#just trying to figure out how to draw her

[annasofthe11thdimension]

Alright, so this is basically...an art dump for all the pics i drew when i was trying to draft the ending i wanted my Odile looping Au 'Like a Wheel Ever Turning' which...is not even SLIGHTLY how this fic is going to end now, but while figuring that out i still like draw all this and had to do SOMETHING with it.

So figured I'd post it and be like 'hey! fun Odile looping act 5 boss fight vibes not connected to anything else!' since like...that basic IS what they are at this point lol.

The one cool idea i loved that i think is now FIRMLY ditched is the act 5 boss fight starts when Odile uses wish craft to splinter herself into two halves.

The 'old/current' her that is meant to be her coldly logical side, and a younger 'copy' version, which is meant to be the childish irrational side...that is what's stopping her just shutting down the time loop because she can't figure out how to be happy with her friends leaving.

I mean, if you murder the part of you that WANTS the wish to come true, that's basically a 'get out of time loop free card' right? Right! Totally sound logic!

Yes the 'young' version of her firmly believes that she's real, and also also got memories going up to about age 21, and also that she ought to be in Ka Bue not HERE among these french weirdos.

Also yes again, a 'young' Odile is EXACTLY as unhinged about this as you'd expect a 21 year old to be upon finding out that apparently the 'real' her think murdering her is the correct solution to this problem!

The shift of the fight was meant to have the inverse 'colors' shift from one version to the other by the end, wrapping up with the point where the 'original' Odile is forced to have a heart to heart with the personification of her perceived 'worst' qualities.

Pretty sure the vibes for this ending was a lot more focused on the resolution of having deeply complex feeling about EXPRESSING emotion directly to other people. That along with a side helping of how isolating it is to be perceived as a 'real' adult such that you can't be weak enough to ask anyone for help. Because really if you can't even be that then why are you any different then when you were irritating mess of a youth?

Not saying any of that isn't still present in the story, but like...there is a LOT of other stuff going on, and those themes are now linked into many other ones too, and that's not even TOUCHING on how Loop's been...somewhat complicating my redrafting lol.

...Also I might have drawn/plotted this version before i knew about two-hats lol. THAT also is a factor.

Anyway! Still liked all of these enough to want to do SOMETHING with them, and figured this worked, so i could like map out my thoughts on them, even if i never got to write this.

[airas-story]

FtM Tony telling Stephen that he’s trans after months of being scared to tell the sorcerer in fear that Stephen would reject him?

Stephen watched Toni, as Toni grabbed the leftovers from the fridge to throw into the microwave. “You okay?” he asked. Toni had been flittering about all evening, fingers tapping against her thighs and drawing away when Stephen reached out. 

“I… yes. Of course.” Toni didn’t look at him, focused unerringly on the microwave. “Obviously. Why?”

Stephen frowned. “You seem… anxious.”

“Me? Anxious?” Toni let out an uneasy laugh. “Never.”

“Toni,” Stephen said gently. “What’s wrong?”

Toni slumped. “I… There’s something I need to tell you,” she said finally. “I… I just don’t… I wanted one last good night, before…”

Stephen’s heart raced at the implication. “Toni? Are you… breaking up with me?”

Toni shook her head, sharp and adamant. “No, of course not! I just… I think you’re going to break up with me.”

What? “Toni, I’m so in love with you it’s not funny.”

Toni wouldn’t look at him. “I’m…” She took a deep breath. “I think I’m trans.” The microwave finished warming the food; Toni didn’t react. “I’m… I’m a guy. I think.”

Stephen froze, trying to figure out how to respond. “You think?”

Toni shrugged, still not looking at him. “No,” she whispered. “I know.”

Stephen contemplated the declaration. “Do you… want me to call you something different?” he asked.

“I… I like Toni,” she said. “But… you know, as in Anthony. With a Y.”

That made things convenient. “And… He/Him?” Stephen checked. “They/Them? I know there are others, but I haven’t researched them, but I can, if you—”

“He/Him,” Toni—Tony—said. “It’s… I’m not ready to go public,” he said. “I will, someday. But not…”

“In private, then,” Stephen said.

Tony looked over his shoulder, anxiety in his eyes. “You’re not breaking—”

“I love you, Tony,” Stephen said. “This doesn’t change that.”

[dragonfly0808]

Is There Anything so Undoing as a Daughter?

So, I just finished watching Arcane a bit back and I absolutely love the dynamic between Silco and Jinx and was kinda disappointed we didn’t get to see any flashbacks of them in s2.

They didn’t have the healthiest of dynamics but I still found it so interesting and gratifying to see that Silco really did care and love Jinx even if his actions weren’t always the best for her.

So, I decided to write a bunch of little moments of theirs over the years, how they became father and daughter, how Powder became Jinx, how Silco’s goons survived Jinx’s menace behavior and more!

some are more funny some more heartfelt some more tragic

I’ll include on this post what is up until now my fave chapter and the link to the story on AO3

The Bomb Thing

(How Jinx finally learned to build bombs and instantly became the goons greatest fear. Sevika doesn’t get paid enough for this)

It’d been a slow day, running errands and checking up on everything, Jinx coming along, not really paying attention, her focus on some kind of gadget she was working on.

Since taking on the name ‘Jinx’, the girl seemed just the tiniest bit more comfortable, taking fewer naps and starting to tinker around instead of just spending her days drawing.

As they were on their way back to the Last Drop, Jinx suddenly stopped, winding the metal monkey she’d been working on and setting it down at the entrance of an empty alley, going to lean against the building next to it, waiting.

Silco said nothing, simply raising an amused eyebrow.

After ten seconds of suspenseful silence, Jinx groaned in frustration, kicking at the gravel beneath her before going to retrieve the monkey, “It didn’t work!”

“What are you trying to do?” He questioned as she joined him once more, falling into step with him.

“I’m trying to make it blow up! But it just won’t! It’s always the same, they never work. The only one that worked was-” she cut herself off for a second, her head jerking as she no doubt was remembering the warehouse explosion, “and I can’t even take credit for that because it really was those dumb blue sphere thingies!”

HexTech. It’d been HexTech.

Silco hummed, considering, “Why do you want to build bombs?”

Jinx shrugged, “It’s fun.”

Well that was an unusual hobby for a child to have. But this was Zaun, he wouldn’t concern himself over Jinx apparently enjoying trying to build explosives, he was more concerned about what would happen if it actually worked and she didn’t know what to do.

“Do you want to learn?”

Jinx tilted her head, “I mean… I kinda wanna figure it out by myself but… I don’t know I’m getting kinda impatient.”

Once they reached The Last Drop, he knew what to do, seeing Sevika standing at the bar, he approached, “Sevika, fetch me Cerys, tell him I have a job for him.”

Sevika gave a glance to Jinx, who was still fidgeting with the monkey-bomb. She raised a single eyebrow, “You sure you wanna mess with that boss?”

“Just go.”

Sevika sighed heavily as she pushed herself away from the bar, going to head downtown, muttering something about ‘bad idea’.

An hour later, there was a knock at his office door and Cerys, one of the most prolific ‘demolition’ experts in the undercity came sauntering in, grinning as he went to sit down, leaning back on the chair.

“Evening boss, Sevika tells me you got a job for me?

“It’s a special job, one I expect you to carry out carefully and with upmost discretion.”

Cerys laughed, “Sorry boss but ‘careful’ and ‘discretion’ aren’t exactly my strong suits.”

Silco said nothing, starring him down.

He quickly stopped laughing, clearing his throat, “So, what’s the job?”

Silco took a moment to inspect the man, enjoying the way he started squirming under his gaze before turning, “Jinx, come here please.”

Jinx looked up from her gadget, going to stand next to him, Cerys’s eyes widening, having not noticed the kid before.

“This is Jinx, as you can see she has a certain passion for explosives. You will teach her the basics. Basics only, she can figure out the rest by herself.”

Jinx straightened up at the words, excitement shimmering in her eyes.

Cerys burst out laughing, “Alright alright- I’d heard you had a kid but that’s-” his laughter slowly died down as he realized there was no punchline coming, “You’re actually serious?”

Silco scowled as he starred the bulkier man down.

Cerys awkwardly cleared his throat, “Uh- okay uh- kid can I take a look at that?”

Jinx handed over the monkey-bomb with no resistance, Cerys quickly inspecting the gadget, “Alright uh… this is not bad for a beginner, not bad at all, you could probably crack it on your own eventually. Uh… how old are you?”

“Eleven.”

Cerys looked up at Silco, eyes pleading.

Silco continued to stare him down.

Cerys cleared his throat yet again as he returned the monkey-bomb, “Well alright then uh- we can head down to my workshop-”

“You’ll teach her here.”

“I can go get my stuff and I’ll teach you… an eleven year old kid… the basics… on how to build bombs…” he gave one last valiant attempt as Jinx cheered, excitedly going to gather her designs, “Are you sure?”

“Cerys. Do what I ask of you, and let me handle the repercussions of it.” Silco said with finality.

Cerys sighed, defeated before going to stand up, “Right now?”

“It can wait until tomorrow.”

“…see you tomorrow boss.”

Silco told himself that it was a strategic move, if Jinx started learning now how to make bombs, it might prove beneficial in the future.

It had nothing to do with how excited the little girl got as she started twirling around the room, the happiest he’d ever seen her.

***

Cerys slowly left Silco’s office, heading down the stairs and leaning against the doorframe, where Sevika was waiting.

“You didn’t warn me… why didn’t you warn me?”

Sevika snorted cruelly, “Where would the fun be in that?”

Cerys ran a hand through his hair, “I’d heard the rumors that he had a kid but…”

“Kid’s gonna be a fucking menace, mark my words.” Sevika said as she rolled her eyes, “And to add insult to injury… she’s got Silco wrapped around her little finger.”

“Little fingers that will soon be handling bombs… I’m fucked if that kid gets hurt aren’t I?”

“Yup.”

“What if she blows herself up?”

“No amount of money will save you from Silco’s wrath.”

“Not helping!”

***

Jinx was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement as she listened to Cerys’s explanations and as he showed her what she’d been doing wrong.

She made it clear that she only wanted to be taught the basics, things like more complex timers she wanted to figure out by herself. She knew she’d be able to do it.

Cerys seemed nervous about her ‘out-of-pocket’ ideas but was a good teacher, he clearly knew what he was talking about.

Jinx soaked it all in, ignoring the whispers in her ears trying to remind her of what had happened the first and only time one of her bombs had worked, pretending not to see Mylo’s shadow standing in the corner of the room.

After two days of lessons, Cerys let her set a small bomb off in an empty alleyway, Jinx screeching in victory when it went off.

Days later, she told Silco to wait on the stairway, getting him to hide with her as she allowed one of her mousers to roll out, to where Sevika and a few guards were.

Silco tensed up, going to move before-

“BOMB!” Sevika screamed, the bomb going off and-

Covering everyone in glitter and blue paint, Jinx cackling at the guards stunned expressions. Sevika looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel, making her laugh even harder.

Silco just sighed, containing a proud smile as he strolled out like nothing had happened, “You should be more aware of your surroundings.” He scolded the guards, Jinx going to hop up on the bar as Silco went to get himself a drink and her some juice, unbothered by the glitter covering the bar, after all, they had a few hours until it was time to open the Last Drop, “Get someone to clean up.”

Sevika took a deep breath, promising herself she’d give Cerys a good punch the next time she saw him. She knew it, fucking blue menace.

[live-love-be-unique]

Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Summary: Bob draws your name for Secret Santa.

This is my submission for @lewmagoo Holiday Celebration. The prompt was “You're each other's secret santa”

And thank you to @translatemunson for helping with the banner

Parings: Bob x f reader

Warnings: none

It was all Rooster’s fault Bob decided as the familiar strains of “Santa Baby” filled the room. He’d suggested christening his new apartment with a Dagger squad potluck Secret Santa party.

Everyone piled into the living room, after stuffing themselves on the ridiculous amount of food they had all brought, ready to unwrap their gifts. This was a bad idea Bob realised, watching you smiling as the rest of the party exchanged their Secret Santa gifts. He cursed himself for getting you a gift so personal. He’d stressed about the perfect gift for the weeks before the party, finally he asked Rooster’s girlfriend, she’d become your friend when she started dating his fellow pilot, he figured she’d know what to get you, she’d suggest he get you something sweet or maybe “just tell her how you feel” she’d said.

After another couple of days stressing, he’d found himself surrounded by excited children and their exhausted parents in a Build-A-Bear at the mall. He chose a little bear with golden fur that the employee commented matched his hair colour perfectly and he even found a little aviator outfit to dress it in, sure it didn’t match his uniform but he thought you would find the little leather jacket and hat and goggles cute.

He looked away from his gift, which was still under the tree when you laughed as Rooster opened his gift, a bottle of whiskey wrapped in a pair of novelty boxer shorts with an obnoxious cartoon rooster and the word “cocky” printed on the front, courtesy of Hangman.

“Looks like we’re down to the last two gifts!” Javy announced. You stood and made your way over to the tree, picking up a beautifully wrapped box before turning to him.

“I guess that means we’re each other’s Secret Santa” you smiled brightly at him, holding the gift towards him “Merry Christmas Bob”

“Merry Christmas yourself” he smiled nervously as his fingers brushed against yours as he handed you your gift.

“Open it! Open it!” Hangman chanted loudly.

Bob glanced down at the beautifully wrapped gift in his lap, you smile brightly as you sat next to him on the couch. He slipped the navy blue ribbon off, his favourite colour, and lifted the lid to reveal a vintage record, one that he had spent months trying to find “where did you find this?!” he asked, turning the record over in his hands, reading the tracklist on the back.

“My uncle owns a record store and you mentioned you were trying to get your hands on it” you shrug, hiding a smile as you sip your wine.

His hands touch something soft and wrapped in tissue paper as he reads over the tracklist, noting his favourite songs. He glanced down to find there was another parcel in the box.

He unwrapped the small parcel to find a soft navy blue scarf “I thought it might be useful when you headed home” You pointed out one of the ends of the scarf as Bob’s fingers traced over his callsign and a little plane that you had embroidered on the edge. He could smell your perfume as you leaned closer to point out the little missed stitches and crooked bits of your handiwork “It’s not much I know” you started.

“No, I love it” he smiled up at you before realising how close you were sitting, if he leaned forward just a little he could kiss you…

The rest of the party started cheering you on to open your present “Ok, ok, I’ll open it” you laughed, reaching for the box in front of you. Bob stared at his hands as you opened the box. He bit the inside of his cheek as he waited for your laughter or your disappointment at the gift he had chosen.

“Oh he’s adorable!” He didn’t expect that. He looked up to find you holding the little bear, admiring its little scarf and leather jacket.

“A bear? You got her a….ow! What was that for?!” Bob silently thanked Phoenix as she leveled a slap to the back of Hangman’s head. Laughter broke out as Jake sat back rubbing his head and nursing his drink.

You sat next to Bob for the rest of the party holding the little bear you’d named “Bobby” in your arms as the rest of the squad argued over which Christmas film to watch first “he’s missing something” you noted as Coyote and Fanboy shot each other with the nerf guns they had gifted in their Secret Santa exchange “he doesn’t have your glasses”

“They did have glasses at the store and I almost brought them, but I thought it might make it too obvious it was from me” he chuckled at the thought of the little bear sporting a pair of his glasses.

“Well I think he needs them”

“You think so?”

“Of course”

“Maybe we could go and get them together and maybe…get lunch after?” Bob trailed off as he noticed you staring at him.

“Are you asking me out?” You smiled.

“Yeah, I think I am, if you’d want to that is” he asked nervously.

“I was hoping you’d ask me”

“You were?” You nodded and smiled up at him as you slid closer, laying your head on his shoulder.

As he wrapped the blanket from the couch over the two of you Bob saw the matching smirks of Nat and Rooster’s girlfriend as you cuddled into his arms. It was Rooster’s fault Bob decided, but as he linked his hand with yours he decided he’d buy him a thank you drink at the Top Deck next visit.

[xyywrites]

Writing ✨Villains ✨

Villains aren’t just bad guys to be defeated—they’re individuals with desires, insecurities, and emotions that shape their actions. So how do you write a villain that draws empathy, admiration, or even love from your audience?

Let’s break it down.

1. Give Them a Relatable Motivation

Villains often have personal stakes in their actions, which makes their goals more understandable. Even if their methods are extreme, the why behind them should make sense. Take Magneto from Marvel—he’s fighting for mutant rights because of the trauma he endured in the Holocaust. His hatred of humanity isn’t just for the sake of being evil; it’s rooted in a deep fear of oppression. Readers don’t just see a villain—they see someone who has been hurt and is trying to prevent others from experiencing that same pain.

2. Give Them Depth and Complexity

One-dimensional villains are hard to relate to, so give them layers. Kylo Ren from Star Wars also falls into this category—he's torn between the dark side and the light, haunted by his family and the shadow of Darth Vader. His internal struggle makes him more sympathetic, and while his actions are dark, you can’t help but wonder if he’ll ever turn things around.

3. Make Them Charming or Charismatic

Loki from the Marvel universe is a prime example of this. He's witty, clever, and has a tragic backstory that makes him compelling, even when he’s causing chaos. The charm helps balance out his darker actions, and there are moments where the audience wonders if they should root for him.

In The Dark Knight, The Joker is a complete anarchist, but his unsettling charisma and unpredictable nature make him compelling to watch, even if you hate his methods. He challenges the status quo, which in turn makes readers consider if maybe some of his ideas have merit.

4. Let Them Be Vulnerable

Villains don’t exist in a vacuum. Show their weaknesses, fears, and internal struggles to make them more human. Scar from The Lion King may be an intimidating figure, but his jealousy and bitterness stem from being overshadowed by his brother Mufasa. His vulnerability in wanting to be noticed and loved gives readers a glimpse into why he acts the way he does.

Darth Vader in Star Wars is another example. His descent into darkness is rooted in love and loss—the desire to save his wife from death led him to make tragic choices. As the audience sees him struggle with these emotions, they can understand why he fell to the dark side, even if they don’t agree with his actions.

5. Make Their Actions Justifiable (From Their Point of View)

Thanos from the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees himself as a savior, even though his plans involve wiping out half of all life in the universe. To him, it's a necessary evil. While the audience may not agree, they can see how someone could come to this conclusion, and that complexity is what makes him so compelling.

6. Use Their Relationships to Humanize Them

Villains often have relationships with others that show a more tender side. Raven from Teen Titans has a complicated relationship with her father, Trigon. His manipulation and the psychological toll he puts on her create empathy for Raven, as we see her fight against the very darkness she is born from. Similarly, Hela from Thor: Ragnarok has a complicated relationship with Thor and Loki, adding layers to her villainy.

Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender is another example. While she’s ruthlessly ambitious and terrifying, her relationship with her family—especially her father, Fire Lord Ozai—provides a glimpse into the motivations that drive her cruelty. Her vulnerability shows when she struggles with her identity, especially when she loses the one person who ever fully supported her.

7. Let Them Be 'The Antihero'

Sometimes villains are antiheroes, and their actions, though extreme, may align with the reader's personal values. Deadpool is a great example of a character who straddles the line between hero and villain. His sense of humor, emotional trauma, and self-preservation make him easy to root for, even if his methods are chaotic and unorthodox.

Harley Quinn : Her backstory with the Joker and her eventual break from him makes her a villain-turned-antihero. She’s a product of her abusive relationship, and as she seeks redemption, readers can’t help but want her to succeed—even if she’s still a bit off the rails.

8. Make Their Death (or Potential Redemption) Impactful

When a villain’s arc concludes—whether through death, redemption, or failure—it needs to feel earned. Severus Snape in Harry Potter is a perfect example of this. He’s a villain for most of the series, but by the end, readers learn the truth about his motivations and sacrifice. His redemption arc is poignant, and while he’s a morally grey character, his death is deeply impactful.

Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender also starts as a villain but grows into an antihero as his relationship with his father, his sister, and his country evolves. His redemption is gradual and earned, making his eventual turn toward good feel earned and satisfying.

TL;DR: Villains who make you almost root for them have depth, vulnerability, and charisma. They're not just "evil"—they’re complicated. And that's why we keep coming back for more.

[starogeorgina]

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞

Pairing: Joel Miller x reader

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of child death, blood, oral sex, mentions of cancer, age gap

1.01

Thank you @justinalovee for the pretty header

Exhausted, you snuggle up on the faded green couch, your freezing feet covered by worn-out socks and a wooly blanket. The sound of gunfire and screams in the distance is muffled by the heavy rainfall battering against the windows. Settled down, you open the romance book you found a few days prior while savaging and opening it. The pages were ripped and stained, but it would be an escape from reality, one that you desperately needed. A few hours later, you're so engrossed in the story that the sound of the door of your apartment creaking open catches you off guard.

You glance up, your heart racing, as you see a shadowy figure enter. You reach for the handgun sitting on the side table and aim it at the person. “Take one more step, and I’ll blow your fucking head off.”

“Shit, it’s y/n, right?”

You almost shoot the intruder, but don't when you sense a familiarity about them, it was Tess’s partner in crime. “Texas, ain’t it?”

“You can call me whatever you want once you've lowered the gun.” Relief washes over you, but it's quickly replaced by irritation when he dangles a key on the edge of his finger. “Tess gave it to me. She told me to let myself in.”

You lower the gun and place it into the holster on your belt, then get up and snatch the key from him. “Mind telling me why she gave you the key to our home?”

He rolls up his sleeve, showing you the deep cut on his arm. “Tess said you could help patch me up... I can go—”

Of course Tess sent him to you; she had a tendency to volunteer you as a first aider for her criminal buddies. Scoffing, you grip his arm to get a better look at the wound. “It’s deep; you’ll need stitches. I don’t have any numbing cream left, so it’s going to hurt like hell.”

“I can survive a little bit of pain.”

—

As you carefully clean the wound on Joel's arm with a damp cloth, you can't help but feel the weight of responsibility on your shoulder. Your medical supplies were starting to run low, and with more bombings happening than before, you’d definitely need to get some more soon.

And Tess sending strays to your door wasn’t helping.

Joe winces as you gently probe the wound, his muscles tensing under your touch. He looks at you with eyes filled with gratitude and a touch of pain. He holds a torch with his free hand so you can see what you are doing without drawing attention to your apartment with a brighter light on.

“I don't know how to thank you,” he says hoarsely.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Tess is always looking for supplies to bring back to you. I’m guessing you worked in medicine before.”

“This is going to hurt,” you say, before punctuating the first bit of flesh on his arm with the tiny needle. “You smuggle guns and drugs with my sister, right?”

Joel grits his teeth and nods. “I usually just smuggle guns or other weapons.”

“Me and Tess have both picked up extra work over the next couple of weeks. If I write a list of things I need, would you be able to get them for me?”

When he doesn’t respond, you look up and see how tightly his hand is squeezing around your torch. Sighing, you take the torch from his free hand and pop it between your lips. The last thing you needed was him breaking it. A few moments later, you’re finished, and you tie off the ends of the stitches.

“Fuck!” Joel lets out a noise of relief. “That hurt more than I thought it would.”

“Meaty part of the body,” you shrug.

Joel studies the stitches in his arm for a few seconds, then carefully rolls his sleeve back down, then stands. “I'm burning infected in the morning, but you can slide the list underneath my door, Tess can give you my address. I’ll try and get what you need on my next supply run.”

“Cool. You can let me know how many ration packs I owe you once you’ve got them.”

—

Soon as you walk into your apartment, you peel your top that’s sticking to your body with sweat over your head. You sniff it before tossing it onto the heap of dirty clothing on the floor. You glance over at Tess, who is watching with an amused expression on her face.

“What?”

“Expecting it to smell like roses, huh?”

“I smell of sweat, smoke, and death.” You walk by her and into the small kitchen to start boiling a pot of water. “Anything else you want washed?”

Tess shakes her head. Washing was a luxury you didn’t always have, but since the generator was working in your building, you’d take advantage of the opportunity while it was there. Once the water was boiled, you’d pour it into the bathtub, wait for it to cool down, then clean your hair and body, then wash the pile of dirty clothes. The color the bath water would turn afterwards would no doubt turn your stomach.

“Joel stopped by earlier,” she says, holding the cup of shitty coffee close to her lips and breathing in its smell. “He dropped off a couple of first aid kits.”

“Thank god, I had hardly anything left.” You open the door to the cupboard you keep your ration packs hidden behind a slab of wood. “What did he want for it?”

“Nothing.”

You snap your head up to face her. Nobody does anything for free these days. “Come again?”

“He says your square for stitching him up.”

“Oh, that’s good,” you say.

A small smile pulls on your lips; at least you got to hold onto your ration packs for a little longer.

“What’s with the blood?”

You look down at your stomach and see the dried-in red patches. “It’s not mine. A couple of FEDRA soldiers got into a scuffle, so instead of getting a real medic, they asked me to clean them up. Nothing major, just a broken nose and burst lip.”

She chuckles. “I did try to warn you that this would happen. You made your own bed the moment you spilled on working in a hospital in your past life.”

—

As you carefully clean the wound on Joel's knee, you can't help but notice the tension between him and Tess. When you arrived home, the two of them were arguing, but all you overheard was Joel saying your sister was getting greedy, and she thought he needed to toughen up.

Tess was already a teenager when you were born, so growing up, you idolized her and have never seen her as anything other than fearless, so hearing her say Joel needs to be tougher made you question what the hell they were up against.

The threats within the quarantine zones have been getting worse lately; the firefly attacks have increased, and with the sounds of screams echoing through the walls of your apartment building, you assume one of the men who died in the bombing a few hours before was important to someone in your building. Tess was now pacing the room, her face drawn with worry. She keeps glancing at the window, as if she can see beyond the grimy glass to the dangers lurking outside. You can tell she's afraid, but she won't admit it.

Not yet anyway.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground to get a better look at Joel’s wound, you casually ask, “So what did you cut yourself on this time, Texas?”

“Cut it on barbed wire.”

“Trying to jump a fence or—“

“Don’t,” Tess hisses. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.”

She was right to an extent; you didn’t really want to know what lawbreaking your sister was doing; it would only keep you awake at night worrying about her. But a part of you wanted to know how Joel was involved. You wanted to know more about their relationship and if it was platonic or something more.

—

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

Although you lived with Tess, you hadn’t seen much of her over the past few weeks. One of you had either been working or sleeping while the other was home. The two of you moving the bodies of the dead from the back of a truck into the fire pit was the most time you’ve spent together in a while.

“Ask away.”

“What’s going on between you and Texas? Are you guys sleeping together?”

She scoffs, her nose scrunches up with disgust. “Of course not. I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

“Fair enough.”

The air reeks of smoke and ash as you heave another corpse onto the pile. Its limp form hits the ground with a heavy thud, sending up a cloud of gray dust into the air. The acrid smell of burning flesh fills your nostrils, making your stomach turn. You readjust the bandana covering your nose to try and keep the smell out, but it has little effect. You’d definitely need to scrub hard later to try and remove the smell of death from your skin.

Tess stares at you intensely. “Y/n...”

“I was just asking because he’s always at our place. I didn’t know if you two were fucking or planning different ways to dig yourselves deeper graves.”

In the blink of an eye, Tess is standing in front of you. She pulls her own bandana down so there’s nothing muffling her voice. “Let me be clear: I value Joel; he’s a good friend. He’s the guy you want around when shit goes down, but he’s not a good person. Me, and him have both done unthinkable things to stay alive.”

“He’s the muscle; you're the brain.”

She nods slowly, “something like that. I don’t know Joel’s full story; he’s reserved. And he can stick his dick wherever he likes as long as it doesn’t interfere with our business.”

Before you can say anything else, another truck loaded with bodies pulls up. “Oh shit, it looks like it’s going to be a double shift.”

—

Joel appears at your apartment a few nights later, with an unopened bottle of whisky in his hand. “I heard you had a shitty day.”

Without saying anything, you open the door, letting him in. Tiredly, you rub at your eyes before getting two glasses from the cupboard. Joel opens the bottle and then pours the whisky into the glasses. You assumed the news of what happened earlier in the day affected him as well.

Licking at your lips, you mumble, “It doesn’t matter how tough you are; the death of kids is always hard.”

He takes a massive gulp before slamming his glass onto the table and pouring himself another. “Fuck, yeah.”

You go over to the couch, zip open one of the cushion covers, and pull out a packet of cigarettes. “Want one?”

“I don’t smoke.”

“Neither do I, usually.”

You pull out one cigarette, then tuck the packet away again. You only ever smoked while stressed. “Five kids, five fucking kids lives gone within seconds.”

A bomb was supposed to be planted underneath the death square where they hang criminals, but something had gone wrong, and the firefly transporting the weapon set it off early, killing himself and anyone in close proximity, including five innocent children.

Sometime passes before you finally speak again. “Tess told you about Michael, didn’t she?”

Joel nods as he comes and sits beside you. “She mentioned you had a son who died.”

“Michael was diagnosed with leukemia when he was two; he died just before his sixth birthday.”

“I’m sorry.”

You take another shot of your drink and say, “He’s the reason I became a pediatric nurse.“

“What about his dad?”

“Probably dead,” you snort. “Paddy, my high school sweetheart, didn't like the idea of being a teen dad to a sick kid so bailed.”

“That’s shit.”

You sink further into the couch. “What about you Texas? What’s your story?”

“I’m going to need a whole lot more liquor for that.”

—

You and Joe huddle close together in the dimly lit room, the flickering candlelight casting eerie shadows on the walls. The whisky was going down far too nicely, as Joel told you how he married his ex when he found out she was pregnant, but after his daughter was born, his wife left one day, and he didn’t hear from her again until she sent him divorce papers. Joel’s daughter, Sarah, died at the start of the outbreak after being shot by a soldier.

“Who knew we had so much in common?” you whisper, your voice hoarse from the cheap whiskey. “But at least we don’t ever need to see our assholes ex’s again.”

A dark chuckle passes his lips. “You’re just always looking for that silver lining.”

As you both finish your drinks, you lean in closer to Joel, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. You close your eyes and imagine a different world, one where the outbreak never happened.

—

As the months went on, Joel would visit you more frequently; sometimes he had alcohol, other times he brought dinner. You tried not to look too much into the fact that he mainly came at night when Tess was on shift. Although he still spent time with her smuggling various items, he also liked spending alone time with you.

Tonight was different though, it was the first time you gave into temptation. Your lips meet in a passionate kiss as you straddle Joel’s waist, tongues tangling as you both lose yourself in the moment. The tension between you has been building for far too long, and tonight you both have just enough adrenaline and whisky pumping through your bodies to give into your desire for one another. Your hands roam over his body, exploring every inch of skin you have access to. Your thighs are left bare as the long t-shirt you wear to bed rides up, Joel’s fingers dig into your soft flesh as he grinds up against you. The sound of your heavy breathing fills the room, mingling with the soft sound of the wind howling outside.

You pull back for a moment to catch your breath, locking eyes with each other.

You lean in to kiss him again, but Joel gently pushes you off his lap and sits you back onto the couch. At first, you take this as a rejection until he starts kissing down your neck. He slowly gets onto the ground and kneels between your legs, his eyes fixed on yours, as he slowly pulls down your pants. You gasp as his hot breath teases your sensitive flesh, and then puts his mouth on your cunt. His tongue circles your clit, sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body.

You arch your back, unable to contain the moans escaping your lips.

Joel lightly slaps at your thigh and smirks. “You gotta be quiet; I can’t have you waking the neighbors now.”

The cocky smile on his face turns you on even more. You throw your head back, letting out a long, low moan as Joel's tongue teases your sensitive flesh. His hands grip your hips, holding you in place as he devours you. The world outside your rundown apartment fades away, replaced by the intense pleasure coursing through your body as Joel gives you the first of many orgasms that night.

[nothorses]

Hi so I’m a nonbinary lesbian and have been out for well over 6 years. My gender expression has changed a lot over the years and now I’m just. A bit lost. I want to experiment more with masculinity again but I’ve kind of forgotten how to? I’m in a bit of a weird spot where most people around me aren’t trans (except for my roommates) but are of the (very good!) idea that “clothes and attributes aren’t gendered” and dress sort of unisex in as cheap second hand clothes as possible. Some guys have long hair or wear makeup to parties and some women don’t shave etc. But I still feel like most people view me as a woman or woman-lite because even though they’re well meaning and progressive, they’re not really well-educated about transness. And I’m in a long term lesbian relationship and have a lot of hobbies that are more traditionally feminine. My pronouns are they/she but most people use she/her exclusively. I’m starting to feel more and more dysphoric about this after a few years of no dysphoria, but I don’t know how to change things. So yeah do you have any tips on doing masculinity? Or experimenting more with combining gender expressions? I wish I could start t but the trans healthcare in my country is terrible.

ngl a lot of that is so familiar to me- especially the pronouns! It's been a long time since I started to lean more into masculinity from the kind of "I'm not a yucky man lol that would be unfeminist" purgatory I was trapped in pre-transition but post-realizing-i-was-trans-in-some-way (which isn't to imply that's where you're at, that was just my personal journey) but I definitely feel like I resonate with a lot of what you're describing from, like, that specific period in my life.

I think drawing harder lines around how I wanted people to refer to me helped a lot with this, early on. I know a ton of people who have pronouns they use with trans friends that are different from the pronouns they let cis people use; she/they for the people they know will make the effort to use both, but they/them or she/her exclusively for the people they know are unlikely to use those pronouns if they have an alternative. This works with other language as well- but that's all to your personal comfort level!

Outside of that, I think step 1 is really just thinking about what masculinity means to you, and what kinds of masculinity you're interested in or intrigued by. Don't worry too much about figuring out exactly what you want right away- just experiment with whatever seems like it might be fun or comfortable. Think clothes, hair, mannerisms, roles, hobbies and interests; anything you might have denied or been denied because of gendered expectations. There's no one singular way to Do Masculinity, and the goal isn't to start out with a single perfect, consistent way of presenting yourself to the world. You're just playing with things you haven't had permission to play with before!

I also have a lot of "feminine interests", and a big thing for me has been finding masculine role models within those things. In my area it's mostly women who are into horses, and I was the only man on the horseback riding team at my school when I transitioned; but cowboys are totally a thing, and I started leaning into that role pretty early on! We also ended up getting another guy on the team, I think partially because he saw there was at least one other & he wouldn't be the only man there, which was cool (he latched onto me hard, too. it was very funny to me when I mentioned being trans & he apparently had very much not realized that before. I got to watch his worldview shift in real time, lmao)

That one was probably the easiest, though. I've also looked to really positive, loving male teachers in my work in education, and that's been awesome! Sewing & embroidery have been the hardest by far, but I've definitely found plenty of men in both over time. Finding embroidery patterns to try out from gay men depicting masculine-presenting bodies has been especially fun & validating.

I know this isn't the most specific advice, and I'm not sure if you were looking for like, a list of clothes to buy? But honestly this has just been my own journey. I wear what's comfortable and I haven't really changed my interests or hobbies; exploring masculinity has really just meant giving myself permission to engage in things I haven't before, wearing things I feel good in, and looking to others who've given themselves that permission as well for inspiration. I had to be more intentional about considering the masculine-to-me options early on than I do now, but like, it should all be about you and what you're interested in. There are infinite types of guy! I think it's just a matter of figuring out which ones you resonate with and why, and building your own type of guy out of that.

[tazuransi]

mothra is real and my friend

[ghost-byte-art]

ylfa snotball

[fafameow]

could you draw ribbon please?

sure!

Ribbon is a character I actually don't draw a lot, I think I quickly drew her like three times before so I never took the time to properly make art centered around her. She's adorable that's for sure and I wanted to draw her dynamic with Adeleine (a character i also draw rarely lol), together they make a great duo (thanks star allies for that hehe)

Thank you for your request ^^

[four-pointed-leaf]

why me?

[leapdayowo]

These two are the most fun to draw characters from the amazing digital circus :3 I really enjoyed the third and fourth episodes of the series, so I’m hoping to do more art of these two plus Zooble and Gangle (and gummigoo!)

[miramelindamusings]

BG3 has taken over my personal life haha so here's a sketch dump of my Tav! She's a half-elf Rogue with a Sage background. I wanted to go for an archeologist/explorer background - like a mix of Evelyn and Rick from The Mummy :)! I stole lots of paintings and it always made me laugh the animation of Tav stuffing a huge painting into her inventory so I had to do a comic of her actually trying to sneak one out haha

[blotsjunkyard]

[potato-lord-but-not]

hello lord of the potatoes

deep respect for your current brainrot- you’re eating it up (also screw the anons telling you to learn to draw women… your women drawings make my ass go feral dw)

but, i have a wtnv ship that i haven’t seen much of and if you’re willing i’d love to know you’re take on Michelle (dark owl records) and Maureen (the intern) 👀

ps no pressure ofc!! i love your art so so so so so much ty for being the guy who draws, you give me sustenance

no no no thank you for breaking me free from the brainrot for a second, I love these two and I’m glad I finally get an excuse to draw them <3333

[itsahotminuteinbetween]

I've never drawn a human before, here's an Earth doodle for practice