared Gojo thinking the same way.

During Geto and Gojo's final confrontation he almost has an inferiority complex about it when he talks about how if he had the limitless he'd easily be able to accomplish what he set out to do.

Until that moment Geto always thought they were equals, but now Geto's suddenly talking like he covets Gojo's power. He suddenly wants to be Gojo, probably because he incorrectly believes that their partnership is base don being equals in power when it's really just a normal friendship.

Which is why the loss of Gojo's friendship affects Geto just as badly as the other way around. Everyone wants to be equals with their friends, especially to a friend as important as Gojo was to Geto.

There's almost a tragic irony in how when speaking of his friendship to Nanako and Mimiko, Geto acts like their friendship ended when Gojo left Jujutsu High. It's their in his death scene too, Geto is surprised by the fact that Gojo has any feelings left for him.

Geto's so insecure over his connection to Gojo he didn't understand that in Gojo's mind they were still friends right up until the very end, and perhaps if he were just a bit more secure they would have been able to reach one another instead of falling apart.

[moldycantaloupe]

I just wanted to write fluffly Swisstom but the brain chemicals made me write spice so now you got both

Phantom was absolutely enamoured with Swiss since their summoning. Well, since after their summoning. During their first week of being Topside, the multi ghoul intimidated them. They’d hiss and bare their fangs towards him every second they could.

But after the initial fear simmered and them starting to ever so slowly open up to the pack, they were enamoured. 

They didn’t know what had possessed them to be so obsessed about him over the entire pack. They would giggle to themselves when they heard him laugh in the next room over, copy his slight and sometimes subtle movements, and focus on the way he carried out tasks. He always had a different approach to jobs than the rest of them; maybe that was one of the reasons. He was just so different.

The need to be seen by him became their only goal at one point. They could be praised all day by the pack, cooed over by the girls and take it with a small blush in the cheeks and a nod. But when they catch the golden eyes of Swiss, the way he smiles at them is so genuine and, oh. The low tone in his voice when he whispers a quiet, “good job,” just above their head. He must know it drives them crazy.

He definitely does know, though. They think. The closer they get to him, the more he makes it obvious. The way he absentmindedly scratches along their horns while deep in conversation with someone else. The way he brushes his hand over their shoulders when he needs to get to the cupboard above them. The way he squeezes their waist when cuddled up together, forcing them to hold back a whine lest they be caught. He does know.

They’re playing a fucked up game of song and dance at this point. A game of who will strike first, who will end all the platonic components of their relationship.

Phantom’s in his room clad only in a tank and boxers, the two of them laying on the floor together. Music was playing in the background, some old album they borrowed (stole) from Sunshine. They’re propped up on their side by their elbow while Swiss laid fully on his back, his face turned towards them. He’s telling a story from the day, his lips curved in a loud smile and his hands flying wildly in the air to illustrate the picture he tries to paint. They can’t focus on it with the way his tail idly wraps and plays with their leg, sliding it up and down in slow movements.

They know they look distracted, with a high blush that reaches past their ears. But his tail travels higher and higher, squeezing and caressing their knee. They squeeze their eyes tight and try to hold back the whimper.

“Ant?” Swiss’ voice breaks through their growing fog and their eyes snap open, the blush growing hotter against their skin as they stare. “What’s up, buggy?”

“I-” his tail squeezes just past their knee and they let out a breathy whine, watching his face fall into a smug look, “Swiss, you’re driving me crazy.”

“Am I?” He teases. The spade of his tail drags along their warm skin. He bends his finger in their direction, beckoning them forward. 

They fumble their way over and land on their hands and knees just above him, their faces mere inches apart. They think it’s unfair how steady his breathing is compared to their ragged inhales.

“Swiss, their eyes flicker to those lips that are still curved in such a shit eating grin and licks their own, “I don’t- I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.” They blurt out.

“Oh, yeah?” His voice grows husky suddenly and the hands from before move to rub against their body, one on their back and one on the back of their thigh. “Are you going to do something about it?”

They surge forward with the permission granted, pride blooming in their chest when they get an undignified grunt out of Swiss. The hand on his back pushes in deeper, forcing them closer as their lips dance messy and uncoordinated against each other.

“Fuck-” Their voice is high and muffled against his lips and their hips twitch to move. “Been wanting you.”

Swiss leans up and breaks their kiss, his tongue immediately darting to suck bruises along their neck. “Me too, doll.”

Phantom’s laugh is breathy and turns into a whine at the tailend, lips trembling when he sucks at their sweet spot on their neck.

“Please, Swiss,” they breathe, knees nearly giving out.

The hand on their thigh travels to their ass and gives a firm squeeze, fingers teasing where they need it most. They let out a surprised moan when those fingers lock into the fabric of their boxers and pull, the inseam hitting their clit spot on. 

“You want this?” Swiss asks against their collarbone, his fangs grazing along their skin.

“So bad,” Phantom hikes their hips up into the fabric to catch that pleasure again, breathing out a heavy noise, “please, I want it so bad.”

“Alright,” he pulls away all forms of contact, laughing at their pout. “On the bed and strip.”

[afreakingdork]

Yeah, I'm not taking this sitting down. Man, I really am not trying to have beef out here, but I refuse to have my good fucking name tarnished. To make a public post about me? Yeah, I'm going to share my side. The facts are as such:

I approached wolf on 12/20/23 about a NSFW commission inspired by one of their works. It would feature my sona and an aged up Donnie. As they mentioned, our initial conversation was good. We went back and forth during the sketch phase and I requested quite a lot of edits. I asked if I could pay them for these corrections.

it was right after this that wolf asked about Donnie's battle shell since it wasn't illustrated.

After this message, I did not hear back from wolf after 2/9/24 until I sent them a follow-up message 3/27/24

I did not hear back from wolf until today 5/6/24.

Now I cannot share the images of the art I received because it is NSFW, but I can tell you that the grey from my sona's body appeared to be missing. The ears of my sona were grey, but the body only looked yellow. Donnie was missing his purple arm marks, and his knee pads were still the same only now they were colored in black along with his mask. From here I will just send the conversation in its entirety.

For reference, this was the reference sheet they had.

I was then sent two pieces where the grey on my sona was very obvious and Donnie's markings were now present with the following text.

Now again, I wish I could show you the pieces, but I can't. I was offered a 50% refund for my troubles, but I was not interested in taking it because wolf had already done all the work.

I will say that I was extremely frustrated with the whole affair so the next part I will admit was a bit salty because while corrections had been made, I wasn't able to give any input so there were still mistakes in my sona's colors (specifically the underside of the tail was yellow instead of white and my grey arm had one side yellow) and Donnie's mask was still black. The following is our last correspondence on my blog.

This would have been the end of it for me. Except, I did not get the email. I waited in hopes it would come in, but none did. Since I was blocked I was forced to reach out from one of my side blogs @thisgoesouttoyoubaby which feel free to check. it's my reblog sideblog that I use to send my bestie memes. It dates back YEARS and is not used for spam.

As you can see I was blocked here.

Now I have been refreshing my email feed waiting. I know emails can take time, but I have no way to confirm if I'm getting my work because I was immediately blocked on thisgoesouttoyou with no response.

So I used another sideblog, this time @plowingon which you can again, freely search, its not a spam blog, but a blog I once made to record the live of my old german shepherd I had years ago when he was getting older.

And wouldn't you know it, I got my first email from wolf at

Coincidentally, only after I sent my last message to them.

Now I'm not interested in hurting wolf's reputation. I think you should still commission them if you'd like. I still am a fan of their art. I have no ill will, but fuck if I will stand by as someone tells me that I won't pay an artist. I never even said i wouldn't pay. I was just frustrated because they wouldn't follow their own three correction rule. They allowed me no recourse, and then they were petty before I could even confirm that I received the email.

Could I have been nicer?

Of course.

Could I have been more clear?

Absolutely.

But there is no world in which I tried to gaslight anyone. I pride myself on my honesty. I was not shy when paying them. I sent payment before we even began. I offered to pay them more and acknowledged I was a needy customer halfway through. So I apologize for this long post, but I wanted to make sure all of this was visible because how dare you call me a scammer, wolf.

You disappoint me.

[clairedaring]

why is ming such an interesting character - a thoughtful essay originally posted in the my stand-in mdl comments section

By MDL user Liltsu (reposting with permission from OP, just added some gifs to illustrate OP's points) - original comment link

Probably an incoming unpopular opinion ahead (read with caution lol, disclaimer that I am not attempting to justifying Ming's wrongdoings to Joe, more so trying to understand for myself and anyone else why I find his character so interesting):

Am I the only one who doesn’t hate Ming, and wouldn’t consider it to be a sad ending if Ming and Joe ended up together? At least as of now, especially from what I’ve seen currently and how I can imagine the direction the rest of the series might take. Let me expand.

For context, I went into this drama not expecting very much, and felt extremely sceptical of the trope of the ‘stand-in’ it uses, because one of my pet peeves in romance dramas is the ‘transfer’ phenomenon. If you haven’t heard that term before, it’s basically a psychological term about how a person (let’s call them A) will ‘imprint’ on someone else (person B). So to have a ‘transfer’ regarding someone else, for example, would mean that person A might have liked a person in the past (person C), and then meet someone new (person B) who resembles that person (C) in some way, and purely because of that, person A starts to also like or believe that they genuinely like person B. The problem with transfers is that they typically are rooted in a person’s (A) unwillingness to let go of the past person, and don’t truly love/hate (whatever emotion it is) the new person (B). This drama, reverses that trope.

This will link to why I find Ming’s bond with Joe to be more genuine than I’ve seen be believed on here (just based on a few comments tbf). My theory is that, ironically, it was Tong all along that was Joe’s metaphorical stand-in from the start. Why? We see a short flashback of Ming going to the cinemas and seeing the ad/clip of ‘Tong’s’ back, doing a martial arts scene, but we only see his back. That very shot/scene is what made Ming feel entranced by Tong and motivated him to seek Tong out with his sister for an autograph. He even mentions it himself to Tong. However, I believe that the ‘back’ that Ming saw, was Joe’s and not Tong’s. Ming « fell in love » with Joe’s acting/aura/presence on the screen first, but mistook him for Tong who is the ‘known’ actor of the film he saw. So all along, his feelings for Tong are somewhat illusory, and obsessive. Tong, who in my opinion gets off of happily at the notion of someone being infatuated with him, simply strings Ming along (and uses him), as we’ve seen.

In my opinion, Tong represents the side of Ming that was raised in a classist, materialistic family that rather obsesses about ‘spectacle’, in a way that harms Ming in the long-term. That kind of lifestyle or way of life makes him petty, distrustful, overtly and unreasonably jealous, and aggressive. Behaviours that manifest very evidently when Ming sees Joe with Sol, but particularly in correlation to scenes in which his affinity for Tong has been strengthened (Tong only sharpens the conditioning Ming has been raised through, that of being sceptical and always needing things to go his way, and fuels this, either by being in his direct company or feeding him seeds of doubt indirectly). Tong represents attachment and obsession but not love. Particularly the scene in which Ming renders Joe unconscious and keeps him captive is the most blatant example of Tong’s influence, which brings out all of the qualities of Ming that reflect the wealthy and entitled background he is born from and still lives off from.

Ming’s interest in Joe is different in my opinion, and the series carefully points to this in a nuanced way. If my theory is correct about Ming having been drawn to Joe first, rather than Tong, and the feelings that were initially meant for Joe came to be directed toward Tong (and became twisted due to that fact), we can assume that Ming’s feelings for Joe are more…instinctual. They awaken something in Ming. And to me this is perfectly shown in their first interactions: Ming hugs Joe from behind, believing he is Tong, but if my guess turns out to be true, he subconsciously went toward Joe and embraced him with the original feelings that he felt at the cinema (when he truly ‘first’ saw him), rather than the other way around, which the series makes us believe at first glance. Then, in their interactions after, Ming is consciously reluctant to open up to Joe (showcasing the walls he has up, even toward Tong), but is still intuitively interested in Joe, wants to be around him, and cares about what he is up to. In my opinion, he sets unfair and unequal conditions in their relationship at first because of the self-défense mechanism he has kept up (someone with his background would find it difficult to trust and be vulnerable with someone else easily). This is why the most crucial interactions between Joe and Ming, in my view, are the scenes at Joe’s home. We see that Joe had said that Ming had fulfilled HIS dream to come back to a lit home and with someone welcoming you back warmly. I believe this is something Ming has long craved as well for himself, and Joe expressing this, and being the way he is, makes Ming feel safe and allows him to become more open, more intimate, more honest, more ‘himself’.

I feel that Ming struggles to fully understand these sides of him, and has even more difficulty communicating it to others (especially Joe), but that his gentler moments show indeed the equal, and dare i say, even ‘healthy’ potential of this couple. We see this from the last scene of this episode. Instead of Ming indulging in luxuries for someone of his status, or succumbing to some kind of greed, he has pertained to what he has truly desired all along in his heart: a warm home, where he can lead an honest and loving life with the person who sees him past his social persona of the rich, pampered, entitled and obsessive kid. This is symbolised by the fact that he has continued to live in Joe’s home, waiting for him for the last two years, which reflects his commitment and earnestness which he had gradually developed for Joe, even before.

I think what people get (understandably) confused or feel betrayed by, is the scene in which Joe realises he has been a ‘stand-in’ for Tong by Ming, especially during sex (because this is somewhat what Ming consciously believes for himself too). For me, I saw it more so as, on one level, the revelation of what I just mentioned about Ming’s prior conscious intention (which evidently is form of betrayal to Joe), and on another level, it is a defining moment of transition, where Ming is still somewhat clinging on to Tong (because of the feelings he first felt for him at the cinema, which could really be Joe again), but also clinging still to what he knows and about his way of going about things (through manipulation and violence).

So a transition from that, into the growing feelings, appreciation, and warmth Ming did start to exhibit at Joe’s house (the symbol of vulnerable space). We see this through Ming buying the couple mugs with THEIR names (Ming and Joe), or the meaningful moments of genuine happiness that Ming feels in the simple, non judgemental moments between the two of them. This is something his sister comments about, that seeing Ming with Joe is surprisingly pleasant because it is the fist time in a very long time since she has seen Ming happy and so smiley (this is one of the biggest external piece of evidence to the idea that Ming’s « feelings » for Tong have a very different nature to his feelings for Joe). And we see this very clearly in the scene in which Joe bought a watch to Ming (and which I believe we see him promote now two years later on the poster he is). That scene is extremely significant because it shows the shift and differences of Ming alone with Joe compared to with Tong or how he is used to being. The watch is a gift from Joe, who believes it to be the « top » watch in terms of ‘quality’ and price, something we see Ming ALREADY HAS (and doesn’t have particular personal feelings toward). The top watch he has reflects his status, his wealthy background and the expectations on him by others and himself (to be considered societally the ‘best’, but in a rather vain way). However, Joe’s watch isn’t the top watch in a societal, classist sense, but it holds more value to Ming because it represents Joe’s sincerity and that matters more to him. The watch, which is typically a common symbol of time, also reflects, in my opinion, the difference in how Ming spends his time. By taking Joe’s watch and wearing it, his way of using time is also more personal and sincere, wanting to lead a life of authentic connection with someone on the same wavelength as you. In his act of taking of his old watch, which was the ‘top watch’, Ming leaves behind his old lifestyle, or at least takes on more step toward exiting it (the life of vanity and falsehoods). So all these signs of Ming’s genuine interest, endearment and feelings of care for Joe are sprinkled there from the beginning, and the series deliberately is setting a constraint between his potential for warmth and healthy sincerely with the baggage he still has from his past through Tong and his family (something he both feels and is to some extent very much controlled by).

The series has really made me invested, and that has really been invigorating for me (as I binged the episodes today) because I haven’t really felt that as much with a lot of BL series lately - not that there aren’t don’t get me wrong, just that it feels like fewer have my engagement than usual. And to me, the series’ strength at this point (excluding the very good acting etc) is the writing, so I am very hopeful that for the parts of Ming that would require a form of redemption, or improvement, that the series would allow him to have that arc by the time that Joe and him supposedly get back together (if they do). In the case where my interpretation is close to the series’ intention, then i believe that although it doesn’t make the previous scenes justified, that it would be very much possible for Joe and Ming’s relationship to take on a healthier, more mature turn, where their relationship would become more patient, communicative and understanding, just like the interactions they shared in their own shared home.

I’ll probably end my train of thought here, but would really like to hear if anyone disagrees or agrees with my opinions, would be happy to hear from anyone hihi. Thank you to those who read this whole e s s a y, i’m appreciative of that :).

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Epel, Cater: With Open Arms

ashldbasiyaod Sorry for getting your birthday fic out late, Epel 💦

I couldn't find anything in the vignettes to hone in on as the major topic for his convo with Cater... so I made up my own little tale based on the painting in Epel's Groovy illustration and used that as a jumping off point. Hopefully you still enjoy!

A Tale as Old as Time.

Red was not Epel's color.

It was too bright, too bold—and yet he felt his eye drawn to it. The color, a magnet with a pull too strong to resist.

There.

A fair maiden, her eyes shut, cupped the fruit in both hands. Dainty fingers hugged the apple--round, ripe, and skin the color of a ruby. It was unblemished and free of bites, trapped in the scene to be savored by the gazes of passerbys.

"Hehe. This one looks pretty tasty too," Epel murmured to himself.

"Are you looking out for every painting with an apple in it?" Cater teased from a little way ahead of him. His eyes glinted with mischief, and Epel was reminded of a Granny Smith. Not quite the same shade, but there was the familiar tartness, a slight bite.

"I guess so. I help out with produce quality control back home, so I think I just started doing it without thinking." He slightly inclined his head. "It's a nice apple."

"You don't know the story behind it?"

"Er, no. I didn't realize there was one."

"It's a cautionary tale about being wary of strangers!" Cater threw a wink to the first year. "They tell it all the time to kids in the Shaftlands.

"It goes like this: a girl lives in the forest with seven of her friends. One day, when her friends are off mining for work, a stranger offers her a juicy red apple. She takes a bite of it and falls unconscious. The stranger had poisoned the apple because they were jealous of the happy life the girl had.

"The girl's seven friends come home and manage to bring her an antidote, so she's okay. The stranger is chased away, and the girl and her friends are a happy family again."

"Gosh, that's morbid! Why'd you have to go and tell me that..."

"Hehe. Scary, right?" The amused trill in Cater's voice didn't match his words. "Envy can drive people to do some pretty insane things to come out on top."

"When you say it with a smile like that... I can't help but be a little worried, Cater-senpai."

"It's not that surprising. Happens all the time on socials!" his upperclassman chirped. The green of his eyes had shifted a shade darker. "It's much easier to turn on someone when you're looking at them through a screen instead of in the eyes."

Epel clasped his hands to his chest. "... Do people really do that though? Just go on the internet to lie and backstab...?"

"Aww, you're still so innocent, Epel-chan. Well, you'll learn about this kind of stuff sooner or later. Placing your faith in anyone that comes along might lead to you hurting in the end."

"Is that really how it is?" Epel's brows scrunched--as did his nose. It made him look like a frustrated little bunny. "It might be a city thing.

"In Harveston, we help each other out all the time. Everyone knows each other. If the harvest is heavy and we're short on hands, the neighbors will pick apples with us. When there's a celebration, it's potluck style. We each make a dish and share it with the village. My ma 'n pa... er, that is, my parents... they always tell me we ought to extend that courtesy to outsiders and tourists too."

"That must be the famous Harveston hospitality Lils told me about! It sounds so nice~" Cater sighed wistfully, then pouted. "It's rare to find a community as close-knit as that nowadays. In the largest cities, people are way too busy to pay you any mind. Cay-kun's got major FOMO!"

"Ahahah... We really did grow up in very different places." Epel smiled softly. "Tell you what. If you ever visit, we'll be sure to welcome you with open arms, Cater-senpai. You can be a part of our family too."

"Eh, you mean it?!" Cater's face immediately lit up--and Epel had to wonder if his sadness had been an act. Truth or lie? It was always difficult to tell with him.

"I might just take you up on that offer then," Cater crooned, slipping an arm around Epel's shoulder. "You'll have to show me all of the best attractions and local specialties! Oh, and the best photo spots!"

"It's a promise."

His mouth stretched into a cheeky smirk. The red of a shining apple and the taste of a teasing—temptations he failed to resist.

"And how about a juicy poisoned apple to bring back as a souvenir?"

[kyomaakuma7]

After a very long break I’ve come to finally say my share. For those who want to know in more depth how I feel about the full situation I am writing it down below.

Thank you for everyone who sent kind messages and comforting words and thank you most to my good friend @thisanimatedphantom and Kou who supported me through these hard times.

My statement on the Situation

When I started in Inky Mystery, I never thought that it would  get me to where I am today with the friends that I have now.  When I was first introduced to it, and reading it I was immediately entranced into the story and wanted nothing more but to illustrate it since I had already planned to remake the original. Seeing such a well-crafted story I knew that this would be the story that I would illustrate. (And TAP knows how much work and behind the scene illustrating I’ve been doing from character turnarounds, layout design, alphabet style, and etc.)

Soon I made the first blog and received overwhelming support which I had not originally imagined would come with making my first post, and to that I am grateful. Soon I befriended the author of InkyMystery as our friendship grew, so did the attention that I received with the comics that I was illustrating for them. Unfortunately deleted against my wishes, and after trying to get it back to no avail I created a new blog where I had to restart from the beginning. This process was not easy and for those who know me, I was completely devastated by the fact that I had lost that account. After making my new account with the support of TAP I started my journey again.

Unfortunately with the positive attention comes negative attention. Soon the posts started to gain traction again, and people started to come under the assumption that I was TheGreatRouge making their come back.  What people failed to acknowledge and do was to do further research on was whether or not I actually was. As you can assume I am not them. In fact, I do not like TheGreatRouge. Their content was some thing that I consumed in great mass when I was younger, but soon realized that a lot of the things that they made were toxic and I distanced myself from that. Since then, I have gained certain opinions from on this creator. Nonetheless, I do not find it acceptable that people are taking this approach, even if they do think that I am them.

The words that were said to me in my inbox, comments, and direct messages are not things that I will repeat here. What you should know is that a lot of these things were pertaining to me being a disgusting vile human who should take my own life. As someone who struggles with depression, this was a personal hit to home and it cause my mental health to decline drastically. And I spent days going through and deleting these.

At first, I did not speak out on the issue and distance myself from my friends until eventually I came back and told them what was happening. TAP felt for me and as you may know when they made a post about it which I appreciate greatly along with comforting me and encouraging my break.

I took a long break from working on the comic, along with interacting with the community which worried a lot of people, but it was necessary for me to do since it was harming me so much. I am officially coming back and I will be more active on this account since I don’t have to follow it as a mainly Inky Mystery account.

My final statement on the situation is that even though I am not TheGreatRouge under no circumstances is it acceptable to tell somebody to take their own life or attack somebody on social media just because your beliefs do not align with theirs. No matter how wrong it is, it is not acceptable. If you think that doing those things are OK then you’re not welcome in my space. Please leave.

Thank you and I hope to continue doing this since I love it so much <3

-Sincerely, KyomaAkuma

[yumeka-sxf]

My thoughts on Spy x Family: EYES ONLY Guidebook (English ver) - part 2

Continuing from my previous post about the English version of the SxF manga guidebook "EYES ONLY," today I'll be going over Endo's interviews, as well as showing my favorite "fun" page spreads!

Endo's interviews with his editor Lin and other manga-ka

First off, let's address the elephant in the room: as some of you may have heard, a horrendous clickbait article was released a while back citing an interview from this book (when it was only in Japanese). The article claims that Endo states in the interview that he doesn't like Anya or any of the other SxF characters. Thankfully u/fuyukochii on Reddit had provided an unofficial translation of the interview, so most fans were able to see that this article was bogus. And now we have the official translation as further proof...

Lin, Kato, and Amu are teasing Endo about the fact that he tends to not draw handsome men ("ikemen") in his series. So when he finally did with Loid's design, they joking applaud this big sacrifice he made, to which Endo replies (again, jokingly) that this compromise to his preferred style is why he has no emotional attachment to his characters. Again, all the "laugh" and "clap" interjections in this exchange make it clear that they're all joking around. The article took this statement of his completely out of context and twisted the "no attachment" wording to mean total dislike. It's unfortunate, but false information gets published like this all the time, and often for more dire issues than a manga fanbook. But it seems like a lot of fans didn't fall for the clickbait, which is good. And now everyone who reads the book officially in English can see that there's no way someone like Endo who has such dedication to his craft could downright dislike it.

Moving on, I totally agree with Nishimori, Kato, and Amu's praise for Endo's work in the below exchanges…

The trait SxF has that they convey here is "balance:" balance between making its world believable, with enough serious conflict so that we care about what's at stake, but at the same time, stretching the veil of realism a bit to have comedic moments. There's also great balance to the characters in that none of them are totally good or totally bad, but because we know what's going on in their world and why they do the things they do (like what Nishimori mentioned about the scene with Loid), we can still sympathize with them.

Going along with that thought, Endo's responses on the below page further illustrates his balance between "dark" and "comedic."

I like how he says that he's not interested in grotesque violence as much as dark themes of the psychological kind…the dark side of humanity more than visual depictions of violence. We can see this in how he portrays the serious moments in SxF where, instead of showing actual horrific scenes of war, the focus is instead on the psychological impacts that war has had on the characters. Likewise, he mentions how perhaps "the comedic nature of their (the characters') daily lives is rooted in the severity of their reality." It's said that within comedy there's often some form of tragedy, and I think SxF is a good example of this as so much of the comedy has its roots in the darker aspects of life, like the fact that the characters have to lie about their true identities. But at the same time, Endo mentions that he doesn't want to shy away from the sad reality of war, which was a big driver for why he made the cruise arc. And again, his intention was not to show any kind of "good vs evil" thing, but simply what motivates people to do extreme things in times of war. His quote about how he never intended to show the Forgers as a completely righteous family is something I knew about before and I think is very poignant. It harkens back to what I discussed before about balance and the fact that his characters aren't shown as completely good or completely bad.

On a related note, in the below comment, Endo acknowledges that Loid and Yor have "darker sides."

It's cool that he likes drawing those expressions. It seems like he makes a conscious decision to show their "darkness" at the right times.

It's also very interesting that so many elements of SxF were decided last minute, as mentioned on the below page.

I can't believe Anya being telepathic was decided on so late! Considering it's such a big player in the series' humor, that's very surprising. But Endo does admit on this same page that he hadn't planned out the story at all. Since he had only done short/one-shot series up to that point, I'm sure he wasn't expecting SxF to continue on that long. But once it became so popular, he had to keep fleshing out the story and characters, probably beyond what he originally thought. But considering how little he had come up with for the series initially, he's done a fantastic job keeping up its quality and continuity. It really was some crazy mix of timing, talent, and perhaps a bit of luck, that turned a series with no long-term planning and so many last minute decisions into such a hit.

Other parts of the interview highlight just how dedicated Endo is to his research and how he agonizes over the fact that he may have been inconsistent with something.

I also have to say that as I read through all of Endo's interviews and comments in this book, I admire how down-to-earth he is. Like, rather than sugarcoat things, he just says it like it is, for example, he said he doesn't reveal new character names that often because it's a hassle to come up with them (pg179), how he didn't give any thought to Anya's pink hair besides it being "cute" (pg181), how it's a lot of work to draw characters in a variety of clothes (pg178), and how the main emotion he feels with SxF getting an anime series is "tired" (pg174). But there's often a "laugh" interjection in many of these interview answers, so we know his comments aren't to be taken that seriously!

And here's his message to readers at the end of the interview. Definitely not the words of a man who dislikes his story and characters.

My favorite "fun" pages of the book

Since the Endo interviews were pretty heavy, I'll finish up this post with the lighter topic of highlighting my favorite funny page spreads in the book!

First off is a spread featuring all of Yor's cooking!

The sarcasm for these meal descriptions is hilarious, lol. And what was that dessert Yor made at the end of the cooking lesson chapter? Guess we'll never know.

The next spread from Anya's POV about her made-up spy group "P2" is absolutely adorable.

I love how they included all her mispronunciations of words. Also her calling Fiona "Agent Mean Lady," lmao!

And lastly, Yuri's collection of Yor photos (made with Anya's help!)

This is all just 4th-wall breaking fun as obviously no one was taking photos at these moments in canon, so Endo could just roll with the joke. Anya's inclusion in this whole gag is too good, from Yuri calling her an "unnamed collaborator" to her "Paparotsies, eat your heart out!" And I absolutely love her comment at the end about how she can't show Yuri some of Yor's less attractive expressions, lol. Pure SxF comedy gold.

I'll have one more post of EYES ONLY content coming soon, so stay tuned!

Continue to Part 3 ->

<- Return to Part 1

[chronicbeans]

Human Illustrator Wally x Reader (part 2)

Fun fact: I like to listen to music that fits the vibes of what I'm writing and I wanted something more cheery an whimsical for this... but my dumb brain likes sad/creepy music and I couldn't find anything I liked that was truly happy, so I ended up listening to Bo en's My Time while writing this.

TW: None

🐻 When you arrive at the daycare, you quickly show everybody the book. Opening it to the back page, where he signed it, you see his name scribbled down. It is slightly messy, with all the letters being capitals and the "L"'s being slightly sideways. From what you can tell, it fits his silly little personality.

🐻 However, right as you begin showing everyone the book, you remember that some of the kids won't be able to see it that well, if at all... Oh no, now you feel like garbage...

🐻 One of those exact kids, a little girl related to Howdy, the local store owner, asks "Can I hold the book? I wanna see if something I heard works!" You grow quiet, before saying "Sure." To your surprise, all of the kids are watching and whispering "Right... Let's see if it works..." What in the world are they talking about?

🐻 She holds the book in her hands, which you made sure to keep opened to the signature. She runs her hands across it, before she makes it to the signature. She flinches, before gently pushing down on it. Her little face beams with the joy of a thousand summers as she chirps "He cares! I can feel it! I can feel his name! Johnny! Johnny, get over here!" "You're right, Henny!"

🐻 You are shocked, as well as a bit confused. You don't understand and want to investigate, but you want to wait for the children to calm down and let them have their fun. Even a few of the children with no visual impairments are pressing their hands on the book, chirping that they can feel it, too. You have an idea as to what it could be, but you want to check, first.

🐻Henny calls you over "Ms./Mr./Mx. (Y/N)! Come on! Feel it! I know that you probably didn't think to do so because you can see it, which is alright, but it's so cool!" You gently take the book, staring at the signature, before placing your fingers on his name. Your suspicions are confirmed as you grin.

🐻 While writing his name, he must've pressed the pen down hard enough to leave an indent to let all the kids be able to experience his signature. "Wow... Henny, how were you able to tell he would do this?" Henny, as well as the other kids, all start speaking over one another. You can hear Henny's voice over the rest, though, as she practically shouts with pride "My dad is friends with him! He constantly talks about how Wally does things like that for kids! My dad was the one who gave Wally that idea!"

🐻 You look down at her, expecting the other kids to tell her that she is lying, however, they go along with her claims. "I saw Mr. Wally at his store a few months ago with my mama! He tries to do that thing where people dress up as someone else, but his blue hair is very recognizable!" "Yeah! He helped me reach that apple toy on the top shelf! He then got another one and bought it for himself!" "Howdy is so cool for knowing celebrities!" "Doesn't Wally also know Ms. Poppy, that baker? I saw a show where she baked a cake in the shape of one of the bears he drew!" "I heard Mr. Wally gets his clothes from Julie's Joyous Clothes Company and is friends with Julie Joyful, herself!" Slowly, but surely, the talks about Mr. Darling and Howdy knowing each other turns into children's gossip about which famous people Mr. Darling does and does not know.

🐻 You think about the number in your pocket, subconsciously placing your hand over it. You don't know enough to know if any of their gossip is true... But you have the means to find out more about the mysterious, cheerful man. You can also make these kids so happy by having him visit! They can ask him questions about what they want to know, too!

🐻 Mr. Abbott walks into the recreation room, smiling as he asks you "Looks like these kids have Darling Fever, eh, (Y/N)? Do you want to go outside to relax? It is, technically, your day off today. Andy can take it from here." You giggle at the words "Darling Fever", before nodding. "Yeah. I actually want to talk to you about something, if you don't mind."

🐻 The two of you walk outside, sitting on the bench at the front of the daycare. You take out the paper from your pocket, saying "Mr. Darling gave me his number to call if you ever want him to visit the daycare." He gasps, looking at you "He... gave you his number? That's amazing! Wait, why are you trying to hand it to me?" You tilt your head and you hold it out to him "Well... you own the daycare? So it would make sense for you to call?"

🐻 He shakes his head quickly "No, no... he gave YOU his number! He very rarely gives out his number to people. I don't know why, but I think it might be that he doesn't trust many people with it. So, I can only assume he gave it to you because he trusts YOU. If I called, he might be uncomfortable." You look down at the paper, asking "Really...? There is so much I don't know about him. Should I call to see if he can visit? He must be a busy man... I don't want to bother him while he is doing something."

🐻"It's now or never. I know you. You'll be too nervous to call if you don't do it now." You smile, taking out your phone and calling the number on the paper. It beeps a few times, before somebody picks up and says "Hello?"

🐻 You take a deep breath. You can hear the voices of the crowd at his book signing in the background. You must've called during it... You hesitate, before saying "Hello! Umm... Is Mr. Darling there? I am from the Apple Castle Learning Center. He gave me his number and told me to call to see if he can visit?" The man on the other end of the line hums in thought, then says "Let me go get him. He has been waiting for you to call. It might take a moment, so be patient."

🐻 You tense up, feeling your heart race. He has been waiting for you? You look to Mr. Abbot, who places a hand on your shoulder to try to comfort you. He whispers "You're doing great! You got this!"

🐻 The man on the other end of the line suddenly shouts "COMING THROUGH! MR. DARLING'S GOTTA VERY IMPORTANT CALL! OUTTA THE WAY! HE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT!" You flinch from how loud it is, but you are shocked when you hear Wally's voice in the crowd, asking "Did they call? Please tell me it's them!"

🐻 It takes a bit, but you hear the crowd's voice die out, before Mr. Darling says a quiet "Thank you, Barnaby." Then, your heart races when he says "Hello? Is this (Y/N)?" You grin, saying "Yes, it is! Umm, I was wondering if you would like to set up a date and time to visit the Apple Castle Learning Center?"

🐻"That would be just lovely. We can talk about it tomorrow. Do you want to meet up at Howdy's Place? I'm friends with the owner. We can sit and talk at the little cafe area near the back. They serve some lovely milk tea. We can talk it all over then. I know you have some phone anxiety from your tone." "Of course! How about we meet there at 12 PM?" "That would be lovely. I'll see you then. Goodbye, (Y/N)." "Goodbye."

🐻 You end the call, looking over to Mr. Abbott and telling him the plan. He pats you on the back, telling you how well you did on the phone. You write down some things you need to ask Mr. Darling about, such as what date and time would be best for him to visit, as well what activities would be best. Then, you suddenly realize something... You never told Mr. Darling your name and there is no name tag on your uniform. The daycare doesn't have enough funds to make them... So how did he know it...?

🐻 You write down at the bottom of the list to ask him about it at Howdy's.

[animalsalvationassociation]

Passing the Torch . . .

[ DO NOT REPOST, ALL ART & CONCEPTS WERE MADE BY ME ]

“Wonderful news tonight as the organization known only as the Animal Salvation Association, a group of individuals set to bring peace to the world through their environmental and political efforts, finally passes on the torch to a new generation of Ocean Explorers.”

“It has been several years since the accident occurred taking the life of Professor and Captain, Samara Jade Kelp, the leader of the infamous Octonauts crew. A team known as the ‘Saviors of the Ocean’. Today we see history as Captain Samara’s legacy is finally laid to rest and a new captain takes the helm of this mighty crew.”

“Her husband, Professor Marin Kelp and head of the A.S.A. says this . . .”

“Mara would’ve wanted this I’m sure, she always had a heart of gold! A good reason why I married her – ahem. In any case, I congratulate Captain Barnacles on his new role, I think she would’ve felt honored that he was carrying on her memory! He’s a strong one he is and the men and women he’s called to his crew will no doubt be just the same. That being said, we at the A.S.A. made sure to bring in someone we trust! After all most of planet is covered in water, might as well have someone taking care of it!”

“In other news, new waves of gang violence have been picking up along the east coast. As with many others gathering around the lower parts of Africa and South America, just around the center of the Amazonian River. Officials say that they’ve never seen activity quite like this before. Many key witnesses around each of the affected areas have claimed the existence and affects of poachers. But if there’s anything to go off of there seems to always be some valiant soul ready and willing to stop them.”

“Speaking of, Friday night a press conference is set to be held with world leaders over this issue, and the very organization we just covered is invited to join in. That’s right, the A.S.A. has finally caught their attention and at the end of the week there are rumors of an alliance being made between the UN and the A.S.A. So be sure to tune in Friday, Eastern Time, to see it live. Now back to the weather . . . ”

Illustration Time: 10hrs 12min

[ This is a Octonauts AU, in no way is this canon to the OG storyline. ]

(GUYS I GOT A JOB!!! ALSO I JUST GOT HERE AND THE BOOP-MAGEDDON IS ALREADY OVER???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WHY CRUEL WORLD!!!!)

Ya’ll BTW are you guys kidding me??? 60+ followers???? That’s INSANE ty all sm!!! You have no idea how happy that makes me!!!

[ramblingoak]

Can I also ask for Primo and „whispering in-between kisses“? You know what types of kisses 👀

I know the exact kind of kisses you want. It's time to worship that old man.

What You See I Primo x gn!reader

~ Primo needs you to tell him what you see when you look at him ~

(1800 words, fluff, angst, body worship, some spice, nsfw, 18+ only, not beta read)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“Amore, what do you see when you look at me?”

You set your brush down onto your vanity and turned sideways in the chair to look at Primo.

“I see someone that was supposed to be dressed ten minutes ago.”

Usually Primo enjoyed your teasing and he often teased you back.  It was an easy banter between two people that had known each other for many years.  Looking at Primo right now though it was clear he was not in a teasing mood.  He sat down heavily on the side of your bed, a long sigh exhaling out of him.

“That is not what I mean.”  There was a tone to his voice you didn’t normally hear and it made you get up to head his way.  You held your bathrobe together and quietly padded over to stand before him.  Primo was staring down at his hands in his lap, wringing them together nervously, so you dropped to your knees and slipped your hands into his to stop the movement.  “Tell me the truth.”

You pulled his hands towards you and placed kisses into each of his palms before looking up at him.  He met your gaze now, his eyes searching yours for an answer.  

“I see the man I’ve admired for many years and loved for many more.”  Primo snorted and pulled his hands away with enough force you fell back on your butt.  “Hey, what’s going on with you?”

“That is not what I asked.”  He stood up and then reached down to you, gently grasping your elbows and pulling you to your feet.  You let out another ‘hey’ when he tugged you over to the windows that overlooked his garden.  Primo squeezed your hands and then let go of one to grasp your chin.  “Now, look at me and tell me what you see.”

You pulled away from his hands and then placed yours on his shoulders.  With a firm shove you got him to fall into the chair behind him and climbed after him.  You straddled him, your knees on either side of his legs.  He wouldn’t meet your eyes so you used his own move on him and took a hold of his chin.

“I see someone that is tired from all of his years of working hard for this church.”  His mismatched gaze met yours then and your heart clenched at the look in his eyes.  You leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before moving down to kiss the soft, puffy skin under each eye.  “You never get enough sleep because you’re up too late worrying about your brothers.”

The only answer you got was a soft nod and you smiled at him before kissing the tip of his nose.  Your lips trailed from there to where the skin next to his mouth where he had wrinkles from smiling and then further down to where it had begun to sag.

“My Papa is getting older and his face shows it.  His body shows it.”  You kissed along his chin and then made your way down his neck, whispering into the wrinkled skin there when you stopped again.  “Can I keep going, Papa?  Can I show you what else I see?”

You felt him nod above you so you slipped your hands into his robe and pushed it off his shoulders.  He was bare underneath and you took a moment to admire the body you had been intimately familiar with for many years now.  When you started kissing him again you made your way from his neck across to his shoulder.

“Your skin has seen too much sun, Papa.  Look at all these freckles.”  To illustrate the amount he had you made sure to kiss each one you saw.  You made a mental note to be more forceful with sunscreen next time he went out in his garden.  Down his arm you went, finally holding his hand up between you so you could both look at the rough skin on the back.  A few of his knuckles were misshapen, arthritis having begun to set into his joints many years ago.  “I can tell that these hands have done so much.”

“Like what?”

Primo’s voice was quiet and shaking slightly.  You were afraid to look into his eyes because if you saw tears there you would end up crying too.  He needed you to be strong right now and you refused to let him down.

“Your hands have held onto so many others here, guiding them onto their path within the church…leading them in prayer…pulling them from the lake during their unholy baptism.”  A thought crossed your mind and you couldn’t help but laugh a little.  “I’ve seen this hand slap Secondo on the back of the head when he misbehaved as a child.”

“Or as a grown man.”

It was good to hear Primo laugh and you chanced a look at his face.  His eyes shone with unshed tears and he sniffed when he saw the same in your eyes.  He brought his free hand over and caught one when it started to trail down your cheek.  

“I remember you holding Terzo’s hand when his mother passed away, how you carried him around the garden so he could pick flowers to take to her grave each week.”  You grabbed his other hand when he tried to wipe your tears away again.  “And I remember when you stormed up to Nihil and took Copia from his arms.”

“That old fool wasn’t cut out to be a father.”

“No he wasn’t, but you were.”  You placed his hands on the arms of his chair and leaned forward to place a kiss on his chest over his heart.  His chest hair was more white than blonde now, much like the hair on his head before he had begun to shave it, but it was still soft to the touch.  For a moment you rested your ear against him, listening to his strong heartbeat.  “You’ve been there for all of your brothers and helped them to become the men they are today.”  

He took a deep breath under your ear and you could tell he was trying very hard to control his emotions.  You weren’t done though, because deep down you knew what his biggest worry was when he started this conversation.  Very slowly you turned your head so that your lips were against his skin and you kissed a trail to his nipple.  You flicked your tongue against it before pulling it between your lips and nipping at it softly with your teeth.

“Amore…”

“Hush Papa, I’m not done.”  You moved to his other nipple and gave it the same amount of attention before going lower to where his skin had started to pull down with age.  The wrinkles here were larger, the skin soft and warm against your lips.  Primo jumped when your tongue left a wet trail across his chest.  “When I look at you Primo, when I touch you, I see a man that has aged beautifully.”

Your mouth moved to the center of his chest and you slid off his lap to rest on your knees before him.  The robe was easy to pull off his lap and now he was completely bare before you.  His cock was still soft, but that didn’t surprise you.  It didn’t bother you either.  You placed your hands on his knees and then slid them up his thighs, resting where they met his waist.  Primo abruptly dropped his hands to cover yours and gave them a squeeze.

“Not tonight, I don’t think, amore.  Too much going on in this old head.”

You smiled and moved closer to him, shouldering his legs further apart.  

“It doesn’t make a difference to me either way.  Do you know why?”  Primo shook his head, his mouth falling open in a silent gasp as you leaned forward and started to mouth along his soft cock.  “Because I still see the man I love no matter what is happening here.”

Even soft his cock was long and you took it as deep as you could, the tip reaching well into your mouth.  You tongued the underside, pulling back so you could press it against his slit.  His thighs had begun to shake under your hands and you heard him groan above you.  As you bobbed up and down a few times you let out a little moan when you felt him finally twitch in your mouth.  With a smile you pulled off, a string of saliva lingering from your lips to the tip as you moved away.  Primo pulled a hand out from under yours and rubbed his thumb against your bottom lip, smearing your saliva around.

“Shall I keep going Papa?”  He gave you a quick nod, taking a deep breath as you mouthed along the side of his cock.  It twitched again, slowly filling out as you gave it attention.  You licked the drop of precum that started to leak at the tip and then looked up to see him watching you.  “Will you tell me now?  Will you tell me what you see when you look at me?”

He brought his hands up to cup your face, smiling softly as he pulled you close enough to slip his cock into your mouth once more.

“I see someone that is more beautiful than any flower in my garden.”  Primo grunted as he began to thrust in and out of your mouth, his cock nearly fully hard.  “Someone that has never left my side, that ah!  Cazzo.  Someone that…someone that I love more than anything.”

His moans started to mix with your whimpers as he moved faster, the tip of his cock hitting the back of your throat with every thrust now.  There was so much more you wanted to say.  So much more that he needed to hear but you didn’t want to stop him.  You wanted him to fill your mouth with his cum, you wanted to swallow everything he gave you.  

Primo’s fingers began to dig harder in your hair as his cock started to kick in your mouth.  It wasn’t long before he nearly doubled-over as he came.  Your mouth filled with his release and you did your best to swallow it all, lapping at his cock to clean off what you could.  When he pulled out you kept your lips wrapped around him until you pulled off with a soft pop.  He was looking at you like you were the only other person in his world and you found your eyes filling with tears again when he spoke softly to you.

“In you, amore, I see someone that I will worship until my final days.  If you’ll let me.”

“Forever, Papa.”

He chuckled, wiping the mixture of saliva and his release off your chin before leaning in to press his forehead against yours.

“Forever.” 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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