#colors was one of his hyperfixes for a while and he still knows the names

[kiss-dumbbunnies]

[shouyuus]

colorimetery

kuroo; 1,843 words; fluff, lapslock, no "y/n", abuse of extended metaphors, none of this makes sense, kenma is the most in-touch person in this entire fic and that should tell you something, awk!kuroo, whipped!kuroo

summary: in which kuroo is down bad for you and nothing much else happens

a/n: @seiwas this is for u! u asked for kuroo and i humbly deliver :) hope u liked it bby; fun fact, a lot of these colors are pulled from the gamblin oil paints website bc i love their paints and also i love the thought that a lot of pigments were poisonous way back when and ppl were just... casually poisoning themselves while making their art; there's a metaphor in there somewhere... but i'll leave that up to interpretation lol

─── 鉄朗 THERE ARE COLORS he doesn’t know the names for, just like there are birds who will sing songs that no human will ever understand, but somewhere between the viridian of a sun-lit forest and the minor trill of a mockingbird’s call, he finds the shape of you.

and he doesn’t remember exactly when he’d started feeling like this, only that he’d woken up one day to a pastel sky, heard the tell-tale blip of a message from you, and felt his entire body flush vermillion, hard enough to poison.

c’mon, bedhead. time for school.

he grins down at the message, his lips pulling wide, his fingers still blunted by his honeyed dreams (how many of you? don’t ask him — he’s long since lost count) as he types out a reply.

be there in three.

he stumbles out of bed in the raw sienna sunrise, pulling on his uniform pants, shoving the hems of his un-ironed white shirt into the waistband before dashing out the door. he finds you haloed in liquid gold, standing on his doorstep, flicking through your phone before you notice him and your face breaks into an earth-rending smile.

kuroo feels dizzy, punchdrunk, a sake-shot of fire sizzling down his front till it pools in the base of his belly as he pulls on his shoes and tries to hide behind a well-timed cough.

“c’mon, we’re gonna be late.” he brushes passed you, but not before reaching out to ruffle at your hair, savoring in the midnight-soft of your tresses as it slips through his fingers.

you bicker the entire way to school, picking up kenma somewhere along the way. he casts you both a tired, reproachful look before slouching off ahead of you, content to resume whatever game he’s currently hyperfixating on while you and kuroo snipe at each other a few steps behind him.

“you could just ask her out,” kenma says during free period, his eyes never leaving his phone screen as he mashes at the attack button, watching the health bar of the boss monster dwindle even as kuroo makes an indignant sort of choking noise.

“w-what? she’s just — she’s just a friend.”

but at the scathing look kenma darts his way, kuroo finally relents.

“i — we’ve been friends for so long i just… i don’t wanna fuck it up, y’know?” he cards a hand through his already mussed up hair, eliciting a string of giggles from a cluster of girls sitting behind them, heads bent in towards one another, their long hair swishing like willow branches in a mid-autumn breeze; but neither of them take notice.

kenma heaves a world-weary sigh, grimacing as a large WIN!! image flashes across the face of his phone and he slumps back to frown at kuroo.

“i feel like you’ve built up enough affection points to unlock whatever good ending she’s got for you by now, so,” he pins kuroo with a pointed look, “i don’t think she’s gonna say no.”

kuroo can only blink, his mind churning around this strange yet apt analogy.

“aw man, you’re the best, y’know that?” he laughs, reaching over to catch kenma in a headlock, digging his knuckles into the crown of kenma’s head even as he struggles fruitlessly to get free.

it is in the cadium orange glow of sunset, after your art class and his volleyball practice, that kuroo finally works up the courage —

“hey uh — can i ask you something?”

you hike an eyebrow, a dangerous grin sharpening the shape of your lips.

“didn’t you just?”

kuroo lets out a frustrated sigh, “fuck you, you know what i meant.”

you laugh, the timber of it ringing through him like church bells on a sunday morning, and suddenly, he wonders if this feeling might be what inspired the ancients to worship at the feet of so much divinity — just this, the giddiness and anticipation, the knowledge and uncertainty. this, the insurmountable weight of something (call it love or infatuation, he doesn’t care) pressing down on his chest hard enough to rob him of every last breath.

he think that perhaps this is all anyone’s ever needed to start believing in magic.

“okay, okay,” you say, stifling a grin behind pink-pursed lips, “what did you wanna ask?”

“go out with me,” kuroo blurts out, well before he can stop himself. and he almost wants to sink into the earth with the way his entire body goes hot, the aftermath of a tectonic shift, the pluming heat of a volcanic hiccup.

you stare up at him, your expression curiously blank as he watches you, desperate for any sign of your answer, the most minuscule tells of how you might be feeling.

finally, you cock your head and ask, “was… there a question in there somewhere?”

kuroo almost swears*. almost*.

“fuck — fine! i meant — will you —”

“yes.”

“— it’s just i’ve — wait, what?” kuroo freezes, staring down at you with slack-jawed disbelief, blinking as if he doesn’t quite understand what you’re saying.

you allow yourself a smile, and kuroo feels his insides melt to something very much like molten marshmallows.

you let out a sigh that sounds remarkably like kenma’s — exasperated and amused in equal measure — before glancing back up at him with a bashful smile.

internally, kuroo wonders if this is what being “k.o-ed” feels like and he resolves to be just a bit more merciful to all of videogame opponents.

“i said yes, you big volleyball-obsessed oaf —”

“oh,” kuroo says, still not quite sure what he’s supposed to do from here.

you roll your eyes and turn back towards the sidewalk, taking a few steps before twisting your head to look at him.

“aren’t you gonna walk me home?”

kuroo nearly trips in his eagerness to level himself with you, but once he does, he straightens his shoulders and puffs out his chest.

“so —” he says, in a stab at his usual carefree bravado, “do i get to call you my girlfriend now?”

you shrug, “sure, if you want to.”

kuroo deflates ever so slightly, “what? you don’t want me to?”

you slant him a look that makes his knees turn to jelly.

“yeah, i do. but that won’t matter if you don’t, right?”

“i — i do!”

“so then…”

you turn your back on him again, though he’s sure this time he catches it — the dash of sweet magenta, swept across your lips like a kiss, or a promise.

or, the thought licks up the back of his throat, tantalizing — the promise of a kiss.

“oi.” he jogs to catch up with you, reaching out to sling an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in to press his lips into the thick of your hair, breathing you in, losing himself in the familiar smell of your shampoo — green tea and apples, or something of the sort.

you laugh, and he basks in the sound.

by the time he walks you home, the street is gilded in goldenrod yellow, your shadows stretching long beneath you, the slant-wise light painting everything in an ethereal glow.

“well,” kuroo says, shoving his hands into his pockets, if only to keep them from fidgeting, because guys like him don’t get nervous. at least, not like this.

“well,” you echo, letting your voice linger over the ‘l’, letting it twist around your tongue, the sound lulling at the top of your palette till kuroo feels his stomach catch.

“see you tomorrow?” he asks, cursing himself internally for sounding so uncertain. since when has he been so uncertain?

your lips twist into a tease, just a fish-tail flicker, and kuroo knows he’s done for.

“do you wanna stay for dinner?” you ask, just as he opens his mouth.

“unless you don’t —” his voice jerks into an abortive breath.

somewhere behind him, a raven fluffs out it’s feathers on the low-cut wall that separates your house from the rest of the street. a single black feathers flutters to the ground, dark as an oil spill.

“unless i don’t what?” you ask.

kuroo swallows around his thundering heartbeat, feeling the last dregs of sunlight seep from the far horizon.

“i was gonna say… unless you — you didn’t wanna say goodbye,” he admits, his eyes flicking away from your face if only to give himself a momentary reprieve from the intensity of your gaze.

you purse your lips, shrugging up a shoulder, a single lock of hair slipping from its place behind your ear.

“i never do. c’mon — or else they’ll start eating without us.”

kuroo is speechless as he watches you make your way up the shallow steps to your door, glancing over your shoulder towards him. he doesn’t know how many times he’s stayed over for dinner, how many times he’d lingered in the perfumed warmth of your room while you showered, flipping absently through the latest volume of jump, how many times you’d fallen asleep with your damp hair slowly soaking into his school uniform.

he couldn’t count them all if he wanted to. and he doesn’t really want to.

he takes a breath and takes the front path two steps at a time, leaping up the staircase with a smirk as he skims his palm along the top of your head. you make a sound like an annoyed hamster and kuroo allows himself a laugh that bubbles up and up and up till it’s spilling over, till he pushes open your front door and is greeted with the familiar sandalwood radiance of your front hallway, the light pooling around his ankles as he toes off his shoes.

“hey,” you say, and he turns around, only to find you leaning up on tip toe to brush your lips against his.

he freezes, but you’re pulling back already, shrugging off your coat, shouldering off your school bag and shouting down the hallway to ask what’s for dinner, and to say that kuroo’s here.

kuroo finds himself caught in the sharp cerulean blue of your laughter like the rain-washed sky, the smoke-ridden darkness in the shades of your eyes, he turns to see you blushing, even as you motion for him to follow you into the dining room. he does, only tripping over himself once (though he’s been feeling wobbly since this afternoon, when he’d resolved to ask you out in the first place).

and he tells himself that, yes, there will always be colors he doesn’t know the names of, bird songs he will never be able to understand. but colors, he can learn. and as for the birds — well, he figures that they’re all probably singing about falling in love anyway.

TAGLIST: @yaoduriaa @ominouslywritinginmyhead @naomihatake @cheesypuffkins87 @crispynutella @dira333 @stunies @phroggii @fennecnco @encrytpta @simpingdailyforthem @ryescapades -- join the taglist!

[nimpnawakproduction]

The ultimate reference sheets for all of Vash's outfits in Trigun maximum (with commentaries)

IT IS DONE. I'M FREE. Now I can forget all about Trimax and draw Trigun stampede designs only hahaha (just kidding I have things for Trimax on the stove).

Trigun bookclub was an awesome initiative, I loved the manga with my all heart and wanted to honor Nightow's designs ;w; I also wanted to help my fellow artists with references for Vash's clothes because DEAR GOD it's difficult to understand how the hell he dresses himself in the morning. I have a lot of fun dressing and undressing him like a barbie doll. My hyperfixation is completely healthy.

I put a "read more" section to avoid spoilers :) !

The July coat

The very first coat in Trigun chronology and the one he wores during the destruction of July ! There is not a lot of panels to take references but I tried to stay as close as possible to the manga. I don't know what number of prosthesis he had before but let name this one Prosthesis 1.

Scars map

Next, nakey Vash ! There's A LOT of changes between one panel to another. Scars changes places and forms panel to panel and the design evolved from the first chapters of Trigun, the time we see him naked as Eriks and his undressed state while he was a prisoner on the Ark. I drew the scars that appeared more than once or were in clean view in a panel (but really you can do like Nightow and draw as many scars as you want without thinking about consistency, this boy has been in a meat grinder)

After July underclothes

Or the jumpsuit that gave me grey hair. His suit does not make ANY sense, I don't know how the hell he dresses himself in the morning with this. My solution is that it's very long gloves and chaps strapped to a belt. The position and shapes of the belts changes IN EVERY PANEL. Same for his knee guards, sometimes they're here, sometime they cover his shins, sometimes they are tiny..... I gave up in the end and draw them as we see them in the very last panel he wears this suit. But damn he looks good in it.

Also in all of the 13 volumes, there is not a single panel with a clear view of his holster (I checked...) so here is my interpretation.

This is prosthesis n°2, the design is a little different from the first one so I guess Prosthesis 1 got destroyed (this happens a lot).

After July coat

The very first Trigun coat he wears in the manga ! Very simple, very basic, it gives him impossibly wide shoulders but Vash deserves it. The first one is worn Post July until Vash's confrontation against Brilliant Dynamite Neon. The second one is the state of his coat after the sandsteamer incident. He loses his prothesis after his fight against Monev the gale. He meets Wolfwood with only one arm and stays that way while he fights Knives for the first time.

Eriks

I took liberties with colors because there's no colored panels with Vash as Eriks. Yes I drew him without suspenders because he has them for like 5 panels and then Nightow drew him without them for the rest of Eriks arc so I made choices ;w;

I love the fact that Vash choose to wear tight jeans even in his casual outfits, this boy will not let his skin breath. This is now Prosthesis 3 ! It's way less advanced than the ones he wore in the rest of the manga, the other ones seem to replicate skin.

After his years as Eriks

And now the first Maximum coat, he wears it until the famous Yuri hospital arc! Finally an undersuit that makes sense, I love it, too bad Nightow-san decided that I had to suffer and changed it again to add BELTS EVERYWHERE. We only see his legs in this part of the manga so I gave him the same top because I can.

The tubes he has on his waist are filled with bullets, he can connect them to his prosthesis to have a mini machine gun.

We are now at Prosthesis 4 !

Hospitalization on the Home ship

The famous Yuri hospital phase! Vash definitely shared his wardrobe with Wolfwood, you can't tell me otherwise.

The first outfit still shows Prothesis 4 but he keeps it for like 5 minutes and lost it again against Nine-lives. I don't really know if the prothesis comes with the integrated glove or if there's synthetic skin under it but why would he keep the glove on if it's not intergrated?

The second pictures is the different outfits he wears during his convalescence. I took liberties with the colors, I drew this in like 10 minutes, everything seems easy when you don't have to draw BELTS. We are now on Prothesis 5 ! Nightow drew it as a regular arm so I guess Vash wears gloves on top of it??????

Back on the road in pursuit of Knives

He wears this one after his stay at Home, throughout the Dragon's nest ark and until his 2nd fight against Knives.

I liked the design of his jumpsuit until I looked closer at the panels and saw that the design change ON EVERY ONE OF THEM. Knee guard on only one knee? No kneeguards? Two??? WHO KNOWS ??? I tried to make it work but really go wild with this one, even the author does not know how his pant looks.

Still prosthesis 5, BUT UNTIL WHEN?

Prisoner on the Ark

THEY MASSACRED MY BOY. Did they even feed him at least in 7 months? Those pictures are the definition of the drenched kitty cat left under the rain. Give this man a blanket and a therapist.

Bye bye Prothesis 5 ! And see what I mean when I say that his outfit does not make sense????? It comes out in parts????

After his imprisonment on the Ark

The last suit in the manga! He keeps this coat until the end of the story. From this point, only his hair changes (or the color of his coat).

I adore the little angel wing symbol on his left arm, such a cute addition. Too bad it appears in one of the most traumatic event of his life.

Speaking of his jumpsuit...The return of belts.... But at least this outfit stays relatively coherent except for his kneeguards who appear and disappear panel from panel but most of the time he doesn't have any, so no kneeguard it is. Prosthesis 6 hello !

Final battle and end of the story

It hurted to drew those outfits ;w; And working on the design of his coat when he fights Legato made me realize where Orange studio took inspiration to chose the colors for Vash's coat in the final episode of Stampede ! Great job ! I tried to color the same effects as one of the illustrations showing dark Vash but I'm not really good with colors..... He actually radiates energy but with some purple undertones, I took some liberties because those are my drawings I do what I want.

I'm not sure at 100% that he has a tuft of blond hair left when his outfit turns black but his hair is all black at the end of the fight. His prosthesis is destroyed at the end of the fight. He got another one in the final chapter. So 7 prosthesis throughout the story!

[pinksugarscrub]

Hi, pinkie!! This may be weird but happy birthday :D wishing you all the best things and wishes 🫶🏻

(Silly Hobie wishes you happy birthday as well)

(Look at him being silly)

Like The Movies

Hobie Brown x fem! reader (college au)

Hi my love! 🤍 Thank you so much for the well wishes. It isn't weird!! 😠 Who told you that?? As promised, "loser" Hobie to celebrate. (I love my silly little guy. I'm putting him in my pocket).

I just want to say, to everyone who asked what would happen if I didn't win ( @hyperfix-wip )- I guess we'll never know 🤷‍♀️

word count: 1,7k+

cw: dorks, the lot of them

~

The smell of butter soaked popcorn has been stuck to Hobie’s clothes for hours now. Along with a straining headache. Rubbing his temples he tries to focus on the ugly red carpet instead of the screen at the cash register.

Ten more minutes then he was home free. Excluding the quick stop he was going to make to the video game store across the mall. The missing piece for his game cube was finally in stock.

He was debating grabbing pizza from the food court too but with his roommate gone for the weekend what was the point? Hobie really wishes Ned well but he’s disappointed that he’ll be spending his time off without his best friend.

It’s times like these that he wishes he was closer to his family. Deciding and then being accepted to attend university here in New York is a mixed blessing.

He’s learning incredible things, meeting new people, and living on his own. On the other hand, he’s still new to the US and its customs.

It’s exhausting after a while and he can’t even be comforted by anything other than the things he brought with him from Camden.

A beep from his watch alerts him that his shift is over and Hobie doesn’t waste a second in clocking out and discarding the thing he calls a uniform. He’s still polite of course. Says his goodbyes and wishes everyone a happy holiday despite not celebrating Thanksgiving himself.

He must look tired because most shoppers steer clear of him. At the most he’ll receive two or three compliments on his outfit. Or maybe they’re just preoccupied with the sales and discounts going on in various stores.

He mutters an apology as he brushes past a group to step inside the brightly colored store with posters and ads for the newest game. Hobie has learned Christmas lights in November is normal. He cringes as he hears a popular pop song play through the speakers. It’s maybe the twentieth time today he’s listened to it.

“Hobie, hey! Give me a sec.” Ganke pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Gesturing to the box Hobie presumes holds his order. “I’ll ring you up as soon as I can.”

“Course, no rush.”

And Hobie means that sincerely. There’s more than four customers in line with a dozen more circling figures and t-shirts. He may be tired but he knows well enough how demanding customer service can be.

To add a little more reassurance to Ganke’s mind, Hobie points to a random section of games. “I wanted to take a look around anyway.”

Ganke nods with a grin that never seems to fall from his face.

Hobie would consider this store his second home. He is on a first name basis with Ganke and he was even invited out by the younger boy to a flea market. They both shared a love for retro and vintage. Hobie met a friend of his too, Miles. It was the most fun he’s had since his arrival in August.

A sigh leaves his lips as the section he had planned to browse is blocked by a group of teenagers and yes, he himself is a teenager but something about American air made people lose their common courtesy.

He spins, planning to give up and just wait by the counter when something smacks into his chest. Not hard but definitely strong enough that the person who walked into him is sent stumbling back.

An apology spills from his lips and he’s met with one himself. The air from his lungs leaves his chest as he comes face to face with a girl. He knows you.

He knows because he shares a music composition class with you. He remembers because he embarrassed himself in front of the class. Hobie’s only ever written baselines so orchestral music has been a struggle for him.

“Why are you sorry?” You laugh softly. Fixing the bag on your shoulder full of pins and charms. “I bumped into you.”

“Are you ok?” You ask and Hobie isn’t sure what to do next.

He’s mortified that the only interactions he’s had with you (which are far and few) are so embarrassing.

Hobie may or may not think you’re cute. It would be stupid of him not to notice you.

It’s not like he has a chance with such a pretty girl but he can at least not look like a fool in front of you every chance he gets.

“Uh yeah,” he falters, “I’m fine. Are you…ok?”

“Me?” You point to yourself in confusion.

“Yeah,” he repeats. “Did I nick you or something?”

“Oh.” You laugh again as you take in the patches and safety pins on his vest. “I think we’re good.”

When you stand on the tips of your toes Hobie understands what you mean and his ears grow hot with embarrassment.

Hobie is aware he’s tall enough to be a basketball player but compared to you he’s never realized quite how tall he is.

You smile and think about how cute his reaction is. Hobie isn’t shy, not by any means. You’ve seen him with his friends around campus. But you can understand how being out of your element can leave you walking on eggshells.

Classical music is the soul of your being. Movie scores to be more specific, not to mention game sources. You haven’t quite decided what route to take but for now you’re content with going back to the basics and writing Bach inspired pieces.

“Hey, I really liked your presentation. Did you get a good score?”

“I did, yeah.”

Hobie thinks you must be lying to avoid making him feel bad. The professor too because he earned almost full marks.

He doesn’t understand why when his piece was so…awful. Nothing like yours or Flash Thompson’s.

“That’s great! I liked the third movement. It reminded me of um…” You snapped your fingers. “Bowser’s theme. You know, from the first Mario game?”

Hobie doesn’t mean to, he really doesn’t, but he laughs.

“What? I’m serious!” You grin as you reach for your phone. Insistent to make your point and be proven right.

“You can’t be.” Hobie almost guffaws. “It was a dumpster fire!”

“Was not!” You argue. Bringing your phone up to his ear after furiously typing.

Hobie looks at you in surprise. Stuck between your outstretched hand and your determined face. After a supportive nod from you and a smile he slowly leans down to listen.

You pause on certain points of the video. Rambling on about concepts the two of you have learned but obviously you know better.

The video takes exactly three minutes and fifty three seconds but you managed to lengthen the amount of time it would normally take to finish and soon enough he realizes you’re not just cute. You’re cute and you like games.

You weren’t trying to make him feel better you were making honest and valid points.

Now he feels like an ass for laughing so he’s quick to wave his white flag in surrender.

“Alright, alright. You win love. Has anyone ever told you you’re a bold little thing?”

“I have been called that on occasion, yes.”

Hobie hums. His lips tugging into a smile. “Don’t ever change.”

Butterflies erupt in your stomach as you return his smile. “I won’t, promise.”

“What are you in here for if you don’t mind me asking? Aside from analyzing my music.”

“I don’t mind at all,” you answer. Feeling giddy. “There’s a poster I’ve been looking for and- tada.”

Hobie chuckles at the glee on your face as you hold up your prize.

“Is that right? Congratulations.”

“Thank you kind sir,” you giggle. “I was just heading over to pay when I bumped into you.”

“Guess it was a good thing I kept you occupied,” Hobie replies. “Line is gone now.”

You turn your head. Peeking over his shoulder to see the register is indeed free now.

“It appears so.” You tap his shoulder with the end of the rolled up poster. “Thank you again. You’ve done me a great honor sir.”

You relish in how much you’ve made Hobie laugh in the last few minutes you’ve talked. You’re disappointed this all has to end now.

Hobie snickers before bowing mockingly. “After you.”

You curtsey in return before walking over to Ganke. You’ve seen him a few times. Normally you come to the mall on weekends not weekdays but with the holidays coming up you had a few days off. Best to take advantage right?

Declining a bag you wait patiently for Ganke to finish the transaction but then he interrupts you from paying.

“Wait hold on, you have a birthday reward today.”

“Do I? Huh, I didn’t know the store had one.”

“Well, now your total comes down to less than ten dollars.”

“Sweet! Thank you.”

You step aside, thankful for Ganke’s chatty behavior because it give you an excuse to stay though Hobie’s own purchase. Both boys including you in their conversation about Hobie’s soon to be fully functioning game cube. Then you’re both walking out the door.

“So…” Hobie clicks his tongue. Anxious as the plastic bag he carries weighs down his hand. “Where are you off to now? Friends waiting at that nice restaurant?”

You shake your head, pointing to the direction of the movie theater. “Nope, there’s a screening for one of my favorite movies. It starts in about…ten minutes.”

Hobie’s eyebrows raise. “By yourself?”

“Mhm, was just killing some time.”

Hobie is at a loss for words. Spending your birthday alone sounds cruel. You deserve to have cake and gifts—the whole package. However it’s then that Hobie realizes he isn’t the only one who could be away from home.

“Mind if I come with you?” He blurts out.

Your eyes widen and in your stunned silence you feel the excitement build.

“Yes- I would love that!”

Gingerly clasping your hands together you happily tug him along. Explaining what movie you had bought a ticket for. Outwardly wondering if there were still seats available.

Hobie doesn’t feel dread walking back to the theater. He isn’t even upset when he smells popcorn again. With a soft smile he keeps his eyes on you. Only getting annoyed when his co-workers whistle behind his back and make exaggerated faces.

[ladykailitha]

Icarus Part 2

Hello! This story is coming along quite nicely. This part originally was part of the first chapter, but it got so long I split it up for Tumblr.

Dustin hyperfixates sooo hard in this. Eddie gets annoyed.

Part 1

@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

****

Dustin leapt to his feet and handed the magazine to Eddie. “I do have their first album. It’s really good. My favorite is “Brother”. It’s just so touching.”

Steve bit his bottom lip and nodded, forcing himself not to look at Robin just then.

He came back with his Walkman and a pair of speakers. He got it all set up and pressed play. Then while they were listening to the CD, he dashed back to his room.

“I haven’t gotten their second album yet,” he shouted over his shoulder as he ran back. Moments later he came out with a couple of rolled posters.

“I have more of their posters in my dormroom but I bought these a few months ago and haven’t put them up yet.”

He unrolled one of them and it was the album cover blown up large. It had four men in long hooded coats and masks. There was definitely a color theme for each of the members of the band. The drummer was all in black, the guitarist in red, the bassist in blue, and the lead singer in white.

“What’s with the masks?” Robin asked, leaning over Steve’s shoulder.

Dustin bounced up and down. “That’s part of their personas. They’re fallen angels. Well, and titan. The bassist is named after the titan of the night sky, Astraeus. But all the others are named after angels.”

Eddie winced at the poster. “They’re a little much, don’t you think?”

“Like there aren’t other metal bands wear makeup or masks before them,” Dustin said rolling his eyes.

Eddie wrinkled his nose. He did know. It was actually something that was really prevalent in the genre for awhile. He just thought it was gimmicky and took away from the actual music.

Music that was coming out of Dustin’s Walkman in beautiful waves. That brought Eddie up short. They were good. Like amazingly good. “Whoa.”

Dustin beamed. “I know, right?”

Steve made a twisted kind of frown. “I mean it’s great if you like that sort of thing.”

Dustin whirled on Steve like a viper sensing its dinner. “Just because you don’t like metal, Steve,” he huffed in derision, “doesn’t mean that you can just dismiss it.”

Steve looked over at Eddie and rolled his eyes.

Eddie snorted. “Nobody is dismissing anything, Dusty. In fact I would say that what Steve said was anything but dismissive.”

“I just don’t know why you don’t like metal,” Dustin replied with a heavy sigh. “I know that if you just listened to it, you would like it.”

This time the look Steve shared was with Robin. “I’ve listened to a lot of metal, remember? You’re the one that hacked my radio so that I couldn’t change it off the metal station.”

Dustin snorted. “Well at least Simon and Shane have taste.”

Simon Olsen and Shane Kendrick were two friends of Steve’s that had bonded over Corroded Coffin playing over the speakers of the coffee shop. Another thing that Dustin had insisted on. But Steve wasn’t about to tell Eddie that. Together with Spencer Peters, the four of them were almost as tight as the Corroded Coffin boys.

Eddie himself was conflicted about their relationship, if he was honest. Yeah, it was great that Steve had friends outside of the Party, but at same time, he suspected that at least one of them was gay or bisexual and he worried that they would swoop in and take Steve off the market before Eddie got up the courage.

That was a problem for future Eddie, present Eddie had to redirect Dustin before he began screaming at Steve all the reasons he should join the masses of fans for Corroded Coffin and now apparently The Fallen. Steve had a migraine and Dustin’s ranting would only make it worse.

Eddie smacked his shoulder. “Am I still taking you out with me in June to see your mom when I go visit Uncle Wayne?”

Dustin was happy to change tracks, and Steve mouthed ‘Thank you’ to Eddie.

“Yes! You have to take me,” Dustin insisted. “Ma got me tickets to see The Fallen in Indy while I’m there and I don’t want to miss it.”

“The band is going back on tour again so soon?” Eddie asked, tilting his head to the side. “I thought they just got off a tour.”

“They did,” Dustin agreed. “But according to the press release, they said that they were trying to get as much hype for their current album as possible because music sales were down all over the place.”

Eddie nodded. He could see that. With a band as new as The Fallen, if they didn’t keep up the momentum they could lose a lot of fans between their first and second album. There was a reason a band’s second album is often called a ‘sophomore slump’ and if these guys wanted to avoid that, that meant touring nonstop for their second album.

He wished them well...provided they didn’t steal Dustin away from him and the guys. He turned to Steve. “So what are you and Robin going to be this summer? Anything fun?”

Robin scoffed. “No. They’ve got us back on tour, too. New management, they want us to shadow this band and basically make sure that everything they want is provided.”

Eddie and Dustin grimaced.

“That sucks!” Dustin huffed. “You guys just got home, why are they making you go so soon? Don’t they believe in breaks? Sheesh!”

Steve hugged him close. “I’m sorry, bud. I talked to your mom, though and she thinks that when you go back for the summer, she’s willing to let you apply for MIT for your masters.”

Dustin’s eyes lit up. “Wait, seriously?” Claudia had always been fearful that he would get into trouble, but she had seen how much work he had put into his school work and how much Steve didn’t need to be looking after the almost twenty year old.

Steve nodded. “Yup. That’s why she got you the tickets as a way to soothe her nerves a bit.”

Eddie looked over Dustin’s shoulder at Steve and they shared a sad smile. They would miss Dustin when he went out to Boston, but they knew he would shine out there. And that was worth more than all the stars in the sky.

Eddie left soon after, stating his own fatigue and even though Steve was sad to see him go, he wanted to sleep for the next three months. Dustin was staying over at his girlfriend’s that night which left him alone with Robin.

He glanced at his watch. It was almost ten and he looked up at Robin with his big puppy dog eyes and pouted.

She let out a long sigh. “Fine. You can go to bed. Provided you actually get a shower and brush your teeth. By that time it should be late enough for you to just crash.”

Steve sighed, but nodded his agreement. He got unsteadily to his feet and ambled over to his bedroom. Robin followed close behind.

She leaned against the door frame, watching Steve gather his things for his shower.

“So Dustin is a Fallen fan, huh,” she muttered.

Steve shrugged. “I guess so. This is the first of me hearing about it, so it must be new.”

She licked her lips. “And you aren’t worried?”

He stopped what he was doing and straightened up. “Why? Do you think there is a reason to be?”

Robin crossed her arms. “I mean his nickname growing up was ‘genius child’. It’s possible he could be a problem.”

Steve scoffed. “He’s also the one that harped on us being a couple for a few years there.”

She winced. She had even told him that she was gay and he still wouldn’t let it go. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

He walked over to the en suite bathroom and turned on the hot water. “I love that kid, but he has a few major blind spots when it comes to actual people.”

“All right,” she said, nodding. “I’ll tighten up the defenses, but I think you’re right.”

“I am right some of the time,” Steve scoffed. “You do know that, don’t you?”

Robin rolled her eyes. “I guess even a broken clock can be right twice a day.”

Steve stuck his tongue out at her and then began to strip. Robin just waved at him and wandered over to her side of the apartment. Well to call it that was an understatement on its sheer size. It would be better described as a penthouse.

It only had three bedrooms, but it had three bathrooms, a full sized kitchen, an actual dinning area, a living room. Steve’s studio was off to the side and always kept locked. It even had a god damned bio lock that only Robin and he could open.

He hated the secrecy and all the cloak and dagger bullshit but it was absolutely imperative.

But the room was massive and no one had clocked that as unusual. Steve sighed deeply. It was what it was and what it was, sucked.

****

To say that Eddie was annoyed was an understatement. The whole flight to Indy and the long drive to Hawkins was filled with nothing but talk about The Fallen and their latest album. It was shooting up the charts faster than Eddie could guess the Metallica song from a few hummed bars. Which was pretty damned fast.

Steve and Robin had already gone, so Eddie didn’t even have his favorite distraction when Dustin got on his latest hyperfixation.

Then the other shoe dropped when he pulled up to the Henderson’s driveway.

“You’re coming with me, right?” the little bastard asked, all pouty lip and puppy dog eyes.

“Why don’t you ask one of your friends to go with you?” Eddie huffed, more than little pissed the punk dared to ask.

Dustin rolled his eyes and started counting off on his fingers. “El and Mike won’t get in in time, Max and Lucas already have plans that night, her mom is getting married for the third time that day, and Will doesn’t like metal. He’s still a staunch alt rock fan.”

Eddie winced. And with Steve and Robin off to parts unknown, he really was Dustin’s last greatest hope. But he wasn’t going to give in that easy. He was going to make the butthead work for it. He crossed his arms and pouted.

“I don’t know, man,” Eddie said, wrinkling his nose, “I’m starting to wonder if Corroded Coffin is even on your radar anymore.”

Dustin’s jaw dropped. “What? That’s not true! Corroded Coffin is my number one. How could even suggest that?”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to list the reasons alphabetically or chronologically?”

Dustin’s mouth closed with a snap. He ducked his head. “I haven’t stopped talking about The Fallen since you picked me up from Steve’s, huh?”

“Nope!”

He let out a slow breath. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Eddie. I’m just so excited for this concert. According to Ma the tickets were really hard to get and now I don’t have anyone to go with me and I–” He sniffled.

“It’s just you know how you get with new things,” Eddie pointed out.

Dustin nodded. “I know. But I promise I still love Corroded Coffin. When are you guys going back into the studio?”

Eddie smiled for the first time that trip. “After I get back from visiting Wayne, I’ve got a couple songs already lined up for it.”

“And how many of those songs are about Steve?” Dustin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eddie cheeks colored a deep red. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll go to that concert of yours and you don’t mention to anyone that I write songs about Steve, deal?”

Dustin tilted his head to side and looked up, tapping his lips thoughtfully. He stuck out his hand and Eddie shook it.

“Deal.”

****

Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @danili666 @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @goodolefashionedloverboi @i-must-potato @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @vecnuthy @irregular-child @yikes-a-bee @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @dragonmama76 @scheodingers-muppet @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman @eyehartart @dawners @y4r3luv

[untitled-document-95]

More Than Just a Job (mike faist x reader)

Summary: Mike's sudden desire to leave Newsies concerns you, but in the end, you learn the true meaning of a happy ending.

Warnings: None, despite the slight innuendo in the summary

Requested: No

A/N: My Newsies hyperfixation is back, you're welcome. Forgive any inaccuracies in how Broadway shows work, it was the best I could do between Google, Reddit, and my limited experiences with high school theater. I also challenged myself to not use "y/n", let me know if you like!

*gif is not mine, found here on tumblr from @this-is-all*

Tap practice wasn’t the same without Mike. If he were here right now, he’d be doing whatever it took to keep a smile on your face through the exhaustion of re-blocking and rehearsing the King of New York number over and over. Luckily for him, he was called up to fill in as Jack tonight…hence why you were having to re-block and rehearse this number, since he wouldn’t be able to be part of it tonight and neither would any swing who knew the track.

Still, you knew how lucky you were to have met and bonded with him. As understudies, him for Jack and you for Katherine, you’d had lots of rehearsal time together. That hardly included rehearsals for things like King of New York, when Mike shed his typical role of Morris Delancey to dance as a run-of-the-mill newsboy like you. He’d been one of the only guys who’d been nice to you when you were cast, even though having a girl as a newsboy was actually historically accurate.

While others teased you, Mike stood up for you. It was clear from the first day you met him that he didn’t tolerate hate or disrespect towards anyone, no matter their gender, color, sexuality, or anything else. You admired him for that, because he didn’t just disagree with it, he put a stop to it every chance he got.

Where Mike was someone who’d moved to NYC at 17 to follow his dreams knowing his family back home would always be there for him, you’d moved here to escape what you’d left behind. Ironic, given Miss Medda’s speech to Jack in this very musical about running away. You were eternally grateful to Mike for being the person you needed when you had no one else.

“Alright, folks. That’s enough for today. Be here at your call time and break a leg tonight!” called the choreographer. “Oh, and don’t let these formations and counts fly out of your brain tonight, we might need them in the future!”

“Yeah, did you hear? Mike auditioned for a new role,” you hear murmured by a nearby castmate.

“Really? Did he get it?” replies another.

“Don’t know, but kinda sounds like it.”

Your cheeks burn. Mike might be leaving the show? It was only a few months into the show’s run. Presumably, you guys had at least another year before the show ended, maybe longer. You needed to know if it was true as soon as possible.

Across the building, down the stairs, and up the hall you hurry to find his dressing room. It’s still a couple of hours until his call time, but he also had rehearsals this morning and might be stopping by there or hanging out there for a bit.

The emptiness in your stomach upon seeing the empty dressing room is quickly brushed away when you hear that familiar voice call your name. Turning to face him, you waste no time.

“Did you audition for a different show?” His face is an unreadable mix of surprise and other, unrecognizable emotions. The hesitation before his answer makes for a tense, awkward silence.

“Why does it…matter?” he asks cautiously.

“It matters to me,” you say.

“Why? Why would you care?” his tone now has an edge, a sharpness you haven’t heard before.

“I care because we’re friends. If you’re leaving the show…why didn’t you just tell me?”

“It’s not personal. This is just…just a job,” Mike practically spits, like the words are bitter as they leave his mouth. Your face twists in confusion. This feels like a fantasy, the Mike in front of you unlike any version of him you’ve ever met. He shoulders past you into the dressing room, tossing down a pair of shoes he’d been carrying.

“So that’s it? You’re leaving your first Broadway show for…what?”

“I never said I was leaving,” he sighs. “I didn’t get the part.” Your indignation deflates just a little.

“I’m sorry, Mike. But I won’t pretend to be too sad about it. I don’t want you to leave.”

“It’s just a job. People come and go all the time.”

With that final phrase, Mike once again sidles past you and stalks out the door, down the hall, and seemingly out of your life.

—

Your afternoon is spent ruminating on the conversation. Why would Mike say something like that? He never had before. You’d had late night discussions about the exact opposite, about how being part of a cast like this was like being part of a family. So many of you had so much in common: living in New York and pursuing your dreams while most others your age were in college. With no family nearby, you’d found new homes in each other. Memories of stupid dances you and Mike had made up while bored between rehearsals are interrupted by a knock at the dressing room door. The stage manager enters.

“Hey, I’m really sorry it’s short notice, but I need you go to go on for Katherine tonight. Kara just called and said she’s throwing up. So start getting ready now so you have time to go over your marks and such beforehand.”

The stage manager closes the door. Your heart is pounding. You’ve only ever gone on as Katherine one other time, weeks and weeks ago. You review her lines and songs at least twice a week, and you got to do her part of King of New York a couple of times today while some swings stepped in to learn your dance parts. But you hadn’t run through anything with Jeremy recently, not-

Wait. Jeremy wouldn’t be there tonight either. Mike was going on as Jack. This morning, the thought of actually performing as Jack and Katherine on stage together would have thrilled you. Now, it filled you with anxiety. How were you ever going to give a good performance with Mike after that…fight, disagreement, whatever you wanna call it?

It’s just a job, he had said. That’s right, you remind yourself. You have a job to do, and you’re going to do a damn good job at it.

—

After a blurry late afternoon so busy your head felt like it was spinning, you were waiting in the wings as Mike started the show off with Andrew doing the prologue of Santa Fe, followed by Carrying the Banner, one of your favorite numbers to perform. You were too nervous to feel sad watching the rest of the newsies dance and sing without you.

It wasn’t hard to show disdain towards Mike during Carrying the Banner, nor during I Never Planned on You. Until the last moment, that is. When Jack is “sketching” the photo of Katherine, it’s of course faked. There’s nothing really even on the paper that Jack hands Katherine, since the audience wouldn’t be able to see it anyway. The audience knows what’s happening because of the screen on the stage.

The song ends and you pick up the paper to look at it like you’re supposed to and find “I’m sorry” actually scrawled in graphite near the bottom of the page. Looking up, “Jack” has already disappeared down the steps, right on cue. Your blush and look of embarrassment, on the other hand, is anything but acting. Climbing down yourself and rushing into the wings for the next scene, a stage hand flashes you a thumbs up and compliments your performance so far.

You don’t go on again until scene 6, after the intense performance of The World Will Know. Entering on your line, “Why’s everyone so scared of Brooklyn?”, you and Mike begin your back and forth for the majority of the scene. Though you force your mind to stay on the stage, in the present, you can’t help but remember how silly you and Mike had felt rehearsing this very scene, with him having to shamelessly flirt with you.

Scene 7 nearly makes your lunch come back up, being on that stage all alone. Not being a monologue nor having anyone else in the scene with you makes it so much more difficult to remember your lines. Thankfully the paper you’re “typing” on in the scene acts as a little bit of a cheat sheet, and you make it through without incident.

As much as you want to watch scenes 8 and 9, you know you need to go change up your costume, put on your tap shoes, and touch up hair and makeup before you have to go on for Act 2.

Leaving the bathroom during intermission, you run right into Mike, who’s already done his bruise makeup. You say one another’s names simultaneously, leading to nervous chuckles from both of you. You purse your lips and nod to tell him to go first. He nervously breathes in, then out, smiling anxiously. His words spill out uncontrollably and his face is alive with expression.

“Look, I’m really sorry for earlier. All I have been thinking about is how I am such a piece of crap for saying those things to you. I let some of the older guys get in my head. They kept telling me not to get attached to you because someday this show is gonna end and we don’t know where we’re gonna end up and…I was trying to get out of the show because I…like you. I like you, and…” he seems lost for what to say next. “I…I was gonna get a role in a new show and then ask you out because I didn’t want to be unprofessional, or whatever and now I’m really, really hoping that you like me too because otherwise this is gonna be super awkward.”

You grab Mike by the arm and drag him behind the nearest door standing ajar, which ends up being a storage closet.

“Mike, I…I don’t know what to say. I like you too. I got so upset when I heard you might not be part of the show anymore because I’ve imagined us seeing this whole thing through, you know? I don’t know how I’d get through a show night without you, or rehearsals, or anything, because I love being with you, I love hanging out and dancing and watching stupid movies and I love…” you trail off and lock eyes with him.

“…Do you…love..me?” his voice is barely a whisper. All you can do at first is move your head, nodding. Then, you muster the words.

“I love you,” you respond softly. “I love you, too,” he says, one hand gently cupping your face, thumb absentmindedly stroking your cheek. Leaning in, his scent is intoxicating, a mixture of-

“5 minutes to curtain, 5 minutes,” the intercom blares, startling both of you. You leap apart and look at one another with fear before stifling laughter.

“Go, go!” You say, swatting his arm playfully to send him out of the closet and to his place for Act 2. A moment later, you exit as well and dart off to get ready for King of New York.

—

Act 2 begins and plays out beautifully. During the rooftop scene, you do the stage kiss just how you were taught: when you go to grab Mike’s face, you slide your thumb in front of his lips, so you end up kissing your own finger. You continue the scene, which leads into Something to Believe In.

You’re not sure when, but at some point during the first verse, you realize you’re singing the words not as Katherine to Jack, but as yourself to Mike. You notice a similar shift in Mike, somewhere around the words “An angel come to save me.”

The music swells again as you sing in unison.

Do you know what I believe in?

Look into my eyes and see...

This time, however, Mike’s lips, warm and soft, find their way to yours for real. It’s probably the cardinal sin of stage actors, to truly kiss on stage instead of using a theater trick to fake it. Of course, it isn’t usually this mutual. You feel yourself practically melt into the kiss, not wanting it to end, but it has to. Mike has to pull away and say his line, followed by yours. You have to finish the song, which you do, probably with more passion and strength than ever before.

All too soon, the final scene is unfolding, and the look on Mike’s face is one of pure love. It feels like he is personally serenading you, not performing on a stage in front of hundreds of people.

Don’t take much to be a dreamer All you do is close your eyes But some made up world is all you’ll ever see

Now my eyes is finally open And my dreams they’s average size But they don’t much matter if you ain’t with me

You and Mike embrace once again, kissing one another. The audience may not notice the difference, but some of your castmates do. You can tell that their yells of joy and surprise are beyond acting.

Happiness and joy pours out of you during the finale, and then the bows. They say in show biz there’s no such thing as a perfect show, but this one had to have been pretty darn close.

[cain-e-brookman]

Hey y'all, @creatingblackcharacters has created a challenge for Black History Month and I thought I'd share my entry. I'd like to tag @topazadine @illarian-rambling @mx-ryder and @spideronthesun for the challenge as well!

Uthyr is the main character of my current WIP: The Name, Witch. His is a story of healing, of putting down shame, and of being true to the spirit of what created you, no matter how the world wants you to bend. This is a scene that takes place about 10 years before we meet him in this same garden. Uthyr's greatest victory is always against despair. Uthyr's strength is in his conviction to himself, the culture and virtues that were passed onto him, and his love for the world around him. In my writing, I want my Black audience to see their own resilience in Uthyr. I want to highlight Black men in roles that are softer, but no less strong.

I also sincerely hope that this book can be a long shout out to my Black autistic sibs who are also obsessed with bugs, amphibians, and/or reptiles. I gave my hyperfixation to Uthyr, and I hope you feel seen with it as well. As I said in the comments to a very needed check, joy is just as important as resiliency, and I hope you find as much happiness as Uthyr does in with cold little buddies!

---

perhaps on the crest of each stiff blade of grass hangs the eternal name of someone who was once loved but is now vanished and just another name in an endless field of names that is newly remembered with each return trip of the eager nose...

-Hanif Abdurraqib from "The Crown Ain't Worth Much

The hydrangea bush to the north of his house was the first thing Uthyr put into the soil in his soon-to-be garden. An old witch tradition. The color of the flowers changed with the humors of the soil. Uthyr didn’t know which color he hoped for, just that it grew to be strong. He hoped the plant would grant him the same blessing.

The last thirty-some years of Uthyr’s life had left behind the cooled pyres of his family, and the last two since the death of his mother had left him adrift. The first, a long year where he’d traveled to nowhere in particular, stayed where he found place to stay, and searched desperately for a purpose. At the end of that long year, he realized, exuberantly, there was none. No end to rush to, no greater deed to be done. He would not be rewarded for suffering, would not reach some peak where it became all worth it. He would not find a purpose, nor would he make his own. He would, instead, simply live. Live brightly, now. Live fearlessly, now. He didn't know where he would go, but he knew where he would start.

He practiced his healing for the first time since his father died. A young girl had taken a fall in the small town in which he was staying. He'd gone to her without a thought, placed his hands around the break, and reached out where he knew the magic still laid. The feel of bone knitting beneath his fingers nearly had him in tears. He could hear his father’s warm, heavy voice as he worked:

Bone remembers its home, just not the way back. Remind it gently, and its journey will be painless.

The little girl hadn’t even cried. He’d pulled a dandelion seed that had stuck itself on his cloak and grew it into a miniature sun before placing it behind her ear for bravery. The Sun Goddess rarely answered his beckons for fire, and his stubbornness never won out over the Stone’s, but neither skill brought about the smiles of gratitude he’d seen in all his time healing. He wished it hadn’t taken him so long to appreciate that part of himself, that part of his father’s influence.

Then, after a long while of fighting with his own head, he finally chose himself. Two weeks in a temple to the God of the Golden Moon saw him leaving behind the word “daughter,” to be replaced with a name that held responsibility to no one but himself. Uthyr of the Asphodels, First of His Name. His mother’s now held nothing a burden of failure on his shoulders. He could have been better for her. Should have been better. But he could not make the dead proud, so he cast off the guilt. It no longer served either of them. 

He changed his hair. Spent a long day removing neat rows of braids from his head, combing and washing then rolling his hair like he’d seen his uncle do so many times. At the end of it all, he had sore arms and a deep satisfaction. The start of those locs still stuck oddly from his head in their awkward stage.

“Ugly stage,” his mother used to tease Uncle Callum when they recounted stories of their youth. His uncle would always raise an eyebrow and inform her in no uncertain terms that he’d never been ugly a day in his life. Uthyr planted snapdragons by his window for them both; their favorites. Yellow for his mom. Purple for his uncle. The seeds had been expensive for the paltry savings he’d kept from his brief stint of odd-job healing around the surrounding towns, but the memory of the two exchanging plants on their shared birthday had Uthyr lightening his coin purse without a second thought.

He continued with a few more plots around his house. A smattering of pansies for color, some herbs for healing, then some more for cooking… 

A single row of daffodils by his doorway. For his father. His birthday would be soon. Uthyr would cut one and light a candle. Pray the Death God pass on his love.

I’m alright, he’d tell his father. It’s hard and I’m tired, but it’s alright. I’ve got good soil under my feet and good hands to dig.

The anemones he planted on the shaded side of his house were for himself, though. They were delicate things, but right now so was his heart and that needed just as much care. He’d stay strong for them and they’d do the same for him. Water and sunlight. The start, his uncle would say, to any life worth living. 

And hope, Uthyr thought. Half of it was always hope.

When Uthyr finished for the day the sun was drawing long shadows across the forest floor. All but his pansies would not see color or flower for a long while, but as Uthyr dusted soil off the dark skin of his hands and forearms, he could already see the future it held. He would get some roses. Maybe not this year. He needed to plant his vegetable garden first. Maybe splurge on a fruit sapling. Tonight he would sit in his mostly empty home, cook a small pot of soup with ingredients from a garden that wasn’t his, and plan recipes for when his own produce grew. But as for now, he felt the waking breath of spring on his face, the softness of the grass under his legs as he dug his toes into the cool earth below him. 

A tentative peace was forming in his chest, walking haltingly like a newly born fawn. He’d found a creek not far from where he sat. He wondered if the tadpoles had yet grown legs.

---

And now, my excited rambling: the title of the poem before the cut is Notes On Waiting for the Dog to Find the Perfect Place to Take a Shit While Morning Cuts Through the Sky, Fresh From Another Darkness, which is quite possibly one of Abdurraqib's best titles and also a wonderful poem. I saw When I Say Loving Me Is Like Being a Chicago Bulls Fan posted on facebook at one point and I've been in love with his poetry since. The way he weaves pain and hope with his anger and his love in a way that criticizes a society that doesn't value himself or people like him, while celebrating his identity is both masterful and cutting. Listen to the man and buy his books! His essay collection, A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance is going to be my read for my essay collection square for the 2025 book bingo, and I'm really excited to finally get to it!

[alterhuman-buddies]

Heya, Writer !!!!!

Saw you wanted some random questions, so;; How'd you discover your non-humanity? Can go for any of your 'types :]

(^ nfta)

Have a good day!!

HJBDFDJSVJIE HI I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR SENDING AN ASK!!! /silly /p

This may or may not be a huge rant that may or may not go slightly off topic :3c

I first started questioning my alterhumanity because of my friend, who is a therian. They love talking about its experiences, especially with their therian identity. I related to their psychological and physical experiences (not as much spiritual), which made me wonder if I am nonhuman in any way.

My first awakening or discovered 'type was a domestic black cat, which made a lot of sense. Other than the dream and mental shifts; I love neutral colors, I've always enjoyed meowing as a vocal stim, I've been a black cat for Halloween for two years straight (lol), the thought of having paws and sharp teeth was euphoric, fish has been a favorite food of mine for a while, and I also feel a tail and another set of ears almost constantly (which I realized wasn't something everyone experiences).

My next discovery was both the dragon and red panda 'types. I've been a huge Wings Of Fire fan, and I have way too many dragon figurines on my shelf. Wings and flight have always been fascinating to me; I wanted to do a project on dragon wingspans in fifth grade, but unfortunately, my teacher didn't let me. I don't feel my wings as much as I do the cat or red panda tails, but I know that they're feathery. Also, birds were a huge hyperfixation of mine. Plus, i have a hoard of plushies, figures, (150) rubber ducks, and so many shiny things. I'll have to post some pictures of it one day! I'm really proud of it, especially my nest of plushies. Though, I hate other people touching it without permission. My hoard, not yours.

For the red panda 'type, I think I first labeled it as a hearttype until I realized how much euphoria I got from wearing my paper red panda mask. It's like the others, which is more of a theriotype/kintype, and it took me a while to realize that! I remember when I first saw a red panda at a zoo. It was so amazing, and I just wanted to join them! I feel like that should have been a sign, but I didn't know what alterhumanity was at the time. I love making the high-pitched red panda yips (the ones that humans can hear—my vocals aren't that good) and chewing on pencils as if they're bamboo. Greens and browns are my favorite colors to wear and I absolutely love fruits!!! I feel my ears and tails most of all of the other 'types, I think red panda is my strongest 'type!

And last but not least, the wolf 'type. This is my weakest 'type, but it's still a part of me! I have a feeling it'll be the first of my four to change (if it ever changes). I don't remember how I discovered it, I think it was through a mental shift? I also feel more wolf-y when I feel like I'm in danger or if I need to protect someone/something. The thought of dens and snow are really nice for me, but I'm not too much of a meat eater. However, during my wolf shifts, I do feel cravings for steak and venison, I also feel more masculine?

I like different pronouns and names during my shifts for each 'type.

Black cat: Luci, they/it/purr/paw/meow

Dragon: Talon, they/it

Red panda: Red, it/her/vix

Wolf: [no other name], he/him

I think that's all for me to say! Thank you so much for the ask, anon, and have a good day as well! ദ്ദി（• ˕ •マ.ᐟ

[toshithemochi]

Guess who's back, back again!

IT IS IIII TOSHI!

Today, thanks to The Bad Batch that revived hyperfixation on Star Wars, I want to tell like a scenario that I thought of a few days ago.

What if, Obi-Wan had a child? Like a secret love-child that nobody knew of, not even him?

And before ya'll come at me saying "OBI-WAN NEVER HAD CHILDREN! HOW COULD HE NOT KNOW IF HE DID?" THIS IS FICTION PEOPLE!! FAN-FICTION!!

Anywayyy.

Imagine this, you are living with your mother and older sibling on Tatooine, your family moved here when the war began. Your father died while trying to help the Republic. Your older sibling has mostly features that are similar to your father's but they also have some of your mother's attributes, you, on the other hand have mostly your mother attributes, except for your nose, eyes and the shade of your hair. Your mother says you got it from your father which you are happy about but she never told anyone about the truth.

Of course people around you asked why you have lighter hair and eyes and whenever they did your mother or older sibling always interjected with "It's in our genes, from mother's side", eventually you started saying the same. Sure, you are force-sensitive but so was your father..right?

Imagine a few months later you are sitting on the roof of your family home, making a little droid for yourself(in this scenario the child is interested in robots, droids, etc.) When you spot a group of Republic clones approaching with three jedis in front of them. Of course it isn't a rare sight but still, seeing three jedis is pretty rare no? Not to mention one of them having similar colored eyes as you, an older Jedi with a beard.

They seem to be here for a mission, or atleast that's what you can make out of their conversation while they are walking along the town. After a while you are playing with your friends when you suddenly bump into someone, immediately apologizing you stand up, only to see none other than the bearded Jedi himself. He helps you up and asks you about your wellbeing, meanwhile his partner, a slightly more handsome Jedi man with blue eyes and a scar over his right eye, makes a comment about how similar you two look. The togrutan jedi beside him giggles a bit while the bearded Jedi just hushes them and after saying goodbye leaves. Although you catch his name as they walk by, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

So, as a curious and mischievious child you go home and during dinner you tell your mother and older sibling about said Jedis and clone troopers. When you mention Obi-Wan your mother seems to freeze a bit before she contiunes to eat..suspicious isn't it?

The next day you end up tailing after the Jedis and their team of clones, while doing so you can't help but hear soft, almost silent humming..it's confusing but it's there the closer you are to the Jedi. Suddenly, the bearded Jedi known as Obi-Wan stops so you hide, hoping you aren't found. Only for you to be wrong and for Obi-Wan to call out "Who goes there?" You freeze and just stay silent. "I advise you to come out before the clones find you" he says which scares you, so you slowly crawl out from behind a huge rock. "Hey! It's that mechanic kid from yesterday!" One of the clones says in a shocked tone while the scarred Jedi, who they call General Skywalker gives a small smirk at your discovery, the togrutan girl beside him, who you learn to know as Ahsoka thanks to the man next to her looks at Obi-Wan concerned who touches his bearded chin while thinking. What's gonna happen next?

Okay soo this would be it for now but if you all want to see more of this heart it or feel free to comment.(edit: i turned on anon asks, I didn't realise I had them off-)

Also, is it just me or would Obi-Wan be a good father? A bit distant at first but after a while good father?

[frenchiefreyed]

[UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF YAPPING INCOMING!!] TW: child neglect/abuse, postwar/dystopian worlds

Hello! My hyperfixation on Dan vs. is going strong and I have resolved myself to feed that hyperfixation by creating pony OCs that are meant to fit into my personal pony AU that I have been working on for many years. It is kind of funny to be introducing Tyran to Tumblr because of a ponified Dan vs. OC... But here we are.

Dan's "real name" is Impedance, a name given to him by his parents, who were, if it wasn't obvious by the name, very unhappy at his unexpected arrival. Well, his unexpected existence, really. Neither parent had had any idea that Dan's mother was pregnant before she had entered labor. This is equated both to Dan's mother already experiencing "morning sickness" prior to ever being pregnant and to Dan being so tiny that there was no visible sign of pregnancy. Sometime during grade school (likely elementary school or early middle school; not sure on specifics quite yet) Dan either created his own "Dan" nickname ("dan" being present in the word "impedance" and sounding a lot better than "imp", his parents' nickname for him), or somebody else did (maybe Chris, or some other friend of his, since I do plan on Dan having more friends than he is shown to have in Dan vs.). He doesn't mind "Impedance" being on legal documents and IDs, but he generally prefers friends never to know that it is his full name and he especially does not want anybody to actually refer to him that way. Outwardly, he is surprisingly relaxed when called "Impedance" and corrects the mistake with almost off-putting calmness, but he is quick to anger if the "mistake" continues to happen. Chris and Elise both know is 'real name' but Chris has not really picked up on the implications of his parents naming him that (while Elise has). Chris, after learning about the name, mostly just agreed with it, citing the stress that Dan has caused them -- this likely hurt Dan, even if it wasn't intentional. It is likely common for Chris to say mean things about Dan with the expectation that Dan "has no heart" to be hurt (this is mostly based on my feeling in the show that Chris is extremely unaware of why Dan actually is the way that he is and mostly just seems to see Dan as a bother, understandably so but still incorrectly so I think. Still only on season 1 so maybe that changes in episodes i havent seen lol)

In MLP:FiM I don't think it's super clear what age it is most common to receive one's cutie mark, but I am thinking in my AU it would happen, on average, around age 13-14 (and it also isn't clear whether cutie marks go hand-in-hand with the start of puberty, either, but on Tyran they will not be hand-in-hand -- in other words, getting a cutie mark is not tied to puberty in any way other than the spiritual idea of "growing older"/maturing. This makes the most sense to me, since them being tied together directly would imply that a pony who never received a cutie mark would never hit puberty). Dan got his cutie mark when he was 8. His cutie mark is able to change somewhat [cutie marks changing isn't something that is ever, as far as I know, shown in MLP, but it is something I love to mess around with with my own personal AUs and OCs, so this isn't necessarily Dan-specific and, while certainly more rare than the alternative, is not so rare as to be mindblowing or revolutionary]. I'm not sure yet whether I'll have it be that the TV itself can change shape/color/type, but I do know that the screen will be able to change. The most common screens for his cutie mark will be static, SMPTE color bars, or a black screen. I think the screen will always be black when he is sleeping, although it could be interesting if the screen could change to something else when he is dreaming (implying that the screen being "alive" relates directly to Dan's consciousness?). I will definitely be exploring this more in the (probably near) future.

As mentioned before, the world these characters live in is called Tyran. It is a distant-future postwar AU that takes place at least 1000 years after My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic ends. A lot has changed since then, including Princess Celestia and Princess Luna (princesses/goddesses ruling over the sun and moon respectively) having been revealed to be frauds -- unable to actually move the sun or moon, instead using illusory magic -- and the entire world being taken over by a ruthless tyrant. Tyrani (the overthrower in question)'s reign lasts several decades and leads to almost complete extinction of all life on the planet, before she is ultimately herself usurped by a rebellion. "Tyran" is the name given to the planet after Celestia and Luna are overthrown, replacing its pre-existing name "Equus". Ultimately this renaming is a bit better since "Equus" is very horse-centric and there are lots of species that live on the planet that aren't horses, but it is also not considered a perfect name to most that live on Tyran because it serves as a constant scar and reminder of Tyrani's past reign and how much damage she caused the planet.

I won't get into the backstory of my main OC/sona Thunderzolt in this particular post (that's a whole other can of worms on its own), but Dan is born roughly at the same time as Zolt, maybe a few months to a year apart. This would place Dan at being generally no older than 21 during most of the story that I have plotted for Zolt thus far, but several different ages will likely be explored since a lot happens throughout these years. The same, of course, goes for Chris and Elise, although Elise might be a few years older than the others. Dan, Chris, and Elise (although Chris and Elise will probably have different names?) all live on the continent of Tyrangue, which is the most repaired region on the planet. It's so repaired, in fact, that its residents can almost feel as though the world itself is "back to normal" even when it is very much not. The closer to the outskirts of Tyrangue you go, the more signs of past war are evident. Since Tyrani's dethroning, there have been hundreds of deities that have been assigned dominion over various different things, from as powerful/broad as time itself to as specific/"miniscule" as toothpicks. The first 27 deities (called "Primary Deities") were members of the rebellion that directly resulted in Tyrani's death, and all of them are exceedingly powerful. Tyrangue is where most of the deities live. The deities are, generally, working pretty tirelessly to try to heal the further regions of Tyran from the nuclear/magical warfare Tyrani had caused. While there are many who do legitimately see deities as frauds/hacks and who absolutely do not trust them (fairly enough, considering Tyran's history), Dan's personal distrust of deities stems more from his overall lack of trust in authority figures rather than any legitimate belief that they are not actually powerful or worthy of respect. However, I am considering the idea that one of his parents might be a deity themselves, which contributes partially to the neglect by them being too busy. If they were a deity, they would probably be one that is heavily respected and outwardly presents as a very charitable individual, while being nasty and horrible towards their own son at home. This could not only explain why Dan is so bitter towards deities in particular but also anyone that outwardly tries to seem nice or friendly or giving in the public eye. It is fairly common for there to be tension/conflict between Dan and Chris because Chris has a lot more overt loyalty/respect for deities and is often irritated at Dan when Dan refers to deities as "hacks", "fraudsters", "idiots", or any slew of other similar insults. Dan not only gains amusement from Chris being so bothered by the insults but also finds himself unable to express his emotions enough to clarify the actual root of his distrust, so he has resigned himself to Chris seeing him as someone who is 'crazy' or 'disloyal'. I think it's likely that Elise will be working for the deities in some way, but I am not sure exactly what she will be doing since the deities are generally pretty open about their actions. Maybe she will bodyguard for important figures/gather intel about potential "bad actors" in society? Regardless, I think Dan wouldn't have any issues with Elise's choice of work even if he himself struggles with distrust of deities. It's likely that Dan would be at least acquainted with Zolt which would, on top of Elise's career path, probably result in him interacting with deities on occasion (usually, probably, by force or circumstance). Elise has probably caught on that Dan has a particular anxiety surrounding deities, and might have suspicions about what that might mean, but it's unlikely that she actually knows exactly what his deal is with that.

Dan tells himself that Chris should know better than to think that he would genuinely be malicious at heart, but knows deep down that it is ultimately his own fault for keeping up such a strong facade for so long. In some ways, Elise understands Dan even better than Chris does, despite not being nearly as close to him. Elise is an excellent judge of character and, although she sees him as a bit of a nuisance at times, she is the only one (between her and Chris, anyway) that has actually picked up on the fact that Dan had a distinctly horrible childhood. Chris knows that it wasn't the best childhood ever, but doesn't think that Dan could possibly have been fully neglected or abused (this ignorance isn't malicious on Chris' part; he just perceives abuse as being something that is so rare that it is unlikely Dan could have experienced it, and perceives sufferers of abuse as being a lot more dysfunctional than Dan. If Chris were to be informed of Dan's actual history, I think he would immediately accept it as reality and feel extremely heartbroken by the revelation. Elise probably tries to uphold Dan's secret, both out of respect for Dan's privacy and for not wanting to break Chris' heart, which I think Dan secretly deeply appreciates).

Dan is capable of expressing care for others but only in specific situations, and usually when conditions are perfect, which is rare. He is, however, emphatically capable of expressing love, adoration, and care for non-sentient animals and creatures, even nuclear mutants. Unlike the Dan we see in the show at the beginning of "Animal Shelter", this Dan would never reach a point where he would remotely conceive of harming animals. This is because he befriended wild animals before he ever befriended any ponies, and he sees animals as only attacking him if they are scared or "can't help it", whereas sentient life will attack you for enjoyment or just because they can. For the first ten-or-so years of his life, animals were the closest things to friends that he had. Nothing sends him into more of an uncontrollable rage than the sight, or even idea of, animals being mistreated or harmed. He sees himself in a lot of animals, especially scraggly, goofy ones, so he is completely unwilling to tolerate any mistreatment of them. He will actively bring harm to those who he sees as harming or abusing animals, even to the point of going way too far. He often needs to be talked down by Chris or Elise when he is in these fits of rage, although they do agree with his anger (so their "holding Dan back" is more out of a sense of not wanting him to get in serious trouble/get hurt rather than disagreeing with Dan's emotions). Animal abuse isn't the only thing that enrages Dan, of course -- it is just the fastest to bring him to that point. Dan is inconvenienced and angered by practically everything and he is notorious for his extreme stubbornness when it comes to upholding principles that he deems important. He fixates on the tiniest wrongs that have been dealt his way and struggles to think about anybody or anything else until he has exacted his revenge. Compared to Dan from the show, I think this Dan is a bit more independently capable and does not rely as much on Chris, especially because he has a wider array of friends and acquaintances that he can ask for help if he needs it (which, admittedly, he often does).

Although Dan manages to control his jealousy and anger when seeing others in romantic relationships, he does experience it, and often around Valentine's Day he becomes extremely reclusive.

Dan is somewhat stuck in a cycle of bad karma being dealt to him and his own feeling justified in "retaliating against the world" for the results of that bad karma. It's undeniable that Dan's upbringing was not his fault and that it has had massive negative impacts on his psyche, but he also receives a lot of cosmic punishment for the negativity he puts out into the world and, from his position, cannot understand that that is what is happening. He sees the horrible things that happen to him as just the universe, or the deities, hating him and holding a grudge against him, when in reality at least some of it is just a result of his own negativity coming back to bite him. This is one of the things that I relate to most about Dan; the tendency a lot of traumatized people have to believe that the world is out to get them without realizing how much our quality of life might be affected by our outlooks. Over time, Dan will grow and develop into a pony who is better able to express himself and heal, but that will take a lot of time and effort...

A lot of this is subject to change, but I like a lot of what I've cooked up so far so there's a good chance a lot of this won't be changing too much.

[quibbs126]

Okay, so I saw a post on Twitter a couple days ago by @leonisloresmith, where basically the idea is that the Ancients used to look different before they got their Soul Jams, and I liked the idea a lot. Cut to 24 hours later and it’s still on my mind, and so I’m like “screw it I’m stealing the idea” and so we got this

So yeah, pre-Soul Jam Ancients. I guess it’s sort of an AU, since as far as I can tell, in actual canon the Ancients have always looked the way they do

It’s only Hollyberry, Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese because they were the only ones I had thought about things for. I had drawn Pure Vanilla, but I realized that I wasn’t working with any real ideas, I was just drawing him for the sake of drawing them all, so I decided to just finish up these three for now and save Vanilla and Lily for another day

The original post didn’t specify changing the ingredients, but I wanted to because to be honest, there’s not a whole lot you can do to change their appearances while keeping their original names in my opinion. But I thought I should keep their core flavors similar, still being vanilla, berries, cacao/chocolate, cheese and flower (though I stuck with lilies to be consistent)

I have names for all of them, though tbh I’m still debating White Lily’s

Juniper Berry -> Hollyberry

Cacao Nib -> Dark Cacao

Cheese Dust -> Golden Cheese

Vanilla Bean -> Pure Vanilla

Wood Lily -> White Lily

It isn’t the names for the other two I’m particularly stuck on, rather it’s their backstories. Speaking of which, let’s get to what I have

So first, Juniper Berry. Juniper here I’m thinking came from a family that runs an inn or tavern, mostly just because of the whole berry juice thing. I imagine that despite the likely rowdy nature of her upbringing, it was a pretty good one. Truth be told that’s all I think I have to say on the matter, a lot less than I thought

I made her juniper berries because I wanted something in a different color, maybe something blue. And also because I randomly saw that juniper berries are apparently used in gin, and again, berry juice. I apologize to the Hollyberry fans, I really just focus on the berry juice aspect of her character when I know she has more going on. I was debating if I should make her skinnier, with the idea that she would have grown physically after getting her Soul Jam, but then I thought that’d be a really bad idea so I kept her as is. She can still be a strong girl and have Cacao be the one with the large physical change. Also I made her eyebrows round because that’s what Royal Berry has

Speaking of Cacao Nib, let’s get to him. So I imagine that Cacao grew up somewhere around the coast of the region and that generally, what family he had wasn’t very well off, and that he had to take on a lot of responsibility at a young age to help out. He’s also very small, even for his age. He also might be mute, or otherwise just very quiet

Okay this is one of my hyperfixation characters so I have more to say on him. I was struggling with his flavor since there’s not a lot you can do while keeping him cacao, but someone suggested to me cacao nibs and I went with that. As for his eyes, well they’re red because of Dark Choco. As for why the eye lines are dark, if you recall a previous post, I said I’m now headcanoning him as having some ancestry from the Licorice Tribe due to having sea salt in his dough (though not like his parents or anything, grandparents at least), and so I wanted to reference that here, as well as with his pin. It’s also why I’m putting him at the coast. Now granted, I recognize it makes more sense to make him related to the Coffee Tribe, with cacao having caffeine in it and his dilated pupil thing, but shush, let me do what I want. I wanted to make him the shortest so that basically, when he gets his Soul Jam, he magically shoots up to being the tallest, or maybe second tallest behind Hollyberry. Also him being short fits in with my headcanon that he’s the youngest Ancient

Next up and our final one for today, we have Cheese Dust. So Cheese was technically an orphan Cookie, but she was taken in and raised by a flock of Cheesebirds. She likes gold and shiny things, and also she does a lot of inventing, making small gadgets in her spare time, and trying to figure out if she can make functional wings for herself

I went with cheese dust for her because I think her original book description talked about cheese dust in it. And it sounds a little better than Cheese Powder to me. I know I made her eyes completely different than canon, but in part it was inspired by the other non-Golden Cheese Kingdom Cookies like Cheesecake and Roguefort, and also her eyes being triangle shaped in old concept art. And I just wanted to. The hair’s inspired by other pieces of concept art with her hair down, though I was struggling with what color to make it, eventually going with this. I wanted to make her the second shortest, being a bit taller than Cacao (though the difference is a lot smaller in the final picture), with the idea that while Cacao grows after getting her Soul Jam, she doesn’t, and so now she’s the shortest of the group

And I think that’s it for now, hopefully I’ll be able to get ideas for Vanilla and Lily done soon, I hope you find this enjoyable

[outivv]

https://x.com/dailycaelus/status/1812890084045389960?t=pnMzWIplb4Qsjeu200JClw&s=19

Very important information!

Long story short an anon insider from Hoyoverse is stating that while raising awarness on social media apps is great. We should take a step further and start dropping reviewing on any Playstore Site that has Genshin.

Express why you are dissatisfied and use hastages to bring more awarness. As for right now the Playstore reviews are dropping that it went from a 4 star review to 3.0 review. Hoyoverse is desperately trying to get reviews back by adding bots.

We shouldn't be just doing this with Genshin. Do this with ALL HOYOVERSE GAMES. Honkai Star Rail, Tears of Themis, ZZZ, etc.

HSR is facing the same problem as Genshin with Boothill being Native American coded, Penacony reloving around Jazz but have no Black character, Aventurine being Romani etc.

YEA YES!! I tried talking about this in my Hoyoverse boycott post, but I only touched on it briefly- but Hoyoverse games IN GENERAL are the overall problem. Tears of Themis has issues with being orientalist- and just shitty. Zenless Zone Zero apparently has actual blackface! Not good! Uhhh- outside of the record store on one of the little record poster thingies I believe. Honkai impact third has… straight up racism, and a subpar character plot about learning to love your skin color no matter what and she just goes “ummm actually no :)”, and oh my god I haven’t talked much on Honkai Star rail on this account but ykw I’ll go further into it.

Boothill- Boothill is based off of Native American culture, and is supposed to also be Latino. In the CN ORIGINAL translation of the game- his planet is named after two very real Native American tribes, his backstory recreates the same colonization that happened to native Americans specifically- calling Boothill’s people savages, and putting them in reservations after completely carpet bombing his planet, killing most of the population, and destroying the ecosystem. However, despite this Boothill has nothing to show for his heritage, or the fact that he is based around native, and Hispanic people except for the fact that he’s a cowboy- and even then sometimes I feel like he’s played up in game as like actually stupid for comedic relief when he’s not stupid AT ALL. (Sorry, Boothill’s one of my favs and a bad hyperfixation so I’m super passionate about how he needs proper representation)

Aventurine- aventurine is called a slur by sparkle, both sparkle and dr ratio point out specific racist stereotypes against aventurine that are usually targeted at Romani people which is who aventurine, and his entire home planet are based off of (that’s why I’m not a huge fan of Dr ratio x aventurine personally. Dr ratio isn’t racist imo, he’s just lowkey fucking mean and said the wrong thing to the wrong person). Aventurine’s backstory is also fucked in my opinion, and the way people in the fandom take his backstory and treat him as a character only really started getting bad bad after we found out he was Romani, but that’s a fandom issue- it’s still something to comment on.

Arlan- while Arlan is the darkest character Hoyoverse has made to date, he also has his talent names beeee references to slavery. Straight up. “Shackle breaker”, “frenzied punishment”, “swift harvest”, and then his eidolons- “breaking free”, and “hammer and tongs”. Not cool, kinda fucked up.

And that’s just the characters I can think of off the top of my head- not including Jade and her shit cause I know she has some stuff that’s like fucked up about her and ik she’s racist I just haven’t done my research on how she is racist and like gathered all the evidence basically lol, but that’s also just the characters, not to mention what you said anon- how penacony is based off of the jazz age but has no playable black characters? Girl whatttt? Gimmie a slay ass like black singer who’s besties with Robin, cmon now- don’t a coward Hoyoverse, you know DAMN WELL that she would sell too.

Hoyoverse games overall are like this, so please pay attention to all Hoyoverse games, and Hoyoverse mostly only listens to the App Store reviews so PLEASEEEEE go and review bomb ONLY Hoyoverse games. Start with Genshin and Honkai Star rail, go to Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Impact 3rd then finish with Tears of Themis, don’t do it all at once if you can’t!! Just go review all of them one stars!!

[veinsfullofstars]

Precious babies - I’m sure nothing bad will ever happen to them.

(ID: Reference sheet for my Kirby OCs, Para Dee and Bow Dee. Visually, Para is a young Waddle Dee with light orange fur, a pale beige face, peach cheek blush, brown eyes, and yellow feet. He wears large round glasses taped on the sides of his head and a green-and-brown plaid bowtie, and there is a little curl of fur swooping up from his forehead. Bow is a smaller Waddle Dee with red-orange fur, a beige face, pink cheek blush, big black eyebrows, brown eyes with a hint of sea-foam blue on the bottom, and gold-yellow feet. She wears a large navy-blue bow on the back of her head, the ribbon rimmed in pale-blue and wrapped around her head in the style of Kirby’s Fighter headband. Additional information below the cut. END ID.)

Just their kid versions at the moment, but there might be teen and adult refs for them in the future depending on how much story stuff I get around to showcasing. I got a couple other story-pertinent characters in mind as well, but they’re still deep in concept stages, so no refs for them just yet, haha. Also, if you guys want refs for young Dedede and Meta, lemme know.

Sketch started some time in 11/23, render started 12/13/23, finished 12/20/23, updated 03/11/24, updated for color correction 11/02/24. NOTE: This was originally posted on my deleted account on 01/08/24. | Childhood Friends AU Masterpost

(OC info updated as of 05/29/25)

—

Some fun facts about Para Dee:

-His name is just a shortened version of “Parasol Waddle Dee” - in addition to reflecting his Copy Ability, he has yet to find another name that he feels fits him better, so he keeps it as a nickname for much of his childhood and beyond (a common practice among Waddle Dees).

-He is around DDD and Meta’s age, and a little older than Bow.

-He is the middle child in a pretty big family, raised by two caring parents and a whole host of relatives on either side. Much as he loves his family, being crammed in a veritable mosh pit of siblings gets to be a bit much for him sometimes. He hangs out with DDD and co. partially to get away for a while, partially because he was probably going to get roped in with them anyway.

-He shares a deep love of books and learning with Meta, though his interests lean more towards math, science, and mechanical engineering, with space being perhaps his biggest hyperfixation. Seriously, this lad can go on about nebulae and starships and quantum mechanics for hours if you let him.

-Para has an unfortunate habit of “Um, actually”-ing people about topics he knows (or thinks he knows) well, annoying his friends at best and making him an easy target for local bullies at worse…

-Unlike his friends, Para is not a very active or adventurous soul. He is easily startled, chronically un-athletic, and unlikely to harm a fly let alone another person. He much prefers quieter activities like reading and stargazing, especially from the comfort of his own home. The only physical activity he seems to enjoy is rollerskating, though all he does is leisurely roll around the park while watching the others fail at doing cool tricks.

-Though reluctant about most things, Para is especially afraid of heights. Even being slightly up off the ground has him scrambling to cling to the nearest solid object (usually DDD, who has probably picked him up, possibly with the intent to throw).

-While his friends go on about their lofty goals of being kings and knights, Para’s ambitions are relatively lax. He’d like to go to university off-world to study rocket science when he’s older, maybe even learn to build them one day, but that’s about as big as his dreams get, and even those could be narrowed down further to just seeing a real interstellar starship in person. Sometimes, he imagines flying through space on one, seeing all those stars he loves so much up close and personal, even if the idea of being up that high makes his little heart stutter in his chest…

—

Some fun facts about Bow Dee:

-She is named, unsurprisingly, for the bow on her head, which she has been wearing since she was a baby and practically refuses to remove without a lot of coaxing (stars help anyone who tries to take it off by force). She keeps both the name and the bow for much of her childhood, though she might not keep them (or her pronouns) forever…

-She is the baby of the group, a couple years younger than DDD, Meta, and Para.

-She comes from a relatively small family, taken care of by her two (extremely cool) moms and an older brother who is often away with lessons or hanging out with his friends (usually to get away from his "obnoxious baby sister"). As a result, she is on her own more than she cares to be - hence why she follows DDD and his friends around like an overeager puppy all the time.

-She thinks Meta is the coolest person ever from the moment she meets him. She hovers around him constantly whenever the gang is together (to his slight annoyance), sometimes even mimicking his poses and gestures without meaning to (usually while Meta is mimicking DDD the same way).

-Bow was born with a Copy Ability atypical for Waddle Dees, that being Water. At this point in her life, the most she can do is manifest bubbles at will and maybe manipulate small puddles if she focuses hard enough. Sometimes, in moments of high stress, she can summon powerful jets of water from nearby rivers, lakes, or even pipes beneath the ground (something that has definitely gotten her into trouble more than once). She will get the hang of her powers with enough time and practice, especially as her interests in oceans, sea life, and sailing grow over time…

-Bow finds it hard to sit still and loses focus easily if she’s not already invested in something (much to her teachers’ frustration). But when she is invested in a task, she will go all in on it until either her energy runs out or something else grabs her attention.

-Bow loves sports and most outdoor activities, constantly bouncing between favorites (though she probably enjoys swimming and surfing the most) and getting super competitive when teams are involved (much to DDD and Meta’s delight, and Para’s dismay).

-On that note, she is the only one of the four who has ever successfully landed a kickflip without getting hurt (at least after the first time).

-Bow - who often forgets that she is the smallest person in the room - will challenge anything to a fight if it makes her angry enough. Literally, she will look a feral Gigant Edge directly in the helmet and put up her little fists like she has any chance at winning. The only exception to this is bugs - she will perish before letting a bug anywhere near here (something DDD never lets her live down).

-If she had a mouth, she would bite.

[roll-for-headmate]

can we request one based on metal (music), demons, death, etc? just generally. masc and looks like a skeleton in headspace please? also as many transids as you want, we hoard them lol

⟣ COMMISSION ACCEPTED

Thank you, dear patron, for your commission! We have located a guild member who fits your criteria. Feel free to make any modifications necessary so they can assist you more effectively!

One skeletal metalhead below the cut:

₊⁺໒ Name: Zaleos, Cambion, Ash, Enoch 

₊⁺໒ Race: Lich (formerly Half-Elf, Half-Fallen Aasimar)

₊⁺໒ Class: Wizard

₊⁺໒ Subclass: School of Necromancy

₊⁺໒ Background: Archaeologist

₊⁺໒ Faith/Deity: None

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂

₊⁺໒ Age: Unknown, minimum several centuries

₊⁺໒ Sex: Male

₊⁺໒ Gender: Male, Demonmascic, Goreabomination, Decaydeity, Demongender, Mortitum, Demongoreic

₊⁺໒ Pronouns: He/him; It/its; Rot/rots; Die/dead; Mor/mortis; Gor/gore; Dae/daemon; Sin/sins; 

₊⁺໒ Orientation: Aromantic Asexual

₊⁺໒ Personality: “Unsettling” would be putting it gently. While technically approachable (and depending on your definition, even pleasant), his strange mannerisms often leave those around him with a sense of uncanny valley. It has a tendency to stare just a bit too long, stand just a bit too still, speak just a bit too slow. Mor frequently makes light of sins circumstances, despite gore’s interal resentment toward them. 

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂

₊⁺໒ Roles: Hyperfixation Holder, Destressor, Archivist

₊⁺໒ CisIDs: [mortal form] grey hair, strawlike hair texture, green eyes, well-kept appearance, strega aesthetic, tall and lanky, translucent skin [true form] undead, skeleton, tattered clothing, chipped bones, Cotard’s Delusion (?) 

₊⁺໒ TransIDs: mutoUndead, trisLich, transDevil, transCataracts, transHemophiliac type B, transVengeful, transScars, transRedEyes, transKiller, mutoVillain, Blackinkamian, Sludgeamian, transHorns, transDemonTail, daeRace, transASPD, transBPD, transAutism, transOCD, transDelusions, transSchizoeffective, transJointFucked, transArmCrutchUser, transBatTherian, permaEmotionless, permaSoundTrack [permanently has rots own soundtrack playing], trisImmortal, transGoatPupils, transAmbidextrous, transBlackWidowTherian, transSilkHair, Embalmedscentian [Scent of the Embalmed], mutoFlatAffect, transGerman, transGermanAccent, transFluent [German], transRaspyVoice, Deathaura, Creepybodic, nullDNA, permaClean, permaHeartBroken, permaHated, permaCozy, transMania

₊⁺໒ MUDs: Devoid Emotion Disorder

₊⁺໒ Color Palette:

₊⁺໒ Themes: metal music, demons, death

₊⁺໒ Additional Details: May occasionally take a more lifelike appearance like below, though areas where the flesh is thin will clearly show the skeletal features. This form is an illusion he maintains through magic. 

₊⁺໒ Additional Details 2: Before undeath, rot was a well-known archaeologist who had a reputation for treating the sites he unearthed with great reverence and respect. However, its career came to a very abrupt end when mor, along with sins team, fell prey to a trap at a site they were exploring. Deads ascension to lichdom may or may not be connected to some sort of profane ritual that took place within this site… 

₊⁺໒ Suggested music: Motionless in White, 3TEETH, Spiritbox, Lorna Shore 

₊⁺໒ Faceclaim(s): I searched high and low for the artist and came up short, if anyone knows *please* tell us

Swarm jumpscare! I was struggling hard with leaving you an appropriate ID hoard, so I recruited some help /silly. Anyway, we actually ended up splitting this one while working on him, so I hope your brain likes him as much as ours does lol! I wanted to find a proper skeletal faceclaim, but I kept getting AI slop so I do hope you'll forgive me in that regard. Thank you for your patience :)

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

hhi could i. could i ask if you have any portal ford headcanons im being insane about him right now and your headcanons are So 💥‼️🎉🌈💥/pos

hi hello hows it goin

-he didn't get all of his tattoos in one sitting, and he actually has a few he gave to himself. some of the tattoos look like normal earth tattoos, but theres also a few that have cool effects to them. color-changing, moving slightly, shapeshifting from one creature to another, etc. etc.

-he gave himself a little sailboat tattoo in case he ever lost the photo. he also gave himself an axolotl after he met Jheselbraum

-when he was fresh into the portal, hed join other interdimensional travelers, make companions...he stopped after a while because the grief he felt every time he inevitably lost them became too much. he still misses the ones he did have, though. he gave himself a constellation tattoo to remember them- a star for each one.

-he has perhaps too many tattoos. most of them end up being covered up by scars, though

-speaking of scars- ford lost his right arm sometime while he was in the portal. An "anomaly" bit it off. He has a prosthetic now (in the future, he's going to keep forgetting to mention this to stan. which is. definitely not going to cause any problems at all (sarcastic))

-he has several scars that either look weird (slightly glow-in-the-dark, shimmers, etc.) or healed in strange patterns because they were caused by weapons very much not intended to interact with human flesh

-he has a lot of "speckle" scars all over him. theyre from corrosive rain

-Jheselbraum has been thoroughly established as a sort of secondary mother figure in his mind. She has also been given this role by many, many other versions of Ford. she is the space mom

-he once met a moth version of himself who borrowed a gun from him and never gave it back. hes still upset about that. no, he has not realized the connection

-he once held a full conversation with another version of stan without noticing who he was talking to. in his defense, it was dark out

-at some point, he developed a tapetum lucidum and nictitating membranes. this is the incredibly self-indulgent biology-hyperfixation-induced headcanon

-he thinks he can handle smoke and toxic air better because of how much time hes spent not being able to breathe properly. its actually made him more sensitive to things like that

-he has gotten better at not being poisoned though. this comes from years of eating random mushrooms and plants and bug-adjacent creatures. this doesnt apply to raw meat as much, but he can definitely handle it better than most other humans

-every now and then, the hyperfixation excitement will outweigh how horrible he feels all the time and he'll just end up staring at some sort of weird creature and taking mental notes about it for a really long time

-sometimes he'll name random creatures he sees just to kill time. waiting for your food to finish cooking? give your local fish-bird-thing a name

-he doesnt know this, but hes actually seen a few creatures that are considered cryptids in those dimensions

-his favorite dimensions are the ones filled with wildlife and starry skies and vibrant colors. theyre not nearly as common as youd think they are

-hes gotten more used to speaking non-earth languages than earth-languages. as such, hes started using lots of phrases that have...interesting translations in english

-he forgets how to speak sometimes. it used to be more distressing, but he doesnt typically come across many creatures that can understand language anyway. its more of an annoyance than anything at this point

-hes gotten really good at mimicking the calls of other creatures. really good. possibly too good (he will use this power for evil in the future. to terrorize his brother with seagull noises)

-this is technically post-portal, but he adapts the creatures hes seen into homebrew enemies and races in his DD&MD campaigns

-also post-portal, but he'll sometimes forget that that weird thing hes looking at is. yknow. weird and not just a normal part of life in this dimension. this is one of the two reasons why he asks stan to point out anomalies to him

[tothesoundofthefreakyclock]

Era IV - V Ghouls HCs (part 2)

Color shows who made what hc - reblogs are appreciated!

Cirrus

She/they/zir

Summoning day is April 4th, 2016

Favorite animal is kookaburra because of their laughter

MY WIFE OMG I LOVE MY WIFE SO MUCH

Wine aunt 2

Cat girl

Point to the fucker that hurt you, she'll take care of them

The sticking out tongue thing usually seen at Rituals is actually a habit even off stage. She doesn't even know how it first started

Definitely protective of Cumulus when the two were first summoned

Owns one of those cat pianos

Would hunt you down in the woods in the middle of the night while Leave It All To Me from ICarly plays in her head (you will not make it out alive)

Catgender

Huge fan of Avril Lavigne, Paramore, and Evanescence

Swiss [Quintessence, fire, and air]

Any pronouns. Mainly he/him, they/them, and /xe/xem/xyr

Summoning day is June 24th, 2015

Favorite animal is snow leopards because how silly they can be and how high they jump

The ADHD™

One of my three weed smoking girlfriends

“wtf is a gender lmao” (agender)

An accidental summon

Feral before being summoned. Took a much longer time to get him to calm down and learn the human world.

If he had a full legal name it would be Swisstopher Robin

Swiss would bring in prey from hunting and torment play with it before finally killing it

Has three favorite Rustycage songs (Family Friendly Noose Song, Jump Off The Trampoline, and The Cuss Word Song)

Second suspect of Smoke's torment. Sometimes teams up with Aether to be annoying.

Nearly killed someone when first summoned.

Any time someone takes away his phone he always manages to find extra, old and crappy phones that barely work, but he still uses them for gits and shiggles. Nobody knows where he keeps finding these old phones.

Has a “it's is my life - Jon Bovi” tattoo. Smoke fucking hates it.

The embodiment of those “never let them know your next move 😈😈” videos

Steals the ministry’s money to spend on mobile game currencies

Loves attention. He’ll mess with people just to get it

He would go into a different room, scream really loudly, and then come back into the room that he was previously in

Always has his hair in different, crazy colors and the colors change each day

—

Sunshine [Fire and air]

She/it

Summoning day is October 12th, 2018

Favorite animal is penguin because of how curious they are and how they slide on their bellies

Transfem (mtf)

Went back to the Pits when done. She loved every second of it, but she also missed her packmates

Girl really is a ray of sunshine. There's no way you can't smile when she is around!

Knows how to trick vending machines with fake money and the good ol "dollar on string" trick

Pokemon fan! Assigned everyone a Pokemon

Does everyone’s nails

—

Aurora [Air and fire]

She/they/it

Summoning day is February 15th, 2020

Favorite animal is rainbow lorikeet because of their color feathers and the different sounds they can make

The ADHD™

Also a Disney princess

You wanna learn makeup? Please ask her, she will teach you EVERYTHING.

Aurora has also done the whole "get fingertips wet and pretend to sneeze on sibling" thing with Phantom when younger. Probably still does to this day.

Must run around to let out energy. Down the halls, in a room around in circles, or outside is ideal. She gets zoomies the most and more intense than the others

Play bites the most

Has tiny wings since she’s not a full air ghoul

Hyperfixated on space and stars

—

Phantom

They/he/it

Summoning day is February 15th, 2020

Favorite animal is the maned wolf because of their uniqueness and their rare “roar bark”

The ADHD™

I know damn well he'd be a master at dodgeball

Please don't leave him unsupervised, especially with Aurora. It's guaranteed that something expensive is going to break

Expert at Clone Hero - he can play blindfolded

Tried really hard when first summoned and during the first few weeks of his first tour to fit in with the others, but he grew more comfortable being himself over time.

Puts band aids all over himself just for looks

Loves the laser pointer

Link to the first post!