#made myself laugh with some of this XD

[blackjackkent]

Oho, the Emperor speaks up near the Elfsong if you haven't been to its hideout yet.

Poor Rakha cannot walk a straight line to anywhere without getting interrupted.

Given that she's feeling all mixed up about the Emperor rn, and Lae'zel's rescue is by far the top-of-mind priority for her, I'm going to have her stash this idea aside to revisit later, and continue on to Candlehallows.

It's a pretty nondescript-looking little shop. Rakha definitely wouldn't have been giving it a second thought if it weren't for the notes she found in Alexander Rainforest's basement.

Rakha and co. stake the place out for a bit, watching to see if they see any of the doppelgangers Rainforest mentioned. But there's no sign of activity, and in fact the place seems completely deserted.

(A/N: I still have no idea why this is in the mailbox of this building:

)

Rakha is no particular dab hand at lockpicking, and it takes considerable doing to manage to get the door of the place open without the attention of the guards. (By which I mean this took several reloads. I s2g the locals are more jumpy now than they were when I was here with Hector. But we got there in the end.)

There's nothing terribly Bhaalist at first glance about the little shop. It seems, in fact, tremendously pedestrian, albeit covered with a layer of dust from lack of use.

Everyone promptly biffs the perception check in the shop's back room (I'm not sure I've ever had a person pass it?), but Rakha performs a methodical investigation of the whole place and eventually comes across a sheet of paper laying on one of the desks.

Tribunal. Rakha recognizes the word. She fishes the by now very crumpled parchment with the murder list out of her pocket and squints at it.

Those wishing to face the Dread Lord's Tribunal and enter the Temple of Bhaal (it says at the top) must slay the targets on this list and frame the corpses as a murder by the cult of the Absolute. Bring the victim's hand as proof of the killing. Walk in blood, Aspirant.

"This is the entrance to the Tribunal, then," she says slowly, parsing this out. "The place where the red-dressed dwarf was trying to get, by killing Lorgan."

Wyll smiles faintly. "I guess that explains the doppelgangers going in and out. If we're to do the same, they want us to be carrying someone's... hand." He squints at the paper with distaste. "Don't think we have one of those."

"We have the child of their god," Minthara says dryly. "One would think even a doppelganger might consider that sufficient passage."

Jaheira shoots her a narrow look sideways. "Indeed," she agrees. "But it matters not, regardless. We are not here to make friends, and certainly not to impress their Tribunal. We are here to learn the location of their temple, and I see no reason we should do it in a way that pleases them in the process."

She tilts her head. "Unless - Minsc, you too were with us when we battled Sarevok, so long ago. Perhaps you remember the way to the Temple of Bhaal, when I do not?"

Minsc, who has been examining the aforementioned selection of tongs with great interest, looks up at the sound of his name. "The Temple of Bhaal?" he says brightly. "Yes, Boo and Minsc remember it well, and Minsc remembers the way as clearly as if there were not a century of stone in the way." He lifts his chin proudly. "Down."

The others all stare at him for a moment, and then Wyll chokes on a soft laugh which he makes an unsuccessful attempt to hide behind one fist. "Well, glad we got that cleared up," he says. "Meanwhile, I suppose we'd better figure out what this note means." He peers over Rakha's shoulder again. "Let death be your guide," he says. "What do you suppose--"

"Behind the painting," Rakha says absently. Then she stops abruptly, and her eyes widen - because she had not even noticed the painting of a skull on the wall when she came in. The words were automatic, instinctive, not even requiring thought.

But there is indeed a button behind the painting.

Rakha, despite being visibly unsettled by this sequence of events, nevertheless pushes a fist against the button without hesitation; the bookcase behind her slides aside soundlessly at once, revealing a door behind - on which is painted in blood-red (or perhaps simply in blood) the symbol of the Absolute.

Narrator: The locked door has red text on it reading, 'All are awaited, all are embraced, none shall escape.'

[HISTORY] That text is vaguely familiar - try to recall its historical source.

Narrator: That phrase is Bhaalist. This place has some connection to Orin and her cult of killers. You should learn more about them.

(A/N: LMAO. What an anticlimax. I forgot this door is passcoded. Hector received the password in a note from Orin after killing Gortash, but Gortash is still alive for Rakha, so we will have to get the passcode by other means - specifically, by following the murder investigation questline all the way to the end. Which will be fun, tbh, because I definitely skipped like half of it on my past playthrough. For now... I suppose Rakha just stares at the door irritably and then punches it and walks out again. XD )

[kuiinncedes]

zbxhdhdh

[demonic0angel]

Ghost Zone Phantom Fits (click for clarity)

Kept laughing to myself while making this bc I think Jazz would dress in the most try-hard, pretentious outfits ever. She serves everytime, but lmaooo

Extra notes:

+ With their Casual Castle fits, I wanted everyone but Jazz (and lowkey Dan) to have normal, casual outfits. I imagine that Jazz is extremely professional (and extra) so while she was Queen, she made everyone dress rather formally when out of their rooms. After Danny became King, he personally wore hoodies and t-shirts to rub it in the Observants’ faces.

+ With their Outing fits, they switch colors and disguise themselves to go out since they’re royals. The rest of the outfits are based on European-esque/fantasy/manhwa fashion, but in these outfits specifically, they’re directly referenced from 1940s American fashion.

+ In their Formal Party fits, you can see references of their mask wearing in this post of mine. The masks are meant to symbolize burial shrouds and their status as royalty or as gods. The animals chosen in order are: peregrine falcon, deer, wolf, and eel. I’m extremely happy with Jazz’s outfit and I think it’s one of my best.

+ In their Battle fits, the amount of armor they wear somewhat corresponds to their strength. Since Jazz is entirely human, she needs a lot of armor. Dan isn’t the strongest (Danny is, bc he’s the Ghost King), but he wears the least amount bc he isn’t allowed much (due to his status as dangerous) and bc he dgaf and believes in his strength.

+ With their Clockwork/Pandora Visiting fits, not much to say, other than that I referenced a lot of Greek statues and also EPIC the musical animatics when designing these XD

+ In their Last Year fits, this year can be explained in this post of mine. In order to minimize bloodshed, the Dannies wore their old hero outfits to hopefully snap Jazz out of her actions. It worked, and she surrendered to Danny soon after, resulting in him taking back the throne. Soon after, she recovered enough for Danny’s coronation and then left for a DC world. The one-shot is written here.

+ In their Coronation fits, in an attempt to bring recognition to Jazz and her efforts as Queen, Danny dressed as one in order to be crowned. The rest followed and thus, they all started crossdressing. I’m quite proud of Danny’s dress because it looks sooo cute. It weighs 45 pounds from all of the silk and silver embroidery, which seems crazy but some royal dresses have weighed 60 pounds irl.

[pomegranatepip]

"Lazy" Mornings?

synopsis: zayne is a textbook workaholic but if it comes down to choosing between extra work and spending time with you. well. he's a weak man.

pairing: zayne x gn!reader

wc: 1.1k

content tags: fluff, zayne thinks he's funny (he is but noone tell him)

a/n: written for @ollieneedsamilkshake for @unintentionalseductress 's valentine's day event ^-^ sorry for making it banter heavy, i love zayne's sense of humor xD hope i did it justice

ao3 link

The bed is empty when you wake up, Zayne's side long since cold. You groan and shield your eyes against the onslaught of sunlight directly on your face through the bedroom window, before pulling yourself away from your cosy nest of blankets. You stretch, your joints stiff, and look around for any telltale signs of your husband.

He can't have left for work, can he? It was one of the rare days both of your days off from work aligned, though it was entirely possible he had been called in for an emergency given the nature of his job.

Sighing, you trudged into the living room. Noticing the study door was ajar, you made to close it when you noticed the light was on inside. When you peeked in, you saw Zayne still in his pyjamas, his back to the door, typing away on his laptop.

You smile exasperatedly. Of course he was working on his day off. You slipped into the room and tiptoed over to him before slinging your arms around his neck and dropping your head on his shoulder. He stops typing for a second to look back at you.

"Good morning, my love. Why are you up so early?"

You give him a noncommittal hum in response. "I could ask you the same thing. Why are you working on your day off and at-" you squint at the penguin shaped clock on his desk- "8 in the morning too? You should be in bed with me," you whine.

He smiles at that. "I just had some reports to review which I couldn't do yesterday. I thought I'd get them done early so I could enjoy my day off without any worries. Also," he adds, taking one of your hands into his own, "It's 7 a.m., not 8."

"You do realise you're not helping your case, right?" You lift your head to look at him and he uses this chance to press a chaste kiss to your cheek.

A wry smile from him. "I'm merely pointing out that it's unusually early for you to be up so early on a weekend; you know it's routine to me."

You give up. "Fine," you concede, "you can finish your reports. But make it quick. I'll go start breakfast."

"Yes, ma'am."

Pleased with his response, you nip at his earlobe and laugh at how quickly it turns red along with his cheeks, and finally make your way to the kitchen.

Zayne pores over the file he's reviewing and sends it to Greyson after he's ascertained there are no changes for him to make. He takes his glasses off and leans back, his eyes tired from the strain of staring at his laptop screen. Just a few more, and then he'll be done.

From the kitchen, he catches the faint sound of humming alongside the noises of you making breakfast. He thinks he recognises the melody- it's the same song you've been singing for the past couple of weeks and inadvertently got stuck in his head too. He recalls your gleeful laughter and teasing when you caught him humming the tune to himself one day, and smiles in spite of himself.

The scent of pancakes wafts into his study, and he looks back at his laptop. Maybe the reports can wait.

You're flipping pancakes when you feel Zayne drape himself over you from the back. "Smells good," he says.

"Finished with your reports already? Or did you just miss me?" you tease.

"Neither. I got hungry."

"Wow. I'm going to be having this entire stack of pancakes by myself now. You can eat cereal while you think about what you did. And it's the plain kind too," you huff.

"You wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't I."

He watches you plop the last pancake on the plate and turn off the heat, and then spins you around to face him. "My apologies, miss. Allow me to make it up to you for my thoughtless words."

"Oh? And how are you planning to do that?" You make a show of being offended, but the barely concealed smile on your face gives you away.

A smile Zayne matches as he leans down and whispers, "Like this," before pressing his lips to your cheek much like earlier, except this time he didn't stop after just one. He tilts your face slightly to kiss the other cheek, and then trails down to kiss the corner of your mouth. He ghosts over your cupid's bow and a little involuntary shudder passes through you, making him chuckle quietly before he leans in.

He's gentle with the way he kisses you, his hands warm as they cradle your face. His earlier playfulness manifests in the form of a succession of soft pecks to your lips, eliciting giggles from you. He pulls back to spin you away from the stove and presses you back against the kitchen island, his hands splayed on your lower back and hip as he claims your lips with his own again.

After a minute or so, he breaks away. "Did you add nutella to the pancakes?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I did. How did you know?"

"I could taste it on you." He swipes his thumb on your cheek before one last sweet press of his lips to yours.

You roll your eyes. "Sue me. Besides, didn't you finish a whole jar all by yourself last week? I had to have my smores with chocolate syrup and it just wasn't the same," you mourn.

"I offered to run to the store to get more, but if I recall correctly, someone was too impatient to wait," he deadpans.

"It's not the situation, it's the principle. I was looking forward to that specific jar of nutella on my smores and you took that away from me. You need to apologise for that too," you say, hoping he'll take the bait.

He narrows his eyes. "You're playing tricks on me, aren't you."

"Who, me? Whaaaat. No way."

He sighs. "Alright. We can go to that new dessert place you've been mentioning for a while. How does that sound?"

"…you mean the dessert place you've been mentioning."

"I see it as a win win, no?"

"Of course you do."

"So you don't want to go?"

"No! I mean. That's not what I said."

Zayne smiles inwardly. "There's that new movie they're showing at the theater near the park too," he says as he finally gets to setting the table. "An adaptation of a book you were reading? We can go watch that and drop by the dessert place on our way home."

You sit down and pile pancakes onto your plate and his. "So you're not going to work on those reports today?"

He makes a show of weighing his options, though the hope sparkling in your eyes made his choice laughably easy.

"The reports can wait."

[kyri45]

Not me abusing the asks to both share my love for the bioparents AU AND rant about the panels because none of my friends are in the LMK fandom and I'm suffering here so TAKE MY LOVE AND APPRECIATION ABOUT YOUR ART I guess x)

So first of all

I am a SUCKER for that kind of leaning in frames I'm going to print that and plaster it on my wall THEY ARE EVERYTHING /hj

I almost jumped of my chair when this one popped up YOU FED US GOOD its so worth the angst train incoming. Of course the panels before and after were equally as amazing but if I start going about every single panel we're still here in three days AT THE VERY LEAST LOL

Of course this one made me laugh like please their little faces

Using that to point out how much I love ALLLLLLL the silly faces you put in your comics I'm munching on them every single time they're crushy like chips or something just. Nom nom. Yummy.

Poor Nesha (Nesha? Nezha? Neja? I have no idea on how to write his name I already forgor LMAO) needs to be payed more. He tries to save MK and ends up dealing with two lovesick teenagers demons who have no concept of time/place/occasion apparently. Poor him. He gets a pat on the head for his troubles

And of course just the "NOPE I'M KEEPING HIM" mode and honestly we should have seen it coming- Red son was planning to courtnap him and didn't sleep in the past 5 days so he's not having any bullshit YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIS NOODLE BOY AWAY-

Could bet he spent so long thinking about the cournapping in the 5 past days his brain just cannot process that yeah maybe you need to let him down you're just going to drag him in more troubles- Either that or he's just going full protective mode. Both options are good anyways sooooo :)

We stan a protective boyfriend in this house.

---

And finally I'm SOOOOO hyped about whatever is coming next like I know that technically we're supposed to suffer but please I climbed up the angst train so many times now I'm just enjoying it by that point lol. It'll just make the following fluff even more worth it

Also I cannot wait to see MK's plan about the contract I'm so curious I'm dying I love you boys but I really want the plot to progress you can go back to kissing later lol

Finally, thank you for creating this AU. It's stumbling randomly upon it on my tik tok fyp that dragged me into watching Lego Monkie Kid and really THANK YOU FOR THAT. It's such an amazing show I CANNOT BELIEVE I didn't discovered it sooner so really thank for having created this comic because else I could have missed LMK and that would be just saaaad

Fun fact: since I had never interacted with LMK the first time I read your comic, I for some reason thought Macaque was a female (and I probably would have thought the same of Wukong if he wasn't called... well, Wukong because I randomly stumbled upon the myth's Wikipedia page at some point in my life XD). The shock I felt when I heard Macaque for the first time in the show because his voice was soooooo not what I expected x) I'm still laughing at myself to this day

So yeah, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, and I can't wait to see what you're going to pull next :D Wish you allllll the best <3

(I can totally wait, of course, it's just a figure of speech. Take your time, I could wait forever for the next chapter)

ahaha thank you for such a lovely comment!! Glad the scene gived "MINE" vibes as I was planning ahah.

Youu're welcome! It's an honor to serve this fandom. *bows*

[mischiefmaker615]

St Patrick’s Day

Rating: PG14 Summary: Loki's still new at learning Midgardian holidays and this one is probably his least favorite so far. Note: Happy (Early) St. Patrick's Day! XD wear green! at least do it for Loki ;)

The sound of the door practically being ripped open startles you where you almost drop your book, clutching it to your chest while you sit up on the couch for Loki to storm in.

‘’I try to understand and adapt Y/N but your Midgardian traditions get utterly more stupid the further we move into the new year.’’ Loki grumbled, clearly unhappy while his chest heaves to calm down within his sexy, tight black t-shirt. The jeans were enough to cause a distraction as well if you hadn’t pulled yourself together to help calm your boyfriend.

‘’I think everyone has their fair share in strange traditions..’’ you risk saying, having to at least make the tiny attempt to depend your planet’s honor while he plops down on the couch next to you, making you lift off the cushion briefly before you quickly set down the book on the table. ‘’it’s all a matter of getting used to them and deciding which ones to ignore, and which ones to care about. -like Christmas! You seemed to enjoy that one-‘’ you encouraged while he crossed his arms and looked at you with a deadpan expression.

‘’your Christmas holiday didn’t have nearly as much trouble other than the room convenience with the gifts and most people’s money accounts being drained. Though I would dare say that decision is on them.’’

‘’we just get ahead of ourselves sometimes in the time of gift giving, we don’t look at the money numbers’’ you shrug sheepishly and try not to shudder at your lost amount that past holiday- at least everyone was happy.

‘’so what exactly has you all riled up-‘’ you begin, your eyes turning to concern while you place a hand on his bicep to unfold his arms, only to have him flinch back and you instantly raised your hands in a surrender position. ‘’sorry-‘’ you said, a bit to sarcastically as if he were a kid throwing a tantrum but he was quicker to turn his body towards you with the shake of his head.

‘’no no darling- it’s not you.. I’m just a bit sore here and there..’’ he said a little quietly, not liking to admit such things while he took your hands in his to reassure you.

You raised a brow and looked him over. ‘’training was yesterday and you won most matches- how could you be possibly so-‘’

‘’it’s not that love.. your.. Midgardian holiday is what did it.’’ He said, his tone a bit sharper at the mere thought of it.

Furrowing your brows, you searched off into the room in thought before you freed one of your hands to pull out your phone. Opening up the calendar, you read what was today before you began laughing.

‘’you mean St. Patrick’s day??”

‘’and by gods if he is still alive, he will severely pay for what years of torment he puts people things each year.’’ Loki threatened, looking back at the room as if in search of him right then and there before you set your phone aside and leaned back on the couch with a grin.

‘’he’s not necessarily the culprit Loki.’’

Raising a brow at you, his body tenses as if there were a new threat in the tower and noticeably tightens his grip on your hand protectfully. ‘’I’m quite positive Stark wasn’t jesting this time about today..’’

‘’he wasn’t, it’s an actual holiday. To be honest, I don’t quite understand it myself nor do I really do anything on this day- not to say it isn’t important.’’ You start and rest your chin on your hand in thought. ‘’I’ll show you google again later.. I think St. Patrick was a religious man and got famous for that.. some people made up a tradition on this day for some reason that if you aren’t wearing green, you get pinched.’’

Loki looked even more bothered and confused. ‘’why is that?”

“there’s these creatures called leprechauns in folk lore that cant see anyone wearing green. Like.. they’re invisible or something. If they can see you, they cause mischief by pinching you.’’ You said almost in a voice like you were teasing a kid through a spooky story.

Loki’s deadpan expression said it all. ‘’that is quite a load of bullshit and I find highly offensive for those who are more experiences in the art of mischief.’’

‘’least I know your caught up on your Midgardian cusswords.’’ You half chuckle before scooting closer so you could lean against him, feeling his body instantly relax while he shifts a bit for a better cuddling position. ‘’whether it’s real or not, I don’t know. I suppose people just find any excuse to have fun.’’

‘’getting pinched is not fun, and I think everyone encouraging me to expand my wardrobe on this realm was just a trick to lead up to this event.’’ He grumbled.

‘’some of us just forget about some holidays- people usually spend most of their attention on the big ones like Halloween and Christmas.. at least you know now..’’ you offer sheepishly and heard him huff under his breath while you look up at him. ‘’who pinched you anyway?”

‘’Thor.’’

You cringe at the thought. No wonder it was more painful.. ‘’well he has currently a fresh memory cause he’s in the process too. He hasn’t forgotten those small holidays yet..’’

‘’apparently he didn’t know it was only requiring one pinch.’’ Loki grumbled and shifted you a little so he could wrap more of his arms around you.

‘’well.. he’s dumb. Respectfully. He does research, but doesn’t read it all the way.’’

‘’some things haven’t changed, regardless of what realm that oaf finds himself one.’’ Loki shakes his head and rests his chin comfortably on top of your head while you smile and close your eyes.

It was normally both of your pass times anyway, being together like this. You just felt bad he got the short end of the stick when it came to knowledge like that. So your mind began to drift off to things you’d try to warm him about so another situation like this wouldn’t happen again. Just as you almost drifted off to sleep in the process, you felt something hard poking you in the back that made you open your eyes and squeeze your legs from the beginning pressure that began to build.

‘’you know darling..’’ he began, his voice noticeably more husky while he shifted his arms a bit so his hands began to move to your breasts. ‘’you’re not wearing green either..’’

Your cheeks began to redden at his touch- never tiring of it even if he seemed to do this fifty thousand times a day while the throbbing between your legs began to get more noticeable. Just as his words finally registered, your eyes widened and moved to slow to grab his wrists.

‘’and I know exactly where to pinch-‘’

Holiday(s): "Valentine's Day"

Tag List: @foxherder13 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @fire-in-her-veinz @nervouseden @kathren1sky-blog @eleniblue @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @queenofstarsign85 @slytherinqueen4life @soulpiercing @westwindrhapsody @lulubelle814

[moon-lit-petal]

From Chaos to Comfort Pt1

George Weasley x Fem!Hufflepuff!Reader

Summery: George becomes acutely awear that sometimes, people aren't the biggest fans of his and Freds pranks.

Warning: enemies to lovers(?) George fell hard and fast. I tried to do a slow burn but you can tell I gave up lol. Also, Y/N is a little mean to George Ngl

Word count: 2.5k

Notes: I have almost 12k words written already xD But after my 5k Neville fic, I figured I'd take this one a little slower and give myself time to proofread and make adjustments, for now? Chapter One!!also georges face in this Gif omfg

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

----------------------------------------

The quiet halls of Hogwarts were where Y/N felt most at ease—especially in the dimly lit corners of the library or the serene grounds at night, where the only sounds were the wind rustling through the trees or the occasional hoot of an owl. As a reserved Hufflepuff, she preferred these moments of tranquility, keeping out of the spotlight and far from the bustling excitement that so often dominated the school.

Unfortunately for her, Fred and George Weasley didn’t share her preference for peace and quiet. In fact, their favorite hobby seemed to be drawing attention to those who tried to hide from it—particularly Y/N.

On this particular evening, Y/N had settled down in the library with a stack of books, hoping to get some quiet reading done before the day ended. The library had a hushed atmosphere, with only the occasional whisper or the soft turning of pages to disturb the stillness.

But that all changed in an instant.

One by one, the books she had carefully chosen began to glow faintly before bursting into song—loud, off-key, and echoing through the entire library. It started with the first book in her stack, a thick volume of Transfiguration spells, which suddenly belted out a shrill tune:

"♬ I’m a magical tome, filled with spells and rhymes, cast a charm on me, and I'll sing for all times! ♬"

The next book joined in, followed by another, until her entire pile of books formed a chorus. Y/N could feel the eyes of everyone in the library turning toward her as the cacophony grew louder and louder. Laughter rippled through the students around her, and even Madam Pince, the strict librarian, seemed too flustered to immediately react.

Y/N's face flushed a deep red as she frantically tried to shut the books, but they wouldn't stop singing no matter how many times she slammed them shut. The laughter and whispers grew louder with each failed attempt. Her humiliation only deepened when she spotted the identical grins of Fred and George Weasley from across the library, clearly enjoying their handiwork.

That was the last straw. Furiously shoving the singing books into her bag, Y/N stormed out of the library, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She could still hear the faint echoes of the enchanted books singing behind her as she hurried through the corridors, ignoring the amused glances and hushed snickers from passing students.

"I swear, I’m never speaking to either of them again," she muttered to herself, her fists clenched in anger. She couldn't even tell Fred and George apart half the time, which only made it worse. It was easier to avoid them both altogether, and that's exactly what she intended to do.

But deep down, a part of her wondered if it would be that simple. After all, it was Fred and George Weasley—masters of mischief. Avoiding them might prove to be an impossible task.

----------

In the days following the library prank, George couldn’t shake the memory of Y/N’s reaction. While Fred had laughed it off, pleased with how the prank had turned out, George had noticed something different—something that stuck with him more than he expected. He had seen the hurt flash across Y/N’s face, the way her cheeks flushed, not just with anger, but with humiliation.

At first, he tried to brush it off. Pranks were what he and Fred did. They brought laughter, lightened the mood, and sometimes, yes, embarrassed a few people in the process. It was all in good fun, wasn’t it? But George couldn't quite convince himself this time. For some reason, the image of Y/N storming out of the library, her fists clenched in frustration, kept playing in his mind.

Fred, on the other hand, barely gave it another thought, moving on to plotting their next grand joke. George, though, found himself paying more attention to Y/N in the days that followed. It wasn’t something he did consciously at first. He’d catch a glimpse of her in the corridors, her head down, her pace quick, always avoiding eye contact with others. In the Great Hall, she often sat at the very edge of the Hufflepuff table, picking at her food while quietly observing the lively chatter around her, as if she were a part of the scene but always apart from it.

The more George noticed her, the more his curiosity grew. Why did she keep to herself so much? Why did she seem to go out of her way to avoid people—even more so after their prank in the library? And why, of all things, did her quietness intrigue him?

During one particular afternoon in the library, George found himself sitting a few tables away from Y/N. She was engrossed in a thick book, her brows furrowed in concentration. He watched as she absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger, completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. There was something peaceful about her in those moments—a calmness that contrasted sharply with the chaos of his own life.

Fred, of course, remained blissfully unaware of George's growing fascination. He saw Y/N as just another target for their pranks, and to him, the twins’ antics were a way of livening up the mundane routines of school life. But George found himself torn. The more he observed Y/N, the more he realized that there was something about her that went beyond the surface—something he admired. She didn’t seek attention, didn’t thrive in the spotlight like so many others did. She seemed content in her own little world, even if that world often seemed lonely.

But Y/N, still furious about the library prank, had no interest in any of the Weasleys—least of all George, who she still couldn’t distinguish from Fred. As far as she was concerned, the twins were a package deal of trouble and mischief, and the less time she spent around them, the better. Whenever she caught sight of George, she would quickly turn the other way or disappear down a different corridor, determined to avoid them both at all costs.

George, however, wasn’t ready to give up just yet. The more Y/N distanced herself from him, the more he found himself wanting to understand her, to know what lay beneath that quiet exterior. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was curiosity, or maybe—just maybe—it was something more.

----------

The days at Hogwarts had grown increasingly tense for Y/N. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to escape the pranks that followed her like a shadow—pranks she was certain came from both Weasley twins. Whether it was her quill turning into a puff of glitter mid-essay or her robes suddenly sprouting a cascade of flowers, Y/N felt like a constant target. Every laugh that echoed in the hallways after a prank only deepened her frustration.

And George, always nearby—watching her, noticing her—was no exception in her mind. She never saw him without assuming he was plotting alongside Fred. Every time he appeared, she would tense up, bracing for whatever prank they’d cooked up next. To Y/N, they were the same—partners in crime who found amusement in humiliating others, especially her.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, George had slowly started pulling away from the pranks, his growing guilt making it harder to join in on Fred’s antics. He had tried to distance himself, letting Fred take the lead while he hung back, watching Y/N more than participating in the mischief. But to Y/N, it didn’t matter. She saw him as guilty by association, and every time she spotted him, her resentment flared.

The tension between them simmered under the surface, waiting to boil over. That moment came one afternoon when Y/N, in a hurry to get to her next class, rounded a corner and collided with someone—George.

The impact was sudden, and Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat. Her body tensed, and she flinched instinctively, taking a step back as if expecting an explosion of fireworks or an instant prank to follow. Her breath caught in her chest as she braced for whatever humiliation would come next.

But nothing happened.

George, equally surprised by the sudden collision, raised his hands in apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see—”

Before he could finish, he saw it—the way Y/N had recoiled at his touch, the way her eyes flickered with distrust, her whole body stiffening as if she were preparing for yet another prank. His stomach dropped at the realization.

“Y/N, I—” George began, but the words faltered. He could see the wariness in her expression, the way she avoided his gaze, the way her shoulders remained rigid, ready for disappointment. His chest tightened with a pang of guilt. She saw him as no different from Fred, no different from the pranks that had made her the center of unwanted attention.

Y/N didn’t give him a chance to explain. Without a word, she brushed past him, her shoulder grazing his as she hurried away, her head down.

George stood there for a moment, frozen in place, watching her retreating figure disappear down the corridor. Her reaction stung more than he’d expected. He hadn’t meant to scare her, hadn’t meant to make her feel like this. But how could he undo all the pranks that had come before, all the times she had flinched at the mere sight of him?

Fred’s voice echoed in his mind—“Come on, George, it’s all in good fun!”—but it no longer felt like fun to George. Not when he saw how deeply it had affected her. He clenched his fists, determined to show Y/N that he was different, that he wasn’t what she thought he was.

But for now, the tension between them lingered, thick and unspoken, a rift caused by misunderstandings and misidentification—one that George desperately wanted to bridge, even if Y/N wasn’t ready to see the difference yet.

----------

It was another dreary Monday morning in Potions, and the last thing Y/N wanted was to be paired with any of the Weasley twins. But, as fate would have it, Professor Snape announced the pairings, and her heart sank when she heard George’s name called alongside hers.

Y/N shot a glance at George, her lips pressed into a thin line. He walked over to her, offering a tentative smile. "Guess we're partners, huh?"

Y/N barely looked at him, focusing on gathering the ingredients from the shelf. "Looks that way."

George rubbed the back of his neck, sensing her reluctance. "Listen, I know you probably think I’m going to mess this up somehow, but I promise I’ll be serious about this. No pranks."

She finally turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

George chuckled, trying to ease the tension. “Well, considering my track record, yes. I really do want to help.”

Y/N sighed and handed him a few ingredients. “Just don’t blow anything up, and we’ll be fine.”

As they started brewing, the conversation remained minimal, but George kept trying to break the silence.

“You know,” he said, stirring the cauldron, “I’m actually pretty good at Potions. Don’t tell Fred, though. He’ll never let me live it down.”

Y/N gave him a sidelong glance, clearly skeptical. “Right.”

“Seriously,” George said, trying to sound casual. “You’d be surprised.”

Y/N couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at her lips, though she quickly hid it. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

As the potion bubbled away, George continued to sneak glances at her, noticing the small expressions she tried to hide. There was more to her than her quiet demeanor, and it only fueled his curiosity.

“I’m not as bad as you think,” he said after a while, his tone more sincere this time.

Y/N didn’t respond immediately, focusing on measuring the next ingredient. “You still think this is all a game, don’t you? Even now.”

George’s smile faded, and for a moment, he looked unsure. “No,” he said quietly. “I really don’t.”

Y/N paused at his words, glancing at him again, this time with a hint of surprise. But before she could say anything more, the potion bubbled over, and they both scrambled to fix it, their brief moment of connection slipping away in the chaos.

----------

Later that week, Y/N was sitting in the library, trying to concentrate on her studies. The library was her refuge, a place where she could escape the noise and chaos of the school—and, more importantly, avoid the Weasley twins.

But just as she was getting lost in the words on the page, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Mind if I sit here?”

She looked up, annoyed to see George standing there with an uncertain smile. “The library’s big enough,” she replied coolly. “I’m sure you can find another seat.”

George hesitated, but instead of leaving, he sat down across from her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d talk to me after Potions.”

Y/N scowled, clearly frustrated. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to talk to you?”

“I figured as much,” George admitted, leaning back in his chair. “But I also figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

She huffed, focusing on her book again, though she wasn’t really reading. George’s presence was too distracting. He wasn’t like Fred. There was something quieter about him, something that made her defenses waver ever so slightly, though she hated admitting it.

After a few moments of silence, George spoke again. “I’m sorry for everything. I know Fred and I have caused a lot of trouble for you, and...well, you’re probably sick of hearing it, but I really didn’t mean to make things so awful.”

Y/N’s eyes flickered up to him, and she could tell from his expression that he was being sincere. But she wasn’t ready to forgive so easily.

“You think an apology will fix everything?” she asked, her voice sharp. “You and Fred don’t get it. You don’t care how it affects people, do you?”

George frowned, sitting up straighter. “That’s not true. I do care. Fred… well, he doesn’t think before he acts, but I see what it does to you. And I don’t like it.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, skeptical but slightly softened by his words. “Then why haven’t you done anything to stop him?”

George hesitated, looking away for a moment. “I guess I didn’t realize how bad it was for you until recently. But I’m trying now. I’m not like that, I dont mean to be. I want to be better.”

Y/N’s expression softened, if only slightly, as she studied him. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, but she wasn’t ready to let her guard down yet.

“Then prove it,” she said, her voice quieter now. “Stop making excuses and prove you’re different.”

George met her gaze, determination flickering in his eyes. “I will.”

They sat there in silence for a few more moments, the tension between them palpable. Y/N finally returned to her book, and George didn’t push the conversation any further. But something had shifted between them—a tiny crack in the wall Y/N had built around herself, and George had noticed it too.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

[jade-bright]

I just thought of this, and it was too funny for me not to share XD

For whatever reason, Arthur's back, and him and Merlin meet Derek and Stiles

Arthur: ...

Derek: ...

Arthur: Does Stiles have magic?

Derek: ...we're not really sure

Arthur, skeptical: And yet you allow him to join you and the rest of you in fighting people and creatures that are much stronger than him?

Derek, raised eyebrow: You let Merlin come with you and with no weapons or armor

Arthur, slightly grimacing: He knew not to get in the middle of any battles and I made sure to protect him, but he had magic, so he wasn't completely defenseless

Derek: Yeah, well, neither is Stiles

Derek: And if he's right, which he usually is, he'll prove it to you when we have to, most likely, fight whatever it is the two of you brought with you

Arthur: What?

-

Stiles: Sooo, you're kinda just me if I was the one who had to keep what I was a secret instead of the Were's

Merlin: Really? Do you not have some ability you need to keep hidden?

Stiles: The only magical thing I've done myself was with mountain ash, and I probably just seemed crazy or high to anyone who saw me using the stuff

Merlin: Oh yeah, I get that, *laughs* I was practically seen as the biggest fool back then, and I had to just keep making myself seem like such an idiot in order to use magic and save the kingdom, my friends, and of course, Arthur

Stiles: Heh yeah, but hey, it's definitely proven to be an advantage for me, the people that we end up fighting always think because I'm just human, I'm an easy target

Stiles: And then bam! I get them when they least expect it, save my friends and we save the day until the next time things go to hell, which I'm pretty sure will be soon

Merlin, deadpanned: can't wait

-

After fighting whatever big bad popped up

Arthur: *In shock*

Merlin: Close your mouth or you'll catch flies, my lord

Arthur: How in the world did he defeat it? He's actually just human!

Merlin: Oh please, it's hardly that different from when I would take care of something and you didn't know I had magic yet

Arthur: Yes, except he doesn't have magic, Merlin!

Derek, coming up to Stiles: Are you okay? How do you feel? *checks Stiles for injuries*

Stiles, lets himself be checked: I'm okay, on a scale of 'when you push me up against a wall' and 'swimming in a pool for hours meanwhile holding you up,' this is less than 'getting beat up in the Argent's basement'

Derek: *sighs, pulls Stiles in to hold him against him, cups the side of his face and takes his pain* Is the first aid in your jeep stocked?

Stiles: *sags into Derek and leans into his hand* Yup, and I'm feeling close to crashing, so give me my post-fight kiss and lets go

Derek: *amused, huffs but does lean in to give Stiles a slow kiss*

Arthur and Merlin, no longer arguing: *stunned, didn't know they were together*

*Derek still kissing Stiles, bends down a bit to hold the back of Stiles thighs and lifts him up. When the kiss ends a few seconds later, Stiles just rests his head on Derek's shoulder and Derek carries him toward the jeep*

Arthur and Merlin: ...

Arthur: *remembering all his fantasies of wanting to do something similar with Merlin, starts to turn red*

Merlin: *thinking about Stiles earlier comparison of each other, also turns red*

(oop, accidently thru in some merthur pinning at the end there, my bad :] lowkey, this could be a oneshot I write after my finals)

[luimagines]

Honestly would be funny to see wind hitting puberty. Voice cracking and that kinda stuff. Scenarios like that would be fun!

Oh dear XD I hope I can come up with something good.

Masterlist

Content under the cut!

Wind yawned and stretched, running his hand over his face. While his hands had hardened over the course of his adventures and battles, it still managed to snag on something scratchy coming off of his chin.

A little more awake, he scratched it again. It was thin and pokey. Weird.

He tried to pull it but it seemed to be stuck on his face. the more he scratched and prodded, he could feel more of them at the base of his chin and jaw. They were small enough where they didn't quite bother him, but he could still feel them on his hands.

"Need a shave?" Time muttered from his side. Wind looked over to the man with a tilt to his head. Time had an amused smile on his face as he watched the younger boy fiddle with his new discovery.

Wind, still too tired to catch up to the context, yawned again and rubbed at his eyes. "I don't know how."

Time chuckled and stood up with a pat on his thighs, beckoning the young hero to follow him. "I'll teach you. Come on. I need a shave too."

Wind stood up and followed the man to a smaller clearing where they had put their items. time gathered a short brush, a bowl and what Wind recognized a straight edge blade.

Quietly, the two of them moved around their still waking up team member until Time set the items down. Carefully, he picked up the mirror shield and hung it on a tree. Within moments, Time had picked up the bowl and the brush, put something into the bowl with some water and mixed it all together. He had a nice thick foam afterwards.

Wind watched with great interest.

Time picked up the foam with the brush and put it on his face with practiced ease. He did so slowly, letting Wind watch so that he could do the same.

Time handed him the bowl. "Your turn."

"ThAnks." Wind froze and flushed, taking the bowl with a little more force that strictly necessary. Time snorted but didn't say anything.

Wind felt embarrassed and ashamed. Shouldn't he have more control over his voice? And in front of the Hero of Time of all people!

"Don't worry." Time took the blade and carefully slid it across his skin. "I did the same. Made a fool of myself in front of the love of my life more than once. Figured that I couldn't control it even if I wanted to. On the bright side, my lover laughed and smiled and it was better than any embarrassment that I felt in the moment. Corny, but true."

Wind realized that Time was sharing a bit of his past with him. Something he didn't do often even when the other boys asked. Wind started putting the foam on his face, hoping that it would cover his blush. "...Alright."

Time looked over to him, pointing out the places that he's missed with gentle guidance. "It won't last forever. No matter if it feels like it does."

Wind smiled a little easier.

Time cleaned up his face with the blade, running a hand full over his face and slinging a towel over his shoulder once he was done drying off the last of it. "Alright. Your turn. I'll show you how to hold the blade so you don't cut yourself. Remember to go slow."

Wind nodded and took the place of the older man. Time lowered the shield so Wind could see himself better.

"And remember that you're going to cut yourself at some point as well." Time added teasingly. "It's all part of the learning process."

Wind sighed, beginning to slowly copy the movements like Time did. "The others will make fun of me though if I do."

"I'll handle them if they do." Time winked.

At least Wind thought he did.

[fallingdownhell]

hi!! i really loved your reader drunk complimenting dumeru boys 😭❤️ i was wondering if you can make something similar but with diluc, xiao, thoma? you can add whoever else you want!

thank you in advance, if ever you come across this ask and accept my request! love your writing btw <3

Thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoy my writing! And of course, I loved that request so much myself, glad to include some other characters in this now<3

Characters Included: Diluc; Xiao; Thoma

Content: gender neutral reader; drunk reader; established relationship; general fluffy content

Word count: 2k words

Imagine Reader's parts as drunken gibberish, I can't write that for the life of me xD

Diluc

Even though Diluc himself did not like drinking alcohol and rarely participated in it, he could understand your need for the occaisonal drink at his bar, especially when he noticed you approach after an particular stressful day at work.

He noticed your slumped way of walking, the sour expression on your face as you approached the bar at Angel's Share. Without a word, he turned and prepared your favourite drink for you, placing it in front of you with an understanding nod.

You thanked him and almost downed the drink entirely in one go. So it was that bad, huh?

Like always, he wanted to keep an eye on you the entire time, to ensure you wouldn't drink too much, but something came up and he had to leave the bartending to Charles on his own.

As he emerged from his office within the Angel's Share again after two hours had passed, he was surprised and concerned when he did not see you sitting at the bar anymore.

Alarmed, he was about to dash over to Charles to question him about your whereabouts, but then a shout ripped through the tavern, a voice he would recognise anywhere.

He turned to the source of the noise and found you sitting at one of the many tables in the tavern, surrounded by other people who were heavily drunk and singing along with the bards... just like you were.

Diluc turned again to look at Charles, who only spared him one apologetic look before he tended to other customers again.

"DILUC!"

The shout of his name brought him to turn his attention back to your drunken self, as you tried approaching him on your stumbling and unsafe legs. He caught you under your arms as you were about to fall right in front of him, but this only made you giggle more.

"Where have you been? You missed out on SOOO much fun!", you laughed and giggled while talking, raising your glass to your lips again to drink even more. But Diluc caught your hand before you could do so, gently taking the glass from your grip.

"I think you've had enough for the night, darling."

"No! I'm pracitcally sober! See?". You tried convincing him, but you were basically stumbling while only staying in one spot, so it wasn't exactly successful.

"Come on, it's time to get you to bed.", he said as he then gently picked you up, one hand supporting your upper body while his other arm was holding you under your legs.

You let out a surprised noise at the sudden motion, but soon started giggling again, wrapping your arms around his neck as Diluc carried you out the tavern and began the walk back to his mansion.

It was late at night already, but that didn't stop you from talking the entire time, commenting either about the time of day or what you were seeing upon your travels.

"WOW, did you see the shape of that bush?!"

"Has that flower always been there? ...Why is it staring at me?"

Diluc couldn't help but smile at your crazy talk. He wished he could see what you were seeing right now, but it's best if he didn't.

This carried on for a while, him carrying you like this while you commented on absolutely everything without pause, until suddenly, you slapped your hands against his cheeks, holding his face like that and making him look at you.

Surprised, he stopped walking, looking at you questioningly as you were practically staring him in the eyes, not saying anything.

"...What?", he asked after a few seconds of silence as you began squinting your eyes together.

"You have such a pretty face, you know that?", you suddenly said, before giggling again, letting go of Diluc's face again and hiding your own against his chest.

Meanwhile, Diluc had combusted into all the different shades of red at your compliment. His brain stopped working for a second at the unsuspected praise of his appearance.

When he tried nudging you, he noticed that you'd finally fallen asleep in his arms, looking peacefully unaware. Diluc sighed, placing a soft kiss to the top of your head, whispering "Sweet dreams" into your ear as he carried on his way, holding you tightly against his chest.

He knew you would feel the full force of your drinking tomorrow morning, but he would be there as well, to help and comfort you through it.

Xiao

He was still not too familiar with the customs of the humans, so he didn't think too much of it when you told him that you were going out for a few drinks with your friends.

He just nooded and wished you a good night with them while he would focus on his duties for the time you were going to be apart. Never would he have thought it would end like this..

The night has already progressed quite far, but there were still no signs of you coming back. And Xiao was slowly starting to get worried.

He hasn't heard anything from you at all. Normally, you would call his name and he would accompany you back home, to make sure you would arrive safe and sound.

But never before did it take you this long, you usually never stayed out this late.

So the fact that it happened now, made his mind spin with worry and a hundred different scenarios on what could have happened to you while he wasn't there to protect you.

As his thoughts kept wandering and getting worse by the second, he suddenly heard you... your voice... calling his name..

He was confused for only a second because your voice didn't sound as paniced like he had imagined it would, but that was quickly shoved to the back of his mind as he teleported to you.

To his surprise, he stood in the middle of a very crowded place, people all around him and shouting and singing very loudly with each other. Is this what you called a "tavern" earlier?

Xiao then looked around and spotted you not too long after. You were standing with your back turned to him, so he approached you, wanting to know why you called for him.

As he came closer, he noticed you standing with your group of friends. The closer he got, the better he began to understand what you were talking about.

"... so handsome! And his hair! Oh my god, his hair! It's so fluffly! Like, you wouldn't think it, but it's so..."

You were rambling, your friends laughing at your drunken monologue about your boyfriend, which made you pout.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me! It's true, Xiao is very handsome and loveable!"

Xiao froze in his tracks over hearing you say that. Was that why you called his name? Because you were gushing to your friends about him?

"Yeah, yeah, we know, (Name).", your friends were laughing and giggling even more at your pouting, to which you then decided to turn around to get another drink from the bar. Although those plans of your were long forgotten as you recognized the face of your boyfriend in the crowd.

"XIAO!", you screamed, a huge grin appearing on your face as you immediately ran towards him, startling the poor Adeptus even more. He was unsure how to react in this situation, but you just took care of that for him.

Jumping up into his arms, hugging your arms around his neck, you giggled as you burried your face into his neck. "What are you doing here?", you asked him after a minute, only now realizing how strange his presence here was.

"You.. called my name.", Xiao explained, a bit awkward since your friends were watching you two and he did not know how to handle you right now. You were acting so different than usual..

"I did? Really.. I don't remember..", you pondered, but moments later, it was already forgotten again as you hugged him again, giggling like a madman, continuing to mumble "Xiao.. Xiao.. my Xiao..", while you did so.

Xiao was blushing like crazy, and the best thing he knew to do right now was to escape this situation as soon as possible.

"I'll be taking her home now.", he said directed to your friends. Then, placing an arm around your back, he teleported you and himself back to his room at Wangshuu Inn, were he laid you down on the bed.

He would let you rest for now, but there were a lot of questions he needed you to answer tomorrow morning..

Thoma

Thoma himself did not drink often, but he also never stopped you from doing so, knowing that you liked to go out from time to time to have fun this way. And he always took care of you when you had a terrible hangover the next day.

You always felt guilty about it and he would tell you that he didn't mind it a bit, but it didn't help your conscious at all. Still, the next best opportunity you got, you would do it again.

It became somewhat of a routine that Thoma would look after you when you overdid it with the drinking again.

Like today...

It was only supposed to be two or three drinks with some friends at a bar, but it escalated when a certain Oni came into the picture, challenging you to a drinking game which you could not turn down.

Thoma tried his best in talking you out of it, but your pride got the better of you. And now, you were horribly drunk, your head resting on the bar counter as you giggled and laughed at absolutely nothing.

Your friends and other spectators were laughing at you, as well as the drunk Oni next to you, while Thoma was shaking his head. He did feel pity for you, because the hangover would be gruesome, but on the other hand, he did warn you and you refused to listen to him. It was your own fault...

Deciding that enough was enough, he went over to you, gently patting your back.

"Come on, (Name). It's time to go home now.", he said as he took one of your arms to place it over his shoulder, while his other arms wrapped around your back so he could help you walk better.

You were barely conscious at this point, only unintelligable noises leaving your lips, interrupted by the occaisonal giggle or laughter.

The people made room for the two of you as Thoma helped you to get outside, the fresh air hitting your face and you soon felt like you became a bit more clear in the head again.

Suddenly realizing that you were walking, you looked at the figure next to you through squinted eyes. You didn't recognize much, other than the fact that whoever that was, they were looking rather handsome..

"Heeyy.. you come here often?", you asked, the words managed to come out after a few attempts. The person next to you was silent for a few seconds, then you heard a chuckle from them.

"You could say that, yes.", they answered you, which satisfied you for now. You nodded, walking in silence for a bit, until a new realization hit you.

"Wait.. where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home. You had a bit too much to drink, (Name)."

You only nodded again, letting this strange person walk you back to your home without further resistance. Maybe, if you were more sober, you would have realized the hidden dangers in this if the person next to you would have been anyone else..

As soon as you were through the door of your home and your head hit your soft pillow, your lights went out instantly and you were snoring softly, sleeping like a rock.

With a sigh, but also a fond smile on his lips, Thoma looked at you and shook his head as he made sure to pull the blankets over your body, before he left for now to gather a few herbs and medicine to help your recovery later...

[zeondraws]

Ok, Fellas, so today was wild

I'm at Gamescom atm and a week before this I tried to make a small plan for myself. Mostly because I had gotten such a big interest for the game, I wanted to see if I can meet anyone at the event.

After having had a big hurdle while trying to reenter the business area, I was able to go back and meet someone from the Chinese Room (I met two today). Which was wild for me, didn't think with this sudden interest in the game that I was able to meet someone from the team who worked on the game so soon.

I told them how I struggle to find interests in most games since those usually don't speak to me, but Still Wakes The Deep suddenly caught my attention. Where I ended up researching a bunch to find hidden details or eastereggs, looking through the game files and replaying the game to further understand the story.

I only had a small window to ask a bunch of questions, I sadly couldn't ask silly questions like "Does Muir look like a Bagpipe?" or ask some Questions about Caz.

Before the meeting I asked people on the discord server if they wanted to know anything. So I tried to take the questions I had for the moment and get through them XD

I did tell them how there is a small community on tumblr/discord where we gather. And that I asked some folk for questions I should ask.

Ok these are big spoilers, at least some suprised me, quite a bunch if them are of course about Muir and Innes.

I hope I remember everything properly that he told me, I immediately wrote everything down on discord for the others to read, but figured making a tumblr post will be good as well.

Innes:

Quite a lot of people asked about the VA of Innes, apparently they forgot to include him in the credits which made them feel extremely bad, even apologising to them. I can definitely understand how that must feel, I think I'd melt away. They'd fix it in the next patch, I can't check if it's already fixed atm.

At the very end of our chat, while shaking hands, I asked if Innes is bald. And the answer was "*laughs* yes".

Now I clearly asked this one as a joke, because I found it funny to tell the others on discord, however I very much support luscious hair Innes that many are drawing.

Muir:

I explained to them how I've been researching some stuff in the game. And figured out, that Muir must've died around the time when Caz flooded the Forward Pontoon in Marine Control. So I asked if that's possible to be the time when it actually happend- and they did confirm this! I was surprised that I got that on point.

But I got some further details about this, apparently they wanted to showcase how Muir would've died there.

Basically, once Caz flooded the Forward Pontoon, you would've seen Muir outside loosing his grip out in the deck and getting crushed under debris.

Which was so painful for me to imagine, to see Muir outside, walking on his tendrils and suddenly not being able to keep his balance.

I tried illustrating how I roughly imagine this scene, it ain't perfect, but maybe it helps everyone to visualise it.

The Flooding shifted the entire rig and debris fell onto him.

To have some sense where everything is, Accommodation Roof (where you find Roy) is on the left side, if you look at the rig from the Derrick entrance. And Marine Control should be on the right side.

The thing is Marine Control is facing the ocean (if I remember correctly, I hope I do, I'm currently not home to check), so you couldn't take a look at the derick while Caz does the thing. Which basically made them remove this and hid Muir nearby the Derrick for players to find. And I told him how I replayed the game and saw Muir lay there with Innes, it was 6AM and I just sat there like O-O

Muir & Innes:

A burning question for many was, what their relationship is. And they told me it's more like a father son relationship, saying how Innes is very strict to Muir.

Muir is the younger one of the two and also likes to tease Innes a bunch (so the pipe thing is one of his many shenanigans he'd do)

Here we see a wild Muir in his natural habitat about to prank his friend (caught in 4k) (I almost died) (look at him plotting).

Now, I could not forget to mention that the fandom decided to ship Muir and Innes and wanted to see their reaction. They took it with a smile and just talked about their complex relationship again. Which I found cool to hear.

I sadly don't remember every small detail of the convo, since I wanted to make sure that I was able to ask all the questions people wrote on discord.

Brodie & Raffs:

This was a surprise to hear, which also made me very sad. Brodie was also like a father for Raffs, he knew his mother too.

And apparently Brodie was supposed to tell Raffs mother incase anything happened to him. So that she can feel better knowing Raffs died quickly and without much pain. Which is just... I'm in shambles. sobbing

Gibbo:

Some folk wanted to know if he had an actual model, to which the person answered with yes. They planned to show him at some point, but decided that the player should see Trots firstly.

I also randomly asked if the Gibbo model ingame was a part of Addairs model (judging by the game files), if I remember correctly he nodded.

I hope we get to see it in the artbook, I preordered it but forgor to tell him that. But it's okay.

I sadly don't remember everything here, I had to check discord for the questions (I hope I don't say anything wrong), but with Gibbo they focused more on the sound design and the mystery. And I think in the end it worked out perfectly.

Other:

They implanted a bunch of eastern eggs into the game, the art director even said he's still finding new ones to this day.

He mentioned the pictures shown in various areas and mentioned that he inserted pictures of his family and cousins etc.

Also the Kid inside the TV in the Crew Lounge? That's the Art Director as a kid! Whaaaaaaaa- Didn't know this one for sure.

And another random thing, I showed him the meme that @cazrig made. Because I inserted it inside my piece of fanart. I sadly couldn't show him more memes of the community because I forgor/no time. The memes Robin made are also comedy gold.

It was this one (I keep dying of laughter)

He found it very funny, so did the other person I showed it to.

But he also talked about how worried he was how the game would be perceived in the end. Since it came out extremely close to the release date of the new Elden Ring DLC. And having worked on it for so long they didn't know how the reactions would be.

But were positively surprised how well it was perceived, people playing the game, tears being shed and so on.

Okay that took me ages to write, I just wanted to have it all inside a tumblr post. Otherwise I may forget stuff if it's scattered on discord.

The event day turned out well for me today. I was so worried, that my tiny plan wouldn't work yesterday. But somehow I had some luck on my side.

After I got home I added his signature to my physical copy. I also made myself a small card with my artwork for it. I also gave them a small card and a big printed version of the fanart as well.

Thank you John!

I go sleep now, tomorrow is another gamescom day

[librarylexicon]

hi! i'm one of those insane people who got into dc via seeing tumblr posts and going "huh these tropes seem like they are tailor made to get me obsessed" but was too intimidated by the volume of comics, and instead read the wikipedia pages of like 20 characters and dove right into fanfiction after. but i've been finding myself getting more and more frustrated with fanfics that are of the "i ignore canon entirely" variety and more and more curious about aspects of canon that are only brushed upon in fanfic. i kinda want to get into the comics but the amount is just. overwhelming. i don't really know where to start, both in regards to the timeline and where to actually find the comics to read. can i ask you for recommendations? if you don't have the time or inclination, no pressure, just delete this ask XD. thank you!

Hi! I'm glad you asked! I've had this ask sitting in my box for a little while because I've been working on redoing a Batfamily comics reading guide I made for my sister back in 2019 to get her into reading comics (it worked). Here is the reading guide, which is currently complete up to the No Man's Land section:

There's a lot of info in the guide to get you started (especially regarding your second point of where to actually find the comics to read), so I'll just address your first point (the timeline) here under the cut by providing an extended summary of events. There are spoilers ahead, but it's a useful read if you're the kind of person who likes to see the big picture before delving in. Warning: it's long!

The Timeline

(Most of the comics mentioned below have been bolded in the reading guide, so should be easy to find and read.)

Batman and Batfamily comics are old. Batman and Robin have both been around for over 80 years. Does this mean you need to read every comic since 1940? Absolutely not! For comic book reasons, there have been several mainstream continuities throughout the years, one after the other, but the best place to start is directly after the universe-rebooting event called Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986, which established a new continuity known as Post-Crisis. Don't try to read that comic, just trust that it happened. You don't have to read every single one of the comics listed here, especially if you already know some context from fandom (like who's who), but these are the ones most important to the Batfamily mythos.

Origin and early years

Start your Batman reading journey with Batman: Year One, which documents the origin and first year of Batman, establishes his working relationship with Jim Gordon and introduces Selina Kyle (Catwoman). There are many stories capturing Batman's earliest years, the best of which are Batman: The Man Who Laughs (where he meets the Joker for the first time), Batman: The Long Halloween and its sequel Batman: Dark Victory.

Dick as Robin

Dick Grayson, a young acrobat, is introduced in Batman: Dark Victory when Haly's Circus comes to Gotham and his parents fall to their deaths before his (and Bruce's) eyes during their trapeze act, and he comes into his own as the first Robin in the superb one-shot Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet. You should also read Batman: Ego for an excellent dissection of both Bruce and Batman. Other high quality Dick!Robin stories that flesh out this period and establish Bruce and Dick's relationship are Robin: Year One, Batman: Grimm (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #149-153) and Year One: Batman/Scarecrow. Also a good read around this time are the three Halloween stories by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (who created The Long Halloween and Dark Victory) collected in Batman: Haunted Knight. Lastly, a natural companion to Robin: Year One is Batgirl: Year One, starring Barbara Gordon, Jim's daughter-slash-adopted-niece.

Jason as Robin

Bit of a timeskip here. By now, Dick's been Robin for six years or so (sources vary), and Jason Todd is introduced in Batman (1940) #408-409 and faces Two-Face in #410-411. There are some fun Jason stories in Detective Comics (1937) #569-574. To see what Dick's up to at this time, read Nightwing: Year One, and also check out Batman #416 for an alternate story of how Dick and Jason meet.

A new Gotham vigilante, Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) is introduced right around here in Huntress: Year One, and Barbara Gordon (who by now has retired from being Batgirl) is shot by the Joker and left paralysed from the waist down in Batman: The Killing Joke. A good Jason!Robin story that slots in here is Batman: The Cult, before the tension between Bruce and Jason is raised in Batman #425-426. Finally, Jason's life and short-lived career as Robin are permanently ended by the Joker in Batman: A Death in the Family.

Aftermath

Bruce is straight up not having a good time right now. He's mourning his kid, the Joker is still at large, he's sans both a Robin and a Batgirl, and he's accused of treason in the character study comic Batman: Blind Justice (Detective Comics #598-600). Sometime later, Dick Grayson (who is sort of estranged from Bruce and has been hanging out with his Titans friends for years) returns to Gotham in the fantastic Batman: Year Three (Batman #436-439), which retells Dick's origin (with some contradictions to other stories listed here, because that's just the nature of comics) and deals with Dick's parents' killer, Tony Zucco, possibly getting parole. Look out for a cute cameo in this one, but don't worry if you miss it – it'll come up again.

Noticing Batman's increased brutality in the wake of Robin's death, a precocious thirteen-year-old named Tim Drake bursts into the narrative when he hunts down Dick at Haly's Circus in the seminal Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying. Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City (Batman #452-454) is a good solo Batman story from around this period, and Batman: Rite of Passage (Detective Comics #618-621) and Batman: Identity Crisis (Batman #455-457) are defining stories for Tim's pre-Robin period as he explores who he is and who he wants to be. (Specifically, Tim's mother is killed and his father is left paralysed.)

Tim as Robin

(Note: Tim is Robin up until Damian is, but I've split Tim's Robin tenure into multiple sections so that it's easier to follow.)

Now that Tim has officially taken up the mantle, Bruce sends him to train in Paris, where he makes enemies of his own and chooses the bo staff for his weapon in the 1991 Robin miniseries. Around this time, Barbara Gordon reinvents herself as Oracle in Oracle: Year One (The Batman Chronicles #5). Tim debuts as Robin with Batman in Gotham in Batman #465, works cases with Bruce in stories like Batman: Shadow Box (Batman #467-469), and even tackles the Joker when Batman is out of town in Robin II: The Joker's Wild.

Other good stories from this period are Batman: Electric City (Detective Comics #644-646), a character study of Tim's relationship with his dad in Batman #480, and a Batfamily teamup and Nightwing cameo in Batman: The Last Arkham (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4). Stephanie Brown dubs herself the Spoiler to spoil the plans of her father, third-rate villain Cluemaster, in Detective Comics #647-649, and Huntress returns with her unorthodox methods in Detective Comics #652-653.

Next up, the sprawling epic that is the Knightfall Saga. Jean-Paul Valley, a graduate student with a family legacy causing him to be beholden to a lifetime of conditioning known as "the System", debuts in Batman: Sword of Azrael. Batman, who has been overworking himself due to increasing pressures from all sides, finds himself increasingly worn out in the stories collected in Batman: Prelude to Knightfall. (Around this time, Robin also forges an unlikely friendship with Huntress in Robin III: Cry of the Huntress.)

In Batman: Knightfall, a huge Arkham Asylum breakout pushes Batman to his limits, and when he finally returns home, mentally and physically depleted, he finds a new enemy waiting to destroy him. It's not pretty. While Bruce recovers, he appoints Jean-Paul Valley to be Batman to Tim's Robin in Batman: Knightquest. Unfortunately, with the System still active, Tim finds himself increasingly sidelined and Jim Gordon breaks ties with this new, inappropriately ruthless Batman. A lot of things happen, but Bruce eventually returns (and so does Nightwing, yay!) in Batman: KnightsEnd.

Right after KnightsEnd but before the next story, there's a DC-wide event called Zero Hour, in which the universe is destroyed and remade. From a Doylist perspective, this is an opportunity for DC to smooth out some oddities with their Post-Crisis timeline and eliminate any plot elements they were dissatisfied with. Among other things, the murderer of Bruce's parents, who had previously been established as a random mugger named Joe Chill, is retconned to be unconfirmed (naturally, this changed later). You don't have to read the main Zero Hour comic, which is a five-issue limited series numbered in reverse order, but there are interesting crossover issues in the various Batfamily comics that are ongoing at this time, including Tim!Robin solving a case with Dick!Robin in Robin (1993) #10. The main reason I mention Zero Hour is because it explains why there are key differences between early Post-Crisis comics like most of Jason's run and post-Zero Hour comics like Nightwing: Year One. The answer is retconning, and it'll come up again and again. Such is the nature of trying to maintain longevity and internal consistency for comics that never end.

Okay, back to the main events! In what is my favourite comic of all time, Bruce rights wrongs by asking Dick to temporarily be Batman instead of Jean-Paul (yay!), and Dick and Tim grow close as Batman and Robin and as honorary brothers before Dick and Bruce finally see eye to eye in Batman: Prodigal. When Bruce is ready to be Batman again, he dons a new, darker suit (which is very close to the suit in the Tim Burton movies that were popular at the time) in Batman: Troika. Alfred, who voluntarily left Bruce's employ in Knightquest, is persuaded to return to Gotham by his best friend, none other than Dick Grayson, in Nightwing: Alfred's Return. Later, Dick does some soul-searching of his own (and gains a new costume!) in the 1995 Nightwing miniseries, and three concurrent stories in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #46-47, Batman #527-528 and Detective Comics #693-694 lay the groundwork for the dramatic next stage of Gotham history.

No Man's Land

What's up next for Gotham? It's a plague! Dubbed the Apocalypse Virus and otherwise known as the Clench, this plague ravages Gotham in the Batfamily crossover Batman: Contagion, which is followed by a resurgence in Batman: Legacy. It's dramatic, it's whumpy, it's mesmerising and it's pretty great.

By this point, you'll be familiar with the regular cast of characters and can read more of their solo comics at your leisure. There's Batman for Bruce and Detective Comics and Batman: Shadow of the Bat for higher chances of him teaming up with others. Tim's solo comic, Robin (1993), has been going since Knightfall, and Dick's excellent long-running comic Nightwing (1996) begins here. Read Robin for Tim's teenage adventures (skateboarding, making friends in school), family ups and downs (his dad is mercurial, but at least he has a cool stepmother, Dana) and love life (he starts dating Steph) and read Nightwing for Dick striking out on his own in the neighbouring city of Blüdhaven, where he eventually joins the police academy to fight crime from a different angle. (There's also the Azrael comic, which may appeal if you find yourself liking Jean-Paul Valley, but as I haven't read much of it, I make no promises about its quality.)

Continuing the notable Batfamily crossover events, Nightwing has a dalliance with Huntress in Nightwing/Huntress, and a massive earthquake devastates Gotham in Batman: Cataclysm. The consequences of this spin into Batman: Aftershock, Batman: Road to No Man's Land and the sprawling, ambitious epic that is Batman: No Man's Land, in which Gotham is declared no longer part of the United States. Within this year of danger, chaos and political limbo, we are introduced to a silent young woman, daughter of the assassin David Cain. With Barbara's blessing, she comes to live at Oracle's base (the Clock Tower) and becomes the second Batgirl. (Also during this period, Steph gives birth to a baby from a former boyfriend, and Tim – in disguise – gets himself stuck in No Man's Land to help her. It's complicated.)

New Gotham

This, along with the previous section, is one of my favourite periods in Batfamily comics. Many of the solo comics just mentioned are at their peak in terms of storytelling, characterisation and plot development, and several more excellent series begin here, including the family-focused Batman: Gotham Knights and the first ever perpetual Batgirl series for the new Batgirl, who would come to be known as Cassandra Cain. Both series are well worth reading!

Batman: Evolution (Detective Comics #742-750) touches on the fallout of the No Man's Land and rebuilding "New Gotham", and Bruce unwillingly gains a personal bodyguard named Sasha Bordeaux in Batman: A Walk in the Park (Detective Comics #751-752), which of course complicates his nocturnal activities as Batman. Soon after, Jim Gordon is shot in Batman: Offcer Down, and (unrelatedly) Dick and Barbara, who have been having off-the-chart levels of UST for years, finally call their flirting what it is: dating. Also at this time, Bruce has been rekindling his relationship with his pre-No Man's Land girlfriend, Vesper Fairchild.

In Joker: Last Laugh, the Joker decides to go out with a bang in when he finds out he's apparently suffering from terminal brain cancer. The theme of family is explored in Batman: Gotham Knights, with Bruce offering to adopt Dick (at long last) in Batman: Matatoa (Batman: Gotham Knights #16-17). And then a secret threatens to tear the Batfamily apart when Bruce is accused of murdering Vesper Fairchild in Bruce Wayne: Murderer?, eventually prompting him to drop the Bruce Wayne identity completely (this made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move) and become Batman full-time as he goes on the run in Bruce Wayne: Fugitive. Eventually the murder is solved and the murderer is accounted for, and these two stories are probably my favourite Batfamily crossovers ever. They're so juicy and get to the heart of everything I love about each member!

The excellent Bruce & Dick comic Batman/Nightwing: Bloodborne fits somewhere around here, as well as Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's beautifully drawn and critically acclaimed Batman: Hush, which touches on Bruce's on-again, off-again relationship with Selina Kyle. Around this time in the Nightwing comic, Dick's life has been on a downward spiral for months because of a multitude of factors, including losing his girlfriend, his day job, his circus family, his apartment building and more. This is also where the villains Blockbuster and Tarantula are prominent.

Over in Robin, Tim's father discovers that Tim is Robin and demands that Tim give up the mantle, which he reluctantly does. This results in Bruce offering the job to Steph, driving a wedge between her and Tim. Her tenure as Robin is short-lived for several reasons, and all this leads into the mega-crossover Batman: War Games, in which a massive gang war breaks out in Gotham and Tim's sort-of girlfriend, Darla Aquista, is killed. By the time the dust settles, Steph is (believed) dead, Dick temporarily gives up his Nightwing mantle to work for the mafia (yup), Barbara and Jim leave Gotham and Tim's father is murdered in the DC-wide crossover Identity Crisis, resulting in Tim and Cassandra relocating to Blüdhaven, effectively sealing the breakup of the Batfamily. War Games is followed up by Batman: War Crimes, which is included here for timeline reasons and not much else.

Batman's pretty much all alone in Gotham again, right? Time for somebody else to return. Someone who's been haunting the narrative all these years. Yup, in the wake of the gang war, when rival mob bosses are vying to wrest control of the city, a new crime lord emerges in Batman: Under the Hood: the Red Hood, who turns out to be Jason Todd, back from the dead, and no longer a boy in a yellow cape but instead a ruthless, hypocritical murderer with a chip on his shoulder and no qualms about stabbing Batman's allies. (For more about Jason between his death and return to Gotham, read Red Hood: Lost Days.)

Lastly, there's a DC-wide event called Infinite Crisis, which shakes up the whole DC Universe and leads to Batman, Nightwing and Robin taking a trip around the world for a whole year. (Infinite Crisis also kills off Tim's best friend, Conner Kent/Superboy. Tim's really going through it at this time, poor guy.) Oh, and Blüdhaven is razed by a bomb during Infinite Crisis as well. Yup.

One Year Later

(Disclaimer: it's been a while since I read this period and this one beyond it.) After a year away from Gotham, Batman, Nightwing and Robin return, and Bruce adopts Tim (at long last) in Batman: Face the Face. I'm sure this happy-ish period is going to last, right? Well, the very next story is Batman and Son, in which Bruce learns he has a young son named Damian, who is the child of Talia, daughter of Ra's al Ghul (Batman's currently dead, formerly immortal nemesis of League of Assassins fame). Damian and Tim instantly don't hit it off – rather, Tim is friendly until the bratty and hostile Damian reveals himself to be a murderer and attempts to kill Tim. Of course, Bruce doesn't take kindly to this, and Damian eventually goes back to live with his mother.

Also, during the year the others were away, Cassandra was brainwashed and became evil because of Deathstroke and DC Editorial (this made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move). Later, Bruce adopts her in the otherwise mediocre 2008 Batgirl miniseries. There's a lot of complicated stuff around this time, such as Steph being retconned as Alive All Along and returning to Gotham in Robin: Violent Tendencies (Robin #170-175, Robin/Spoiler Special), Dick relocating to New York and having a mediocre run in Nightwing, Tim having a new black and red Robin suit to honour Superboy's death, Tim struggling mentally and trying to clone Conner(!) and revive Steph, his dad and Conner, Ra's al Ghul coming back from the dead (again) and trying to use a younger body (Damian or Tim) to stabilise his form in Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, and Bruce tackling the criminal organisation known as the Black Glove in Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P.

DC-wide events once again have consequences (hooray) in Final Crisis, in which Batman dies. Is he dead for good? Well, this is comic book land, so probably not, but in the meantime, the public can't know that either Batman or Bruce Wayne have died. Hush masquerades as Bruce Wayne (long story) and the Robins battle it out for the mantle in Batman: Battle for the Cowl. Despite Tim's pleas, Dick refuses to become Batman, resulting in an imposter Batman who shoots to kill taking centre stage. This impostor turns out to be Jason, who fights first Tim, then Dick, the latter of whom defeats him. Against Bruce's wishes in his will, Dick becomes the new Batman, and Damian becomes Robin at his side.

Damian as Robin

This new status quo, also known as Batman: Reborn, marks the start of several new series, including Red Robin and Batgirl (2009). Red Robin stars Tim as a deeply unreliable narrator in his new title of Red Robin in his grief-fuelled efforts to gather evidence that Bruce is not dead, while Batgirl follows Stephanie Brown as she becomes the third Batgirl under Oracle's tutelage, the pair of them working out of the Batcave.

Dick, Damian and Alfred have relocated to the penthouse in Wayne Tower and operate out of the underground bunker. Dick and Damian's rocky partnership develops into an unlikely yet compelling and heartfelt bond in Batman and Robin (2009) as they tackle a plethora of villains, including Professor Pyg and Red Hood (again). And where is Cassandra Cain? Sidelined again! She gave up Batgirl for Steph, on Bruce's request, and now goes by Black Bat, though we don't see much of her for Editorial Reasons (sigh).

This being comics, Bruce doesn't stay dead for long, and with both Tim and Dick (separately) discovering evidence that Bruce is not dead, just lost in time (yup), they work together to bring him back alive. I don't pretend to remember all the intricacies of how this works, but you can read about Bruce's journey in Batman: Time and the Batman (Batman #700-703), Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne: The Road Home. It's long and complex and honestly reading Grant Morrison's writing tends to do my head in.

There are a handful more stories after Bruce's return, including some hugs and heartfelt reunions (yes, really!) and the excellent Batman: The Black Mirror story starring Dick as Batman, but even though this is a really cool new status quo with a bunch of interesting implications going forward, the universe doesn't really stabilise, because we're up to 2011 by now, and the world gets hit by another DC-wide crossover called Flashpoint. Except, this is the biggest one since Crisis on Infinite Earths that I mentioned way back at the beginning, and so everything gets rebooted. EVERYTHING.

Batman and Detective Comics and other long-running comics are cancelled and their number restarted from #1, and many series are cancelled and just never reinstated. This new universe, known as the New 52, sets a new status quo that worked in some aspects but not so much in others. Many changes from the universe we just came from are just jumps that happen without explanation, such as Dick's return to being Nightwing (except now he's red instead of blue), Jason being an anti-hero with a bat on his chest instead of a villain, everyone being younger and closer in age, Steph and Cass being minimised and essentially replaced, and many more frustrating retcons that are confusing and/or illogical. But hey, at least the new Batman and Robin comic (starring Bruce and Damian) and Scott Snyder's Batman run (introducing the Court of Owls) are good! Note: the New 52 was soft rebooted in 2016 to become the current continuity, known at its inception as DC Rebirth, which reintroduced many Post-Crisis elements to mainstream canon.

Duke Thomas? He wasn't introduced until the New 52. Harper and Cullen Row? New 52. Tim being bisexual and dating Bernard? Rebirth, though Bernard was inspired by a very minor character of the same name from Tim's long-running Robin comic. Forever Evil, Spyral and the Grayson comic? New 52. Kate Kane (Batwoman)? She appeared during Batman: Reborn, but she wasn't established as Bruce's cousin until the New 52. Many such cases.

And so, right before Flashpoint is where the Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity ends after twenty-five years, with Bruce as Batman and running a worldwide initiative called Batman Incorporated in Batman Incorporated (2010), Dick as Batman in Gotham, Damian as Robin, Tim as Red Robin, Steph as Batgirl, Cassandra as Black Bat, Barbara as Oracle and Jason as Red Hood (and full villain, not reformed in any way, shape or form). In this continuity, Bruce adopted (in order) Jason, Dick, Tim and Cassandra, and of course Damian is his biological son. It's my favourite continuity, and I hope you enjoy it too.

...And I apologise belatedly for the wall of text.

[demonic0angel]

Heyyyy

Look I know I keep asking for Dick x Dan, and I swear I try to restrain myself, but there’s just so little out there, and every time you write them, I devour it like a starving woman at a feast.

Sooo… if you ever feel like blessing the world (and me) with more, just know I will be here, waiting, possibly vibrating with excitement and ready to eat it up the second you drop it. No pressure, of course—but also, please?

(Nah, I love Bad Humor and I appreciate your asks and replies XD)

Dick smiled as he waddled inside of the Far Frozen's medical bay. Once inside and warmed up, he immediately shed his various jackets as one of the beings there greeted him.

"Are you here for His Highness?"

Dick smiled and nodded. The other being gave him a smile of bared teeth before they said, "I shall bring you to Frostbite. Please follow me."

Dick was eventually led into another room, where he finally found who he was looking for. Dick beamed and called out, "Dan! How are you?"

The moment Dan saw him, tears flooded his eyes and then he started sobbing and whimpering. He tried to mumble something but was unable to. Alarmed, Dick crossed the room and checked over him. Dan looked normal, so what was wrong?

Dick immediately switched tactics and cooed, "Aww, Danny, what's wrong? Can you talk? Does it hurt? Did the procedure go badly?"

Frostbite was the one who answered, "The procedure went well. I believe he is emotional and a tad out of it from the amount of anesthesia we had to use to subdue him in the end."

Dick grinned, gently hugging Dan's head. Dan cuddled against his stomach, still sobbing and whimpering words, wrapping both arms around him. "Awww! Are all four of them out?"

Frostbite nodded seriously. "Yes. All four of His Highness' wisdom teeth have been removed."

Dick struggled not to laugh as he looked at Dan's loopy self. At some point, everyone had realized that because Dan was so isolated at 14 years old and onwards, that he hadn't gotten his wisdom teeth removed. He had picked up a fight at the idea, but Dick was able to convince him to get Frostbite to do the procedure for him.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be angry enough to go on a rampage after this. Dick shook his head at the thought but was a little happy that he got to witness such a cute, whiny version of Dan.

He gingerly pulled Dan to his feet. Dan wobbled and then burst into another wave of tears, leaning over him and clinging on like an octopus. Dick rubbed his cheek against his head with a delighted coo as Dan cried into his shoulder before he helped him move along.

"I'll bring him home now. Thank you for taking care of him, Frostbite!" Dan made an audible growling noise at this.

"Of course! He should heal very quickly from the surgery due to his ghostly nature, but he may be sore and irritable for a few days after the procedure! For the first day, make sure that he doesn't get dry socket and no vigorous exercise!"

Frostbite reached over but before he could even do anything, Dan swiped at him with his claws. He growled lowly, glaring at him with teary, accusing eyes like Frostbite had personally done him wrong. Dick cooed again, almost squealing.

So cute! Dan being so pouty was a treat that he hadn't realized he needed!

Dick grinned and hugged Dan, ensuring that he wouldn't attack anyone else. "I'll take care of him. Thank you again!"

As they slowly moved to the vehicle that Dick used to get to the Far Frozen, he kissed the top of Dan's head as he helped him move his sluggish legs. Dan gave a small purr, squeezing his arms around him.

Dick felt his heart swell at the sight of him, vulnerable and endearing.

"Don't worry, Danny, I'll take care of you until you get back to normal, okay? C'mon, Alfred made soup for you at the Manor."

[michanvalentine]

I've now decided to write down my progress in my adventure as Karlach as I go, so I can bore you all to dea— ahem, I mean, so I don’t miss any noteworthy moments! Basically, I'll be documenting all the dumb things I do or think while playing! xD

So, the big moment has finally arrived. The little innocent one—Astarion—tried to take a nibble out of big mama K in her sleep. She took it well, lol. At worst, the vampire spawn would’ve ended up roasted, after all.

Here, I have to highlight something: even though Karlach can't feed Astarion, he still gives approval points just for kindness, and I’m not just talking about trusting him (which does grant approval, of course). The dialogue option I chose was, "I'd love to help you, Astarion, but unfortunately, my body won’t allow it." This means that, for Astarion, kindness and understanding matter more than the blood itself—and we're talking about a vampire who's never really been able to feed properly! Then, of course, he sulked off to go hunting in the woods, all mopey and pouty. Sorry, love, we’ll smash some goblins on the road later so you can have breakfast!

Naturally, the shameless flirting has begun, so I gifted him the Necromancy of Thay, and we rudely interrupted the two lovebirds going at it—much to my little gremlin’s delight. By the way, this is the first time I’ve managed not to kill that sweet couple in the middle of their... passionate moment, because Karlach just burst out laughing like a true barbarian, and the two stormed off, all indignant! xD

And for the record, I absolutely love when the game, as a barbarian, gives me the option to just smash things instead of having to think or talk my way through! I think I might be a bit of a barbarian myself.

Obviously, Gale is munching on boots, armor, necklaces—basically anything I can find. The boy—well, the hot old wizard in my case—is well-fed and happy. His approval is the highest of all, tied with Astarion (closely followed by Wyll and Shadowheart, while Lae'zel absolutely hates me, sob).

We talked about Mystra and shared a sensual moment in the Weave, which, in Karlach’s mind, ended with the two of them having dinner together. The thing that really got to me—and damn, I almost shed a tear—was Karlach’s specific dialogue option during the spell, where she could think of her mom and dad dancing in the kitchen as her moment of absolute peace. It’s such a beautiful image. I adore Karlach—her simplicity, her sweetness. I’m crying. I want to hug her (and horribly burn myself in the process)!

We met Gandrel and we also paid Auntie Ethel a little visit, and she was so happy to see us. So happy, in fact, that she threatened to rip out our spines and drink our bone marrow. Lovely. So, to save Myrina, we ventured into the depths of the hag’s lair, making noises somewhere between groans, grunts, and unsettling whimpers with every step. Guys, we’re a group of fearless heroes—we’re just going down some stairs, not climbing Mount Everest in a blizzard! For fuck’s sake! I can understand the wizard and the escort, but the rest of you? Wyll, Lae'zel, Shadowheart? You too, Karlach?! Shame!

Naturally, while traveling, we had some cheerful chit-chat about super lighthearted topics, like, you know, cults of dark deities, Shar-worshipping clerics with amnesia and excruciating pain for reasons unknown, or vampire lords enslaving elves and other folks for their own little torture hobbies. Karlach has become the group’s confidante.

Of course, Wyll just had to bring up Astarion’s rat-based diet, lol, to which Astarion very calmly responded with mild death threats. Then Shadowheart asked Astarion who he’d prefer to drink from, and, once again, our vampire made it clear that Wyll is his top choice because he’s sweet and virtuous.

And this is where I really want to emphasize that, in my opinion, Astarion has such a deeply complicated love-hate relationship with the idea of a hero.

All in all, I’d say we’re a perfectly dysfunctional yet well-bonded group of misfits with only the entire world’s salvation on our shoulders. No big deal, right?

I’ll wrap this up with the screenshot of the day—hands down, the best one!

We’re there talking to Fezzerk about Barcus, and big mama K is rightfully pissed, Wyll is anxiously watching the poor gnome hanging from the windmill blades, and Astarion…?

What is that face?

Astarion: Now kill him, now kill him! Shh, be quiet, Astarion—act like nothing’s happening and don’t let on that you can’t wait for it to happen. Come on, Great Furnace, tear him to pieces. I'll just stay here, thoroughly enjoying his screams and watching his limbs burn.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

The Copollogism Essays - Part 1: The Tent Scene

SO. Here we are. I have absolutely ascended to insane over two fictional characters' relationship by this point, and this will merely cement that into place.

I do not know how often I will update this, but rest assured I have it all figured out! I'll update with links below for easy access to the other posts as I analyze our favorite dumpsterfire ship >:3

Believe me when I say I have Thoughts™️

These essays will detail the scenes Apollo & Commodus have shared, as well as a look into how it affected them and we'll also take a look into where it stands in the toxic relationship territory (The answer may surprise you. Or not. I am not quite sure myself at this point in time LMAO).

Additionally, I will be giving my own thoughts on a few things I've noticed within the series. I will refrain from talking about my own personal headcanons and focus on what we're given in the books, as well as any and all historical facts from Commodus's life that relate to their lives/relationship.

From The Book: Part 1 (The Tent) ~ Part 2 (The Assassination) ~ Part 3 (Lester's Reaction) ~ Part 4 (Leo's Questions/Seeing Commodus Again) ~ Part 5 (The Arena) ~ Part 6 (The Waystation) ~ Part 7 (The Yacht) ~ Part 8 (The Final Moment)

Analysis: Part 1 (Apollo and Commodus as Individuals) ~ Part 2 (Toxic Relationship?) ~ Part 3 (Codependent - Or Is It?) ~ Part 4 (Other Thoughts)

Let us kick off with the infamous: Tent Scene.

The Tent Scene

All quotations from The Dark Prophecy

Let's break it down.

I could certainly sympathize with his feelings. Marcus Aurelius was the sternest, most powerful father in the world aside from my own father, Zeus. Both loved to lecture. Both loved to remind their offspring how lucky they were, how privileged, how far short they fell of their fathers’ expectations. And of course, both had gorgeous, talented, tragically underappreciated sons.

How their fathers treat them is certainly a focal point of their relationship, with Apollo knowing enough about Commodus's feelings on Marcus Aurelius to be willing to compare it to his own relationship with Zeus (which is...honestly worse than Commodus & Marcus's).

“My father made me his junior co-emperor when I was fifteen, Apollo. It’s stifling. All duty, all the time. Then he married me off to that horrid girl Bruttia Crispina. Who names their child Bruttia?”

We're told that Commodus has been co-emperor since he was 15 - certainly a young age by modern standards, but rather par for the course in Roman times. However, that does not mean the pressure of being co-emperor wouldn't be a lot on 15-18 year old Commodus.

He is a teenager, after all. And he is a teenager that is rather abhorred to responsibility.

I didn’t mean to laugh at the expense of his distant wife…but part of me was pleased when he talked badly about her. I wanted all his attention for myself.

Oh, Apollo sweetie...you have issues too XD

Wanting to keep your lover's attention to yourself? Yeah, sorry Apollo, but that's not a good sign. This just goes to show that they are both toxic influences, and they brought out the worst in each other.

“I’ll make peace with the barbarians,” he said immediately. “Then we’ll go home and celebrate with games. The best games, all the time. I’ll gather the most exotic animals in the world. I’ll fight them personally in the Colosseum—tigers, elephants, ostriches.” I laughed at that. “Ostriches? Have you ever even seen an ostrich?” “Oh, yes.” He got a wistful look in his eyes. “Amazing creatures. If you trained them to fight, perhaps designed some sort of armor for them, they would be incredible.” “You’re a handsome idiot.” I threw another grape, which bounced off his forehead. A brief flash of anger washed over his face.

Leaving this here for future reference but we WILL be coming back to it!!!! In a future post!!!!

I knew my sweet Commodus could have an ugly temper. He was a little too fond of slaughter. But what did I care? I was a god. I could speak to him in ways no one else dared.

Apollo is the ONE PERSON who is able to challenge Commodus. And from the previous passage, we can infer Commodus is not used to it, even though he is well aware Apollo is the one with all the power in this relationship - although, he sure does like forgetting about that detail a lot lmao

Commodus looked at me, panic in his eyes. “Go,” I said, as calmly as I could, forcing down my misgivings. “You will always have my blessings. You will do fine.”

A sweet thing I find in this section is; 1) Commodus looks to Apollo for comfort, for some sort of it will be fine; and 2) that Apollo is encouraging despite his misgivings. Apollo is aware what kind of leader Commodus could be. He knows there is a high chance of his lover becoming a worse version of himself.

In fact, he even admits it;

But I already suspected what would happen: the young man I knew and loved was about to be consumed by the emperor he would become.

But he tries to go the you have my support, you have my love route. Romantic, but ultimately, it's not enough to keep Commodus from the path he goes down.

into the mouth of the wolf, Apollo says. Because this is the last time he truly sees the man he loved.

The next time they meet? It will be a crazed, paranoid tyrant he has to end - and in doing so, breaks the promise he once made.

He rose and kissed me one last time. His breath smelled of grapes. Then he left the tent—walking, as the Romans would say, into the mouth of the wolf.

This whole, entire scene? It's drenched in a tragic aura. It starts out light and teasing, but it ends with this.

This is their final kiss. This is the final time they get to see each other without the barrier of betrayal between them.

And that, is truly heartbreaking.

[welcometomybraincomics]

Every time I think of Vaporwave being a ship child made by Shockwave, I laugh myself sick XD

I just- Soundwave and Jazz have no interest in a child and then Shockwave crawls out of the woodwork like "Visitation rights." XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Soundwave is just like "What do I do with this???" and holding Vaporwave like a cat and Jazz just goes "Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck-"

XDXDXDXD

I think this is the funniest ever Soundwave/Jazz/Shockwave bc none of them like eachother as more than coworkers and Shockwave doesn't believe in crushes, romance, or sex

in a universe where Shockwave does not intend to use Vaporwave as a spy against the Autobots (maybe a few weeks after he emerges, a Quintesson war starts and the Autobots and Decepticons decide to team up against them), I imagine Jazz just starts getting photos of Vaporwave with captions like "First steps" from an unknown number.

Some of the photos are really terrible too. there's one that's a ridiculously close up shot of Vaporwave's optic and several of them are blurry.

He tells the number he thinks they have the wrong guy, but the baby photos just keep on comming. He does some digging (or just sees Shockwave's hand in one of the photos) and eventually sits at a mess table with some of his friends and goes "I think Shockwave is harassing me????"

This eventually gets all the way to Prime bc no one can find Shockwave which leads to a meeting with Megatron (+ high command bc Starscream overheard and said "this is a perfect time to vent") where the Autobots learn what the Decepticons have known for a while: Shockwave has a child he's obsessed with that he, for some reason, decided to make out of Soundwave and Jazz's CNA

This also explains Shockwave's strange request to "baby proof your lab" every time Wheeljack asks for a collaboration