#it ended up longer than i expected

[blackmagickwolf]

Sasha Waybright singing The Craving (single version) by Twenty One Pilots in highschool.

More specifically, Sasha Waybright singing and playing The Craving (single version) by Twenty One Pilots in a talent show in highschool, when she and Anne aren't really on speaking terms. When her and Marcy's last text is from 6 moths ago, and even longer the last videocall.

Seems I get in my own way The more I think, the less I say I hope I communicate the craving Now I see intentions don't mean much

I like to think that even though Sasha apologized, and Anne forgives her, sometimes among the many many troubling feelings about... well, everything, Anne just gets angry. She gets angry but feels she has no right to be because everything right now for her is almost near perfect. But she's still angry and needs to lash out at something. At someone. And what better target that the one person that has a record of hurting her (always on accident, never on purpose. But she doesn't want to think about that or she will feel even worse by lashing out), so she gets angry at Sasha, and that means a cycle of the cold shoulder and avoiding her, followed by guilt of seeing Sasha just taking it silently, to a tentative aproaching by either both of them, rinse and repetat.

Say enough, say enough Did I let her know, let her know? If I found my body in chains I'd lay down and wait And hope she looks for me

Meanwhile I think that Marcy struggles with now being actually seen. Anne and Sasha actively try to listen and be involved in Marcy's interest and the like, and while she thinks it is sweet, she also slightly resentfull for that. Why should it had to take getting zapped to another universe and the perils it comes with, for their friendship to get sort-of-healthy?. But there's also the guit. What right did she have to resent them? when she cause them so much pain by precisely sending them to Amphibia. After all, they were just kids (she was also a kid, but she was the smart one, she knew better), it's not fair to hold it against them.

She just wants to catch a wave Ride it out to the end of her days I hope that I can satiate the craving Now I see a gesture don't mean much

All through this, Sasha willingly acts as the human punching bag for Anne and Marcy. Not for any noble feelings, not entirely. This is just her unhealthy copping mechanism acting up about her feeling guilty about all of her past actions, and the frustration that she want's to help her friends, but can't/doesn't know how. So her best idea is to just endure the (metaphorical) punches. She is strengh, after all. She can take the emotional beating, right?

Say enough, say enough Did I let her know, let her know? If I found my body in chains I'd lay down and wait 'Cause it's the fear of the unknown That cripples every step we take And I just hate to put this on her But I swear that I will give more than I take away

And so the day of the talent show! it's on a friday, and Anne knows about it of course, but she's not feeling so great by that date (she's Angry) so she doesn't see nor hear anything until monday at lunch while she's pointedly ignoring a message in the "Calamity Girls" group chat from that last friday. A friend of hers from tennis tells her about the several talent acts from the show.

"yeah, a male k-pop dance group, a magician that cut someone in half (the ambulance didn't need to be called don't worry), like 4 rappers, Waybright with her ukelele, and-"

"wait wait wait, what. Sasha was on the talent show? how come I didn't know about that?" Anne interrupted her friend.

"you didn't seem interested on the talent show like, at all Anne." the friend rises her eyebrows "also, you've been kind of brooding these past few weeks, so we didn't insist on you coming with us."

At the end of the day she goes home and goes to her school's youtube channel, she knows that the talent show acts always get uploaded to the channel for promotion of the school, she just needs to look a bit from the school news and events announcements and... there!

-

Marcy can't help but keep up with her old school socials. It's a sort of comfort, to know what her old former childhood friends could be up to. An instagram post catches her attention, or more like the blonde in the picture. She taps the youtube link added on the post and it takes her to Sasha Waybright's act on the talent show. She thinks of the ignored notification on her cellphone, the one from the group chat. She presses play.

-

It is friday night and Sasha is tired. She feels many, many things really: tired, ashamed, angry, scared, sad, longing, craving craving craving-. But mostly tired, and ashamed for that fact (she is strenght, she can't be tired, she must endure-), but she also knows her therapist told her it is normal to be tired. "It is human to get tired, Sasha. I think you might forget that a lot of the times. You are human".

And so here she is. Behind stage on her school's auditorium, ukelele in hand and anxious as all hell for two different reasons. 1) She hasn't sung in public in years. She fears she has lost all practice; and the more important 2) The typed text she has yet to send to the "Calamity Girls" chat. She just needs to tap that little send button, she had the text typed since yesterday.

"hey. look I know you both have stuff going on, I truly do. but I'm scared sometimes. that the last time we talk is going to be the last time we talk. and you both mean so much to me, too much for me to just let fade away in time. So, I just wanted to say that I miss you both. whenever you want to talk, I'm here and by frog, I'm not going anywere."

Sasha stares at the text, takes a deep breath, and hits send. She doesn't know if they'll reply, she doesn't even know if they'll even see it, really. But still she puts her phone on silent and on the bottom of her backpack for good messure. The MC calls her name for her to get on the stage. She smiles, anxious and unestedy, but slightly lighter, she walks out to the stage.

"Now I see intentions don't mean much"

[shotmrmiller]

in which johnny gifts the love of his life a sex toy outta nowhere

when you mumble into the phone that you miss him, johnny, he pauses for a second, then tells you he's going to bring you a gift back home. "to keep ye company, hen." after, he locks himself in a bathroom stall and watches you play with yourself until you both come.

but you'd thought he'd bring you a pet. a live animal that needs a cage to be brought across the world, not a long, slim unmarked box.

it's a sex toy. and it's rather large, at that. your hand wraps around the base, fingertips still a good inch apart.

"and i'm supposed to be using that?" his arms wrap around your waist, his thick stubble grazing the sensitive skin of your neck, raising goose flesh.

"don't like it? only had ye in mind, hen." he presses a wet kiss on your fluttering pulse. you've never really talked about toys in your relationship. you don't need them, of course, and johnny more than makes up for the time lost between you two whenever he's home but this?

"i don't know," you mumble. "a bullet would've made more sense, i think. at most a rose." his hands run up your sides, to the swell of your breasts and give you a gentle squeeze. he doesn't believe the tripe of people valuing size over all else, does he? the thing is easily as thick as your forearm and it's corded with veins. and it's uncut. whoever is making these are going to extreme lengths to make it as realistic as possible.

he bucks his hips, prominent bulge in his jeans coming to rest in the small of your back. of course he'd get excited. menace.

"ye willnae have t'use it alone now tha' i'm here. 'sides, i think ye'd look perfect with my pretty kitty stretched thin around it." johnny grabs your hips firmly, creating small divots as his grip tightens. "maybe i'll watch ye fuck yerself on it, hm? lap at yer clit while ye do." liquid heat pools in your belly, pulsing hot between your legs.

he really wants you to use it, given by his ragged breathing and he rutting himself against you. fine. "okay. just, not right now, yeah? i want only you in me." his eyes burn fluorescent as he nods, his large hand cradling your head as he pulls you in for a kiss.

you missed this. the sweet sting of his cock sliding home in your aching cunt, the sharp pinch below your navel when his tip comes to sit snugly against the plug of your womb. you've missed this. missed him.

maybe he'll forget all about that monstrosity sitting in the box.

-

he doesn't. he's bringing it up hours later, his spend still dripping warm on your thighs. johnny cannot be serious.

"course i am, hen." his fingers sweep at the hair stuck to your sweat-slick forehead. "is it a crime to want to see ye split open on some- something else?"

you think nothing of his stutter. "alright," you groan. if that's what he wants. it'll be interesting to see just how much you can take. you'll never tell him that your pussy clenched around nothing at the thought, his cum trickling out faster, pooling on the sheets.

-

it's not warm. the tip of it presses against your swollen entrance, cold in contrast to your heated flesh. johnny watches you swallow a gasp, your trembling hands reaching for his as you slide down an inch, two, three. johnny's cum is wonderful lube, but the searing burn- the size of toy is overwhelming, your walls being wrenched apart as you glide down further. johnny presses a prickly kiss on your cheek, cooing in your ear all the while his clever fingers draw gentle circles on your clit. "focus on breathin', bonnie. yer tensin' up."

desire begins to bubble beneath your skin, pleasure causing your muscles to warm and slacken, and after a long couple of minutes, you find yourself at the base.

but then johnny grabs your hips from behind and pulls- oh. "that's it." if you'd thought the toy had originally been in your stomach, it's now in your throat. "pretty as a peach, hen. jus' wha' i wanted to see." a shiver dances up your spine, notches trembling as you get used to the unforgiving stretch of the toy. his breath warms the side of your neck. "on yer go."

you come around it no less than three times, leaving it milky and johnny cleans it up with his mouth before he cleans you up.

-

the girth of it is something you'll never get used to but it does get easier. when johnny goes back to work, he tells you that all he asks for are videos of you using it. for his collection, he greedily says.

you send him as many as you can, no matter the hours. just a quick nsfw text before getting his thumbs up and away it goes. it's incredibly fun. the relationship hadn't been dull by any means, but this just feels invigorating. you feel rejuvenated. that johnny is your biggest cheerleader while using it is such a bonus.

you oughta marry him. maybe you'll elope the next time he's home. but when the next time comes, johnny calls you instead of messaging you the usual be home soon text.

and it sends you reeling.

bonnie. the toy treat ye well while i was gone?

no better than you could me, but yeah. i'm still sore from using it in the last video i sent you.

that's great. if ye like the toy then ye'll love the real thing, i ken. we'll be there in 10.

[deikshen]

Shen Yuan who lives his life being an absolute simp of some character from a random stallion novel—[character] is absolutely amazing! He has a harem of beauties! And also, a rich and wonderful story where he rises from the most vile and gains his power based on his efforts! If only the story had a little more worldbuilding and cool monsters, Shen Yuan would like it more. But. But there's [character] and definitely everything it's worth reading! He's smart, cunning, and strategic! And his adventures are GREAT! He faces incredible trials, and even though he collects wives as trophies, those wives are INTERESTING. The character development! The story! The harem drama!!!

So one day, Shen Yuan is just doing nothing, waiting for another update on his favorite read—it would be the last chapter!!! Finally a closure to the final dramatic arc!! And Shen Yuan hoped it would be a GOOD ENDING—, when a portal opens in his fucking apartment. After cursing, yelling, and scuttling away, a xianxia man clearly emerges. WHAT. THE. FUCK!?

The man is... what the hell? Shen Yuan thinks he knows him, in some weird way, like, maybe he's seen his face somewhere??? Any popular novel or thing that hasn't caught his attention but he KNOW is famous? What the fuck??

The xianxia man with an absolutely OP sword if he was able to open a FUCKING PORTAL THROUGH THE UNREALITY OF FICTION WHAT THE HELL looks at Shen Yuan with, first, doubt, and then, certainty.

"So, that's Shizun" says the xianxia man, grinning like a fucking nightmare cat, with many menacing teeth. "This Emperor is glad to see you again."

The only intelligent thing Shen Yuan can say is: "Who the hell are you?"

The xianxia man looks confused. He doesn't let that emotion dominate him. He advances in his room with firm steps, his dark robes billowing as he goes. He's clearly not fully human, from the red mark on his forehead, those pointy ears, those black claws...

Shen Yuan doesn't recognize a damn thing about the character. He knows he's famous, he knows it, but why can't he remember it...?

"This Emperor is Luo Binghe" he introduces himself simply, and Shen Yuan's jaw drops.

"No fucking way" is all Shen Yuan actually says, suddenly recognizing the name, and realizing why he'd never read anything more than skimmed about the character. And his sister had actively tried to get him to read it!! "You—... Luo Binghe like, the one from that danmei novel? What the fuck?"

Shen Yuan hadn't been interested at all. While Luo Binghe's character seemed minimally... intriguing... Danmei novel! He had nothing against gays, but why would he read a gay thing?? Besides, what were those relationships!! Transmigration with identity never revealed? Protagonist/Scum Villain?! Even worse, teacher/student?! Yes, Shen Yuan understood that things like age difference roleplay in fetish contexts were intriguing, he had read it in other novels, BUT STILL, it wasn't exactly a roleplay!!! One of them still believed his partner was immortal!!!

(... Shen Yuan may have read some summaries of the novel. Very superficially. Many years ago, when it was popular.)

"This Shizun recognizes me, then" Luo Binghe says, and Shen Yuan lets out an undignified horrified shriek.

"OH, NO, NO, I'M NOT YOUR SHIZUN" he moves away as quickly as he can. Luo Binghe, of course, chases after him. "I don't know what happened in your, err, world?, I don't know why you decided to appear here, but I'm not... Not..." And Shen Yuan has no idea how to explain himself. I'm not your, what? Your Shizun, your partner, your... husband?

Shen Yuan feels a chaotic chill run down his spine.

"Maybe not yet" Luo Binghe says, as if it were only natural. As if he hadn’t already opened a FUCKING PORTAL WITH HIS SWORD. Shen Yuan needs to calm down or he’ll hyperventilate. "If this Xiao Shizun meets this Emperor, perhaps this Emperor's story isn't over yet. It's when this one's story ends that Xiao Shizun will become Shizun. However, this Emperor has made sure to come first this time."

Shen Yuan... actually doesn't understand him at all.

"The story…" Shen Yuan hesitates, looking at Luo Binghe. The imposing man looks, well, obviously like a blackened ML icon, but, well. Weird. Powerful. "You... Do you know that you come from a story?"

That's disturbingly weird. Luo Binghe nods.

"This Lord has been informed" he explains simply. "Shizun, a kind Shizun, has informed this Emperor about everything. But Xiao Shizun doesn't have to worry. This Lord will be here, he will prevent Xiao Shizun's death tonight, and Xiao Shizun will come with this Emperor to his world."

Shen Yuan might be starting to get a bit of a migraine. What the... hell? What nonsense? Had interdimensional travel affected the ML's brain?

“I have no idea what you’re saying,” Shen Yuan says confusedly. "Isn’t that Shizun your husband? Why do you want to take me with you? Aren't you like, happily married?"

It's Luo Binghe's turn to be confused. Fucking confused, it seemed, judging by his expression.

"From which novel does Xiao Shizun know this Lord?" Luo Binghe asks in an even dangerous tone of voice.

Shen Yuan has no idea what the name is. What he does: he searches for Luo Binghe on the internet and hands the smartphone and the results to Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe holds the phone in absolute bewilderment, and as he reads, his expression twists into at least seven different forms of horror.

At least he doesn't break his screen with the black claws. Damn, that would have been horrible.

"This Lord understands," Luo Binghe says, his expression flat and absolutely blank. He gives the smartphone back to him and Shen Yuan quickly takes it back. "This Emperor has been wrong, again. Offering apologies."

Shen Yuan feels a little sorry for the interdimensional traveler who accidentally fell into his apartment. Okay, he hasn't read that danmei novel, but the protagonist's design is GREAT. The man also looks quite... dejected. As if the weight of the world had fallen off his shoulders.

"Oh, all right, it happens to the best too" he says, shrugging. The look Luo Binghe gives him is not reassuring. "Look, ah... I can't cook to save my life, but I ordered some stuffed baos for dinner in a nearby restaurant. They haven't left the kitchen yet, so I can order a couple more of them if you'd like to stay for dinner. It must be exhausting, you know, go through... worlds?"

Luo Binghe continues to look at him with a strange look. In fact, his gaze is getting more and more stranger.

"It would be a pleasure for this Lord" he says, raising both eyebrows. "Can this Lord get your name?"

"Shen Yuan," he says nonchalantly. He returns to his phone, grateful that his baos are still cooking and he can add more to the order. "I'll add more to the order. Err— Lord Luo prefer beef or pork?"

Luo Binghe doesn't reply. Shen Yuan adds one and one. And a few other things. Usually, he's content with a big stuffed bao, but perhaps his, uh, guest will eat more?

"Anything is fine," is Luo Binghe's reply, and Shen Yuan adds an extra order of soup and snacks as well. Ah. His order will take a while, but he hopes it will arrive in time for when the latest chapter of his favorite webnovel is uploaded.

... Although he doubts he'll be able to read it in peace if Luo-fucking-Binghe is still there. Well, he'll read it tonight, when he's already in bed.

"It may take a while" Shen Yuan says, bewildered, not knowing what to do. Ugh. He hates having visits. Does it count as visits if a fictional character basically invaded his property? Shen Yuan isn't going to go into much detail about that. "Eh, Lord Luo could... sit down? Make yourself comfortable? Make yourself at home meanwhile?"

Luo Binghe looks at him with a raised eyebrow. However, he does as Shen Yuan suggests and sits down. Shen Yuan turns his back on him, arranging the chair he knocked over and some of his mess made in the panic of seeing A FUCKING PORTAL OPENS OUT OF NOWHERE, wondering if he's finally gone completely crazy.

But it's there. Luo Binghe for some reason came to his house talking about Shizun and Xiao Shizun and knowing that he was in a story, and Shen Yuan is too confused to ask any questions. He has too many. He needs to sort out his thoughts.

"Shen Yuan looks nervous," Luo Binghe says, saying his name for the first time and almost making Shen Yuan react as if he had been stabbed. It's too much!! What the hell!? "Is this Lord intimidating to him?"

"So much for a, uh, love interest," he says, making an awkward face. "I haven't read the novel where are you from, sorry. I'm not completely familiar with... well, with how your personality can be. But... for arts and some things, I expected less, eh, intimidating, yeah."

He remembered many tears. And something about a lamb. NOT THIS.

Luo Binghe laughs. Incredibly, that's also intimidating.

"If Shen Yuan hasn't read this novel, what novels has he read?" Luo Binghe asks.

... Forty minutes later, as Shen Yuan rushes up to collect dinner from the door, he wonders how good an idea it is to completely infodump Luo Binghe about his current favourite stallion novel, And most of all, about [character], his absolute favorite protagonist. Nobody can't blame Shen Yuan!!! He... Never gets the chance to talk about his favorite things outside of the internet!! And he spoke: about the characters, their developments, he went into great depth about his complaints about the mediocre worldbuilding and the lack of interesting flora and fauna for such a vast cultivation world, but highlighted every good point in the plot. Given the ENORMOUS length of the novel, 40 minutes was just a summary!! Hardly anything!!

While they are having dinner, Luo Binghe insists on seeing [character]. He has a very intense expression when Shen Yuan runs straight to his room and comes back with one of his framed posters. What!? He's a fan, it's totally normal!! [Character] was an absolute power fantasy, a magnificent, admirable character!! Definitely!! It's normal that he has a lot of his posters! And fanmade figures! And commissioned art!! Totally normal!!!

Luo Binghe looks serious as Shen Yuan continues to talk about [character], deepening his tragic backstory, his difficult beginnings, how he had to rise through hatred and prejudice. How he discovered his heritage and power and how he achieved the glory he always deserved!!

And Luo Binghe asks many, many questions. He asks so many questions that, haha, Shen Yuan would think he was considering challenging [character] to a fight. But he- he definitely couldn't. He couldn't. He couldn't, right? Well, with an OP sword like that capable of leaving its own reality, who knows!!

Dinner drags on because Shen Yuan talks too much. When it's finally over, he's actually not sure he wants to leave the poor love interest from that danmei novel adrift. Yes, he can go... But Shen Yuan isn't sure he's safe! He still looks very tired! He probably needs a good night's sleep! Besides, he ate too much! Crossing worlds on a full stomach might be bad for him!

Shen Yuan then prepares the guest bed and offers it to him. Usually, his Da-ge or Er-ge usually stays, or his Meimei, so the room is clean and suitable, and only when Shen Yuan is left alone after the long night does he notice that there is an notification that he had been waiting for on his smartphone.

YES! THE UPDATE!! Shen Yuan doesn't even make it to bed. He throws himself onto the sofa and quickly opens the door to read.

... Thirty minutes later, he's choking on rage. WHAT THE HELL? WHAT HAPPY ENDING WAS THAT? THE STALLION PROTAGONIST SIMPLY DECIDING, AFTER A LONG CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ARC OF ANOTHER UNNECESSARY NPC, THAT NOTHING MADE HIM HAPPY? LOCKING HIMSELF IN HIS PALACE AND SINKING WITH IT? WHAT WAS THAT? AND WHY?

Dumbfu—

Shen Yuan catches a glimpse of blue light at the edge of his eye before something catches him, repositioning him so he can breathe deeply without choking on his breath. The thing holding him up is, of course, the only other living thing in his apartment—a danmei character who helps him take a deep breath even with tears in the corners of his eyes, swallowing a little water, making him realize how choked he really had been.

"Is Shen Yuan alright?" Luo Binghe asks.

And all Shen Yuan can say, barely able to breathe on his own, is: "WHAT KIND OF CRAPPY ENDING IS THAT?"

Luo Binghe's gaze does not look surprised.

"Shen Yuan must be very upset" he says, as if this is nothing new. "So angry. Enough to choke on rage."

Shen Yuan pouts a little embarrassed. Oh, well. What does it matter?

"It really is a bad ending" he complains, and tells him.

In the end, Luo Binghe agrees that it's a shitty ending. Luo Binghe proves genuinely interested in hearing Shen Yuan's opinions, but also in providing solutions and arguments. He's a fun person to talk to. They talk about better endings, how the protagonist's emptiness could have been fixed, and how sometimes a single bond could be enough instead of a harem, until Shen Yuan starts yawning.

When Shen Yuan falls asleep that night, for the first time, even surrounded by posters and pictures of his favorite character, he is not thinking of him, but of Luo Binghe.

(In the morning, Shen Yuan will be given a breakfast that Luo Binghe made—the most exquisite thing in the absolute fucking world—and will try to talking about all that other world stuff, about how he had made a mistake again, or Shizun and Xiao Shizun thing. Luo Binghe evades his questions very well and always makes an excuse to stay longer and longer as the days go by, his novel guest basically takes over his kitchen, takes the guest room hostage, and takes the control about the cleanliness and order of the apartment. Shen Yuan worries a little, after all, isn't Luo Binghe very peaceful here away from that husband of his? Didn't the internet say their relationship was very codependent? What is he missing out on there?

... And why does he notice more and more of his favorite character's merch missing every day? Binghe has been cleaning, yes, but why would he take his stuff away!?)

[zevrra]

caught in the rain—

synopsis: you and sebastian seek shelter inside an abandoned home where every feeling is laid to bare.

tags: sfw, pure fluff, fem!reader, hogwarts legacy, sebastian sallow(18+), about 3k words

“As if this day couldn’t get any worse,” You mutter. Mostly to yourself but you wouldn’t at all be surprised if Sebastian had heard too. You both had been sent out together to gather some information about some dark magic being practiced on the Poidsear Coast.

Everything had been going smoothly, from taking witness statements to tracking down the dark wizard’s hideout to the coast, even the two of you getting along.

That is until an unexpected heavy downpour comes. Cold rain falls heavy like a thick blanket on the two of you, forcing you to take shelter. Every piece of clothing you wore was soaked—down to your very bones. Thankfully, Sebastian and yourself had managed to find an abandoned home. Boarded up with a more than obvious appearance of not having been taken care of in a very long time.

While you say things could not be worse you really didn’t mean it. Being rained on and forced to wear your freezing clothes wasn’t truly the worst thing in the world. Neither was being stuck in that house with your academic rival. And crush.

“Well. Try not to make it sound so horrible now,” Sebastian sarcastically says. Teasing you as he shrugs off his heavy coat in some hope to warm himself. Rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt as he does anything but look at you. “We could be in some troll’s den. That would be worse.” He chuckles as he checks out the house, hoping to find anything to maybe start a fire with. Swatting away at cobwebs with an annoyed look.

You sigh. Too cold to even defend yourself at the moment. Moving to stand next to a window. Watching as lightning flashes across the sky and the harsh sound of thunder that follows.

“We’ll be here all night if this storm doesn’t stop soon.” You say, irritated. Not that sleeping in some random home, far from the safety of Hogwarts, with no other change of clothes, no warmth, and no bed, didn’t sound fantastic and all but it would also reset all of your progress from today. Tracking down the dark wizard hiding out on this coast had been an assignment given to the two of you and not completing it would leave you both looking rather poorly in your professor's eyes.

“You worry too much,” Sebastian says, cutting into your thoughts, making you look away from the window and towards where his voice had carried from.

You watch as he moves towards the other end of the dark home, Lumos, lighting the tip of his wand as he examines the place. Stairs lead to a second story or perhaps an attic in the farthest corner from the door. Off next to the stairs is a large stone fireplace just waiting to be lit.

“See, always so dramatic.”

You roll your eyes at Sebastian as you follow him into the home. Shoulders tense as you wait for anything to jump out at you. No damn spider was sneaking up on you, not today. In a smaller room straight across from the stairs sits untouched furniture from who knows how long ago. With chairs perfect for disassembling and using as firewood.

Well, at least you’d be semi-warm and somewhat dry for the rest of the time being.

After some rearranging and the use of Incendio, the two of you make quick work of starting a fire and laying out your cloaks before the hearth to dry. Now you are left in just your blouse and skirt, shoes and socks forgotten until they also get the chance to dry as the storm continues to rage outside.

Sebastian stood beside the fireplace, hands held out to try and warm his fingers up. The dull sound of the rain is really the only noise the two of you make. You were friends, classmates, but above all rivals. You could have a civil conversation but seeing as the two of you were there on an assignment, things were tense as both of you wanted to outdo the other.

You shiver, curling up on yourself by pulling your knees to your chest. The fire was working well but the wet clothes still sticking to your body kept you from truly getting to warm up.

“I’m going to go look for a blanket.” Sebastian says, suddenly breaking the silence between the two of you.

You nod in response as he leaves to rummage around the forgotten home. His search for a blanket takes him up the stairs and you watch him go. An eerie feeling creeps up your spine as soon as you‘re left alone. The strange feeling of being watched itches just behind your senses of being cold. It makes you look over your shoulder a few times. That is until Sebastian finally returns.

A thick quilt is draped across your shoulders that startles you ever so slightly. In all honesty, you had thought Sebastian went to retrieve the blanket for himself. Now with the heavy cloth wrapping around your own body you realize that he had been watching you beforehand. He had retrieved the blanket solely for you. The thought makes you flush.

He moves to sit beside you now. Hands returning to hover out in front of the flickering flames. “There’s also a bed upstairs. If you’re tired.” Sebastian once again cuts through the silence to speak.

You laugh at his words. Shaking your head as you tighten the blanket around you. “Tempting but no thank you.” You reply, turning your gaze to the fireplace.

“Why not?” Sebastian asks. From his tone he seems genuinely confused.

His confusion makes you chuckle again. As if he really didn’t know. “Oh alright, Sebastian. Let me just go take a small nap while you run off, find and finish our assignment, and then take all of the credit.” You tease. A smile stretches across your lips as if you’ve caught him in the act.

You imagine he’ll make some funny quip about how you were right and that he was just thinking of a way to get ahead in your studies but instead he says nothing.

The silence has you lifting your head to glance over at the other. His brow is furrowed and there’s a deep frown on his face. Clearly you’ve said something wrong.

“Do you truly think I’m so shallow?” Seb whispers. His voice drips with displeasure.

The disdain in his tone was not something you were used to. Sure, Sebastian had had his moments for being a little irritated with you. From cave crawling and accidentally setting off a trap to the two of you butting-heads for top grades but never had he sounded so…upset and hurt before.

Now it was your turn to truly be confused. You did not think of him as shallow or selfish but you also wouldn’t put it past your rival to take the upper hand on you.

“I don’t find you shallow.” You awkwardly reply. Suddenly you’re thankful for the sound of rain and thunder. “I didn’t mean to offend you.” You add quickly afterwards.

“We may be rivals academically but I’m not your enemy. I’m not evil. I still care for you.” Sebastian says with a sigh. You can feel his eyes on the side of your face. Searching for something you’re not sure of at the moment.

“I apologize,” You mutter. Now would be the perfect time to suddenly disappear. “I simply just thought because of school you would take the opportunity…” You ramble. Wondering why you were even telling Sebastian any of this.

This time, it’s his turn to laugh. It’s a very dry and curt laugh. No humor lingers behind it like it normally would. “I would never sabotage you.”

“No?” You reply short and simple. Wondering why now he would have a soft spot for you. Seeing as he had never before when it involved your academic standpoint.

“What do I have to gain besides you hating me?” Sebastian asks, again genuinely curious. His now warmed hands rub against his cold shoulders and biceps. Hoping to chase away the chill. “I would never want you to hate me.” He adds in a hushed voice.

Listening to Sebastian be so open was definitely something entirely new to you. He was the type to be open about pretty much everything except his feelings. His true, genuine, feelings. And now that he was wearing his heart on his sleeve, you couldn’t help but want him to keep talking. “Not that I would ever hate you but would that really be the end of the world?”

Sebastian turns to look at you then. His brown eyes meet your own as the light from the fireplace softly caresses his features. Turns his freckled face into something far more gentle than you’re used to. Yet you weren’t entirely sure if that was because of the dim lighting or the fact that he was looking upon you with such tenderness that it made him look more attractive suddenly.

“To me, yes, it would be.” He admits openly. As if this is something Sebastian said on a daily basis. As if he constantly told you how important you truly were to him.

Upon realizing his confession, Sebastian’s eyes widened. He coughs in an attempt to move the conversation along, or even just to simply cover up the fact that he just told you how horrible the world would be without you. His face flushes a dark red that even in the dim light you can see.

“Only because, well, you know! I wouldn’t have anyone else to compete with!” He stammers, trying to save face.

It’s a little too late for that now though. You knew he meant something a little more meaningful.

You smile as he avoids your line of sight. “Sebastian…” You whisper. His name rolling off your tongue has him freezing in place. Unsure if he should flee and never speak about this ever again or just stay still long enough he can pretend he’s dead. “Be honest.”

Sebastian continues to ignore your gaze for the most part. Fiddling with some interesting looking piece of dust on the rundown wooden floor.

“I don’t know what you mean. I am honest! All the time!” Embarrassingly he answers. “You’re just too dense to see it!” The insult is a hollow insult at best. Just another tactic to avoid the situation he’s started.

You hum in response. Scooting closer to the other to try and get a good look at his blushing face. “How so?”

“N-nothing! No, I don’t know!” Sebastian deflects. Attempting to turn and hide his face from your gaze.

You had never seen him so defensive before. Wanting to close off from you entirely but that was something you would not allow. He started this and he needed to finish it or else you might go mad.

“What do you mean?” You ask. Not that you couldn’t read his body language at the moment but you still wanted him to tell you. To be loud and clear with his feelings so that you too could be honest about your own.

“Ugh!“ He groans in frustration. His hands come up to hide his face from your gaze. Covering over mainly his eyes so he doesn’t have to look at you looking at him. “I’ve been in love with you since the first day we met! You’ve never noticed it before so why are you suddenly so keen!?”

The inside of your stomach does a flip. The first day you two met was almost three years ago. Had you really never noticed any of his advances? You think back on all the times when he’d let you copy his notes when you were busy with Mr. Fig for the day. Of all the times he called you annoying but would do anything you asked of him. The countless hours you two would spend in the undercroft, practicing your spells and studying together.

All this time…and he only ever stayed by your side.

You reach to grab gently ahold of his wrists. Somewhat prying his hands away from his face so you could get another good look at him. He’s a mess. Red as a tomato. Blushing like he had been sick with a fever. Hair tousled and curled far more than usual from previously having been rained on.

Sebastian Sallow, your friend and rival, sat before you entirely and wholeheartedly shy. Something you would never have imagined to happen before this day.

He’s still under your touch. Still attempts at avoiding your eyes even now. Doesn’t stop you from reading over his features. From every freckle highlighted by his blush to the pretty length of his eyelashes. He was so handsome. Far more than you had ever realized before.

“Sebastian,” You whisper in a soft tone. As his name is called, his head shifts ever so slightly as he finally meets your gaze once more. A rush of emotion swirls up inside of you. Your chest tightens with sudden adoration for the man sitting before you.

He doesn’t say anything in response though. Just slowly takes control over his own hands, placing one against your cheek. His fingers run gently across your skin. Pushing back damp hair as he finally wants to look at your face.

“You’re an idiot. A fool,” Sebastian mumbles after a few painstakingly long heartbeats. “How did you not know?” He asks as his thumb caresses the high of your cheekbone. A lighthearted tone to his voice. As if it were obvious.

His words make you laugh ever so slightly. Of course you hadn’t realized it. Too blinded by your competitive drive to know that all along he was only competing in hopes to make you like him. Which was silly in itself. Seeing as you had always liked him too.

“Forgive me for not seeing it before,” You reply with a smile. Reaching to touch the back of his hand lovingly. “I would like to know everything now.” You add as you turn your head to kiss the inside of his palm.

His breath hitches as he watches you kiss his hand. A slight tremble in his shoulders tells you he’s holding back on moving things further. Even as his thumb brushes against your lips, while his brown eyes stare at every curve his thumb traces. Wanting to commit all of you to every bit of his memory.

“You…you’re over dramatic, always worrying about me. Sometimes you’re too loud. You manage to best me at everything.” Sebastian rambles on with a soft laugh. “And I love every bit of it. Your drive, your excitement, the way you laugh. Everything about you…”

Sebastian softens as he continues to stare at you. His eyes flick up from your lips to your eyes before glancing back down at the lips he tenderly touches. “And I’ve wanted to kiss you for far too long…”

The words he speaks makes your heart beat far too fast. With how hard your heart beats and how tight your chest is, you could almost swear your heart might have burst out from beneath your ribcage right then and there.

Your own face softens. Pressing your lips gently into the pad of his thumb. “What are you waiting for?” You ask with a smile. And immediately Sebastian mirrors your smile. Now, nothing was going to hold him back.

For a moment, as he leans forward to capture your lips, you thank the sudden rainstorm. For without it, you would never have ended up here, held so lovingly in Sebastian’s arms.

[seleneprince]

The Neglected! Wife from my yandere!batfam au

Name: Rosa Perez (only by default. Insert whatever name you want there)

-Hispanic inmigrant. She came to Gotham as a kid with her family, looking for a better life...and to expand their criminal empire.

-She was born into crime. She was raised in it, and damn good at it. It was the family bussiness, and from a young age she was pushed into taking part on the usual gruesome parts of the job.

-Killing, torturing, trafficking, all the drill. And when she got older, she became a sex worker too, which allowed her to scout for information to blackmail people, conspire against them in the most painful way...or end them in their most vulnerable moments.

-Her family built their empire from nothing. From the streets of their native country to the alleys of Gotham, they became a force to be reckoned with. And she was one of the most efficient, dangerous assets. The ace, the multitasker. There was nothing she wouldn't do if there was profit in it.

-They weren't the most loving or healthy family in the world, but they were all she had. In the end, they always got each other's back no matter what. And she didn't have many options anyway.

-Then, as a teen, she met a boy. The total opposite of her. Rich, composed, with impeccable manners and a deep, almost obsessive sense of justice and morality, as white and clean as the clothes he prided himself in wearing. A golden boy, brought up in the kind of luxury and privileges that you can only have by being born in the right family. She hated him on sight. And it was mutual.

-He represented everything she despised of Gotham's socialite. The lack of self-awareness over his privileged position, the ignorance of the systemathic oppression they were partly responsible for against people like her, the hypocritical morality he carried like an honor badge that was only valid when it came to certain problems but was actually full of loopholes. His smug confidence, his naïvety, his stupid belief that he alone could make Gotham a better place. Where the guilty would be punished accordingly and the victims avenged.

-It was laughable, really, if it wasn't so pathetic too. Which is why they always clashed whenever they crossed paths. He was too idealistic, she was too realistic. They were from completely different worlds, facing against each other like twisted mirrors.

-And yet, as time passed, as they grew up watching each other change, how the world around them evolved with them as well, something between them...shifted. She couldn't tell exactly when it happened, but the fights turned into fiesty debates. The debates into softer talks in rooftops or in his car. Maybe it began when he asked her to show him the world through her eyes, to help him understand better so he could actually make a difference in the future. Maybe it was when, along the way, she started to see the world through his eyes too.

-Without wanting it, without even meaning to, she started to like that boy. And then, she fell in love with the man he became.

-Neither of them could imagine how that taking that simple step would be the beginning of the happiest years of their lives...and their downfall.

-Because her man was broken, beyond repair, divided in two fragments of his soul that fought for control constantly and threatened to destroy himself. Sometimes it was him, the man she knew, and sometimes it was another one wearing his face.

-But she loved him. With every fibre of her heart, every nerve of her body, it all pulsed for him. With that man, she not only learnt the meaning of true love, she also learnt to love herself. And no one, not even that demon who stole his face sometimes, could take that away from her. Because beneath those broken fragments, beneath that darkness that threatened to swallow her too, she knew he was still the boy who made her feel alive like nothing else, who made her laugh until her face hurt, who stood with her when she fought her own demons.

-And yet...life has a really twisted and sick sense of humour. It loves to mess with them.

-She got pregnant for the first time, entirely by accident...and it wasn't from the man she loved.

-It had been a busy, drunk night, another one enduring the worst of her job. She was tired as well, and a rich man spotted her across the club she worked at. When he approached her, she told him the same words she threw at everyone who showed her that kind of interest:

"I don't come for free, sunshine."

-Turns out he had no problem with that. He could afford it. That and the whole club. And so, he ended hiring her company for the night. She recognised him too late, but she couldn't turn down a client. Specially not this one. No matter the conflict in her heart.

-Because how could she not recognise Bruce fucking Wayne himself? And given their story, no less?

-She remembers their first real meeting as if it was yesterday. Of course, that stupid night at the club wasn't the first time their paths crossed. Back when they were still young, foolish, and reckless in their own ways. His expensive car slammed into her, not hard enough to kill, but enough to send her stumbling back. Slammed into the hood, then rolled off, her bodyt hitting the pavement with a thud.

-She remembers already having a bad day, and that only made her see red.

-Before she knew it, before she could even think, she punched the window. Her bare fist colliding with the glass with a brutal force that could be explained by her rage (and maybe years of experience breaking bones). Glass spidered instantly under the impact, and she wasted no time in letting them know what she thought:

"Are you blind, rich boy?! The hell kinda driving is that?!

-And of course, because it couldn't be any other way, her lover, back when they still couldn't stand each other, was already storming out of the car to get in her face. Yelling

"What the hell, Rosa?! You just punched his car's damn window off. Are you fucking insane?!"

-And she screamed right back.

"Excuse me?! How am I the insane one here?!" she shot back, stepping toe-to-toe with him. "Your dumbass friend over here almost ran me over! All that money for expensive cars and yet you idiots can't fucking drive? Figures."

-And that was the first time she and Bruce Wayne saw each other, although she didn't actually see much of him back there. She was too busy standing in the middle of the street, in the middle of another full-blown screaming match with the future love of her life. And Bruce didn't get out of the car (probably scared they'll chew his head off if he intervened).

-And he never left his life after that. He always hovered on the edges of her world, one way or another, like two planets circling around the sun. Same orbit, but never actually making contact. Until, of course, that fateful night where her life changed forever.

-She barely remembers how it started. She remembers his hands, strong, calloused, nothing like the man she loved. She remembers words whispered in the dim glow of expensive hotel lighting. She remembers the kind of warmth that felt like a brief escape from her chaotic life.

-She remembers waking up alone and thinking: ·Good. That’s all it was meant to be."

-Then she went back to her life. She made out with her lover and everything went back to normal. And for a while, she didn't think of that one-night stand again.

-Until she was late. Until she had to take a test. Until she stared at two pink lines and felt her stomach drop.

-She was told to abort the baby by those close to her, since not only it would be another burden for her, but she wouldn't be able to give them a good life.

-However, she refused everytime. She briefly considered using the baby to get a hold of the Wayne's fortune, but she dismissed that thought quickly, and decided to keep her precious babygirl to herself instead. The high society wouldn't ever accept them anyway, and if they gave a shit, it'll be only to take her baby away from her.

-For the first time in her life, Rosa had something more worth living for. Something that was entirely hers, her own creation. And she refused to let anyone or anything take it from her. It made her realise romantic love didn't hold a candle to what she felt the first time she heard her baby's heartbeat.

-She could've told her partner the truth. She thought she deserved to know, but then...she saw it in his eyes. The genuine joy when he first held the ultrasound in his hands. The way he whispered, "She’s perfect, my love. She will be ours." Even though he knew she wasn't. Not really.

-So she told him a slightly concealed truth. That the father was a client, an accident from one drunken night. A faceless man neither of them needed to worry about, because she had no intention of letting know of this. She didn't want him involved. Not when she already had the perfect father for her babygirl right by her side.

-He had stepped into the role of father for her daughter without hesitation, with joy. And then, when she had the twins, his biological children, she thought that would be it. That everything would be fine. Bruce Wayne would never be part of her life. That she would never have to see him again or ask him for anything. She even left the gang and her work behind, ready to start anew with her new family and devote herself to them. She found a much cozier place as a waitress in the Iceberg Lounge (Penguin owed her some favours anyway).

-But life decided to fuck her over again.

-Suddenly, the man she loved was ripped away from her. His name was splattered across headlines, his legacy destroyed beyond salvation. Batman took him and Arkham picked him up, trapping him indefinitely in those endless walls of madness.

-The man who once held her at night, who whispered dreams of a better life, was now gone. Their protector, their provider, the one she trusted with hers and their chidren's future. Because he promised he wouldn't fail them. That he would always be there for them, and they'll build a happy future together, with a better Gotham once he fixed it to his image.

-Suddenly, she was alone. No allies. No protection. No way to keep her children safe.

-And when Gotham’s underbelly came knocking, those who had blood debts to pay with her other family, sent men to end her life in front of her babies, she realized something brutal and undeniable as she washed the blood of her hands:

-They weren't going to survive.

-Not if they kept living this way. Relying on others, trusting their lives in other's hands. She had to act. And now.

-And she saw it clear as a day. There was only one way to fix this. It was unthinkable, she hated it, but looking at her children's lost, scared faces, her heart squeezed painfully. Her feelings didn't matter. Whatever sense of loyalty she felt for her lover didn't matter. Her children were her priority.

-After she burned the house, with all evidence inside, she was interrogated by the police. She kept her kids behind her all the time, never letting a single officer so much look at them. She felt that she would claw the eyes out of whoever tried to talk to them. Then, Comissary Gordon took the lead and guided her to his car. She expected to be taken to the comissary for the boring, official procedure, but instead, he took them to a damn ice-scream stand.

-He paid for their orders, offered them seats and just. Sat there. Watching as the children ate their ice-scream peacefully, sometimes running around, as if the sugar made them forget what they just went through. And seeing Gordon's face when she asked him why, why did he do that, she realised that was precisely his intention. Make them forget, if only for those brief minutes.

-She's still grateful with him for it. He's the only person in the GPCD she tolerates.

-Afterwards, they stayed in an cheap hotel in the outskirts of the city. She couldn't go to her relatives, that's where her enemies would look. She hid, hid her children, and blackmailed the hotel's receptionist to keep their mouth shut about their presence with stuff she had about them from years ago.

-The following days were a blurr. Taking care of her kids, making sure they were safe, and stalking the hell out of Bruce Wayne.

-Watching, studying, looking for his weaknesses. She was going to force his hand somehow. She was desesperate, out of options, and completely determined to get to him.

-The constant thought clawed at the back of her head: "Find the man. Find his weakness. If nothing else, steal from him. Use his name. Use his resources. Use whatever you can. He owes you that much."

-And then? She saw it.

-Saw Batman, the untouchable legend, Gotham’s untouchable king, remove his cowl. And suddenly, it all made sense.

-Of course. Of course. The richest man in Gotham, who disappeared at night. The philanthropist with no actual time to be one. The cold, untouchable billionaire, who acted like a ghost in his own city.

-Bruce Wayne was Batman. The Dark Knight. And the man who put the love of her life in Arkham Asylum, ruining their lives.

-And there, along with the crushing shock, she felt a cold sense of satisfaction. Finally, she had it. She had his weakness. She knew exactly what to do.

-She put on her best dress. Dressed her daughter accordingly too. And after entrusting her youngest kids to a relative for a short while, she drove them both to Wayne Manor. Not before telling them that things were going to change for better now.

-She walked into his house, into his fortress, ready to make him pay. For the child he put in her. For the choices he made. For the consequences of his actions. Whether he liked it or not.

-She sat in the chair in front of him, poured herself a drink, and greeted him with a smile laced with venom.

"We need to talk, cariño."

-She slid a folder across the desk. Their daughter’s birth certificate, along with the pictures she took revealing his real identity.

-His eyes scanned the paper, and for the first time in his life, she seemed surprised. Shaken. He looked up to her with fire blisting in his eyes, but she smiled back.

"You took something from me, from us" she said, voice even, but dangerous. "You took him away. And now? You’re going to make up for it."

-She held her daughter's shoulder, finally getting him to look at her. Her fingers tightened in reflect. She reminded herself why she was doing this, why she had to. For the little girl besides her, and the other two waiting for them to return. She would throw herself at the mercy of Satan himself if she had to.

-Because this was his fault. Their father was gone because of him. She was alone because of him. Her children were in danger and almost died because of him.

-And so, like that, they got married. There wasn't a ceremony. Just signing the papers and exchanging rings. She didn't need more. Didn't want more. The only wedding she wanted flushed down the toilet when Batman threw her partner behind a cell.

-The four of them moved to the manor. Their bedrooms were alocated on the opposite side of the manor to theirs, isolating her further. She knew it was a punishment, the only way he had to get back at her. As if she cared. She didn't marry him for love or attention. She wanted his surname behind her kids' names so they were safe. Besides, she would've set the curtains on fire before sharing a bed with him.

-What she couldn't stand was seeing the cold indifference directed to her children, specially to her oldest daughter. The one who was a Wayne by blood. Okay, she couldn't expect Bruce to care for the twins, they weren't his biologically (and if God listened to her, he wouldn't ever know who their father was), but her oldest girl? Her precious babygirl? She was his. The DNA tests he took himself afterwards confirmed it. She was the breathing copy of Martha Wayne, for fuck's sake. Shouldn't that make him feel something? Anything?

-It pained her more than anything, because there was nothing she could do. She couldn't fix the crushed look in her sweet girl's eyes at the rejections, the constant dissapointment, the crushing realisation that her siblings didn't love her. That her new father didn't care about her.

-She almost broke when her little girl told her she missed her other dad, the one who actually loved her. She cried herself to sleep in her room. "I miss him too, my love. I miss the man who loved me."

-But this was their life now. This...this was for the best. She could handle a loveless, cold marriage. She also vowed to never follow her heart again, never rely on anyone else beyond the bare minimum. She trusted love to keep them safe, and it almost cost her everything. Never again.

-Let them look down on her, on her children. Let Batman's little soldiers hate her, resent her for blackmailing him. Let him ignore their daughter, the child he put in her because he couldn't use a fucking condom.

-At the end of the day, her children will be safe and healthy. And that's all that matters.

-If she has to go back to her roots and stain her hands with blood again to ensure it, so be it.

[doodlemcjazzhands]

Hi! My friend is a big fan of your art, and they asked me to ask you for tips on how you draw hair. I'm no artist, so I probably shouldn't be the one to ask these questions, but would you mind sharing a few suggestions? Any pointers about your character designs or your art style would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, and hope you're having a good day! <3

Hiya!! I tried to breakdown my approach to drawing hair here, but these are by no means hard and fast rules! Hope this helps :)

1: The Hairline

I usually start with the hairline. I like to break it down into 4 main sections, that I can play around with:

I like to try to line up the temple section with the ridge of the side plane of the head

Try to have the hairline follow the natural flow and planes of the head

There's a gap between the hairline and the ear (often it gets covered up by longer strands of hair, but if you're drawing a short cut or pulled back hair, you'll probably see it)

2: The Silhouette

I like to draw out the silhouette next. Sometimes I'll use the lasso and fill tool, so I don't get wrapped up in extraneous details.

Try focusing on finding an appealing shape for the hair, and how it will frame the face

Consider how thick you want the hair to be and it's texture

(I find this is also a good time to flip the canvas to make sure the weight feels balanced)

Try to avoid having tangents with facial features, if you're drawing bangs or face framing pieces

Keep in mind how outside factors may affect the hair (like if there's a breeze, or if the character is lying down, or if they've tucked a piece behind their ear, ect.)

Try to keep shape variation in mind. A small shape next to a big shape is often more appealing than 2 medium shapes side by side

I also like to play with a lot of straight/curved line variations to make the shapes look interesting

3: Flow & Volumes

(I usually just visualize this step, rather than drawing it out like this)

Basically try breaking down your silhouette into big volumes, and know where the hair pieces coming from and where they're going.

^For example, the hair on top, is brushed froward, with no defined part, so the chunks that we can see start at a cowlick at the back of the head and spiral out from there. The hair on the bottom however starts at the part, shwoops up, and then cascade down in 2 layers.

^Another note: more layers usually means more volume wherever the layers are placed, longer hair pieces will weigh the hair down, meaning less volume.

4: Details

Once I have an idea of what the hair is doing, I draw out the chunks of hair, following the volumes and flow I've mapped out. Sometimes I'll do a little bit of hatching to indicate volume or texture.

I often like to choose 1 or 2 shapes for my clumps, based on the hair texture, and then repeat those shapes throughout:

Vairy the size of your clumps

Beware of overworking it at this stage, sometimes less is more yk? And too much detail near the face can be distracting

Make lines on the silhouette and lines closer to the front thicker (especially if it's overlapping another line)

You don't have to draw every strand. Sometimes I'll break up big clumps with a thinner inner line, but I try not to go overboard with this. You can also indicate strands by adding little cutouts to the silhouette, like this:

5: Rendering

My process for rendering hair is pretty much the same as it is for anything else. Base colour layer>shadow layer>highlight layer.

I like to use the lasso/fill tool here again for shadows, and then soften them up a bit by going over some of the harsh lines with a pencil brush

For shadows, I usually just do a multiply layer with a lowered opacity, clipped to the base colour layer and then use a bright red or purple colour

Highlights and shadows can also be used to indicate more hair clumps that you haven't drawn in

Try to think of the shadows as big graphic shapes, that fall where the light won't hit, and wrap around the forms of the hair

I personally don't like to go crazy on the highlights, but when I do, it's usually for dark hair, since shadows don't show up as well on darker hair

Shiny glossy hair, usually has brighter highlights with harsher edges

Also black hair isn't usually pure black unless it's a stylization thing or the lighting is reeeally dark

Sometimes once I fill in the hair, I'll look at it and go "ew why's it look dumb now?" Sometimes the warp or liquify tool can help with refining the proportions to rectify this and sometimes you just have to cut your loses and redraw stuff :P

Then as a final touch a may add a few stray strands of hair that break off from the main shape

Ok that's all! Hope your friend has fun drawing hair! Have a great day <33

[violetsquare111]

perhaps overly rambly thoughts on the influencer arc

it is very hard to watch but i don't think it's contrary to what we know of green, and i'm enjoying it just fine.

we know green is a showoff and perfectionist. the color gang all like winning, but green likes making a big display of it too. he's quite a sore winner and loser, and hates having the spotlight taken from him when it is his.

he loves attention and praise. and like, that's okay, don't we all? he cares about his friends in the end.

but i get the feeling that, while they love him and appreciate his talents, his friends don't really give him that big attention that he might want. they're used to him winning and being good at art/performance of any kind. it's normal to them really. maybe even a little disheartening.

so i can easily see how getting that attention in the form of being an influencer is a huge thing for green. an addiction, even. he gets so drawn into it that he overlooks his friends' discomfort, so he can keep being the Perfect Celebrity, keep the hype going.

obviously this end outcome here isn't actually what he wanted, and i'm sure he feels guilt for all this on some level. but he's pushed that away in favor of the high of getting a number to go up, getting more of the spotlight. there's nothing else that matters right now but getting that new dopamine hit. again, it is an addiction.

surely his friends will come around. why don't they get it? this is a good thing for him. he's winning. he's harsh, yes, but he's just trying to be successful. his friends aren't actually hurt (they are), they're doing fine (they're not), what's the issue? (everything.)

i don't think current green is character assassination - right now he's doing horribly and hurting the people around him because he is at his lowest, the worst version of himself where his flaws overtake him. it can go up from here. i have no doubt that by the end of this green is going to get some sense shaken into him and make up with his friends. like, that's just the kind of series this is.

and despite all the character analysis i just did lol - i ALSO think it's important to remember that we are probably taking every little action of these characters infinitely more seriously than the creators are. while the series sometimes dips its toes (or entire face) into being a dramatic and beautiful story, it is ultimately a cartoon, and sometimes the character writing will be put on the back burner for a moment in favor of a gag or an overall episode arc. and that's fine! nothing they're doing is unprecedented for the characters they've set up, and i think they'll wrap this up alright.

[serpentface]

Faiza performing the Kagnoma Odo (pretty literally 'lion dance'), a weapons dance and one of the more important ritual duties of Odonii priestesses. A relatively new addition to this traditional dance involves the musket as the primary weapon, which is fired mid-twirl into the ground at the climax of the dance. Faiza is experiencing an 'oh fuck' moment because her shot is more than ideally diagonal, but she’s being so cool with it.

This is a wholly ceremonial performance at the onset of the pilgrimage, performed in full regalia and lion skin (of the small, semi-domesticated strain) but no armor. It’s also distinctly a display of political allegiance between the powerful and beloved Odonii priesthood (and its loyal military) with the increasingly reviled and destabilized imperial family, with Faiza prominently wearing a bracelet of the royal serpent, which was gifted (along with the musket) by the usoma Stavis Amanti himself (Usoma is the Wardi word for king, which has been retained in the context of emperors).

The Kagnoma Odo is the ultimate demonstration of the Odonii as an embodiment of the Lion Face of God and living vessel of military might and sovereignty, demonstrating her fitness and proficiency with weapons and as a spiritual unifier for soldiers. It is accompanied by drumming and occurs in stages, running through the three keymost weapons used in war- the spear, the sword, and the musket. The musket is of the most significance, given the weapon has developed a particular esteem as the ultimate embodiment of might and superiority. Assistants (almost always other priestesses, occasionally high ranking soldiers) load and prime the musket to be fired at the climax of the dance, where it is shot into the ground as the priestess leaps out of range of the shot. The firing signals the end of the dance and the rite itself.

While not the utmost exemplar of trigger discipline, only fully inducted and senior (and therefore very thoroughly trained) Odonii are permitted to perform the dance, and injuries during actual performances are quite rare (though are known to occur during training, more than a few Odonii have burns and wounds on their feet).

The most important renditions of this dance are performed upon declarations of war and before battles (in this case, generally done in full armor along with the lion pelt). It is also done during some trainings (while a dance, it is carefully choreographed to include naturalistic maneuvers of the weapons involved and helps soldiers limber up and learn to move their weapons). It is regarded as an impressive and motivating sight and a morale booster, and, seen at a distance, potentially intimidating to enemies.

A special variant of this dance is performed as means of fully incarnating the Odomache, which is done in full nudity with the body covered in the blood of the freshly sacrificed lion and cloaked in its raw pelt (the lion has become the corpse of Odomache in the moment of death, as part of its recreation of God's sacrifice). Her public, full nude appearance once (and only once) in this act is what allows the Lion Face of God to incarnate within her. Those in attendance see the spiritually vulnerable, naked human body obscured with the sanctified and deified blood and cloaked in the sanctified and deified skin. It is a merger of the contradictions of mortality and divinity, the boundaries between the two indistinct in flickering firelight and the flash of musketfire. She is witnessed by her people, dangling in between humanity and divinity and leading them in dance, and and is thus transformed.

[shortbreadly]

well barbie and blitzo’s interactions killed me just as i expected, but i just want to talk about this:

we can see that barbie’s mad at blitzo for whatever reason, but something about this scene feels off to me. and i think i’ve pinpointed why

blitzo is no stranger to people being mad at him, in fact it happens in most episodes. of course some people‘s feelings mean more to him, such as maybe m+m, stolas or even fizzarolli, but he doesn’t shy away from defending himself and speaking his mind to even them. he always has some shit to say, and always sticks up for himself in his own blitzo way

but with barbie he doesn’t, he just stares at her with that sad little look of regret on his face. even in this scene:

blitzo recoils away from barbie. doesn’t defend himself. doesn’t argue with her. just recoils.

blitzo obviously feels shame and regret over whatever has happened between him and barbie, otherwise he would’ve stuck up for himself. however i also think he views barbie as completely innocent and out of the wrong regarding whatever happened, instead possibly blaming himself, due to one thing:

barbie was never in blitzo’s bad trip. striker, fizz, verosika, moxxie and stolas were, but not barbie. all of these people he views negatively (or has previously viewed somewhat negatively in moxxie’s and stolas’ case) but barbie is no where to be seen. obviously something has happened in the past with her as with the others, but unlike them he can’t bring himself to hate her for it

edit: just gonna throw it out there that blitzo recoils when barbie presses their mother’s choker. make of that what you will

[mellohiizz]

wanted to talk about odyssey duo and my um. view on their dynamic and relationship.

probably going to be a pretty long yap, but i really wanted to talk about them since there's been some talk about them after the last uu video. it caused me to think deeper into their relationship and i wanted to write it down.

(putting it here just in case: not targeted at anyone. just yapping about the codependent silly guys that i hate.)

the thing about odyssey duo, to me, is that yes, they are in some ways unhealthy. they're codependent and messy. but that doesn't mean that they're "toxic" or their friendship is not working.

they're both flawed characters with destructive traits. parrot is dry and unable to express his emotions properly, which leads to misunderstandings over his intentions. wifies is not a saint either, he's stubborn and can get very pushy when it comes to his own decisions. (insisting on dean leaving without explaining anything and trying to do it without parrot knowing, burning the compass to forcefully keep parrot from going to farlands)

but the main thing about them to me is that if you really look into it, they're both trying to make it work. they do care about each other and have both shown it more than once in different ways.

they both did and said things that aren't great. but it doesn't make one or the other good or bad. yes, parrot came out quite cold and uncaring a couple of times, but it doesn't automatically makes him a bad person, or means that he's mistreating, or even 'abusing' wifies in any sense.

if we're pushing it to that point, you could say wifies also used parrot in a sense of wanting to feel human and wanting someone who would 'want him back' without knowing his real self. (im being dramatic with this, obviously)

parrot comes off as uncaring because of how dry and unable to show his actual emotions he seems to be. which is a valid character trait considering how often he just couldn't because of the circumstances. parrot is someone who's very goal oriented. when he needs to focus on something, he locks in. it's the only thing he thinks about and everything else goes to the back of his mind.

which also brings me to the point of the way parrot deals with grief. one thing is how often parrot just couldn't express his grief over losing someone. he grieved luigi, yes, because it was one time he actually was allowed to take a little bit of time to actually process the fact that someone died in front of him. and even then, instead of fully allowing himself to grieve, he had to focus on other things.

same goes for dean. dean's death was pretty much shock value for both parrot and viewers, and parrot tried to grieve him too. but during it, he was interrupted by literally the number one threat at the time.

so of course when another loss comes into picture, parrot doesn't allow himself to grieve him. he acknowledges his loss ("your leader just killed my best friend"), but there was no time for him to actually let himself properly grieve wifies or even allow himself to react. they were in the middle of dealing with the mafia, and he needed to focus on that instead.

we only see the impact wifies' death had on him by the end of the episode. where he does listens. he lights the beacon despite expressing his indifference to them the whole episode. that, once again, shows that he does care.

he was hesitant on letting wifies go through with joining the mafia in the first place. he agreed because he trusted wifies to be safe and know what he's doing. it was already shown to us that wifies is parrot's weak point. he tried so many times to keep wifies away from the danger simply because he didn't want to lose him. back in the video where clown was hunting parrot, there was a very clear parallel between branzy being clown's weak point and wifies being parrot's. the difference in that was parrot knew clown wouldn't have hesitated to kill wifies.

they both changed the ways the go about things for the other. they care, but unfortunately, they were doomed by the narrative. the universe screwed them over by putting them into circumstances where they just wouldn't have worked it out.

in conclusion, because this is already very long, yes, odyssey duo are messy. they're not the healthiest duo, and they do have issues. but they tried to overstep those and work, and that's what i like about them.

[l1-b1]

This song and lloyd… ourgh my heart hurts

[tangents-within-tangents]

Thoughts on Echo as amputee/disability representation

First and foremost, I am not disabled or an amputee and I don’t claim to speak for those communities (and if I was I couldn't speak for everyone). What little I do know mostly comes from this youtube channel (@oakwyrm), this post, and other research I’ve done for my writing (and like one amputee I kinda knew in passing). By all means correct me and add to the conversation, I just have some thoughts I want to share because I haven’t really seen this discussed anywhere

Overview

So Echo is interesting. He is a triple amputee which is pretty rare in media. His disabilities come from extremely traumatic circumstances: injured in a near-death experience, imprisoned and dehumanized as an experiment with no autonomy over what happened to his body.

There are a few moments in the shows where Echo is treated… questionably. Like this bit where Rex uses him as an example of the Separatists' evils to convince the locals to fight back:

To be fair, yeah Echo’s treatment does prove that the Techno Union is not neutral like they claim. The modifications that everyone is gasping in horror at here obviously weren’t made with comfort and accessibility in mind, nor with Echo’s consent. But you still just want to be sure that “They took away his freedom, his humanity, they tried to turn him into a machine” is about using him as a living computer, not the fact that he is missing limbs. 

The Batch is also pretty insensitive toward him and his trauma imo, which is weird considering they've supposedly also faced discrimination for their mutations

Disabled people do have to deal with stuff like this in this day and age so I guess it can speak to those experiences. I think especially him being mistaken as a droid (and Hunter going along with it (bruh)) might resonate with some people. 

Aside from that stuff, Echo isn't really treated any differently as a character/person which is really good (as low of a bar as that is).

We get this moment in CW where Echo contemplates that yeah things are gonna be different now

While also (imo at least) showing that he is still the same person regardless, evidenced by the fact that he just echoed Rex :,) I also think it's significant that he joins the Bad Batch on his own terms and we're given a really emotional scene to specifically show that he's not just like 'lumped in with the other misfits' but that it is his choice to go where he feels his place is.

A lot of people, myself included, are disappointed that TBB didn't have more time to explore Echo's PTSD, but I think the one panic attack scene we did get is really good. Even thought it's minor it at least is an appropriate reaction from a guy who was medically tortured (which is more than I've come to expect from Star Wars shows lol)

And it's really sweet to see Omega showing Echo some empathy and consideration.

It would have been nice to see more of his adjustment period, and other side effects like chronic pain and maintenance, but there’s a lot of daily life stuff the show never had time for (i.e. we don’t know if he removed his prosthetics to sleep, but we also never saw him sleep anyway). His disabilities might take on a background role (much like the character himself sadly) but for the most part they aren’t invisible or erased, nor do they define his character and arc.

Physical Appearance

Okay this one is bit dicey, bc on the one hand, yes complaints that Echo’s paleness (most likely caused by burns from the explosion or chemical burns from the cryo-chamber) is whitewashing are totally valid. But I also think you can draw comparisons to real life conditions that affect pigmentation/complexion (like you know burns). So while I understand why a lot of fanart will depict him with his original skin tone and with hair, consider that there are real people who have to live with temporary or permanent changes to their appearance, and the idea of “fixing" him by making him look more like his old self can be problematic.

It's also interesting to note that Echo could act as a reversal of the 'disabled/disfigured = evil' trope. He's pale and bald and wears black and red, which is so often visually associated with villains, but we all know Echo is the bestest boy™

The Headpiece

Echo’s headpiece is interesting because within the show we don’t actually ever learn much about it (idk if there is more info in books or whatever bc i don’t have them so?). He didn’t have it in CW so we know it didn’t come from the Techno Union and therefore Echo probably had more choice with it. We don’t know its exact purpose but it’s most likely related to his scomping abilities. When he is hacking with his scomp in CW, before he has his headpiece, it’s clearly very mentally straining:

We don’t see him struggling like this in TBB once he does have it (though that could be bc he got more used to it over time). There doesn't seem to be much of an impact when he removes his headpiece in s3 ep14-15, except that he gets stuck in the ports every time he uses his scomp which is not something we’ve seen before: 

There might not be an exact real-world equivalent, but the headpiece is some kind of accessibility aid. It means that someone specifically designed a device to help him adapt to the changes the Techno Union made, as well as a helmet that integrates it. It’s removable and visually very present, much like a cochlear implant would be. (A lot of people actually headcanon it to act partially as a hearing aid, since it makes sense that Echo’s hearing would have been damaged in the explosion, but there isn't really any indication of this in canon.) The headpiece is never really acknowledged in the show, but I think that's a good thing. It's something he needs/wants and it just exists, completely normalized, and that's pretty cool 👍

Legs

Sigh... So from the very first episode of TBB I was really disappointed that the animation team or whoever completely visually erased Echo’s prosthetic legs (I think we all were, honestly, if fanart is anything to go by). It’s one thing when he’s in armor because he would probably want to protect his prosthetics, but we literally see him in his blacks and there is no indication whatsoever that he lost his legs even though it was not left up for debate at all in CW:

Like ??????!?

This is just really strange to me! Idk what went on behind the scenes with this decision but I don’t really see why it would be that much harder to animate or anything since it’s 3D and they've done it before. We do see some pretty sophisticated cybernetic technology in Star Wars canon that mimics real limbs:

But Luke’s fancy hand is technically 20ish years from now, so Anakin and Maul are more of a representation of what level we could expect here

So yeah, for no apparent reason, his leg amputation is effectively, visually and narratively nonexistent. Which is not great 👎

Arm!

The scomp on the other hand (uh lol!) is the complete opposite and I kinda love it!

At first I, like many others, thought it was a bit odd that they didn’t give Echo a prosthetic arm. Losing hands is basically a Star Wars tradition at this point, so robotic arms/hands are well established within the worldbuilding: 

We aren’t necessarily given a canon reason for why Echo doesn't get a cybernetic arm (again unless it's in some lore book I haven’t read, sorry). General fanon explanations I’ve seen are that he either couldn’t because the Techno Union wired the scomp too far into his nervous system, and/or the resources to give him one were deemed too expensive for a clone (what about his legs tho?), or that he chose not to, usually because he thought the scomping was useful. 

Regardless, I actually really love this choice (and it's the whole reason I made this post), because here's the thing: There’s a lot of problematic tropes out there that either erase/cure disabilities or compensate them with perks (like how pretty much any blind character is actually not blind by some sort of magic power). With amputees that is done with robotic arms. The character is still an amputee or course, and there is still value in that representation, if this story from Mark Hamill that makes me tear up is anything to go by:

but for the most part these characters function like anyone else, just with a limb that looks a little different. It’s no more than a video game skin, an able-bodied actor with a green screen glove. It “cures” the disability, or it actually makes the character even stronger than usual: 

It usually makes sense within the world of the story, but the reason it’s not so great in my opinion is that in the real world we just do not have technology anywhere close to that yet. Prosthetics can more or less replace any mobility from lost legs, but not for all the complexities of a hand (and even if they could the average person wouldn’t be able to afford it).

So

I think it's actually really super cool that Echo’s scomp bypasses the canonically-established amputee erasure and functions much like a stump would irl. He integrates it into his movements and everyday life and it’s (as far as I know) a lot closer to an everyday amputee’s experience. 

It doesn’t define his character, it doesn’t hold him back, he lives a full life, the other’s don’t treat him any differently, and he’s still a total karking badass 

The only additional thing is that he sometimes uses it as a weapon (which given his story, I think it’s cool to see him taking back autonomy in a way, and we only see that like twice)

And also the scomping, which could be seen as the 'added/compensating superpower' trope. But narratively it's no different than if he was plugging in with a hacking gadget of some kind (he didn't necessarily "need" to lose his arm for it) and it’s not like Echo is completely defined by this skill. Personally, I think it's well worth the positives of him actually having a visible and realistically impactful amputation. 

I see a lot of posts or comments out there that say stuff like “how come Echo doesn’t get a hand?” or fanworks that do give him one and I just think it’s a bit of a shame. If he did get a robotic hand, it just would have disappeared the same way his legs and Anakin’s arm did (aside from that one time he got yoinked by a magnet). When Echo did “get a hand” in the last two episodes there were comments like “yay he finally got a hand! but it doesn’t even work” but I was actually so relieved that it didn’t! Bc for one thing that wouldn’t make any sense, he grabbed it off a droid, it wasn’t designed to implement with his scomp, that would be really complicated. But more importantly because it again refused to erase/cure his disability! It functioned like a real-world cosmetic prosthetic (useless beyond appearance) which is exactly what he needed it for, so that he could blend in better with his disguise.

And he continually took it off throughout the episode and ditched it at the end. He only used it for the necessity of a stealth mission, he doesn’t feel the need to visually “fit in” in his daily life. 

And, last but very much not least, he made a dad joke and from my intel that is very accurate representation!

TLDR: Echo’s scomp is actually really cool from an amputee representation perspective, especially within Star Wars, and I think that deserves some appreciation 

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Ok, I think I have a pretty good idea of why a lot of Akechi's dialogue is... like that.

So, even before his confidant truly started, I noticed that he has a real knack for directing the flow of a conversation. This is very fitting for someone who is both a detective and skilled at interviews - when there is a topic and a goal, Akechi is in his element.

All this to say, he's actually kind of controlling when it comes to conversational flow. He probes for information, or turns the conversation around to a particular topic, usually the Phantom Thieves. He manages to take a few of Joker's dialogue options and spin them so they sound mildly incriminating in the context he's placed them in - the only way to truly get around this is to pick answers that feign indifference, and even then, that's more than a bit telling. He's clearly very good at this kind of thing.

But then, we get conversations where either Joker does something he didn't expect, or else he doesn't have a particular goal in mind - and the conversation stutters. In the first instance, Joker does something (a particularly egregious example is putting his glasses on him and fluffing his hair in rank 3) which both leaves him wrong-footed and no longer in perfect control of the situation. He just kind of... freezes, for awhile. It's hilarious. He has no idea how to respond.

He picks up control again in the phone call afterwards, having chosen to play into it, turning this "fooling the crowds" into a kind of game or secret between them. Nice save.

But in instances where there isn't an obvious topic and the goal is somewhat nebulous, for instance, that one Leblanc scene, it becomes pretty apparent that Akechi doesn't have the right "script" to go off of. Again, it's particularly notable in that scene, because I'm fairly sure he didn't have any specific reason to be at Leblanc, other than him looking for a quiet spot now that public opinion has turned on him. And because there isn't anything specific he's digging for, he kind of just ends up throwing things at the wall to see what will stick. Probing for any kind of recognizable reaction that he can jump on and work with, and that just doesn't really happen in this scene.

He references Sae, a woman in a respectable position, to Sojiro, but instead of that netting a welcome, it earns his ire, given Sae's recent actions against him. He then tries to greet Joker, his... rival? friend? enemy? person who at least seems to somewhat enjoy spending time with him? But Joker's responses are somewhat short, and Akechi practically wilts. He tries to commiserate by oversharing. He tries to involve Futaba and reaches out for the only topic of interest he can think of around "young people". He compliments the coffee. He compliments Joker. He tries to invoke that connection between them. None of it is really sticking, nor does it serve as a jumping off point for him to steer the conversation, or even really start one.

So, he basically just ends up having a one-sided chat with himself and then leaves. Hilarious. Also a little sad, if I'm being honest. It's really giving "guy with no friends who only knows how to speak to adults" energy. If there's no specific purpose to the exchange, or he is not in control of its direction, he seems to be kind of out of his depth. He succeeds only in being a little awkward and confusing, more than anything.

[paulilily]

I'm feeling bittersweet at the prospect of Reo leaving Nagi behind once and for all (albeit forced to do so)

Like, if he wants to survive, he'll obviously become an individualist now, there's nothing (no one) holding him back either. And I absolutely want him to get better and shine with his own light, he deserves that. But, I don't want him to completely forget about Nagi as a period of his life that's over now.

Death in blue lock doesn't mean death in real life, and I have the slight feeling that people in blue lock don't realize this. Or at least they say goodbye like they're never seeing eachother again when they could if they wanted to.

I just wished Reo realized he wants Nagi besides of what he brings into the field, and that he can pursue soccer in solitary and still love him at the same time.

Blue lock is designed to install the mentality in them that their whole life has to be about soccer when, in reality, once they step off the field, once practice is over, they also have a personal life to take care of. Because they have been locked up in there for so long many of them don't think about this but I wish they realized that eliminating a friend doesn't mean losing them forever.

In case Nagi quits soccer or keeps playing but in a smaller league, I hope he's still invested in Reo's dream and cheers him on even from afar. And for Reo to think about their relationship and how, everytime he pictured the World Cup as a treasure he wanted to aquire to prove himself, he also thought of Nagi as a treasure he failed to make his own, and perhaps, chooses to pursue Nagi too but in a different way. Like, it's fine that while you're playing you're the most egoistic person alive who only thinks of achieving greatness by yourself. But outside of that you're still a human with other feelings besides your pride.

I feel if they both realised they can dedicate themselves both to soccer and to eachother without necessarily having both things together, they'd be the perfect couple.

Maybe we'll get to see a bit of that reflexion on Nagi's part after he gets locked off in epinagi?

I just know I don't want the spinoff to just end there with Nagi don't doing anything with his life and Reo being heartbroken. I want their relationship to evolve past blue lock not as football stars but as people.

There's a lot of ways to be partners and it'd be a great chance to show that, even if blue lock's mentality is the right way to be a striker, it doesn't have to define you as a person. You can have dreams outside of soccer that don't interfier with your career. Be a star on camera and a human at home.

A striker isn't supposed to have relationships holding him back but a human is allowed to love.

[demi-god77]

I don't like getting into drama, so that's why I'm making my own separate post, but it drives me insane when people claim s5 will have no time for relationships.

The driving force of the ENTIRE show IS the relationships between characters. Whether these are romantic, platonic or familial. The bonds they have, what brings them together, what tears them apart.

You're obviously allowed to have your own opinions about the plotlines/ships, whatever. But those opinions are not facts.

The creators have time and time again pointed out that s5 needs to tie everything together and that INCLUDES relationships. They can't leave things on the air, they need to answer everything.

And let's ignore Byler for a second. Things between Nancy and Jon are a bit tense by the end of s4. They're not telling each other everything and that storyline/love triangle needs to be tied up. Ffs they CAN'T introduce a plot point (ie. Jon's college acceptance letter) if they go nowhere with it.

Same with Robin and Vickie. You don't introduce a love interest in the penultimate (!) season, if you don't plan on following through with it/developing them in any way. They didn't introduce Vickie only for her to not get any development with Robin, simple as that.

I wish people would understand that writers and directors don't just do shit. They don't tell the actors to go on stage and do whatever. You simply don't introduce a plot point, if it doesn't come back. Chekhov's gun and everything. Will being in love with Mike, giving him the painting that was essentially his indirect confession, IS a plot point.

When I say the biggest Byler proof for me is the narrative, I mean it. Will believes Mike is not in love with him and will never be. If he's right, it's a useless storyline. Simple. It's not a plot twist, it doesn't defy expectations, it's exactly what we already knew. So why make it a plot point? Why introduce it in the first place? Will is certainly not a character that needs to learn he can't always get what he wants, it doesn't develop his character in any way and Mike not loving him is something he has already convinced himself is true. It serves no purpose.

ST is a sci-fi show yes, but it has never been just that. The themes, the bonds between characters, there is so much more. This is why I can't stand when people say they won't have time in s5 to develop anything. A season without any development to any of the characters is a failed season. It's a season where nothing happens. And this isn't about Byler exclusively either, it's about EVERY character, EVERY bond and relationship. Were any of the past seasons focused solely on the monsters and the supernatural? The driving force was always the characters. The final season is not gonna be any different.

The creators have said they don't have time to do a "where is everyone now" thing that they do at the start of every season, because obviously stakes are much higher. They can't spend time showing Steve flirt with some random girl or things like that. THAT DOESN'T MEAN CHARACTERS WON'T DEVELOP, HOLY SHIT. They just can't spend time on random things.

That is all.

[shortkingenjoyer]

sequel comic to this