#keith claus
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So glad that you mentioned the fact that Katarina's mother always berates her.
Yes, I am aware that this is comedy and it is not a real world. But, I remember when I read the au manga on which Katarina remembered her past life when it was almost too late; and even there, when Katarina is presumably the perfect lady her mother calls her spoiled child. It's Ike she is never good enough in her eyes.
Maybe I am projecting, but I never could find their relationship in any way as a punch line.
I respect other people's opinions and I am aware the Duchess lovers her, but her actions speak so much louder
I enjoy reading your blog btw, thank you for your posts
It is more her mother than anyone else, but her parents aren't as flushed out nor do we get a lot of time with them, especially interacting with Katarina so it is harder to really understand their dynamic or motivations, other that how it is used for comedy and to keep Katarina from just accepting her future marriage - got to keep the plot alive.
The best sense I can get from her mother is that is doesn't like to stand out or be perceived as different, or embarrassed in society (that is the only reason we have really been given) - which is why she is so ridged and measured herself - typical noble lady? Katarina, especially after the memory awakening, isn't really able to truly conform to her mother's (and society's) standards, and is too excitable and I guess too open or blunt, not as composed and proper like the other girls behave. Even though she has adapted to many of the mannerisms, her personality is still fixed as her 17yo past self.
It is an interesting choice to have Katarina's mother prefer Keith to her, mostly because he is 'smarter' thus understands how to conduct himself better and not embarrass her or the family. At least that is my impression. Yeah, it can bother me too, which is why I mentioned it :) but I do try to keep it in perspective, as much as I enjoy the series, I am aware of what it is and what it is not. Since we do get more Keith, it does feel like him falling in line with the mother's perceptions (and acting like 3rd parent) is coming more from a 'it serves my wants' rather than him truly finding fault with it or Katarina (at least most of the time), that is my impression anyway - not that that matters to Katarina. It has been a while since I read the series, might need to refresh my memories.
It is also very clear that the very trait her mother tries to correct, is also the key reason everyone ends up falling in love with Katarina. So perhaps that is just the author's way of highlighting how many others in society have been raised this way and that is why so many are so closed off or put on a 'fake' self to others. I'm sure Katarina's mother's attitude or standards are pretty normal in other households. Katarina's modern memories and attitudes end up being better and healing to all those she meets who never experienced a genuine and open friend.
#bakarina#hamefura#hamehura#hamefura talk#katarina class#keith claus#millidiana claes#my net life as a villainess#destruction flag otome#my next life as a villianess all routes lead to doom#otome game no hametsu flag#otome game no hametsu flag shika nai akuyaku reijou ni tensei shiteshimatta
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Please please please please please please please.
-Keith
#keith mothman#mothman#voltron mothman#santa claus#keith headcanons#voltron#keith kogane#vld keith#keith voltron#voltron legendary defender#vld
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Santa Keith is coming to town
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Trencher The X-Mas Bites Holiday Blow-Out #1
#trencher#Gideon trencher#santa claus#Christmas#x-mas#keith giffen#blackball comics#comics#90s comics
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No other possibility
sheith + in a rush of adrenaline + because one can’t help it
Despite things having become calmer for a while, training had become a constant; danger never announced itself before arriving, and one could never be too prepared. And sparring together had also become a constant, some kind of tradition between them both… partly because the rest of the team had ditched them and created separated groups when they became too intense. The ‘bad’ kind of intense.
Honestly? Keith had been very close to disregarding their half-assed, jokingly critiques, but since that one time Shiro and him had been so focused they almost missed dinner (with the subsequent snarky comments about it)... well, there was no way to deny it.
Besides, that one time might not have been like that, but the current one could be, given how even after stopping both of them seemed quite… restless? No, that wasn’t the right word. And honestly, fake weapons pointed at each other, leaning into the other’s personal space and both their breaths still shaky from having stopped barely minutes ago… that wasn’t where Keith’s mind was either.
Dropping his own ‘blade’ to grab Shiro by the collar, he leaned in even closer and kissed him like there wouldn’t be any other chances, something far from true and evidenced by how he kissed him back with the same intensity.
#sheith#keith kogane#takashi shirogane#vld#voltron#my stuff#clau stuff#ficlet#kiss prompts#bringing the kissus#i haven't been there in years but it had fun with this request
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I’m not even sure whether I can taste pure Old Bay anymore, because the condiment is infused with so many memories of home. I grew up sprinkling it on everything—blue crabs, sure, but also watermelon, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese—and I can shuffle through decades of pictures from family reunions, county fairs, church picnics, and back porches where the iconic yellow, red, and blue tins keep popping up like someone’s second cousin, not quite front and center yet always in the frame.
If you’re new to Old Bay, get a tin and shake the contents liberally on popcorn or potato chips—a starter dish, from which you can and should expand. You’ll soon find that you can add the condiment to almost anything. One of my favorite dishes that uses Old Bay as an essential ingredient comes via an old family friend. Keith Davis is a Jack-of-all-trades: a fantastic general contractor, but also a church usher, a builder of wheelchair ramps, a Santa Claus when seasonally necessary, and, lately, a food-truck entrepreneur, grilling burgers and deep-frying funnel cakes for every community event and private party in the area. He goes by Mr. Keith; his food truck is known as Fat Boy’s Fixins, named in honor of the man who taught him to grill and whose Santa suit he inherited.
Of all the things Davis serves up, he might be best known for his crab soup, which he makes in ten-gallon batches and lets the local Ruritan Club sell by the pint every fall at the Waterfowl Festival, when somewhere between fourteen thousand and twenty thousand people descend on the Eastern Shore to see the work of hundreds of decoy carvers and local artists, listen to waterfowl-calling contests, and watch demonstrations of dock dogs, raptors, and fly-fishing. Davis is there every year, gossiping with his fellow-volunteers, talking with out-of-towners, and tossing hunks of crab meat into stew pots. Normally you’d have to shell out eight dollars for even just a cup, but here, exclusively for newsletter readers, free of charge, is the best crab soup you’ll ever taste, a shockingly easy, practically pre-made recipe for trying out America’s greatest condiment: Old Bay.
Mr. Keith’s Crab Soup
1 lb. crab meat (claw meat best) 64-Oz. bottle of Spicy V8 14.5 Oz. chicken broth 32 Oz. water 1 lb. mixed vegetables 1 Tbsp. Montreal Steak seasoning 1 Tbsp. Old Bay
Mix the V8, chicken broth, and water in a pot. Start heating the mixture, then add the vegetables, then the crab meat, and finally the spices. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally “so it doesn’t stick and burn on the bottom of the pot.”
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A Very Merry Outsiders Christmas Master list:
This is a master list of my Outsider's Christmas/Winter works! This will be updated as I add to this, do comment if you want to be added to the tag list!! (Dividers by @sweetmelodygraphics)
Works:
Darrel "Darry" Curtis:
Winter/Christmas w/ Darry!
Our Gingerbread Family
Gift of Pleasure
What Darry wants for Christmas
Baking with Darry
Sodapop Patrick Curtis:
Winter/Christmas w/ Soda!
Wrap me in Lights
Christmas Science Lesson
What Sodapop wants for Christmas
Baking with Sodapop
Ponyboy Michael Curtis:
Winter/Christmas w/ Pony!
Gift Shopping
Merry Christmas Ponyboy
What Ponyboy wants for Christmas
Baking with Ponyboy
Johnny Cade:
Winter/Christmas w/ Johnny!
Can I come inside?
What Johnny wants for Christmas
Fruit Cake & Brandy
Dallas "Dally" Winston:
Winter/Christmas w/ Dally!
Cocoa Kisses
Merry Christmas Ponyboy
What Dally wants for Christmas
Ugly Christmas Sweater
Keith "Two-bit" Mathews:
Winter/Christmas w/ Twobit!
Like a Candy Cane
Build a Snowman
What Two-bit wants for Christmas
Steve Randle:
Winter/Christmas w/ Steve!
Kissing Santa Claus
What Steve wants for Christmas
Baby it's cold outside
Tag List: @witchyleehibernates
#A Very Merry Outsiders Christmas#b0n3s is gay#dallas winston#darry curtis#ponyboy curtis#sodapop curtis#steve randle#keith two bit mattews#johnny cade#the outsiders dally#the outsiders 1983#the outsiders#dally winston#the outsiders x reader#darrel curtis x reader#ponyboy curtis x reader#ponyboy x reader#two bit matthews x reader#steve randle x reader#johnny cade x reader#dallas winston x reader#darry x reader#sodapop x reader
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Way Out of Line
ONE
Beneath my perfume and make-up I'm just a baby in disguise. And though I know that it's wrong to be alone with him that "come on look" is in my eyes.
Character: Keith Toshko from Barbarian (2022) played by Bill Skarsgård.
Warnings: 18+, NSFW, heavy themes.
Notes: Merry Christmas! 🎀 I present my newest story now because it's set at Christmas. This story will be full of subjects that can provoke and a theme many recognize. The french is google translate!
Silver Bells, Silver Bells… It's Christmas time in the city…
I looked at the mountain of gifts in front of me on the floor. It was silly I still received so many Christmas presents and that my parents still said it was from Santa Claus. I was twenty-one years old, a whole woman, but I still got everything from my wish list. I sat and looked at an eyeshadow palette from Dior, swatching the shades on my hand while my dad sat and looked at me like I was still his five-year-old little girl. I would always be his little girl, even if I went to college and had my own car. Or technically it was his, but it was mine. What would he have done with a little white beetle?
“Are you happy with your gifts, Jacqueline honey?” Asked my mom when she came into the room, carrying her coffee mug. She was still dressed in her red robe that matched my red pajamas.
“Oh yes, thank you so much, I mean Santa,” I said with a giggle and laid the palette on the neat pile of gifts by the well-decorated Christmas tree. My mom smiled, pleased, and sat down next to my dad, who also drank his morning coffee.
“When will the others be here?” I asked as I stood up, ready to take a shower and make myself ready for our Christmas guests. It was my older brother with his family and my aunt with hers. There would be thirteen people, and I would sit by the kids table as usual. I didn't complain because I had never had a reason to leave the table, and I probably had more in common with my teenage cousins than the grown-ups.
“They will be here at one, but you know Jason is always early,” my mom said looking at her phone, probably checking for Christmas greetings on Facebook. I nodded a little before leaving my parents in our Christmas-decorated living room to walk to my bedroom on the second floor. I had my own en suite bathroom there and could take the time I needed. It was just family, so it wasn't really that important to look great, but it felt better to do my full routine even if no one would touch my smooth legs or check if my eyeliner was completely even.
While I stood in front of my mirror, after my shower, there was a knock on the door, and in confusion, I answered, “yes.”
“Can I come in?” my mom asked, against the door. Doubtfully I opened it even if I was just dressed in a white spaghetti top and panties, but my mom didn't seem to think about that; she just looked at me with big eyes.
“Would it be okay if you took Jason's old room for a few days?”
My first thought was that my aunt and her family would sleep over, but a few days sounded like a very long time.
“What? Why?” I looked around in my bathroom, all my expensive things and light colors. Children were not allowed in there. My mom looked stressed, fixing the red jacket of her velour tracksuit over and over.
“Your dad's friend, Keith, has suddenly showed up.”
I looked at Mom with furrowed brows. I have heard about Keith but more in a nostalgic way from my father’s old stories. I knew he was a musician, and my dad had been close friends with him when they went to college but seemed to have drifted away because of their different lifestyles.
“Why? It's Christmas Day? You can't just show up on Christmas Day?” I said, pulling out a drawer under the sink to search for a warmer shade for my lip pencil. My mom leaned against the marble sink and sighed.
“He has separated. Seems like he has been kicked out and needs somewhere to sleep. Awful woman who kicks him out on Christmas morning!”
“Maybe he is a pig? Maybe he has cheated? Or he's abusive? I dunno, men can be trash.” I continued to search for the right pencil, comparing them to each other. My mom shook her head but then looked at me seriously.
“So can he take your room?”
I had forgotten about the question, and when she asked it again, I felt my hackles go up. Some cheating, gross man would not sleep in my bed.
“Why? He can take Jason's room?”
“Yours is the only one with a bathroom. If he will live here for a while, he can't use the bathroom in the hallway all the time.”
I crossed my arms and pouted.
“Why not? I can't just move all my stuff to Jason's room!”
“We’ll move the important things, and he will let you in to get stuff. I'm sure of it! Keith is nice!”
I made a frustrated sound and pouted, trying to make my mom feel sorry for me, but she started to go through my drawers and cabinets, probably to see what I actually needed to move into the other room.
“Mom...! I whined and stomped my foot like a toddler but didn't get a reaction. Instead, I walked out to my room and looked at its cream color palette. It was so light, fresh, and clean, and a man would absolutely destroy that. I had never even had a guy in my bed, and I wanted it to be that way. I didn't like the smell of heavy cologne or cheap hair products.
“He will destroy something!”
“He will not,” sighed my mom as she walked out from the bathroom too, looking at my room. I think the both of us found things that were a bit embarrassing. My prizes from spelling competitions, my old children's books and movies, but also a super old picture of me and my high school boyfriend I still hadn't thrown out. There were leftovers from my time as a teenage girl in the room; it wasn't a grown woman's bedroom completely.
“Maybe you should stuff some things away…” My mom said gently while looking at my collection of seashells that lay spread out on the windowpane. Once again I huffed in frustration, but Mom didn't care.
“I'll go and find some linen for him, and you can start to move your things to Jason's room.”
I watched my mom leave while I stayed in the middle of my room with crossed arms. I didn't want to leave my room to a stranger. It felt intrusive, and I wondered if he would go through my stuff, read my journals, sniff my panties, or something. I had so much makeup he could break, and he maybe would leave hair and body fluids on my stuff, but my mom had made the decision. I knew she wouldn't change her mind, but I knew there was maybe another way to go, and that was to ask Keith.
I pulled on a pair of silky baby blue pajama shorts with my spaghetti tank. I fixed my hair, long and flowy, and then my makeup the sweet and girly way I've noticed other men liked. I maybe wasn't so experienced in having relationships with men, but I knew how to get their attention and use it for my own gain. Every good-looking girl knew that.
I walked down the stairs while practicing what I would say in my head. I would talk to my dad so Keith could overhear my fake sadness, and say to him how I can't sleep somewhere else. When my dad would say no, because he would, even if it pained him, just because he couldn't go against my mom, I would leave and go by Keith and say hello to him. I would look sad with shiny eyes but sweet and kind, playing with my long hair and fluttering my long lashes. I would brush my hair over my shoulders so he could see my chest, and I would play with the bow in the front of my shorts. I felt quite sure that he would give in.
When I had descended the stairs, I tried to locate my father and listened for sounds and heard someone sniffle in the living room. Knowing that my dad had a cold for a long time, I was sure it was him and prepared myself to look like his sad little girl. I walked into the big living room, looking around the corner by the open fireplace to see if my dad sat on one of the couches, but he wasn’t; instead, another man sat there.
I had never seen a photo of Keith, and I had never thought anything else other than that he was the same age as my dad, but the man who sat on the couch was probably just a few years over 30 and also looked handsome, even if his face was covered by his two big hands. He was crying, and something told me it had been far worse earlier because his hands shook, and in front of him on the table lay several used napkins. He sniffled again and dragged the back of his hand over his eyes, and it was then he saw me.
Both of us looked surprised at one another. In silence, we looked at each other up and down. I couldn't say how he saw me or why we didn't say anything. I just knew I was looking at a really attractive man with big, sad eyes.
“Are you okay?” I said carefully, and he smiled sadly and nodded. My first instinct was to run from him, run from the awkward moment of seeing a grown man cry, but my curiosity took over, and I felt a need to know more. Slowly I walked up to him and sat down in the other corner of the couch with my feet pulled up.
“Are you Keith?”
“Yeah… You must be Jacqueline?” He changed his position so he sat more towards me. I nodded a little and looked away in embarrassment after having looked at him a bit too long.
“Thank you for letting me come like this to you… And on top of that, take your room. I understand if that doesn't feel good; I can sleep wherever-”
“It's okay. It's okay,” I interrupted with a smile even if I had felt something completely different before. He dried his cheeks and smiled with a lowered gaze that made him look boyish even if he probably was ten years older than me. A giggle escaped my lips, but it caused him to just look at me with a bigger smile.
“I can show you the room...”
“Oh, thank you,” he said and stood up with me. He was much taller than me, and I got a tingle in my stomach that moved down lower when I looked at him up and down discreetly.
Been an awful good girl. Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight…
He walked behind me up the broad stairs, and I wondered how his view looked. How much of my ass could he see? Could he see how closely I've shaved my legs?
My cheeks heated like I've been sitting by an open fire, but thankfully my makeup covered a bit of it. I stepped into my room a bit embarrassed but also overwhelmed over having such a big man so close to me. His presence was almost overbearing, and I could feel my heart beating faster and faster.
He took some steps into the room and looked around at the interior, but I just looked at him. He was the first guy, except family members, who had been into my bedroom. He had on a pair of loose lounge pants that sat more tightly over his ass and also in the front, and I couldn't stop myself from looking. I could feel a pulse in my nether regions that made me squirm a little in my place. I had never had the feeling of wanting to be close to a man before just by looking at him, but there was something special with him, but I couldn't say if it was his eyes, lips, or body that made my limbs get soft.
Just by reflex I looked up at his face and met his questioning look.
“Hm?” I said, laying a hand over one of my glowing cheeks.
“I should give you a gift; it's Christmas, and you let me sleep in your bed and… Yeah, it's really nice of you. I should give you a gift.”
I smiled at him sweetly even if my thoughts were far from sweet. Something had taken over me after just meeting Keith, and my otherwise sweet thoughts were dripping with promiscuity. The only gift I wanted from him was to be able to share my bed with him and feel that Christmas spirit taking over us completely.
All I want for Christmas is you…
×××
Have a holly jolly Christmas; it's the best time of the year…
I wore a velvety burgundy dress with a big white collar and a black bow in my half-updo hairstyle. I had always dressed sweet at Christmas, going back to my childhood style, but I felt silly when I stood next to Keith. He was in a deep conversation with my brother about some soul artist I had never heard of, so I stood awkwardly next to them and just listened. During family celebrations, I most often was with my sixteen-year-old cousin Savannah, but I was afraid Keith would see me as a teenager if I was with her and talked about young actors and influencers.
The men continued to talk over my head while I played with my fingers nervously. Earlier, before my 28-year-old brother began talking to Keith, it was he who had been awkward. It was understandable; he would celebrate Christmas with a family he didn't really know, invited due to unfortunate events. He didn't seem to have had much clothing with him either because he had one of my dad's plaid button-ups on, but he still wore the gold band on his left hand. I didn't know what to think about it because I had no idea how it was to be separated, but I still thought he should have taken it off; he had been thrown out on Christmas.
“Chéri, aide-moi au lieu de rester là comme un imbécile.”
My mom began to carry out the dinner to the table and told me to help with a snappy voice. I woke up from my deep thoughts and met Keith's eyes. I couldn't read him, and I swallowed hard before giving him a shy smile. My brother mentioned another musician, and Keith turned his eyes to him quickly to be able to follow the conversation and made me feel silly that I believed he would give me his attention. I started to help my mother, even if my hands shook, and from nerves I did everything thoughtless and messy. My mom groaned, irritated, and fixed the cutlery I knocked into and moved the serving plates I put in the wrong place.
“Tu vas bien? Tu es si maladroit aujourd'hui.”
My mom asked if I felt alright but more irritated than caring, and I looked at her tired; she always stressed on Christmas.
“Je vais bien j'ai juste un peu mal dormi.”
I blamed my sleep and shrugged my shoulders. My mom accepted my excuse, but when she walked back to the kitchen, I looked towards the living room, where I could see Keith now talking with my aunt's husband. I wished I could join them and talk with ease and charm to him, but I didn't even dare to go up to him again. It felt like I had stood awkwardly next to him too much this evening. Instead, I stayed by the dinner table still just as awkward and looked at him with wide eyes. He didn't look like any other guy I've met, and he was so tall he was towering over my whole family. Even if he looked so manly, he moved softly and had a kind aura.
“Are you avoiding me or something?” Savannah had walked up to me with crossed arms.
“What? No.” I looked down at the table and pretended to correct a glass.
“Good.” She pulled out a chair and began playing with a fork, something I would never dare to do because of my mom.
“Do you keep up with Barry Keoghan?” She said excitedly, like it was the most important thing in life. I gave her a fast look and right after that at Keith. If he walked in and heard me talk about such shallow things, he would never talk with me for real.
“I must help Mom…” I said instead and gave Savannah a shoulder shrug.
There wasn't much left to do, and just minutes later, everything was ready. I took a last look at the tables. The dining table sat seven people, and then the other table sat six. I would sit at the smaller table, the kids table. I looked at the childish napkins and the soda in the middle and then thought about Keith. I would sit at the kids table. I felt a weird mix of panic and shame and looked at my mom, who took a last look at the arrangement. It was now or never.
“I want to sit with the grown-ups.”
I sounded like an eleven-year-old that wanted to play adult, and I felt my cheeks glow. My mom turned to me and looked at me confused, but then she shook her head. She gave me a sharp no in French.
“Why?” I whined and felt the panic even harder.
“It's good you're there and can help the younger kids.”
“But Savannah is there!”
“I said no,” said my mom with a louder voice, probably to make me give up, just like she did when I was a kid. That got my dad's attention, and he peeked into the dining room looking confused.
“What is it?”
“I want to sit with the adults. I'm 21! But Mom won’t let me!”
My dad gave my mom a look with furrowed brows. For many years he had felt that I should have a spot at the adult table, so for him it was given that I would change seats. My mom looked at us and then sighed and muttered something in French I couldn't hear. I didn't care what she said because I had won, and I couldn't hide my big smile… It wasn't really that I wanted to sit with the adults; the thought made me slightly nervous, but it was a relief to not look like a kid in front of Keith.
I'll have a blue Christmas without you. I'll be so blue just thinking about you…
Savannah looked hurt when she saw the kids table get filled up while I stood by the dinner table. I had taken a seat at the end where I knew my dad would sit. It felt safe to have one of my parents close, even if I knew everyone except Keith around the table. I looked at an empty seat, and that's when I realized the only seat left for Keith was the one right next to me. I stared out in front of me, scared to look toward my side when he walked up and filled my nose with a warm, musky scent.
“Is it okay if I sit next to you?” He asked, and I gave him a glance. I stared right into his chest, forgetting how tall he was, and looked away again. I gave him a little nod, then looked at my father, speaking to my brother, while standing by the chair next to him and opposite of Keith.
“Thank you…” Keith mumbled, and I gave him one more glance, this time remembering his eyes were higher up than mine. I met the green of his iris, and he gave me a smile before he took a hold of my chair and pulled it out for me. I didn't know where to look because to me that was a thing guys did on a date, or at least for a woman they were attracted to. I looked at my father, afraid he would be upset with Keith, but my dad shared a smirk with Keith, his friend, who just did it playfully to amuse his little daughter.
Keith let go of the chair when he realized I hadn't sat down, and I could see my dad looking on still amused, as if he had made fun of me. I felt the shame rise again but tried to swallow it down because I really wanted to make a good impression in front of Keith. I didn't really know why. It wasn't like I believed anything would happen between us, that I had a chance with a married man, but I wanted to be able to at least pretend something could happen between us.
I sat down, trying to do it smoothly, like a lady, and then looked at Keith when he had sat down next to me. I could feel my cheeks heat, like they had many times that day, but I pretended like it wasn't there. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to feel I was closer to him.
“How old are you?”
As soon as I heard what question I had picked, I bit my tongue. I had so many questions, but clearly my mouth had chosen the question I wanted an answer to the most. Keith smiled a little and took the wine bottle in front of him and the cork screw that lay next to it.
“Younger than your dad, if that's what you're wondering.”
Instead of looking at me, he looked towards my dad so he could gain his attention. “I'm not an old man!”
My dad laughed and threw out a finger towards Keith.
“Still, you look older than I do, Toshko!”
Keith laughed like it was impossible, and then they continued their banter. I sat and looked between them with a small smile even if I wasn't amused. I wanted a real answer to my question and had a silly thought about how I didn't want Keith and Dad being friends, even if that was the reason why Keith was in our home.
The men quit joking when my mom came to my father to ask him something, and Keith looked at me again.
“I'm 38. So yeah, a bit younger than your dad.” He smiled kindly at me, and I could see small lines around his eyes. He was almost 40. My dad was 47, so the age difference wasn't as big as I had thought between them. The age difference between me and Keith was bigger, though. 17 years.
“You're 20, right? I think you were, like, four when I met your dad.”
“21…” I stared at his big hands while he opened the wine bottle skillfully and I felt something itching in my stomach.
“Did you meet me then?” My voice was small.
“No, it never got that way.” He shrugged his shoulders, then showed me the bottle.
“Wine?”
I looked between his handsome face and the bottle before shaking my head.
×××
Santa, tell me if you're really there. Don't make me fall in love again…
I had said to myself that I wouldn't be with Savannah so much to make a more grown-up impression in front of Keith, but after he had told me his age, I gave that up. After dinner I played cards with her and her fifteen-year-old brother and then watched Miracle on 34th Street with the rest of my cousins. How Keith would see me as an adult felt impossible when he had heard about me since I was three years old. I would be a little girl in his mind forever.
I saw him drink whiskey, smoke a cigar with my uncle, and was loud in that obnoxious way only middle-aged men could be. My ex had been a boy, a boy who liked tennis and Fortnite. I shook my head to myself when I thought about it but still felt an exciting curiosity when I looked at him. He smiled at me a few times, and a couple of times I succeeded in smiling back, but that was the only contact we had the rest of the day until it was time for me to go to bed.
After my brother, Savannah, and all the others had left, I helped my mom in the kitchen so there wouldn't be so much work to do the next day. Both of us could feel the tiredness in our eyes and bodies and looked at each other confused when we could still hear my dad laugh loudly from the living room. On past Christmas Days he had even fallen asleep before the guests had gone home, but now he listened to jazz, drank, and laughed with Keith in the living room. He seemed to have lost ten years on his age by having Keith there, and I could see my mom was annoyed. She probably wanted to be able to lie down in bed with him because she marched out to them and told him sourly it was time to go to bed. I smirked, amused in my loneliness, because with age, my mom's diva behavior started to become funny instead of scary or annoying. I walked up to my room, skipping on saying goodnight so I wouldn't need to wait for them to finish their nagging. I was tired and lost in thought, so I forgot an important thing: I wasn’t sleeping in my bedroom. It was loaned out to someone else, but I just walked in and, in my sleepiness, closed the door and started to take off my clothes.
I thought about Keith's marriage while I pulled off my tights. Who was his wife? How long had they been married?
I thought about their separation while I pulled off my dress. Why did she kick him out? Would they make up?
I thought about who he was as a husband while I pulled off my bra. Was he loyal? Was he romantic? Was he a generous lover?
When I stood in my panties, laying my clothes on an armchair in the corner of the room,I heard a creek and looked towards the door that was being opened determinedly. I concealed my chest but didn't do more than that to cover my modesty. In my mind it could only be my mother. No one else would just open my door like that, but in the doorframe stood Keith, so tall his messy hair licked the top of the doorframe. I looked towards him in confusion for a few seconds. His eyes showed shock at first, but then we both seemed to relax under each other's gaze. I could feel him looking at my body from top to toe, and I basked in how his eyes glittered.
“I can take the other bedroom…” he said as he smirked a little. The smirk made me feel a sensation take over me, and a need for rebellion came over me, so I let go of my chest slowly. Keith swallowed hard but his smile grew while dragged a hand over his face. He looked over his shoulder like he was afraid someone would come, but at that moment I didn't care. He pulled his lip and shook his head a little.
“Um... Good night.”
“Good night,” I said, with a teasing smile, playing with my hair while I walked to my bed, letting him see my breasts in motion. I didn't know where the confidence came from, probably just seeing his eyes swimming with attraction and his cheeks rosy.
“Merry… Merry Christmas,” he mumbled before taking a last look and closing the door to my bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the door for a few seconds before starting to giggle. I couldn't believe I had done that. I couldn't believe how he had looked at me. Keith was a grown man. A tall, sexy man. 38 years old. But he was also a friend to my dad.
×
#bill skarsgård#bill skarsgard#fan fiction#writing#story#bill skarsgård writing#bill skarsgård fanfiction#fiction#barbarian#keith#Keith toshko
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All Hazbin Hotel Fashion Ranked w/Roasting | (imo)
(Pilot to Present)
#20 Valentino | He literally looks like he smells of alcohol, smoke, and piss. How tf has Velvette not fixed him yet?!?! This gawdy wannabe gimp getup is NOT OK... He just strolls around naked under that Santa Claus/Zebra printed Nightmare....🤡 (I like his glasses tho imma rob him)
#19 Adam | Dude be fucking having that moo moo dress ON. I find it hilarious that his army is dripped out more than he is. I mean his final battle moo moo dress was a bit better than the original but he really just walks around like a certain Ice King from one of my fav Cartoon Network shows lmfaooooo. ✝️
#18 Carmilla Carmine | Lackluster. I wasn't really wowed by either two of her looks all that much I guess. There's just absolutely no color I kinda wish they incorporated maybe more purple or something in her. Carmilla also got some BIG ass hands. Idk her design just kinda throws me off. It reminds me of something abstract.
#17 Vox | I really like his coat and just the overall palette of that electric blue situation but his shirt low-key is giving me Freddy Krueger tease lol. As well as Pyrocynical and that dude from the show "Villainous". I hope in Season 2 Vox serves us more looks and variety. He's not bad, he just obviously doesn't compare to others.
#16 Katie Killjoy | She got only like one outfit but man does it EAT. A bit cliche for a reporter but it's just still too cunty to turn down. The pearls, the cut, the makeup, fucking slay I guess. Miss Bryce Tankthrust still serving in hell is a MUST. 📣
#15 Lute | Ngl I was just shocked how pretty Lute was. That fucking face card and you hide it under a MASK?!?! Her eyelashes/eyes and that bob is just chef's *kiss* honestly and I actually really do think the angel uniforms are pretty hot as well. You just can't go wrong with a thigh high BOOT. Girls really get it done. 💯 (Keep the mask OFF!!!)
#14 Mimzy | I hate Mimzy with a passion but I can't deny flapper dresses are beautiful. Mimzy you absolutely devoured and the body is bodying Cheers, you're timeless lol. 🥂
#13 Husk | Please don't hate me guys. I love Husk and all, but ever since Alastor stole his soul he also stole his swag. Man's hasn't worn a fucking shirt since that day lmao. 🤣🤣 Like where DID his suit go??? I would be depressed and wasted too if I was him. I don't hate his design or outfit, I just think it's a bit too simple compared to the other main characters. His personality and Keith David 100% make up for it tho. ♠️
#12 Rosie | Just like Mimzy but like, tripled lmao. Just timeless beauty that never dies. Mary Poppins WHO???? My favorite is honestly probably her hat, that thing is like the crown jewel. Color palette is also kinda satisfying, I stan the pink and mauve. 🌷
#11 Emily | She's like a breath of fresh air from all the red and pink tones. The baby and periwinkle blue is so beautiful and so are her features. Them big ass eyes, the freckles, & whimsical hair. I liked her dress too. Big W's for Em. 💙
#10 Niffty | Cutieeeee. I really like her redesign compared to the old one. 1950's style of fashion is also still very appealing to me as well. The pink dress she was wearing was so fucking adorable I almost had a stroke just to see it in person. She's also weirdly gorgeous covered in angel blood. 💄
#9 Charlie Morningstar | Ngl...a lil disappointed in our girl. As the main character....to have so many just similar looking outfits with not much variety is kinda the most unsatisfying thing ever. It often feels like her fanart and photos that we rarely ever see contain better outfits than the ones that repeatedly appear in the show. However there's nothing really wrong with her final design I just sometimes really miss the old one from the pilot. I think her rounder features and the lighter pink suited her better. Final battle outfit was her best look so far tho in my opinion. 💋
#8 Sir Pentious | Sir Pentious style sorta never changed, he's still rocking that snake do-rag and that suit top that's striped just like everybody else's. 😮💨 I really wish they would've made Pentious' suit a floral pattern. I know stripes might have been popular in the 1800s but floral was very popular too and it'd be something different that'd still completely match his Era. I love his steam punk style and his other creative looks but his HEAVEN outfit was just the best. Saint Pentious > Sinner Pentious!! 🤍
#7 Velvette | Thank LUCI they changed and upgraded this girl bro. She was lowkey a hot fucking mess in my opinion before. Man did she come out SWINGING. Not just with looks but also personality I was floored. She's literally the Queen of hairdos and assembling, not many people can pull off that many patterns. Unique and trendy with the energy to back it up. Velvette you'll always be famous!! ❤
#6 Lucifer Morningstar | 6.6.6!!! Very few outfits but I never seen a moment where this man did not serve!! He's always got that fire ass coat on and he gives you the hatsssss. They're stylish while also telling you exactly who he is. It's like regal as fuck while also kinda simple. You don't have to think too much while ogling to just know that he's a dapper ass cHaD. ❤️���🍎
#5 Cherri Bomb | Loved all of Cherri's outfits. She fucking devoured and blown away over half the competition. She is Kesha vibes. Mama is Avril Lavigne vibesss. She just gives it to you with her punk rock, y2k, fashion. (I know she's supposed to 80s Era but still lol..) Always loved her base look but the final battle outfit and the one from the addict music video were amazing. 🍒
#4 Vaggie | Vaggie the fucking queen you areeee. Talk about versatility. She can really pull off a lot. I noticed that she experiments with her hair a lot like Velvette and I LOVE THAT. The fucking bob?!? High ponytail?!?! Great bangs and great length?!?! Vaggie teach me your wayssss. I always liked her bow and a lot of her outfits. Most of them are sexy without trying too hard. I don't think I can even pick a favorite but I'd probably go with final battle outfit and also her angel gown because that is just too cute lol. 💅🏼
#3 Alastor | As soon as Alastor popped up on scene he was fucking slaying. Literally definition of "pink is cute but red is sexy". He got those sharp ass acrylics ON and his coat is fabulousy spooky lmfao. He also went from being bed bug red to....even more red and sharper (because that was some how possible) lol. Red and black is always an amazing combo and his deer-like appearance is kinda appealing even tho it's a demon lol. I'd venture to even say he's probably one of the most fashionable Overlord's. He's just eye catching and has that AURA. Maybe it's because he's an ancient relic with very peculiar cLaSs but it's really working for him. Keep going you psycho I will see you in hell lmao. (Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka called 🍓💀)
#2 Angel Dust | FUCKING KING SHIT. He just serves every time without fail. He has a whole wardrobe and they all fucking bang. The clothes are sexy, the makeup is sexy, the AURA is sexy. AND IT SHOULDN'T BE TRIFLED WITH!!! It's really sad because he spends so much time to "get pretty" for pieces of shit, but it doesn't take away Angel's talent to pull off so many gorgeous and hot things. Angel will always be a standout icon and I bet Heaven will look SO good on him. 💗
#1 Lilith (Probably lol) | We barely seen her, but I just KNOW she'd devour. Point. Blank. Period. lmfao. 👑♀️
#hazbin hotel#vivienne medrano#vivziepop#hazbin alastor#hazbin charlie#alastor#hazbin vaggie#charlie#angel dust#hazbin angel dust#fashion#adult cartoon#hazbin cherri#cherri bomb#husker hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel husk#hazbin hotel valentino#valentino#hazbin hotel adam#charlie morningstar#charlie x vaggie#charlie x alastor#charlastor#chaggie#sir pentious hazbin hotel#sir pentious#hazbin vox#hazbin hotel vox#vox#lucifer morningstar
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Keith Claus’s Birthday
Dec 28th
[x] by Nami Hidaka ( @hidakanami )
#bakarina#hamehura#hamehura twitter#hamefura birthdays#keith claus#My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!#my next life as a villainess#Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta#destruction flag otome#otome game no hametsu flag
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prev
———
“Keith Kogane, you magnanimous dumbass, would it kill you to ask me out like a man. Something like that.”
Hunk presses the pause button. He tucks his phone back into his pocket. He turns to Shiro, expectant, prepared.
“So,” he says.
Shiro stares at the space in front of him, fingertips pressed together and in front of his face.
“So.”
“Your brother is kind of an airhead.”
“He is indeed.”
“No offense to Keith. He has his smart moments. Probably.” Hunk’s mouth twitches. “Sorry. I said that to not be mean and then immediately thought of the whole Voltron cheer situation and laughed in my head. I promise I don’t actually think Keith is stupid.”
Shiro’s mouth twitches. He forces his face to remain neutral. It is a challenge.
“Keith refused to name his pet gecko as a child,” he shares. “He insisted the gecko would reveal its name when it was ready.”
Hunk bites his lip very hard. He looks deliberately away from Shiro.
“He was thirteen.”
The yellow paladin presses his hands to his eyes. He tries visibly hard to compose himself. He fails.
“…I see.”
“My fiancé often said he must have been born blond.”
“Boy, do I have news for you.”
Shiro raises his eyebrows. “More news than your recording of Lance processing his love?”
“There was an incident beforehand,” Hunk explains. “You know how Lance does those leg stretches sometimes? When we have agility training?”
Shiro inclines his head.
“Well, apparently last week he did them in front of Keith and Keith was so distracted he walked into a wall and broke his nose. He had to go into a healing pod.”
Truly, Shiro would love to say that he’s surprised. He’d love to say that his brother, known gay, was not so fixated on a cute boy that he walked into a whole ass wall hard enough to break his nose. He would love for that to be true.
But he knows his dumbass brother.
“Oh my God.”
“And he still isn’t picking up Lance’s hints.”
“Oh my God.”
Hunk nods, patting Shiro’s hand sympathetically. “We gotta do something, man. I can’t keep watching this.” He pauses. “Also, I really want to stop hearing about what Lance thinks about Keith’s Galra form. I really can’t hear any more talk about fangs in places fangs should not be placed. It’s not good for my mental health.”
Shiro sighs. Even he has heard Lance’s mutterings about Keith’s fangs, and Lance still gets all shy and star-struck around him. At this point it’s gotta be a human rights violation.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he promises.
———
He finds his brother in the training room, because of course he does, getting absolutely demolished by the training bot.
“You’re getting your ass kicked,” Shiro observes.
Keith grunts.
Shiro makes himself comfortable at the edge of the mat, sticking a straw in a juice pouch and sipping it leaisurely as he watches the twerp get pummelled. It’s amusing, in the way watching those test-dummy car crashes are amusing. Or videos of kids crying in fear of Santa Claus.
“Level failed,” echoes the pleasant voice of Space Siri, as Lance and Pidge have dubbed the disembodied robot voice of the training room. “Try again?”
“Fuck off,” Keith mutters to it.
Shiro stretches out and pokes him with his toe. Keith only half-heartedly tries to slice him about it.
“Somebody’s brooding.”
Evidentially deciding he would rather vent in Shiro’s direction than fall for Shiro’s transparent attempts to goad him into a fight, he flops down dramatically, stealing Shiro’s juice pouch and rudely sucking back the rest of it. Fucker.
“He’s so confusing,” he says, free arm flailing. “Just — all the time.”
Shiro politely refrains from asking him to clarify. He knows who he’s talking about.
“Hm,” he says instead, supportively. “How unfortunate for you.”
“Right!” He throws his hands up in the air, sending his bayard flying in one direction and the empty juice pouch in another. Shiro watches it go with great sadness. “One second it’s — Keith, you suck so bad, ugh, you’re such a weird dweeb. And the next it’s I’m hanging out with Coran and you’re not allowed to come and also I hate you.” He looks at Shiro expectantly. “He’s so!” He gestures vaguely. Shiro assumes it’s meant to mean something.
Shiro stares at him.
“See, to me there’s no dichotomy there,” he says slowly. “You said that as if it was two different sentiments. But in fact that was the same opinion expressed twice.”
“The tone was different,” Keith insists. “The dweeb thing is affectionate. He says it in a friendship way. I’m sure of it.”
“Friendship,” Shiro echoes.
“Exactly,” Keith agrees.
Shiro hums. He’s quite sure, now, that he is not going to explain to Keith in any words of his own how much of an oblivious dumbass he is. There is no sentence or string of sentences that Shiro can use to demonstrate just how obvious Lance is being, and how obtusely Keith is responding. He’s going to have to be clearer than that.
But. For his own amusement.
“Could you maybe explain how Lance shows his friendship to you? So I can better understand, of course.”
“Well, for starters, he says we’re enemies but always wants to pair up,” Keith says. “That’s friendship, right?”
“That’s certainly one way to put it, sure.”
“And the fact that we hang out so often.”
“Of course.”
“And the clothes stealing, of course. Lance says I have gross mullet germs but he’s always stealing my jackets, so that doesn’t add up.”
Shiro purses his lips. That is — whew. Poor Lance is in the trenches.
Keith pouts. “I just don’t get why he flips around it all the time, man. I mean, one second he’s all smiles and nudging my shoulders, and the next he’s bright red and stomping away. He’s so confusing!”
Shiro can take this no longer.
“Keith, I am going to show you something,” he says, digging his phone out of his pocket and pulling up the file Hunk sent him. “Okay?”
“…Okay,” Keith says hesitantly.
Shiro stares at him for a moment longer. Then he sighs, shoves the phone into Keith’s hands, and presses play.
The video starts shaky, audio muddled, and when it clears Lance is lying sprawled on Hunk’s bed, pillow strewn dramatically to the side.
“I just wish I could get it through his fool head that he is loved by me particularly in such a way that I want to hold hands and kiss and generally be nuisances of the affectionate kind. You know, romance,” he is saying.
Keith goes still next to him. With every passing word his jaw drops lower and lower.
“You could also ask him out like a man,” Hunk is explaining.
“Choke and die,” responds video-Lance, and then the audio cuts. Shiro puts his phone away.
“So?”
“I have to go immediately,” Keith says. He’s up and halfway out the door before Shiro can blink.
“Shower first!” he calls. “You just sweated it up with the training hot for God knows how long. Wash off before you do anything romcom-y.” Keith disappears around the corner. “Keith, do you hear me? Shower first! Keith!”
———
next
#i’m sorry keith they’re all doing you so dirty 😭😭#vld#voltron#keith#keith kogane#shiro#takashi shirogane#hunk#hunk garrett#broganes#keith & shiro#hunk & shiro#pining lance#pining keith#klance#pre klance#whipped lance#oblivious keith#my writing#fic#longpost
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If not Santa Claus (Lance can do that himself), then how about dressing up as Mrs. Claus?
NO. If I'm dressing as anything for Christmas it'll be a hippo.
-Keith
#askkeithkog#voltron#keith kogane#voltron legendary defender#vld keith#vld#keith voltron#keith headcanons
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Consider (with a sprinkle of OC brainrot): Keith being roped into playing Santa Claus in front of all the children in the royal palace of Rhodolite.
Everybody is there. Servants. Royalty. His own children. (How could they not be? This all happened because they've been paying a visit to their godmother). All the Rhodolitian Princes and Princesses.
And nearly all of them want to sit in his lap. Because he's Santa!
// Slight reference to @keithsandwich and @bicayaya 's OCs
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Lucas Bryant as (Step)Dad (2004-2023) [for Finnish Father's Day 2023]
1. Nathan Wuornos (Haven 3x13 Thanks for the Memories/ 5x26 Forever, 2013/2015)
2. Young Chuck Taggart (Odyssey 5 1x14 Begotten, 2004)
3. Calvin Puddie (Playing House, 2006)
4. Harry (Faux Baby webseries 1x5 Super Dad, 2008)
5. Peter Claus (Merry In-Laws, 2012)
6. Jesse Powell (Cracked 1x12 Old Soldiers, 2012)
7. Daniel Kenman (Secret Summer, 2016)
8. Colin Fitzgerald (Summer Love, 2016)
9. Phillip Anderson (Frankie Drake Mysteries 1x8 Pilot, 2018)
10. Jack Sutherland (Time for You to Come Home for Christmas, 2019)
11. Matthew Anderson (The Angel Tree, 2020)
12. Matthew Jamison (Five More Minutes: Moments Like These, 2022)
13. Eric Parsons (A World Record Christmas, 2023)
1. Biological father of James Cogan (Steve Lund), 20 years before he was born. Gets to raise him after the finale from a baby.
2. Young version of Chuck Taggart, father to Neil and Keith.
3. Expectant father, briefly co-parent, ends up with the mother (Joanne Kelly).
4. His wife (Missy Yager) gets a practice doll when they are thinking of getting kids.
5. Son of Santa, a teacher, wants to marry an astrologist (Kassia Warshawski) with a son who is in his class. Jacob Thurmeier as Max Spencer.
6. Homeless army vet suffering from PTSD makes some attempts to be a better father to his son raised by his brother.
7. Father and husband with two kids works a lot, so he has his brother take care of the kids during a summer. Max Page as Noah and Chiara Aurelia as Hailey. Emily Rose as wife.
8. Maya (Rachel Leigh Cook) works an internship at his tech company over the summer, they fall in love. Maya's daughter approves as they go sail around. Hannah Cheramy as Addison Sulliway
9. 1920s Canadian pilot and eugenics enthusiast. Has a deaf son he tries to get kidnapped and killed. He dies instead.
10. Meets a widow (Alison Sweeney) and her son on the way to figure out who saved his life years prior. Turns out it was the widow's late husband. He falls in love and gets along well with the son. In Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas (2021), Alison Sweeney's character reveals they got married. Kiefer O'Reilly as Will Moss.
11. Reunites with childhood best friend (Jill Wagner) who has a daughter and a dead husband. Also raising his nephew while his sister Zoe (Clare Filipow) is stationed over seas. Cassidy Nugent as Cassie McBride and Oscar Farrell as Owen Anderson.
12. Played football with the widow's (Ashley Williams) husband in high school, now works as a real estate person wanting to buy the house they lived in. Helps renovate the house and they fall in love while he also develops a relationship with the son. A funcle to 8 nephews. Brady Droulis as Adam Morrison.
13. Stepfather to an autistic kid. Bio dad left. Becomes Dad to Charlie and has another baby with his wife (Nikki DeLoach) in the end. Aias Dalman as Charlie Parsons.
#lucas bryant#lucasbryantedit#haven cast#havensyfy#nocticola art#nathan wuornos#odyssey 5#calvin puddie#playing house 2006#harry (faux baby)#merry in laws#peter claus#jesse powell#cracked cbc#secret summer 2016#summer love 2016#frankie drake mysteries#1x8 pilot#time for you to come home for christmas#jack sutherland#matthew anderson#philip anderson#matthew jamison#the angel tree#five more minutes moments like these#a world record christmas#james cogan#steve lund#eric parsons
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a crowded room, friends with tired eyes
by ultravioletwrites
Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Karen Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, Dustin Henderson, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Keith (Stranger Things), Original Characters Additional Tags: First Kiss, Flirting, Hand Jobs, Christmas, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Gay Eddie Munson, Good Friend Robin Buckley, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Steve Harrington-centric, Steve Harrington Loves The Party, Mild Smut, Jealousy, darts as a flirting technique, Not Beta Read, pre-season 4, Gratuitous use of italics, and the em dash Words: 7,621 Chapters: 1/1
Summary
Steve’s earlier claim at Family Video remained. Santa Claus could definitely go fuck himself. The big guy hand delivered a lump of coal gussied up in delicious black skinny jean wrapping. Even the way his hair fell along his shoulders, curly and begging to be between someone’s fingers, personified ribbons around a Christmas present. Obviously Dustin did not have the foresight to mention, or at least imply goddammit, Eddie Munson was sex-on-legs, but a little heads up would have been nice. The same Eddie that sowed seeds of envy in that ugly, insecure section of Steve’s brain. Wasn’t that a trip? Eddie draped himself lazily against the wall, the best damn decoration in this whole house. Steve needed water, like badly. OR: Steve meets Eddie at a Christmas party in '85.
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Nothing can sum up Keith Giffen’s character better than the Facebook post he wrote to announce his own death at the age of 70: “I told them I was sick … Anything not to go to New York Comic Con. Thanx. Keith Giffen 1952-2023. Bwah ha ha ha ha.”
That eruption of maniacal merriment was recognised by comic fans as a last defiant laugh from the sardonic comic writer and artist, who has died of complications following a stroke, after a 50-year career during which he created many memorable characters including Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle), Rocket Raccoon, Ambush Bug and Lobo.
A Mexican-American teenager, Reyes first appeared in Infinite Crisis #3 (2006) and became Blue Beetle two issues later, when he gained superhuman powers via a scarab that morphs into an alien battle suit, eventually going on to appear in the 2023 Blue Beetle movie.
One of the stars of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies was created by Giffen early in his artistic career. Rocket Raccoon was a smart-mouthed anthropomorphic weapons expert who first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (1976), written by Bill Mantlo, who resurrected the character in his own four-part miniseries in 1985.
Among Giffen’s other early creations, Ambush Bug’s debut in DC Comics Presents #52 (1982) and its sequel, which involved the Legion of Substitute Heroes, were so successful that they led to several miniseries and one-shots drawn by Giffen featuring the absurd, fancifully dressed alien wannabe hero, and a one-shot Legion of Substitute Heroes Special (1985).
In 1982 Giffen joined the writer Paul Levitz on The Legion of Super-Heroes #287 and began transforming the series into a saga of considerable depth. One of the most popular storylines in comic book history, The Great Darkness Saga (#290-294, 1982), featured Darkseid as its cosmic villain and Legionnaires and other heroes from across time teaming up to confront him. As a result, Legion of Super-Heroes became one of DC’s bestsellers of the early 1980s.
Lobo, who first appeared in Omega Men #3 (1983), was intended as a parody of violent characters such as Wolverine, but became a poster boy for violence when Giffen teamed up with the writer Alan Grant and artist Simon Bisley for Lobo: The Last Czarnian (1990), which spawned numerous miniseries and specials in which Giffen continually pushed the envelope of acceptability as Lobo battled everyone from Santa Claus to his own children. Combat Christ and the Howlin’ Apostles proved to be DC’s limit.
Giffen was heavily involved in numerous crossover event series, designed, he said, to “significantly alter the status quo or introduce new characters into the status quo”, including Invasion! (1988), the weekly 52 (2006-07) and Countdown to Final Crisis (2007-08) for DC, and Annihilation (2006-07) from Marvel. His creativity and tongue-in-cheek humour earned him a loyal fanbase and he won an Inkpot award in 1991.
The son of Rosa Ann (nee Duncan) and James, a salesman for a textile company, Giffen was born in Queens, New York, but grew up in Little Falls, New Jersey. He was a fan of comics from the age of eight, when his mother handed him a copy of World’s Finest, and especially loved Marvel’s monster books and Gene Colan’s Giant-Man. He began creating his own characters at high school and went on to spend “one abysmal year” at the School of Visual Arts in New York (“the less said about that, the better”).
Apart from a year of night classes at duCret School of Art, New Jersey, Giffen was self-taught, studying books on anatomy and perspective during his four years working as a hazardous materials handler at Hoffmann-La Roche pharmaceuticals. During a week’s holiday he decided to submit samples to comic companies. At Marvel, an artist had dropped out of illustrating a back-up story (The Sword and the Star) for Marvel Preview, and Mantlo, who had spotted Giffen’s portfolio, suggested they give him a try.
Giffen briefly produced layouts for Wally Wood on Justice Society of America for DC’s All Star Comics (1976), but was let go. After a period of selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door and other odd jobs, he tried again, drawing horror stories and Doctor Fate as a back-up strip in The Flash (1982), and working his way up to the Legion of Super-Heroes.
An accusation of “swiping” the work of José Muñoz in Ambush Bug (1985) – Giffen said he “parroted” it, rather than doing an outright copy – derailed his career for a time, until he was offered the chance to plot, and do breakdowns for, Justice League (1987-92) and its spinoff, Justice League Europe (1989-92), working with JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire. He also plotted and did breakdowns for Aquaman (1989) and plots for L.E.G.I.O.N. ’89/’90 (1989-90), a superhero group spun off from Invasion.
The range of Giffen’s output over the next 30 years was astonishing. He drew the superhero parodies The Heckler (1992-93) and Punx (1995-96), the return of Justice League International in Justice League: Generation Lost (2010), and episodes of Outsiders (2011), O.M.A.C. (2011-12) and Infinity Man and the Forever People (2014-15). He plotted or wrote full scripts for Eclipso (1992-93), Vext (1999), Suicide Squad (2001-02), a biography of HP Lovecraft (2004), Blue Beetle (2006-07), Midnighter (2007-08), Wetworks (2007-08), Reign in Hell (2008-09), Doom Patrol (2009-11), Booster Gold (2009-11), Magog (2009-10), Justice League 3000 (2014-15) and The New 52: Futures End (2014-15), all for DC; and for Marvel he wrote stories featuring Marvel Monsters: Where Monsters Dwell (2005), Drax the Destroyer (2005-06), Defenders (2005-06), Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos (2005-06) and Annihilation spin-offs Annihilation: Silver Surfer (2006) and Annihilation: Conquest – Starlord (2007).
During the same period he also penned or plotted various comics for Image (1993-94) and Valiant (1994-96), adaptations of Japanese manga, Battle Royale (2003-06) and Battle Vixens (2004-10), for Tokyopop and 10 (2005), Hero Squared (2005-07), Planetary Brigade (2006-07) and others for BOOM! Studios. He was also a storyboard artist for the animated shows Batman Beyond and Static Shock, as well as writing episodes of Ed, Edd n Eddy and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi for Cartoon Network.
In early 2023 he produced a podcast titled I’m Not Dead Yet, and had recently moved to Tampa in Florida.
He is survived by his children, Kyle and Melinda. His wife, Anna, predeceased him.
🔔 Keith Ian Giffen, artist and writer, born 30 November 1952; died 9 October 2023
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