#maybe a more in depth comic next time

[zetta27]

The Ghirzuul comic is done, really self indulgent and probably incomprehensible but I would be lying if I didn't say I had a blast working on it.

[tired-teacher-blog]

denki kaminari finds out his s/o thinks his voice is attractive/it turns them on? please, and thank you so much

Melodious temptation

Characters : Kaminari Denki/ Fem reader

Warnings and Genre : NSFW/ 18+/ Sexual Intercourse/ Fluff/ One shot

Notes : Thank you for the lovely request cutie though I'm truly sorry it took me too long to deliver, but I still hope you enjoy my input.

Masterlist|Second Masterlist|Third Masterlist

_ "Hello gorgeous." a shiver runs up your spine at the sound of his voice mouthing the words straight into your ear.

It's a habit of his to whisper sweetly, and seductively, just so he could sense the breath hitching in your throat everytime he does.

_ "Oh, h.. hi." and there you are, failing to maintain your composure yet again.

His hands move up your shirt, and his chin rests on your shoulder as you finish up rinsing the last plate, "I'm done folding the laundry honey, so can we go to bed now?"

_ "Wha.. yeah, yeah sure." it's almost comical to be frank, that you're barely able to hold on to your sanity whenever he's being this way, does he even realize the extent of his behavior on you? The heat pooling in the pit of your belly or the electrifying throbbing in your deepest depth? Does it ever cross his mind that in moments like these, all you could think about is being trapped beneath his large body while he pounds you into oblivion?

Probably not, luckily..

_ "Denki.." you start cautiously as he plops down on the bed with you, pausing for a bit until hearing the cheerful "huh?" moving past his lips before you decide to carry on, "how was work today?"

He shifts a little to face you and blinks a few times but says nothing, the confusion plastered across his face is understandable though, as he has already answered that same question of yours over dinner just a few hours ago.

_ "Is everything okay sweetheart? Were you not paying attention to me earlier? That's brutal you know." and he finally regains that familiar bright smile you adore.

_ "Of course I was!" you sit up at once, strained shoulders shaking slightly and hands fisting the bedsheet beneath you, "let's just go to sleep okay?" you feign nonchalance and kiss his lips softly before turning on your side and squeezing your eyes shut in a futile attempt to escape the interrogation you know is coming, but for a while it doesn't, coaxing a sigh of relief to leave your chest as you finally start to relax.

_ "Wanna tell me what's going on?"

You were wrong, he will not let it slide easily because he is now pressed up against your back, arms wrapped around your waist and lips ghosting over the reddening shell of your ear, and it's the last thing you need right now.

_ "N.. nothing, nothing's going on, so let's just sleep." and the strangled moan lacing your words does not go unnoticed as he chuckles amusedly in response before sinking his teeth into your soft flesh to bring out an even louder whimper from you.

_ "Oh, I see," it's like a switch has been turned in his brain, and his previously careful hands suddenly became a bit more persistent as they lowered to clutch onto the delicate skin of your thighs, "that's okay love, you don't have to be shy about it."

Your eyes widen and your jaw clenches when he forces your legs apart with one swift flick of his wrist, you wish to scold him for it but your voice refuses to give, and who knows? Maybe it is for the best, because you're sure to humiliate yourself otherwise.

He thinks he's smart, that he understands the state you're in right now but he truly doesn't.. and you just want to laugh at how funny, endearing, and truly embarrassing this makes him look.

_ "So tell me princess, should I carry on?" his teasing words are nothing less than a blissful torture for your ears, you crave hearing more of his nonsense but also wish he would shut up.

_ "Just.. don't stop." you express eagerly and brace yourself for his next move, the throbbing in your core intensifies as he pushes your panties to the side and runs his thumb slowly along your glistening clit.

_ "Oh look at that, you're already wet for me, I wonder why, I only just touched you," he growls smugly and nuzzles your nape before saying, "you love me too much that just having me near is enough to wreck you."

_ "It's not.. what you think." it's really not, his dumb brain is painting a picture that couldn't be further from the truth.

Although you do love him– more than he knows, more than anyone else in the world, what you're experiencing right now is due to something else that you've tried your hardest to hide, but maybe it's time to give in and admit it.

_ "Then tell me what it is." his demand is laced with a smirk that you could perfectly imagine, the words vibrate throughout your body and settle right where his fingers are teasing you relentlessly.

_ "Just.. stop talking and do something!" you're at your limit already, and the stiffness nudging your bum is evidence that he is as well.

_ "You got it sweetheart, fuck.." he struggles to keep his cool while clumsily working on freeing his raging cock.

Ragged breath and impatient grunts are hitting your ear and pushing you closer towards orgasm, and suddenly, nothing is any longer enough to quench your thirst for the man chanting your name over and over again while brushing his leaky tip over your folds, before carefully pushing into your welcoming heat with a satisfied growl.

Finally..

_ "Baby you're so warm.. you feel really good around me." his whines are just above a whisper but you hear them loud and clear.

He sings your praises while setting an unforgiving pace from the get go, but you truly don't mind, if anything, you're yearning for more and are no longer reluctant to ask.

_ "Keep going.. please Denki don't stop! Deeper please.. talk to me, tell me you love me.." you burst out in pleas and reach a shaky arm over your head, threading your fingers through his golden hair and pulling his face even closer to yours.

_ "I love you, of course I love you, fuck.. you're the only one for me.. you make me, ugh damnit.. you make me lose my mind."

You've always loved the sound of his voice, when he's upset or when he's excited, when he's confused or when he's pleased, and especially during his most vulnerable moments, moments like this one, when he'll truthfully tell you anything you wish to know.

_ "I'm so close!" you cry out a warning and arch off his chest as his thrusts turn erratic.

_ "Together sweetheart, let's cum together." he moves a hand down to join the cock drilling into you mercilessly, fingers rubbing on your sensitive clit and delighted moans invading your senses and coaxing shockwaves of pleasure to wash over your shuddering body like a hurricane.

_ "That's it, that's my girl, ugh fuck!" he reluctantly pulls out of you, fisting his pulsating cock until finally bursting all over your thighs.

Silence fills the air for a while, nothing is heard but heavy breaths and stifled whimpers as you both come down from your high, and all you wish for at the moment is to close your eyes and drift off, however..

_ "I kept wondering what turned you on all of a sudden, until you asked me to keep talking to you," he gently turns you around to face him, flushed cheeks and tired smile brightening his handsome face as he playfully slurred the words, "that's interesting." and the teasing continues.

_ "N.. no you're wrong! I was just caught up in the moment." you're fully awake now as you strived to defend yourself, hitting his chest weakly before hiding your face there in shame.

_ "Okay okay I'm sorry," hearty chuckles ripple through him while he held you close, luring a soft giggle past your lips as you finally started to relax, "alright princess I'll tell you what, let's take a little break and then test this theory again shall we?" and he whispers the proposal provocatively, greedy hands already exploring your body, and pulsing cock awakening to rub against your thigh.

You knew from the start, that revealing your secret would be a bad idea and you were right, because the sparkle in his eyes as he's eagerly groping your flesh and sensuously whispering promises of what awaits you, proves it.

[sketchalicious]

doomed au timeline thing? idrk

uhh okay so . i saw that the doomed au kinda popped off n i figured i'd go into a bit more depth for fun so i doodled out this crappy comic thing. i think i saw a homestuck comic do something similar LOL.

im gonna give like. aftermath of the ninja's deaths and such for the sake of clarity , since i know this is just an angsty clusterbump.

Kai: The real ignition for Lloyd's downfall. The staff was destroyed moments before the transformation ritual by the green ninja himself. In Lloyd's mind, his friend would return to normal. But he was met with something else as Kai desperately took the shards and ran away instead, too far gone into his ego and insanity. Returning home they remain the same in quantity, with Lloyd and Nya heartbroken, and Zane blaming himself.

Cole: He acted as the stable rock of the group. He brought the ninja back to their high spirits again, acting as a replacement flame for Kai to reunite his team. He even began the trend of looking for the missing ninja, with hope they were still out there. Yet despite being the very reason they stabilized, no one seemed to realize he disappeared. Instead they suddenly felt lost, like they were missing something. The grief returned, and the dots never connected.

Zane: His disappearance set the team on course for failure. With him, Asphera never explained where she had banished him, and the others were left to believe he was really, truly gone this time. He acted as the caretaker for the group, tying them together once more as he tried to bring back the joy they lost through menial tasks and the small details of the world. Even back to when Kai disappeared, Lloyd could be a leader with his help. With the last light in the tunnel gone, no one had any more confidence to step up.

Nya: Jay and Lloyd's breaking point. Without her, they lost their drive to keep searching. Her disappearance plays the same as canon, becoming one with the sea. Though she was less hesitant now, understanding that this was just fate, that the team wasn't meant to survive. If that was the case, she'll go out with a bang, knowing that with her gone they would understand too. At least she knew they would be safe for now.

Lloyd: His disappearance happened long after he recognized his Oni form. After having to fight the overlord alone, he went on a downwards spiral. Jay couldn't be there, and frankly, Wu couldn't get through to him like Garmadon did. Lloyd hated the idea of fate. He felt too, like Nya, that the team wasn't meant to last. As such, in his last effort to feel control, he caved into what came easy.

Pixal: Like Zane did in canon after Nya, she turned off her emotion meter. She knew some of the ninja could be saved, and she knew she had to stop grieving in order to even try. In a frustrated effort, she attempted to bring the ninja to her level, only to blame herself for Lloyd's snap. After realizing she couldn't do much for a grieving Jay, she leaves to find the others.

Jay: Who knows where he is. Wu entered his quarters to find only a pair of nunchaku, and his gi laying on his pillow. Maybe he joined Pixal, maybe he existed as a criminal like Lloyd now. All Wu knew is he lost his last student and the last defender of Ninjago. It's likely Jay quit, afraid of becoming next in fate's cruel hand. He'd only learn after the merge.

okay thats it lmao. i might add more ideas in the future but im not creative enough to plot it out properly gO NUTS

[shaylogic]

Wishlist for DBDA Season 2:

A proper noir episode that plays off Edwin's fondness for traditional detective stories

Significantly more focus on Niko's character now that the traditional comic trio had season 1 to establish. Exploring her father's afterlife situation, meeting up with her Mom, discovering her own strength and skills (especially if she has supernatural powers after the polar bear figurine)

More of Charles' living backstory and family mystery possibly reflecting the comics

Edwin's living backstory and family, whom we know next to nothing about even in comics

Crystal picking up more tech/hacking skills

Cryland Crystal x Charles relationship dynamics: conflict around her bully side, trauma-bonding and conflict around the different kinds of shitty parents they have (which so far has been something Crystal's been better about with Charles than Edwin has been)

Monty, Jenny, and Cat King all move to London with the squad. Idc how or why. I'll accept any reasoning.

Happy lesbians or other wlws!!! Didn't quite get that in season 1.

More Kashi! What is going on with him? He seems important

An episode where one of the main characters is stuck floating upside down like in the Topsy-Turvey comic, and the others take turns holding their hand like they're a balloon

Squooshing and the Ghost Roads

More worldbuilding of realms (Neitherlands?) and ghost rules/abilities

Crystal resolving buried David of course

Desire of the Endless interaction with the rest of our queer characters (which is basically all of them)

Flashback montage of the silly early cases Edwin & Charles did together in the past that they referenced in season 1

Flashback on how the boys began their Detective Agency: their very first case.

Expand their first meeting in the attic scene to include if they actually spoke to Death, what happened to their bodies, and showing them realizing the school is covering them both up

Return to St. Hilarion's. Put bodies to rest. Burn it to the ground.

Edwin new outfit. Once done with the school visit and flashbacks, he should pick something mature and individual to separate the new him from the death trauma time

Jenny's new role in the agency group now that she's aware and sees ghosts. Bonus points for goth knowledge

Charles crop top for the fans

Charles figuring out his 🤞 bisexuality 🤞 this season much like Edwin worked through his internalized homophobia in season 1. We desperately need meaningfully in depth, genuine, quality bi rep in media and I trust this show with it. (Shout out to Nick Heartstopper though)

Payneland dynamics: still slow-burn figuring out their relationship as friends or more now that the confession is known. By the end of season 2 and Charles bi journey?, relationships start to shift a bit from Cryland to Payneland perhaps... [I love them both honestly]. Just when Edwin is making up his mind to put his crush on Charles aside and start looking for his "adventure of the heart" elsewhere, that's right when Charles starts to get more interested. And we may expect him to get all flirty but he actually gets more nervous and genuine with Edwin.

Monty becomes humanoid again and is learning who he is out on his own. Maybe he gets a job and apartment. Trying to figure out his purpose as an individual instead of familiar.

Cat King has a name, an animated backstory, and a new love interest that sees through his bullshit and keeps him humble

Feel free to add your own wishlist in the reblogs/comments! <3

[resident-idiot-simp]

Laura wasn't particularly happy to be at the mansion; she blamed a lot of the X-Men for her father's death. It was unfair and probably unjust, but she did anyway. She remembers him telling her stories about them, but they weren't good. He seemed to think they were, but they were so much like the lab.

It was clear that they were the reason he refused to open up. The reason he refused to let her close and it was clear to her even as a kid. He feared rejection because they had rejected him many times and used him for their own gain. Maybe it wasn't intentional, maybe they were just stupid, but they still didn't treat him well.

So ending up in the mansion wasn't something she wanted to do but here she was. It was the safest place for her to continue schooling and training and she could acknowledge that.

When she introduced herself, they looked like they'd seen a ghost, and she supposed they had. She tried her best to ignore them and their millions of questions. She just grunted dismissals at them. It seemed only to make it worse. She elected to just avoid them instead. 

The other students watched her cautiously, but it didn't bother her. She understood that she was not like them, not really. Yukio and Ellie were really the only ones she hung out with and It was nice. In fact, if Ellie wanted to avoid people, she’d find Laura. It worked well and neither girl complained. 

Then one day Rogue approached her, and Laura felt nervous because Rogue was like her. She remembers the comics well Rogue was one of Logans. Logan would also mention her sometimes and he spoke so fondly of her like another child. She had never been jealous, not really. She's more jealous that she got the chance to really get to know Logan. 

Rogue stopped in front of her and held out a hand, “My name's Rogue.” she said with a smile, her accent thick. 

“I know, I've heard a lot about you. My name's Laura.” Laura shook her gloved hand with a smile as she introduced herself. 

Rogue smiled brightly as she stood back and looked her over, “Hard not to know of each other when we live in the same mansion.” Laura rolled her eyes at that.

“Not just from the mansion Logan told me about you, and I read the comics as a child.” Laura told her. Rogue blinked a few times, tears slightly gathering before she managed to get herself back under control.

“He did?” She asked shakily and Laura smiled softly, “Of course he did, he loved you like you were his own.” Rogue couldn't manage to stifle a sob at that, and Laura understood. Logan, despite his rough exterior cared more than anyone, he would lay down his life for any of them. The lucky ones he got close to truly understood that depth of his devotion.

“Ho-how did he die?” Rogue asked shakily and Laura felt her own eyes sting. “He died saving me.” Laura answered voice wavering and in the next moment Rogue was hugging her and suddenly they were both crying. It was so cathartic to have someone who understood, that truly understood.

They grew close and started calling each other sisters because that's what they were. Logan had seen them both as his own children, only one of them technical biologically. After that it doesn't take long for the other kids to grow close to her and once they realize she still knows the Logan who had come into this universe they want desperately to know how he's doing. 

(continue on Ao3)

@twilightkitkat ANOTHER ONE

The other one

[thankskenpenders]

And now for something new

So, here's something I was never planning on doing, but I just couldn't shake the idea... Thanks Ken Penders is gaining a sister blog featuring an entirely different comic franchise!

Introducing... Thanks Steve Ditko, a blog where I read the Earth-616 Spider-Man comics, starting all the way back in the '60s! It's gonna be much more casual and less thorough than how I run things here on TKP, though, which I'll explain in a sec.

If seeing me post weird bits from old Spider-Man comics sounds fun and you need no further info, then just head right on over to Thanks Steve Ditko. But for longtime TKP readers, I know you probably have questions...

Number one: Why?

Spider-Man's always been my favorite superhero, and with the Spider-Verse movies kicking ass and my excitement building for the new Insomniac game, I've been in a Spidey mood. Inevitably, a thought occurred to me: Maybe I should actually read the comics that everything else is built off of and see the wildly varying contributions of all the original creators, rather than filtering them through big budget adaptations. If I can power through One Piece and all these other manga with hundreds of chapters, it can't be that hard... right?

And, well, after a few issues I quickly realized that my options were to either clog up my other accounts with random Spider-Man panels for years, or to just make a side blog. And so the side blog was born.

Two: Will this blog replace Thanks Ken Penders?

NO!!!!!!!!!

Okay but prove it

To allow the two to exist side-by-side, Thanks Steve Ditko will have a different format than what Thanks Ken Penders developed. Rather than an in-depth guided tour that critically analyzes every story beat of every issue, TSD will just be a place for amusing panels and brief thoughts as I casually read the comics at my own pace.

If you've seen me make a few tweets about reading Spider-Man recently, I'm basically just moving that to a dedicated Tumblr. It's a place for me to dump these things so that it doesn't fill up my media tab on Twitter for the next decade. (You know, assuming Twitter is still around in a decade.) There will be many issues where I only post two panels that I thought were funny. There will be issues where I don't have anything to say at all. Maybe I'll reach a run that I just cannot get into, and I start skipping around more. Who knows!

This may sound similar to what I thought this blog would be before it blew up. Aside from the simple fact that there's already mountains of Spider-Man commentary out there and therefore less of a void for me to fill, one of the main steps I'll be taking to avoid repeating the past is not enabling an ask box on TSD. I do not need people to ask me to go into ten times more detail on everything. I do not need to write seven essay-length responses to questions about Spider-Man minutiae every day. I do not need a place for people to chide me for not covering certain scenes, issues, or ancillary series.

It also won't have any kind of update schedule. I'm trying to keep it very casual. I'm reading these comics at my own pace, and if I feel like sharing a moment or commenting on something while doing so? It goes there. That's it.

(On the subject of format changes, I'm also listing the issue, writer, and penciller in the body of every post. This is a thing I wish I'd done on TKP so that people didn't misattribute every weird Archie Sonic panel I post to Penders.)

Three: So when will TKP come back from hiatus? You said it'd come back after you finished SLARPG!

I don't know! Sorry. I have a couple things on the backburner right now for TKP, but I'm not sure when I'll get back to proper updates where I read more comics.

I wanted to bring TKP back this year, and that's still possible. The main hurdle is that I want to reread my own archive (again) as a refresher, which is, uh. A lot of posts. I've developed a high standard for myself on here, and I feel like I wouldn't be doing my job right if I forgot half the ongoing subplots and character arcs and didn't bring them up in my analysis. Especially when I'm discussing the work of an author as obsessed with continuity as Ian Flynn. Unfortunately, the nature of this blog means that every time I go on another long hiatus for Life Reasons I have even more comic continuity to catch up on than last time.

(This is a big part of why I'm making Thanks Steve Ditko an extremely casual blog instead of promising to become a Lore Expert on 60+ years of Marvel.)

Mostly I've just been very burnt out this year after having finally finished a video game that took almost eight years to make. I haven't really had the energy for any creative projects, including TKP. But I feel a little bit of a spark here with Spider-Man, so I'm chasing that feeling to try to get back into the swing of blogging about comics - no pun intended.

So, basically, bear with me on this as I start this low-energy side project. But hopefully folks will enjoy Thanks Steve Ditko as its own thing, too.

Look forward to goofy shit like this

[cinnamonrollstark]

Hello hello Tumblr. So, little update:

You know how I said I was gonna be working on some Arcane fanart? I wanted to share a cool little update.

On Saturday, I started sketching Jayce and Viktor. Click pencil. Meh.

Its alright. Not terrible for first attempt. I can't draw animation/cartoonish/non-photo-realism for anything... or so I THOUGHT.

The next day:

So like, arguably proportions were getting better, more depth more character, so on, so forth. So last night I try for the very first time to draw with markers. All things considered, it could have been worse.

But the proportions, the coloring, all was way off. This looks more like Jayce than Viktor. Too many highlights, too much depth in the shading. Find some middle ground, girl! Fast forward to today:

I feel like I'm getting rapidly better at this. Maybe this is the art style I'm SUPPOSED to draw in. Realism has felt so draining and this has given me such joy!

So, as far as where I'm going to go with it... (Drumroll audience, gimme your best)...

I'm going to be making a fan e-comic book fic set after the events of the finale- specifically where Jayce and Viktor might have ended up.

Stay tuned folks!

[capybonara]

The Zorca and their Migration Routes

Brain zoomies strike again but I wanted to add visual aid to these particular bits of story that have been running in my brain. Putting it all under a cut FOLLOW ME!

Spring: Lanayru Sea

Taking the events going on in @werewolfsister's comic, the relationship between the Domain and the Zorca have grown. Sardon, Cironus, Kaska ,and sometimes little Kaso, have become frequent visitors while their pod remains out in the bay and ocean area.

The water ways allowed Sardon and Cironus to get into all sorts of trouble when they were younger.

When they were just starting to test the limits of how far they could go from their pod, and small enough not to alarm other hyrulian races(mistaken for slightly taller zora boys) They came upon Kakariko Village by chance and during the late hours of the night raided a pumpkin patch and devoured everything. Not knowing they were the reason the present day Olkin is so protective of them. Maybe one day they can go back and make amends somehow…

The end of spring marks their next journey along with their big courting event!

Summer: Akkala Sea

As spring comes to a close, other pods start to converge in Lanayru so they can all make the trip together to Akkala. The main reason for this is for their courting event called Turning the Wheel. Which is a metaphor for life and death cycles, as well as their destination, the Rist Peninsula!

The younger zorca who are of age participate in a race to get to the end of the spiral at Rist Peninsula. But it's less about who gets there first and more about who they end up racing side by side with ("the treasure is the friends you make along the way!"). Older zorca take their time because they're socializing with old friends and previous partners. Those who participate in the game usually arrive a day earlier before the main group.

The pairings can come about unexpectedly! A zorca may hit it off with someone as they race. Or it can be planned, where partners agree to race together. There's no shame for anyone reaching the end without a partner though as they can try next season.

Non-zorca partners are allowed to participate in this event as well. Couples don't have to finish the race either, if they want to, they can break away and join the slower group, or head off together for more private entertainments. But a many enjoy reaching the end because once the entire group reaches the center of the peninsula they have their own party with food and singing to mark the start of summer!

Cironus and Sardon have played the game several times, and always reached the end solo. To avoid the matchmaking attempts by his grandmother, Sardon found a way to avoid courting by simply being faster than anyone trying to keep pace with him. Cironus enjoys the thrill of the game but no one has matched his pace either.

Once the summer of love is over its time to move on to...

Autumn: Necluda Sea

This is an especially important time for pregnant zorca! Their pregnancy can take over a year, so those who participated in last years courting event are ready for babies and need to be prepared for what's to come.

@werewolfsister's Domain of the Sunken Garden is located between the South East coast of Hyrule and Eventide Island. The Zorca have done gift exchanges with Oley and Tajin since the zorca themselves cannot reach the depths of their home.

Somewhere south of Eventide Island is where the Zorca perform their burial rites. When an individual passes, no matter the season, the pod travels to these waters to lay them down to rest in a whale fall event.

When the temperature shifts, and due dates are getting nearer its time to head on...

Winter: Faron Sea

Faron Sea is where the Zorca go to have their babies! Every baby born is a precious addition to their pod since the Zorca are so few in number. New and experienced mothers work over time with hunting and everyone else pitches in to help care for the little ones. The nursery is closely guarded, and anyone who doesn't have business there sticks around in the open waters.

Because the villagers of Lurelin fish in the same waters, the Zorca offer their assistance in any way they can, by helping them catch fish or chasing off monsters!

When spring rolls around again, they say goodbye to their friendly neighbors, and the newborns are strong enough to make the trip back to Lanayru to begin the seasons all over again.

[choclodox]

Lyle’s IQ score Head Canon

HEAR ME OUT: as much as Lyle def gives me himbo™️ energy, I also feel like he’s supposed to be…PRETTY SMART? he’s just also goofy. Like, I feel like he’s one of those friends that’s the smartest but also the dumbest person you’ve ever had at the same time.

Here is my evidence (dons glasses and grabs a laser pointer)

1. First and foremost, I’m pretty sure Quaritch wouldn’t let a dumbo be able to advance to the rank of Corporal, so Lyle needs to have SOME level of competency (but there’s still some room for his goofball nature lol).

Side note, studies show that people who are comical tend to have higher IQs since it ranks critical thinking to understand humor and make jokes. So Lyle is at least smart in that department.

2. In the first movie, we can see that Trudy trusts him enough to work on her Samson. We all know how much Trudy LOVED her Baby, so she must have had some serious trust in Lyle (someone who wasn’t an RDA mechanic) to let him even TOUCH her Rogue One’s equipment.

3. Also in the first movie, Lyle actually knows his stuff about combat theory and the AMP suits. When Quaritch has Lyle survey the aftermath of the Omatikaya’s retaliation for the destruction of the Tree of Voices, Lyle is able to describe in detail what the damages are. He’s able to tell that the arrows were fired from Ikrans based off the angles of the arrows in the damaged equipment and dead bodies, he can say for a fact that the AMP suits are not just damaged but what exactly is damaged (the Driver in this case).

4. Now in the 2nd movie, we actually get to see more of his smarts come into action. Lyle actually gets promoted from Corporal to Lieutenant and becomes second in command to Quaritch. The RDA wouldn’t let that happen if he was purely a trigger happy soldier; you needs some gray matter for that position.

5. Next, Quaritch looks to LYLE to pull the security feed off of OG Quaritch’s AMP suit. And Quaritch is a smart guy too, but it feels like Big Curly Q knows he’s out of his depth on this one and just hands it off to Lyle because he knows that he actually knows his stuff.

But ya, thanks for coming to my TedTalk :)

Also, a few other hcs I embrace

Lyle is that ONE gringo friend that knows FLUENT Spanish (and possibly knows other languages as well). And when I say Gringo, I don’t mean he’s white but is still Hispanic, no. There is a reason why JamCam named this man after Wainfleet, Ohio (the Ohio of Ohio). But nobody questions his ability to speak Spanish. You leave him alone in any Authentic Hispanic setting and come back in 20 minutes, they’re running to the liquor store because they already ran out of Tequila/pisco/etc. TEAM LATINO LOVES HIM

*side note, Jake probably knows some Spanish too since he did his tours in Venezuela. Who knows, maybe he taught some to Spider because he knows he’s team Latino. A

*and Quaritch probably knows some of Nigeria’s native languages (Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, etc) since he did 3 whole tours there before coming to Pandora

Lyle likes 90s music (Britney Spears, Mariah Carey) but mainly SHAKIRA. I could see him just dancing alone to Hips Don’t Lie and someone walks in trying to get his attention, but he doesn’t notice and they have to clear their throat and he just screams when he finally notices them

He can dance Samba, Cumbia, Tango, Flamenco. ANYTHING in that family HE CAN DO IT FLAWLESSLY ASU PAPI

Might come from a family of mechanics and worked in a mom and pop mechanic shop (I embrace that one HC where he has a love for cars and just engineering in general). Maybe he wanted to be a more refined engineer but just couldn’t pass the tests since he was more of an intuitive thinker and tests favor more of the technical thinkers.

Likes DragonBall Z but will never admit it

[shahrwrites]

This has been on my mind for a long time and i really need to get it out.

Jason is not as bulky as y’all make him out to be.

He’s just not a malnourished little kid anymore.

Ok, I can see people try to argue that even in canon, he’s like really tall and really bulky and yes I’m look at you Gotham War. ಠ_ಠ

To be honest, I was hysterically laughing for like. Fifteen whole minutes before I calmed down enough to continue reading. For the love of god, Selina looks like a little teenage kid next to him. And she’s got heels on.

And by the way, this is how she looks next to Bruce, which is way more plausible than. Whatever that was.

Never mind, I think they drew all the males ridiculously big in this comic. (Or is Selina just really that smol??? Not that I was under the impression that she was huge or something, but for a woman who used to be one of Batman’s most notorious villains?? Man, idk)

The point is. Yes, Jason shoot up a few inches after the Lazarus pit. And yes, he also gained a few pounds of muscle, too. But not over-night and not because he was dunked in a war-machine-making bathtub. It’s because he wasn’t malnourished anymore. His stunted growth was resolved in the aftermath of the Lazarus and he wasn’t a skinny short baby from then on, because whatever he ate, his body was healthy enough to directly absorb. Batman annual #25 and the rest of the comics will want you to think differently. But. Just. No.

As dislikable as The Lost Days artwork was, at least they didn’t grow him into a giant over night and I think it’s the only good thing they did in that comic, too, because it would give more depth to his character to say that in the years leading up to UtRH, in addition to everything else, he put in the effort to build his body for the big confrontation. To mislead and shock Bruce as much as he could. But even then, he’s not a tank of a man. He simply has an athletically pleasant body. And, you know, he’s, like, not fifteen anymore?? So it makes sense.

However, it’s not to say that I don’t enjoy reading (whether in comics or fanfics) about the disorientation it brings the batfam to conform the picture of this well-built man before them with their mental image of the scrawny little kid their sweet baby Jason was, in their heads.

If people write Jason’s growth compared to his fifteen self and how it gives the family such a hard time, as maybe a little bulky, sure. I can wrap my head around it and actually enjoy it.

Otherwise, I see Jason as a little taller than Dick and about the same height, if not a little shorter, than Bruce. Actually, Dexter Soy’s representation of Jason felt pretty accurate to me. Which is a shame that the story of RHatO as a whole was such a trash. Maybe for the exception of the Rebirth vol. 1. But I’ll get to that another day.

[deaddee-anime-brownfanlady]

Having read and reread the Lackadaisy comic more then once and looking through the Wiki on the different events. Mostly on Rocky and the familial tensions surrounding the McMurray household and why Rocky got the boot?

So the year 1921 was a big event of change. In which Rocky was kicked out at 16-years-old and within that same year Freckle dad died. It leaves me to wonder was this one of the " Family Tragedies " that Rocky mentioned in the chapter ' Breakdown ' I know that he was mostly delirious talking about his mom Sophie who was severely sick at the time and how his father was "working on the railroad~" most of the time which explains why Rocky spent a good half of his childhood at the McMurray house and was raised along side Freckle. But reading the lines and seeing some of the interactions between Rocky & Freckle, there's obvious some underlying issues and unresolved problems between the two cousins. Whatever happened between the two that Rocky took the blame for.

Closely looking through the many letters Rocky sent Freckle during his time on his own and going through different jobs after another, one of them that stands out specifically. Is Rocky asking for the whereabouts of his father, bits of it mentioning his dad haven't written back to him in awhile. ( Seriously need to know more about Rocky Pop's Ransom) In the present timeline of the comic it apparent that his mom passed away. But what about dear Ol Dad, is he also dead? Or did the man just took off after the death of his wife and left his son behind in the progress because he didn't want to deal with Rocky eccentricities. I know the series is still on hatius, but so far Rocky dad sounds like a major dick.

Of the many letters that Rocky has to sent Freckle before he ended up back in St. Louis again has a few words within it that is missing. One of them seems to mention a "Birthday" perhaps wishing Freckle a happy birthday but also one of the words from the letter that stands out to me is the " Your Fault " line the most. I got a feeling this could be connected to whatsoever went down between Freckle and Rocky that lead to Rocky getting kicked out in the first place. From the bits of missing words in the letter it sounds like Rocky is either telling Freckle that " it isn't all your fault anyway " or he's telling him that its " All your fault anyway ". It's hard to tell what Rocky might have actual meant in his 1923 letter, but from what I gather at it is that maybe he was wishing Freckle a good birthday and went a bit on some sort of one-off small tangent about whose really at fault for what take place at the McMurray house and what lead up to Aunt Nina finally having enough of Rocky and kicking him out of her home and her likely thinking he's a bad influence on her sweet boy and not wanting him around Freckle any longer especially when it came to his schooling.

I swear the more you look more in-depth when it comes to Rocky and aspects of his past, including him basically having been on his own since he was sixteen and been hopping from one odd job to the next as well as going from one place to another until he ends up back in St. Louis again later on is pretty real sad when you think about it. I feel like its very much deeply explains why Rocky tries so freaking hard at the Lackadaisy speakeasy when it comes to him taking on the bootlegging side of things of the business and wanting to prove himself useful to Mitzi and all. After everything he's been through thus far it makes sense.

Also the still up in the air question mark of whatever mess that happened in 1921 besides Freckle loss of his father, or when it comes to his mom illness that Rocky blames himself for and took the fall for something that happened in place of Freckle.

Whatever might happens in the next future chapters of Lackadaisy especially on the familial tensions that still lingers with Rocky and his relationship between both his cousin and his Auntie, which leaves me to wonders is how long will it take for Aunt Nina to eventually sense and finds out what her son and her 0ff-beat goofball of a nephew is truly doing for a " Job ."

How long before things between these rum-running cousin danger duo goes south? Especially when it come to Rocky on his part because I feel things for him might slowly take a turn for the worse again unfortunately.

[sytoran]

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑, 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 (𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋) ⌇ wanda maximoff

summary: you used to think that nothing could heal the scars wanda left on you. but time can heal, and so can natasha romanoff.

☰ PAIRING: (past) wanda x gn!reader, (present) natasha x gn!reader, (present) vision x wanda

☰ TAGS: modern!au, angst, hurt no comfort, heavy angst, jealous!wanda, happy and healthy!reader, natasha romanoff is an angel, wanda has past trauma, i will make you feel bad, god there's so much angst

☰ NOTES: men dni | this is based off a request i got on AO3

this is part 2 of a two-part fic, here is part 1 | masterlist

time skip: eleven months later

once upon a time not so long ago, you thought you would never be able to get over wanda maximoff.

she had entrapped you, in every state of matter, and freedom was an option you didn’t get the liberty to pick. that was, until you met natasha romanoff. turns out you had a thing for redheads, huh.

though it had been difficult, natasha helped you get over the emotional trauma wanda had implanted. slowly but surely, your heartstrings were mended by the angel the heavens sent. slowly but surely, you managed to untangle yourself from wanda’s web of lies.

it was eleven months and going strong with natasha, but that also meant that the next christmas had rolled around again. decorations galore, you felt rather nostalgic as you walked the cold streets with natasha’s hand in yours.

“baby, baby, look,��� natasha said with excitement, basically dragging you along to one of those claw machines with the christmas-themed stuff toys.

one thing you had quickly learnt with natasha was that despite her smaller stature, she could easily flip you over in a matter of seconds and chain you down. i mean, it wasn’t like you would complain, though.

you let natasha drag you along, a lovesick smile reaching your eyes. she was laughing about something you didn’t quite decipher, being too occupied with adoring the entirety of your girlfriend.

unbeknownst to you, a certain wanda maximoff was strolling those very streets.

she was with her on-and-off boyfriend, vision. though considered a couple, the toxicity in their ‘love’ was acquaintance at best. he had cheated on her, she did the same in retaliation, but they always somehow ended up together. it was a cycle that repeated itself.

it was unhealthy, she knew, but they sort of used each other as an outlet, to dissolve stress and seek a peace of mind. maybe it was because he was as messed up as she was.

though this ‘peace of mind’ usually ended in arguments more bitter than aragulas, it was nothing compared to the depths of darkness wanda was faced with when she saw you with another girl.

you were stood just a few metres in front of vision and wanda, trying your luck with the claw machine, a redhead cheering you on with a smile of passion of love. you had that frown on your face, with knitted brows and sheer concentration. wanda was rendered speechless as she came to a standstill.

vision didn’t even seem to notice, his monotone ramblings of the fifa world cup fading away. the snow seemed to fall heavier, and the silence grew louder.

wanda just stood, watching as you let out a groan of disappointment when you failed yet again, and natasha laughing amusedly at your comicality.

she gaze burned, not with fire but with ice. it wasn’t tears prickling at her eyes, it was a winter storm. wanda soon realised she wasn’t sad. she was angry. she was jealous.

you were supposed to be hers. it was selfish, she knew, because she had used you in ways that could never be forgiven.

but seeds of selfishness couldn’t blossom without the sprinklings of care.

it was far too late for confessions or apologies, but wanda had always known. it was a dusty book of secrets sealed with lock and key, deep inside her heart. in the depths and corners of something you never got the chance to see the light of, wanda had craved you. not your body, or your ever-willingness, just...... you.

she neglected your feelings because she wanted you to run back. she wanted someone to need her, because no one had ever wanted her. she wanted to break you so she could mend you and claim you as hers.

and maybe that was why she grew selfish.

but maybe that was why she lost you.

but that wasn’t even the worst part, gnawing at her insides till she was nothing but a shell of a lonely young woman. the worst part, the bad ending, or maybe the happy one, was that you were happy.

you looked so…… free, able to love without regret, wonder and awe and passion and admiration swirling in every cell of your existence. you picked up and spun natasha around, both of you whooping with joy when you finally got the plush natasha wanted.

then all of a sudden, before wanda could even react, you and your girlfriend were walking past her and vision, hand in hand.

wanda didn’t dare look up, didn’t dare to meet your eyes, didn’t dare to see your happy smile. she stood there, staring at the ground, fists clenched but steely. her eyes focused on the tiling of the brickwork on the snowy ground.

blistering cold wind rendered wanda’s ears ridden red. her legs were shaking still, but she dared to look up after an eternity of tensed silence. when the cold air reached her face again, you were gone.

wanda would never know if you saw her, if your eyes ever widened with shock or anger, if a ‘merry christmas’ ever fell from your godforsaken lips.

but maybe that was better, knowing she was just a footnote in your history.

and that was when the ice in wanda’s eyes melted, becoming teary pearls of broken promises and unsaid words.

once upon a time not so long ago, wanda maximoff never received her happy ever after.

i wrote this chapter while listening to mr loverman...... i wouldn't say tears were shed, but i would say a bit of my heart crumbled away. i fuckin' love writing angst it leaves me in shambles but maybe i like shambles.

masterlist

[genericpuff]

A theory as crazy as it is profound in a silly r/im14andthisisdeep kinda way

So there's this conspiracy theory of sorts that's been whispered within the ULO discord and subreddit the last little bit. I don't think anyone's made an outright statement on it yet but it's definitely something people have been casually talking about in the comment sections and chatrooms, mostly as a joke, but also as a thought experiment.

And that thought experiment is concerning the notion that Lore Olympus could very well have become a poorly-made AI comic.

Not necessarily the art, as we've already dissected the art process plenty of times before and it points to Rachel simply being bad at team management and using her mismanaged team as a way to circumvent any real effort on her own part.

But the writing. There's just something about Lore Olympus' writing that's become incredibly stiff, boring, and alien.

Disclaimer before I continue: this is a tinfoil hat theory, and a lot of the points I'm about to discuss can be easily proven with far more reasonable explanations, so take it with mountains of salt. That said, I do think it's something worth talking about as we're currently in an era of mass AI-takeover in the art and writing scene, and let's face it, Lore Olympus nowadays really does feel like it's either being written by an alien, or an amalgamation of possessed animatronic endoskeletons wearing a human skinsuit. So viewer beware, this post is full of speculation and tinfoil hat wearing, read at your own discretion and don't take everything I'm about to say 100% seriously.

Let's get started.

THE TONE OF VOICE

This is where that whole "animatronic wearing a skinsuit" vibe really shines, so I figured it would be where I'd start. Lore Olympus... does not feel human. It's dialogue often feels stilted and scripted, none of the characters have any sense of personal voice, and it often feels like the dialogue is coming straight out of a sterilized Wikipedia article.

There are also often times when characters will say one thing only to be responded to with an entirely other thing. It comes across as randomly generated, like the dialogue is being created based off a script that is only given prompts as to where it needs to end up - so everything between Point A and Point B ends up feeling like non-sequitur filler at best and outright nonsense at worst.

In fact, there can be better tone of voice and dialogue found in the legitimate AI conversations of Lore Olympus themed ChatGPT bots.

And this is a bot that's self-aware it's a bot, so it definitely has that going for it.

The more likely explanation: Rachel's bad at writing. She's planning these episodes maybe 2 weeks ahead at a time at best so she's just throwing dialogue in to keep readers spending money and meet her panel quotas. Her characters have no voice because they aren't, in and of themselves, characters. She hasn't given them any depth beyond their appearance and she clearly has next to no understanding of writing outside her own headspace (and her actual headspace as we've seen is... yikes) so it's not surprising that her dialogue-writing is on par with Shenmue 3. And Shenmue 3 is a game with real human-written dialogue that exists so it's not a stretch that something like LO's bad writing could be entirely the fault of a human either LOL

THE NARRATIVE INCONSISTENCIES

It seems since the start of S2.2 (post-mid-season hiatus which starts us off with the 10 year time skip) narrative inconsistencies and plotholes have become far more egregious, sometimes contradicting itself within the same episode. Almost like scenes are just happening from single idea prompts and no actual structure underneath the surface.

The more likely explanation: Just like the first point about stilted dialogue, this could easily be chalked up to Rachel just not committing to goal-oriented writing. She doesn't have any sort of end point planned for any of these plotlines, she just drags them out until she can finally think of a way to resolve them, if she even resolves them (many often aren't resolved, or are simply left as a "yep, that's it, moving on" type ending, ex. Eros and Psyche).

STRANGE SYNTAX AND CONSTANT TYPOS

This goes hand in hand with the first point about stilted dialogue, but part of what makes everything feel so stiff and robotic is how often the sentences are structured in very... odd ways. From the lack of contractions that make sentences feel less natural-

-to the strange choice of words that no human being in a modern setting would ever use (and LO is, again, set in a modern setting and is trying to portray the gods as being 'just like us')-

-to the numerous typos and spelling errors.

(there are so many I could post here but the "his deam" one always makes me laugh lmao)

It really feels like a lot of these sentences were pulled straight out of Twitter or a Wikipedia article. As a result, it never feels like these characters are talking to each other, but at each other.

As for the typos, at this point, Rachel really has no excuse for how frequent they are. Fortunately, she has hired a copy editor recently which seems to have mitigated these errors, but if there were a bot involved, it wouldn't be farfetched to think that the bot would also make spelling mistakes and stilted dialogue if it's been trained off Rachel's past material which is, y'know... full of spelling mistakes and stilted dialogue.

The more likely explanation: It's a well known fact that Rachel has dyslexia, so I'm not going to fault her for struggling with spelling things right. None of this is to shame people who struggle with dyslexia and reading disorders. But the fact of the matter is, Rachel is a multi-million dollar creator in the year 2023 where spellcheck exists. It's wild that she's only now taken on a copy editor. Literally any of her assistants that she's had for the last few years could have done that for her. It's great that she's hired a copy editor but it feels like too little too late. That isn't going to fix the stilted dialogue, either, which just comes down to, yet again, Rachel being a bad writer. And possibly a series of animatronic endoskeletons hiding in a human skinsuit.

REACTING TO CRITICISM

The irony of this post is that it asks not to take every speculation I write here seriously because it's just that, speculation, and we shouldn't get carried away with conspiracy theories... which is exactly the sentiment we had back when we initially suspected Rachel of spying in the criticism groups, which turned out to be true. It's basically public knowledge at this point that Rachel lurks in the criticism groups, thanks to both testimonials from others who have been in groups who got hijacked by Rachel (see: Broseidon's Palace of Fishposting) and the 'clapbacks' in LO that are clearly meant for the audience.

But it's wild to think that Rachel would really spend time in criticism groups when she's said it herself that she "doesn't like criticism". And considering she already spends an absurd amount of time on social media, it would be really ridiculous if she was still finding time to also lurk in the critic groups and concoct ways to 'get back' at them.

Unless, of course, there was a bot parsing criticism hashtags like #antiloreolympus and #loreolympuscritical. I can personally attest to the fact that Rachel must be subscribed to hashtags in some capacity because I've had Lore Olympus fanart (way back in the day when it was actual fanart and not foe-art) get retweeted by Rachel herself literally seconds after posting. So either Rachel is just constantly refreshing the search feed all day, or she's directly fed tweets and posts with the hashtags she's subscribed to.

The more likely explanation: Rachel literally just spends an absurd amount of time on social media and considering she clearly only involves herself in the beginning and end process of drawing her comic - and only has a buffer 1-2 weeks ahead of time - she's definitely got plenty of time on her hands to lurk and hurt her own feelings in the criticism spaces. She could also just have her mods sending things to her as well. Either way it's icky behavior and I wish she'd do herself and her mental health a favor and just stay out of the fandom spaces, they aren't for her, they're for the fans.

HOW IS IT GETTING WORSE?

Consider everything I've laid out here. Remember that Lore Olympus is a comic that's been in development since 2017, and in the Originals catalogue since 2018. Its Originals version turned 5 years old in March and technically LO is well into the 6-7 year age range in total. It's absolutely absurd that after all these years, not only has the story fallen apart, but the art has lost the quality it once had. Comics are a medium that encourage improvement, you're drawing lots and typically the same characters and settings over and over again, it's natural progression to get better at doing it over time. And yet, Rachel seems to be getting worse at it, and her involvement in the comic seems to be shrinking with each year.

Of course, improvement is optional. Not every comic gets better over time. Which brings me to my final piece on this matter.

The most likely explanation: Rachel is burnt out and not interested in LO anymore. This is the longest project she's ever done, and while it's not the first webcomic she's done on a schedule, it is the first one that's made it further than a handful of chapters (The Doctor Pepper Show ended after about 1-2 years, not even making it to 10 chapters). She even stated herself in the beginning that LO was a project she'd "never finish".

While it is a testament to how far LO has come from its humble beginnings, I think it also serves as a precautionary tale - success can come at the expense of your happiness and integrity if you've trapped yourself in a project that no longer fulfills you.

Rachel's never finished a long-term project, and at this rate, it's hard to say when she will. As well known as it is that she has dyslexia, it's also well known that she has ADHD, and speaking as an ADHD creator myself, I can fully empathize with and understand that webcomics are hard to create, and get more exhausting to see through with each passing chapter. There's a reason not everyone does long-term comics like this, they're incredibly hard to manage and require a lot of commitment. Even I've found my commitment to current projects wavering as the honeymoon phase has worn off and I've sunk into the reality that is monotonous work, panel after panel, episode after episode, deadline after deadline.

If Rachel were a more experienced creator and more self-aware of her own limitations and work methodology back in 2018, Lore Olympus likely would have never been dragged out this long. She may have gotten the chance to finish it while she was still happy with it, or at least leave it behind when she was ready to move on. While I'm sure the allure of signing on with Originals felt worth it at the time - especially when we didn't know yet just how exploitative Webtoons was - it clearly hasn't benefitted her in the long run because it's tethered her to a project that she never felt wholly dedicated to in the first place. A project that's now less about telling a story and connecting with an audience and more about generating clicks and revenue.

She can claim all she wants in her interviews that Persephone and Hades were her "muses" as a child, but the writing is on the wall - LO was a passing fancy that stuck around too long after its heartbeat gave out.

What it's become now is an endoskeleton on life support, made up of statistics and analytics, struggling to stay alive from inside of a colorful but rotting skinsuit that only barely resembles a living thing.

[squirreltastrophe]

ALBERT BOOM!!!! Ophelia ref was supposed to be up next but the universe decided it hated me actually and killed the file for that :(

more in depth info about my goofy guy below the cut!!!!!

probably the core of Albert's everything is how lonely he is :(. he's definitely built a shell of hostility around himself. cause people can't push him away if he does it first!!!! right!!!!!! he puts a LOT of his (dwindling) energy into keeping up this "too cool for you! bitter! angry!" persona.

beneath the insults that sounded cooler in his head, Albert's a goober who likes cheesy old comics and videogames and cargo shorts and his bike. when he first meets Jinny and Ophelia, he's just as prickly to them as he is to everyone else. but over time and many goofy shenanigans later, he learns that he doesn't have to deal with everything alone. maybe. :)

transparent Bert also!!!!!

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Lily of the Valley

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason Todd dies and comes back to life. As the League takes him in, he navigates his morality and family values over the years.

Chapters: 25/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul, Ra’s al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Immortal Jason Todd, League of Assassins Jason Todd, Protective Talia al Ghul, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Jason Todd Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Adopted Children, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Twenty-Five: Water Lettuce

It took Jason a little longer than usual to recover from the pit. Talia cared for him, barring anyone other than Saru from seeing him. He struggled with fever and violent delirium for nearly two weeks. Saru pulled Talia out of the room. “Talia, it’s not good news. I found her,” Saru whispered. 

“Is she—?” Saru nodded. “How long?” Talia asked. 

“She’s been dead for maybe two or three days. I don’t—. Is he any better?” Saru questioned. Talia shook her head. “Will you tell him?” 

“No. He’s in such a fragile state… I’m focused on—.” 

“Please don’t try to bring her back… I love her, but I don’t want—. I can’t bear to see her suffer,” Jason whispered, his voice breaking as he leaned against the door. “Can you do me a favor? Please, I need you to—.” Jason turned his face away, nestling his forehead into the crook of his supporting arm. Talia reached for him, and his legs threatened to fold underneath him. 

“You should be in bed,” Talia whispered. 

Jason shook his head as Talia tried to lead him to bed. “This isn’t your fault. You shouldn’t feel bad. I know you. I know your heart and spirit. You didn’t take her life,” Jason mumbled. Talia nodded, trying to hold him up. “Can you do something for me?” 

Talia nodded, her eyes searching for his gaze, desperate and fearful. “Whatever it is, consider it done,” Talia replied. Jason looked up, staring into her eyes. His strange eyes were bloodshot and feverish. He hadn’t cried… Not yet.

“Bury her in Gotham… Please, bury her in Gotham,” Jason pleaded. Talia nodded. 

Saru turned away and left the room. “Consider it done,” Talia replied, “Now, please… Rest, my little one,” Talia whispered. 

Jason nodded, allowing Talia to tuck him in. He grabbed her wrist. “Stop feeling guilty. I should be the one apologizing to you. My selfish heart forgot your kindness,” Jason whispered, “I won’t be this foolish twice.” 

“Is love foolish, Jason? I know in my heart you forgave her a thousand times over. You will always have a place in your heart that aches for her, and I feel no ill will toward you for it. What can fill an endless space?” Talia whispered, “Now sleep. There are no more worries. There is only sleep.” 

**

Jason’s fever finally broke the next day, and he awakened to a meal while Saru sat quietly beside him. “Saru?” Jason whispered. He propped himself up on his elbows. He could see something change in her eyes. 

“I didn’t kill her, but I wasn’t upset that she died,” Saru confessed. Jason nodded. “How could you forgive her after what she’d done? “

Jason took her hand. “She’s my mother, Saru. Sometimes forgiveness is all we have. I can’t explain it. I love her. I can’t help how I feel. I don’t understand her, but I can forgive her. That power is mine and mine alone,” Jason whispered. Saru fed him a spoonful of soup. Jason smiled. “Thank you.” 

“The depths of your kindness—. Jason, I wish I was more like you,” Saru whispered, “But I think loving you will suffice…” 

“You’re kinder than I am… You just don’t see it that way,” Jason replied. Saru kissed his cheek. 

“Are you just saying that because you’re hungry?” Saru questioned as she placed the food tray over his lap. The soup cooled enough to eat but not so much that it felt cold. 

“No. I think you’re fiercely protective with a wonderful heart. I’ll never love anyone the way I love you,” Jason whispered. Saru gave Jason a sip of orange juice to build up his energy. 

Talia returned, her hair dripping wet, and eyes red and swollen. It was the first time Jason had ever seen her in a state of disarray. She had a pair of sweatpants and an old band t-shirt on. “Ya amar? How are you feeling?” Talia asked. 

Jason smiled. “I’m alright,” Jason replied. Saru lowered her gaze and passed by Talia on her way out. “Mama, thank you for bringing Saru along.” 

“Jason… It’s alright if you’re upset. I—. I admit I wasn’t—.”

Jason turned away as the dam broke. He gasped and tears slid down his warm cheeks. “I thought of you the whole time,” Jason wept, “I thought about how you would’ve stopped it. You would’ve done anything to stop it. I cried for her, and she—. She let him kill me. She ran. I can’t help but think I deserved to die. It would’ve been better that way. I’m not fit to be your son—.” 

“Lies!” Talia shouted. Jason sat up straight and silenced himself as his tears continued to flow. “I’ve known you for such a short time, but I would trade a million lifetimes if I could be your mother for the rest of this one… If you deserved to die you would’ve been granted that four years ago. You deserve more life than most, and I—. I want you to live it however you see fit. I’m sorry that this reunion wasn’t a sweet one, but I won’t allow you to believe you deserved this brutality.” 

**

Talia fell asleep beside Jason that afternoon until he felt strong enough to climb out of bed. He grabbed his duffel and crept out of the hotel, using the window. He disappeared into the night before taking the first car ride out of the city. From there, he hitched a ride to the Kenyan border on the back of a truck and boarded a plane to Cape Town. He had to move quickly and unpredictably if he wanted to disappear. And he wanted to disappear. 

Jason stayed in town for three days before stowing away on a cargo ship headed to his first destination. Talia left Jason a list of important contacts in the journal she gave him for his birthday. He decided it’d be best to train with them all before returning home. He wanted to become a better resource to his family, instead of an eternally expendable resource. He made a pact with himself to return home after he was strong enough. It didn’t matter how long it took. He’d travel the world, going through Talia’s contacts until he could prove himself again. 

He wanted to be able to look at Talia, Ra’s, and Damian without feeling weak. In the dark cramped space in the cargo ship, he relapsed into his fever and nearly succumbed to madness. The sound of the voices on the upper deck and the gasp of fresh air when the ship went quiet at night were all that kept him sane on the month-long trip to Australia. He ate scraps and snuck in the kitchen whenever he could manage it. It wasn’t until an old man came and sat beside him, eating an apple with a knife, that Jason regained his senses. He thought it was a hallucination. “If I give you half of my orange and don’t tell anyone you’re down here, will you promise to let me eat in peace?” the man questioned. Jason nodded. The man plopped half of the fresh orange in Jason’s open hands. “Wait.” He dropped a handful of basil leaves into Jason’s hand. “Eat those first.” 

Jason obeyed, chewing the basil leaves as the boat rocked. After he finished chewing the leaves, he ate the orange, and quietly watched the older man. “The Demon’s Head said you might be here. He told me not to disturb you… Instead, he wanted me to ensure you don’t die or get buried before you get where you’re headed… I didn’t believe you’d be here… And I wasn’t sure you’d like what I had to say,” the older man explained. 

“And then you’ll tell him where I am?” Jason asked. He shook his head. 

“We were told not to report that we’ve seen you if we have. You’re much better at staying hidden than I expected. Had you been in your right mind, I never would’ve found you,” the man replied. Jason tensed up, realizing that the man was right. He wasn’t in his right mind. He’d have to get that in check if he wanted to be good enough to protect Damian.

[partyhorn]

Have u ever posted your comic or animation workflow anywhere? Im super curious on how you tackle the process, especially not using a drawing tablet. I know you have a very simple (and adorable) style so that probably helps in terms of workflow -- Im just curious about the steps you take.

Thank you! With both comics and animation my key thing is to not spend too much time on any particular thing, just draw loose and fast. Honestly the only downside to drawing with a mouse is that I can tell my arm has extremely specific muscle memory regarding it- if my mouse breaks and I get a new one I have to spend a good month or so just letting my hand get used to it again lol. Same with if my setup gets readjusted too much- right now my setup is my mouse on one of those padded mousepads, on top of 2 books, with my elbow resting on my 3DS case (I'll get an actual pillow or something for it eventually lol). But luckily thanks to this I suffer very minimal wrist pain 👍

(...Okay I started to go really in depth in my process here, so sorry if this is way more than what you were asking. Putting it under a readmore just to save space lol)

With MFM in particular, I start by writing out the entire script for the next story arc, which really is just all of the dialogue and vague notes about any important actions. Then I do the paneling with very loose stick-figure like sketches of where the characters are and what they're doing. I prefer having very little planning when it comes to character poses and panel shapes, coming up with those on the fly makes things much more exciting and faster to make. But it's the opposite with dialogue... it needs to be 100% FINAL before I draw a single line lol.

That's part of my script for my most recent chapter, as well as what my extremely loose goofy thumbnail sketching is like. I write the script as one big thing and don't separate it into pages until I actually start drawing- then I go and color change it just to keep track of what dialogue goes on each page

After that, I go back and do the ACTUAL sketch, as well as the lettering (I don't believe this is how it's done professionally. I used to do lettering as the very last step in the process... but then found it hard to cram speech bubbles in the right places lmao.) After that is lineart, coloring, background flat colors, then shading/rendering for all of it. I do each step in batches, as in I sketch out ALL pages of a chapter before moving to lineart, I line ALL pages before starting coloring, etc. I find it way easier to be productive when it's broken up like that, though when I first started the comic I used to draw each page to completion before starting the next (but also, the comic's style was DRASTICALLY simpler back then haha)

(Unfortunately I merged some of the shading to the background flat colors so it's not entirely accurate... oops) FireAlpaca has a sand texture feature that I only found out about last year- adding that to the backgrounds makes them look 10x better with WAY less effort.

With animation, it depends on the project. For simple 5-10 second animation I make for fun, there's very little planning lol. I skip some steps in the process- I'll sketch out the keyframes (and maybe any difficult inbetweens if necessary), line those, then go straight into making linework inbetweens. I'm not a cleanup artist and have no experience in that, so I always find trying to line my rough animation makes everything jittery and wobbly. If I do it with a clean line from the start then I can avoid that and save a lot of time 👍

For my bigger projects (such as the Parvey cartoon and the MFM Kickstarter trailer), I do the whole animatic with final audio first and foremost, with the animatic being almost like the keyframes. I split them up into individual shots, .mp4 files anywhere between 1-30 seconds usually, and animate those one at a time. I'm a huge fan of free to use programs and try to use them as much as I possibly can, here's a list of the ones I use:

FireAlpaca- for the actual drawing part itself (storyboarding/animating/etc). FireAlpaca has a feature that lets you export every frame as it's own drawing, as well as an onion skin mode

Windows Movie Maker- for compiling all of those frames into video format, creating individual shots. If you upload all of your frames and set them to around 0.08 seconds, it equals about 12fps (I usually animate at 0.10 seconds/10fps, its a bit slower but looks nice)

Onlinesequencer.net- for making music. It's the place I've made all of my songs on, like the timeloop song, hyperworkaholic, and the background music for the MFM Kickstarter trailer.

Audacity- for editing audio/music. Also great for recording things directly from your desktop

DaVinci Resolve- for editing and putting together all of the shots into one big video. Can get kind of intensive on the computer during rendering, so watch out.

YouCut (app)- also for editing and compiling shots, I used this one a lot a couple years back but I'm not sure how well it holds up. Doesn't need much phone storage to download but needs a lot to render videos.

MS Paint (yes really)- for typing up text. FireAlpaca has a text option but I don't like it as much as Paint's.

...The only thing I genuinely can't do alone is voice acting. Luckily there's a big voice acting community on Twitter and they're all amazing to work with!

This got... way more in depth than I planned for it to be, so sorry if this is way more than what you were asking lol. But that's my general process when it comes to my art 👍