#fucking comical string of events

[mushratting]

my experience w the kagerou project is sorta hilarious because i was a fan of the anime and the songs exclusively on and off for about seven years. part of that was bc the manga and novels were not finished for a while so i didnt read them bc i forgot they existed.

i also barely knew what the songs had going on. like i understood a lot of what the anime had going on in terms of characters and base plot tho. but i was a fan of the kagerou project half on gross misinterpretations and vibes alone.

i wildly misunderstood what the ending of mekakucity actors was. until i think winter of last year i thought that the project ended with everyone dying, including mary. and that ending had really stuck with me like all throughout my childhood and the kagerou project itself was VERY influential to me and still is. but learning that the thing that had influenced so much for my work thematically for so much of my time as a storyteller fully Never Happened is so fucking funny. what do you mean summertime record (episode 12) ends with everyone getting out and thats not the afterlife or something??

and its not like i only watched mekakucity actors once when i was 12 and then never again. i watched it a couple of times over the years and somehow the plot of the final episode managed to sail perfectly and beautifully over my head. in my defense episode 12 is kinda confusing and in my opinion very unclear and ambiguous so its not really all my fault.

cuz a core memory of last year was sitting with a friend of mine and telling him about kagepro and being like 'yea and it ends with them all dying' and talking about how that was interesting and kagepro was one of the works of fiction that influenced me the most. and that kinda made me get kagepilled again, except when i rewatched the anime again the ending actually clicked correctly in my brain and i awkwardly had to tell my friend that id fully spread misinformation to them about one of my favorite series of all time. funniest shit ever.

[nekropsii]

ALPHA TROLLS RANKED BY HOW WRONG THE FANDOM AT LARGE IS ABOUT THEM:

This is a personal challenge, based entirely on my own experience and perspective, and also ranked from Most to Least Correct. I was bored, and thought this might be fun.

Putting this under a cut, because it's long as hell.

MEULIN LEIJON

People get her mostly correct, from what I’ve seen… Most of the time, fan content of Meulin is absolutely recognizable as Meulin, but her pride in her deafness + joy of learning new ways to interact with the world through/due to her disability is always removed, and I do not often see people tackle the Toxic Positivity aspect of her character. That seems less like character assassination, though, and more like a combination of people not actually playing through the Openbounds, people not being able to fathom disabled people (especially those who gained a disability later in life rather than being born disabled) being happy, and general fandom distaste for the idea of touching anything uncomfortable, especially when that uncomfortable topic is highly mundane, normalized, and potentially applicable to them or their loved ones. Meulin’s toxic positivity was, of course, commentary on Tumblr’s ecosystem at the time, so… It was much harder to touch back then.

ARANEA SERKET

People tend to get her general, broad strokes personality right, but unfortunately she gets treated pretty roughly for the crime of Being A Serket. People refuse to understand her motivations, and she often gets demonized for what she was doing around/during [S] Game Over, even though that was something she’d gotten pushed to and also was cool as fuck to watch. God forbid a woman do anything.

DAMARA MEGIDO

People are right about the racism, 100%. It is completely despicable, hard to look at, and extremely blatant. She does, however, have character outside of that. No, it isn’t “whore”, it’s more like “angry, dysfunctional abuse victim”, and she’s genuinely a very interesting and tragic character. But, again, people are right about the racism, so she gets to be placed way up here.

MEENAH PEIXES

She is such a chaotic little bastard. I love her. I really do. Please understand that she genuinely does not understand the concept of consequences. This girl didn’t have a Lusus, she didn’t have parents, it was functionally illegal to tell her “No, you can’t do that.” That would fuck up literally anyone’s moral compass. That’s not me hand waving away all the fucked up and bad shit she’s done, we all know what she did, but people tend to forget this aspect of her character and it pains me deeply, because it is a very genuinely interesting concept that I want to see more of. She’s capable of regret, we’ve seen her feel it, I just don’t think foresight is her forte. No one raised her to consider consequences, or help her experience them in a healthy way, because nobody raised her period.

Also, her ass is not butch, she is the girliest girl in the entire comic. She is about hot pink and glitter and kiss marks and unicorns and cute little puns and you will respect that. She is not masculine. Her ass is not masculine nor is she butch. Let her be her hyper-feminine self.

LATULA PYROPE

Please for the love of god there is more to her character than “Gamer Girl” and “Mituna’s Girlfriend”. You are falling for her fucking ruse. Please. Please. Please recognize that her entire character is about internalized misogyny, and being forced to overcompensate for misogyny in gaming circles as a gamer who happens to be a woman. Please. I’m begging.

KURLOZ MAKARA

His character is not that deep, it’s mostly just a string of events he is mysteriously, inexplicably involved with. The Makaras are extremely Function Over Form- their characters practically do not exist, they're mostly just plot devices that exist to push the story along. I'm sorry to Makara fans. You just invented a guy in your mind and decided he was real. He is also not that soft, though, and his relationships with both Meulin AND Mituna are not healthy. Hard to stop people from ascribing cutesy squishy lovey dynamics to random men who happened to have looked at each other once, though. Some people truly haven't graduated from 2012.

HORUSS ZAHHAK

I am begging people to consider that maybe the biggest issue here is not that he is “Bad Otherkin/Therian Representation” and is in fact maybe the fact that Hussie was actually making fun of Systems when he was writing Horuss. Because Horuss is canonically a system. He uses the word system. He uses the word switching. He uses the word host. He literally talks about his Plurality at length in extremely upfront, plain terms. I don’t know how him being “Bad Otherkin Representation” was and still is the main discourse about him. It makes me insane. That is a commentary that truly writes itself. Talk about having your priorities out of wack, honestly...

PORRIM MARYAM

No, she is not a MRA, she’s just a regular feminist who happens to live on a different planet with different politics and social hierarchies from Our Real World Earth’s USA. Whatever argument you’re about to pull out of your ass to say that she sucks is bad. She already explained what she meant by that, in more detail, very clearly, and she was right. Half the time she’s literally just giving you factual information about what Beforus was like, and literal plot synopses. She isn’t saying anything insane. She’s literally normal. I don’t know why people cannot handle or process this. Porrim has not ever said anything controversial. If you disagree with this you’re either misconstruing her on purpose or you fell for Kankri’s bait, and that’s just fucking sad at that point.

Also, she’s more than a sex object, and her tits are not huge. Honestly, half the shit she was saying was just “I am more than my sex life”, and so many people took that and made her main character trait her sex life. Just pathetic.

RUFIOH NITRAM

This man is a fucking war criminal and I will stop at nothing until he is behind bars for his crimes against Damara. Raging misogynist. Total fucking cunt. Just the worst. If I talk any more about this, this part will be 1,000 paragraphs long. But also, I’m begging people to recognize his relationship with disability, too. He was similar to Meulin in the sense that he didn’t mind his disability, and his biggest gripe with it was the way that Horuss tried to “fix” it… Which is an interesting way to expand upon how Beforus’s culling system is not only very explicitly ableist, but mimicking real world systemic ableism. I also want people to recognize that Hussie is actively having a conversation about the reclamation of slurs with Rufioh’s character, and how not letting people reclaim such language is doing nothing but giving the word power against them while stripping away their own personal agency. Rufioh’s a complicated guy, and he’s interesting and also the worst, and I am really tired of how he gets watered down to nothing but “Pretty Boy Victim Of His Inexplicably Psycho Ex”.

MITUNA CAPTOR

Holy Fucking Shit, You Guys Are Ableist.

KANKRI VANTAS

To this day I see people saying he was just Hussie making fun of SJWs. To this day. To this day people think Hussie was trying to make Every Tumblr Leftist look bad, and that he hates them Because They Are Leftists. When will people recognize him as a bootlicker to the oppressive class and the violently bigoted. When will people recognize that. When will people recognize that this is more of a commentary on the legitimate real flaws of Tumblr’s politics at the time. When. When.

When will people stop portraying him as a lovey-dovey Catholic Whore. I’m going to stab my fucking eyes out and then kill everyone in this building. Me when it's based and cool to ship an aroace character with a sexual predator. I GUESS.

CRONUS AMPORA

I say this with every ounce of sincerity I can possibly muster as a person: What the literal actual fuck.

[tojisbbygworl]

How Could You - Hobie Brown x Reader

Summary: Hobie was not the best boyfriend. It’s not his fault, he has an obligation to his city and by proxy, the multiverse. But, he doesn’t want to lose you. Unfortunately, revealing his secret does the opposite of what he had hoped.

Tags: Angst, Hurt/No Comfort,Canon-Divergence, (Hobie doesn’t reveal himself after killing Osbourne, Comic villains and events but movie Hobie, He’s supposed to be British but I forgot like halfway through writing)

Words: 3147

author’s note: If I had a nickel for everytime a girl broke up with her superhero bf bcs he lied abt being a superhero I would have 2 nickels.

Honestly tho I rly don’t like the whole ‘I’m upset because you lied to me’ trope in the superhero genre. I feel like there’s a much better reason to break up with a superhero so here’s my idea. I’ll talk more abt it in the end note.

Anyway enjoy!

AO3 Version

My AO3

Masterlist

Soaring through the air with nothing but a thin string as support, fighting monsters 3 times his size sometimes from a different universe, killing the fucking Prime Minister; none of these things have brought him as much anxiety as he feels in this moment.

It was so late, after 2 in the morning, and he was rushing back to his apartment grunting in pain from his injuries. It’s never fun fighting Kingpin, but hopefully after tonight he won’t have to do that anymore. Kamala had finally discovered his new place of hiding, Osbourne’s old bunker.

No matter how badly his ribs stung with every thwip and pull, he didn’t let up or slow down for a second. You were waiting for him. You’ve been waiting for him since he left at 8. Fuck, it’s been 6 hours? How did he let time fly like that?

‘She’s going to kill me,’ he lightly joked to himself. His stomach turned, he knows deep down that you were getting down to your last straw. You’re always so sweet about his disappearances. He tells you he needs to go; “Being in-charge of a non-profit anti-establishment organization dedicated to the dismantling of our government doesn’t allow you to have much free time, love. I’ll be back,” he would say. Your gorgeous smile would present itself and he just has to give you a kiss before he leaves. That smile has become less bright in recent months.

You’ve started voicing your annoyance as well. “Yeah, so I’ve heard,” you would respond. Or, “Duty calls?” With an eye roll. His least favorite response was, “Why don’t you date the organization instead?” The chuckle you let out after that was so dry and your smile was so empty. It scared him.

There were times where he wasn’t there in the first place. He regrets those the most. He’s missed so many important things, some of which he couldn’t understand how or why you forgave him. He certainly wouldn’t have if he was in your position. You had to be an angel or something. Fuck, he loves you.

Tonight was supposed to be a shut-in date night. Just the two of you, some junk food, and a scary movie that you’ve been dying to see. His watch beeped with a message: got a lead on Fisk. He looked at you and you just…let him go. You didn’t smile, you didn’t frown, you just looked into his eyes and turned away.

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” You didn’t respond, and at that moment, he decided that when he got back there would be no more secrets. No more sneaking around. No more lies. He loved you and you deserved to know.

From what he could see through the window, the lights were off. A part of him is relieved, hoping you weren’t awake so he could just take care of his injuries and slip into bed next to you. He would just have to wait to tell you tomorrow morning.

But, that plan is put to shit when he opens the window and quietly steps inside his living room. The tv is off and the snacks have been cleared. Hobie starts to panic. Did you go home?

He slips off his shoes in case you were sleeping soundly in his room and starts to walk slowly towards it. The door is cracked just a bit and the light is off there too. The entire apartment was shrouded in darkness, the only possible light coming through windows from the moon. He looks through the crack and relaxes upon seeing your silhouette in bed. He lets out a quiet sigh and creeps away to the bathroom.

“Hobie?” He freezes. A few seconds pass and he hears the bed creaking and feet shuffling across the floor. He still doesn’t turn around as his door opens to reveal you in your pajamas, face puffy, and eyes red.

You had been waiting for him to get home for what felt like forever. You were so excited earlier today, but there was this unrelenting churn in your stomach telling you that he would leave eventually. And of course, you were right.

Honestly, you didn’t understand why you were still with him at this point. You know he lies about where he is. You’ve known ever since he invited you to a protest his non profit put together. You told him you wanted to become an official member and he shot it down immediately. “Too dangerous for a peng-thing such as yourself,” he told you. He was right about it being dangerous, everyone was gassed and it hadn’t even been 15 minutes. But that didn’t matter. You wanted to be a part of it. Especially after they got to witness Prime Minister Osbourne’s beheading.

He didn’t even use it as an excuse most of the time. When you would wait for him to meet with you, his reasonings were fickle if he even had any.

“Got caught up with something,”

“One of my mates needed me, you know how that goes,”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m here now aren’t I?”

Oh, and there was your favorite, “Get off my back, will you? I’ve got a life too.” The times where he had nothing to say at all, as painful as it was, were much better. You were so sick of it and you just hoped that he could tell.

Right now, in this moment, you’re not sure because he still hasn’t turned around. You couldn’t see much in the darkness of the hallway, but you at least knew it was him and he was walking away. “You can’t even look at me?”

Hobie stood still, his mind racing. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to see the look on your face. He knew you were disappointed. He could hear it in your voice. “…I,” he clears his throat. “I didn’t think you would still be awake.” He cringes.

You blink at him. “You didn’t think I would still be awake?” You repeated vexedly, your voice growing stronger.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Hobie tries to save.

You closed your eyes and took in a sharp breath. “You know…if you’re cheating on me, I’d rather you be honest about it.”

Hobie finally turns around. In the dark, you can’t see his mask, but he can see you perfectly. You looked so dejected and it destroyed him. He could tell that you had been crying before he got here, and now you’re eyes were welling up again. His chest pangs.

“I don’t appreciate you leaving me without a word and coming back whenever you want,” you continue, your voice breaking. A tear slips down your face and you quickly wipe it away only for another to follow right after. “Do you think I’m stupid?” You sob, trying to remain strong as he walks towards you. “That I would just be okay with that shit?”

Hobie still doesn’t answer. Instead, he stands a couple feet away from you right next to the light switch. “Are you not going to answer me?” You growl at him. Still, nothing. “Ho-”

The light turns on. His name halts in your throat as you gaze upon him. Your tears don’t stop and you raise your hand to your mouth, a shaky gasp escaping you. Hobie finally peels his mask off to reveal his cut up face.

For a moment, there’s nothing but silence as you try and process this new information. Hobie was…Spider-man. Your boyfriend was Spider-man. That’s why. That’s why he was never there. That’s why he can never be there. Hobie opens his mouth, the breath he takes being enough to cut through the tension. “I’m sorry.”

He continues to walk towards you, praying that you don’t walk away. You’re frozen in place. “I’m so sorry.” He holds his arms out and embraces you in a tight hug relaxing into your arms when you lift them up and wrap them around his neck. You bury your head into his shoulders making his suit wet from your tears.

Hobie’s lips begin to quiver. He swallows a sob before speaking again. “I didn’t know how to tell you...” His voice cracks while trying to find the right words to say. “I just…I am so sorry for lying to you. I’m so fucking sorry.”

For a while, the both of you just stand there in each other’s presence. There was a feeling of anxiousness in the air; for Hobie, he was worried why you hadn’t said anything. As for you…

“Come on.” You grabbed his hand and walked the both of you to his bathroom where you sat him on the toilet and tended to his facial wounds. You remained completely silent, still trying to gather all of your thoughts. It made him all the more terrified.

Hobie repeatedly geared himself up to speak to you, but ultimately kept his mouth closed. What could he say? It was you who needed to talk. You needed to tell him how worried for him you would be. You needed to tell him how happy you were that he was okay. You needed to tell him how angry you were at him for lying to you.

You needed…you needed…

He needed you to say something. Anything.

But you didn’t know how to tell him. And when you were done with his face he stood up and took your hand to walk the both of you back to his room. You followed at first, but quickly stopped. He looked back at you in confusion, his heart racing. “What is it?”

You let go of his hand with him refusing to do the same. It went limp in his hold as you stared at the ground. Your eyes filled with tears and fell just as quickly. Without looking up, you finally told him what was on your mind. “I…I was going to break up with you tonight.”

His heart dropped. He releases a huff having been completely floored by that charged sentence. What do you mean you were going to break up with him? What do you mean there was no saving the relationship the moment he left? What do you mean he was too late?

His mouth opens and closes, trying to find the words to convey his shock. “Was?” He decides upon, foolishly hopeful.

The breath that you take in, the look on your face, and the tears falling down it killed anything inside him that held onto the possibility that you still wanted to be with him. So he lets go of your hand too. “No.” You say.

Hobie is appalled. His eyes dart around the hallway as his mind tries to make sense of what was happening. His breathing gets harder and faster. He begins to shake his head. “I don’t-,” he stutters, “I-I don’t understand.”

“Hobie-”

“I mean, I…” he hikes his shoulders up and holds up his hands. Finally, he looks at you. His chest aches at the sight of you, he’s never seen you so dejected. He gestures at himself. “You see…you see why.”

You walk towards him and put your hand on his chest to try and calm him down. It does nothing. Instead he holds his own hand over yours to keep it there. “And I am so glad that you trusted me enough to tell me. Your secret is safe with me, Hobie.” After telling him that, you lose any resolve you had and sob. Your voice is strained when you talk, and you have to take small pauses to catch your breath and remain coherent. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you missed my graduation-”

“I was almost eaten alive.” he quickly defends, remembering that annoying day. The Inheritors have become a very big nuisance since Osbourne’s death and are the reason for so many of his disappearances. He would explain all of this to you if you gave him the chance.

You scrunch your face with a look of confusion, but when he doesn’t explain any further, you continue. “And you missed my recital-”

“So I could keep Kraven from fucking up 38th street.” He was starting to get upset. It’s like you weren’t listening to him. He was Spider-man. Of course he couldn’t be there for every facet of your life. And you knew that now. So…what the fuck? “If I hadn’t done that, your mates wouldn’t have anywhere to live.”

You could hear the annoyance in his tone and body language, and it made you a little miffed. “I understand that-“

“Do you?”

You slap your head in frustration. “You’re not getting it, Hobie. You weren’t there-“

“Yeah, I fucking couldn’t be because I’m too busy trying un-fuck our city and everyone in it. Including you.” He says, slightly raising his voice. How dare you get mad at him when you’re the one who’s leaving? “I mean, I’m showing you why I can’t be there and it’s still not enough?”

You never stopped crying, but now you were pissed. You glared at him. “You think that fixes everything? It doesn’t change the fact that I stood outside the auditorium and waited for you right before and right after my name was called for nothing. Or that I almost fucked up my solo because I couldn’t think about anything besides the fact that you weren’t there.”

Hobie raises a finger at you. “I-”

“Stop interrupting me!” You shout, immediately recoiling but keeping your glare. Hobie blinks at you in disbelief. “Knowing that you were off saving the world does not mean I didn’t need you there with me when my sister was-” Choking on your words, you cover your mouth with your hand in a feeble attempt to hide the sob that escaped. Hobie’s anger dissipated and all that was left was utter heartbreak.

You took a second to recollect yourself, shying away from his touch when he reached out to you. He drops his arm by his side. “I don’t understand,” he whispers, his voice breaking.

Taking another deep breath, you drop the ball on him , finally. “If you’re worried I’m going to go off and tell Jonah Jameson-”

“No,” he practically shouts. “I’m not fucking worried about that. I’m upset, because my girlfriend is breaking up with me!”

“Don’t fucking yell at me!”

Hobie slams his hands against his head and walks away from you, panting. All you can do is watch him, anticipating his next move. Bracing yourself for whatever he’ll say out of anger.

After a few moments of breathing, he drops his hands and turns to look at you. “So what you just-don’t love me anymore?”

“What?”

“Is that it? There’s someone else?”

You furrowed your brows and looked around the room wondering where the hell he got that from. “The fuck? No!”

“So why don’t you want to be with me anymore?”

You groaned in frustration and covered your face with your hands. He just wasn’t getting it. “That’s not what I’m saying-”

“The fuck are you saying?” His voice louder than it’s ever been towards you.

“I want to be with you, Hobie,” you tell him, the tears never ending. Your voice, as loud as it is, shakes and cracks. Hobie grabs his hair, his mind completely scattered. You were confusing him left and right. Why can’t you just come out and say-

“I don’t want to be with Spider-Man.”

Everything seems to stop. The only sound being you calming yourself down as you take some deep breaths. You couldn’t look at Hobie, you just couldn’t. As for him, he couldn’t stop looking at you utter disbelief and heartbreak.

His bottom lip quivered as it hung open. His nostrils began to flare. His chest rose and fell as he felt the lump in his throat grow. Why won’t you look at him? Please look at him…please?

“You…I don’t…” he simply can’t find the words to describe how he felt. To put it simply, you were breaking his heart. He loves you. He fucking loves you so much. It hurts that there’s nothing he can do to fix this. He can’t just stop being Spider-Man, no matter how hard he’s considering it at this moment.

He doesn’t know what yo do. He’s so hurt. He’s so…fucking…angry.

“Get out.” He says, looking at the ground.

You jerk your head up at him. Wiping your eyes, you ask him, “What?”

Hobie angrily puts his mask back on. “Get the fuck out,” he repeats, louder this time. You don’t move. You didn’t want it to end like this. Was it really going to end like this? No…

“Ba-Hobie,” Slip of the tongue. But it was too late, he heard it and it broke him even more.

“I don’t want you here when I get back.” He turns away from you and stalks towards the window. Without looking back once, he lifts it open and hops back out into the night.

You slap your hand over your mouth and squeeze your eyes shut. This feeling in your chest, you wanted to lie down and scream at the top of your lungs. You were hoping he understood, that you could reason with him, but now you were left a lonely shell of your former self. You would hate yourself for breaking his heart the way you did. As you gather your things and leave the apartment, you start to wonder, was this even worth it?

On the trek home, you decided; yes. It hurt, but nothing would compare to the pain of him not being there at the hospital when you told him you needed him there. All the moments that you needed the man you loved and he was no where to be found, you found joy in knowing that you would never experience that again.

You weren’t angry with Hobie anymore. You knew why things were the way they were now. But, that’s not a love life that you wanted. That was the most difficult thing you had to do, but you had to do it. You weren’t going to be a superhero’s girlfriend. You just weren’t. You hoped he understood one day.

And he will. But for now, Hobie watches you leave the building with a hole in his heart and hatred in his mind. For now, you just don’t want to make it work with him. Hobie knows the two of you are meant to be, he just wishes you would understand that-

No. He wishes you would accept him. You don’t . And that destroys him.

For now, you simply don’t love him enough to accept him for what he is. A huge part of him was scared of this, and would you look at that, it came true.

He was so confused. So hurt. How could you. How could you?…

ending a/n: Hi! How was it? I hope I wrote it well. I really wanted to make sure it was clear that they both are valid in their feelings about the whole thing. It made sense that it would all blow up and not end well and I think it’s very easy for someone who is dealing with a lot of emotions to not really think rationally or listen to the other person.

If you read this whole thing and was like ‘what is wrong with her’ let me try to explain my thought process. She doesn’t want to be with a superhero. She wants to be in a relationship with someone who can be there for her. Hobie was never there, if he was it was few and far between. And that’s bcs of his obligation to the world and multiverse. That’s no one’s fault. She gets that. So she’s going to find someone who CAN give her the time she needs. Someone who doesn’t have a duty to the world. Someone who can focus on her as much as she does for them.

Of course, Hobie isn’t going to understand that. All he hears is that she doesn’t want to be with him. So, he’s thinking irrationally, not really listening to what she’s saying. Taking things the wrong way bcs he’s heart broken.

I like where I ended it, but I am very open to a pt 2 in the future where they’ve gotten over it (or maybe not 👀) but they’re not going to get back together. It’ll be like closure unless I decide to never let Hobie heal from it. Hmmmm. Idk idk idk!

Anyway, I hope you guys understood my thinking and enjoyed this version of this trope. I don’t think I’ve seen it done before, it would be nice to start a trend of this. I would love to see how other people interpret this. Please feel free to discuss this particular topic more with me if you would like! I don’t bite! Y’all have a good one🩵🩵

AO3 Version

My AO3

Masterlist

[bunnybeandraws]

I would like to thank @crumb-crumblet-s-crumbington for giving me the inspiration to write this because their recent lethan comic has been stuck in my head all day <3

It was always hallways with these kinds of places. Long, never-ending hallways with dull gray walls and dull white floors with dull metal doors lining each and every corridor. It made these places exceedingly difficult to navigate in stressful situations.

The sound of gunfire snaps Leon out of these thoughts, and he twists around to return fire, roughly pulling Ethan along as they turn into yet another identical hallway.

Leon can count the amount of times he's been in this building on one hand, this specific event being one of them. He hadn't even planned on returning to this place ever, but Chris had called in a favor, and who is he to say no to an old friend? Especially if it's to save an innocent person from being treated like a monster.

The sound of more gunfire makes Ethan flinch for just a moment, slowing the two down temporarily, and Leon has to wonder… Is this really the same person who survived the Dulvey Incident? The same person who had their heart ripped free from their chest and came back to tell the tale?

Because Ethan certainly doesn't seem like it.

A large double-door opens behind them, and Leon curses at himself internally. Of course the bastards would bring back up, but it doesn't make the situation any less aggravating. He twists around once more to return fire, forcing his burning legs to move faster because goddamn it, they're almost home free!

Ethan suddenly jerks, and a flash of red in the corner of his eye tells Leon the worst has happened. A single bullet between the eyes, Ethan already slumping forward.

Shit, fuck, this wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to get out of here, Ethan was supposed to see his wife and child again, he was-

He wasn't slumping anymore, his back arching like a puppet suddenly pulled back by its strings. Black seeps from the wound, consuming the top half of Ethans' face, and out of instinct, Leon starts to ready his pistol. He's already dealing with aggressive, murdery humans, he doesn't need an aggressive, murdery B.O.W on top of all of that.

For a moment, nothing happens, the mold simply writhing before it's pulled back into the bullet wound like someone unplugged a drain. And when the mold has fully receded, the wound too has disappeared, and Ethan is already running again, not stopping to even question what happened, like he didn't even realize that he just came back from the dead once more.

Leon simply stares for a moment, all sound around him muted and his vision focused entirely on Ethan. He knew the younger man wasn't human, but seeing his regeneration in action was something else entirely.

A sudden sharp pain across his cheek yet again snaps Leon out of his thoughts, and he grits his teeth, returning fire once more.

Maybe he had just been seeing things, the stress of the situation just getting to him. Ethan certainly seemed completely fine, just running ahead of Leon…

But that patch of glistening red on the floor seemed very real.

[ryuichirou]

AzuIde Marriage AU replies

A couple of replies related to the comic we posted yesterday + a reply for a pretty old ask from back when we posted the comic on Ko-Fi! Since the comic is finally edited properly and posted here, I can actually write a proper reply.

Thank you for your patience, and thanks to everyone for your interest!

Anonymous asked:

Can I just say how much I adore your design for adult azul? It just hits all the marks, the round glasses with chain? Yes! White suit? Yes! Hairstyle? fucking yes!

Thank you so much, Anon!!

Round glasses work super well with Azul’s face, he looks like even more of a villain somehow lol So I love making him wear those. And I am such a sucker for horrible people wearing white suits (it’s like a trauma from my Yami no Matsuei days). I am very happy you like this design for Azul!

In-universe though, I think Azul is very careful with what he wears and how he accessorses himself, so every one of his decisions is very intentional.

Anonymous asked:

Is Azul still going to be mad at Idia when they get home? Will he dole out punishment?

Partially replied here, as well as gave some more explanation about what actually happened (there isn’t much though because the story is very vague), and I’ll repost that explanation just in case! <3

Here is what I can say for certain: after being separated from Idia for quite a long time, Azul is going to kind of take care of him, as in “it’s okay, you’ve suffered enough” kind of way; but Idia is smart enough to know that this is just Azul trying to make Idia rely on him again, so he could shut the cage door and trap him once and for all. Azul is also very good at victimblaming, manipulating and gaslighting + has will-power that Idia doesn’t always have, so even if Idia knows that Azul’s kindness isn’t genuine (Azul never forgets those who betray him), he is powerless to change anything at this point. He just wants him and Ortho to be safe, and Ortho wants it too. So even though Ortho technically could blast Azul and the Tweels’ asses, Azul is perfectly aware of this risk, so he uses a different approach on Ortho. After all, Ortho is a smart boy + he and Azul have the same goal: they want Idia to be happy, right? It’s easier to do it while working together instead of fighting!

Anyways, Azul scary and powerful, and at this point in the story he has a lot of useful connections including STYX and probably even Idia’s parents. A lot more strings to manipulate the events in a way that would portray him as a forgiving and loving saint, but still ensure that Idia never leaves him again.

And after this position is secured, then he might start punishing Idia. But in a way that is very subtle to everyone around them, but painfully obvious for Idia.

So a TL;DR answer would be: yes, Azul is still mad, but he won’t punish him right away. He’ll act like a sweet and caring husband for a while (Idia won’t buy that bs), and when he gets tired of that act, he’ll start punishing Idia in a sneaky way.

As for what kind of punishment it would be…

Anonymous asked:

I remember the general punishments Azul would dish out to Idia from the original dark headcanons post but in a recent post, you said that when Azul punishes Idia in this case it would be in a way that no one would notice. Do you have any headcanons about these punishments? 😀

(Once again, sorry for the wait, Anon!)

I do have some thoughts! But when it comes to these kinds of scenario, it’s a bit difficult to come up with headcanons because I feel like no matter what I come up with, Azul would’ve came up with something more cunning, more sinister, more subtle and more cruel. So take whatever I’m about to write and keep in mind that it could be x3 times worse lol Azul is very bad when he feels rejected.

Azul would control the entire narrative of what has happened between them. He would play his cards in a way that would make everyone believe that Idia left him seemingly out of nowhere, and that this is just Idia causing trouble due to being bad at interacting with people. He will even manage to fool S.T.Y.X. people and their ex-classmates into thinking that yeah, Azul is notoriously pretty sleazy and cunning, but he seems to be genuinely in love with Idia: ever since that accident he’s been all over him, protecting him, taking care of him, even skipping work (!!!) to be with him. “Maybe even Azul has a heart, who would’ve thought”, “I guess it really was Idia’s mess-up…”, “He is such a good husband, Idia needs to appreciate him more”…

At the same time, Azul would defend Idia in front of all these people whenever someone would even hint at Idia hurting Azul’s feelings. He would insist that Idia is completely forgiven, and that it would be incredibly petty to worry about this little thing when he almost lost him. Azul might even say that the Universe has given them a second chance, and that this time Azul will make everything right just so Idia doesn’t feel the need to run from him anymore. What an angel you are, Azul Ashengrotto! Idia would feel like he is losing his mind hearing these conversations. It would be overwhelming and so horribly isolating, he’d feel like he can’t talk to anyone about anything anymore. His social anxiety would actually become way worse.

And yet, Azul would force him to come out more often. Together, of course. He would walk with him (Idia wouldn’t be able to walk properly by himself for a couple of months during his recovery), bring him to events (“You are probably very bored and lonely, let’s visit our friends at [company name], shall we?”). Not only it would make Idia see a huge swarm of people discussing his every move, he would constantly feel eyes on him because Azul would become more clingy in public. He would constantly hold his hand and kiss it, kiss his face and lips, bring him closer while hugging his shoulders, etc. PDA was never Azul’s style, but now it feels like he is showcasing their love to everyone and cementing their status as a hopeful young couple that is together against all odds. This would make all the social pressure on Idia absolutely unbearable. It feels like a walk of shame…

It’s not like the situation at home would be any better, mind you. Azul being sweet with Idia would make him feel even more anxious because it’s one thing to act all nice in front of people to save face, but when they’re all alone, it feels like Azul is preparing something, something big and horrible, and Idia would feel this anticipation so vividly every second around him. Azul would just smile and say that Idia is being paranoid and overly suspicious of him, and that it’s actually very hurtful. Azul would barely hide his smile because he hasn’t done anything yet, and Idia already looks like a caged animal with fear in his eyes. He wants him to marinate in this fear more, even if it breaks his psyche completely.

Azul would start gaslighting Idia into thinking that his health is declining, both mental and physical. He would act very protective and caring, he’ll even manage to make Idia believe that he is genuinely scared for his well-being at some point. The amount of unnecessary potions and drugs he would make Idia consume both sneakily and openly is insane. He might even do that toxic husband thing and pay a therapist to make them tell him everything Idia was talking about to them during the session… if he managed to make Ortho make Idia go to the therapist, that is (no way he’d manage to make Idia go himself).  

He would guilt-trip Idia a lot. Even though Idia doesn’t love him, Azul would still manage to make him feel bad for leaving Azul like this. Even if Idia knows that Azul is playing games with him, he would feel guilty all the time, but this isn’t even the worst thing. What is much worse is that sometimes Azul just sighs and goes “I didn’t want it to bring this up because I know how bad it is for you, but…” and drops the bomb about Idia putting Ortho in danger again. Blaming Idia for harming Ortho (intentionally being vague, knowing that it would reopen old wounds) is another thing that Azul would never usually do, but right now he’s spiteful, angry and genuinely wants to hurt Idia as much as he can. Even if Idia doesn’t care about Azul and wants to run away again, would it really be the best move for Ortho? He barely survived the accident, after all.

Idia isn’t the only person Azul would guilt-trip. He would also guilt-trip Ortho who feels very responsible for everything that’s happened to Idia. He would’ve easily sensed that Azul is lying, but it seems that even a machine could be messed with if the most important person in its life is hurt. Like I mentioned in another reply, Azul would make Ortho feel like they want the same thing and should work together. Of course Ortho would feel like he is betraying Idia in a way, but he would still cooperate because of his guilt + feeling that giving Azul full access to everything that Idia does online would make Idia more safe and happier somehow.

[puffyducks]

DCRC Week #4 (Part 1)

We have finally escaped the world of decimals and this week we'll be covering PKNA #1: Shadows on Venus! Which is technically the fourth story but y'know.

(This is another long and image-heavy post you have been warned)

babygirl

Shoutout to Angus Fangus for inventing deepfakes in the 90s just to fuck with PK

*scampers away on all fours like a rat*

LET'S GOOOOO SHE'S BACK RIGHT WHEN WE NEED HER AS ALWAYS 💥💥💥

obsessed with her cunty stance here btw

AWW HELL NAW ANGOS FONGUS GOT THE FUCKIN MARCY TREATMENT 😭😭😭

I'm not doing the comparison thing for a whole post again, I just feel like pointing out that they made these panels gayer in the official English

Uno is dying of exhaustion and Donald is here trying to get in the killing blow with bad jokes 💀

So Everett Ducklair invented a spaceship capable of flying all the way to VENUS, never tested it, never told anyone about it, and left it sitting abandoned on top of a tower for presumably years??? Yeah ok you know what good for him.

YOU PUT HIM DOWN

This week's cool background characters, what a treat that there are TWO this time!!

Xadhoom's face 😭 how interesting that, despite the fact that Angus is the only one who had his brain zapped, there actually isn't a single braincell in sight here

DONALD THAT'S A SWEAR WORD YOU CAN'T SAY THAT

well that's not traumatizing at all

Xadhoom saying "damn" too but I feel like it's pretty deserved in this scenario (and no, they did not let Donald OR Xadhoom say "damn" in the official English version)

Damn they really got his ass with this one. His career is never gonna recover from this.

Oh wow what a completely random blurb from the news to include here. I'm sure that won't be relevant next week. Nope.

Anyways this shit is literally so cute, Donald made a party hat with a comically large string just to fit around Uno's bigass dome (instead of like, idk having Uno go into one of the many smaller orbs that he clearly has around the building)

I'm starting to notice a pattern between Donald going to space and kicking ass with a really cool alien lady, though I can't decide if the events of this comic were somehow better or worse than his fate on the moon. At the very least nobody threatened the life of his kids this time cause they're currently *checks notes* in Zimbabwe... Something like that anyways.

[hawkzeyes]

I need to outright say this because I was discussing this briefly with a friend but I think the break for Green Arrow (2023) was such a stupid marketing move. Like this comic is not popular enough nor is it well thought out enough (because they’re attempting to string together the absolute mess DC has made of the arrowfam in the last decade and yikes) to have been able to afford that kind of a hiatus. DC wonders why no other heroes can get sales for comics but they pull shit like this for yet another event that doesn’t need to happen. Later Green Arrow fans are going to be sitting here wondering why yet again another possible ongoing series was stopped and what we could have done to prevent it when really it’s just DC being really fucking bad at their job.

[autobot-ratchet]

MTMTE 12-13

MTMTE 12

still so cute that Tailgate's happy place is movie night

damn they really just cut right to the aftermath of the battle like “oh yeah btw Rewind's injured and Swerve got his face blown off. Just to let you know. Okay back to the present”

Drift is in his element, look at that smile, you go baby, slice those dudes up

gfdjks poor First Aid is so done with Chromedome's fussing, give the guy a break he's just worried about his husband

also yeah god this is the first time we get to say explicitly that they're married, isn't it? I remember being completely fucking floored by that the first time I read it, like “wait what do you mEAN THEY'RE ACTUALLY TOGETHER??? LIKE IN THE ROMANCE WAY?!?!?” like I had picked up on the queercoding vibes but then the comic was just like “yeah coding-schmoding, they're queer” and I simply could not believe that shit lmAO

also btw Cyclonus is injured too. Just fyi

I've made fun of Tailgate for embellishing his past accomplishments but damn does he do a good job of stringing Rewind along lmAO kid's a pretty good liar under enough pressure

I love how they show us that horrifying panel of Swerve's fucked up face without context and then later the context turns out to be “yeah he just accidentally shot himself in the face.” he looked down the fuckin barrel of the thing god lmAO

I love the concept of innermost energon so much. For a race that's constantly morphing and changing to give away the one part of themselves that always stays the same no matter what, the fuckin romance of it all

I love Tailgate trying to gas up Chromedome by constantly trash-talking Dominus just on principle alone lmAO “Oh that's Rewind's ex? Fuck that guy he's got nothing on you” “Tailgate he was an incredible person” “Incredibly cringe, maybe”

sorry I am now distracted by the idea of Tailgate using the word “cringe,” that wasn't nearly as much of a thing when this comic was coming out but he absolutely would, holy shit

ooohhhgdjhfs Drift recruiting Chromedome for The Overlord Thing while he's at his lowest and Rewind's incapacitated is so slimy, he really does have to do all the dirty work for this project huh

Cyclonus immediately goes back to help Tailgate clean up, he's making progress, we're getting thereeeeeeeee

I think this is the first time (of many) that Cyclonus looks at Chromedome and Rewind's relationship and is like “...........huh.” Like, he definitely uses them as a framework for his own relationship with Tailgate and wants what they have, even if he doesn't quite realize it at this point

Ah, right, I forgot that Whirl helps Rewind jump his spark out of guilt for nearly killing him alongside Cyclonus lmAO

And Cyclonus protected Rewind.... nnnnNNGFHSDFNgsdf *points at Cyclonus* HAHA YOU HAVE FEELINGS... YOU CARE........

MTMTE 13

I like the implication that this isn't the first time Drift has grabbed Swerve like a football

also love Cyclonus calling Drift too young, both of you are old as dicks

I will never be able to think about the bit where Swerve asks Drift to be his roommate and Drift is like “no thanks, in my off time I prefer to be alone in a state of heightened isolation exploring the limits of solitude” without thinking about that vine that's like “sorry dude I can't go do social event, I'm busy” and then it cuts to him in his room alone, drinking a can of beer with one hand and playing jock jams on a keyboard with the other, this one, this is the vine

I fucking forgot Swerve was still here, I thought they closed the door on him lmfAO they really just had that whole conversation with the door wide open

I'm still so sad we only got the good holomatter avatar generator after Ratchet had used his old one, not to mention everyone whose avatars we never saw. Every day I wonder what Drift's avatar would've looked like

Magnus shoving his way between Swerve and Tailgate, making Tailgate scoot three entire seats over

“I think the program is struggling with human gender- Do I look like a 'Mary Sue?'” ah-HAH *slaps knee*

Aww, I forgot Magnus's avatar is Verity, that's so sweet. I didn't know who Verity was the first time I read this, but now that I do it does hit different lmAO

fuckin rip Magnus. Fhdksjkl I just noticed Rewind recording in the background, you can see the light of his camera on his silhouette

“Why do I get the impression that you can't remember your worst enemy?” nnnnnnNNNNNGGHH

drunk Magnus is cute

“Where IS Chromedome?” “Oh, he's, erm... I'm sure he told me...” NNNNNNNGGHHFFGHGHFGH

“Savor this feeling, everyone. You never know what's around the corner.” yEAH, YOU GUYS SURE DONT...

Cyclonus teaching Tailgate to sing in old Cybertronian... Tailgate said earlier in the issue that Cyclonus was the only link to his past and that was defs on purpose so that this could be Cyclonus's moment of realizing that Tailgate is much the same for him

aww Swerve, buddy... I mean to be fair I would've done the same thing in Blurr's position, Swerve comes on a little strong, but oh man. Swerve's not a bad guy, he's just unbearably lonely but Blurr never could've known that

oh right this is the first little written blurb we get hell yeah

Rung quietly marveling at the miracle of Cybertronian physiology like. That's YOU!!! That's more you than you could ever know!!!!! He doesn't even know that he's the originator of all that!!!!!!!!

it is still so funny that Rung regained the ability to move by getting so sick of Swerve's shit that he subconsciously mustered the power to move his arm so he could shush him

mmmmphphgndfm one of the only things Rung remembers during his recovery period was the smile Skids gave him when he corrected the mispronunciation of his name... SKIDS IS REAL SWEET........

gfdjk the gang watching Cyclonus browse a gift shop like they're ethologists and Cyclonus is a species of animal they've never seen before

godjdfska Magnus trying to make a joke and failing harder than anyone ever could is still so funny.. HE'S TRYING OKAY........ Also, absolutely hysterical joke to be telling to Rung specifically

God Rodimus is such an ass lmAO “What is wrong with people” he asks the therapist, genuinely. Simply solve mental illness, why don't you

ooh, get him, Rung, stick to your guns, attaboy

God. Watching Rodimus lie through his teeth about investigating the voice Rung and Red Alert heard... I mean, it was never going to work out, bringing Overlord onto the ship, it was a doomed endeavor from the start, but seeing all these moments of Drift and Rodimus trying to keep it under wraps is just so bitter lmAO They did their best, their awful, awful best

[raccoonfallsharder]

Thinking about how Jolie would have reacted to the events in the Holiday Special and laughing 😂

so sorry for my delay holiday-nonnie but the truth is i was planning on writing a non-window one-shot about the holiday special and when i got this ask it kinda fucked me up. so i may not do that but what i will do is tell you this:

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ Winter Across the Galaxy * ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ [new 12/5]

rocket x f!oc | casual minific | word count: ??

fluffy fluff. smut implied at the end but not explicit. casually written (headcanon-style) && not edited at all so probably riddled with bad autocorrects.

i suspect that in her younger years, the holidays were a very weird time for jo. i imagine that she and her sister each received one very nice, very serviceable gift every christmas, like a new wool coat or a maybe — if their parents were feeling particularly indulgent — some kind of educational game. if there was anything else — a special meal, a small tree or some lights — the girls would be expected to “help,” and not in a fun way.

it wasn’t that jo & gem’s parents didn’t have means. no. everything was very intentional — calculated. they always seemed to believe that their children had been born into the world already spoiled shitty, and it was their job to teach jo & gem not to ever believe they deserved anything.

but jo’s always been a sucker for wonder, for the kind of romance that a person can find in frost-flowers on a window pane, the tender curl of steam on a cup of warm tea, the glow of a million little multicolored lights — whether they’re studding a nighttime neighborhood street under snow, or a far-off planet. at some point early on, she learned that the other kids whose families celebrated christmas had all this excitement and glee around the holidays. she learned about christmas cookies and big family get-togethers and various holiday movies and stockings and santa.

my mom says some kids don’t celebrate Christmas but if you do and you’re good, santa comes, one classmate had confided. he only doesn’t come if you don’t do christmas.

or if you’re bad.

and jo had wanted that. wanted christmas. wanted magic and wonder and closeness.

for gemma.

because even if jolie knew she herself wasn’t always very good, she knew more certainly than anything else in the world that gemma was. and that gemma deserved magic.

so jo got some cheap felt and made like, the saddest ugliest most barely-functional little stocking in the world for her sister, and explained what it was, and they hid it under gemma’s bed. and since the girls shared a room, it was very easy for jo to keep herself awake and sneak out of bed and fill her sister’s stocking with whatever she could afford or make (which wasn’t much, but it was still magic, and the look on gemma’s face every christmas morning was worth jo selling off portions of her home-packed lunches to her classmates or drawing little comics of them for a dollar or two). making magic for her sister made the holidays magic for jo.

after gemma, christmas was never again anything close to merry.

but when kraglin brings it up — and mantis gets the idea to celebrate for pete and the people of knowhere — jolie is more in than she has been on anything since rocket first told her he wanted to fuck her. after all, she has a family now, and what’s more magical than giving magic to her family?

in some ways, it’s the only christmas tradition jolie’s ever had.

although, she promises herself, next time — when there’s more opportunity to prepare — she’s going to make sure they all have stockings.

in the meantime, she’s so fuckin excited to help rocket and cosmo and groot and nebula string up the lights. to prep the snow. she probably coordinates a fuckin last-minute knowhere neighborhood potluck. she listens to bzermikitokolok’s christmas song and she tells him not to change a goddamn thing because it’s perfect. privately, she revels in the fact that she’s pretty sure she can pinpoint exactly which parts were influenced by kraglin, cosmo, and her cranky boyfriend. she loves every word of it and she can’t stop singing it.

there’s really only one line she thinks needs to be clarified before the night’s over.

she also keeps asking where mantis and drax are because it was their idea and she knows mantis is worried about telling pete (i know it must be scary for you, mant, jo had told her, but for what it’s worth, i promise pete will be thrilled; there’s nothing more precious than a sister, i promise) but either nobody knows where they went, or nobody’s telling.

when kevin fucken bacon pops out of that box though, Jo’s like …oh. this fuckin’ makes sense. later she’ll ask them all, why the fuck did no-one ask me — the other resident terran — if this was a good idea?? and the other guardians will shuffle shame-facedly.

but for now, jo and kraglin eventually corner kevin and calm him down. and the truth is, jo knows that later tonight — after some boozy hot chocolate — she’s going to find it all hysterical.

and she does. she and rocket are in their apartment (they have a much more comfortable bed because there’s no way either of them are letting each other sleep on whatever-the-fuck bachelor-rocket has going on in volume three) and she’s lying on her tummy on the comforter, drunkenly giggling and kicking her feet while she watches cosmo and rocket convince a long-suffering groot to stand in as a christmas tree. the shadows are blue and purple velvet, and the multicolored lights are warm and shimmery. everything feels like champagne bubbles, but sweeter and brighter and better. all four of them are wrapped in a golden coziness for the moment, and she’s sure she couldn’t be more happy.

once their friend and their son leave for the night, rocket and jo lay on their back and stare up at the lights that he’s strung through the apartment rafters, because it’s true that rocket has always had a soft spot for pretty things, even if he doesn’t believe he deserves them. they’re lazy and languid and rosy and buttery and content: two little sugar cookies, still half-drunk on whatever was in that cocoa (plus the flask rocket kept swigging from throughout the night).

favorite part? she asks him.

he snickers. your face when kevin bacon happened.

a buzzy giggle escapes her.

yours? he asks.

she hums her data-processing noise. the lights, she says decisively. no, the snow. no, everybody just being together, giving gifts, having fun, sharing food. i’ll make you all stockings for next year, she tells him, and he’s clearly baffled by what she means.

which reminds her.

there’s only one thing she’d change, she tells rocket. one line in bzer’s song she feels the need to clarify.

what? he asks curiously. we got somethin’ wrong?

just one thing, she assures him, lying through her fucking teeth and totally at peace with it. she can’t stop the snorting laughter riding in her throat. you think santa’s gonna shoot missiles at your toes?

rocket shrugs. maybe he’s got some very precise firepower. bet mine’s still better.

it better be, she says dryly, because mistletoe is just a kind of terran plant. like, with berries.

you eat it? rocket asks curiously.

absolutely not, she tells him. you just decorate with it. it’s poisonous.

what the fuck, he deadpans. why the fuck would you decorate with a poisonous—

it’s an old tradition, she cuts in. old folklore and myths. but when two people are standing under it, they’re supposed to kiss.

that’s stupider than santa shooting missiles at your toes, he says flatly. you’re s’posed to make out under poison? how frickin’ romantic.

but jo’s already rolling over on top of him, her chest pressed against his thighs and her forearms planted on either side of his hips.

i’d take any chance i got to kiss you, she tells him. even under threat of poison.

he goes still beneath her, but she doesn’t stop.

i’d hang it all over this apartment.

his eyes get bigger, rounder, christmas-light-red in the dim, warm glow of twinkling colors.

i’d wear it in my hair.

she drops a kiss on his abdomen.

you wouldn’t be able to walk more than a step without me tackling you, she promises, her voice smoky with too much laughter and singing through the night, too much booze and happiness and lust right now. she presses another kiss against him, just a little further south than the first.

i’d kiss you all over —

he reaches out and laces his fingers into a fistful of her hair, letting his claws scrape delicately over her scalp, and tugs her upward.

i lied, he says. santa shooting missiles is way more stupid. you want mistletoe, sugardrop? i’ll get quill to send krags and cosmo to terra and we’ll get you so much fuckin’ mistletoe —

she smiles giddily.

maybe next time, she says. for now, let me just give you a merry christmas.

[stagred]

MEDIA THAT INSPIRES MY VERSION OF ALASTOR!

Shawshank Redemption: Andy Dufresne. The themes of accepting your fate. Man imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit becomes a criminal to survive in prison, but still suffers immensely and makes close and passionate friends. Realizes that prison is where he thrives, yet craves freedom and spends nearly 20 years fighting for it

Candyman: Tony Todd's portrayal. Powerful, terrifying eldritch being. Tall, handsome, well dressed, eloquent. In a moment where bees are swarming in his mouth, he kisses the heroine with such divine passion that you almost forget the horror. But also themes of Black suffering, exacting revenge because you need to, not because you want to. Romance as a detriment, a disadvantage, not something to fight for.

SE7EN: Violent and creative crimes committed to force attrition. Embodying sin and punishing it. "People these days, you cant just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them over the head with a sledgehammer. And then you'll find… you have their strict attention." Neon crosses, sex and debauchery, the underbelly of a city. The unnamed city that doesn't exist, but everyone can identify. "Mankind is good, and worth fighting for. I agree with the second part."

We Happy Few: Using happiness and suppression to hide your trauma. Attacking those who don't conform. The sinister fear behind every over-stretched smile. 60s vibes, but forever tainted by 30s and 40s events because the people never moved onward. Muttering to oneself in mourning of the memories you cant remember forgetting.

Bioshock: "No gods or kings, only man." Freedom of expression, but a violent hatred of the beings who control it regardless of the context they're in, like religion and education. Sander Cohen. Art at any cost. Transformation, puppets on strings, playing your part on a stage and diverting from the script. The neon glow of the 60s nightlife, but waterlogged and destroyed by time.

It Follows: A creeping monster that can only walk, but will never stop. Pass it on through acts of sex and debauchery. Vibrant red blood in a glowing blue pool from an entity you can't even see that you injured.

Matilda The Musical: Agatha Trunchbull. "The Smell Of Rebellion." Hatred of those weaker than you to an almost comical degree. Cleverness and loopholes in rules. Hurting people back, because why should you be the bigger person? "A contract is a contract is a contract!"

Carrie The Musical: Voice breaking during emotional numbers. "Eve Was Weak." Religious trauma manifesting physically. Covered in blood and surrounded by fire. "Mother was right."

The Shining: All work and no play makes Alastor a dull boy. Being held hostage by the narrative, regardless of if you're doomed by it. Blood cascading through the halls. "I'm not gonna hurt you… I'm just gonna bash your fucking brains in!" The empty ballroom, the bartender who isn't there.

The Green Mile: Killing a miracle. Percy Wetmore. Burning people alive just to see what might happen. Weeping as you sing "Cheek To Cheek" and face the reaper. Clutching the bodies of two little girls and crying to the heavens because it isn't fucking fair.

The Black Phone: The masks. "It's his favorite game: good boy, bad boy." The phone that doesn't work, and the calls that keep coming in. Little boys floating in the air, throats slit, begging for help. Jesus as a deity to worship for divination. The entire kitchen scene. (CW for child abuse)

Coraline: Forced smiles. Eating bugs like candy. "He pulled a looooong face, and Mother didn't like that." The Other Mother. "She'd love something to eat. / Mothers don't eat… daughters. / I dunno. how do you taste?" Watching victims through the dolls.

Welcome To Night Vale: The specific sense of melancholy and nostalgia that just listening to the podcast inflicts upon the listener. The radio host as the protector of the city.

The Princess and the Frog: Facilier. Friends on the other side. Voodoo in all its forms. "Fun thing about voodoo, Larry. Can't conjure a thing for myself."

[scopophobia-polaris]

What is the connection between Arn and Link (If it's spoiler-related for the comic then feel free to leave this one)?/gen/positive

I have been pacing and shaking and excited yall don't understand if I get an actual ask about these little fucks I get so excited‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️👀

SO, it's not all that spoilery!

There isn't a connection! Except maybe if we remember that they met each other during the events of OoT in the adult timeline first, but does that REALLY count if child timeline Arn hasn't expirenced all of that and doesn't know who the hell Link Timie is?

To be specific, they aren't bound by fate or destiny in the way that the Zelda series and fandom interpretation goes, it isn't a curse or preordained by a God, the red string I like to draw them bound by is a manifestation of choice, whether good or bad Arn's choice to do this

Okay we just getting out the link for it

Has now tied up their life in the bullshittery of Timie's, and if we all take a moment and remember that Timie is mf OoT Link who has possibly one of the worst post game lives out of all the Links in the games....YEAH

Like im sorry, but he invoked destiny your honor, make him regret being kind.

Basically I looooove drawing these mfs surrounded by a red string as a stupid subversion of the actual red string of fate that the Zelda fandom LOVES to use, specifically Zelinkers, a lot of fics and art got that string motif that is like this is destiny there is no choice its fate its a curse it was willed by the gods....

It's why for me, the string is always around just and never touching them, Arn could get out of it if he chose to and has so many opportunities to do so and you know what he does instead????

Takes it like a champ 🏆💪😤 (is unwell)

Anyways I gotta get done with chapter 4, I was gonna post an update like 2 months ago but I started working on cosplay that's due by the 3rd of July and I wanna make a backlog of pages now 🙇‍♂️

[a-door-to-somewhere]

Ok watched spiderverse 2 again here's some thoughts in no particular order (spoilers and long post ahead):

- peter b is reading a book called "how to talk to kids" at the very end. Presumably because may can't speak yet and Gwen and Miles were zapped away I choose to believe he was reading this so he can go talk to Miguel LMAO

- I fucken love the way spot, after he powers up, move around via just like... sliding around in the air basically with his bad posture like he's hung from strings like a puppet

- when gwen is drumming at the opening and when spot gets zapped both are intercut with frames from later in the movie and also later in the future. I'm guessing spot got a glimpse of canon events but when Gwen was doing her intro it was phrased like a retrospective- but unlike most intros it didn't have a shot of a new spiderman comic being thrown on the pile. So when was she doing this retrospective? I hc she'll pick back up at the end of the third movie

- someone needs to make procreate brush packs for each universe/character PLEASE

- ok the "watercolor" effect being a mood ring is incredible but I havent seen anyone talking about the sort of abstract animation?? It almost reminds me of like experimental film from the impressionist/dada/supremetism eras, you can see it synced to the drum in the intro and also in some of the backgrounds during her big speech

- also during the Guggemheim fight when the Renaissance Vulture was like "you call this art?" And Gwen was like "well we're talking about it aren't we" YOU'RE SO RIGHT GWEN I AM KISSING YOU ON THE LIPS

- the shaky 1st pov cam when Gwen's dad sneaks up on her both times reminded me of when Miles accidentally watched kingpin kill perfect Peter? Idk if it was exactly the same I'd have to go back and rewatch but UGH it really gets that Gwen's dad has two sides too and the cop side isn't really human almost, lurking in the shadows, silhouetted

- also Gwen's dad just being a shit cop, giving her mixed instructions, raising a weapon at an unarmed person who is trying to communicate, firing warning shots, yelling the Miranda rights over her which is not how its supposed to be given

- contrast that with Jeff who literally never pointed a weapon at anyone and went charging after spot with his bare hands, is casual with his spiderman. I mean even when Jeff was talking about Miles not capturing Spot correctly it was lighthearted and joking, he's actively not going by the book, he's keeping the squad off of Spiderman's back, he apparently talks to spiderman about his family troubles???

- have I mentioned I LOVE MUSICAL MOTIFS????? Seriously they’re always good (fuck Wagner everyone knows Toby Fox invented the leitmotif) I mean everyone noticed the horror style Prowler stinger but even more characters got some: Gwen got a Little Rock theme with a guitar lick that echoes the ‘spi-der-man, spi-der-man’ song, Miguel’s distorted synth whine, the interesting mouth and bells percussion that Pav gets (good job Hollywood avoiding the exotic Asian pentatonic lick for once), at the end when the 42 prowler reveal slowly changed the prowler stinger into a human scream???? There’s probably more but I’d have to go back and watch it again again lmao

- I really love how Miguel is kinda goofy. He’s aloof and over serious but he makes mistakes and shows other emotions despite his best efforts. His flaws are shown off in his very first interaction, with his unwillingness to ask for help despite the fact that he knows he needs it. He’s frustrated. He’s got group object leader energy. It makes it so much more lovable that he’s susceptible to quips and he also gets knocked down and messes up and shows up and has his quirks that everyone puts up with. THATS how you make an interesting, relatable, lovable antagonist. Perhaps it worked too well LMAO

- I am an Oscar isaac simp I gotta go rewatch moon knight

- when miles was swinging around with gwen he passed a truck called "redex" bc gwen rejected him lmao

- theres an 8 clearly visible in the background of earth 42? Wacc

- the Spread Your Wings, Man scene focusing on the plastic wrap on top of the Alchemax flowing in the wind like it’s an ocean?/??? I really hope they call back to that imagery later because it clearly means something and I need to know what

- I’ve got an inkling of something that specifically revealing one’s spider-dentity to a loved one is some kind of anti-canon event, like maybe it’s the thing that fixes the destabilization? I mean we’ve seen that it’s ok if loved ones figure it out themselves (or if they then die, like uncle Aaron) like it’s a clear theme that miles keeps trying to tell his parents, and then Gwen tells her dad, which causes him to quit the force, thereby averting the canon event of him dying indirectly??? Also, it’s implied that the MJ of 1610 sold out Perfect Peter Parker to Fisk, leading to his death, ALSO also, gayatri probably figured out Pav’s identity right before HIS world destabilized??? Idk lmao

- I hope spiderbite/Margo and Jess get proper intros I can’t wait

- the background spider hockey girl has my heart, I couldn’t stop looking at her during the chase scene

- God I need to watch moon knight again

- when mj moved into mays room to greet them she lifted a picture frame back up as she moved in the door? What's up with that???

- not Spanish originally starting as a too-relatable joke that Miles gets a B in despite his mother speaking Spanish at home as well, not living up to his expectations, and then 42!Miles presumably speaks more/better Spanish due to being closer to his mom because his dad died???

- not miles aceing ap physics and ap studio AT THE SAME TIME in his SOPHOMORE YEAR free my boy from grounding he’s done nothing wrong

- btsv’s main villain is gonna be the sat I’m telling you

- most importantly: what was up with the Comic Code Authority’s seal being shown after the studio logos at the beginning??

Did that happen in the first one??? Why would it be there??? The cca has obviously been defunct since before superhero movies were really a thing. Famously, the cca seriously censored a ton of content, causing Marvel to be unable to portray darker stories involving drugs and other more mature themes, which they wanted to do with many superheroes including Spidey??? Is the Spider Society secretly the cca, censoring storylines that they think shouldn’t be portrayed, including darker timelines like 42? There was also issues with the convoluted Spider-Man comic lines going through unsatisfying ‘resets’ to keep Spider-Man relatable, without evolving the character into anything too far away from the OG Spider-Man, ie young, relationship issues with MJ, nerdy, tragedies etc. this is the detail that had me wondering the most because it was so clearly displayed right at the beginning, and the cca was generally a shameful part of comic book history in which publishers submitted to satanic moral panic. Like, not really something that reads as a cute little callback to an era of comics like he use of Ben day dots or misaligned printing or the onomatopoeias??

[stories-and-chaos]

Tarnished pt. 30

[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]

[Part 30/?? Word count: 2376]

—————

That left the imp twins together. Barb laced her claws behind her head as they ambled away from the tent. “Sooooo, whadda we do?”

“I guess, check out the fair?” Blitzø hadn’t been left to his own devices at a public event ever before and was at something of a loss. The Pain Games didn’t start for a couple hours but there were presumably other things before that.

The booths set up had foods, carnival games, and the livestock and crops up for judging. Blitzø spotted a shooting gallery amid the line of games. “Fuck yes, bet I can get a better score than you Barb.”

She saw what he was heading to and scoffed. “In your dreams Blitzø. Lemme show you how it’s done.” They both grabbed a rifle and started firing at targets. At the end of the round, Blitzø had two more hits than his sister.

He was not a gracious winner. “Ooohhhh yeah! That’s how it’s done! Who’s the imp?! This guy!” After a few celebratory hip thrusts, Barb punched his shoulder .

“We’re just getting started.” She grabbed his arm and yanked him to a strength test game. “Show me whatcha got bro,” she challenged, holding out the comical large hammer.

“Just sit back and watch.” Blitzø steadied himself with the mallet and swung the giant head onto the target. The slider launched up the meter to gently ring the bell at the top. “Ha! Beat that sis.”

Barb nodded sagely as she took the mallet. “Not bad, not bad.” She settled her feet in a similar stance to Blitzø. Her swing slammed the mallet onto the target and the resulting bell ring sounded out over the fairground. “That’s how it’s done. Who’s got two thumbs, a perfect bod, and is totally the imp? This girl.” She pointed both thumbs at herself while grinning triumphantly.

The next hour was spent with the twins trying to one up each other at the different games. They stopped keeping score halfway through but ended up with arms full of prizes. After they’d tried every game they could, they relaxed by the livestock judging. Barb chomped away at a caramel apple while Blitzø spent a blissful quarter hour watching the Hellhorses being awarded ribbons.

Then it was time to head back. The Pain Games were starting soon and Blitzø had to be on duty. They slipped into Stolas’ tent, dumping the spoils of their victories inside. “My goodness you two,” the Prince said as a small wave of toys and snacks took over the floor. “You appear to have looted an entire video arcade here.” He delicately picked up a fuzzy string with two oversized eyes attached. “I don’t even know what half of these things are.”

“These are the fruits of our labors, our just rewards for victory.” Blitzø opened up a packet of cotton candy and shoved a handful in Stolas’ mouth. “And some are fucking delicious, okay?” He split the rest in half, giving some to Barb as he tore a chunk of the sugary treat off with his teeth. “I need some fuel to get me through standing around all day and half the night. You wanna stick around here Barb or find the others?”

“Or you could enter the Games. It’s open to all…it’s open to imps,” Stolas added with a sheepish look. He knew Blitzø would have been thrilled to compete if he wasn’t stuck at the Goetia’s side the whole time.

“Eh, maybe. Might just chill with Dina. You boys do your thing.” Just having fun with Blitzø had been unexpectedly nice. But being here with him and Stolas, she felt like a third wheel. She didn’t want to deal with all her thoughts on that. Best to just get out.

Looking around the crowd outside, Barb realized she didn’t have a chance of finding her brother’s imp employees. She was better off looking for the Hounds. She was scanning over the cowboy hats and horns when a ripple through the crowd knocked her off balance. She windmilled her arms for half a second before years of acrobatic practice took over. She stopped trying to right herself and turned the tumble into a handspring.

That earned her chorus of ‘ooohs’ and impromptu applause. There was just enough of a performer in Barb that she gave a dramatic bow. “Oh, there she is!” a cheerful voice with a country twang to it called out. The imp woman she met briefly popped out of the crowd waving at her.

“Hey, Barb, right?” The smaller woman trotted up to her, all smiles and welcome. “Didn’t get a chance to talk before, I’m Millie. Care to watch with us while the boss is busy?”

“Sure. You’re not competing?” She let Millie lead the way to a spot in the stands.

“I wish! Ma said I can’t anymore, too many casualties last time.” The tone of a disgruntled kid was evident in her voice. “I only caused half of ‘em too.”

“Mildred you caused well more than half over all the years you’ve been in the Games.” A stout older woman with a clear resemblance to Millie scolded her as they joined the group. “The Ring is gonna run out of anyone to be hands at this rate.” The male imp next to her nodded with an affirmative grunt.

“Fiiiine, I’ll sit out just this year. Ma, Daddy, this here’s Barb, our boss’s sister. She’s watching with us while Blitzø’s busy.” Millie’s mom responded with a “nice to meet ya” before turning back to her daughter. It was obvious she had more on her mind to say but the girl didn’t give her a chance. She hauled Barb up a few more bleachers and secured a seat next to her coworker.

Barb got a spot between Millie and an unfamiliar male imp; Dina was on the bleacher right behind her. She talked with the Hellhound for a bit, mostly griping about fellow patients. At a lull in their chat, the imp next to her introduced himself.

“So you’re from Sloth? That’d be why I didn’t recognize you; thought I knew all the tough imps in this Ring. Name’s Striker, what’s yours little lady?” The imp gave her a confident grin, admiration and avarice in his eyes.

“Barb.” She smiled back, putting as much sharpness as her namesake into it. “I’m from a little bit of all over, been staying in Sloth for a while.” She gave Striker an appraising look over. He was attractive, on the tall and lanky side of the scale. Even seated, he held himself with a rough confidence. His concentric ringed eyes seemed to bore into whatever he focused on.

Something about his expression was a hair off. Maybe it was paranoia on Barb’s part. Or maybe it a look she recognized from all those years of being around desperate, strung out demons. Either way, it made her spines prick even as he shifted to a more flirtatious tone.

“Saw a bit of you at the shooting gallery, and that bit of fancy flipping down there. Not bad, I gotta say.” Stolas emerged from his tent then, taking the microphone from the announcer. He started his welcome speech; Barb saw Blitzø and Loona behind him. Loona looked bored while Blitzø was watching the crowd. Striker looked from Barb to Blitzø and back again. “Say, any connection between you and the Goetia’s boyfriend there?”

Millie popped her head around Barb’s shoulder. “Actually, she’s-“ Barb cut her off. “We’re related.” She couldn’t deny the resemblance but didn’t want to elaborate further, especially not to a stranger that put her on edge. No matter how sexy he was.

Striker shrugged. “Fair ‘nough. I’d best get down there if I’m gonna win this thing.” He sauntered away; as he did so, Barb caught a faint glimmer of pure white light when he adjusted his jacket.

After a moment, Barb hopped up. “I think I’ll try this thing too.” Millie and Dina cheered her on while Moxxie sulked. She joined the group of participants. Even behind his ridiculous shades, Barb could see her twin’s surprise.

“Ah, glad to see you join in,” Striker said with a self satisfied look as she walked up beside him. “I’ll tell you right now, I don’t go easy on anyone. Not even a pretty face like yourself.”

“Wouldn’t expect it anyway,” Barb replied with a bite to her words. “I don’t hold back either cowboy.” The starting pistol fired and the throng of competitors was off. Through the obstacle course, mud wrestling, shark wrangling and other events, Barb and Striker were neck and neck.

It felt like a repeat of her impromptu competition with Blitzø earlier. They traded wins back and forth until: “For the first year ever, we have a tie!” Stolas called out to the cheering crowd. “The winners are Striker and Barbie Wire!” He gave a gracious bow as they climbed the stage. Blitzø, from directly behind Stolas and out of the crowd’s view, gave her a quick grin of excitement and a double thumbs up.

Feeling embarrassed, Barb gave the crowd a wave before quickly getting off the stage. Fortunately, Striker was stealing the show. “I’d like to take this opportunity to sing a quick song I wrote just now, about me winnin’.” As he strummed a chord on the guitar handed to him, a yell of “OH WHAT THE FUCK?!” came from the stands.

Glad to be out of the spotlight, Barb rejoined Dina and the others. “Congrats Barb!” Millie clapped excitedly as she approached. “You were amazing out there! Watching you just ‘bout made sitting out worth it!” The rest of Millie’s family added stoic praises. Moxxie congratulated her too before returning to a small notepad he was jotting something down on.

“Hey, can I grab a couple pages?” Bard asked, wanting to make notes of her own before she forgot. Moxxie obliged with a few sheets and a spare pen. She finished her notes quickly before food started being brought out for the attendees.

As demons milled around, grabbing food that was mostly served skewered or fried, the orange sky slowly dimmed. Striker brought Barb a hunk of roasted meat on a skewer. “Killed it fresh myself this mornin’. Best way to enjoy a Hell beast.” He shot a smug look in Moxxie’s direction. The smaller imp glared back. Not my problem, Barb thought as she accepted the food.

Striker leaned back onto the stands. “You did damn good out there, congrats.” Barb congratulated him back and he continued on. “Not often you meet imps as strong as us. Whaddya say we get together sometime? With the adoring crowd or puffed up royals around?”

Jackpot. “I was thinking the same thing.” She pulled out a page she hadn’t written on yet and wrote out her cell number. “Give me a call, cowboy.” She bit into the skewered meat suggestively before walking away.

The rest of the festivities continued without issue. Stolas revealed the Harvest Moon to the awe of the gathered imps. After the display, alcohol started being brought out. That was Barb’s cue to leave; she was staying off all substances right now. No point in ruining her progress. Fortunately, Stolas’ duty was finished so he and Blitzø could make their exit.

Blitzø saw her back to Sloth and her dorm. The prince had offered her a ride but she turned him down. She wasn’t comfortable being in close proximity to the royal, at least not yet. So she and her twin headed back on foot. Blitzø applied his illusion as soon as he could; both twins relaxed a little once he was sporting the black marking.

After an elevator ride and a brisk walk with her brother chattering about how amazing she’d been at the Pain Games, Barb felt all her exhaustion hit. “Might’ve gone too hard there,” she muttered to no one as she flopped onto her bed. But before she could pass out, there were the notes she’d written.

The pages had rough sketches and a few key words scribbled. Looking them over and refining the drawing, she had an image of a knife hilt. She’d caught little glimpses of it under Striker’s jacket. She hadn’t seen the blade itself but had gotten glimmers of pure white light from inside the sheath.

“Why would a ranch hand have an angelic weapon?” A mystery. And maybe linked to the look in Striker’s eyes; banked anger and avarice. Now she just needed to wait for Striker to call.

————

“Well?”

“Like I thought ma’am, the prince’s pet was glued to his master’s side the whole time. Not even getting on the same stage got me a chance to meet him. Plenty of chances to kill the pricks though.”

“Ugh, I’m not paying you to have fun at festivals. I need results.”

“Oh I still got results. I got the phone number of a particular imp tonight. She told me to call her.”

“I’m not interested in your romantic conquests! If you aren’t taking this seriously, you can say goodbye to any payment from me.”

“Don’t get your feathers in a twist ma’am. This imp happens to be related to your husband’s toy. His twin sister if I’m right. And he seems eager to be on her good side.”

“Well, you surprise me darling. This may work better than my original plan. Keep me updated, your payment is being sent over. Ta darling!”

Striker hung up with a snort. The royal’s tendency to abruptly end their conversations was a given by now. He twirled his angelic steel knife in a practiced manner. He’d killed a royal with it before and was looking forward to the next one. Being able to kill that traitorous ass kisser would be a bonus.

He’d wait a couple days, then message Barb. Best to keep a girl waiting, just long enough to make her a little anxious to see him.

—————

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[allykatsart]

STOPPPPPPPPPP peccantum is my child now sorry im adopting him you are losing your parental rights. move the fuck over alastor that little boi is MINE

no but for serious, I. Am. So. In. Love. With your series. the art, the dynamics, the designs, the lore, all of it ALL OF IT. you worked peccantum into the series events so smoothly like whaaaaat

A couple questions I have, and then I'll be out of your hair:

Does Peccantum have any preferred nicknames? I saw someone call him Pec/Pecc once and I've been calling him Peccy in my head. I'm curious if there's an actual, creator-approved, nickname we can use

Do we get to know the full details of what Peccantum got out if his deal? Not tryna steal info you aren't ready to share but by lucifer is it eating at me !!

I don't know if you watch Helluva Boss, but considering og Peccantum (not hazbin version) is space-themed and you mention he decorates his room like space,,, it's totally improbable but WHAT IF HE MET STOLAS or Octavia!!!!!!! I just think it would be so wholesome for him even though the Goetias don't interact with sinners

So in his pre-afterlife lore you mention he worked his way up a cult but got taken advantage of by the leader and stripped of all the power he'd accumulated. He's obviously suuuuuper power hungry so it may fog up his thinking, but did he not learn from that??? why is he cozying up to Al (like eating the rotten venison just to impress him) if the last time he did that, it resulted in him losing everything

Peccantum wears Alastor's colours bc soul ownership and everything, but during the 7 years when Peccantum never heard from him, how relaxed did he get? Did he still wear the colours then or did that begin when he was oh so kindly volunteered for "bellhop" services?

If Peccantum's red string theories lead to conspiracies like "Alastor is just Lucifer in disguise", how off the mark is he about who owns Al's soul? Like would he be crazy enough to suspect Razzle n Dazzle or something or would he hit close to the mark?

On a related note, do you have a HC for who owns his soul?

I LOVEDDDD when you gave Peccantum his different hairstyles (they were all gorgeous but I particularly enjoyed the one with the many braids),, maybe Angel or Charlie would convince him to play dress-up??

Does. Peccantum. wear. makeup.

Is there a particular reason behind bis jumpiness or is it just one of his many Talents ✨️

If Alastor ate Peccantum would Al season him or would he be eaten spiceless?

Peccantum visits Cannibal Town for Al's errands, is he chill with any of the residents or does he more employ the in-and-out-without-looking-at-or-speaking-to-or-acknowledging-anyone tactic

Also just curious about how his and Al's dynamic will evolve

I'm sorry this is such a rambling ask, and please feel free to completely gnore or only answer some questions, I'm just really invested in this au you have going on !!!!!

ps i looked up the name to find how you came up with it and i think you were very smart with it

Who is Peccantum?

Oh wow dkajfbshdhjsjshd I'm. I... I don't know how to respond?!??!! This is so sweet! Thank you! 🖤💜💚❤️💜💜💜❤️✨

Sorry it took so long to answer this! I was drawing a comic and it actually added context to a lot of these questions/answered them, so I figured I'd save it until after I was done. There's a lot here so I'm gonna answer it in numbered sections!

1. Names & Nicknames

I don't really have a nickname for him, I usually call him by his full name lol. Peccy is cool lol. His name is pronounced with hard C's. So Pec-cant-um. Or, in case of the nickname, Peck-y

Fun Fact! Peccantum isn't his 'real' name. Like Angel and Husk, he took a new name once he died. His other name was actually shorter (and an actual name too). Peccantum is actually a mix of the words peccatum, meaning sin or transgression in Latin, and incant, in Latin meaning enchant. Basically, magical sin, which sums up Peccantum pretty well actually!

2. Peccantum's Deal

Yes you can!

3. Meeting Stolas

I am a fan of helluva! Have been ever since it came out! Despite that I haven't actually thought about this until now.

Peccantum, absolute nerd that he is, would probably be fascinated by Stolas and his powers. Like talking about specific spells, how long it takes to set up, magic of the stars, etc. I feel like they would have a VERY long conversation about magic and space and shit cause Stolas is lonely and Peccantum is very enthusiastic about this topic. Octavia, meanwhile, would get a long list of places in the human world with little to no light pollution. For excellent star viewing, of course.

4. Cozying up to Alastor

The short answer? No, absolutely not, Peccantum learned nothing XD

The long answer? It's complicated and messy. Peccantum, at that time, went into a bad situation because it was familiar to him. Blood, illicit murders, and strange dealings were all part of what Peccantum was taught to do. He thought he could handle whatever Alastor would ask of him. That it wouldn't matter in the end because Alastor would eventually get rid of him.

He wasn't expecting the Radio Demon to vanish.

5. Clothing Choices

You may have noticed during Checking In that Peccantum is wearing a completely different outfit before he's pulled into the hotel! That is Alastor's doing! Because Peccantum wasn't working for him dressed like that.

At first Peccantum was completely on edge because he was expecting Alastor to show up. After that first year, Alastor could call on him at any time! That's a scary thing to constantly have in the back of your mind. But then, Alastor just... didn't? There were rumors that Alastor had fallen to angels and Alastor wasn't showing up? It left Peccantum completely to his own devices.

Slowly, very slowly, Peccantum started making choices for himself, and learning how to live. He got a shitty job, a shitty apartment, but for the first time in years he was actually living, making choices of his own. And he found he kinda liked it. Not everything, of course, but making your own path in life, finding out what you like and who you are... Well. It was nice, for a time.

Peccantum still has his own clothes but he's aware that what Alastor dressed him in is his uniform.

6. Who owns Alastor's soul?

Tbh, I think it's Lilith. Maybe that's the obvious answer but like... That's the only viable candidate we have rn.

Peccantum would be suspecting Lilith and Lucifer, mainly because of the specifics of the deal Alastor made with Charlie. He didn't take her soul, meaning there's some benefit to having her free.... Or the more likely option; Alastor can't. Whatever deal he's under restricts him from taking Charlie's soul. The only people Peccantum knows who care about Charlie enough to fuck with the Radio Demon would be her parents.

I think he would lean more towards Lucifer, though. It would explain the immediate hostility between him and Alastor. Lucifer's ignorance could be feigned to piss off Alastor even more.

However, Peccantum would also keep evidence for Adam and maybe some of the seven deadly sins on the board. He doesn't have enough evidence for them, but he's not going to dismiss those options just yet.

7. Dress up day

Peccantum doesn't own a lot of clothes but he has explored a few other outfits! Here's some of the sketches I made when exploring what he would wear before he came to the hotel.

I do imagine there would be a 'express yourself through clothing choices' activity he would get wrapped up in tho. He can wear just about anything and still look pretty good. Charlie's happy to see Peccantum embracing different styles and exploring! Angel might help pick outfits and push Peccantum out of his comfort zone.

8. Makeup

Peccantum does wear makeup! It's actually pretty new for him, so he's not the best with it and he doesn't go too extreme but... It's kinda fun!

9. Spice or no spice?

I. I have no idea tbh. I'm not an expert in... people flavoring? XD

10. Jumping at shadows

Did you misspell trauma as talents? XD, joking. In all seriousness though, Peccantum is fairly jumpy because he's high strung. He's a very anxious person in general (there are exceptions) and he's in his own head a lot. Sometimes he will forget that other people are there and be surprised when he is reminded of their presence.

11. Errands to Cannibal Colony

Peccantum definitely keeps his head down. Cannibalism in general makes him uneasy, so best to keep out of the way of any hungry citizens who want to try their luck. Peccantum can defend himself, but he'd rather not if he can avoid it. Cannibals travel in packs and the best way to avoid them is to avoid putting a target on your back.

Thankfully, most people there know he's Alastor's, so they leave him be.

12. Alastor and Peccantum

This one is tricky because I wanna explore this more in other comics, but I'll try and give a general overview here.

Their relationship isn't... Healthy. Especially not at first, but Peccantum coming to the hotel does actually put him in a better place. He meets new people, gains friends, and makes a support network that he never had before. On the other hand, he has to deal with Alastor, the constant anxiety of job performance, and deal with/unpack several traumas he's been repressing. It's a mix of good and bad.

Later on, a few months after working at the hotel, I think Alastor does start to warm up to Peccantum some. They become friendlier, not to the point of being friends, but Alastor appreciates the work Peccantum does and trusts him with tasks that he wouldn't have beforehand. By the time the attack on the hotel happens, he trusts Peccantum won't screw him over.

And then the fight with Adam happens.

We don't know what will happen in season 2, and we probably won't for a while, but... I imagine losing that fight with Adam did not help Alastor's insecurities. Personally, I think the Radio Demon is going to close himself off from the others, more than he already has. To feel in control again, he's going to be a lot more strict with his 'employees' and a lot less lenient with Peccantum.

Peccantum, of course, isn't going to know this and would take it as a sign that he's failing Alastor, something he's deathly afraid of. His anxiety would spike and the almost neutral relationship he had with Alastor would turn unhealthy again. There would be a regression of progress.

Whatever happens in season 2 would def affect their relationship tho, so I can't say much more than that for now.

Thank you so much for the comment! I love answering about my lil deer guy!!!! Don't feel like you're bothering me, I may take a while but I do get to these questions eventually and I appreciate the interest!

[thewertsearch]

You're right - it's time for the Official Wertsearch Troll Rankings!

I'll forgo the tier list for now, and rank them top-to-bottom, by simple personal preference. There's obviously going to be a bias towards trolls who've had more focus so far - but I'm sure this will even out over time. I'm planning to update it successively.

Without further ado:

Kanaya. I don't need to explain myself, and I doubt her position will change. At some point I might write a post outlining why Kanaya is cool as fuck, so we'll save any in-depth discussion for then.

Karkat. The most likeable hater in the comic. Karkat is full of huge, misdirected emotions that he doesn't understand, and seems poised to take command of the Zodiac trolls out of sheer crabbiness. Karkat thinks he despises everyone, including himself, but I think he needs to acknowledge that there's a reason he's also an expert on love.

Terezi. Probably the funniest troll, but also the one who keeps you guessing the most. She started off as one angry alien among many, demonstrated her malevolence in the Davesprite arc, settled into her role as an awesome weirdo in Hivebent, and now we're learning about her partnership with Vriska, which seems to paint her as an overzealous murderer, even for Alternia. You never know what you're going to get with Terezi, but a lot of the comic's best quotes are in leetspeek for a reason.

Vriska. What can I even say? She's the troll. I could write dozens of posts analyzing what the fuck her deal is - and I probably will. Vriska's great, and awful, and is going to do magnificent things. (Note that magnificent is not synonymous with good. Or successful.)

Aradia. I'm incredibly invested in this girl's arc. So far, Aradia's story is tragic, and we only got to see the real her for a short flashback. Many of the other trolls are trapped in unfortunate circumstances, but at least they have the opportunity to be themselves. I want to see the actual Aradia as a Player, and I want to see her break her strings.

Sollux. I have a soft spot for my troll. Sollux shares my zodiac sign, my trollsona's blood color, and (possibly) my Aspect, and I really do vibe with the little nerd. He's also the one who introduced programming to the story in earnest, and I'll echo my earlier sentiment - this code boy needs to show me more code.

Tavros. Most of his appearances so far are marred by their proximity to Vriska, but I think Tavros has a lot of potential. Left to his own devices, he's a pretty relaxed troll who dances to his own tune, and this makes him - pardon the pun - a breath of fresh air. I'll reiterate - get him away from Vriska, and we'll see him fly.

Equius. Recent events have proved that his moral compass is a little on the fritz - but this is Alternia. It's not like he's the only one. Equius is the source of some of the comic's funniest conversations, and his commitment to the hemospectrum might begin to wane as we leave the planet behind. I'm interested to see how he develops.

Feferi. Cheerful, benevolent heiress to a millennia-old dystopia, raised by a tentacle monster from the dungeon dimensions. Feferi has just made a hell of an entrance, and I want to see more.

Nepeta. Has done nothing, but gets points for being a catgirl.

Gamzee. Has done nothing, but gets points for introducing me to Insane Clown Posse.

Eridan. His hemospectrum shtick is funnier when Equius does it, but his typing style is at least a little entertaining. All the trolls so far have revealed hidden depths, and I'm hoping he's the same.

[agent-8449]

What Happened After VoR <Part Three>

Part Two

In this part, and the next, we will take a quick detour from the Sundown Psyche to the VoR one.

Yarn arrives in the Computer Room of VP <VoR Psyche/The House>, injured from the transit, and unnaturally numb from having his strings ripped out <also caused by the transmitter>.

It is Night, and Coda is struggling to get Tinker's body off of him, impaled by its own healing-hindering trident. There is no solving this with words, and the two quickly devolve into violence.

The Soul, who is for the lack of a better word rabid, manages to damage Yarn's leg before being fully silenced and incapacitated... by relocating the trident from his abdomen to his collarbone. It threatens to cripple or kill Tinker, relying on Yarn's flimsy understanding of their immortality as a bluff. It fails, but in the scuffle Mind's modulator is irreparably broken.

Yarn can only wait briefly, in the dark and the quiet, for the Vessel to wake and Tinker with it. He does, rousing from the nightmare temporarily. <In VoR, the Thirds have never and will never be able to interact with the real word, the Vessel, directly.> Tinker rips the trident out of Coda's body, not trusting the Soul with the weapon.

The following game of charades is short-lived and gets them nowhere, so Tinker leads them to his room, from where he can get a replacement modulator. On the way, Yarn's strings start regenerating, and with it the full force of the emotions he'd shoved aside. He starts panicking, quietly. It doesn't help that he can't 'detect' the Vessel at all, a set of background noise completely missing here.

Tinker scrounges up his first ever modulator, and some of the pieces of Coda's halo left over from the events of the comic. This modulator isn't pitched down. He needs help putting it on, since his right hand is permanently crippled from housing the trident for so long.

This is all for moot, though, because as Yarn's panic reaches its peak, a string passes through Coda's halo-glass and contacts Tinker's halo. This initiates a link, without the need for Twine to be there and mediate the connection.

Tinker, it rapidly becomes clear, rarely says what he thinks. His thoughts are vile. He is not a nice person. The Mind tries to assure Yarn he is not lying, that he quite despises lying actually, but he is not believed. Unsurprising, considering the degree of dissonance between his instinctive reactions and filtered output.

Tinker has changed very often in his 'long' life. Ripping out parts of his personality and replacing them, with intention to perfect himself. This is his newest self.

He is trying to be better. At least he can admit when he doesn't know something, now.

Tension is high, but both fall back and the link is cut. Tinker retrieves a bizarre harpoon launcher device from the piles of scrap in the room, intending to restrain Coda more reliably with it and allow Yarn to go home.

This plan is immediately dashed upon their return. Coda, who is still shrugging off the regeneration-blocking effects of the trident, half-drags himself over to the transmitter. If Tinker shoots it with the harpoon, the delicate machine will not escape unscathed.

To make a bad situation worse, the Vessel is falling back into sleep, taking Tinker with it.

Yarn is done with this shit, and rushes Coda. They get into another nasty but brief fight, abruptly cut short when Soul slashes open his throat with its own halo shard.

This, understandably, makes Yarn freak the fuck out. He thinks he's dying. In a would-be final 'fuck you', he constricts his attacker in his strings. This.... yeah. Another link.

Pros: Linking, apparently, makes the VoR Thirds' regeneration mutual. Yarn is not going to die.

Cons: Everything else. Coda's personality, its not-capitalised mind, is utterly shattered. Existing in its psyche-within-a-psyche <it's complicated, and very metaphorical> is like being in a tornado of glass. It can't properly comprehend that Yarn is different to Ozzy, and has gotten stuck on the utter desperation of not letting him leave again. It doesn't want to die.

Through the screaming in their heads, since both of their vocal chords are shot, Yarn slams Coda's skull into the floor until it's insensate. He then rips the strings out again, since even in that state, it is not asleep, and won't let go.

The sheer violence wakes up the poor Vessel again, and Tinker is forced to postpone letting Yarn go home. He IS bleeding everywhere and shaking, after all. Tinker pins Coda to the floorboards with the trident, to not make the same mistake again.

They recoup in a warped washroom. Tinker gives Yarn a music box that plays 'Introduction to the Snow'. He also offers his notepad and pen to let the Heart write his thoughts. Another panic attack begins to bud.

It blooms once they reach Ozzy's room<s>, in order to get a new hoodie for Yarn. Tinker awkwardly stands there, pretending Yarn isn't losing his shit, and/or ripping apart his old hoodie, behind the door.

They link, far more amicably this time, and Tinker continues to be awkward by suggesting a tour. Reestablishing contact with Twine and the others is more important at the moment, though, so they make the trek back to Coda.

The Soul is barely conscious, still. Crippled from blood loss and a poorly-healing concussion. Spent. Now all it has is how pathetic it is, to hope to convince them to stay... or just take him with them.

It keeps asking questions. Confused, almost innocent. As if he doesn't know what it did wrong.

Still linked, Tinker assures Yarn that it's okay. That Yarn saved his life, and he's endlessly thankful for it. That he did the right thing. It falls on deaf 'ears'.

Yarn kicks Coda in the face. It is too dazed to put up a fight.

The conversation they have with Coil <and some others> requires them to unlink, for privacy reasons. Tinker is mildly sour about having secrets kept from him. Coda just keeps asking questions that nobody answers.

Or, well, until Tinker stops to talk to it. He asks how it feels. It can only concede that it hurts, and it is missing something. This is... well. A lot of pieces of his halo have fallen out, crystallised habit and personality traits. They have names, but I won't get into that now.

Tinker is just sorry that he hates it. That he cannot forgive him.

It doesn't know what's going on. It pleads that they take it with them on their 'tour' <things aren't ready at Sundown>, and Tinker admits that he'd rather not fight Coda again when they return.

So it's the three of them in tense silence, with Coda limping behind them.

They reach the greenhouse, though Tinker jokes it's a greyhouse instead. It's... miserable. A single gnarled ex-apple tree punctures a hole in the glass, but nothing is really visible beyond it. It's all a glaring white, like an overcast day. Ice slicks what surfaces aren't dripping with condensation. A 'gravestone', left under the tree in spite, is something that Ozzy left behind.

Unfortunately, once Tinker admits it's for Whole, Coda snaps. Its major point of denial is the refusal to believe that recreating Whole is impossible. They have to, or they will die. Coda despises Whole, but he doesn't want to die! It is a broken machine running on conflicting commands, and all it can do is run.

Tinker, and shortly after Yarn, make chase.

They find it at its room, but directly outside there's a more pressing matter. Mere meters from the grey doors that house Coda's domain, is The Incoherence.

The Incoherence is a sort of 'out of bounds' region. Beyond where the passages are unique and ultimately 'normal'. These places consist of singular cells of space... repeated ad infinitum. Forever. And the fact that this border has crept so close to their rooms is a horrific sign. A sign that this surreality is collapsing faster than anticipated. It should have been kilometres away. It is at their doorsteps now.

The Incoherence is heat death. Once it swallows their rooms, there will be no more creation. There will be no more chances for escape... or resolution.

Time is running out.

To be continued...