#i have not yet figure out the best way to lean up characters from comic panels

[strunmah-mah]

The daughter of Circe has been discovered. But with Circe herself trapped in a mirror by Justice League Dark there is no one to defend little Lyta from her father, Ares who wants her power for his own. So the goddess Hippolyta entrusts to girl’s safety to the champion Artemis. Artemis who is still discovering the depths of her new powers. Will she be able to figure them out in time to keep Lyta from becoming a Warbringer?

So anyway. Here’s my pitch for an Artemis solo series. I’ve been trying to read all of her pre-flashpoint stuff and I thinks it’s a shame how Artemis’s role as a mentor has been downplayed in Rebirth. So I’m fixing that. If it happens to revive Lyta Milton’s character as well? I just think she was neat, but not a lot was done with her. Why not revive her?

[thankskenpenders]

Amy's fortune cards

The Sonic fandom has long been the kind of fandom that takes minor details very seriously, for better or worse. On the one hand, this means fans will really dig for the diamonds in the rough, latching onto fun character interactions, animations, bits of background worldbuilding, and more in pieces of Sonic media that many would write off as "the bad ones." But it also feels like every week another needlessly hostile debate over Sonic minutia erupts on Twitter, whether it's over individual lines of dialogue, fanart that makes Tails' shoes blue, or the ideal length and volume for Sonic's quills.

So it was probably inevitable that a fandom-wide debate would erupt upon seeing Amy's new gameplay style in the DLC for Sonic Frontiers, which takes the once-obscure fact that she enjoys reading tarot and shines a spotlight on it like never before.

I mean:

The thing is, while I basically always try to tune out Sonic fandom bickering... for once, I kind of sympathize with the detractors? Don't get me wrong, I like Amy's tarot stuff, and people on all sides of the discussion are being overly nasty about their opinions, as usual. (Sonic Twitter remains my personal hell.) But when I set aside the hyperbole and zoom out, I do think I understand why some fans are put off by the sudden shift in focus for the character, even if I think it's cool.

It's complicated. Let me attempt to present the cases for and against Amy's fortune cards

For years, I was always one of those fans who thought it could be fun if they played with Amy's tarot reading, or even leaned into some kind of magic with her. Part of that is my own biases showing, but there's just something that makes sense there, especially when you look at Sonic, Tails, and Amy as a trio. (I would argue that's the real "Team Sonic" these days, especially in the comics where Knuckles is more likely to be stuck on Angel Island or otherwise doing his own thing.)

You could argue that Tails is all about logic, relying on science and technology and deductive reasoning to solve problems. But Amy is all about emotion. She wears her heart on her sleeve, is extremely empathetic, and is very prone to magical thinking - both figuratively and sometimes literally. Her origin story has always been that her tarot cards told her it was her destiny to meet Sonic on Little Planet. She's claimed to be able to "sense" peoples' presences - particularly Sonic's. She's the type to believe that The Power of Love is a literal magical force. So, on some level, it makes sense to mirror Tails's science by having Sonic's other best friend believe in magic. And then Sonic is somewhere in the middle, primarily following his own gut instincts but taking advice from both of them as needed. This isn't totally accurate to how their dynamics actually function in canon stories, but I think it's a mode that could work for them.

Going off of that, it's fun to lean all the way into Amy being a magical girl, or even a witch, using her fortune telling as a foundation. Take, for example, this version of Amy from Diana Skelly's old Sonic cast redesigns from before she freelanced for Archie and IDW. This is one of MANY such redesigns for Amy.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and Amy's tarot cards are, in fact, finally getting brought up again in canon. Which is fun! I like seeing that. I like all of the individual stories involving Amy's fortune cards. This is a fun character trait for Amy, a fun nod to old lore, AND a fun storytelling device, all in one. It's really cool that the Sonic universe has its own thematically appropriate arcana, and that the cards are getting made as physical merch. And sure enough, the official card backs and borders were designed by none other than Diana Skelly, in yet another cool example of an ascendant fan leaving their mark on the series.

BUT... when you step back and look at the big picture, I get why some fans find this shift in focus jarring. At the moment, it's starting to feel like every new story about Amy involves her fortune cards to some degree.

The most recent mainline comic arc to feature Amy as the lead character, 2021's Trial by Fire arc, prominently features a sequence where she reads fortunes while camping with the girls. The Origins version of Sonic CD now bookends the game with scenes of Amy and her tarot cards. Sonic randomly mentioned it in a scene in Frontiers. And now, just this week, we got the (very cute, gorgeously illustrated) Amy's 30th Anniversary comic with a story revolving around Amy's tarot cards, followed the very next day by the Frontiers DLC in which she gets a brand new tarot-based moveset. Even her base melee attack now has her throwing tarot cards instead of swinging her hammer. Again, I like all of these individual things, but after years of it almost never coming up at all, it's VERY noticeable that Amy's tarot cards are suddenly everywhere.

To be fair, I'm looking at this from the perspective of a superfan who's actively following ALL Sonic media. Casual fans - especially kids - aren't necessarily going to be reading the comics every month, buying the thousandth rerelease of the Genesis games, or playing the ultra-hard new alternate ending DLC for a game that came out last year. Each of these stories is going to be someone's introduction to the idea that Amy can read tarot, and that's probably part of the idea behind this unified push.

But to play devil's advocate, for my fellow superfans, I understand why it feels like a very minor footnote of Amy's character is suddenly becoming the entire focus of her personality. While Amy has always been said to enjoy fortune telling, that wasn't really a character trait in and of itself, but rather an example of her being a typical girl who hopes she'll be able to find true love one day. It's less that Amy can literally predict the future and more like her using a cootie catcher or going "he loves me, he loves me not" while picking the petals off of a flower. So I get not vibing with this stuff, or feeling like it's being pushed very hard out of nowhere.

What I don't agree with are comparisons like "it's like if they made Knuckles' moveset revolve around him liking grapes." Like, I get it. Ian Flynn loves shoehorning in his little winking references for us nerds, and mentions of Amy's tarot cards were previously on the same level as other random bullet points from old Japanese manuals. But a multifaceted hobby like fortune telling that opens up so many narrative and aesthetic possibilities is obviously very different from having a favorite food. It's ALWAYS been a part of her story, not just a random fact, and there's no reason why the fortune telling can't be elevated to something more.

And, hell, even if it wasn't an established character trait, there's nothing inherently wrong with injecting new ideas into a character. One of the best Amy stories in recent years, the Free Comic Book Day special "Amy's New Hobby" written by Gale Galligan, came up with the idea that Amy's secretly been drawing little comics about her and her friends. Is this based on Lore? No. But it's cute, and helps tell the story of a younger Amy who's still coming out of her shell as both a hero and a friend.

Certain fans are also looking at Amy's Frontiers moveset and using it as evidence that once again the Vile American Contributors like Ian are CORRUPTING Sonic Team's perfect vision of Sonic with their misinterpretations. And like. Come on. Ian does not control the gameplay. He's a freelance writer. The tarot stuff is clearly something that Sonic Team likes if they made it the basis of Amy's new moveset - and, you know, if they keep approving comics and animations about Amy's fortune telling. None of this gets made without their blessing, and lord knows how much they can micromanage shit and shoot down ideas over the most minor of details.

Like, yeah, Amy's fortune telling was probably conceived less as a sign that she Knows Magic and more as a pretty mundane hobby for a lovesick young Japanese girl to have. But you're gonna sit there and tell me that using Amy's tarot cards for more than that could only be the result of a cultural misunderstanding? That nobody in Japan uses tarot card theming and aesthetics (or the general idea of magical cards) for the cool factor? Stardust Crusaders? Persona? The Astrologian class in FFXIV? Cardcaptor Sakura?? Hello??? Do you think Capcom put Gambit in Marvel vs. Capcom ironically because they thought using magic to throw cards at people was stupid? There's tons of precedent for this! It's nothing like Knuckles throwing grapes at people, be for real.

Giving Amy a very magical girl-esque moveset also just makes a lot of sense. For decades her hammer attacks have literally made sparkly heart shapes appear around her. Leaning into both that and her tarot cards in her new moveset makes a lot of sense to me.

But, admittedly... I do think it's very odd that her hammer is treated as a secondary element here, rather than having her primarily use her hammer and adding the cards for extra flair. If hitting the attack button made her swing her hammer instead of throwing cards, I'm not sure we'd even be having this discussion right now.

But the tarot-cycle and Amy riding her hammer like a witch's broom are fucking SICK and I will not concede on this point

The thing is, this whole fortune card discourse is but a small piece of a bigger problem. Amy's been a character who needed some work for ages, but there's basically nothing you can do with her without pissing SOMEONE off.

Years of stories where Amy's crush was her primary motivator and Sonic went "Ew, cooties!" have lead many casual fans to believe that being Sonic's obsessive fangirl is Amy's entire personality. At best people might call her Sonic's Minnie Mouse. This isn't just a matter of Amy having haters within the fandom - venture outside of that bubble and you'll realize that this is how MOST video game playing people seem to see her to this day. I don't feel like this is a fair assessment of the character, but this idea didn't come from nowhere. No matter how much good deeply entrenched Sonic fans may see in their old dynamic where Amy perpetually chases Sonic, this is a very real problem that Sonic Team has to contend with for their leading girl. Of course all those games where the way-past-cool protagonist thought Amy was annoyingly clingy and tried to get away from her made people think less of her.

If new stories were to go back to emphasizing Amy's crush on Sonic a little more, they'd probably be taken as confirmation that Amy's just the girl with a crush on Sonic and that this is her entire personality. Conversely, when the crush is played down, you piss off the hardcore SonAmy fans who don't seem to understand that they're Charlie Brown and Sega is Lucy holding the football. You can't win.

And so here we are. In the absence of what was once her defining trait, now reduced to an occasional blush or wink in Sonic's direction, new stories are trying to mine Amy's past for additional material to work with. Having been a thing fans wanted to see for years, right now we're getting a lot of tarot, but we're also getting reminders of her compassionate nature and her desire to go out of her way to help the little guy. This is an ongoing process. I continue to hope that her bubbly, exuberant demeanor can shine more in future stories. Now, I also hope that the tarot stuff gets balanced out a little better with other traits of hers. But I don't want it to go away. I think it's fun.

This course correcting is far from exclusive to Amy. Knuckles is getting stories that remind us that he's a competent fighter, an experienced treasure hunter, and even a self-taught archaeologist after years of him being perceived as either the dumb one or just the guy who stands in front of the Master Emerald all day. And Tails has been getting some stories reminding folks that he's a capable hero in his own right and not just Sonic's timid kid sidekick.

But no supporting character will ever compete with the sheer number of new ideas Sega has tried with Sonic himself. Like Amy, his Frontiers moveset has also given him half a dozen new superpowers that he never had before, from the Cyloop to air-slicing projectile attacks to his own take on Shadow Clone Jutsu and beyond. He's also been a hoverboarder, a swordsman, a time traveler, an Olympic athlete, a racecar driver, cursed with a Flame of Judgment, imbued with alien power, a fucking Werehog with stretchy powers, and on and on and on.

If Sonic can do all that, Amy can try out using a tarot-cycle.

Anyway TL;DR the REAL problem with Amy's current characterization... is where the FUCK is Amy's bestie, Honey the Cat???????

[velvet-games]

he’s so normal :)

I actually drew this before a lot of the recent stuff I've been posting; it was just me trying to figure out a good redesign for vox. I might make a proper redesign explanation later, but here are some quick notes while I'm still playing with it:

vox trapzod and alastor trongle :)

^^ ok but unironically this was kind of a hard decision since I have mixed feelings about vox's body type

stuff I was considering:

1) vox is alastor's foil and has a similar body type to alastor at least in part because you're supposed to be comparing them (It's actually so cool cause I was watching TB Skyen's reaction to ep 2 and he immediately predicted that they would have beef lol)

2) tumblr sexyman bod <3

3) I LOVE @/bestosunglass' way of drawing him, and it made me realize that I kind of love the idea of vox being a little bigger than alastor? it's very big himbo puppy + lithe cat energy

4) not sure what my headcanons about vox's body are in terms of biological vs tech yet, but I think I want to lean toward tech (which is customizable)

I love the angst concept of vox having the freedom to change his body with relative ease, which makes him feel like he has to constantly update and update and update and update and update and it's never good enough because he could always change something and he'll never quite be good enough--

basically being a victim to his own progress-oriented mindset

and also treating himself like a product; if it's not working, if it's not the best, newest model, then it's broken and useless and disposable

tbh alastor's ability to find beauty and art in the old (not necessarily based on function, but on character and care) would be good for him

ooc or not, as someone with dysmorphia issues myself, I really want an "I like your body because it's yours" moment from alastor

I think all of that + toxic masculinity would probably mean vox would make himself comically buff (at least at first) lol

5) but I like drawing him kinda scrawny ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it's just weird because I kind of want to audience to pick up on the fact that he's not actually hypermasc but vox would totally (mostly successfully) broadcast that to the characters in the show

6) I think a trapezoid is a good shape for him! it contrasts well with alastor being a kind of sly and striking triangle shape. trapezoids are more interesting and dynamic than rectangles, but are still more stiff and business-like than triangles (p sure I am completely misunderstanding shape theory here but it makes sense to me lmao)

vox is such a mess of vibes? like he's a cult leader he's a televangelist he's a hypnotist he's a business shark he's a tech CEO he's a newscaster he's a TV he's a computer he's a literal shark he's a mastermind he's a pathetic fanboy

still not sure which of those is the most important/what should be obvious in his design

obsessed with the concept of TV knobs as buttons but it's kind of old fashioned

I headcanon him as having been a nerdy kid that got kicked in the shins for being obsessed with TV/tech lol

also hc him as being vaguely and very obliviously transfemme; the buffness can also be overcompensating for a lack of masculinity both physically and mentally

[neil-gaiman]

I was a teenager when I found Death of the endless. A few years after “A Game of You.” probably sometime near or at the time the “The Time of Your Life” collected version came out. I didn’t have a ton of money but you’d better believe that what I did have went directly to those books. 

Later, I’d figure out how to afford a few collectables. I think somewhere I even have the first “Action Figure” of the character. 

I haven’t exactly fallen out of love with comics, but I’m now a decades older, married with two children-person, who has significantly less time and attention for anything these days. Video games are often easier escapes from reality, though usually less rewarding. In short, I haven’t touched my longboxes in a while. 

About 8 years or so ago we adopted our second dog, a beautiful Chocolate Lab. 

Fitting that his name was Buddy, we wanted someone to help keep our other dog company. At the shelter, we were waiting to see some dogs, when one of my kids asked to pet a dog that was waiting to be placed in a shelter room. He’d just been dropped off, the shelter said “by an older couple who said they just couldn’t keep up anymore.”

My kid had barely touched his head when he leaned against her with full adoration and trust. I’m not sure if he hadn’t gotten much affection in a while, or just fell in love. With us, he was always very affectionate. At 9 years old already, we knew that our time with him was relatively limited, but there was absolutely no question from that moment that he was going to come home with us.

A regular fixture in the lives of my family, including my kids and my dogs, my mother adored Buddy. My mom had always loved dogs, but hadn’t been able to keep one for the past few years in her apartment. But she would come over daily, and spend hours with Buddy, just slowly stroking his fur and chatting with him about his day. 

In 2020, when my mother passed away, and she no longer showed up at our door, Buddy noticed. He would look for her. He missed his friend. He did his best, as a dog, to console us as we wept, resting his head in our laps, putting his paw on our knees. 

Today was Buddy’s last day with us.  For the past few weeks, his health had been in steady decline. I did the hardest thing I’ve had to do yet, and scheduled an appointment to let him go peacefully. He was so well behaved, he gave no trouble to the vet, and he passed away resting his head on my legs.

Because the universe works the way that it does, between waking up today, and Buddy’s appointment, I found myself with several hours to spend. Maybe because of the recent new about the Sandman show, or something less knowable, I remembered that I had those comics. 

I knew right where they were. 

And so, I spent my morning with Buddy’s head in my lap, gently stroking his head, reading comics, and dreaming of a friendly person, who loves everyone, even the creepy and weird ones. Someone who would make sure that Buddy wasn’t scared or lonely. Someone that could make sure he knew he was loved. Someone who would lead him to where my Mom would be waiting for him to ask him how his day was. And for a little while, I was very happy.  Thank you.

That made me very sad, and made my day at the same time. I'm glad you wrote it. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you.

[vespidclan]

just got here so I'm foggy at best on the lore, but here's some (more generic) questions you might like anyway? Asking a few so that, hopefully, one or two hasn't been asked yet - you of course don't have to answer all (or any) if you don't want to. :)!

What inspired you to do this story?

2. How do you warm up before starting drawing, if you do at all?

3. How do you warm up before storyboarding/writing scripts, etc; if you do at all?

4. When designing a character, what steps do you take? (Pinterest, google search "cat"?)

5. Do you have a favorite, least favorite?

6. What's your VespidClan music, if you listen to music? Any songs that scream your characters? The lore in general?

6a. ^ If you do listen to music, are there any songs that are completely unrelated to your characters that you associate with them anyway?

Bonus: Unrelated to your clan at all, but do you have a song you just hate? (Can you tell I like music?)

That's all I can think of for now. Hope this might spark joy among the... state of your inbox :)

I got inspired by a lot of other clangen blogs I was reading at the time. It sounds very generic but just seeing how many people in the clangen fandom (and warriors fandom for that matter) take the time to write stories simply out of a simulation game made me think “hey I can do that too!” so I just… started writing! Other stories that were big inspirations for Vespidclan were IHNMAIMS and The Mandela Catalogue to name a few. I’m a big fan of things with dread and scariness, I’d totally check these out of you haven’t already.

I usually look at cat references and the way other people draw poses for cats before drawing. Believe it or not I’m not very used to drawing quadrupeds, but at least Vespidclan helped me improved with that?

You all know I do the script/dialogue before I start drawing comics. I base off the script from what event happened during the moon and start off there, sometimes writing several scripts for a scene and figuring out which would be best (there was an alternate ending for The Frame-Up!)

Pinterest is a big help lol, but I try to figure it out on my own. Since they’re from clangen, the design is already there, I just give em shapes to work with and stuff! I really want every cat in Vespidclan to be distinct and unique (there will be a LOT of characters to work with), the sisters were a good starting point for that. Iciclestar is lean and spiky, Heartflicker is long and droopy, and Snakevalley is round yet sharp. Sizes also help differentiate the cats, which reminds me I really should make a size chart for them hehe

Webspeckle and Sparkbreak are my favorite designs, but Heartflicker is my favorite to draw. It’s not that I hate her design but Iciclestar can be such a pill to draw, I made the mistake of giving her cool eyes and head shape that I can’t ever get right!

Secret is out! I DID have a Vespidclan song list on Spotify! I say I did because I have to remake it since I made whipped it up while I was just figuring out the story and I think it doesn’t really fit it much currently. Maybe I’ll fix it someday………….But there is a 404 playlist you can listen to. 404 is a very compelling character to write about, she still is! I thought making a personal playlist for her would help with that.

I’ve somewhat mentioned it before but Shut Eye by Stealing Sheep fits Heartflicker, and Who Can It Be Now? by Men At Work suits Stonepaw, maybe there will be more later on!

Don’t start me now—I despise every and all songs from The Beatles. I get angry when I hear it. It isn’t anything bad, it’s just a personal vendetta that I acquired in the 4th grade that would be too long to elaborate on. Like I ain’t even joking, I’m really not a spiteful person… but hearing The Beatles ruins my mood (one song especially, but that’s a story for another day)

[imtrashraccoon]

My UTMV Skellies!

This took me so long (it's over 5,000 words!) but here is a little blurb for all of my named skellies. This should help if you don't know about some of them. I'll be pinning it to my master post so it's easier to reference in the future.

Undertale: Under Development

Sans: Classic

- Classic is skeleton who's on the shorter side at around five feet tall. His bones are broader than human bones are, giving him the appearance of a bulkier body. His eyelights are a soft white with a hint of blue and his teeth are mostly blunt, save for his canines which are sharper. He usually has grooves underneath his eye sockets as he struggles with insomnia. He doesn't usually have visible ecto but when he does, it's a whitish-blue like his eyelights. He's likely in his early thirties or the Monster equivalent.

- He is seen as a lazy comedian and he tends to play into this perception. He's generally overlooked by both Humans and Monsters, partially because he's a weak Monster and partially because he doesn't usually go out of his way to draw attention to himself.

- He has a lot of worries and inner struggles as he tends to overthink things but he hides them behind a smile and a well timed joke. He also struggles with depression and a myriad of other negative emotions. Despite this, he's a compassionate person and habitually keeps an eye socket on those he cares about.

- He occasionally does odd jobs but he prefers performing at comedy clubs. He's naturally charismatic and enjoys telling objectively bad jokes, especially since Humans don't tend to find the funny bone man a threat. Making people laugh helps him overlook his own prejudices anyways. Otherwise, he keeps to his old habits and is often found at Grillby's or asleep in strange places.

- Sometime, I plan to write a long fic centered around him but it's still in the early planning stage as I've been focused on other projects. At the moment I have two chapters written and a very basic plot outline. This fic will be called The Caged Canary.

Papyrus: Vanilla

- Vanilla is a skeleton that is taller than most humans, at nearly seven feet tall. He's thinner than his brother but his bones are still thicker than human bones. His teeth are larger than his brother's but mostly blunt, save for his canines. He also doesn't usually have visible ecto but when he does, it is a bright orange. I haven't decided if he would have visible eyelights or not, although I am leaning towards yes, but they would also be bright orange. He is likely in his mid twenties or the Monster equivalent.

- He is seen as an ambitious but rather naive person. Many people find him a bit much but they don't want to hurt his feelings so they put up with him. Unfortunately, many humans have tried to take advantage of his perceived naivety but he soon proves them wrong.

- In reality, he is a very genuine person who does his best to see the best in people. He is aware that a lot of people don't take him seriously but he has discovered that they tend to trust him much more easily. He is also compassionate like his brother and is quick to stand up for what he knows is right, even if it's not the easy thing to do. He tends to struggle with insecurity and can be a people pleaser since he really wants to have friends and to be liked. He may also be an introvert although you wouldn't know it at first.

- I haven't decided what he does for a living on the surface yet but a lot of his hobbies carry over from his time in the Underground. He continues his hobby of making puzzles, even moreso now that he has access to more materials. His nerdy side means that he gets to collect more action figures and he even gets into video games and comics. He also enjoys wearing bright colours and increasingly outrageous patterns.

- He will be a major character in The Caged Canary although most likely he'll be a friend rather than a love interest. I really like him but I have a hard time picturing him as the type to settle into a romantic relationship. This could change though.

Underfell

Sans: Crimson

- Crimson is a large skeleton, reaching about six feet tall and is much bulkier than a human skeleton. His eyelights are a crimson red and he has almost shark-like teeth, with one having been replaced with a golden tooth. He doesn't usually have visible ecto, since he usually covers most of his body anyways, but it would match his eyelights. His claws aren't as pointy as his brother's but they are equally as sharp. He has quite a few scars, mostly as a result of getting into fights back in the Underground, although he doesn't feel the need to really show them off nowadays. He is two hundred and nine years old.

- For much of his adult life, he has had a rather infamous reputation and was known to dust anyone who even looked at him wrong. Despite this, he liked to spend time at Grillby's and chat it up with the patrons. He was all too willing to challenge others to drinking games or play poker with anyone, although most quickly learned the hard way that he tended to win these. It was also an unspoken rule that if you wanted to buy certain illicit goods, he was the one to talk to.

- He does have cruel tendencies especially since he has quite a bit of LV, but he has a soul deep down. While he doesn't have many friends or family, he's very protective of the ones he does have. He's calmed down a lot ever since leaving the Underground but he's still a rough mannered guy. While he doesn't like humans very much, he has a soft spot for Frisk since they were the one to set Monsters free and change the King's mind about waging war. He doesn't leave the house much and prefers to be lazy over anything, much to his brother's frustration.

- He doesn't have a job but he does occasionally help his brother around the farm. Otherwise, he lives off of the gold he accumulated Underground and tries to enjoy life now that he doesn't have to fight all the time. He likes to go on walks and has been able to indulge in his interests, such as astrology.

- He will be a major character in my next Underfell fic called Fractured Souls as a love interest. I have written a couple of chapters but have delayed uploading them with how busy I've been. I have so much brainrot over him though.

Papyrus: Scar

- Scar is more lanky than bulky but at seven feet tall, he still towers over most people, especially humans. His eyelights are more of a scarlet colour and his teeth are also very sharp as are his claws. He doesn't usually have visible ecto since he prefers long sleeves and pants, but it would match his eyelights. He has two parallel scars that pass through his left eye socket and are between four and six inches long. He has other scars of course but he also doesn't see much of a need to show them off. He's one hundred and ninety-six and thirteen years younger than his brother.

- Like his brother, he had an infamous reputation in the Underground and still does ten years later. He was much more ruthless than his brother to the extent that some people thought he was the one in charge. He had great ambitions of taking over Undyne's position as Captain of the Royal Guard but never got the opportunity to properly challenge her. Regardless, he controlled Snowdin and regularly made examples out of wrongdoers.

- He also has a lot of LV and not so secretly enjoys watching the suffering of others, provided they deserve it. He's also very protective of those he cares about, even if he has weird ways of showing it. He is much colder than his brother but if you manage to impress him, he'll occasionally give small compliments. He also doesn't like humans and will happily insult them, even when they're within earshot. He's almost always busy, partially because he can't sit around for long but also because his brother can't be bothered to do much of anything.

- He lives off of his savings from the Underground but also makes a bit of money from the hobby farm he keeps, although most of the produce is sold in the nearby Monster town. He's much happier living a simple life over all the fighting he used to do but still occasionally trains so that he doesn't grow weak. He has trained a wolf as an attack dog to protect his farm and also has an interest in archeology.

- He will be a major character in Fractured Souls, possibly as a love interest although I am undecided. I also adore him since I see him as a tsundere type and who doesn't love a hardworking guy?

Gaster: Vermillion

- Vermillion is between his brothers in height and on the slim side. His eyelights are vermillion in colour as is his ecto if he summons any. He has sharp teeth, sharp claws, and two large scars that pass through his eye sockets, nearly splitting his skull in half. He is the eldest of the three brothers and would be middle aged, possibly around four hundred years old? I haven't decided yet.

- Unfortunately, no one actually remembers him thanks to an unfortunate accident that erased him from existence. When he does return to the physical plane, those that were close to him start to remember bits and pieces but most have to get to know him all over again.

- He's a quiet, calculating person who is often rather cold, even towards those he cares about. Despite his high LV, he means well in his own way. He likes to sit back and observe people before offering his input, which leads to some actually good advice at times. He finds humans incredibly interesting and if given the opportunity, would take time to learn all he can about them.

- He used to be the Royal Scientist before the accident but because most of his research is long gone, he spends much of his time recording what he remembers. He helps Alphys with her research where he can but doesn't want to overstep. Otherwise, he likes to spend his time reading and taking in the surface.

- He will be a major character in Fractured Souls possibly as a love interest, but probably in a more platonic way, almost in a familial sense. I need to develop his character more of course but I really like the ideas I've come up with.

Underswap: Under Development

Sans: Blue

Papyrus: Saffron

- Unfortunately I haven't developed much at all for my Underswap boys beyond a few asks regarding Lolitas. I'm not even sure if I like Blue's name as it's rather generic. At the moment their dynamic is similar to the Tale brothers although I want them to have their own personalities. One day, I plan to at least write a oneshot but I don't have much of a plot beyond three paragraphs. Blue may show up in The Nightmare of Apathy though.

Horrortale: Under Development

Sans: Baston

- Baston is a large skeleton reaching six feet tall and has a stocky build. He has a red eyelight in his left eye socket and is blind in his right eye. The left side of his skull has a bad crack and his right eye socket has a few splintering cracks. His teeth are flat but still very sharp and his phalanges are tipped with claws. He's in his forties or the Monster equivalent.

- He doesn't meet a lot of people as he has purposely isolated himself from society but anyone who do meet him are usually terrified. He's a giant of a man who can move soundlessly through the woods while wielding an axe so this makes sense. For the most part, other monsters have a good opinion of him since he tried to protect and take care of them back in the Underground. He doesn't interact with a lot of people he used to know, partly because they settled further away but also because of what he had to do to survive the famine.

- He's a man of few words, even with his own brother. He spends much of his time out in the forest hunting, trapping, and contemplating the scenery around him. He's actually a great cook and years of experience mean he knows the best way to prepare nearly every kind of meat. Despite his frosty exterior, he's a gentle giant and he hates seeing anyone suffering. He prefers to fully observe a situation before acting so if he offers to help, it's because he thinks you actually need it.

- He's a woodsman and does most of the hunting and foraging while his brother takes care of the more domestic labour. This means he's often away from their little cabin for days at a time but whenever he's able, he also helps with the heavier chores like plowing the ground or chopping wood.

- He's actually the first skellie I came up with and is featured in a oneshot called Crazy & Cold. I'd love to write for him again but I don't know where to take his story at the moment.

Papyrus: Hemlock

- Unfortunately, I haven't developed Hemlock very much at all. I know he's a gentle soul and all too willing to make new friends, even though they live far away from civilization. He suffers from chronic pain and so is a bit limited on what he can do, but he likes making things like preserves and sewing. He really likes plants and keeps a garden during the warm months, although he occasionally has to ask his brother to help care for it.

Dreamtale

Lord Nightmare

- Nightmare is slightly stocky and is close to average height for humans. Thanks to consuming the Black Apples, he is always covered in a slightly corrosive substance that is basically liquid hate. The corruption covers his right eye socket and he is blind on that side as a result, although he makes use of his magic to compensate for this. His right eyelight is cyan and any ecto he summons would be the same colour. He has four tentacles protruding from his back which he uses interchangeably with his own hands. His teeth are flat but his canines are slightly sharp and his phalanges are tipped with sharp claws.

- He is feared and hated by pretty much everyone he meets. As the self-proclaimed Lord of Dusk and Shadows, he goes out of his way to spread negativity throughout the entire multiverse and enjoys making people suffer. He is the boogeyman that's in your closet, the monster under your bed, your sleep paralysis demon, and even a warlord conquering your country if he so chooses.

- Behind closed doors, he's vastly different from all the tales people tell. He's calm, domestic even, and keeps himself busy with clerical duties or does some reading. He's capable of being kind but positive emotions are hard to process and he's often rather cold even to those he cares about. He tends to be very possessive with the few people that don't hate him but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

- While he was formerly the Guardian of Negativity, he still carries on some of his old duties. There must always be balance and despite how much he would love to wipe out all positive feelings, he's older and wiser than he was as a child. He inflicts nightmares, especially on those he rules over, but most of the time it's so he can feed off of the negativity and not because he wants to see people suffer unnecessarily.

- He is a major character in The Nightmare of Apathy but has also been featured in a few oneshots as well.

Dream

- I haven't developed Dream a ton although he briefly appeared in a oneshot called A Gentle Soldier. I also plan to feature him later on in The Nightmare of Apathy. He's shorter than his brother and not as wise to the world since he's only been unfrozen from the stone for a short time. He's graceful, almost ethereal, and takes his duties as the Guardian of Positivity very seriously. He's definitely not on good terms with his brother and they've clashed many times in the past.

Siren AU

Red: Tiger Shark

- Red is a tiger shark siren with a skeletal upper half. He's just under twelve feet long and has numerous scars over his body, mostly from fights with other sirens. He has razor sharp teeth, with one having been replaced with a gold one, and equally sharp claws. As a Beast, he has ringed eyelights and they are a bright red. While he doesn't often summon ecto, it would match his eyelights if he did.

- As a siren, he doesn't exactly have friends and since he likes to migrate a lot, he doesn't have much opportunity to make any. Most sirens perceive him as just another male who will fight over potential mates and kill any rivals. He does tend to get into a lot of fights and because he's hot-headed, he isn't doing himself any favours to dispel the stereotype.

- Sure, he enjoys knocking other sirens down to size and establishing himself as the stronger individual, but that isn't all he is. He's clever and likes to catch his prey by surprise. He actively considers others feelings, provided they aren't jerks of course, and doesn't mind helping out here and there. He can be prone to jealousy but rather than express his feelings, he often keeps them inside until he inevitably explodes.

- He likes hunting difficult prey and finding interesting treasures. He also enjoys meeting new people, especially if they're nice.

- He's a major character in Swarmed By Sirens and is based on Llamagoddessofficial's character.

Sans: Orca

- Sans is an orca siren with a skeletal upper half. He's close to twenty feet long and also has many scars riddling his body with the most prominent being around his pectoral fins from being caught in a net as a calf and two puncture wounds from harpoons. He has white ringed eyelights and if he summoned ecto, it would match his eyelights as well. His teeth are flat but the edges are still sharp, as are his black claws.

- He's a terrifying presence in the northern waters, even though he's alone and without a pod. There are very few sirens who survive encountering him and all who do will attest that he is insane. He roams the same relative area of the ocean and regularly hunts down anyone in his "territory". He especially hates humans and will sink their vessel if he's able to, killing all on board.

- Tragically, he is haunted by the trauma of losing his entire pod when he was young due to siren hunters. As a result, he hates humans with a passion and tends to have possessive tendencies for the few people he's come to care about. He's a bit of a cuddle bug despite his murderous nature and loves being able to hold someone close. He's also quite charismatic to the point that you wouldn't know he has ulterior motives, almost.

- For lack of a better term, he likes to play with his food, usually while it's still alive too. It's not unheard of for predators to do this sort of thing so while some people might find it unsettling, most don't care. Otherwise, he enjoys fighting and showing off his strength.

- He is a major character in Swarmed By Sirens and is based on Llamagoddessofficial's character.

Skull: Cephalopod

- Skull is a cephalopod siren with a skeletal upper half. Thanks to deep-sea gigantism and possibly because of his untamed magic, he is much larger than most of his subspecies at sixteen feet long. He has jagged teeth, although they aren't as pointy as a shark's, and sharp claws. He only has one blood red eyelight although the ring isn't as pronounced as it is with the other two. He is missing part of the left side of his skull and he's blind in his right eye socket.

- Life is very different in the Abyssal Zone compared to the rest of the ocean and very few sirens actually make their homes there. Those who do could care less about reputations and only focus on staying alive. That being said, anyone who dares trespassing into his den never return. He doesn't hate anyone in particular and only kills to defend himself or for food.

- He's a simple person, preferring to sleep most of the time when he isn't hunting. He prefers to ambush his prey so that he can save his energy for when it counts. His injury has affected his memory and he doesn't know much about what his life was like before. He doesn't even remember if he has any family.

- He does like collecting shiny things but he doesn't have much use for them so he doesn't make it a habit. He doesn't care to show off his strength like the others, instead preferring to give gifts to potential mates.

- He's a major character in Swarmed By Sirens and is based off of Llamagoddessofficial's character.

The Dark Fortress: Under Development

Nightmare: Lord Donovan

- Donovan is covered in corruption thanks to being essentially forced to consume the Black Apples to survive a mortal wound. He has four tentacles protruding from his spine that are far stronger than they seem and has a bit of a stocky build. He has a cyan eyelight in his left eye socket and, while he could summon ecto, he doesn't see much need. His phalanges are tipped with sharp claws and he has sharp canines as well.

- He is a powerful sorcerer who can strike fear in the hearts of mortals just by looking at them. While there aren't many who actually know his name, they certainly know what he's done. He doesn't hesitate to destroy any perceived threat and his ruthlessness puts warlords to shame.

- Behind closed doors, he's much calmer, almost solemn at times, but bitterness has taken root in his soul. He hates that his birthright was ripped away from him and he wants nothing more than to get revenge on the ones responsible, although such a thing isn't possible anymore. Surprisingly, he takes pity on the outcasts and vagabonds of the world, giving them a place to belong in exchange for their loyalty. He highly values loyalty and as such, he needs people to prove themselves before he'll trust them.

- Other than conquering kingdoms, he likes to spend his time in his personal library where he can take comfort in one of the few things that brings him happiness. He's protective of his books and gets very upset if anyone even speaks of damaging them. He also enjoys experimenting with alchemy or magic and has a whole laboratory dedicated to these pursuits. He isn't really one for socializing, although he isn't opposed to spending quality time with the handful of people he trusts.

- He is from a oneshot called The Dark Fortress and serves as the love interest, much to his chagrin.

Killer: Dirk

- Dirk has a slight frame compared to the others but he's stronger than he appears. He doesn't have visible eyelights and constantly has corruption leaking out of his eye sockets. His soul has been warped beyond recognition and now appears as a red glowing target that floats above his ribcage. He's probably the only one of the four who cares to summon ecto regularly, although it matches his soul in colour. His phalanges are pointy and have dozens of small nicks where blades have bit into the bone.

- He is deadly in close quarters and while he usually plays the role of assassin, he's perfectly comfortable fighting on the front lines with the others. There aren't many outside of the fortress who even know of his existence and while he likes getting attention, he enjoys killing even more. While most of his targets never even see him coming, those who do quickly discover how insane he really is. He taunts his foes and is often grinning from ear to proverbial ear; sometimes he even makes crude jokes while in the thick of a fight.

- He's not too different behind closed doors compared to when others are around. Although, while he's still cocky, he also has some obsessive tendencies and tends to get jealous if you pay too much attention to others. He likes to act petty and steal things to annoy other people, especially if they're ignoring him. He's easily the most forward of the four and will flirt incessantly with anyone and everyone, although he's not actually serious about it most of the time.

- He used to be a common bandit until that life grew too dull and he became a killer for hire. Now that he's part of the Dark Fortress, he has more time for himself and can afford to relax without having to sleep with one eye socket open. He likes to collect pets with his favourite being a cat-like creature he named Princess Floofer-biscuits; he usually just calls her Princess though. He also likes to collect knives and random souvenirs from his various jobs.

- He's featured in The Dark Fortress and a few related drabbles, although I intend to write more for him sometime.

Dust: Reven

- Reven is rather unremarkable looking, being about average height and not having any noticeable scars like the others. He has scarlet eyelights with his left one having an additional ring of blue and if he summons ecto, it would be a light purple. He has flat teeth with slightly pronounced canines and he meticulously takes care of his phalanges so that they're sharp but not overly so.

- He's a sort of jack of all trades on the team, although he is shockingly good at being stealthy when the situation calls for it. Most people only know of him and what he's done, but he's perfectly alright with that. He barely talks at all except with himself when no else is paying attention and when not on a job, he tends to spend his time sleeping or maintaining his gear.

- What you see is pretty much what you get with him, although on occasion, bits of his old personality seep through the cracks. He has a tendency to stare at people, especially if he likes them, which while unnerving, is really the only way you'll catch him smiling. He secretly enjoys slapstick comedy and likes to play pranks on people, although he won't admit he's the one responsible. He isn't exactly religious, but he was once a paladin for a justice deity and he'll occasionally slip into old habits. Most of the time this is just muttering their title under his breath when he's frustrated, but other times, he'll find himself in the act of avenging some injustice without even meaning to.

- Other than sleeping, he habitually sharpens his weapons but he has a hard time mustering the same effort when it comes to his own armour or clothing and so he's pretty much always covered in dust. He'll clean up if he's actually dirty or bloody but only because he has to. He doesn't like silence and has to find ways to fill it to keep himself distracted from the things he's done. Which is why he hangs around his teammates, even if he acts standoffish and aloof. Otherwise, he enjoys spending time in nature or doing something that gets him to think like games of logic.

- He's featured in The Dark Fortress and I would love to explore his character more but I'm not sure how just yet.

Horror: Maul

- Maul is larger than the others, despite being a skeleton, and is a bit self-conscious about this. The left side of his skull is missing thanks to a nearly mortal injury he sustained and he's also blind in his right eye socket. He only has one blood red eyelight in his left eye socket and while he technically could summon ecto, his magic isn't as stable as it once was. The edges of his teeth are jagged from years of wear and tear, as are his claws.

- Thanks to his size, he's generally the muscle of the team and he's content to keep things that way. He has a terrifying presence, mostly from his size and tendency to silently watch people. He mostly only speaks when spoken to and when he does, he's rather blunt and will say exactly what he's thinking. It's obvious that he's been through some horrible circumstances in the past but he doesn't like to bring up bad memories.

- He basically has guard dog energy and despite looking scary, he's possibly the nicest out of the four. He likes to keep to himself and tinker with things or try out new recipes, but he doesn't mind company, so long as he isn't being constantly interrupted anyways. Despite everything he's been through, he still carries himself with a sort of noble pride and keeps an eye socket out for his teammates. He isn't one for finery and prefers to craft his own gear rather than steal it, not that he could do so without being noticed anyways.

- He's the only one with cooking talent and has become the unspoken chef, but he doesn't mind since it means he can look after those he cares about. He's also decent at repairing armour and maintaining weapons, although the others don't usually need his assistance. He also enjoys taking long walks outside, especially at night, and just relaxing in general.

- He's featured in The Dark Fortress and while I want to expand on his character, I haven't thought of anything just yet.

Mafiafell: Under Development

Sans: Cadmium

Papyrus: Carmine

- Apparently I named these guys and while I have written down a few ideas, I don't have any solid plans for them just yet. I really like Mafiafell so I'll probably write at least a oneshot at some point. Appearance wise, they'd probably be similar to my Underfell boys.

[frogthane]

You know what, I’m just going to finally release some pent up emotions I’ve harboured since finishing season 3 of Heartstopper. That season did a significant number on my mental health, had me rethinking some things about my sexuality as well (thank you Isaaccc), but I in no way regret watching it. It absolutely obliterated me, as I haven’t read the comics yet while I wait for the final one to be released so I was WILDLY unprepared, but it was healing.

So many characters’ backstories were fleshed out. No longer is Heartstopper just a cutesy comfort show, it’s a cutesy, heartbreaking, comfort show 😊. I had noticed the signs when it came to Charlie since season 1 when he put aside his meal in the art room after finding out Nick had been in a fight “because of him”. Charlie has always been the most relatable character to me, and I continue to cry every time I see him onscreen, portraying the exact turmoil I encounter every day. His reassurances that he’s simply unhungry, the desperate need to control something despite it truly taking control of you in your most intense moments, the aggression towards those who are simply trying to help, the annoyance of always being told to just eat. The relapses that occur in an instant, hardly ever feeling like a mistake in the moment. Worrying about only ever being seen as broken, all the whole desperately needing a circle of support. It triggered some things I thought I was finally healing from, but I was mistaken. I continue to struggle every day with the precise issues Charlie has, and while it’s tiring and overwhelming, seeing someone in media react just the same as I do had me uncontrollably sobbing throughout the season, all the while being eternally grateful that he made it through.

Now Nick. Dear, sweet, baby Nick. Sure, he may not have problems that require hospitalization, but he needs help. Throughout the show, he has only ever been depicted as a dependable, supportive, unwavering presence. No one really noticed the bubbling fear that arose from all those occasions of being the sole person to turn to when in reality, he needed someone like himself. The third season, he luckily discovered that for himself. He has a loving aunt who can help guide him through the process of Charlie’s recovery, friends near home that he never imagined he could learn to lean on — Tao when he just needed to escape from the party, Tara when he felt guilty for needing help while Charlie’s struggles seemed so much more important, the others when he just needed a few friendly faces — and Tori, both grieving a person they thought they knew. Now, with others’ support, he’s able to be there for Charlie in a way he never could before, all the while figuring out who he is as an individual.

Tori always breaks my heart. She may seem lonely, but she believes all she needs in the world is her brother, who is slowly slipping away despite her best efforts to protect him. And while there is nothing wrong with wanting few relationships, and if you are truly happy with just your family members, then who are we to judge? But she wants more than that, and I’m happy that despite everything she’s been through, she’s able to form a new attachment this season, even if she herself is unsure of what kind it will evolve to.

Everyone struggles this season. While we might have once perceived the Paris squad as being happy, truth is, we all have issues (although thank you for alleviating some of that Mr Ajayi and Mr Farouk, y’all aren’t the best at being a secret, but we all think you’re adorableee). Isaac realizes he’s aroace and feels comfortable in his decision to let his friends know and focus on them, but they’re all busy now and so many of his friends suddenly wish to concentrate solely on their love lives. Darcy breaks free from her homophobic household, but must find out whether she’s willing to cut all ties. Tara experiences intense anxiety that’s amplified by those she cares most about. Tao learns how to be a supportive friend and heal from his abandonment trauma, while Elle fights to be seen as an individual and not just “some trans girl against society”. Imogen painfully realizes society pressured her to find a boyfriend before discovering who exactly it is she likes. Sahar… well, she’s actually kind of chilling, but still getting over her crush on Imogen and opening her heart.

Long story short, my heart ached for each and every character going through hell and back this last season, I love their development, and I look forward to season 4 despite being fully aware I am about to be decimated. Thank you Alice Oseman!!

[traegorn]

Going from Script to Page

(originally posted to my personal blog)

So the big difference between Peregrine Lake and my earlier comics is, obviously, that I'm not the one drawing it. When I was doing my earlier comics, I never wrote down what I was planning, I just had it in my head and would translate it directly to the page. At most I'd write one sentence lines about strips so I could plot out pacing. I did a few thumbnails early on to figure out page layouts, but more often than not the pages didn't exist in any form until I wrote them. That obviously isn't a way we can work for this comic. I can't sit there over Ethan's ( @wistfolie ) shoulder while they draw, since that would be weird and we don't live in the same city. So I do what comic writers have been doing for quite some time. I write scripts. That's where every page for Peregrine Lake starts. Then, if Ethan needs any clarification on a description or has an alternate suggestion for a setting or scene, we talk about it. But again, we start by my writing a script. So I thought it might be fun to take a look at a recent installment and compare the final art to the initial script I wrote. Our example is the October 22nd page titled "Greg." It is, unsurprisingly, the first page where we see the final of our four main characters. I love this page, but let's see the initial script:

Panel 1 Greg emerges from the curtained doorway. Tall panel. If this were television or film, we'd smear some Vaseline on the lens for the best gooey soft focus shot we could get. God damn, we want everyone seeing this to want a piece of Greg. Like take a second slice home in a take out box and eat it while watching Netflix. Let's make this far more detailed than any other panel. Let's get people to demand we print this man on body pillows. Panel 2 Close up of Bev's face. She wants to just lay Greg down and cover him in butter. Bev: (tiny ass words, whispering to self) Yeah... not talking good. Panel 3 Greg leans on the counter towards Lynn, Bev is... "reacting" quietly, but no one's paying her any attention Greg: Hey Lynn, Bob hasn't gotten me those antique iron nails yet. I said I'd call when they come in. Lynn: Thanks, but not what I'm here for. I may have an... off the books job for you Greg: How off the books Panel 4 Close up of Lynn. Lynn is very serious. Lynn: Off the books off the books. Greg, this is my new friend Bev. Panel 5 Back to a shot of the three of them, Greg turns to Bev smiling Greg: Hi! Nice to meet you. Bev: (tiny words) Hello tall man

Yep. That is... that is pretty close to what we got. We moved some of the dialogue around to fit better with the art (moving some of Greg's stuff to panel one from panel three), but overall we stick pretty true to it. Ethan read my ridiculous descriptions and understood the assignment. And yeah, I think it's safe to assume at least some of our audience wants a piece of Greg now.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Do you think there's a connection between the 80s and 90s comics mostly only mentioning him offhand without actual appearances and modern comics like Twojar or One Bad Day making him more violent and increasingly taking away his gimmick ? Because I feel like it's two different approaches to the same idea of wanting to have a villain whose thing is being 'smart' on hold in case they want a story where Batman shows off his mental capabilities but not wanting to deal with everything else that comes with the character like the goofyness or having to come up with riddles that don't suck

oh man okay this is such an interesting question and I'm so excited to be able to revisit it when my reread gets into the 2000s and have more perspective to offer

for the time being I do think that it's fair to say that making the Riddler a central antagonist in a story is challenging because he has, like, a relatively narrow gimmick compared to a lot of other rogues and having to actually come up with riddles is a tall order that a lot of writers simply don't want to fuck with.

personally I think the best way to embrace this is to just acknowledge that the riddles are going to be balls to the wall stupid and let the audience understand that Batman is equally unhinged for being able to solve them at all. Batman '66 is frankly great at this, best exemplified in this scene from the movie that no other Batman adaptation has topped yet:

what are any of you talking about! you sound crazy! they are right though, and that's what living in Gotham does to a motherfucker.

for the record I think Batman Forever also actually does this really well without being quite as unhinged. the riddles are actually pretty solid and straightforward; Bruce solves them easily but the real challenge is in putting them together at the end to figure out who's actually behind everything. (it's Jim Carrey, serving cunt.) it's maybe the only part of the movie that actually shows any restraint at all, and I respect that.

the thing is that this approach kind of falls apart if you want to do a more grounded take on Batman that presents the Riddler as the legitimate threat despite being a man who on purpose calls himself the Riddler. I dog on Batman 2022 a lot but at least there you can (charitably) read Paul Dano's shitty little puzzles as being intentionally messy owing to the fact that his Riddler is, you know, a sopping wet miserable catholic redditor who's really just trying to kiss Batman. I do genuinely like that his master plan is incoherent enough that Bruce doesn't crack all of it and misses vital pieces, it's a nice spin on an inexperienced Batman + the complexity addiction that Riddler schemes are so known for.

and like, to be clear, I do still think that Riddler sucks, but other attempts to make him a serious antagonist are so much worse. you mentioned War of Jokes and Riddles and One Bad Day, the latter of which I do think is just. appallingly misguided on literally every imaginable front and betrays an embarrassing lack of understanding of what people actually like and find entertaining about the character in favor of scrubbing him down to a bog standard Hannibal Lecter-flavored evil genius serial killer manipulator.

which is a fine stock character, where would comic books be without easily recognizable bad guy archetypes, etc, but god, not the Riddler. where the fuck is the fun in that? he's just a silly little guy in a leotard. please, stop trying to make this guy scary.

for god's sake. he's just a baby.

anyway I get why it happens though and it's Marketing, and I think specifically the very online and instantaneous nature of fandom in the 21st century. detective comics comics needs people reading their comics and, maybe even more importantly, talking about their comics, and that means leaning really heavily on well-established characters the people give a shit about. most readers are going to be more interested, even passively, in the Riddler than Random Smart Guy Murderer #623, because he's been around for a long time and he's a very ingrained part of the lore.

but everything has to be a fucking event with high stakes now, again because attention is currency, so it can never just be, like, "oh no, the Riddler has Batman trapped in a giant hamster maze," it's the Riddler and the Joker beefing and also the Riddler murdering Kite-Man's son for ??? reasons ??? idk man look how fucked up he is! this guy's serious! he has a question mark scar on his chest! please take him seriously!

and also, back to the first point, it's frankly just easier to write a generic egomaniac smart guy than it is to come up with riddles that are even a little bit good or interesting enough to carry an entire plot. I bet Tom King really thought he was doing something when he settled down to write One Bad Day and decided that the riddles were actually just a fucking power inhibitor the Riddler was putting in place to stop his massive brainmeat from killing everybody he came in contact with, but I think it's actually the sign of Tom King being a lil punk bitch, actually. just admit you don't have the sauce to come up with a riddle and pass the gig onto someone else!

anyway this is why most of my favorite Riddler appearances have him in a supporting role rather than serving as a primary antagonist (think Batman: Unburied, King Tut's Tomb, the Long Halloween/Dark Victory/When In Rome triptych), and his best antagonist appearances have him working with WAY lower stakes that's mostly just trying to get Bruce to pay attention to him (Vol. 2 of the Batman Adventures and Strange Love Adventures 2022).

tl;dr stop trying to make me take this man seriously

[last-lorekeeper]

for the canon questionnaire: 3, 9, and 11

[Canon Questions Ask Game]

What’s the best thing about the show/series/books/comics/etc.?

Zinnia, obviously. I'm joking. Mostly.

I think... probably the recurring themes about adulthood and coming of age. I don't know, something about that strikes a chord with me. Maybe cause I'm still young (I just turned 20, like, yesterday) and figuring things out?

Have you tweaked the character from canon? If so, what did you tweak?

Well... I do think this Zinnia leans more on the heroic side than canon Zinnia. She's still not the most morally straight but she's more willing to jump in and help out from the goodness of her heart instead of because of some external motivation. She's also a bit more of a team player. But that's also largely because she's had character development and been influenced by spending time around Mare. Five years ago, she was a lot closer to canon Zinnia.

Also her chronic lying and kleptomania aren't strictly speaking canon and are more extrapolations. In canon she never steals anything she doesn't need to steal and I don't think she tells that many lies other than pretending to be a Magma/Aqua Grunt they just seem like things she would do to me. By the way, don't trust everything she says when she infodumps about herself. You can trust her when she infodumps about history and myths, though, because she actually does care about getting those right because they're her special interest and she's really passionate about them. She will occasionally lie about them for the bit but its usually pretty obvious in those cases.

She's never canonically used knives as a weapon I just thought that would be cool. I gave her fangs cause she deserves them. In this universe she's a Magma Agent instead of a Grunt which is a position between Grunt and Admin that I made up because I thought she was too cool to just be a Grunt.

Her motivations during ORAS and the Delta Episode are also different but I can't talk too much about that because it gets into some spoilery things I don't wanna reveal yet.

Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what?

I dislike that Game Freak rarely acknowledges her. The most she gets these days is in Masters and the last time they did anything major with her was just a rerun of her Special Costume event (which is one of my favorite events so I don't mind too much). I'm hoping Legends Z-A will at least reference her if not straight up give her an ancestor, since Hoenn and Kalos are so closely tied at this point due to ORAS.

Also, add her to the trainer lodge, DeNA, you cowards.

[buriedalienfma]

This week saw the release of yet another episode of "My Adventures with Superman", and I wanted to put out my thoughts on it. It would probably be better to wait for the full season before commenting on the show, but I think its fun to react to each episode as it comes out. Also helps that so far the show appears to have an episodic structure, which makes it more appropriate to judge each episode on its own. And I also have to mention that there's some obvious spoilers here.

Here's my thoughts on episode 3 :

- The opening scene of the show is pure Superman. There's a disaster happening, there are people in danger, Superman rushes in to save the day, while Lois jumps in to try and get an interview out of him. It's great stuff. - I'd like to see more of how the in-universe public reacts to Superman. In the real world, we've gotten so many superhero movies and cartoons, that we've gotten used to superheroes just being an omnipresent thing and that seems to be bleeding into superhero adaptations where the existence of superheroes is taken for granted. But really, the existence of superheroes in fiction should be treated as a big deal in-universe, and I hope the cartoon shows that aspect more in future episodes. It's a good way to make the world and setting feel more realistic. - Clark Kent doing an semi-awkward "Hero" voice as Superman is a nice bit of characterization. It shows that the character is still finding himself and settling into his role as the new champion of Metropolis. - There's a nice bit where Lois asks Clark to do a Superman impression and Clark naturally switches to his "Superman voice", before realizing that he might end up giving his secret identity away, so he pivots to a "Clark Kent doing a Superman impression" voice. And to think that there are people out there who have suggested that the idea of superheroes having secret identities is outdated. Why would you get rid of that idea when you can have fun moments like this one ? - The trailer of the show indicated that the show uses three primary Comic Books for inspiration : Superman Birthright, All Star Superman and Man of Steel (1986). I am...not the biggest fan of Man of Steel, and I hope the influences of that comic are kept to a minimum. On the other hand, Birthright and All Star are solid stories. This episode seems to also take inspiration from Superman Smashes the Klan, particularly in how Superman's powers are manifested by him having visions and strange flashes where his senses are suddenly heightened.

Hey, if the show is taking inspiration from my favorite Superman story of all time, then that's definitely a good sign. - We're introduced to a few more supporting characters here in the form of Steve Lombard, Cat Grant and Ronnie Troupe. They're given a comedic introduction which didn't quite land for me, but the episode moves at a brisk pace, so it doesn't feel like an issue. - And we have Clark, Lois and Jimmy doing some good old fashioned detective work to track down the bad guys. I like how each member of the trio gets to contribute in figuring out the bad guys' plan. It makes it clear that while Superman may be the one with the powers, the other characters are heroes in their own right. - The show introduces three new villains. Rough House, Silver Banshee and Mist. They're given just enough characterization and quirks to not feel generic. So far the show seems to be leaning on the villains being more down to earth and small scale, which works well considering that the show does have a “Year One” feel to it.

- We already have fanboys complaining about how the villains don't look exactly like the comics or how their power sets are different from the comics. It's really funny because both Livewire and Silver Banshee are at best, C-list villains in the comics. They don't have more than five notable stories between the two of them not just in current comics, but just in general. I'm not saying that the characters don't or can't have fans, but lets not act like its blasphemous for an adaptation to change the characters to suit the story. - The action scene is fun enough, though it does kinda feel like a repeat of the pilot episodes. The villains wreck havoc, Superman shows up and gets beaten down by the villains, the villains lose control of their tech, which throws them off just in time for Superman to put them down. Let's hope that future episodes don't fall into that formula. - Like the pilot, there's a scene where Superman gets a vision of aliens and robots on other planets. I know that the show is teasing Brainiac as the possible big bad, and the visions are sure to lead into that. My theory is that Brainiac may be connected to all the high-tech weapons that the villains have been using in the past few episodes. Brainiac has always been a tech-based villain, so it makes sense for him to be involved in this way. As a Transformers fan, this reminds me of the Transformers Animated show. That show had a futuristic setting with all sorts of advanced robots being integrated into the society in some way. This technology was manufactured by the fictional Sumdac Industries, and its eventually revealed that the owner of that company was reverse engineering the technology from the salvaged remains of Megatron, the main villain of the Transformers franchise. This was in turn a plot point inspired by the Transformers movie. I think that "My Adventures with Superman" might do something similar with Brainiac. - We get a romantic flight sequence between Superman and Lois ! I never get tired of those, and the romance continues to be adorable. - When Lois interviews Superman, he tells her that he doesn't know too much about where he came from or who he is, and that's definitely a good thing. I feel like so many Superman adaptations just skip this aspect and have Superman immediately know that he's from Krypton, that his name was Kal-El and that his parents names were Jor-El and Lara, that the planet was destroyed, etc. Usually this is done by having a Jor-El hologram to give convenient plot dumps to Superman. However, you could make a compelling story out of Superman slowly uncovering his origins and heritage, and I'm glad that the show might be going in that direction. - There's still no appearance or even mention of Lex Luthor, Superman's one true archenemy. I'm fine with that. I think there's more than enough Superman vs Lex Luthor stories in both comics and other media. The show feels more fresh and unique by focusing on other villains. And that's episode three. This show continues to be solid and entertaining and while it has its flaws, they're not as egregious as to get in the way of my enjoyment of the final product.

[delcakoo]

enhas reaction to finding you crying´ˎ˗

requested <3

⇘ PAIRING ! enhypen x gn!reader

⇘ GENRE ! bucket loads of fluff n’ comforting

⇘ WC ! 4k

⇘ WARNINGS ! mention of alcohol in jay’s, blood + slightly desc knee injury in heeseung’s

a/n: cutest promp ever aa, thank u for the req and enjoy anonnie!

// LEE HEESEUNG!

heeseung would do his very best to be calm and mature, but on the inside mans is panicking :( his approach would be to first analyze the situation; if it’s something super serious, he’ll ask if you want to talk about it, and if you do he’s of course ready to listen. but if not, he’s down to distract you by playing video games or going on a movie marathon!

after a troublesome amount of convincing, heeseung has coaxed you into going skateboarding with him. now don’t get the wrong idea— you had no clue what you were doing, but your boyfriend insisted that with his help you’d be a pro by the end of the day (doubt).

but to your surprise, it wasn’t exactly going badly; you’ve learned how to balance properly on the board and even managed to glide around the skatepark slowly. though you haven’t exactly learned how to turn yet, so you were kind of stuck going in a line unless heeseung helped you— but he was determined to change that.

“one sec, i’m gonna get the sunscreen,” your boyfriend decides, surveying the sun now peeking through the clouds as he pushes up from the concrete, “keep practising, remember to lean to whatever side you’re turning but not too much!”

“okay,” you offer him a quick peck before shoo-ing him off, looking back down at the skateboard waiting by your feet.

heeseung would be really damn proud if you learned to turn all by yourself.

your mind was set. the parking lot was a while away; you had time and you wanted to impress your boyfriend. with that, you hop back onto the board and push, staring concentratedly down at your feet as you slowly lean to the right. gradually, the board starts to follow your body, turning with you ever so slowly.

you grin cockily, “hee, look! i’m doing i—“

before you knew what hit you, you’re back onto the ground, vision winded and blurred. you feel grateful for the helmet on your head, hissing at the growing burns stinging through various spots on your legs.

“oh shit, i’m so sorry!” a male’s voice yelps, and you barely make out a worried silhouette through your still hazy vision. against your will, you feel tears start to blur your vision at the intense sting on your right knee in specific, wincing at the feeling of your skin scraping against the concrete.

“fuck,” the stranger notices your tears, guilt creeping further onto him, “your knee’s bleeding bad. hold on i’ll find some help.”

though he doesn’t exactly get the chance to go searching, as a familiar figure in a white tank top appears back next to you. “what the— jesus christ, what happened?!” heeseung exclaims, quickly throwing away the sunscreen in his hands to inspect your fresh wounds.

“i’m so sorry, it was an accident! i was just doing some tricks but they kinda— well, they turned right into me.”

“sorry about that,” you chuckle awkwardly, finally regaining your vision after many rapid blinks through your tears.

heeseung huffs, barely offering the guy a glance. “alright,” he offers his hand out to you. slightly confused, you take it, carefully getting off the ground. “i have bandages in the car. let’s just go play mario party instead,” he grins, “i’ll let you pick my character.”

your eyes immediately brighten comically, completely forgetting the reason you were crying just moments ago, “really!? so you’ll be peach, and i’ll be yoshi right?”

heeseung sighs in defeat, reaching up to wipe your tears, “whatever you want, love.”

// PARK JAY !

this man is not having it! what made his beloved cry?! he is so ready to help in whatever way you need, no matter if that’s just cuddling on the couch or taking you on a whole shopping spree, his card in your hand of course~

jay was alone for once at enhas dorm, in the middle of peeling potatoes for dinner. in all honesty, he wasn’t sure where his members were, but he didn’t mind spending a bit of time without six other boys causing chaos around the place. his peeling came to a stop though when he heard a slightly aggressive knock at the door, quickly pausing his task to go see what the commotion was about.

jay pulls open the door only to find you at the stairs, tears brimming your red eyes. you're wearing your work uniform, arms crossed over your chest. his stomach immediately drops, quickly pulling you inside and giving you a hug. “honey, what happened?”

you sniffle against his chest, “i fucking hate my boss— no. i hate my coworkers. actually,” you pull away to see his handsome face, “i hate my job.”

your boyfriend sighs, ushering you over to sit at the countertop while he turns on the kettle, preparing a mug and a teabag for you. “i mean, it’s just ridiculous at that place! absolutely no coordination whatsoever,” you vent, tears still angrily flowing down your cheeks, “how am i expected to do the dishes, empty the garbage, then apparently sprint back in the front to serve people while those asshats just laze around gossiping! and also..”

jay will listen to you rant for as long as you need, humming along the way as a reminder of his presence. “gosh, that’s so unfair for you, seriously,” he acknowledges, pouring the boiling water into the cup for you, “they treat you horribly. why doesn’t your boss do anything?”

you scowl, “on the rare occasion that he actually shows up, he’s busy drinking the alcohol that’s supposed to be for the customers.”

jay sighs, grabbing a jar of honey to add to your drink, “there has to be some other place you can apply for, jagi. i don’t want you there anymore, it seriously sounds dangerous, not to mention unorganized.”

“i know, i don’t either.” you ponder for a moment, “well, i heard there was a new bookstore that opened nearby.”

jay beams, offering you the hot drink along with a quick peck to your lips, “perfect, we’ll go check it out tomorrow, hm?” you nod, already feeling much calmer as you take the mug into your hand gratefully.

“you’re quitting that place tomorrow,” he states, “after i give that shitty boss of yours a piece of my mind.”

// SIM JAKE !

poor guy freaks out, don’t act surprised if he starts bawling too :C at first jake might be a bit hesitant and unsure of what to do, but he’ll still do his absolute best to cheer you up and comfort you. probably the best cuddle buddy of all, especially when you’re in desperate need of some babying <3

unbeknownst to you, your boyfriend was planning to surprise you by coming over in just a few minutes. jake’s been busy with promotions all month, but was finally able to get some free time in which he was more than excited to spend with you.

however, his exciting plan went down the drain when he unlocked your front door to find you curled up on the couch, face puffy and red. at the sight of him, you frantically fix yourself up and wipe your cheeks in an attempt to look normal. “babe? what are you doing here?” you mumble.

he doesn’t reply, instead rushing over to tightly pull you into his embrace. at the unexpected but comforting closeness, you begin to quietly sob again onto his shoulder. jake frowns further, stroking your back soothingly. “love, that seriously just broke my heart.”

“i’m sorry.”

“no,” he quickly voices, kissing your cheek, “i’m sorry that i wasn’t here. are you okay?”

you nod while he leads you to sit back on the couch, feeling a bit nervous on how to approach the whole situation. he gulps, “d-do you want to talk about it right now?”

you swallow anxiously, fiddling with your fingers, “i’d prefer a bit later.”

jake shakes his head in understanding, looking around the room for a distraction. out of the corner of his eye, he notices his soccer ball that he must’ve left the last time he came over, a small smile beginning to grow on his face. at the sight of his cheeky expression, your face quickly follows to match his grin. “why’re you doing that face?” you chuckle.

jake snickers mischievously. “huh? what face?”

“that face you make when you and niki have thought of another dumb prank to pull on jay.”

he giggles, suddenly jumping up from the couch and running over to grab the ball near your front door. “if you score on me, i’ll pay for dinner,” he smirks, presenting the ball to you, “and if i score on you… uh, i’ll still pay for dinner.”

you look at him suspiciously. “but! you have to give me a kiss,” he finishes.

you raise an eyebrow, “y’know i would do that either w—“

he cuts you off, “okay! see you outside~”

to no surprise, jake won and you called him a tryhard ^^ he still enjoyed his prize though!!

// PARK SUNGHOON !

sunghoon being sunghoon would be quite awkward at first, it’s just the truth T-T he wouldn’t know what to do, should he even touch you? do you want to be alone? maybe he should be giving you space— or wait, what if you need him and his cuddles!? poor boy would be worrying out of his mind on how to help, so you’ll have to be a bit clear on what you need from him.

it’s getting later and later into the day, and you still haven’t moved from your desk. sunghoon has visited you, who’s locked themself alone inside the bedroom studying, multiple times throughout the afternoon, begging you to give your brain a break. each attempt has had no effect, insisting every time that you ‘had to get this done’ and only needed ‘a bit longer’. your boyfriend has finally decided it’s been a bit longer.

sunghoon doesn’t knock like he did during his past appearances, simply barging in with a slightly annoyed expression. “y/n, i’m serious this time. you’ve been sitting in this shithole,” he spits, pointing to the crumpled pieces of papers scattered around the desk, “for way too—“ his scolding comes to an immediate stop when he looks up to see tears absolutely flooding down your face, your eyes bloodshot and red.

his lips stutter, frozen in the doorway watching as you let out a strangled cry, turning away from him in shame. “wh—what happened?”

you refuse to look into his eyes, focusing on your laptop. “i don’t know anymore, i just can’t do it,” you sniffle, “been here all day yet i still don’t get these concepts.”

he crouches next to your desk, nervously grasping your jaw and pulling you to look at him. in all honesty, sunghoon just wants to embrace you into a tight hug, but he glues himself to his spot next to you, not wanting to overstep. “love, you need to give yourself the breaks you deserve,” he whispers, brushing away your tears, “how do you expect your brain to work properly when you haven’t eaten or even moved all afternoon?”

sunghoon is beginning to feel guilt flush through him for not forcing you out of here sooner, watching as you push back your hair in frustration. but now he knows for sure that you need him, grabbing your under arms and scooping you up like a toddler. “yah, what’re you doing..” you fake annoyance, secretly smiling in appreciation against his shoulder.

“taking care of my big baby,” he coos back, settling you down on the countertop before beginning to prepare a meal for you both.

the next day, sunghoon does his best to help you study by not only testing you off flashcards and proofreading your work, but setting multiple “y/n break time” alarms throughout the day. and in the end, his strategy worked; you found yourself getting much more done despite spending less time burning holes into your computer screen.

this also means that sunghoon was right for once. expect him to be bragging about how helpful he was and that you now “owe him big time”. >:[

// KIM SUNOO !

sunoo’s biggest fear is seeing you cry :( literally shatters his heart into pieces, and despite his calm appearance he is ready to fight anyone who made you sad. please expect lots of cuddles and attention later, he’ll be extra affectionate with you for the next couple of days after seeing you so upset. baby might also offer to take you out somewhere or do your skin care routine to take your mind off whatever happened!

you and your boyfriend were just coming back from a convenience store run when the chirpy melody of an ice cream truck stops you in your tracks. “sun!” you gasp, you releasing your hand from sunoo’s to pointing in the truck’s direction. “let’s go!”

“yah, i’m supposed to be on a diet you know that right?” he complains from behind you, jogging to catch up.

you pout at that, tugging his sleeve like a child, “c’mon, just this one time?”

sometimes sunoo hates the fact that he simply can’t say no to you. “fine but i’m not getting anything,” he reminds, swiftly pulling out his wallet.

you cheer, excitedly ordering your mouth watering, drool inducing, oreo and kitkat double scooped ice cream cone with hot fudge. sunoo stares at the monstrosity in disgust, watching as the old man hands the dessert to you with an emotionless gaze. “seriously.. how can you eat that?”

you shrug. “don’t be a hater,” you reply simply, walking off to find a bench with your boyfriend following close behind.

“excuse me?” sunoo spits, flabbergasted, “do i need to remind you who purchased that.. thing for you?”

you giggle at his glare, taking your first mouth of the ice cream. “thank you, babe. but also, could i please get some napkins?” you ask, desperately trying to lick up the melting droplets racing down the cone.

sunoo finds himself back at the ice cream truck per your request, thanking the man after receiving a couple brown napkins for you. he skips back over to the bench, folding the paper neatly as he approaches you. “here you go, big baby. but next time you’re taking m—“ he’s turned speechless at the sight of a single tear falling down your face, arms crossed in annoyance with absolutely no sign of your oreo and kitkat double scooped ice cream cone with hot fudge in sight.

he frowns, shoving the napkins into his pocket and frantically crouching down to see you. “what— where’s your ice cream!? why’re you crying, love?”

you point over to a group of teen boys who are laughing in the distance, a familiar ice cream in one of their hands. “those dipshits stole it out of my fucking hand. i wanted to do something but— i don’t know, they intimidated me or something. fuck, that’s so embarrassing.” you grimace, biting your lip in frustration.

sunoo feels anger flow through him at that, poking his cheek with his tongue. “stay here, okay?”

you look up at the boy, sniffling, “what? why?”

he rubs your shoulder, pushing himself up from his crouching position. “i’ll be back with a new ice cream, a triple scoop this time,” he promises. “and i’m going to teach those assholes a lesson.”

while your boyfriend may look like a pure, loving dumpling, he was not one to be messed with; you learned this when you found him giddily walking back over to you moments later with the ice cream thieves behind him, feeling pleased as they paid him back for the stolen dessert and even bowed as they apologised to you.

“how the hell did you get them to do that?”

“i have my ways y/n,” he grins innocently, gesturing to your new, triple scooped ice cream, “now eat, i worked hard for this ugly thing.”

// YANG JUNGWON !

probably the most ready during the situation. just like won, you’re pretty bad at showing how you feel, especially if you’re upset. but even so, he does an amazing job at reading the situation (despite freaking out slightly on the inside) since he knows you like the back of his hand. though, he’d also get a bit insecure on if he’s really helping you how you need, so a simple thank you or some affection once you’re feeling better would go a long way for him!

jungwon’s eyes are pitch black, the normal, shimmering gleam in them vanished. “i don’t even love you y/n. i’ve been lying to you this whole time— honestly, who would ever love you?“ he barks, crossing his arms.

no, jungwon would never say that. it’s okay, this isn’t real.

“oh, it’s real alright,” your boyfriend walks closer to you, suddenly pushing you backwards in a way rougher than he’s ever touched you before. “pathetic y/n, always taking up all my time and bothering me all day. how did i even manage to keep up this facade for so long?” he chuckles in disbelief, staring down at your trembling figure on the floor.

this is all wrong.

you jolt awake, stressfully glancing at your bedside clock to read 2:26am. you begin to shiver, pushing your hair back before turning around. see, it wasn’t real. it was a dream, jungwon loves you and he’s right he—

no. where is jungwon? his side of the bed is completely messed up, and he isn’t in the washroom; all the lights still remain off. you begin to feel tears build up in your eyes, your anxiety is through the roof, and your fingers begin to shake much like your trembling lips. it was just a dream, he didn’t abandon you. he wouldn’t.

right?

for a few more moments, you sit in bed, debating whether you should go search for your boyfriend as tears silently cascade down your face. you felt weak and pathetic. it was totally unlike you to cry about something as small as a nightmare, but the feeling of vulnerability took over anything else at the moment.

thankfully, you didn’t have to feel that way for much longer. “jagiya?” your head snaps towards the bedroom door, seeing a half asleep jungwon walk in with a glass of water. “did i wake you? aish, i even left the lights off to try and keep you asleep. sorry,” he rasps, his voice still deep and cracky from being asleep minutes prior as he plops back into bed next to you.

“wonnie?” you sniffle, voice slightly uneven.

jungwon quickly turns to you in the darkness at that, worriedly turning on his lamp to be met with your wet, puffed up face. his mouth opens in shock, reaching over to pull you as tightly as he can into his chest. “hey, i just went to get a drink. what happened?”

in utter relief, you relax into his hold, sniffling quietly. “had a bad dream. it was horrible, won. you said so many mean things to me.”

jungwon feels his heart shatter at that, rubbing soothing shapes against the dip of your back. “did i? i’ll have to fight this dream-jungwon then, he’s an idiot.” you snort at that, making him grin against your shoulder. “the real jungwon knows he’d never say a mean thing to you, ever.”

you wipe your tears against his white t-shirt, giggling slightly. “you even pushed me to the ground.”

jungwon gasps, “that’s it. i’m killing that guy— or well, me. me in your dream! i’ll fight myself!” you laugh more, finally looking up to push your lips to his, hugging him closer in appreciation. at the sudden affection, jungwon quickly recovers and kisses you back, wrapping his arms around your waist happily.

when you pull away from the kiss, he suddenly stretches like a cat, licking his lips. “so, wanna make hot chocolate?”

you give him an unimpressed look, wiping your last tears before glancing at the clock once again. “baby, it’s 2am.”

“exactly! everyone knows hot chocolate tastes better at 2am!”

well? are you gonna say no to this boy? i don’t think so!! go make your hot chocolate :D

// NISHIMURA RIKI !

mr maknae being the unserious boy he is might laugh at first. not because he thinks you being upset is funny! it’s just, the only time you let him see you cry is when it’s from watching a sad romance drama or animal videos, so he thinks of it as not a big deal anymore and instead opts for taking pictures and making fun of you. but once he realises this time you’re genuinely distressed about something he goes into full protective and caretaker mode (a side of him he rarely shows) and will not hesitate to kiss your tears away! no tears are permitted when he’s around!! >:(

your swearing echoes through the dance studio, overthrowing the music playing through your speaker. being part of a competitive dance team meant practising until perfection. no matter 1pm or 1am, if you don’t know your dance, you better stay in that damn studio until it’s permanently engraved in your head.

so here you were, sometime around midnight perhaps, doing your best to finish up memorizing your team’s difficult performance. one section in particular has been bugging you for a while now; you just couldn’t seem to get the steps shown in the tutorial playing on your laptop down, leading to grunts in frustration at every failure.

you glance at the time on the blaring screen. 12:24. were you that incompetent? why is it that all your teammates got to leave on time, while you had to stay back for hours trying to catch up to them? perhaps you weren’t meant to be on this team. maybe you just aren’t good enough.

even if you try your hardest to hold them in, your vision become blurry with tears as they cascade down your cheeks involuntarily, negative thoughts rushing through your brain. you aggressively wipe the droplets away with clenched fists, damn it y/n, get a hold of yourself.

a small snicker is suddenly heard from behind you, sounding mischievous as if the person had caught you in the act of something embarrassing. “you watching more ‘animals reuniting with their owner’ compilations or something?” you whip your head around with a frown, immediately recognising the voice of your boyfriend, who’s now staring down at you teasingly.

his grin drops slightly when he takes in your irritated expression, unravelling his hands from deep within his hoodie pockets. “hey.. you okay?”

you scoff, turning back away from the boy. “do i look okay riki? why’re you even here, it’s nearly one in the morning.”

niki doesn’t respond for a moment, nervously sitting down next to you. you busy yourself with your laptop, replaying the dance tutorial once again. “i wanted to see you.” you don’t reply, sniffling slightly as you wipe your still falling, annoying tears.

he’ll never admit it, but niki feels the desperate need to hold you and kiss away those tears. but it was clear you didn’t want that right now.

anxiously fidgeting around next to you, he’s completely unused to the feeling of you ignoring his presence, unlike the usual moments of you practically jumping on him the moment he walked in the room.

“baby,” he mumbles cautiously.

“what?” you spit, already feeling guilt wash over you at your unintentionally harsh tone.

“look at me.” you obey, turning to make eye contact with your boyfriend who’s now frowning himself. you only begin to feel worse at his saddened expression.

“you don’t have to tell me about whatever’s going on right now, but let’s at least go home n’ rest for the night. you really deserve it and i’m proud of you.” niki tests his luck, reaching out to gently rub your shoulder.

maybe it’s because it’s him, but that’s all you needed to hear. you push yourself up from your spot on the ground to jump on the boy, hugging him closely with your cheek pressed to his. niki freezes for a second, slowly reaching up to wrap you up in his embrace as well. at the sound of you sniffling once again, he pulls back to watch a tear fall down your face, reaching down to kiss it off.

he smacks his lips, “your tears are salty.”

you sigh, unsurprised at the sudden mood kill. “way to ruin the moment.”

if you enjoyed, commenting your thoughts/reblogs are always appreciated n’ motivating!

© delcakoo on tumblr. all rights reserved. do not rewrite, cross-post, translate, copy, etc.

perm taglist: @duolingofanaccount @strawberry-sunset-skies @scented-morker @boowoowho @sultrybaby @koshinene

[itsallyscorner]

I was wondering if you can write something about reader x marvel cast where they go on the tour bus with James Corden. Maybe reader is dating a costar (you can choose who)

💌

We Are Avengers

Pairing: Marvel cast x reader, Sebastian Stan x Fem!reader

Summary: Basically what happens during James Corden’s Star Star Tour😌

Warnings: None :)

Hello darling, thank you for the request! I apologize that it took so long for me to write, but I’ve been busy with school and I’ve been lacking motivation in general. But thank you so much for this request, it gave me the chance to rewatch one of my favorite Marvel cast videos so thank you for that as well, it never fails to make me smile. I hope you don’t mind that I chose Seb as the co-star you’re dating! Also, yes, I know I’ve been writing a lot of headcanons but writing this as a headcanon seems like the best way to write it for me😭 I’m gonna add in some pictures that the cast took with their disposable cameras, so enjoy😉

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(GIF from Pinterest)

✧───── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

When it was mentioned that you and some other members of the Infinity War cast were going to be on James Corden, you were very excited.

You enjoyed making appearances on late night talk shows; Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel—they were always fun to be on. Though you’ve always loved making appearances on James Corden’s show.

When you first heard about being on The Late Late Show, you were expecting to do a typical interview in the studio that would lead to playing a game later on in the show.

What you didn’t expect was to be led out to the parking lot with the rest of the cast, only to be greeted by a double decker bus with James’ face plastered alongside it.

At first you were all a bit confused but one of the producers came up to you all and explained the segment you were all filming.

Everyone was buzzing with exhilaration waiting to get on the bus. One by one you were called up, you being paired with Sebastian.

Wait, he would make you go up the stairs first so he can stay behind you, making sure you don’t fall. Omg and he would place his hand on your lower back too😭🥺

“Wow—Marvel’s own power couple, it’s such an honor to have you both on here. Thank you for coming!” James greeted the both of you. Partially acting because the cameras were rolling.

You and Sebastian beamed at him, proud of the title the fans and your cast mates have given you both over the years. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, James.”

James gives you both your name tags, pausing mid way while he was handing Seb his. James’ gaze shifts between you and Seb, “I’m sorry, you’re just both so beautiful.”

Seb bashfully thanks him, pulling you towards the seats, as you giggle behind him.

You and Seb sit towards the back, behind Don and Tom.

You all sit tight, talking amongst yourselves as you wait for the bus to start. In the seats were disposable cameras and some Late Late Show merch.

The bus hasn’t started driving yet, but you were all having too much fun with the disposable cameras.

Everyone was just taking pictures of each other. You and Seb took a couple selfies and some stolen shots of the others, mostly Anthony.

You even got a cute shot of Don and Tom:

Yes I know they used disposable cameras but I decided to tie in my ‘Polaroid’ series into this even though they’re not using Polaroids—just go with it😭

Being the more social one in the relationship, you were going up and down the aisle talking to everyone.

Seb stayed towards the back with Anthony and Winston. While you were at the front talking to Lizzie and Chris.

Being sad when you were all told to go sit down because you had to leave Lizzie.

Though it probably wasn’t shown in the video, I just KNOW that the filming for this segment was chaotic as fuck.

Chaotic in a good way.

But the whole bus was loud I just know it.

You could hear Mackie across from you talking loudly and laughing that contagious laugh of his.

You, Lizzie, Pom, and Zoe attempting to talk to each other from different spots on the bus over everyone else’s voice.

Chris and Paul can also be heard laughing all the way from the back.

James feeling like a parent because it felt like he was babysitting a bunch of toddlers.

The whole thing was freaking chaotic from the start, I mean ya’ll started the ‘tour’ with Benedict and Chris rubbing sunscreen on James’ legs.

Everyone passing around the sunscreen after, because it was sunny as hell and no one thought of wearing sunscreen.

Seb being a cheeky asshole and ‘accidentally’ smearing sunscreen across your face.

“Sebastian!” You gasped before a flash of light went off on you. When your eyes recovered from the flash you see Seb holding up a camera at you, snickering to himself.

James began to act as your guide, pointing out things like a coffee shop and explaining what it is.

All of you being childish and pretending to not know what a coffee shop or what a line is.

Laughing at Don when he got out of his seat and took a picture of the coffee shop. Like how he got into an over exaggerated position just to take a picture was funny.

Everyone being childish and acting as actual tourist in Los Angeles. Like pointing things out and asking about them or taking pictures of literally everything you drove by.

When Reggie Watts began that sing along thing everyone joined in, bopping and dancing along to the beat.

Like you guys are just having a really great time, happy to be in each other’s presence.

You could hear Sebby singing along to Reggie beside you, and you couldn’t help but just adore him singing and having fun.

He’d notice your stare, he may have had sunglasses on, but you could see the crinkle of his eyes from behind his sunglasses as he smiled at you.

“Na, na, na, na, na, na!” Seb repeated, leaning towards you to press a kiss on your temple.

Throughout the whole ride, he’d have his arm along the back of your seat or have it across your lap.

After the sing along, James went back to acting as a tour guide. He pointed to a red building—whatever it was—and deemed it as “Barbra Streisand’s holiday home”.

Josh Brolin, who was sat along at the back of the deck, raised his hand. “Excuse me! I—uh don’t mean to interrupt, but I have to use the bathroom. Can I use the bathroom?”

James pretending to cringe and telling him that in order to use the bathroom you have to be in three or more Marvel movies to use the bathroom—end credits don’t count.

Everyone being childish once again and yelling “OHHHHHHH!” Like a bunch of school kids.

James points to Tom, “Tom Hiddleston do you need the bathroom?”

Tom, with his soft voice and a small shrug says, “I’m actually okay!”

James then points to you and Seb, “My lovebirds at the back, Sebastian, (Y/n), do either of you need the bathroom?”

You and Seb glance at each other, “Nah we’re good.” Your boyfriend answers.

“Yeah, I used the bathroom before we came here.” You look behind your shoulder at Josh, a smug expression on your face, “Unlike some people.”

Josh flipping you off while everyone laughs at him.

Since Anthony and Seb aren’t sitting together, I just know that Anthony would be yelling at Seb from across the bus to get his attention.

No seriously, I saw them in the background of the video and even heard Mackie yelling lmao😭😂

“(Y/n) call Sebastian!” Anthony yelled at you from across the bus, pointing to the man beside you with a grin on his face.

You chuckle and nudge Seb, “Your boyfriend’s calling you.”

Seb would shake his head at you and turn his attention to Anthony; who just wanted to take a picture of Seb from his side of the bus.

James trying to get spoilers out of all of you but thankfully you all aren’t Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo.

“Does anyone on this bus die in the next Avengers?” James asked. Suddenly you were all quiet, not a word coming out of any of you.

Until Paul began to scream his infamous line, “snITCHES END UP IN DITCHES!”

Getting confused when James suddenly asked the bus to stop and ran off the bus.

Next thing you know, you’re all hopping off the bus and walking into a comic store with a Spider-Man statue at the front.

Seb motioned to the statue and looked back and Anthony, “We gotta get a picture with that.”

Anthony instantly agreeing—he was willing to do anything to tease Tom Holland.

Seb’s not that huge with PDA, but he always needs to be touching you. So he’ll be interlocking your hands with his the moment you walk off the bus and all the way into the comic store.

Feeling thrilled to surprise the people who were shopping at the store.

You all walked around, mingled with some fans, taking selfies with them, and signed a few things.

You were looking at some Funko Pops with Lizzie when you felt a small tap on your leg.

You looked down to see a small girl looking up at you with wide eyes full of admiration. In her tiny hands was a Funko Pop of your character.

You and Lizzie instantly coo at the toddler, crouching down to her level so you can talk.

“Hey, sweetheart!” You greet her, taken back when she suddenly wraps her arms around you into a hug. You laugh wrapping your arms around her small figure and hugging her back.

“I love you so much!” She squeals into your ear, arms tightening around you. Your heart swelled as she excitedly babbled about how much she loved your character and how you were her favorite.

“I love you too! Oh my gosh, you’re so cute!” You decide to carry the toddler, who you later learned was named Lila. Her parents scolded her for distracting you from the other fans in the store, but you brushed them off, your attention focused on your tiny fan.

You carried her around while you met other fans and signed more comic books and merch.

You even introduced her to your other cast mates.

Sebastian’s heart absolutely melting at the sight of you with a baby.

Homie wants to wife you up one day and seeing you with a baby made his baby fever sky rocket.

“Lila, this is Sebastian! You know who he plays right?” You ask the toddler in your arms. Sebastian ducking a bit so he could hear her over the commotion in the store.

“Yeah, he’s the wiener soldier!” She replied. Both you and Seb had to hold back your laughs at her answer.

Lila bragging about how she loves you more than Sebastian.

Seb having to agree because he doesn’t wanna make a toddler cry.

Before you all left, you took pictures with Lila and her parents and signed a bunch of her merch.

^ the boys got their picture.

You guys get back on the bus only to come back to rolls of paper under your seats.

You all sang the “Avengers” song, singing screaming the lyrics dramatically.

Don and Anthony bringing on the vocals.

Before you guys get off the bus you all take a selfie together.

Leaving Chris Hemsworth on the bus and walking off the bus with your heart all warm and fuzzy because you had an amazing time with your boyfriend and your friends :)

This is so long holy shit

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🏷 Tags ↴

*if there’s a line through your username, Tumbr won’t let me tag you*

Marvel Cast/ Avengers Tags

↪︎ @ximaginx @lozzypoz321 @sunwardsss @pokemonbong @pjokotlcmarvel201 @whoslili @111111111111111sblog @marvel-is-a-mood @blckyungblood @astroponyo @universemarvel @imthebadguyyy @roseke @bi-myself-forever @httpscarletwitch @millenniumloki @cristin-rjd @swords-are-cool @melaninfalconbucky @deamus-liv @elvish-sky @catsandbooksandsstuff @ellajoy419 @moonlight-babe99

Sebastian Stan Tags

↪︎ @theresnoplatypus @wintersoldierlover @peacelovehobbitness @milea @sunwardsss @thedenimjacket @roserose26

General Tags

↪︎ @quxxnxfhxll @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @thegirlwiththediary @agustdowney @bi-lmg @rqmanoff @sesamepancakes @stardustofreading @dracoswhore007 @swiftmind

[amaya-writes]

hí, hσw hαvє чσu вєєn? 💞 чσu αrє ѕuch α ѕwєєt pєrѕσn αnd α vєrч tαlєntєd αnd ínѕpíríng wrítєr, í'm hαppч fσr чσu вєcαuѕє чσu'rє fínαllч rєcєívíng thє fσllσwєrѕ чσu dєѕєrvє. 😁 fσr thє 2k єvєnt, wσuld чσu mínd íf í rєquєѕtєd α juuzσu х rєαdєr whєrє thєч'rє ín α ѕσulmαtє αu?

Event Masterlist About The Event

Notes: thank you!

Warnings: n/a

Characters involved: Juuzou Suzuya

Gender-neutral reader, you/yours

Juuzou never thought he would actually have a soulmate.

It wasn't because he thought he was unloveable or damned to be alone, but more that he never even considered the idea of being fated to be with someone.

Having a soulmate had just never been on his agenda.

That was, of course, until he saw his initials hidden away on your wrist.

The cursive JS neatly scrawled on the inside of your hand would have never caught his eye had it not been for the matching initials on his hand, initials that belonged to you.

At first, Juuzou didn't know what to do.

The fact that you had been hiding your mark with makeup and long sleeves made it clear you either didn't want to be with him or were unsure what to do about the situation, but he couldn't find it in himself to get angry. Not when he had done the same.

Juuzou supposed he should have figured it was you since he didn't really know anyone else with the same initials, but he had never bothered to chase after the identity of the person imprinted on him.

Not until he found out it was you.

Your hand lightly shuffled against the desk as you shifted in your sleep, with the sight making Juuzou quickly retract the hand he had previously used to tug back your sleeve.

He couldn't help the small giggle that left his lips at the sight of your cute sleeping face leaning onto his desk.

For once, Juuzou was thankful that one of his colleagues had decided to drop by his office unannounced because it allowed him to see a vulnerable side of you he had never thought of.

A small smile ghosted over his lips as the excitable agent took to leaning against his desk with one of his hands slowly dropping to ghost over your hair.

He certainly had never anticipated you to jerk awake at the soft touch.

"Juuzou? What-"

"You fell asleep."

You let out a small hum at his words; seeming to visibly relax the second you realised it was just the two of you in his office.

"You're also my soulmate."

He could see the way your eyes widened the second his words actually registered, with the sight making Juuzou let out yet another giggle as he watched you lean back in his chair and flick your gaze between your wrist and his eyes.

"Well- now what?"

He shrugged.

The motion seemed far too nonchalant for the situation the two of you were in, but it somehow helped quell the nerves both of you no doubt felt.

"Why did you hide it?"

"Why did you?"

Of course, you would answer his question with one of your own.

"I was scared I guess. Didn't know how you would react."

You turned away from him as you spoke, choosing to instead focus on fiddling with your shirt's sleeve as you awaited a response.

"I don't mind-"

He abutted from the table as he spoke, leaning forward to let his hand drop to your chin so that you could lock gazes.

"I'm glad I was mated to you."

Juuzou really meant what he said, even if his words were paired with a comically large smile.

He wasn't fortunate enough to be surrounded by the best people throughout his life, but you were different. You were kind yet not awfully so. Someone who was a part of the darker side of life but also connected to the light.

"Now, about that report you were here to talk about-"

An airy chuckle escaped your lips at his sudden change in conversation, but you were quick to sit up and address the reason you had really visited his office.

As he watched you trail on about topics he would probably have to ask Shinohara about again, Juuzou couldn't help but feel a soft smile ghost over his lips.

You were so similar yet so awfully different to him.

And perhaps, that was why he didn't mind the idea of ending up with you. Eventually. But for now, he was happy to watch from afar as you waltzed through the light and dark.

[eijishimas]

midnight snack.

18+ nsfw content, minors dni. all characters are aged up.

masterlist.

content warnings: oral sex (f!receiving), penetrative sex, unprotected sex (use protection irl pls!), quirk use (electro stimulation), a hint of overstim, & a sprinkle of degradation. f!reader.

notes: all i could think about while writing this was “and they were roommates! ohmygod they were roommates.” also thank u bria ( @rekiri ) & sun ( @kiridarling ) for keeping me sane while writing this, ily both <3

wc: 3.0k

You rarely got hungry in the middle of the night. You usually went to bed full of food cooked by yourself or ordered takeout by your roommate, Denki. Tonight was different, however. You had been working on a project, one that was taking up far too much of your time due to your incompetent group members causing you to pick up the slack. You had been stressed beyond belief lately because of them. Maybe a small stretch would help clear your mind, you reasoned to yourself internally. While you were at it, a midnight snack wouldn’t be too bad. It would help ease your nerves, even. You stood from your desk, stretching your arms above your head and cracking the joints of your shoulders. Now exiting your room, you threw a glance across the hallway to see the light under your roommate’s door was still on. Of course he was staying up again, when did he not? Probably off playing video games with the guys again.

You yawned, bare feet pattering against the hardwood of your apartment floor on your way to the kitchen. You shivered, wearing only a cropped sweater you had thrifted and a pair of your comfiest shorts. So what if they were a little short on you, they did the job of keeping you comfy while you slept. No one besides Denki saw you in them, mostly because you wore them to bed. Opening the fridge door, you cringed at the harsh lighting hitting you square in the face. You bent over, eyes scanning the bottom shelf for something to pique your interest. Since you figured Denki was in his room, you didn’t bother to bend your knees while you were searching for your snack.

“Uh- I uh, whatcha lookin’ for?” Denki’s voice cracked slightly. What were the odds? Your head whipped up so fast from the fridge, you nearly knocked into the door of it. Your face began to overheat as you saw your roommate standing there in his pyjamas, fighting off his own blush as he looked at you. Had he seen how your shorts rode up your ass, giving the perfect view of the lace black panties you had been wearing that night? Maybe. The answer was most definitely a yes, but he wasn’t going to admit that to you. He really didn’t want to die by your hands.

“I was, well I was grabbing some water,” you fumbled for your words as Denki approached you, moving around the bar counter of your apartment to peer into the fridge himself from behind you. His hair was damp, sticking to his forehead indicating that he had just hopped out of the shower. No kidding, he had used your fruit passion shampoo along with lemon scented body wash again. You felt his hot breath on the back of your neck from how close he was to you, your tongue wetting your lips as you tried to ease your building nerves. You were never so nervous around him, he was your roommate and your best friend. The two of you had always been comfortable around each other.

You stood perfectly still, razor focused on the fruit cup on the top shelf to distract your mind that was buzzing with electricity. He smelled so good. He felt awfully warm. And he was incredibly close to you, so much so that you could hear his own inner monologue if you listened hard enough. You were so caught up in your thoughts that your mind barely registered that his hands were sitting comfortably on your waist. “Hey,” Denki spoke up, “Did you wear that for me?”

Processing his words, there was a tiny heat that began to burn low in your stomach. “I’m sorry?” you squeaked out.

“The black lacy ones. The ones that make me want to eat you out on the counter until you’re screaming. Did you wear those for me?” his voice was low, whispering deliciously into your ear. Sinful thoughts were clouding your mind, your previous intentions of getting a snack now lost to the idea of possibly choking on something else entirely tonight. “Denki—” His hands slipped beneath your shirt, stopping just below your breasts. You were starting to feel something hard poking at the cheek of your ass. Your breath hitched, thighs clenching together in an attempt to tame the growing heat between them. The two of you had been dancing around the notion of having feelings for each other for a long time.

You tried to look the other way every time he would stare at you for just a small bit longer than he should. He pretended to not notice the way you sat so very close to him, despite the entire couch being free. The way your fingertips brushed his thighs when you leaned over him to grab the remote. The way his touch lingered on your hip when he went to pass behind you while you cooked dinner together, his palms warm and jittery. Everything clicked together so perfectly for the two of you, it was beginning to become undeniable and almost comical at this point.

Tonight only made you more desperate for some type of release, since all of the previous tension between the two of you had crescendoed into Denki moulding his lips to your neck and sucking deep purple marks in a lovely pattern against your hot skin. Your legs felt weak, a strained moan escaping you. Between the cool air of the open fridge and his hands exploring your torso, it felt like heaven. His fingers pinched and pulled at your nipples eagerly, his name falling off your tongue as if second nature. You wanted him bad. And he wanted nothing more than to strip you of your clothes and have you right there in the kitchen.

Your legs quivered as he touched you, allowing yourself to lean back against him and succumb to his affection. “I’ve been waiting to do this for so long, baby,” the confidence radiating off the blond was dripping right into his tone. It made more of that liquid heat manifest in your lower half. You were quite certain that those lacy black panties Denki had been talking about now had a wet patch from all of his ministrations. His hands kept massaging at your breasts, small whimpers leaving your lips as you whispered out how you needed more from him. You panted, craning your neck to the side to give him more access to your skin. Your hips seemed to move on their own as you wiggled your ass right up against his prominent hard on. “Fuck,” he swore, fingers dipping into your shorts and past the waistline of your underwear to feel your slick. You were soaking from his touches, thighs shaking and fingers finding purchase in blond locks as his finger pad grazed your aching clit. “More,” you whined with need, “I wanna.. I wanna touch you, please.”

Denki’s mind felt like it was melting. Was this a dream? He never wanted to wake up if that was the case. He inserted a finger into your core, heart fluttering upon hearing you moan out for him again. Your walls hugged his single digit, his dick twitching at the sensation. You were feeling unbearably sensitive for some reason that night, the way his thumb drew circles around your clit paired with his finger reaching within you made your head light. “You’re so greedy, look at you fucking yourself on my fingers. Moaning like that for me. From how much you walk around like a little slut, you had this coming,” Denki nibbled at the lobe of your ear before adding a second digit, curling his fingers and further sending you into your pleasure. “Denki,” you called out again, head tossed against his shoulder, ass rubbing right against his dick in ways that made his head spin. “You’re so wet, do you hear that? Holy fuck, I can’t wait to taste you,” Denki’s words made the coil inside the pit of your stomach snap, your first orgasm of the night finally washing over you as you clenched around his fingers. It took all of Denki’s willpower not to cum in his boxers right then and there. Falling against him for support, your hips lazily rolled against his digits to ride out your high.

“Up on the counter babe, we’re not done yet. I’m still feeling a bit hungry,” he murmured into your ear. The two of you backed away from the fridge, leaving the door open to allow some light in the darkened kitchen. You turned to face him, seeing a bit of a loopy smile on his face despite his lust blown pupils. You wasted no time in connecting your lips, tongue sliding into his mouth with ease. Your body pressed his against the cool granite of the counter, his hands drifting lower down your back to meet the flesh of your ass. He tapped your ass a couple times, his fingers pinching at the fabric of your thin shorts. “You won’t be needing these,” he chuckled deeply against your lips. His drop in octave made you shiver. Your own hands mapped out his body, feeling across his abs that he prided himself on as a pro-hero while your other went right for his cock.

Your excited fingers pulled down his gray sweatpants along with his boxers, his cock springing free from its confines. There was a lovely amount of precum beading atop his reddening head, your thumb swirling the natural lube around his tip. The action elicited a groan from the blond, grabbing a bit harder at your ass. You were gentle, teasing even, your eyes glazed over in lust as your hand pumped his dick at a slow tempo. Denki’s hips began to fuck into your hand, his chest heaving as he took this time to shed himself of his t-shirt. He felt entranced by how your fingers looked so delicate fisting his cock, breath hitching in his throat as your wrist rolled with each stroke of his dick. “Do you know how— fuck — how long I’ve waited for this?” Denki’s words are gentle, his neck craning back down to nip at your exposed skin.

“Too long?”

“Way too long.”

You giggled and he groaned, a low rumble against your soft skin that makes you shiver yet again. You smirked with amusement as you felt him pulse in your hand, yet Denki pulled away from your touch just as you were about to tip him over the line to his own orgasm. “You, you first,” he told you, golden eyes trained on yours, “I like seeing you come undone for me.”

A whimper escaped you, his grin hungry with want for you and only you. “Let’s see how good you taste,” he pressed a final kiss to your lips as he eagerly dropped to his knees. With a shy look in your eyes, you allowed your legs to spread, giving Denki a full view of your pretty pussy. He was practically salivating, eyes taking in your wet sex with a strange fire lit behind them. He was eating good tonight. With your fingers threading in his hair and tugging lightly, he took it as his signal to go. You sucked in a gasp of surprise as something cool touched your already slick entrance. Oh, you had forgotten that Denki had a fucking tongue piercing.

Instinctively, your thighs started to close around Denki’s head. He held them open with ease, the metal ball of his piercing following the tip of his tongue as he happily traced your entrance. “Denki,” you huffed, growing frustrated at his languid pace. For a man who seemed rather eager, he was going very slowly. Denki hummed in response, lips now attached to your clit and you felt your body jolt at the feeling. Fuck. Maybe you should have bit your tongue instead. Channeling electricity through his quirk, you felt a shock emitted from the tiny piece of metal in his mouth to your aching clit. “Denki!” you moaned, eyelids fluttering as you struggled to keep your gaze on him. Your hands kept pulling at his semi-damp hair, rutting your hips as best as you could into his face as your heart beat rapidly in your chest. You felt ten times hotter than you did when you first entered the kitchen, your hands expelling your own sleep shirt to the floor as Denki moaned at the sight of your exposed tits. This gave him the opportunity to push his tongue into your pussy, your toes curling at the sensation of his tongue entering your heat. He had his fun, darting his tongue in and out of you as he kept moaning to keep up the tiny vibrations. Moving his bangs away from his eyes, you could only watch as he ate you out with his skilled muscle.

His tongue reached deeper inside of you, his hands holding your thighs apart firmly as they were threatening to clamp around his head with more force. You hadn’t anticipated that Denki would be this fucking good with his mouth. Your inner walls squeezed around him, your moans picking up in volume. Your nipples were peaked, your back arched and your head thrown back as all you could do was continuously grind your hips against his face. This only edged the blond further, his nose stimulating your swollen clit as his tongue delved as far as it could into your dripping cunt. You nearly screamed his name as you were finally tipped over the edge, your chest heaving as Denki suckled at your sensitive lower lips. He drank your essence happily, your body prickling with heat as he drew back to watch in awe at how your pussy fluttered invitingly around nothing. He was drunk on the feeling of you cumming on his mouth. You two were definitely doing that again.

As you steadily regulated your breathing, Denki slowly got up from his position on the floor. Wiping away a bit of your cum from the corner of his mouth, he threw you another grin. You swallowed dryly, “Need you.”

“What was that, baby?”

“Need you, Den. I need you in.. Please.” Your eyes were begging him to give you more. You had seen how much his cock had been leaking onto the kitchen floor, practically throbbing between his legs from not having given release. With a cheeky sort of smile, Denki gave you a kiss to your cheek before settling his lips to the shell of your ear. “Whatever you say, babe.”

In an instant, you were swept off the counter, your body being caged between the closed freezer door and Denki holding you up from beneath your thighs. His cock fell heavy against your stomach, twitching in its desperation for attention. The light emitting from the open door of the fridge illuminated the right half of the electric blond’s face, his expression lustful and giddy in the harsh LED lighting. It made your heart buzz with anticipation, your body tensing as he eased the head of his cock past your folds. Your hands scrambled for his shoulders, fingernails leaving red crescents along his creamy skin. Denki’s eyes were on you, his breathing irregular as you wasted no time in pulling out and thrusting back in with confidence. His lips swallowed your moans, the wet, lewd sounds of your fucking adding more tinder to the heat now coiling in the pit of your stomach for the third time tonight. “Please,” you begged, practically trembling from overstimulation as Denki rocked you into the cool aluminum of the freezer door.

“Please what, baby?” the playfulness in his tone didn’t match the serious manner in which he kept pistoning into you, chasing his own release as your slick from previous orgasms now coated his cock and ran down his thighs. Each time he went in, he angled himself right up to meet that special spot inside you to make you see tiny specks of white dot your vision. “I- I, ah! Denki!” Fingers now grasping at his hair again, you yanked harshly as you came around his pulsing cock for the third and final time, squeezing him snugly as you desperately attempted to catch your breath. There was a tingly sensation running through your legs starting from your thighs, numbing and electric as Denki kept up his quick pace to chase his own release, groaning dirty praises into your ear that made you keen. Your legs wrapped around his waist, urging him to go deeper and finish inside of you. His hips met yours for one last time, stuttering as he pumped his sticky cum into your abused hole. You two stayed there for a moment, you letting out quiet giggles as Denki took his time in getting the air back into his lungs. He let you down steadily from the position you had been in, making sure to hold you up since the feeling was still a bit lost in your legs.

“Wow that was,” Denki paused, struggling to find the right word for the situation you two had caught yourselves in. “Satisfying,” you finished for him, to which he blushed deeply. The smile he flashed you was earnest and relieved, if he was being quite honest. “Ah, nice! Let’s get you something to eat, maybe a cheese string. But definitely water!”

“I’m actually feeling pretty full right now in terms of cheese. Thanks for that, Den.”

“Wait really?” Denki questioned as he swept his boxers along with his shirt off the kitchen floor, his concern showing through his furrowed brow, “Not even for a cheese string?”

A deadpan look crossed your face, sighing as you gave in to your dumbass of a roommate. “One cheese string.”

“Bet!”

Needless to say, post sex activities consisted of a hot shower, the second Shrek movie, and two cheese strings (per Denki’s request). Not a bad way to relieve your stress, you concluded to yourself happily as you snuggled closer to your roommate, fingers intertwined beneath the blanket as you allowed yourself to slip into a comfortable slumber against Denki’s shoulder.

all works © eijishimas 2021. do not reuse, modify, or repost.

tags:

@cynthus-no @stoopidnekobish @brialoveskbtbb @baku-deku1 @cherrychan0

want to be on the taglist? see here.

[malarki]

Harry Potter FanFiction I greatly enjoy (it’s just tomarry and sevitus)

Fair warning, I’m not good at describing stuff, and most of these are not complete (yet) but if you have similar tastes as I do then you’ll definitely like these stories.

Meddling of a Mischief Maker - by Athy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380535/chapters/12427268

I enjoy this fic because it shows a more human Voldemort with him still being an asshole as per usual. They do a good job of having Voldemort believably change into a not crazy murderous bastard haha. It also has Sirius interacting with Voldemort and for some reason I find those scenes hilarious in any fic I read.

“Harry's being a horcrux is a bit reworked here in this AU Story set during the summer after 5th year. A Mischief Maker intervenes in the Ministry during Voldemort and Dumbledore's duel, changing the course history. MorallyGrey!Dumbledore, Sirius, Restored Souls, HP/TR”

Draw Me After You (Let Us Run) - by ToAStranger @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22327684/chapters/53334382

This story is a delight, it’s tone is very good and they do a great job of writing in the characters ‘voices’ for their pov’s. I especially like the posh way Voldemort talks and acts. This story is also hilarious on top of just being a very good slowburn, AND it has Sirius, which as you might have guessed, I love dearly. They also don’t bash any of the characters, and instead make them well rounded but flawed individuals, which I really appreciate.

“Harry Potter,” comes the soft, sibilant hiss of a voice he has heard in his dreams, in his nightmares, in his waking hours for years.

Slowly, carefully, Harry twists over and pushes up onto his hands and knees. He stays there, short breath fogging in front of his face, and his pursuer lets him. Harry has no doubt of that; he’s being allowed this respite. This small moment to catch his bearings, heart pounding in his ears, blood singing.

“It seems I have finally caught you.”

Consuming Shadows - by Child_OTKW @childotkw

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7040089/chapters/16011331

I’ve read two of childOTKW’s fics and both of them are fantastically written and attention grabbing stories. This one was the first one I read, and it has a very interesting take on lily Potter (one which I really enjoy) and the plot can leave you on the edge of your seat at times. The characterization is great, and the process of Harry and Tom getting to know each other is done very well.

“His attention skipped passed the students and moved to the politicians’ pavilion. His gaze locked with crimson, and he nearly faltered under the sheer hunger in those eyes.

It unnerved him how fixated the man was on his dirtied, exhausted figure.

But what troubled him more was the slight smirk he could make out on the man’s lips. It was almost pleased.

On the night of the attack, Lily managed to escape with her infant son, but at the cost of her husband’s life. Distraught and distrusting of her friends, she fled to France with Harry, to raise him away from the corruption in Britain and the rising influence of the Dark Lord. She trains him to the best of her abilities, shaping him into a dangerous, intelligent and powerful wizard.

But when Britain re-establishes the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry is forced to return to his once-home, he finds himself questioning whether he really wants to kill the Dark Lord. Voldemort finds an unexpected challenge in the child, and as his intrigue and amusement grows, so too does the desire to possess the spark in those defiant green eyes.”

A story that is kind of similar but not really: The Train to Nowhere

You Belong To Me (I Belong To You) - by child_OTKW

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270490/chapters/25203408

This is a story inspired by the manwha ‘At The End Of The Road’ by Haribo. A comic I read before reading this, which is very good I recommend it. They do not take the exact plot from the comic though, obviously changing significant details for it to work properly as a Tomarry Fic, but one main thing stays the same, which is that this is a body swap. Honestly I really enjoy childOTKW’s works, and this is no exception. The characterization is wonderful as always, and Harry is Fantastic. Plus I’ve always been a fan of time travel fics. (Fair warning this is another slow burn and Harry centric)

“What I find absolutely fascinating,” Riddle said, stalking closer, “is you.” He marched forward, backing Harry up until he was pinned to the cool wall of the common room. “Do you know why?”

“No. And I’ll be honest here, Riddle, I don’t particularly care.”

The taller boy grinned at him, small yet infinitely pleased. “That. Right there.” One hand rose and brushed some of Harry’s fringe from his face. “Nathan Ciro was a spineless little boy too afraid of his own shadow to dare even glance in my direction. But you…”

He leaned closer, “You look at me like you want to stab me.”

“After an accident, Auror Harry Potter wakes up in the body of fourteen year old Nathan Ciro, a tormented Slytherin who recently tried to end his own life. Seeking answers to his strange predicament, Harry returns to Hogwarts, and causes quite the stir through staff and students - especially when they come to realise he is not the same boy as before.

He tries to avoid suspicion, but as his quest for the truth draws more and more attention to him, Harry begins to think that he might not like what he will discover.”

Some Bonus AU tomarry

A Thousand Paths Among The Stars - by Haplessshippo @haplesshippo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12015060/chapters/27191238

This is a star trek au and it’s honestly my favorite tomarry au fic. Granted, I am a huge sci-fi fan. There’s also a bit of a twist at the end, or at least it surprised me, due to the way we usually expect tomarry plots to go.

“Harry Potter, newly appointed Captain of the Marauder and son of the famous Captain James Potter, was falling apart at the seams. His crew didn’t respect him, he was lost in the empty expanse of space, nightmares plagued his sleep, and his Commander deserved the Captain position more than he did. Good thing multiple attempts on his life and a vicious warlord after his head was all it took to turn it all around.

Alternatively, that space fic in which Harry Potter almost dies too many times, Tom Riddle slowly becomes the most smitten fool on the ship, and the rest of the crew are all just a bunch of assholes with popcorn watching the show. And exploding ships, don't forget the exploding ships.”

The Matchmaker - by TanninTele

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16507676/chapters/38664089

I am ALSO a huge true crime fan, and this story has a criminal that kinda reminds me of one that might appear in Hannibal (but with less murder). I enjoy the characterization, though tom is pretty tame in this compared to more cannon fics, considering he’s not the criminal and instead an investigator. Harry is also different from how people usually portray him, but I still like it.

“'The Matchmaker' is a serial abductor whose modus operandi consists of pairing two same-sex individuals together in a coffin, six feet underground - buried alive. He isn't a killer. He's a kidnapper with morals, and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Riddle finds himself obsessed with solving the case.

Unfortunately for Tom, the Matchmaker is just as intent on knowing him.”

And on to the Sevitus Stories

Far Beyond A Promise Kept - by oliversnape

https://archiveofourown.org/works/547431/chapters/974693

A classic, Harry stays with snape and unintentionally proves all his assumptions wrong and makes snape care about him. Both the stories have this aspect, but this one has snape a bit nicer from the get go. Probably because it takes place during the third book, so they’ve only known each other two years. It’s quite wholesome though, and I rather enjoy the progression of their relationship.

“Snape never wanted anyone to know of his promise to Dumbledore, but has realised that he can protect Potter much better by taking a less passive role in the boy's training. Actually liking Harry Potter has never been part of his plan. mentor/guardian.”

Crime And Punishment - by melolcatsi

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102232/chapters/58018174

Snape and Harry have way more of a rocky start in this one, and Snape having to pick Harry up from the police station Really Doesn’t Help Snape’s opinion of him. This story very realistically shows the progression of their relationship, going from enemies to family, and near the ‘end’ (it’s not finished) it becomes very wholesome with Snape trying to help Harry with his mental and physical health after years of abuse/ neglect.

“Harry is accused of burglary. The Dursleys leave him to rot. Dumbledore sends Snape to remedy the situation. Harry finds himself in the care of an irate Snape. Not slash, gen-fic w/ focus on Sevitus relationship. Angst galore. Warnings: coarse and suggestive language, mentions of abuse/neglect. Un-betaed and un-Britpicked.”