#been meaning to do some sort of comic with these characters for ages

[howljenky]

I actually don't know you, I just came across your blog from my notes, so I have no prior info: in your description you said to talk to you about your comic - mind telling us a little bit about it? Whatever you want to share / are excited about / proud of etc! And again, I don't know anything about it so I'd love to hear truly anything :)

Hope your day is going nice, and if it isn't I hope it'll start to go nice from now on!

Hi ty for the ask thats rlly sweet :3

Rn I'm in my last year of art uni and I've been working on a small comic book for the past few months, tho im actually really shy to Post my art so thats y theres like nothing ab it anywhere yet. It a little romance story mainly focusing on a lesbian bar and a relationship between my ocs Robin and Vic! Its rlly slow paced but im trying to write it in a way that allows me to speak of workplace inequality, bar culture, butchfem culture, friendship and loss and community and being lonely and getting used to not being lonely anymore.

Tbh its been so hard to develop it since its like my first work that of this size (it has like 32 pages) and rn i have done 12 pages out of it that consists in the meetup of the two characters and the relationship building between them, and I gotta start thinkin from now How i want to post this up on the internet and where, cuz i rlly would want ppl to see it but idk what would b the best way to go ab it... so if someone that read till here has some tips or smth feel free to tell! I would love a little help on that part

Here s also a little illustration ive done for them two, it was mainly done just to get into the feeling and enviroment and atmosphere of the comic + a planner page ive done just to get their personalities and bodies familiar with myself! I really have come to really care ab these two ocs in the past 4 months or so in which ive developed them tru sketches and writing tbh so im rlly nervous and excited to share them here.

Im rambling now tho, more in tags, ty anon <3

[chxrrywxvss]

Do I Look Like Him

“You look so much like him, and it’s almost cruel. I keep hoping that somehow, you’ll turn into the man I loved, but you never do. You’re just… you.."

A/N: First part of my Do I Look Like Him series. Sorry this is so rushed pookies but I swear the next part will be better

Logan Howlett x Afab!Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: none I think, maybe logan is OOC

NOT PROOFREAD.

Logan stepped through the door of Wade's apartment. The air inside was thick with the scent of stale pizza and something that might have once been a burrito.  He hesitated for a moment, the noise from the TV filling the silence—some superhero flick, loud and chaotic. The place was a mess, as expected, but it was oddly comforting.

He’d been through hell and back in his own universe, but this? This was something else entirely. The walls were plastered with posters of himself—no, not himself, but Wolverine. The absurdity of it made him grit his teeth. This wasn’t his world, and yet, here he was, dragged into a mess that wasn’t his to clean.

Wade had a knack for trouble, and Logan had been foolish enough to follow him into it. After their recent escapades—fighting off some half-baked villains and dealing with Wade’s incessant chatter—Logan felt the dull throb of a headache creeping in. He needed a drink. Or ten.

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension knotting there. His world had turned upside down, and it had only been a few days since he found himself in this bizarre universe.

“Hey, peanut! You’re late!” Wade’s voice rang out, full of that irritating cheerfulness that grated on Logan’s nerves. Logan glanced up, catching sight of Wade lounging on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in his lap, his mask pulled up just enough to reveal that crooked grin.

“Didn’t realize I was on a schedule,” Logan muttered, his tone heavy with annoyance. He didn’t need this. Not now. Not after everything that had happened back home.

“Yeah, well, you missed the best part! They just killed off a major character!” Wade’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “You know how it goes—death, resurrection, all that jazz. Just like you!”

Logan rolled his eyes. “You’re not helping, Wade.”

“Aw, come on!” Wade jumped up, tossing the popcorn aside. “You’re in a new universe! Live a little! Have some fun! Get laid!” He winked, and Logan rolled his eyes at the thought.

Logan didn’t respond. Instead, he moved deeper into the cluttered apartment, scanning the area for something—anything—that would give him a moment of reprieve from Wade’s relentless energy. That’s when he noticed a photo frame atop a pile of comic books. A picture of a woman smiled back at him, hugging a man who looked like him, but more aged.

His heart sank.

“Who’s that?” Logan asked, trying to appear uninterested.

“Oh, that’s your girl! Well, sort of,” Wade replied, his tone shifting slightly. “She’s also my sister. Well, half.. Anyway, she’s amazing!”

Logan’s fists clenched at his sides. “What do you mean, my girl? I don’t—”

“Right! Sorry! I forgot! You’re from a different universe! It’s confusing, I know.” Wade smirked, clearly enjoying the chaos of it all. “But trust me, she’s the best. I mean, if you’re into that whole ‘living’ thing. You are, right?”

“Where is she?” Logan asked, keeping his voice steady.

“She’s around here somewhere. Probably avoiding you,” Wade chuckled, but there was a hint of sincerity in his tone. “She’s been a bit… skittish since you showed up. Can’t blame her, though. You know how it is with family drama.”

Before he could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from a hallway, and Logan’s breath caught in his throat. You appeared, your presence radiating an energy that was both familiar and foreign.

“Wade, I—” you began, your voice faltering as your eyes landed on Logan..

“Look who I found! It’s Logan!” Wade announced, clearly oblivious to the charged atmosphere that had enveloped the room.

Your expression shifted, confusion and recognition battling for dominance. “No, that- that isn’t him. That’s not Logan.” You said, your voice trembling slightly as hot tears began to well in your eyes at the sight of this stranger wearing Logan’s face.

“Well, technically-” Wade began to explain, but you stormed back down the hall, slamming the door to your room. After a moment of silence, “Well, that went well!” “Shut the hell up, Wade.” —-----------------------------------------------------

The days slipped by in a blur of muted colors and half-formed conversations. Logan found himself wandering the apartment, the walls echoing with the laughter and chaos of Wade’s universe. You avoid him like the plague, slipping through the apartment like a ghost. It was as if you had cast a spell of invisibility around yourself, one that Logan was helpless to penetrate.

Wade, ever the optimist, tried to coax you down for meals, suggesting movie nights, or even just a simple game of cards. But you never came down. Instead, you found excuses to stay away, disappearing into the city, leaving Logan alone with his thoughts. Each time you left, he felt the weight of her absence like a physical blow.

He tried to give you space, respecting your need to process everything, but it gnawed at him. The ache in his chest grew heavier with each passing day. He was a man used to fighting battles, but this was a different kind of warfare—one fought in silence and solitude. He doesn’t know why it bugs him so much. It shouldn’t. He doesn’t know you. It’s probably just sympathy. Right?

When you did venture down, it was always under the cover of darkness, as if you feared the light would expose your vulnerabilities. Logan would catch glimpses of you, a fleeting shadow slipping past the kitchen door, or the sound of your laughter echoing from somewhere beyond his reach. Each time, his heart would leap, only to plummet when you vanished again.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of fiery orange and deepening blue, you finally emerged. Logan had been sitting on the couch, his mind a chaotic swirl of thoughts, when he heard the soft creak of the floorboards. He looked up, his breath catching in his throat as he saw you standing in the doorway, a hesitant silhouette against the dim light of the hallway.

“Hey,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the sudden rush of emotions.

“Hey,” you replied, your eyes darting away, avoiding his gaze. There was a tension in the air, thick and palpable, as if they were two strangers in a crowded room. Which, the first part isn’t entirely wrong.

Logan took a breath, willing himself to be patient. “I was thinking about ordering some food. Want to join?”

“I… I can’t,” you stammered, yout voice barely above a whisper. “I have plans.”

Disappointment washed over him, but he forced a nod. “Alright. Maybe another time?”

“Maybe,” you said, your eyes lingering on him for just a moment before you turned to leave.

“Wait,” he called out, desperation creeping into his voice. “Can we just talk for a minute? Please?”

You hesitated, your hand hovering over the door frame as if caught in a battle between flight and fight. Finally, you sighed and stepped back into the room, though your body language screamed of discomfort.

“What do you want to talk about?” you asked, folding your arms tightly across your chest.

Logan searched for the right words, the ones that could bridge the chasm between them. “I just… I don’t want you to feel like you have to avoid me. I know this is hard for you.”

“It’s not just hard,” you shot back, your voice rising with hurt. “It’s impossible. You look like him, you sound like him, but you’re not him!”

“I know I’m not,” Logan said, his tone earnest. “I’m not him and I never will be. You need to accept that he’s gone.”

You looked away, your expression twisting with pain. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“I understand. Just take it one step at a time.”

“Like you’re doing?” you asked, your voice laced with sarcasm.

Logan winced. “Touché. I’m just trying to be honest.”

The silence that followed felt heavy, a dense fog of unspoken words and unresolved emotions. He watched you, noting the way your fingers fidgeted, the way your eyes glistened as you fought against the tide of your feelings.

“Okay,” you said finally, your voice softer. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you,” he replied, relief flooding through him. “That’s all I can ask.”

But just as hope began to take root, you turned to leave again. “I really can’t stay, Logan. I have to go.”

“Wait!” he called out again, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “What are you doing out there? What’s out there that’s better than being here?”

You paused, your back to him, and for a moment, he thought you might turn around. “It’s not about what’s out there. It’s about what’s in here,” you said.

With that, you slipped out of the room, leaving Logan alone once more, a hollow ache gnawing at his insides.

—-----------------------------------------------------

Days turned into weeks, and the pattern continued. You would occasionally come down, but their conversations remained brief, filled with awkward silences and unfulfilled glances. Every time you spoke to him, it was a delicate dance—one misstep, and you would retreat again, leaving him with nothing but the echoes of your presence.

One afternoon, as the sun cast a warm glow through the apartment, you wandered into the kitchen while Logan was cleaning up after lunch. He caught sight of you out of the corner of his eye, and hope fluttered in his chest.

“Hey,” he said, looking up.

“Hey,” you replied, your voice soft but guarded. You moved to the fridge, rummaging through it as if searching for something to distract yourself.

“You want a sandwich?” he offered. “I made some earlier.”

“No, I’m fine,” you said too quickly, closing the fridge door with a soft thud.

Logan felt the familiar pang of disappointment. “You sure? It’s really good.”

“I believe you,” you responded, her tone clipped.

They fell into an uneasy silence, the air thick with words left unspoken. Logan watched her, the way you fidgeted with your hair, the way your gaze darted around the room, avoiding him.

“Do you ever think about him?” he asked suddenly, the question slipping from his lips before he could stop it.

Your body stiffened, and for a moment, he thought you might walk away again. Instead, you turned to face him, your eyes glistening with emotion. “All the time,”you admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What do you remember?” Logan asked, leaning against the counter, trying to keep his voice casual. But inside, he felt like he was walking on a tightrope, balancing on the edge of your memories.

“Everything,” you replied, your eyes shimmering as if lost in a distant past. “The way he would hold me when I was scared. The stupid jokes he made to lighten the mood. The way he fought for me.”

Logan swallowed hard, the sting of your words cutting deep. “I’m not him,” he reminded her, his voice low.

“I know,” you said, frustration breaking through your sadness. “But it’s hard to separate the two of you. You’re so similar, and yet… you’re not.”

“I’m trying to be someone you can lean on,” he said, his heart aching with the weight of her pain. “But I can’t do that if you keep pushing me away.”

Your eyes flashed with anger. “You think you can just step in and fill that void? Be the one who makes everything better? It doesn’t work that way, Logan!”

“I’m not trying to replace him,” he countered, his voice rising in defense. “I just want to be here for you. Just give me a chance!”

You sighed, the fight draining from you. “I don’t know how. I don’t know if I can.”

“Then let’s start small,” Logan suggested, his tone softening. “Just talk to me. About anything. About your day. About anything but him.”

For a moment, your gaze dropped, and he could see the struggle within you. “Okay,” you finally said, your voice trembling slightly. “I can try that.”

“Good,” he replied, relief flooding through him once more. “What did you do today?”

You hesitated, then shrugged. “I walked around the city.”

“Did you find anything interesting?”

You looked away, a faint heat creeping into your cheeks. “I found a little café. It had the best pastries. I thought about bringing some back, but…”

“But?”

“It felt wrong,” you murmured, your voice barely a whisper. “Like I was trying to pretend everything was okay when it’s not.”

Logan’s heart ached for you. “You can still enjoy things. It doesn’t mean you’re forgetting him. It just means you’re living.” He said, more to himself than you.

“I don’t want to live without him,” you admitted, yourr voice breaking. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“Maybe we can figure it out together,” he offered, stepping closer, his heart racing. “I may not be him, but I’m still here. And I care about you.”

You met his gaze, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a flicker of understanding in your eyes. “I care about you too,” you said softly, though doubt lingered in her tone.

As you turned to leave, Logan felt a glimmer of hope that they had taken a small step forward. But just as quickly, it faded when you absentmindedly kissed his cheek.

“I’m sorry,” you said, pulling away as if burned. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay,” he reassured you, though his heart sank at the distance that still lay between them. “You don’t have to apologize.”

But you shook your head, your expression filled with anguish. “No, it’s not okay. I shouldn’t have done that. I can’t keep doing this.”

“Doing what?” he pressed, confusion lacing his words.

“Trying to act like you’re someone you’re not,” you said, your voice rising again. “I’m sorry, Logan. I need to go.”

And with that, you were gone again, the door clicking shut behind you, leaving Logan standing alone in the kitchen, the echo of your footsteps lingering in the silence.

—-----------------------------------------------------

It was late, the hour when the world outside felt most distant, and in that stillness, you crept into the living room. The soft click of the door was nearly soundless, a careful intrusion into the quiet space. You paused for a moment, your heart racing as you took in the sight of him resting on the couch, his face softened in sleep, the lines of worry momentarily smoothed away.

Your breath caught in your throat, and you felt a pang of longing that twisted your insides. He looked so peaceful, so much like the Logan you remembered—the one who had held you tight during the darkest moments, who had whispered promises of safety and love in the shadows of your world.

You hesitated, fighting against the urge to turn away, to retreat into the safety of your solitude. But something drew you closer, a magnetic pull that you couldn’t resist. You lowered yourself to the floor beside the couch, tucking your legs beneath yourself as you settled into the familiar space. It felt almost like a ritual, a silent communion with the man you had lost and the man who was now before you.

Tentatively, you reached out, your fingers brushing against his cheek. The contact sent a jolt of electricity coursing through you, and you closed your eyes for a brief moment, savoring the warmth of his skin beneath your touch. It was a simple gesture, but it felt monumental—a connection that transcended the chasm of their reality.

“Logan,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “I miss you.”

You traced the contours of his face, your fingers brushing over the rugged lines, the bump of his nose that felt so familiar yet foreign. “I wish you were here,” you murmured, your heart aching with every word. “Things were so much easier when you were here. You made everything better.”

As you spoke, memories flooded back—laughter shared under the stars, quiet moments stolen amidst chaos. You recalled how he had held you close, how his presence had been a balm for your troubled soul. The tears you had fought to hold back began to spill over, trailing down your cheeks as you continued to whisper to him, unaware of the ears that listened.

“Do you remember that night?” you asked, your voice trembling. “The one we spent at the old cabin? Just you and me, the fire crackling, the world falling away?” A soft smile broke through your tears. “You told me you loved me for the first time. I never understood how much I needed that until you were gone.”

Your fingers lingered on his lips, tracing the outline as if committing every detail to memory. “I wish you could come back to me,” you whispered. “I wish you could tell me everything would be okay. That we could go back to the way things were.”

You continued to speak, your words pouring out like a dam breaking. “I don’t know how to move on without you. It feels like I’m wandering through a fog, and I can’t find my way back. I keep seeing your face everywhere, and it hurts too much.”

Your voice cracked, and the sobs you had held at bay began to spill forth, raw and unfiltered. “I thought I could just push through it, but every time I see him…” you choked out, “I feel like I’m drowning all over again.”

“I don’t know how to face you,” you continued, her voice a whisper now. “You look so much like him, and it’s almost cruel. I keep hoping that somehow, you’ll turn into the man I loved, but you never do. You’re just… you.”

Eventually, you sat back, your hands falling to your lap as you took a shaky breath. “I just wish you could hear me,” you said softly, your voice cracking. “I wish you could know how much I still love you.”

With that, you stood up, the weight of your emotions visibly heavy on her shoulders. You looked at him one more time, before walking back to your room.

Logan lay there, his heart pounding in his chest, caught in a whirlwind of emotions. He had been awake the entire time, drawn from the depths of sleep by the sound of your voice, the weight of your touch grounding him in a reality he had longed for since he had arrived in this universe. He had wanted to reach out, to pull you into his arms, but he remained still, terrified of shattering the fragile moment.

He blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. How would he face you tomorrow after that?

God help him.

Taglist: @chubbyhedgehog @mostlymarvelgirl @nightingale-slayer @m1cky-y-y @arlovesper @misscrissfemmefatale

[weirdmageddon]

why i think aradia and john work so well

(with some stuff i’ve been wanting to yap about for ages)

have you guys ever given arajohn / johnradia (idk if its popular enough to even have a standardized ship name) any thought …? i know it seems kind of out of left field. i’ve considered it and i think its. really really good. i have a bunch of thoughts to unpack. come join me. and maybe grab a snack or something because i didn’t realize how much i'd actually have to say about this

(fantastic art by skeletood)

the other day i made a tweet that did rather well where i said, “john and aradia shouldve talked more. its so simple but i like how she actually earnestly answers his questions. so many characters in this comic are so mean to john for just wanting to know more give him a break”

putting it out there now im not big about shipping for the sake of shipping. there needs to be real chemistry. i need to sense that as a reason why two characters would potentially be a good influence on each other. i never knew why i was always so obstinate about this because it’s fictional and not materially hurting anyone, but i think it might be because i’m not sure how to justify it or explain it if not.

i strongly believe john and aradia would have had it made out for them if circumstances allowed it. (what i mean by “ship” or “johnradia” extends to any kind of interpersonal dynamic, even if just a good friendship. it doesnt even have to be romantic, just some sort of dynamic with them.)

unfortunately aradia originally committed herself to staying out of trolling the kids over their timelines, so john and aradia never talked until year 3 on the ship in the dream bubbles but they never had a truly proper one-on-one without outside meddling. i think if john knew aradia better and her story beforehand, she had more time to explain herself and her history, he wouldnt have been unsettled. and also of course if his experience with the trolls didn’t suck so bad because he already had expectations for how antagonizing most of them were.

i found people’s sentiments about johnradia elsewhere too. i remembered that they were both on the song art for ascend, and searched ao3 to see how many fics have been written to gauge how substaintial it’s been in the homestuck fandom. only 17 of them turned up. but the people who do talk about it are either curious about it or really do like it, and that interested me.

clearly it’s pretty niche character relationship to be depicted in any fanwork and i can understand why. despite being so small, from what ive seen it seems universally agreed upon to be nice. i haven’t seen a single person object to it. what ive seen falls into two categories: “wow i didnt think about this before but i actually dig it” or “(starving) finally some good fucking food”

the pattern im seeing is that people think it’s “random”, but i disagree. there is something there substantiating it even if they’re unable to articulate it.

the fanfic these comments are from is chronology of wind. that fic is really, really good, and sadly unfinished. i have more abstract reasons to believe why aradia and john would be good in theory, so actually seeing someone else actually make something with them helped me read it in action, to get a more tangible feel of the dynamic beyond what we have in canon.

i wouldn’t normally make claims about a relationship with regard to homestuck canon by looking at their relationship in a fanfic, because i think you all know by now i am very nitpicky about accurate characterization, and it does not go unnoticed by me when people get it right because for some reason it feels like a one in a million thing (even though it really shouldn’t be?). so this was a special case. the tone was completely consistent with canon. this fic is so in-character i’d basically consider it an extension of canon. to me it’s like they took the same characters and plopped them into this scenario to see how they’d interact. guys… i love that stuff so much. i love fanfiction or fanworks that depict realistic extensions of canon and stays true to the energy and tone of the source, but deepens it. there isn’t enough of it imo. i want to see more of it.

anyway, what i read of their conversations in that fic basically aligned with what i was thinking in my head about what i’d expect it to be like. i was able to compare how aradia and john talked to how aradia and the other characters interacted, their comparative attitudes towards each other—how they’re treated by others compared to how they treat each other.

have you noticed john and aradia’s communication values are both based on sincerity, being in the proper know, treating people fairly, and thanklessly taking on the necessary work that “must be done” in order to have what they really want — a good time that feels meaningful? and they accomplish this without any adjustment in how they talk to each other.

john is always subtly (or not-so-subtly) asking the people around him to answer him soberly and to the point so he knows whats going on and what that means for what his options are. he needs to know to what end he will be applying his absurd energetic drive into making shit happen. aradia honors his time before john can even become uncomfortable with the amount of time being eaten up by conversation. contrast this with rose, who seems to go on for a while with prose-like conversational adornments. in dire situations that need rapid explanation and definitive answers so he knows what to do, this is really the last thing he needs. aradia doesnt waste john’s time. she answers all his questions, and does it politely to boot. his time talking to her doesn't feel wasted.

john's impatience with this sort of nonsense is also why i can’t see something like dirkjohn working out, for example. to me it feels like @entropicbias also deeply understands this on some level because i literally couldn’t have demonstrated what i mean by it any better myself than that. i'm gonna have to to hit him up about how much i genuinely respect that like tbh hes one of the few i absolutely trust to handle writing and depicting these characters in situations and their interpersonal dynamics. and also care about doing their characterization justice as much as me.

of course people are still entitled to like whatever they like, ship whatever they want to. i dont care. but i just don’t think it would work from the perspective of the minds of the canon characters, how they generally think and approach situations. and i can already tell people might ask me how do i know this? what makes me an expert? i’m not more than anyone else is (although i have been called a "characterization expert" from my friends), but i do know that i can pick up on the energetic chemistry between people, including characters, honestly precognitively, without even thinking? like if it’s stiff or tense or awkward, if people aren’t free to express themselves uninhibitedly, if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. i can sense this almost instantly. it’s something that’s a visceral feeling in my body i cant express and i have to rationalize it after the fact. like i’m doing now in fact writing this big analysis.

> listen to me talk about my special interest boy

for the next section to make sense, you probably want to read this post. i initially started writing it within this post to explain but there was so much brewing i had to explain the context that it turned into something i wanted to post on its own terms.

> okaaaaaayyyyy i read all that

thank you, really. my main point is using the conceptual tools provided by this system to expIain why aradia and john feel nice together and why i’ve seen people positively perceive the idea of a relationship between them even if it seems “random”.

framing them in this system, it wouldn’t be random! there’s a good reason they seem to fit nicely. this is because john and aradia have complementary forms of information metabolism. information metabolism is talked about in this section.

Jung’s psychic types are the types of cognition, or intelligence. But it would probably be easiest to call them types of IM [information metabolism], since the main difference between the types of people lies in their exchange of information with the external world.

Aushra Augusta, Commentary on Jung’s Typology and Introduction to Information Metabolism

aradia megido’s type of information metabolism (otherwise known as a TIM) is LII. john egbert’s TIM is ESE.

aradia and john’s types are duals. you can read more about what that entails here. in theory, their interactions would reflect the duality dynamic. reading chronology of wind, that one really in-character fic that explored their dynamic made me excited because they do!

michael pierce gave an overview of his impression of the characteristics of this intertype dynamic. despite only rough knowledge in socionics while he wrote this, his understanding of duality was spot on to me from my experience and others and i wanted to share it here. (fittingly, i believe he is also LII.)

Now we have the famous duality relationship: in a nutshell, this role is characterized by two traits: 1) a very close psychological distance or intimacy, and 2) a great ease of interacting with each other. It is sometimes described how meeting one's dual can be the event of a lifetime, because it inspires aspects in each party's character that they had never expressed before: the pair may even drop out of society for a time in order to focus on just each other, and to explore themselves through interaction with each other. The curious thing in this relationship is that these parties are rather different in outlook, and when they are not actually interacting as potential friends it's probably more likely for them to dislike or mistrust each other because of how different they are. […] However, when they are able to interact normally, it is a strange and wonderful discovery to realize that the interaction is unexpectedly smooth and invigorating. It's hard for people to describe, but as I understand it: while both parties recognize their differences on the surface, these differences are created by a root structure that coincides perfectly with each other, so that the differences on the surface are entirely complementary and cause no friction at all.

it’s also meaningful to consider that the structure of my own psyche is LII as well. so i’ve got a bit of a bias towards aradia and john.. not in the sense that what i actually say about them is personally biased, but that the bias is moreso my personal attention to people and characters of these two types in particular to see how my own experiences are reflected in them. i really do feel of a reflection of my own thought and work process in aradia and in the more abstract sense she is like an extension of myself. when people say they like aradia as a character i get secondhand joy from that because shares certain specific traits with me. of course i am still my own person though.

these are some of the most apt profiles i've found for these types at a glance. again, think about these characters as you read these descriptions. [from here (ESE / LII)]

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert) - john

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on socializing and guiding social situations and interactions so that the people involved can have fun and enjoy themselves. ESEs are typically in the middle of what is happening socially and know about the latest events and what people think and feel about them. They are skilled at bringing people together in fun and interesting ways and making everyone feel actively involved. Their friends know them as people who love life and feel most at home in social situations surrounded by other fun people. In their pursuit of fun-oriented and stimulating social interactions, ESEs typically neglect to structure their own thought processes and views in a way that would help them know exactly what they think and why. They are receptive to others’ attempts to help them introduce more structure and logical consistency in their life and thinking processes. They gravitate most to people who open up to fun and emotional interaction easily, yet are also skilled at systematizing thoughts and views and explaining ideological matters.

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert) - aradia

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on logical, structured thought and generating true assertions and views. LIIs are typically strict thinkers who are concerned that everything fits together in a logical way. They are skilled at understanding, generating, and criticizing logical arguments and instilling their views in the people around them. Their friends know them as people with well-organized thoughts and opinions who know what they think and can elucidate their ideas to others. In their pursuit of logical understanding, LIIs typically neglect their external social interactions and activities that would help them lighten up and experience a connection with other people. They are receptive to others’ attempts to create these fun and lighthearted situations for them. They gravitate most to people who are interested in their opinions and understanding of things, but are also skilled at organizing social interactions and creating a sense of emotional unity.

ive recently consciously experienced the feeling of duality for the first time since i've been communicating with my mom's high school classmate, and it is definitely a real thing. i even remember mom pointing out she noticed when we were all talking on the phone over a year ago that i perked up whenever he said stuff. here is how i explained it:

its bonkers how only once i experience something for myself i’m able to explain in detail what makes it so great based on what my impressions about it were because i tend to have a peculiar way of describing the qualities of an experience. my specialty is deep precision in my analogies for what it’s like. so now i can tell you how conversations with your dual feel… heres the status report. it’s weightless. its so strange. like the topic conversation stretches into infinity that you can pick right back up at any time. it’s hazy and unfocused but still pleasant (unless you’re particularly self-conscious and need to unlearn hiding your true self). but the best parts of it come when you have a specific issue or insecurity that comes with being your most natural self that the world seems to misunderstand about you, or just not give you what you don't even know you’ve been looking for. i think you might mutually intimidate each other at first because you're lowkey both expecting to be made fun of for your inadequacy with certain types of information that the other is nuanced with (and you’re not), but it never comes. you don't feel like what your dual wants in life is wrong. your dual seems so talented in all the ways you hope to shine but you’re always unsure of. for the introvert (me) wishing they felt their own active presence as an object (Se, Ne, Te, Fe) like the extravert does. for the extravert, wishing they felt their own relationships with other objects (Si, Ni, Ti, Fi) like the introvert does. any other intertype relationship (ITR) vs. duality is like the difference between 99% and 100% totality of a solar eclipse, except it’s the level of understanding with another person, like the eclipsing of your own information metabolism with theirs. of course there are other things that influence how well your relationship with this person goes, but i am talking strictly about when it comes to basic communication, the level of understanding you share. sometimes it might feel like you dont have much to talk about or the topic is unfocused, because you two ARE opposites in many ways after all, especially at a glance (domain of interests usually come with specific macroelements. theories about thought structures—like socionics, for instance—are in the domain of intuition, while physical interests and experiences are in the domain of sensorics.) i’m LII in the NT club (researchers) and my dual ESE in the SF club (social-communicative). so they’re constantly providing you with information from their own niche in life that you may be entirely unfamiliar with, but for some reason still interests and relaxes you to hear. you might not feel like you have a lot to say about the topic since but you are fully amazed by this person’s activity. it also makes you feel more sure of yourself and more confident that people truly appreciate and need your natural abilities.

> let’s break it down

here’s some lightly modified descriptions of the information blocks in LII and ESE's information metabolism models from pyatnitsky so you can get an overarching impression of how their type contributes to the informational sphere. i added some of my own adjustments and borrowed some sentences from stratiyevskaya's descriptions. additionally, you can click on the name of the block for an explanation of the role it plays.

i put about a week’s work into these collages but my goal with them was to actually show where i think these information blocks are most pertinent in these characters specifically and where they apply so it’s not just some abstract thing, just as supplementary examples as needed. (for the meaning of these information elements individually you can refer to cysia’s document.)

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert)

EGO (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Analytical thinking. They are well aware of the interrelationships of some objects or phenomena with others, and what laws are in effect or not in effect. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis, they put forward insights about the global essence of specific objects and phenomena, their possibilities. They acutely charge the situation with potential energy. For every situation, there is an archetype.

Super-EGO (-Fi? -> -Se!). Normative ideas about relationships between people and ways to get out of unpleasant ethical situations. Understands ethics as founded on the principles of fairness; to do to one side of the equation that you do to the other. Volitional manifestations in order to protect their living space are carried out only on the basis of personal experience. Because of the limited opportunities to fight back, they react painfully to attempts of any interference in his life. Does not respond to any arbitrary crudeness or volitional pressuring. Does not compromise goals, stubbornly clings to them. Avoids direct confrontation if possible, would rather talk civilly and earnestly. Uses their naturally strong sense of the conditioning of objects over time to avoid collisions with their material interests. Due to this, they may appear as someone with very little weaknesses.

Super-ID (+Fe -> +Si?) Attracts information about a good mood, a specific positive state, or a feeling. They would like to think that they can eliminate serious inconveniences, make the environment around them more comfortable. This skill needs to be evaluated. They are unconsciously activated when there is a need to make the environment more comfortable, which should lead to a better state, raise the mood at least in the immediate environment. In friendly, comfortable, and informal company, their cool exterior thaws and they start lighting up with joviality.

ID (+Te! → +Ni?). Has developed guidelines and methods that relate to specific practical activities, technological effectiveness, and resource use. Spontaneously feels the correct allocation of resources over time, which allows them to effectively solve tasks at an unhurried pace. This pace is deeply rational in nature.

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert)

EGO (+Fe! -> +Si?). Perception of the world is fundamentally emotional. Feels the emotional atmosphere well in any situation, knows the relevance of the way of expression, the place and weight (importance) of the internal state in each situation. Flexible approach to solving problems of managing and expressing emotions. They show bright emotionality both negative and positive. Creatively produces around themself comfort, coziness, conveniently arranges space, surrounds others with beautiful things, changing thereby the general condition and mood. Usually opinionated about their tastes.

(wow i really went all out on that this one that tumblr wont even display it in full resolution, so here. john just has so many more lines to choose from, sorry!)

Super-EGO (+Te! -> +Ni?). Practical and technological thinking is tightly based on acquired knowledge and patterns of solving similar problems. Methods of business activity in both general and specific areas are selected based on the opinion of reputable sources, or adjusted to one of the mastered templates. Predicting specific changes in the sphere of their interests is carried out only on the basis of personal experience. He is not able to compare his own method of forecasting with others, so he is sensitive to criticism of poor timing or deadlines, does not like situations that feel like a waste of his time; he is lost in connection with negative events. Guided by purely personal experience, he chooses specific times and deadlines for various tasks with a normative understanding of business activity in general.

Super-ID (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Attracts information about the order, specific logical relationships in the field of activity or interests. Needs someone to suggest specific ways to make connections between phenomena, patterns, and rules. Tries to be reasonable himself, even though he knows that this is not characteristic of him. Sometimes he openly talks of his actions that were poorly reasoned through, as if inviting other people to laugh at his thoughtlessness. The ordering and systematization of thought opens up a new way of understanding of events that are happening around him, as well as new prospects, potential, and capabilities. He likes to think that he understands the essence of a situation and lights up with new ideas. This skill needs to be evaluated. It is unconsciously activated when it is necessary to create order, clear consistency and clarity on a particular issue, especially if their abilities are recognized.

ID (-Fi? -> -Se!). Involuntarily keeps track of communications in their social circle. Without hesitation, they use a variety of ways to establish and maintain relationships that have been developed in his personal practice. Good relationships are important for personal inner confidence in a situation. To prevent unfavorable relationships, they are inclined, often without even realizing it, to act with pressure, forcing a showdown, forcing the partner to change the relationship for the better. Frequently demonstrates his resoluteness, persistence, and purposefulness, as if proposing his behavior as a model for imitation. Usually tells in much detail what obstacles were created before him, and how he overcame them, what he was told in response, and what he replied with, and so on and in the like.

(full res)

you might be able to see already how they would complement each other's thought process nicely. here are some descriptions of what the communication between these types is like:

+Fe! : program function of ESE and dual-seeking function of LII

The ESE periodically tells emotionally charged "program" function stories, telling of how somebody has acted and what they have done. The main orientation of ESE's leading ethical program is: "No one should be offended." The LII carefully listens to these statements, and, demonstrating a full understanding of these issues, develops logical basis for them, e.g. in calm persuasive voice he explains how the ESE has acted justly and fairly. The effusion of turbulent emotions coming from the ESE is counterbalanced by their absorption by the LII, who breaks them down into fragments by asking clarifying questions of the ESE.

-Ti? : dual-seeking function of ESE and program function of LII

The ESE is tuned to accepting information when it's relayed in clear logical form. He issues requests for logical explanations delivered from a point of view of generalized rules underpinning specific life events, which he receives from the LII, who delivers clear unambiguous interpretations, places the dots over all "i's", and demonstrates good understanding of problems that are of concern to the ESE. Not receiving information of this kind, the ESE begins making demands of those around him to be "intelligent" and understand the reasons of his actions.

-Ne! : activating function of ESE and creative function of LII

The ESE feels uncomfortable if he doesn't extend his help to people who are in need of it. His subconscious orientation is: "care and guard the talented", be kind and attentive towards other people. The LII usually meets such criteria by proving in action his aptitude at uncovering hidden capabilities, winning trust, passing on the knowledge. The ESE creates supportive conditions for people who are capable but lacking in assertive "push-through" qualities, among whom the LII finds himself, and a special work regime that protects such individuals from overloads on sensing functions. Newly discovered possibilities inspire and promote the pragmatic and business-oriented activities of the ESE. He can support a new undertaking or initiative with an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm, light up by new ideas. Only the LII is able to, even having a vague general notion about the subject, construct a developed theory or idea of any issue. This theory shows to be promising in the process of its concrete application within its field.

+Si? : creative function of ESE and activating function of LII

LII tries to take care of their well-being, but may gravitate towards demonstrative asceticism, exhaust himself with work, studies, or exercise. The ESE periodically takes care of creating an environment that "charges" the LII with pleasant sensations: a reception of guests, a good meal, a visit to a theater or a concert, an interesting trip, and so on. At the same time the ESE takes pleasure in this himself.

+Te! : role function of ESE and observing function of LII

The role function of the ESE manifests as business-oriented activity and initiative, supplying interesting information, provision with material assistance to those who are in need, general restlessness and fussy busyness. This function is normative, i.e. the ESE seeks to comply with the norms and accepted ways of doing things. The nuancing of the understanding of these norms, i.e. introduction of activities that go beyond them, is possible only by considering LII's advice and recommendations. The LII serves as a director of this function, adjusting its workings by advocating the necessity of practical application of some beneficial ideas, rejection of useless though spectacular ideas, and the need to ensure standards of life not below average by rejection of equalization.

+Ni? : vulnerable function of ESE and demonstrative function of LII

The ESE poorly feels the flow of time, both physical, which manifests as running late and poor distribution of his strengths over time, and historical, which manifests as poor ability to anticipate consequences of actions and tendency for traditional ways of solving problems. The ESE finds it difficult to make radical choices. The LII fully takes this aspect onto his shoulders. He has an unconscious ability to distribute activities in time, thereby avoiding work stress and overloads, and is capable of making a radical choice. The LII is able to calmly wait and in the necessary moment get to work when the wasteful fussiness of the ESE reaches its critical point.

-Fi? : ignoring function of ESE and role function of LII

On this function the ESE gives advice and makes demands concerning the creation of appropriate psychological distances in form of proper behavior, courtesy and politeness, denouncing rudeness and boorishness. In this manner, the ESE adjusts LII's role function, which in itself contains a set of large psychological distances: a sullen stubborn look, unsociability, etc. With such fine-tuning it becomes easier for the LII to come into contact with people, whereby he becomes more animated, resolves many of his ethical problems that previously frightened him, gains greater insight into human relationships and a more accurate understanding as to whose side to take in situations of conflict.

-Se! : demonstrative function of ESE and vulnerable function of LII

The LII finds it very difficult to exert pressure on other people from his own will and initiative, especially in cases when he needs to attain something for himself. He finds this difficult to do - to press ahead in certain situations, to gather all the required paperwork, to stand in lines and queues, to petition for his own interests, even the ones that are of vital importance to him. He finds it difficult to push a person away, to sharply refuse someone, to quarrel loudly and defend his rights, to put an end to relations that have exhausted themselves. The ESE doesn't directly affect this function, i.e. he doesn't verbally criticize and teach the LII on this aspect, but takes over its functioning completely. The ESE exerts a constant, sometimes intrusive and imposing pressure on other people if there is a need to achieve something, to defend justice and demand fair treatment, to protect interests of those who are close and dear to him. The ESE goes to the right jurisdictions, inspires people around him and directs them towards work and purposeful activity, keeps up a high pace of life himself, and breaks off relations with those who don't deserve trust.

and some miscellaneous excerpts from literature i liked a lot. (i can't remember the sources i used since i've been working on this on and off, for the past week and i was just spilling things onto the post. i think stratiyevskaya?):

Mood - that’s what matters in this dyad - emotions and feelings. Anything that suppresses and overshadows good mood is considered unethical in this dyad and is strongly condemned.

The ESE does not allow the LII to limit him in the possibilities of consuming the amount of pleasures and joys, which he considers to be necessary and sufficient. Fortunately, both partners in the dyad - LII and ESE - are obstinate and unyielding. Both are demanding, unwilling (and not allowing anyone else) to lower the bar of their requirements, unable to give in and make concessions (especially in anything that is of principle for themselves). Both know how to make their partner reckon with their interests and insist on the fulfillment of their demands.

LII is impressed by the emotional generosity of ESE and his spiritual responsiveness. All this finds the deepest understanding in LII, since he is tuned to the same priorities and values. For his part, ESE admires the ability of LII to speak clearly and definitely on every issue. ESE is struck by the harmony of the reasoning of LII, the amazing clarity, accuracy and laconicism of his statements. To ESE it seems that for LII, there is nothing incomprehensible in this world; he can give a comprehensive explanation on every issue. And everything that ESE thought about before is gradually being built into a definite and clear system of views, which he can now very freely and naturally present. Confusion and chaos in his worldview gradually gives way to a stable logical order, as if someone patient and careful was sorting all his thoughts into shelves. Such clarity inspires and activates ESE; he begins to see some prospects for himself, new opportunities. His energy and activity, in addition to emotional and ethical expression, also receives sensory realization: ESE begins to take care of LII and carefully looks after him. If LII is a colleague with whom ESE is especially pleasant to communicate with, he begins to treat him with something tasty, homemade; will make some small, but beautiful and necessary gift (for example: new cologne or a warm scarf).

> okay that's great and all but when are we talking about john and aradia specifically?

yes, that was the point of this post. i just had to build all that up first so i could walk you through my thoughts in a fully substantiated way.

considering chronology of wind again, john doesnt realize it but he needs aradias frankness and insight. even if she’s unable to explicate on vague things, she states the reason why instead of making him feel stupid (it would create a doomed timeline) but thats all john needs to hear. she is self-effacing and only tells him the truth, and we know other people can take advantage of john’s suggestibility in this way. aradia tells john who is or isnt trustworthy, what actions would be useful/necessary and which ones wont, without any selfish personal motive a la vriska or terezi.

^ (juuuust the record my nitpicky ass doesn’t agree with the truth of the classpect interpretation on behalf of the author in the last bit BUT that is beside the point here. the point is that she is answering john’s question in a way that is meaningful for him)

aradia doesnt realize it but she needs john’s friendy goofiness to brighten her up because she is surrounded by people who antagonize her when she’s literally not even trying to get under anyones skin. everybody gets frustrated at her “spooky nonsense” because theyre afraid of their own mortality, basically telling her to put a lid on it because thinking about hard truths makes THEM personally uncomfortable. but to her it’s always just been a fact of life. plugging your ears to reality is ignorance, but at the same time that doesn’t mean there’s no meaning in anything. she wants to help people see this and she dedicates herself to becoming a psychopomp for the deceased and earnestly trying to make people feel emotionally and physically comfortable in their situation through exploring their memories.

john isn’t hostile towards her. by being herself she is immediately able to earn john’s trust when they initially talk. this is also true in canon; the one time they talked when john initially comes up to her, saying “can i ask you something? seem reasonable, and pretty nice.” unfortunately he asked her the one question she didn’t have much to say about, and i can’t blame him for expecting all the troll girls to be basically insane at that point. but i don’t think aradia is insane. yes she is odd, but i think it’s evident that she has a good head on her shoulders with knowledge of the way the universe around her works, and in the end wants to simply bask in watching it play out. i think she deserves to get childishly excited about it, especially considering she was dead for most of her developmental years.

aside from getting his answers answered, john shows curiosity about her and her species and even care about her well-being and state. this naturally comes from their conversation’s ebb and flow. aradia tells this straightforwardly, without bells and whistles and without trying to trick him, unlike the other trolls who seem keen on well..trolling him.. and providing him with unclear answers to those sorts things. maybe aside from vriska, but she did have a little bit of an attitude about it wherein her and john’s dynamic felt uneven or off-rhythm, with a large psychological distance. it’s a different feeling with aradia, however. they exchange information on the same rhythm and so are able to achieve a closer psychological distance in communication.

there are no judgments coming from aradia about john being “stupid”. she doesn’t underestimate him. it’s not just that john wants to understand (although he does), but he needs to understand what he is doing. aradia compliments john about the traits he possesses that allow him to be effective. i guess in a way i’m doing the same thing with john right now.

john is so mobile and strung along by being the action hero going from place to place as a can-do deliveryboy that he never has time to reflect on his losses, think through them, and accept them.

literally who else is more qualified in all of homestuck than aradia for talking to john about these things?

on top of all of this, they have objectively significant connections beyond just mutual self-realization in a way i think could've been fleshed out. there is potential here.

for a story, i can think of a way that a conversation between them could plausibly happen using the systems established in homestuck's mythology. in canon, we see that john never met aradia until year 3 on the golden battleship in the dream bubbles when he goes to sleep.

but john still dreamt out in the furthest ring. that means during those 3 years it was possible for john to have had a dream with her in it, or at least aradiabot. i know john didn't know aradia's name beforehand but let's just explore the possibility that they could have had met before that. remember that all these aradiabots were once this person.

aradia had obtained john's crosbytop, his dads hat, and his wallet quite a while before their sgrub session. theres your entry

imagine john seeing that

memories of dear old dad get stirred up through the link of seeing those items

the dream bubble transforms

john is forced to stand in his memories and explore grief and the meaning of life with aradia

physically being in the space around him would definitely help john reflect easier i think because it will force him to actually exist within the space and talk to someone, taking some time out for this. he wanted to know if anything could've been done or if he was just too late to save them. i know aradia would be able help him slow down and introspect. don't forget the opportunities created by the properties of these spaces that are glubbed out in the furthest ring by the horrorterrors that meld the labyrinthine time and space of their surroundings to the memories of the people and finding others through common points in memory. i would imagine that objects known by multiple people would provide a common point in memory to bring them together.

The bubbles allow the players of Sburb/Sgrub who have lost a life to continue dreaming. The reality constructed in the bubbles is a combination of the memories of everyone inside the bubble accessible to any who has learned the bubble's nature. According to Aradia, it would be quite difficult to exit a bubble to get into a new one, however someone inside a bubble can travel to another one through common points in memory, taking their own memories with them to be integrated into the new bubble. These memories mix and combine, but in general, no new memories are created. Additionally, the bubbles store the consciousness of a player who has lost their dream selves and their original selves, making them double as a form of afterlife; the player is then capable of accessing the memory of anyone else who has gained access to the bubbles. Living players, who have lost or become their dream selves, appear in the dream bubbles when they are asleep. It is in this fashion that the bubbles can be used as meeting places between the dead and the living; even those from alternate universes and doomed timelines can be found in a bubble. Furthermore, in addition to memories, the bubbles can to some extent reflect the thoughts of a player. Beyond that, the bubbles can also behave similarly to Skaia's clouds, showing things that are in some way relevant to the player - such as when coin-flip Dave saw alpha Dave grieving over Bro's corpse - something he was not aware of before being shown it by a bubble.

physically reflect the thoughts of the player…… rubs hands

john and aradia share points in memory related to those objects, and to top it all of they are directly related to john's dad on the same day he died, while aradia grew up with them as bizarre alien artifacts from an archeological dig. the memories are more emotionally charged for john, and i think that distinction would probably be relevant to them both.

to be honest i think after speaking with him for a bit she would readily tell john that she regrets not talking to the kids from the universe her team created sooner before she died, but is glad that she can in the afterlife. in canon, alpha aradia told a doomed dave, "i think its absurd i never introduced myself to you in all that time i spent moping around the lab. guess i wasnt in a very good mood".

now not all the aradiabots would know who john is, because the trolls only found out about the humans once they created the genesis frog and hid out in the lab in the veil from jack who infiltrated their session. the aradiabot in the lab was the last one that survived. so if any one of them would know who john is, it would be the aradiabot that exploded. aradia's dream self ascended to god tier in jack noir's rampage on trolls' derse and took those memories with her which we can assume is what made the last aradiabot explode. its known that any original copy that dies when another rises up becomes a ghost and lives on in the dream bubbles, which would include her. a doomed aradiabot we see in the comic, which was the one that originally landed to alternia in the past, becomes more lighthearted after she dies, a bit more like her alive counterpart.

oh yeah, and the more obvious surface-level connections to top it off? ghostbusters? john ain't afraid of no ghost girl. john would be genuinely interested in what aradia living as a ghost irl on her planet and not as a gaming abstraction in the furthest ring would be like. i imagine she would be able to explain the subjective experience and that she had to prototype herself into the kernelsprite order for her server player to see her. there's also no way john hasn't seen a movie as classic as indiana jones and judging from her poster i can imagine he probably thinks it's sweet that aradia's strife specibus whipkind is a reflection of her own personal tastes, interests and hobbies.

so yeah i've just been chewing on all of this and thinking about it but i know i needed to just get this out there somehow. obviously since i spent two weeks putting this post together i'd be happy to hear your thoughts

[blog-moved-lol]

Damian Wayne Appreciation Post??

To be honest, I don't really understand why some people dislike Damian so much? To be fair, the only comic I've read about him is Batman: Son of Batman, but from that one alone, I just don't get it. I mean I read on the wiki that he was pretty hard on Dick when Dick was acting as Batman, but I haven't read that myself (Also it makes sense, he was grieving the supposed death of his father, of course he wouldn't take kindly to Dick pretending to be Bruce/Batman)

But really, it seems like Damian(in this comic at least), just wants to make his parents proud and be useful.

And yeah, he beheaded the Spook and beat up Tim(/not as badly Alfred), but like he says, it's how he was taught!

He did what he did, because in the League of Assassins you fought to move up the ranks. He beat up Tim, because if Tim was a League member, this would've been common practice. Him beating up his 'rival' member, to take their higher rank. But even after beating Tim up, he makes it obvious that he just wants to be of use to Bruce. This is also why he killed the Spook, because in the League there was certainly not a 'no kill' rule, and in his mind, killing the Spook means the Spook can't hurt anyone else.

And yeah, if I was Damian and I was being almost killed in training sessions and then being hooked up to weird machines and rejuvenated with what is probably water from the Lazarus Pit (I mean, it's glowing green water so that's what I assume), which supposedly messes with people's minds and the rates in which they heal/age, I'd probably act the same way.

At the end of the day, he's still somewhat of a normal kid. Here's him asking his mom to look at the cool thing he's doing, like a kid wanting their mom to look at a drawing they made:

And here's him just wanting to live a life with both Bruce and Talia as a family, not wanting to choose, sort of like your average kid with 'divorced' parents:

All in all, yeah, Damian has flaws. All good characters do! But I don't think that warrants people to hate him, though. But, at the end of the day, everybody has their own opinions so it's okay if you don't like him, these are just my thoughts!

[sleepyangelkami]

pls do more of carl grimes😭🙏🙏 (can be smut or fluff idrc🤭)

TROUBLE ADJUSTING c.grimes

𝜗𝜚 WORD COUNT - 2.1K

CARL GIMES X FEM!READER

 𝜗𝜚 SUMMARY - there was a heavy difference between travelling the roads filled with dead people walking and alexandria, a place that you fear is too much like the old world. you have some trouble adjusting, luckily your boyfriend carl doesn't mind you using him as a human shield.

 𝜗𝜚 WARNINGS - anxiety, social anxiety, obvious attachment issues, aged up characters, (2) use of y/n, petnames, intended lower case, nothing i write is ever proofread 🩷

the roads were unlike anything you'd ever experienced in your entire life.

the prison wasn't exactly the best option but it was safe and it was secure. it kept the dead out and the living in. when you were at the prison, you were never told to leave the grounds. perhaps that was why the road had been such a shock to you and not the others.

you thought when you and the others got off the roads and found a new place to settle down, things would mellow out.

and by things, i mean the elephant in the room between you and carl.

you and carl had been dating for quite some time now. you'd always been close, you supposed. but on the roads? he was your safe haven. you slowly began isolating yourself into just you and him.

though he never minded, of course.

if anything, it put carl a little at ease, knowing you were always so close to him. during the prison, he worried tremendously about you, where you were during the night, what you were doing. you two weren't permitted to sleep in a cell together, at that stage.

but rick's rules began to disappear when death began to slap him in the face over and over. if anything were to happen to any of you, he'd like to think you lived doing what you wanted, what made you happy.

besides, you didn't really have anyone other than the grimes' family.

michonne and you had moved into the large grimes' house in alexandria. rick and michonne were at one end of the hall, judith's room somewhere in between and then it was carl's room. you didn't like to call it your room seeing as it wasn't your house. but the grimes' let you know that it was as much your house as it was theres.

"you wanna go for a walk or something?" carl questioned causing your head to move from his shoulder.

you and carl had this sort of ritual of reading comic books together since the beginning of the breakout. you were thankful that at least that didn't change now that you were in alexandria. "do you want to?"

carl shrugged, debating. sure, he wanted to. at the same time, he worried for you. it was evident that the change hadn't been good for you. once so bubbly and outgoing, you'd sort of shrunk into yourself. now, you didn't even feel all that comfortable talking to rick. "why not? the place is huge."

that much was true.

you'd never seen a place as huge as this, even before the breakout. you only worried that you may run into someone on the way.

"what's going on up there, baby?" his finger tapped against your head, bringing you back.

with a bitten lip, you tried your best to conceal the obvious anxiety bubbling in your chest. "i don' know... i jus' don't wanna see anyone."

"we don't have to." he shrugged his shoulders. "we'll just keep reading the comic." before relaxing back into the pillows of his bed.

but you couldn't leave it at that. "but you want to. you should go without me." feeling bad that you were restricting him from doing the things he wanted.

he could only chuckle lowly. "don't be silly, angel. wouldn't go nowhere without you." he didn't realise it, but truthfully, it had been the most comforting thing you'd heard all week.

you'd had so much worry caught in your throat about going out and meeting people that you began to think you were weighing the others down, too. "but i feel bad." you mumbled, voicing your feelings to the only person you felt like you could.

carl was quick to shush you. "i was just suggesting, maybe another day. y'know, now that i think about it, i'm kind of in the mood for hot coco and a movie, what d'you say?" though he was already getting up from the bed.

you sat criss-cross legged on the bed, practically pouting at him. "you don't like hot coco." you informed him, knowing what he was getting at.

"why can't you just let me do something nice for my pretty girl, hm?" lifting out his hand to you and letting you take it.

carl would never force you to talk to anyone.

a couple more days in the new community passed and rick was beginning to get worried. of course, he knew you and carl weren't normal teenagers, you never would be after the things you'd experienced in your lives. but he wanted you to be as normal as could be, and that included at least trying to make friends.

obviously, the man hadn't picked up on the obvious anxiety that followed you like a dark cloud over your head. so, he made arrangements with the blonde woman who lived down the street who had a son about your guy's age. who had a girlfriend and another guy friend. rick thought there would be no harm in at least meeting them. and if you came back to the house, not liking them, then he wouldn't force you guys to go back.

simple.

or at least it should have been.

you were sure you were shaking like a leaf by the time you made your way to the white door from across the street. worried you'd be looked at oddly, you didn't hold carl's hand, though you stayed silent, behind him.

the woman, jessie anderson, let you in with a smile on her face.

then you met her son, ron. "so mikey and enid are upstairs waiting for us, got some cool games if you play."

"uh, sure." as much as carl wasn't the awkward type, he still felt sort of odd in someone else's house. perhaps that was because he never experienced the whole 'teenager sleepover' thing.

you followed carl up the stairs, staying eerily close to him. you heard ron talk, even crack a joke. carl laughed and made a joke back. but truthfully, their words fell on deaf ears for you. your eyes travelled around the house, glancing to the family portraits hanging and so on.

you didn't look back until ron opened his bedroom door, allowing you both in and shutting it again. "hey guys." a boy with black hair whipped around and the girl who was sat on the bed, comic in hand, didn't bother looking up.

"oh, hey." the boy didn't exactly say hi to ron, more so to carl and you.

"hi." the girl spoke, not so much as looking away from the pretty coloured pages.

"so, this is mikey." pointing to the black haired boy who nodded swiftly before turning back to the gaming console he'd been playing on. "and enid." the girl who finally glanced up, eyeing the two of you before nodding. "and guys, this is carl and... sorry, what was your name again?"

three pairs of oggling eyes on you. you felt your own eyes widen and your mouth part, a little dry. suddenly, your own name was caught in your throat.

"y/n." carl responded for you, loud and proud as if he'd wanted to boast about you. "her name's y/n." instinctively, you found yourself shuffling closer to the boy, trying to make yourself as unseen as possible.

you swore you didn't leave his side the entire time you spent there. he got comfortable on the ground, back against the bed while ron sat above you two, at the edge, mikey on the desktop chair and enid, now on her second comic.

"so, how long you two been together?" you glanced up at the sound of mikey's voice. he was a well put together boy, expensive sweater and a collared shirt beneath. you were suddenly thankful for carl's dirty boots, cowboy hat and loose flannels. "been third wheeling these two for like forever. i know a couple when i see one."

carl and ron both huffed out a laugh, you did not. "yeah, we've been together for like forever too." carl's head turned to give you a graceful smile, one that had your cheeks turning a light pink before smiling back ever so softly. "hey, where's the, uh, where's the bathroom?"

you were almost tempted to grasp his arm and tell him you were coming with.

"just out the hall, first door to the right." ron answered, without taking his eyes off the screen.

"thanks, man." carl's baby blue's turned back to your nervous face. "i'll be back in a second, okay?"

you nodded, though you could feel the colour drain from your face without even looking in a mirror. carl left as quickly as he could, deciding that the quicker he left, the quicker he would be back. "so..." ron voiced again. you suddenly wondered how much he liked the sound of his voice, seeing as he wouldn't stay quiet for longer than a full minute. "not much of a talker?" you nodded your head softly before hearing the loud crash on the video game, jumping a little. "jumpy too huh?" you breathed out a sigh, shying in on yourself.

"don't worry." enid voiced, only now choosing to speak. "you get used to the noise again."

this caused your head to spin, what was she talking about. and without even having to ask, ron answered your question. "enid was on the roads too. i heard your group was on the road for a while, how was it?"

how was it?

"scary." you answered shortly, turning backwards and feeling your hands become clammy.

if there was one thing you wanted to forget, it was the roads. every day, it seemed as though you were loosing someone else. every day, you faced death and it stared you back right in the eyes. panic would come over you, wheeze it's way through your lungs.

carl would always hold you back, close to him as he stabbed his way through walkers with the others. but even that was a comfort to none.

every day, you were living, wondering if it'd be your last.

"i'll bet. i couldn't imagine living without my xbox." he snorted before pressing the shooting button again and letting bullets fly. it was now that you wished carl was next to you again, at least then you could squeeze his hand 'til it turned purple.

you wondered if everyone here was that shallow. if everyone only worried about their xbox or their stupid assets that in the long run, meant nothing.

"so, what do you think about alexandria?" this time it was mikey who'd asked the question.

"scary." you huffed out again. "but a different kind of scary."

"intimidating." enid answered for you. "it'll be like that for a while but you get used to it, just like the noise." you could tell that she was one of the good ones. the ones who don't care about silly things like objects. you could tell she'd seen the horrors you had, too.

"thanks." you mumbled, sheepishly glancing down to your fingers.

soon enough, carl returned from the bathroom, catching onto your face full of anxiety. he excused you both, stating that his dad needed help rearranging furniture or something or other. stupidly enough, the others believed you and soon bid a goodbye.

when you left, it felt like you could finally breathe again. you let out a breath of relief, fluttering your eyes shut and opening them again. carl was careful to peer at your face. "what'd you think?"

"the girl's nice." you mumbled.

"yeah? think so?" you could only nod in response. "well that's good, maybe you guys'll become friends. and the guys?"

you shrugged. "ron talks a lot." this caused carl to grin, a laugh puffing out from his cheeks causing you to do the same. it was much easier to laugh when it was just you and carl, even after everything you two had been through. "did you like 'em?"

"i guess." he gently nudged his nose against your cheek. "nothing compared to you, though." you couldn't help but roll your eyes, pretty smile dancing on your cheeks.

you huffed out again, noticing the way your chest suddenly felt clear of knots. "that was scary." you spoke honestly.

carl nodded his head, understanding that it wasn't exactly your thing. "it'll get better, though. just takes some getting used to." you couldn't agree more. "you're just having a little trouble adjusting, that's all. but you got me, right?"

the boy's elbow nudged you causing you to giggle softly and lean against his shoulder. "yeah, i got you."

he pressed a chaste kiss to the crown of your hair. "c'mon, let's go pick out another comic."

now that sounded like fun.

main masterlist/carl's masterlist

[moonlit-escape]

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ ⩩ Laurance Mystreet headcanons !!

my first favourite character. i love him way too much i get so excited and so embarrassed it sucks

6'0.7 (184.7cm)

hawaiian

bisexual (but he thinks he's the hetero one) (stupid bitch)

malewife by chance, manwhore by choice

still has punk ideals, just doesn't dress like it (the cons of growing up with a fashionista)

listens to grunge and punk rock bands (nirvana, green day, pearl jam, joy division. ykno, stuff i put in his playlist)

loves killer thriller movies the most, but he does really enjoy his and garroth's chick-flick movie nights

his favourite one is 13 going on 30 (jennifer garner and mark ruffalo,,, mm)

very adamant about equality and fairness. he has absolutely No Tolerance for stuff like misogyny, racism, or any sort of bigotry. everyone should be treated with basic respect, and he gets very cold and pissed off when he sees that they're not (yes, i loved the halloween episode where he got ticked off w ivan like yes king GET HIS ASS)

that's part of the reason why he left the shadow knights in hs; gene would lie and cheat and belittle people, and he wasn't about that

nowadays though, the two have more of like a friendly rival relationship now. they bond over bullying each other and beating each other in competitions (housewife competitions, mostly. but also video games) (and, on exactly One (1) occasion: drag)

he and gene also gang up on garroth for liking pokemon more than digimon

farm boy loves the smell of dirt and leaves and straw and grass and sun

has necklaces with feathers from all the chickens who have passed. any time one goes, his mom sends him a new necklace in the mail

favourite season is autumn because it has all his other favourite things: halloween, bats, roasted marshmallows, acceptable hoodie weather, and earthy smells

listened to a lot of fall out boy when he was a shadow knight. it used to be his favourite band, but since it was something gene hooked him on, he couldn't listen to it after he left which pisses him off so much bc he still thinks theyre really good

he does have an anxiety disorder, but sometimes uses a mask of smugness and egotism to cope with it. another thing he learned from gene

actually, from a young age up until about junior high, he had always been a very shy and reserved kid. cadenza was always trying to get him to come out of his shell, and she did manage to do most of the work (including getting him in trouble at home a few times), but it wasn't until gene, sasha, and zenix came along that gave him that final push

gets his baby brother once every month for a weekend to a whole week, depending on everyone's schedule. he Never lets the kid out of his sight now, and Absolutely doesn't leave him alone with anyone else but aphmau and zenix

despite his.. connection with gene, zenix was actually the closest to him in the group. and they quickly became friends again when they moved in

has a collection of fun novelty mugs (and a few that are handmade from his mother)

he was a cartoon network kid. i mean cmon, look at him.

he and katelyn gang up to dump adventure time lore on unsuspecting friends

not huge on superhero stuff, but he does prefer marvel (comics) over dc. the only dc thing he liked was the teen titans show

his favourite genre is apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic settings. especially ones where there's creatures (zombies, aliens, some horrific eldritch spawn, etc)

he would never admit it, but the feathers do actually work on him in a roundabout way.

i refuse to believe he doesn't have the finest ass.

[beesmygod]

"A GHOST STORY" IS A WEBCOMIC I MAKE THAT I WILL BE RE-POSTING, GRADUALLY.

i've been meaning to do this for a while, but keep getting cold feet over the prospect of having to both convince people to read my work and re-expose myself to my past artistic and narrative choices. but no one gets anywhere in entertainment by being shy.

on the left is the first page of my webcomic posted back in 2013-ish. on the right is a page from the redraw of the first chapter from 2018-ish. back when i first started the re-draw, a print version of the comic felt much less like a total pipe dream than it does today. the purpose of the re-draw was to fix the fact that the original pages were, as a result of artistic ineptitude, too dark to print. they would have been solid blocks of impenetrable black ink. however, a print version now feels impossible as a result of market realities. huge bummer. another reason these pages were hard to come back to is that they feel like brutal reminders of falling short of print quality even after a decade of work.

this is a bittersweet sort of trip down memory lane.

anyway, you can see some indications of improvement between the two, even if the new one lacks a sort of je ne sais quoi that the original had. it is clearer in action and intent, the lighting is more consistent and sensical (i would probably add a highlight layer to maxine's hair in the 5th panel if i were doing it today). the ladder is too big tho, i think. one of the perils of being a small person irl is that you draw things as the size you perceive them to be and not the size they actually are. this is especially obvious, for me, when i draw people next to countertops and have to remind myself that counters should be at people's hips and not their midsection.

anyway: here's the current character bios for these characters

the hand holding maxine's number is not her own. there's a barely visible (lol bad blocking) arm holding her in place for the photo. she's struggling and yellin

♥ read the comic: A Ghost Story ♥ support the comic for as little as $1 a month on Patreon ♥ pay what you want for the re-draw of the first chapter on itch.io

you can block the tag "#AGS repost" to keep this off your dash

[bestangelofall]

(inspired by that post you were talking about + other comments I’ve noticed around recently) I think it’s funny how people will conflate the word “abuse” with “assault” to make Jason look extra bad (he did not abuse Mia or Tim. He is not in an intimate relationship with them. He’s an enemy that attacked them, these are superhero comics you would not call Two Face Dick’s “abuser” be serious for one moment), but when it comes to situations where there is a relationship with an ingrained power imbalance (Bruce and his children for example), nobody knows how to use the word “abuse” anymore

People can't simply say they dislike a character because they don't vibe with them and that's it anymore. I just can't get behind that, personally. (But then again, for me, the worst sin a character can "committ" is being boring and uninteresting...)

Everything has to be dressed up in therapy speak and words that don't mean exactly what people think they mean... such as abuse, like you said, which would imply a power imbalance which does not exist between Jason and Mia or Jason and Tim (of course, though, if you want to write an *AU* where he gets into a relationship with either of those characters (or any other character), and abuses them due to the dynamic you're going to develop, I say go for it, you do you.)

Although *personally* I think it's kinda a bit out there to put Jason in the role of an abuser, tbh... he doesn't really have that kind of power over anyone (arguably he has over Bruce, but does he really? I think you could write him that way in fic and it would be reasonable depending on how you write it, because Bruce is (very) susceptible to some kinds of moralistic manipulation, but in canon, of course, we only see the opposite where the dynamic of Jason and Bruce is concerned (or Bruce any of the other "batkids").

The damage to fandom's perception of Jason simply because in a lot of his official art he looks like a forty year old is so bad (though I don't particularly think he looked that old in the GA issues in particular, from what I remember). (Or because he's ugly too, let's not forget that DC (well, actually, not exclusive to DC by any means) is always pushing the ugliness = evilness thing. And like, Jason is so ugly in a lot of his comics, including UTH).

And the damage that Teen Titans Vol 3 29 caused for the experience of being a Jason fan is... [redacted]

Also, let me take the opportunity to say that I don't think either of those situations were OOC for Jason. I mean, not that I've heard that many opinions that the GA issues were OOC for him, but I definitely have seen a lot of "Titans Tower was OOC, Jason would never." (that difference is, of course, due to the fact that a lot more people care about Tim Drake than about Mia Dearden, because both situations are quite similar).

*CANON* Titans Tower, as it happened (i.e. Jason beat Tim, skill issue, Tim was sassing Jason *while* being beaten) was not OOC.

Going back to the "abuse" thing, and also to the age-difference that people love to stretch - Jason was treating both Mia and Tim as equals when going after them like that... there wasn't in any way a vibe of "going after kids because they are easy" (and of course, if we analyse these events from the standpoint of Jason having been dead + catatonic for a long period, in the meta we could propose that that sort of idea would've never even crossed his mind).

*ALSO* you do you, and you write anything you want in fanfic. Believe me, I'm not a stickler to canon in the fanfic I read/write in most fandoms I'm in (and even if I were, the "you write whatever you want" still stands). And fandom is fandom, so of course a thing like Teen Titans Vol 3 29 would be explored to hell and back in fanfic. I just complain a lot about it because, mind you, I nowadays filter out Tim's character tag (unless I'm in the mood to maybe look for a Jaytim fic that I can read, since, on average, the Tim/Jason fics are better characterized than Tim & Jason ones), and I still get sooooo many fics where Jason is angsting about "the horrors he committed" there. I guess that made me bitter. But oh well... it is what it is.

Thank you for the ask! And sorry for derailing lol

[nipuni]

Some various lighthearted life updates 🏃‍♀️

It's been a very busy last few months! in a good way mostly. We had a friend visiting us from overseas so we showed him around the city and took him to all our favourite places. We also met new people and were invited to a bunch of events so it's been very fun! We are all out of social battery tho so now we are slowing down a bit and getting back to work. Nicolas is on a short work trip to Berlin and I'm back to painting. We also started running! aaand we are also back to watching a bunch of shows and to me talking about it here to like five people 😌

Under the cut cause it's a lot as usual!

We finished watching S13 of Doctor Who! (we still have the specials to go but after that we are all caught up!) I haven't updated in ages so here are lot of opinions!

We really did not enjoy S11 😞 I was aware it wasn't very popular but we were hoping it was for all the wrong reasons, sadly we found many to be valid. Some of the episodes were baffling, Rosa? Kerblam?! the writing of the whole season in general felt like a rushed school assignment. The first part of Spyfall was a strong start for the next season but that ending in the second part was really not it. We did love Sacha Dhawan's Master tho!! and we really love Jodie too, 13th is adorable and reminded us of Ten at times! Jodie is such a fantastic actress that it makes the quality of the writing and everything else around her even more frustrating 😫 S12 was an improvement in general. In the last few episodes It felt like the writing team suddenly remembered the companions could have a personality and agency lmao. Highlights for us were Spyfall one, Fugitive of the Judoon and Haunting of villa Diodati, tho we did also enjoy most other episodes of the season despite their issues.

The timeless child plot reveal felt a bit underwhelming? The idea on itself has potential but it felt mishandled (and it had a bit of a Moffat flavour to it? and not in a good way). I think it was meant to add more depth to the Doctor's lore but in a way it ends up having the opposite effect. Then the flux was just a complete mess. It read like a Marvel sort of plot, very comic book like which is alright I suppose if that is something you enjoy but it felt out of place. But mostly it was just way too much, it got out of hand. Anyway we still have the specials to watch! and I think the Master is in them so we are looking forward to it 🥰

We also watched Broadchurch!! and we LOVED it. We ended up binging all three seasons. Chibnall's writing on this is surprisingly great and Jodie's acting is spectacular she really shines here. Olivia and David are always brilliant!! honestly everyone's acting was amazing. This series had us both tearing up every five scenes. The direction and the music are outstanding. I could watch Hardy and Miller solve crimes forever I really love their chemistry and dynamic. We went into it expecting the usual detective fiction but it ended up being a whole study on grief with such a focus on family and community and trauma and a ton of touching interconnected character arcs, just really really good!!

Then we also watched Taking over the Asylum!! MAN we were not expecting to have our hearts wrung out like laundry by this!! We thought it was a lighthearted show!! GOD we are still not over it, what the fuck!! It was so good we loved it!! but we were not prepared lmao what do you mean 'the end'?? we'll be thinking of this for months, I was expecting an extra scene after the credits or something. Excellent characters, refreshing depictions of mental illness and trauma and so crushingly realistic. Every character is so loveable I really wish this was longer 😭

And our quest to watch everything with David Tennant on it continues. We watched Decoy Bride on Valentines day too and it was terrible but such a hilarious fever dream kind of bad that it was fun, it has David on it and he never disappoints. I feel so lucky that Nicolas and I are both in love with him, get yourself a man who shares your celebrity crushes lmao it's so fun!! We feel like teens again chatting about him and drawing little hearts next to his pictures haha 🥰 We watched the BAFTAs just for him and speaking of the baftas!! I was not expecting that last drawing of his outfits to get that much attention oh my god 😭 thank you!! you are all insane and I appreciate it so much!! and thank you for all the support in general, about my art and photos and just everything. I feel very lucky and grateful 😭 anyway I'll end this before I get sappy, that is all for now! I hope this week is kind to you all, I'll be sharing some more art soon 😊

[pluckyredhead]

Ngl do you think the relationship between Arthur and Garth has anything to do with how often at the time adopted children were and are considered not as “real” as biological children? Especially because the whole nuclear family BS. Not saying that’s all of it but I think it plays a role

Oh, 100%. I mean, look at this:

Arthur is willing to kill Garth to save Aquababy, because Aquababy is his son...with the implicit corollary that Garth isn't. The kid he has raised since, like, age 8, who has been by his side and living in his house all these years, is just...a sidekick.

(I think it's worth noting that Batman, who is not a good father, was once in a similar situation - Ra's al Ghul wanted him to pick whether Tim or Damian should die - and Bruce immediately chose himself. Arthur didn't even consider sacrificing himself for the boys. When you're a worse father than Batman, you know you've fucked up.)

I will say that in the early decades, comics only rarely explicitly referred to heroes and sidekicks as fathers and sons - you don't see it very often with Dick or Roy either. That's why all the sidekicks were wards and none of them were legally adopted. (Dick wasn't adopted until he was over 18; Roy never has been.) This was mostly to keep the heroes seeming young and fun instead of stodgy old dads.

But since the 70s on, Dick and Roy have been very frequently, explicitly stated to be Bruce and Ollie's sons, and the same is true for subsequent sidekicks: Jason was going to be adopted right away, Tim was going to be adopted whether he wanted it or not, Mia is clearly Ollie's daughter.

By contrast, I can only think of two times the Arthur/Garth dynamic has been described as paternal. The first is from Garth's debut:

HE IS SO TINY. Also I can't stop laughing at how Arthur's like "Fuck that noise." TERRIBLE.

I can't remember exactly when the other instance was, but I want to say it was Arthur calling Garth his son in like...the early 2000s? Maybe the Jurgens run? It would've had to have been before the 2003 run, because Garth was not putting up with Arthur's bullshit from 2003 on, and then the New 52 happened.

But yeah, they don't use those words for each other...basically ever. (Lorena and Jackson are also not Arthur's children. To be fair, Jackson has two very alive parents so Arthur being like "YOU ARE MY SON" would be weird and inappropriate.)

I think another factor, though, is that Arthur isn't just Garth's former mentor and guardian - he's his king. A lot of the time, Arthur has very cold, formal relationships with almost everyone in his life who isn't Mera (and sometimes even her) or a literal baby. There's a certain loyalty Garth owes Arthur - or at least both characters seem to feel Garth owes Arthur, whether or not you or I might agree with that - that has nothing at all to do with family.

We also don't really know the Atlantean norms around this sort of thing. Like, we can extrapolate things about Ollie and Roy's relationship that aren't written on the page, but do Atlanteans even have differentiations between ward, foster, and adoptee? Do they differentiate between adoptee and biological child?

And combining both of those ideas, Garth being considered Arthur's son might have political ramifications. Does that put him in the line of succession? The comics have been wildly inconsistent on this (Titans called him a prince this month and I yelled "EXPLAIN YOURSELF, TOM TAYLOR" at the page), but one could headcanon that Arthur has very deliberately avoided formally recognizing Garth as his son for political reasons. (Unless he has and that's why Garth is apparently a prince now, like he was in the Jurgens run but no other time in history. EXPLAIN BOTH OF YOURSELVES, TOM TAYLOR AND DAN JURGENS.)

Anyway yeah, I mostly think you're right that it's just anti-adoption prejudice, but there are some other factors that make this situation unique among the many, many mentor/sidekick relationships in comics.

[unfriedough]

Hi there!! Can I get a Zuko x water tribe reader! Where it’s set in LOK and he’s all old and stuff sadly reader passed from old age. And Like Bolin or Asami are friends with his grandkid or something And they ask about him and his s/o and how they were in the past when training or something thank you!!

An: ahaha. Sorry. THIS SUCKS BUT ATLEAST IT’S SOMETHING RIGHT??? 🥲🥲🥲🥲 I love u and I’m sorry 😢

Warnings: blood, injury, main character death (not specified how but I mean you are dead in this), old zuko.

COMIC SPOILERS MAYBE!!

The crease by his eyes deepened as his mouth pulled into a smile only elicited by your name.

“Yn?” He couldn’t help the chuckle, the bittersweet sound of your name rubbing salt in the still-fresh wound. “What about her?”

“What was she like back then?” Bolin asked.

Mako, his brother, poked him in the rib, shooting him a look of disapproval.

Promptly, the older man shook his head, white hair shaking along. He felt that familiar feeling rising in his throat as he tried to suppress those awful feelings. And still, the old man couldn’t resist a moment to bring up your absolute beauty.

“She was amazing,” that’s… all he could say.

“Oh. Umm, maybe I wasn’t specific enough… what was she like as a person?”

“Amazing.”

“As a fighter?”

“You won’t guess it.”

“Amazing?”

“No, why would you say that? She was intense and yet somehow super level headed," Zuko smiled at his trick on Bolin. Truth be told, he stole that joke from you, as with most of his jokes. Yours were just… funnier.

“What do you mean by level headed?”

“Quick on her feet, but not irrational. Like she was sharp and-and just this, this weapon,” he choked up, catching sight of a dainty little scar on his wrist. Zuko could almost feel your fingers graze his skin.

Mako put a hand on the man’s shoulder, offering him a comforting look.

“Was she good with weapons?” The young avatar asked, trying to get him back from his thoughts.

“Oh absolutely, if I had a coin for every time she almost killed me for scaring her, I’d be the richest man alive,”

“I love working with knives!” Asami commented, Zuko shook his head.

“Not just knives, swords, batons, literal sticks, that thing with the metal ball on it. Toph made that one for her.”

“For what occasion?”

“…war,”

“My bad,” Bolin laughed.

Zuko rubbed his hands together, he sat in front of Katara’s house, perched on the stairs. This time around, the water tribe weather was violent. The cold nipped at his fingertips and nose, the coats and gloves he layered maniacally providing some sort of warmth, but never enough. Never like your warmth. Your scarf was engraved with your name, a custom design you’d purchased a long long time ago. It’s a shame the smell wore off, he felt like he’d lost a piece of him that day.

He tilted his head downwards to stuff it more into the fabric, cheeks tinting pink from the furious ice.

“One time,” his voice was muffled, barely heard, “She almost killed a man without any bending or weapons, whereas he had both that, and maybe twice her skill because of fire nation training,”

“And how’d she beat him?”

The man smiled reminiscently, bringing his shakey finger up to his head, pointing at his forehead.

“She outsmarted him?”

“Yeah, the fire folks were uneducated at that time, instead of teaching them how to think with their heads, they thought with their fists. She won the second she saw his armour.”

“If he had weapons how didn’t he-“

“He did, she was badly injured, the rest of us were asleep and she was guarding the camp. She took three of them down with a nasty wound from the first guy,”

“They must've been terrified,”

“I think we were the most scared though, I woke up to her covered in blood with this unhinged smile.” He paused, “She took pride in her work,”

“Riiiiiggghhhtt,”

“Yn tied them up around a tree, like really well. I wonder if they ever escaped…”

“Do you know where they are?”

“Hopefully, somewhere far far away. Imagine your job asking you to attack a bunch of teenagers,” he scoffed.

“Toph wouldn’t like to hear that,” he flashed to remembrance of her earth bending academy, if she had heard him, she would’ve wiped the floor with his head.

He laughed, shaking his head, “No she wouldn’t,”

“Do you miss her,” Asami eased herself down, a few steps away from Zuko.

“Every single day of my life,” and every single second of it too.

“Sir, on a scale of one to ten,” Korra paused, “how likely was she to be able to beat me in a fight?”

There’s that avatar attitude, Zuko thought.

He stared at their intrigued faces, the avatar was powerful by all means. Strong, determined and brave. Could you have really been able to deal with her? Could you have actua-

“Ten.”

An: I tried to be super vague about what bending you’re supposed to have. Idk if that worked out.

[gayelderstourney]

OLD MAN YAOI BRACKET ROUND 1

Propaganda:

Ilya Tchaiko/Seichirou Agawa:

DEAR GOD BRO. you don't actually learn about the two of them until later in the manga but tchaiko is always talking about his record player that "an old friend" gave him and how much he loves music. in volume three we get some of their backstory and we find out it was seichirou that gave him the record player!!! we see them go on a few record buying dates and dancing together and it is truly unbearably sweet. i believe they are somewhere between 60 and 70? they met in college and have been together for 30 years, but seichirou got married and had a kid before then. in present day though seichirou is sick in the hospital. tchaiko visits him everyday though he makes sure he only visits when seichirou's son won't be there. this means he gets less time to spend with him :( finally, on the day of the main lesbian couple's wedding, tchaiko gets a text from seichirou's son saying he's in critical condition. tchaiko hesitates to go because he's scared but a mutual friend of theirs pushes him to go. when he gets there we get a sort of dream like visual where seichiro floats out of bed to hold tchaiko, looking how he did before he got sick, and they tell each other they loved spending their lives together. and then seichirou dies. it's soooooooooo sad that shit makes me cry every fucking time bro i cried getting the pictures but it's also soooooooo sweet love is so beautiful. AYUGH.

The manga has alot of different characters going through different things in their life, but all of these are different LGBTQ+ issues. These two are husbands who have spent most of their life together, and now have to accept that death will do them part. They often exchange classical music reccomandations that Tchaiko will play while Seichirou is in hospital and vice versa. Seichirou also has a son from a previous marriage so the manga touches on their relationship aswell. And (spoiler warning) but Seichirou dies from old age at the end of the manga and the scene is, while sad, also very heartwarming, as his son kind of realises the relationship the two of them have and tells him that "his favourite person is here"

Heavy/Medic:

They are referred to as boyfriends in an achievement (Beaux and Arrows) and on the official page for the End of the Line sfm it's described as "an action packed cinematic romp full of comedy action, romance action*, drama action, and actioney-type action.", there are no women in the sfm.

pretty sure they're both over 50 judging by some lines in the comic and their appearances (when the medic is asking satan to be put back on earth he says "another 50 years", implying he already lived for 50 years before he died). these two are typically seen together in canon as an unstoppable duo, and they are the KINGS of romanticizing surgery.

[sans-guy]

(explosion) butch info masterpost (explosion) I’ve been asked a few things a couple of times and i just wanna lay some stuff out about butch that doesn’t get asked just so u guys know. i'll update as needed (if i can remember) <3

I can’t say everything because sooner or later I want to create some kind of comic or fic, but can’t right now cus my brain sucks and i'm pretty busy irl

Here is his updated ref sheet How old: 30-ish How tall: 6'8"

He kills people???!?!?!? D: Yes. only people that really deserve it, he's not a mindless killer. Even though he's a butcher, killing isn't something he enjoys doing.

AND HE EATS THEM??! D: No. but he sells the meat to monsters that do, in an effort to get rid of evidence. he's not friendly with the monsters he does business with, and he does not sell to humans. The selling of human meat is a drug trade of sorts; and it is by no means an easy business to get out of.

lore and loreposts; -He needs glasses -How he lost his fingers

-He isn't too fond of humans.

-despite everything, he is goofy.

-extra info about relationships/"clients".

-he is not too socially inept, but prefers to keep to himself and not say too much, just the way he was raised. -he is a workaholic, preferring to stay either busy or asleep, despite occasionally getting sick from all the stress he's under.

-he is technologically illiterate, hates newer technology, but will still use a landline (for his friends or for work) and the library computers with help (to check emails cus the modern age is horrible and requires you to have an email) -he is very slow to make friends, but when he does, theyre very good friends, going as far to consider them his family. -he LOVES knives, and has a collection of unique knives (culinary/pocket knives/hunting knives etc) he's found or obtained from flea markets.

-because of the state of his right hand, he's technically ambidextrous, since he's had enough time to learn how to use his other hand, but still writes better with his right hand. he could use ecto fingers if he really wanted to, but he doesn't care either way.

-he lost a tooth rough housing with his brothers when he was younger (he has many siblings ((and his older brothers picked on him becus thats what loving siblings do <3 )) )

-his arms and hands are riddled with scars and cuts because thats what a lifetime of physical labor and 10 years working with sharp objects will do to u

-the gloves he wears are cutting gloves here's some fluffy small character stuff for him ive thought about, i'll update this list when i . remember what i posted lovers/trust/friendship can i draw butch (or any of your characters)??

can i draw butch kissing me/my insert?

i'm ok with most fanart, I love everything everyone makes of my guys!! but if ur not sure if i'll be comfortable with it, please just shoot me a message. i dont bite i promise *bats eyelashes* also its a given but no fanart or ships can be inserted into the canon sorry

edit; pls pls check out the #fanart tag, so many beautiful ppl have drawn/written so many beautiful things of my boy and they must be seen

[siphoklansan]

1,000 𝐟𝗼𝐥𝐥𝗼𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝗺𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝗼𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝗼𝐧🍾🎉

꧁𝐏𝐢𝐧-𝐂𝐡𝐚꧂

ปิญชาน์ (ทองคำ) ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

“Legends say that these signs are the births of angels.”

Height : 119 cm.

Birthday : 25th of January

Age : 8

Homeland : Unknown

Best Subject : Unknown

Club : Home Economics

Talents : Can clean very well

Hobby : cleaning, reading storybooks

Dislikes : crows

Favorite Food : Asian Pear (สาลี่), honey

Least Favorite Food : seafood.

꧁𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜꧂

- "𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝗼𝐝𝐲" The ability to summon small tiny golden spirits, about the size of wisps, by blowing a conch shell into a song. The user is then able to control these spirits. However, it is a docile ability. The spirits are too small to be aggressive. But who knows if they will grow larger by the age of the user….

- 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝗼𝗺 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 : Legends say that if a child is born from a conch shell, it means that an angel has been born. The truth in this legend remains unknown. However, due to Pin-Cha being born born from said conch, he has a unique ability to contact and communicate with spirits.

- 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 : Highly sensitive to magic and can see ghosts, spirits, demons, or supernaturals of the like.

꧁𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝗼𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐧-𝐂𝐡𝐚꧂

- Pin-Cha is inspired by a character from a Thai literature piece called “สังข์ทอง” (Sang-Tong). Which directly translates to “Golden Conch”. The story is about a woman who gave birth to a conch! It is also a legend that, as stated above, if a child is born from a conch (or if you gave birth to it) it means that an angel has been born! Kinda weird, but fascinating in its own way🕺✨

- That said, his name “Pin-Cha” means “Gold”. I was looking for synonyms for gold in Thai and thought this sounded kinda cute😭 his name kinda sounds like “pinch”. Gotta make a dad joke with that some day-

- I struggled a lot with his hair- it’s very different from the first draft. And his eyes were supposed to be big and round😞 but I still liked how he turned out! I’ll draw his OG eyes in comics next time💓

- In the story, from how I remember, every time the mother goes out, a young boy (Sang-Tong) would come out of the conch and start cleaning the house. He would immediately go back in once his mother comes back. That’s why I made Pin-Cha’s ability to be quite docile, so he can use those spirits to help him clean the halls of Royal Sword Academy🫶

- Pin-Cha doesn’t wear shoes. But he has these two rings on his ankles that have bells on them. So every time he walks runs, you will here TINGLE TINGLE TINGLKEKJTINGW TING TING TINGJNGJRIFJEKF yeah. That’s when you know he’s near 🔔

꧁𝐀𝐛𝗼𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐧-𝐂𝐡𝐚꧂

- He’s quite timid and shy, very soft spoken and polite. Pin-Cha is all-in-all a good boy— the golden boy of royal sword academy (some might say.)

- Pin-Cha has never known his parents. The only parental figure he’s ever had, and still has, is the headmaster of Royal Sword Academy. The headmaster is a father figure to Pin-Cha, and the boy wishes he could call the headmaster “papa” some day.

- The headmaster allows Pin-Cha to attend classes, and the boy does! Even though he doesn’t understand what the lessons are all about, he still likes to observe how a lecture works. But he usually cleans the academy most of the time.

- Although Pin-Cha is a sweet boy, he sometimes wishes he was….cool.

- Because when he was allowed to visit Night Raven College, he immediately laid eyes on a rowdy group of students. A red-haired boy with a heart on his cheek, another boy with a spade on his cheek, a young girl and a…talking cat?

- He saw how much they laughed together. He saw how much they do all sorts of weird things— especially that talking cat and the girl. Pin-Cha just wished he could climb trees and act crazy like they do.

- And then he began his “rebellious” journey….the most he did was eat pizza with a fork (he thought that was evil.)

- Pin-Cha still has a long way to go , it seems!✨

Bonus!✨ (this is the first draft a d full-body)

*cue me taking off my glasses in shock while staring at the screen* BECAUSE WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL I DID NOT EXPECT MY ACCOUNT TO GET SO FAR??? I SERIOUSLY CANNOT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME AND ENJOYING MY WORKS!🥹💓 Seriously, though. I’m really grateful for you all! All the reblogs and comments always make my day. And thank you so much for being patient (again) for putting up with my hiatus-ass cuz damn commissions are beating my ass up (as well as school and burnout but we don’t talk about that—)

Anyway, I still have a lot- and I mean A LOT of more works up my sleeves like the late Anan birthday card, a mutual of mine’s birthday art, two big projects and many more💖💖 I hope you guys enjoy this little cutie patootie while I clear up all my commissions so I can come back online again💞💞🥹🫶🫶

[freddie-77-ao3]

sup yall we're vibing here

anyway. hey, my name's freddie, and i'm finally trying to write an actual intro/master post which... we'll see how this goes.

important stuff is highlighted in orange.

so, basic stuff:

as I said, my name's freddie. he/him pronouns. i'm a college student (majoring in accounting, might add a psych minor). not gonna say which college but i'm currently in california.

i've been on tumblr since 2019 i think? not under this account, this started as a fandom account and then spiralled out of control... really fast. um, my regular tumblr which i've not actually opened in ages is @chronicchthonic14 so. yeah.

not particularly relevant to this blog, but i might mention it at some point so, i have autism and adhd. and some other things but. like. that list is very long and those are the two most relevant because i promise if i come off wrong/mean, i didn't mean to, i just forget to make my words normal. but. those are the two most referenced. if for whatever reason someone wants to know more or has questions you can send an ask ig?

i'm scottish, born there. moved to US when I was four. finishing uni and moving back.

some quick warnings

this blog definitely contains cursing/vulgar language, whatever you want to call it, so if you're not comfortable with that, probably not the blog for you, as i don't tag cursing or anything for you to filter out.

if, for whatever reason, if i ever reblog something that contains a slur (against racial minorities, queer people, anything) i will ABSOLUTELY tag that though.

also if anyone has any trigger warnings they think any content needs, please let me know-- asks, dms, comments, reblogs

the cursing thing also applies for sort of dirty jokes? think that only applies to like. two posts and very not explicit. those aren't currently tagged but if they get any more explicit they certainly will be.

queer identity because the explicit reminded me, i'm asexual, and probably straight. maybe bi? dunno, don't particularly care. and i'm trans. ftm. this isn't the blog i talk about that on usually though, unless it relates to a specific ask or a fandom thing.

which, getting into what this blog is for because i can't think of anything else i need to add here (guys let me know if i forgot important stuff, please, i'm an idiot!!! i will forget the important stuff and write random shit instead!! i've already deleted three tangents from this!!)

sooooo

fandoms!! ones i write and/or post about or will potentially post about

percy jackson extending to hoo, toa, tkc (definitely post way less about this), mcga (again, way less). haven't read TSATS or COTG yet, but spoilers are fine. i post way more about minor characters. write fanfiction for and have some posted (both on here and ao3) and a bunch of snippets.

dcu-- films, comics, animated shows, all of it. personally, my favorites are young justice (the comics, not show version), new teen titans, and batman inc (batgirls, nightwing, and red robin esp). late 90s yj run is my favorite, and i loved the DCeased event. favorite batman comic is definitely court of owls run. no fanfics posted, but some on docs.

mcu-- way less so, but have a stucky oneshot. slowly making my way through in timeline order.

throne of glass. i'm an aedion and chaol apologizer because they do a bunch of dumb shit but then WHO DOESN'T in this series. fanfics in doc, not posted.

this would go on for ages if i listed everything so instead, here's an ask i answered on my fandoms/genres and everything. feel free to send me asks about anyone. if you send me something about radium girls i may cry though (tears of joy) so there's your advanced warning.

main things you'll see on my blog are incorrect quotes, snippets, and the occasional fic

this^^

my... idk, contact policy? seriously what do i word this

asks are always open, anon is on.

if you send hate... whatever. i'll probably delete it.

unless i find it funny. then I'll post it. there's really little you could say to me that would hurt.

when i say asks are always open, you can drop anything you want.

literally anything

you need to vent? want advice? want to request headcanons? request a fic? give me a prompt? ask random things about me? something else I've forgotten? go right ahead

if you want to ask me to update my fics? go right ahead. sometimes i forget i didn't post something.

send as many asks as you want, i don't care if it might be spam

i can't promise i'll respond to asks in a timely manner, sometimes i open my inbox and forget they exist for months, i'm sorry. if it's something you really want answered you can send another one

dm's are alright? if you want to be friends or something, go right ahead.

anyone can reblog any of my posts/comment/heart, i don't care. you want to heart 50 things in a row? i adore you. if i had kids, you would get my firstborn

if we're mutuals you can ask for my insta/give me yours.

now, other accounts:

anyway, i think that's it?

[ihopesocomic]

Poor baby Hope :( I mean it's possible that there's a way for her to get out of this (she's main protagonist after all) but still seeing her in so much pain and misery makes me so terribly sad. I want to create my OC just to appear in your comic and kick Jasper and Edge's asses. But Hope is such a stubborn girl, she still tries to fight. You made a great character and story.

And well now we see kids' reaction. As a matter of fact, they were brought up in an environment full of plotting, dominance and aggression. And some people (or lions like their parents) probably think that their kids are quite desensitised to this. Well, seems like it's not true.

Bright, despite being rather eager to fight and inflict pain, is petrified, Fade refuses to look as it brings to much horror (also I remember him making eye contact with Hope looking unsure? kinda im sorry way? and then breaking it, but there was a connection enmcen if for a second), and Radiant, who is rather indifferent most of the time, has this stare that I can't really describe but I fully understand. It's sort of like trying to detach yourself from the situation but you just can't, like you can't find any explanation for why it is happening.

And all for good reason. Edge is torturing a young lioness, who is very close to Bright's age. It isn't Edge doing business with Jasper, adult lion, it's their peer. And it isn't a quick death either, he's prolonging it. I don't know if the Light Siblings have ever seen their dad like that. I mean he definitely killed lions before and they definitely saw the way he runs his business. Now I wonder if they've personally seen him killing other lions cause I remember him telling his kids to go away while he was talking business with Jasper, but maybe it was this once it happened like that. Bright and Fade's reactions tell me that this isn't something they see often, but idk

Yee thank you so much, anon. Nothing really to add to this analysis but I love reading y'all's reactions to the Light Siblings and how they're reacting to all of this.

We originally planned for them to be older and a lot more ruthless but we realised it didn't line up with some things that we wanted to do with them so we made them younger and a bit wet behind the ears. They're no stranger to murder and death, obviously but they've always been raised to respect their enemies and there's not a whole lot of that going on here at all.

It's also a different story when a jerk like Jasper is getting his due because he willfully stood by and allowed his daughter to be murdered but somebody like Hopeful who is trying to defend her sister? Yeah, this isn't fun and jokes anymore. oof

But thank you all for super thoughtful anons like this one. We love to see it. <33 - RJ