#my art could be a little nicer. or---consider---you could be a little nicer.

[transmasc-wizard]

showing people my art and my writing and my interests and being told "can't you like/do something nicer :(" makes meee. tired. it feels like all my technical skills in words or drawings or analysis just peel away and die because the subject is scary or gross or just generally on the darker side. "I'm calling a therapist" jokes don't make me laugh, they make me feel like my talents don't matter if the things I'm making are bloody or scary and that my actual real life morality and personhood is somehow made worse by enjoying these things. idk. the burden of the autistic horror guy is sisyphean

[xamag-draws]

BBR thoughts 2024

Since I mentioned that I finally dusted off an old project of mine and was ruminating on how I'd remake it, I thought I'd elaborate a little, now that I've solidified some concepts. For funsies

This is gonna be a bit of a long and unfocused one, but I don't share my personal thoughts here often, especially the stuff about my projects I always marinate in. And for once it's something that people have existing context for, so hey why not

So for anyone who hasn't been following me for a gajillion years, The Black Brick Road of OZ was a webcomic that I posted around 2013-2015, back when I was in highschool going on college (which is kinda crazy to think about). It was sort of a darker twist on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, although I definitely leaned a lot more into dark humor more than anything in those first few chapters

I don't think it's available to read anywhere anymore, and I know people have been asking me about it. So here's the full proper archive of BBR, as full as it can be with deceased Flash

I totally used it as an excuse to shamelessly and self-indulgently experiment. It had interactive pages and GIFs and was wayyy too overproduced for what I could handle or what was necessary, but I did have great fun making it while it lasted

Unfortunately, that excess and the fact that I've changed too much as a person by the time I was in college is what ultimately killed it. The direction I wanted to go in was practically unrecognizable from the original idea started back in 2011, so there were many old hold-ups that I felt ruined it

At the time I kinda wished I could start/rewrite it all over, but considering that I pretty much had the entire script done at that point, it felt like a pointless sisyphean task. So I just put it on a shelf and didn't look back for about 8 years, because I didn't know what else to do

Now to be fair, the nature of my art has always been iterative and cyclical; when I feel like my creative juices have run dry I prefer to leave a project to marinate and move on to something else; cycle through other old things and bring in new skills and perspectives into the mix when I'm ready again. Not very productive, but it is what makes me happy to work on my OCs; I'm doomed to hit a wall with them eventually and I need some time to be able to find a new direction

So that said, I'm glad that BBR was left to marinate for that long. I don't think I was prepared, emotionally or intellectually, to tackle it again until now. The Wizard of Oz book (and the entire series of them, really) has always been near and dear to my heart, but there's a lot of context around it that I'm only unpacking now that I'm older

I think I always inherently feel negatively about the stuff I've made in the past, like its faults always jump out to me more than the positives, especially the more time passes. I've never liked that, and I do really appreciate the kind things people have to say about BBR to this day. The fact that it still can be recognized and remembered is very sweet

When I left it, I already found it "kinda cringe", and that feeling only deepened with years. When I took my first look back at it, asking the question "how would I rewrite it now?", at first I took a very cynical approach, as in "everything would have to be torn down"

But the more I sat on it, the more I found that I still see some merit and charm in the ideas I was putting out; I just didn't know how to execute them at the time (not to pretend that I know what I'm doing now, but I certainly know more at least). Turns out a lot of my old concepts could be changed substantially with just a few small tweaks. So I'd say that's a nicer way to think about my previous work

If you haven't seen yet, I posted a first draft of my new designs for some of the characters (the main group, the Goods and the Wickeds). Definitely subject to change, but more or less how I see them now

I'm just playing with these concepts; by no means would I attempt to remake BBR right this moment. Call it a pipe dream among my other ones. But just for fun, this is the direction I'd like to take:

Nowadays I'd probably make it a visual novel, with more emphasis on the visual part than the novel because I'm no English prose writer by any means. It'd still let me play a little with the interactivity while helping cut some corners on the drawing part (only some, I imagine I'd go hog wild anyway)

I've always intended for some events inspired by the sequel books to take place in BBR's past. Stuff like Jinjur's revolt or Ozma's rule preceeds the main events here. So I think it would be fun to follow the past of a few key characters alongside the main story. One chapter focusing on the present quest to see the Wizard, then one focusing on the past events (that are maybe reflective thematically); rinse and repeat

I'm also sticking a little closer to the original text in some regards. Not everything that I enjoy from the books would be translated here, it's still just a very loose fantasy on the material; but I'd like to be closer in spirit at least

I like mature, wise and powerful Glinda, I like kind and vulnerable Tin Man, I like the Wizard being a pathetic yet loveable liar, so I'm sprinkling in more of that for example

I'd like to keep some whimsy, but make it more grounded and a bit more serious to be coherent in tone. I think the original TWWOOZ book was a more realistic fantasy in some ways, even for the standards of the time; I like its simple but vivid tactile descriptions and details like bringing attention that Dorothy needed to eat and sleep

I find it funny that Baum specifically was averse to making his books scary or unpleasant, finding that unnecessary for telling a compelling kids story, but they still can get pretty dark and disturbing, at least for our modern sensibilities. Let's just say that I intend to use the Evoldo and Chopfyt storylines for my purposes. In that way, I feel like a "darker" Wizard of Oz retelling can still mostly be tonally in line with the original and balance it with enough heart and occasional humor

I slowly grew to appreciate the quaint old-timey quality of the original series, as well. The first book is both timeless and very much a product of the 1900s. Originally I tried to give it a little modern or at least anachronistic spin, but it was moreso because it's what I knew best, so these days I'd rather intentionally lean into the time period. Still not fully historically accurate by any means, but at least directly acknowledging the influence

The events of the story span across 40 years of these characters' lives, so I'm drawing inspiration from the entire so-called La Belle Epoque: the time period around 1880s-1920s. Basically I'm cooking, and my soup is old Victorian fashion morphing into Edwardian fashion and slowly inching towards flappers

Some new Dolly outfits

Lots of crazy things, political changes and innovations were happening at the turn of the century, which I think is noted and reflected by Baum in the books as well; the character of Tik-Tok might not blow any minds now, but he was one of the first robot characters in literature at that point; and don't even get me started on Jinjur, etc. Plenty of really interesting stuff one could lightly ponder in an Oz adaptation these days

Aesthetically, art nouveau has always been a big artistic influence for me, and it'd definitely be its time to shine here. John R. Neill's illustrations of the Oz books often keep me company as well. Nouveau architecture in particular fits that fairytale whimsy extremely well imo

I'd allow myself a little bit of art deco here and there, but ultimately its intimidating geometrical splendor is an antithetical to the flowery nature of nouveau and I associate it with a completely different era. Definitely fitting some characters like my Wicked Witch of the West, but shouldn't be overused

One of my main problems with the original BBR was that eventually I lost track of what it was even about; and the original ending felt too mean and unfulfilling to be worth it. Now I'd like to stick to the theme of home and family as my main theme, but in a different, more bittersweet way than in the book

An interesting connection I made is that a lot of my aforementioned older key characters (the Witches, Jinjur, the Nome King, etc) all came from the same reformatory as kids, that's how they know each other. In my recent research I learned that in those reformatories it was usually frowned upon to release the children back to the families, which were seen as the original corrupting influence regardless of the circumstance. The reformatory did everything in its power to cut that connection and make itself the only family those wayward kids were supposed to know and love. That's an unexpected tie into the theme of home that I'd like to explore as well

So yeah that's the current state of it. I have a bunch of outfit concepts I'm slowly cooking, although I'm now sure whether I'd post them... But I do miss these funny guys, and I'm glad some people still do as well :)

[allfearstofallto]

"She'd like you more if you were nicer to her" -Drabble

Yandere! Scaramouche x Fem! Reader

The words that his subordinate had said weighed heavily on him. Nice? He was nice. Scaramouche was always nice to you. He provided you with hot meals, a warm place to rest your head, and clothes on your back. Better than those rags you were wearing when he met you in Mondstadt.

All he asked for in return was your love and affection, which you rarely gave to him without him ordering it first. But he wanted you to do it because you wanted to. As nice as your touch was, it was better when he didn't have to threaten you for it.

“Good evening, my lord,” you bowed to him as he sat in his office. He called for you and you came running quickly, something that took months of work before you got it right.

“Raise your head,” he ordered and you did so promptly.

The kimono he has you wearing was truly a work of art. A deep, dark purple that matched the shade of his hair, with lighter purple flowers across the fabric. How could he not be considered nice when he worked so hard to have such art on your body?

He reached to his side and pulled out a flower he'd gotten for you. It was just sitting haphazardly at his desk, amongst all his papers and documents. The blossom looked a little weak and it'd lost a few petals, but it was fine nonetheless.

“Take it,” he said. You took the flower from his hand and held it like you didn't know what to do with it, only that you were holding it because he told you to, “We'll have our dinner together in the parlor, I've hired someone to play music for us. You like the shamisen, don't you?”

You nodded your head quickly, but that only made him raise an eyebrow, “Don't shake your head at me like a wet dog. You have a mouth, use your words!”

Your body stiffened at his harsh tone, a sight he was used to seeing of you, “Yes. I like it, my lord.”

“Good. I'll see you then,” he picked back up the document he was reading and waved his hand at you, telling you to leave, “You're dismissed.”

You bowed once more and scurried out of the room like a little mouse. He scoffed while still thinking about what was said to him earlier. He was obviously nice to you. Those who couldn't see it were stupid.

[proposalanonaita]

FINE.

The date is fast approaching (seven and a half weeks left), I've had sufficient quantities of Malbec, and I'm realizing that whoever suggested that writing my vows would be MUCH more harrowing than talking about my feelings to internet nobodies.....had a fair point; I should at least attempt to put it all to words before I write the real drafts.

Ugh.

I should probably start by stating that I'm WELL aware of who I am. Rest assured, I know that I'm stunningly abrasive. And controlling. And petty, conniving, misanthropic, or whatever other adjectives you've been calling me in the tags (yes, I DID read those, and it IS weird of so many of you to be calling for my divorce. I thought you were supposed to be nicer than I am?).

All this to say, I've always been cognizant of being an acquired taste. Partly because I've always BEEN an acquired taste. I tone it down in public, and in most of my personal relationships, but I am, down to my core, a Mean Mother Fucker.

With partners before my fiancé, I had to make myself more palatable to stay together. The men I dated were FAR too nice, and snipping with them at all felt like I was a heavyweight champion facing off against a toddler. So I reigned it in. It worked, but no matter how well things were going on paper, I didn't feel like I was myself with any of them.

I was even less myself with The Shithead. I'm NOT getting into the entirety of that particular tire fire here, you little freaks already know FAR too much about me and I won't have you tagging the gory details of the worst part of my life with #bob the builder/fuzzy wuzzy or whatever you're into.

He was horrible to me, I turned dangerously timid, I'm lucky I had enough Mean left in me to get the fuck out. He's changed enough by now that I considered inviting him to the wedding, it was bad enough back then I'm very glad I didn't. Enough said.

...I'm talking quite a bit up here because I still hate having to say any of the next part. Call me an emotionless villain for that if you want to, I am far too employed and 30 to care very much.

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

So.

The thing is, there are people that KNOW me, and there are people who LIKE me. My parents know me, and I've never doubted they love me, but that's not LIKING me as a person. That's a contractual obligation of birthing me. My friends like me, some even like me when I'm catty, but I need to be careful to hold myself back, at the risk of losing them. At best, people loved "me", not ME.

For decades, this was just the way the world was. It was a fact of life- The sky is blue, I'm secretly unlovable, the Earth goes around the sun.

And then, against all odds, I found my fiancé, who manages to do both.

He sees ALL of me. Every square inch, every fleeting thought, every horrible little quirk of my rotten personality. And THEN, as if that weren't bad enough, he turns around and ENJOYS it all. He's not just tolerant of my least palatable traits, he's delighted. The more I show him, the more he likes.

It's awful. I'd say he stole my heart, but that sounds too pleasant. It's more like my heart is a cockroach he could squish at any moment, and I trust him not to, and I'm just supposed to wake up every morning and do the dishes and go to work as if this doesn't mean we're clearly orbiting Saturn. The sky is PURPLE now. What the fuck.

He could at least do me the favor of being completely, 100% perfect, because then I could blame his total lapse in judgement on that, but NO. He's a BASTARD.

I'm engaged to a big sweaty idiot who annoys me on purpose. He's terrible with his money. He tries to take me on HIKES, and JOGS, and CAMPING TRIPS. His taste in every single art form known to man is GARBAGE, he's constantly leaving his dirty socks on the floor, and he's such a bad driver I'm amazed he still has a license.

I've told him all of that to his face, and I've MEANT it, and he's just called me a bitch and asked me what I want for dinner. He knows that I'm unlovable, agrees that all those parts of me are in here, and then loves me anyway.

He loves me. He LOVES me. He loves ME.

I don't know what I'm meant to do with it all, but there's clearly SOMETHING wrong with his brain, so I guess I'll have to keep him, if only for his sake.

[suzukiblu]

Day twenty of fic NaNoWriMo, obligatory sugar daddy Tim/sugar baby Kon AU.

“Maybe just an outfit or two,” Kon says, blushing furiously in the direction of the mall fountain. Tim considers pressing his luck with jewelry, but figures he can sneak accessories in later. Like, subtly. Or just incredibly blatantly and shamelessly, which is probably likelier to work on Kon anyway. And shoes, while he's at it. 

“You did promise me a fashion show,” Tim reminds him. Kon manages to blush darker, but also grins. 

“Guess I did,” he says, then wags his eyebrows at him. “Think they'll let us in the changing rooms together?” 

Tim's brain instantly self-liquidates and leaks out his ears and ruins his shirt, or at least it really feels like it does. 

“I think you can always sneak me in if we have to,” he says with a smirk, using every single drop of his Bat-training to look and sound like a normal person making a lighthearted joke and not a desperately horny five-alarm fire who is suddenly thinking thoughts. 

Kon laughs, so apparently it works, thank god. 

Tim takes advantage of the granted permission to get Kon to the closest department store and clothes-hunting, which to be honest he's not particularly sure how to do correctly because he mostly shops while thinking things like “how do I make myself look like a normal teenage civilian from Bristol?” and less things like “what would my very attractive teammate who doesn't know how to be a normal teenage civilian from anywhere most like to wear?” He mostly just nods encouragingly while Kon looks at things and helps him pick the right sizes. 

Also he tries not to be reduced to a desperately horny five-alarm fire every time Kon asks his opinion about a shirt or whatever and then listens to it. 

He has no idea why he's so into the idea of Kon wearing clothes he suggested or picked out, but Jesus, he just really is. Note to self: never let himself pick out Kon's clothes if the team has to go undercover or incognito or anything like that. Outsource that one to Cissie or maybe Cassie, just for the sake of his focus. 

. . . actually, maybe not Cassie. Cassie might have similar issues to his current ones, if they let her dress Kon. 

. . . . . . then again, if he lets Cassie dress Kon, then he has plausible deniability if Kon ends up in–never mind. 

He probably needs to just stop thinking about this, he decides. Though that’d be easier if Kon stopped asking his opinion, probably. Like–just a little. 

“What about this?” Kon asks thoughtfully, looking at a mannequin wearing a fitted bright red tank top that’s half mesh and a pair of black leather pants so tight that they could pass for leggings. There are belts. And buckles. And . . . straps. 

Tim is pretty sure he’s not going to manage to stop thinking about this. 

“If you try that on in front of me, we’re getting banned from this store,” he says frankly, telling himself he’s joking. Kon laughs, so that helps. 

Tim is definitely not joking, though. 

“Maybe the fire engine red is too obvious,” Kon says, giving him a sly grin and walking past the display. “Gotta stay classy, right? Go a little subtle.” 

Tim’s traitor of a brain pictures various takes on Kon dressing up “classy” and he suffers for it. Goddammit. 

“We should get you something dressy too, actually,” he says, and Kon looks briefly puzzled. 

“What for?” he asks. 

“Well, what if I want to take you somewhere with a dress code?” Tim says with a shrug. Kon probably wouldn’t be into, like, live theater or any kind of formal concert or art gallery event or anything like that, but a nicer restaurant or something, at least. 

“I don’t think places with dress codes want me there,” Kon says with another laugh, shaking his head. 

“I don’t care,” Tim says. “I want you there.” 

Kon lets out another abrupt laugh, then flees between two of the taller racks as his face reddens again. Tim hopes that’s because he’s flustered, not because he thinks he’s being weird. 

He really needs to work on his flirting. He’s kind of just fumbling around mostly-blind here and hoping he hits on something Kon’s into. It’s not like Tim Drake is actually Kon’s type, but if Kon’s just testing the waters with a guy for once, well, he probably wouldn’t care about that anyway. Tim’s still not sure if this is just him experimenting or not. Kon hasn’t said anything about not mentioning all this to anyone, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants anyone knowing either. 

Kon had looked a little weird when Tim had made that crack about explaining him to his dad earlier, come to think. Being nervous about being mentioned or ID’ed would explain that reaction. 

Tim peers into the racks after Kon and finds him with a messy pile of clothes in his arms, doing a very committed job of pretending to be very invested in a table covered in T-shirts with either superhero emblems or cheesy puns on them. Tim has to repress a snort of laughter, but the idea of Kon wearing a “talk nerdy to me” shirt is objectively hilarious. He's pretty sure Kon would sooner eat kryptonite than listen to nerd talk. 

“Find anything good?” he asks. Kon grins sheepishly at him. 

“Maybe,” he says. “Wanna hit the changing rooms?” 

Tim desperately does but also probably should not. However, he also probably shouldn't be a teenage vigilante who lies to his dad about what he does all night and fights random Gotham rogues with an extendable bo staff and obsessive detective work and very little else. 

“Sure, yeah,” he says because of the part of him that stalked Batman and counted flips and broke into a memorial for a Robin costume, and then he follows Kon to said changing rooms. Kon beelines right for them, which seems weird because it's not like he's been to this mall before and they definitely didn't pass them, so–“How did you know where they were?” 

Kon grins slyly at him, adjusting the pile of clothes in his arms. 

“‘Versatile’, remember?” he says. Tim's confused for a second, then realizes–

“Did you check the store layout with TTK?” he asks in bewilderment. 

“You kidding?” Kon asks with a laugh. “More like the mall layout.” 

“Like . . . right now?” Tim asks, still more bewildered. Kon looks smug. 

“They just made a new batch of pretzels back at that pretzel stand,” he says. 

. . . Tim needs a moment. Or a lifetime. 

“You can just . . . do that?” he asks. “Feel whatever’s going on in your range?” 

“Yeah,” Kon says. “Honestly, it's kinda distracting sometimes. Makes it hard to focus, you know? So I try to tune it out when I can, but sometimes it comes in handy on the job when there's, like, a hidden door or something. Though it's easier when I'm just walking around like this, ironically.” 

Tim has absolutely no way to explain how useful “can make an accurate map of an entire mall and possibly then some just by standing in it” actually is as a skill, to say nothing of spotting secret doors or hidden safes or concealed assassins or anything like that. If he'd known Kon could do that sooner, he'd have been starting every single mission in an unknown environment by making Kon do that. 

Crap, now he has to trick Kon into telling Robin he can do that as soon as possible. Tim has no idea how Kon didn't lead with that trick, though. That is like–that is just–he thinks maybe TTK is just broken. Like, as a power. He thinks Cadmus gave Kon a literal cheat code for life, in fact. If this were a video game, Kon would need to be immediately nerfed or no one would ever play any other character. 

Tim despairs for his capacity to ever be normal about this bastard and follows him into one of the bigger changing rooms, resigned to his fate. Kon has no apparent concern for the five-item limit and there isn’t an attendant around to stop them, so he just takes the whole pile of clothes in and dumps it on one half of the bench. Tim’s not sure if he’s leaving the other half free for discards or for him, so–

“Sit back and enjoy the show, man,” Kon says as he flashes him a bright grin before peeling off his sweater, which answers that question pretty quick. Also, nearly evaporates Tim’s sanity. Kon’s literally still wearing his damn suit underneath and it nearly evaporates his sanity; what even is that? 

He is in so, so much trouble here, isn’t he.

[littledead-ridinghood]

sorry if this is a weird question to drop on you you were just the first person I thought of who might know but do you know if it's canon/canonically-based evidence that jason is physically stronger than other bats because I always see people say jason is the one with "brute strength" and I can't remember if that's based on anything besides people saying that as a nicer way to call him a brute(maybe it was on lobdells stuff? but I wiped most of those out of my memory)

You thought of me first? <333333 I'm blushing. And it's not weird at all! Even if it was, I love answering weird shit.

Anyway:

So part of Jason being considered "the muscle" of the bats comes from the fact that Jason's currently the biggest of the robins. (Adult!Damian is usually drawn as the tallest of the kids when all is said n' done (that's vague for "age")).

Well, how big then?

I always go with this chart which was released while UtRH was being released:

(I Love this! I wish DC still did little info things like this within their comics. Or maybe they do and I'm just blind. But Look! Canonical Information!)

So canonically speaking, at least when running around pre-crisis, Jason is 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. (Also note criminal mastermind and put a pin in it)

But you've probably heard 200 & 220 thrown around a lot. Those numbers are specifically pulled from two different DC character encyclopedia books which I don't trust at all because there notoriously filled with false information and are dubbed as not canon all the time.

Personally, I use the 6', 180-195 pound range which estimates for fluctuating weight, the passage of time, muscle mass, and minimum bulk & cutting (which I assume is part of most superheroes' training to stay in fighting form, but please recognize that vigilantes are more athlete than bodybuilder) because it's from a canon source (Canon is "king" and all that). No shame to people who use the other numbers or even headcanon something completely different, but again, vigilantes are predominantly running all over cities day after day, not stagnant weight lifters. Cardio vs weights body compositions are quite different even if both are healthy. (And it's not all "swimmer's body illusion" either (they have that body because they swim? No, they swim because they have that body.)

How much muscle mass a person can maximally obtain is up to your genetics. But that max only comes with constant maintainment. It's not feasible for Jason to be doing all that cardio and also have that much muscle mass and fat. Cardio burns "fat" (calories), weights build muscle. We constantly see the former and former-adjacent workouts more than the latter with him. Jason is running across rooftops, flipping off them before falling into a shoulder roll onto the next roof over chasing after bad guys every night. The number of calories he'd have to eat and time put into lifting weights (too many reps a week lead to damage, not growth) to maintain his max (max being what a lot of weights category athletes try to achieve which Jason just hasn't been shown to be (except in his jailbird phase where he could literally only lift weights, read, and avoid being killed to pass the time)) isn't possible.

Using comic art to "prove" how much he weighs doesn't work either. Firstly, because everyone wears weight differently. Two people can be the same height, weight, and sex and look completely different. This is due to different body types, composition, genetics, diet, (what kind of) exercise, and many other factors. Assuming someone thinner is automatically "super light" doesn't factor in different body compositions (fat, muscle, bone percentages). (yes, I know it's stupid to apply science to comics. There's my digression. let me live). Secondly, Jason (just like everything else about him) isn't drawn consistently at all. Sometimes he's pretty damn massive, but we also have Twink and Twunk Jason (DC can't even decide on hair color? Do you think they're gonna decide on his body?).

So, comic book art isn't super reliable as evidence unless we want to theorize if, how, and why he seems to fluctuate between weights all the time (<- Which I have a whole headcanon about if anyone's curious), especially in comparison to the others because, seriously, it's totally a Jason thing. Most characters are pretty consistent in body type. Anyway, someone could argue "See! he is 210!" but it's also not for a long enough period to stick around :/ Again, hard to consistently maintain that much weight as a 6-foot-tall, cardio-based athlete.

Also note: DC is horrible when it comes to weight-to-height lineups. A woman hero can be ~5'7'' and then we're told she's 110 lbs which Fact 1. is considered underweight for this kind of height-to-sex ratio, Fact 2. probably isn't factoring in the fact that muscle is heavier than fat, she just "looks thin", and 3. Usually, totally, absolutely is just blatant sexism.

Really, the numbers don't seriously mean anything of actual substance because their comics, are unreliable, and also usually just...scientifically wrong. But Jason's perception on page, as well as the information we've been told, is one reason he's considered "brute strength first and foremost."

Furthermore, Jason has been shown repeatedly to be on par with Bruce (even when Jason, most of the time, plays defense in their physical fights) but many people chalk this up to him and Bruce having similar physiques making it "easier". Again, counter-productive argument because Bruce and Jason have been drawn very similarly before in stories as well as completely different from each other in others. Also, this purposefully, blatantly ignores Jason's actual skills. No one chalks Dick Grayson or Cassandra Cain beating Bruce up to their body types. Moreover, when Bruce and Jason are drawn similarly in body, no one refers to Bruce as "Brute Strength" either. Bruce gets to be tactical, strategic, clever. (Also Also: In Pre-Crisis, Bruce, Dick, and Jason are deliberately drawn to look similar (height, mass, looks, etc.) to get that Brothers in Blood effect. Still, No one chalks the formers up to all strength. Just Jason)

And that brings us to your question, Anon: Is there canonical evidence for Jason being stronger than the other Bats?

Remember how I told you to put a pin in that "Occupation: Criminal Mastermind" note? Well, first off, Jason creating jobs for his community. Go off, king. Second off, and more importantly so, "Mastermind": a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project (Merriam-Webster).

When Jason was first re-introduced, what made Jason dangerous was that he was highly skilled and smart. He was playing with both Black Mask and Batman like a cat batting a toy mouse. He orchestrated an entire "slow-growing" takeover of Gotham's underworld (he was actually very quick about it). Jason controlled the situation and planned so well that he had the villains and heroes who were both after him fighting each other so he could slip away and do what he actually needed to do.

Throughout Jason's history, he's always had tools with him when he fights. To the point that Bruce says to Jaybin "You won't always have this" cutting his utility belt, insinuating he relies too much on it, which Jason returns the favor to on his return and fights B hand to hand <3 Love a cocky callback. Furthering this, he knows many, many different fighting styles and techniques both from life experience and from extensive training. Jason's a quick learner by nature and is incredibly adaptive. Guns; knives; swords; pens; sets bombs to specifically implode, not explode; makeshift gadgets; a baseball bat just laying around; a tire jack that one time; brains. I could go on. Jason doesn't just hit things. He uses what he has as a means to an end. He's canonically known as one of the best strategists in-universe and is incredibly creative with his surroundings. Jason isn't just great at extensive, long-term planning either. Bruce himself has remarked on the fact that Jason thinks incredibly quickly on his feet, he's really good at improvisation. Concisely, he has plans A-G and if all those fail, he can pull something out of nothing. Contrast this with Bruce who needs to have a plan for everything. Even if it doesn't look like he's following a plan, Bruce is. Opposed to Jason who can go with the flow and figure it out along the way.

Jason even said this in present-era in TFZ:

And that's the whole point, isn't it? Jason is strong. Incredibly so. He's big and tall and has gorgeous thighs. Not to mention, has a mean right hook. But just because Jason's strong doesn't mean he isn't a bat first and foremost who relies on his brain before anything else. He died 4'6 (on his death certificate, his height varies depending on what source you pull) and famously had to defend himself his entire life ever before being Robin. Being young and small and forced to survive shaped Jason into a quick thinker who could either get away or take enemies 10x his size down. Nowadays, he just has a longer reach.

In Event Levithan when Damian says: "Jason Todd is one of the Great Master fighters of all time" He doesn't say strongest because Damian doesn't mean strongest. Damian means adaptable, smart, capable, and well-rounded in skill.

While I don't doubt that Jason is most definitely one of the strongest Bats due to his size, what makes Jason dangerous is not his body, but the fact that he knows how to use it. It's not "Brute Strength" as many people like to say, it's Strategic Strength. He knows just because he's stronger than someone doesn't mean he'll always win. A la see panels above. Jason knows throwing his body around won't do anything of real, long-term substance. That it's just blindsided and stupid.

I'm sure if I looked I could pull panels where other bats and/or vigilantes refer to Jason as the muscle, brute (strength), all brawn (no brain), other such implications, etc, but whenever people do, it's always to undermine Jason's skill. Because it's not actually about his strength. Jason, with his taller, more built form, makes walking quiet seem easy. And it looks easy because he's good. Jason himself knows his skill set, it's everyone else that undermines him time and time and time again. (Again, Event Levithan, Bruce doesn't agree with Damian's statement even though Jason just outsmarted the six or so people who all just tried to take him down (for something Jason didn't even do, mind you))

But, again from Damian, Jason's not known as "the muscle," he's "the emotional one" also usually used to...degrade Ja--We can't have anything nice apparently is what I'm saying. But yes, when people refer to Jason as "Brute Strength" it's usually them trying to find a nicer way of saying Brute or "thinks with his fists" or "Jason hits first, asks questions later." It's in the same vein as when people say "Jason likes books" as short-hand for "see, he's smart at something" rather than acknowledging that Jason achieved a degree's worth of knowledge in comp-sci by age 13.

Anyway Smart and Strong Jason, my beloved. I wish DC & others loved you as much as Rosenburg and the teams of artists he's been working with do.

[diazsdimples]

Wasn’t sure how mean I was gonna be today but I can’t resist Alfie do lots of Alfie sentences please and thank you 😘💜

👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼 👨‍🍼

And one more for luck:

👨‍🍼

Here’s the old Alfie art for motivation 💜

39 Alfie sentences!!! Your wish is, as always, my command. And I LOVE the Alfie art, thank you so much 🥺 you get two bonus sentences for that 😊

“Anyways!” he interjects before either of them can come up with another reason to roast him. “Tommy and I actually had reason behind coming and finding you.” “Ah, are you looking for sage advice from your elder? What can I help you two with?” Bobby sets down the tea towel he’d been holding and places both hands on the counter, an expectant but friendly look on his face. “Well actually, we more wanted to ask something of you,” Tommy explains. “Or, Evan did.” Bobby’s gaze settles on Buck, and he swallows thickly. It really shouldn’t be this nerve-wracking to ask this of Bobby, considering everything they’ve been though together, but in all of these years, neither of them have ever put words to this dynamic between. Everyone else in the station has been happy to – muttering “father and son” at least once a week – but it’s not something either Buck or Bobby have openly acknowledged. Until now, at least. “Tommy and I, uh, we realised the other day that Alfie doesn’t really have any grandparents near him. I’m not really in contact with Mom and Dad these days, and Tommy obviously hasn’t spoken to his parents in years.” Buck watches as Bobby’s expression changes, initially his brows furrowed inquisitively before smoothing out as a look of understanding passes over him. Like he knows where this is going. Buck takes a step back, searching for Tommy’s hand. As their fingers lace together, he feels his anxiety seep from him, strength taken from his husband’s presence. “S-so we were – we were hoping that maybe – if it’s okay with you guys of course – th-that you and Athena could be like his grandparents? If you’d be comfortable with that?” The words are barely out of Buck’s mouth before Bobby’s arms are around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He can feel Bobby’s fingers digging into the meat of his shoulders as he clutches Buck to him, as though he’s afraid he’ll disappear. He’s released almost as quickly, but Bobby keeps a hand on his shoulder. There are tears in his eyes, mirroring the ones threatening to spill in Buck’s own, and Bobby reaches up to wipe them away before speaking. “I would be honoured to. Honestly, you two have no idea how much that means to me, and how much I’m sure it’ll mean to Athena. We both love that little boy so much, and you two as well. It means the world that you asked.” “Well we figured, what with all the jokes about you being like Evan’s father, that we’d make you officially Alfie’s grandpa. Seems like the least we could do to repay everything you’ve done for us,” Tommy says, his hand settling on the small of Buck’s back. Bobby laughs wetly, taking another swipe at his eyes. “Yeah well, someone had to parent that kid. You should have seen him back then, Tommy.” “Oh, I’ve heard the stories.” Tommy smirks and he presses a cheeky kiss to Buck’s temple. Buck curls into Tommy, resting his head against Tommy’s shoulder. He feels light and floaty, the relief that had surged through him after Bobby’s response akin to helium. He’s about to open his mouth to thank Bobby when Jee comes barrelling into the kitchen, all limbs and pre-schooler excitement. “UNCLE BUCK!” she yells, launching herself at him, and he catches her around the middle, hoisting her up into his arms. “Daddy says to tell you guys to get your lazy asses into the lounge so we can open presents!” “That is not what I said!” Chimney yells from the lounge, and Jee covers her mouth with her hand, letting out a little giggle. “Yes it is,” she whispers conspiratorially in Buck’s ear. “But he told me to say it nicer.”

obligatory @hippolotamus tag

Make Me Write!!!

[threepandas]

Always Listening: Yandere Present Mic

[Tracked down uncropped version! Art by @moromi100] ‐-----‐---------------------------------------------------------‐------------------------------------------------------------

It starts and you didn't notice. Almost no one in Japan did. Outside of the smartest sentient being on Japanese soil and the living cat-loving cryptid of the underground? No one was intelligent enough, observant enough, and CLOSE enough, to see the surprisingly subtle... hitch in behaviors.

Like a stumbled step. A fumble. The tiniest little twitch that gives away the lie.

It smoothed out immediately, of course, that next step graceful. The smile just as cheerful as ever. Only two sets of eyes SAW. Noted. And considered. What to do, what to do? Do they care enough to interfere? Is this interesting? Will it make one of THEIR'S happy?

It would.

So they did nothing. They could have. Should have. They are supposed to be Heros. And yet...

It starts and you don't notice. It builds and you are blind. But one day? As you jam along to your favorite radio station? It occurs to you. 'Huh, they're playing a lot more of my favorite artists then they used too'. You can't really think of WHY they would do that... maybe they're finally breaking into the big times? Getting their big break?

Good for them!

You go back to jamming out. Wishing you could sing along. But you can't, not in a crowded apartment block. Heck not ANYWHERE outside of a properly sound insulated dwelling. You know better. You've HAD to know better. Got the scars on your face, ears, and neck to prove it.

Fucking muzzles.

A voice Quirk holders common horror story. You'd think of they were so damn common, they'd at least put more work into making them HUMANE. But, no! Obviously our fault for not shutting up fast enough! Or WORSE! Gasp! Possessing voices in the FIRST PLACE!

Oh how DARE we want to TALK! Such a TERRIBLE crime!

You don't really talk to like... half your relatives thanks to that. Jerks. And, yeah, granted, "Talk" is stretching it. YOU could talk until you're blue in the face. THEY wouldn't be able to hear you. Would probably get really sick though. Possibly have a nervous breakdown.

You talk in infrasound, which can cause feelings of fear or awe in folks. You know, that "horror movie" or "something Supernatural is happening" feeling. You could and HAVE made serious BANK just sitting in the back of a high end horror house, reading vaguely spooky sentences into the speakers.

People fainted. Had panic attacks. There was a late blooming Quirk activation, cause some kid legit thought he was going to DIE.

You'd run out of script and were going through take out menus at that point.

Point is? People can't HEAR you. Outside of like a handful of folks with REALLY strong hearing quirks. And your voice is LOW. Not cute at ALL. You kinda hate it. Cause, like? You LOVE to hum. Sing. Be silly. Fun, normal, LOUD, everyday stuff! And you CAN'T. Cause you'll freak people out! Hurt them!

You really kinda hate it, you know?

And your last landlord was getting progressively more shitty about your Quirk. Accusing you of using it when you WEREN'T. Based off the "vibez" and how "creepy" his shitty apartment was at night. Like? Maybe if you CLEANED THE PLACE UP?! It's creepy because it LOOKS like somebody's gonna get stabbed!

But that's the sorta shit that gets innocent people arrested. So no dice! You're OUT.

New place is nicer anyway.

And? When you move in? Cute blonde with a cuter butt. Nice~ You are looking respeeeeectfullyyyy~☆ ooh! Strong blonde! Muscles! NICE. You have a FANTASTIC day. He's chatty! Knows sign! Great laugh! Meet cute with hot new neighbor, maybe? You don't want to get ahead of yourself.

And... and when reachs past you for one of the boxes?

Oh.

The makeup hides it pretty well. But you do the same thing. Scars in the same places. Voice Quirk, huh? No wonder he sounds so nice. It'll be good, you think. To have a neighbor that GETS it.

You stop trying to hide the scarring you forgot to cover up that morning. Get on with it. You notice HIM notice. That's right~ Same hat! You both grin.

But then you slip on the stairs. Thank FUCK new neighbor's just behind you, to catch you befor you fall too far. But of course... you cry out. A yelp, a curse, a babbled apology. Forgetting once again... he can't hear you. That your probably making everything feel like a horror movie.

But... but he DOES.

His jaw's on the floor. Head cocked like a puppy trying to find the source of a new noise. Eyes wide and AMAZED. He asks if that... that "beautiful sound" is you. Your face immediately feels like it's on fire. Oh dear God, he can HEAR you?! You don't know if that's amazing or terrifying. It's... it's been so long!

You had been forced to explain WHY you couldn't, you know, TALK to him in the stairwell. He'd looked so disappointed. It was amazing and too much. You didn't know how to handle it. Or if you WANTED too. But... you think you kinda do?

You and Hizashi, the cute neighbor, kept crossing paths. He's a Teacher and part time DJ. You think. Not the teacher thing, the DJ thing. You KNOW he teaches. He comes over sometimes, to grade English papers and get reminders he can write "you suck. So, so badly. Did you even TRY?" On a child's paper.

They are kids, Hizashi. Remember~ We once, too, were dumbasses~

And you know? It's not just him. Sometimes he brings his tired friend. The one that looks like a cat on a leash. Boneless and miffed to be dragged around when he could be sleeping. You give him you couch. Bought him a kitty patterned blanket and sound canceling head phones.

You're pretty sure you're the favorite right now. Bribery for the win!

Shouta finds your favorite station "Hands Up Radio" amusing. There is definitely a joke you're not getting. You let it go and get back to your hobby. Composing. Granted, no one's ever gonna be able to HEAR it. But you want to make an album. All in infrasound.

Something BEAUTIFUL.

Your mark on the world, you know? Hizashi had even offered up his friends recording studio. Seemed REALLY into. It's been nice, having such a supportive friend. He helps make the food, picks up both your mail, grabs like half the groceries from stores on the way back from his "gig". Other stuff you both get delivered. It's pretty convenient! He even showed you the app.

You kinda hadn't realized? How lonely life was. Back when it was just you.

Then Hizashi rocked up and inserted himself into your life. Brought all his friends. Noise and life and jokes. Fun. Your gut keeps telling you you're MISSING something. That this is too good to be true. A trap. But... but why CAN'T it be true?

The happy sitcom life. No nasty hidden secrets. No suspicious evils in the dark. Just... just a Genuinely Good thing happening for once? Something NICE. A meet cute with a cute guy, that turns into a friendship, that might turn into something more?

And if the voice on the radio sounds really familar? No it doesn't. If Shouta's eyes track and track and TRACK, like a hunter's? Man has an eye Quirk, probably normal. And so WHAT if Hizashi sometimes gets... gets LOOKS in his eyes? Tilts his head at just the wrong angle? And something in your gut KNOWS.

No it doesn't.

It's just anxiety. Hizashi is your FRIEND, damn it! You refuse, refuse, REFUSE! Everything is FINE. It has to be fine! GETS to be fine! You get to have friends and singing and takeout with people who CARE about you! A LIFE! And if Hizashi is a little weird? Then he gets to be weird! You don't see ANYTHING.

You let the radio play. Another song comes on.

It's another favorite of yours.

A coincidence.

You continue listening.

[playmiya]

chapter three: world is a fuck previous ⎯ masterlist ⎯ next

Atsumu's running one hand through his hair and shoving the mask in his bag with another has he sprints up the stairs of Otsuka.

One of the newer, nicer dorms of the Uni, he almost feels jealous of his building, characterised by its old architecture and patchy Wi-Fi. His knee hurts from where the thief from earlier managed to land a kick, but he pushes on, wiping away blood from a stray cut on his cheek and hoping it's not a deep wound.

He throws the door open to the common room, surprisingly empty at 8PM on a Tuesday, to see your figure intensely taping your knuckles as you wince. Your eyes flit up to his, and you fumble with the tape until it stretches into a long line, hanging from your hand. You gaze at the cut on his cheek, and he stares at your hand til he clears his throat.

"My cat knocked over a bowl."

"My dog's got way too much energy."

You giggle, and he laughs, feeling more comfortable as he drops his backpack at the door and moves closer to the couch you were lazing on.

"You must be Atsumu," you say, offering him your free hand, which he takes. "And you're [Name]?", he asks, giving you a once over. He can't help but appreciatively admire you, which doesn't go unnoticed.

"Are you seriously checking me out right now?", you gasp, wrangling your hand from his. He falls into his witty, charming ways almost immediately.

"If art's staring right at ya, would ya not admire it?", he drawls, and you roll your eyes in mock annoyance, unable to hide the way your lips quirk up in amusement, despite the cringe.

"You must say that to every girl you meet. A little bird tells me that you meet a lot," you speak, settling into the couch as he pulls up a chair in front of you.

"I didn't know this was an interview into my personal life," Atsumu responds in faux shock, pleasantly surprised by your directness.

"Well, that's really what's getting the views for us, isn't it?", you say, flipping your moleskin notebook open and clicking your glittery pink pen.

"I'm being objectified and I don't like it," Atsumu jokes and you make a laugh, scrunching your nose in the process.

"And no, I don't. Say that to every girl I meet. Just to sassy editors that bite back," he adds, and you have to fight the weird feeling in your stomach to continue this interview in a more ... professional manner.

Clearing your throat, you ask him if he's ready to be recorded, and after his assent, you start.

"Okay, rapid-fire questions now. Please answer with the first thing that comes to mind." He shoots you a thumbs up.

"Greatest accomplishment?"

"So far? Repping Japan at the U19 Worlds."

"What are you grateful for?"

"Myself", he smirks, and you fight the urge to roll your eyes again.

"Dream dinner guest?"

"Myself 20 years from now. To see if I've made it."

"Do you want to be famous?"

"I already am."

"Current concern?"

Washing the blood out of my suit. "If my roommate left me any dinner."

"What song did you last listen to?"

"2 soon by keshi."

"What's a secret skill that you have?"

I can shoot webs from my wrists! "I'm really good at skincare."

"Okay," you murmur, scribbling as he spoke. He feels like peering over and reading what you wrote. "Longer questions now."

"How do you manage your time between being a student and an athlete, as well as enjoying campus life?"

I don't, is what he wants to say. He barely hangs on by a thread — or a web, if you will — taking each day as it comes and knowing that as Spider-Man, he'll always need to have excuses up his sleeve to run from one commitment to another. Instead, he blabs about schedules and planning and using Notion, which in reality scares the shit out of him.

"What do you think about the current competition in the volleyball circuit? Are there any players who you think could bump you down the rankings at the draft?"

"Everyone's good," he says slowly, considering his words, and then a lazy smirk settles on his face. "But I'm the best."

"Riiight," you intone, writing something down. "You do know this is being published?", you add, and he hums. "I said what I said."

"What are your opinions on the current safety concerns on-campus?"

He shrugs nonchalantly. "I still gotta do what I gotta do. We got Spider-Man. He'll protect us."

You raise an eyebrow. "All the time? Don't you think we should take matters into our own hands?"

Atsumu's taken aback by your response. He knows reactions towards Spider-Man are extreme; some hate him, while others love him, but this is new.

"Has he ever let us down?"

"Well, yeah. He let a Five Guys get absolutely demolished by Electro last week, Rhino ran through a block in May, and everyone knows about Tokyo tower—"

He has to hide the burn in his cheeks from the embarrassment of Tokyo Tower, remembering the humiliation of that evening. "Yeah, well, some may say he was trying to protect everyone from heart attacks by letting that Five Guys get destroyed, and that Rhino thing was just police negligence if you think about it," he protests, and you scowl.

"He's a good hero, sure, but not the hero. We need more than just one guy swinging around to keep Tokyo safe."

He's about to open his mouth when he feels the hair on his arm raise, and that awful feeling of something cold creeping up his spine settle into his bones. His phone beeps with an alert, and he sees Osamu's text flash across the screen. Fire in a mall nearby. Suspected work of an arsonist.

He doesn't notice your phone light up, and Yachi sending you the screenshot of a headline along with a location, and the way you begin squirming in your seat, wanting nothing more to finish this interview now.

Atsumu beats you to it, making the worst excuse he's possibly ever come up with.

"I'm having an attack of explosive diahhrea."

taglist: @diorzs @egoistars @southernfrogprincesd @dazqa @milesmoralesluvs @she-lovesmyheartshapedsunglasses @dailyakira @giocriedpower @punkhazardlaw @loverlunaire

[icedragonlizard]

I very much like my headcanons of all the villain-turned-dream-friends still being very flawed people one way or another.

I'd say that they could all be considered morally grey to various degrees. Some may be nicer than others, but overall I wouldn't really call any of them saints. None of them are irredeemably evil, and Kirby is friends with every single one of them, but they're all still flawed. And Kirby is basically their 'parole officer' as he keeps them all in check.

This post got quite long as I wrote everything I wanted, so I'm gonna post a 'Keep reading tag' down below.

Feel free to click on it if you'd like to see my interpretations on the flaws of some Kirby characters! I'll be covering Marx, Dark Meta Knight, Daroach, Magolor, Taranza, Susie and the mage sisters here.

Marx may be on Kirby's good side now as he's not looking to attempt conquest on Popstar again, but he's still essentially an agent of chaos. He's loud, he's obnoxious, he's widely known to be a prankster, and he loves getting a rise out of people. He enjoys causing scenes purely for the sake of it. And his sense of humor isn't exactly good at having tact, as he'll make jokes out of things that most others wouldn't dare do. He can be considered the most insufferable one out of the bunch.

But there are good qualities to him, too. Some people legitimately think he's the funniest guy alive, so there's that. Marx loves attention in general, regardless if it's bad or good attention, and so he gets delighted if someone likes him and enjoys his antics. He loves it when people decide to join him on mischief. If you're his friend, he'll often give you stuff to laugh about and you're likely to find yourself having fun with him. If he likes you enough, he'll even stand up for you if someone else antagonizes you. His friends are literally his homies.

He's still quite the wild creature, though. It requires a lot of patience and a lax/chill attitude to be able to put up with Marx. It's not uncommon for him to find ways to instigate chaos in Star Allies gatherings. But he CAN be forced to behave, albeit not always easily. Kirby and Magolor are the ones that can most easily get him to listen.

Dark Meta Knight is still a standoffish jerk with a temperament. He's rude, brutal, and isn't at all afraid to say things that might run shivers down people's spines. He's prone to violence if he feels even the least bit agitated. He's also a rather detached person that does not care to make friends with most of the other star allies, and is quite a big hater for the ones that get on his nerves. He has a bad habit of being too blunt about wishing death or general ill-will for people he hates.

Not just that, but I headcanon that Dark Mind is technically still alive as a neutralized little fragment that desperately needs assistance. DMK hasn't given up trying to bring DM back to its former glory, and is still devoted enough to do what DM asks of him to do. It's not actually as frightening as it sounds, though. Trying to bring DM back to its former glory may be impossible due to how much it'd take, so that threat may not warrant much concern, but DMK still strives for it.

But DMK can be kept in check at times by a few others in the cast. I headcanon that DMK is friends with Daroach, Adeleine, Ribbon and Kirby, and he does care about what they think of him. But I hc those are the only friends he has in the cast, as he's the dream friend with the least amount of friends. He doesn't care about anyone else. He's also willing to do art stuff with Adeleine, and will protect his friends from danger. But overall, DMK is still a ruthless son-of-a-gun.

Daroach has a notably kind-hearted side to him, but he's also absolutely still a thief. Some people are ticked off by his persistent thievery. He likes the challenge of breaking into certain areas and to see what's he capable of successfully stealing. This can get especially irritating for some if he's brought the entire squeak squad with him for these instances. Daroach also has a trollish/smug side to him, as he thinks it's funny to get reactions out of people as he steals from them.

He does have standards, though. There are people that Daroach will NOT steal from. This includes Kirby, Adeleine, the entirety of Ripple Star (he'd feel bad to rob from that planet) and he also respects Meta Knight enough to never steal anything from the Halberd. He's also a softy around Kirby. And there's times in the day where Daroach decides to be chill and not steal anything. He can be quite a laidback bro if he's your friend. He has a big sense of humor and if you don't mind him pulling lighthearted fast ones on you, he'll gladly do that.

But he's still our resident thief! Hahaha. And he often has a rather shady demeanor that might make some people put their guards up.

Magolor did make a well known apology and created an amusement park to back it up, but I headcanon he's still very much a flawed person. Much like his buddy Marx, Magolor is a mischievous prankster that likes getting a rise out of people at times, although he's much more tactful than the jester in this regard. There's other problems with Magolor, like how he often says awkward things that make it evident he doesn't have the best understanding of social cues. He also has a tendency to insert himself into things, due to still having a bit of an ego, and he can sometimes be a blatantly obvious suck-up.

It's also arguably somewhat flawed morality-wise on Magolor's behalf to have made all the masks he did for Merry Magoland. He had great intentions with that, as he wanted to honor many people with that, but he made a lot of them without permission. And it ended up being pretty awkward for some people to see the masks. Thankfully, it didn't elicit any reactions bad enough for Magolor to lose any friends, but he arguably should've gotten many people's permission first.

Magolor is still buds with Kirby despite his current flaws, though. And he actually cares about being liked and cares about making people have fun, and so he makes sure that he has standards accordingly for that. He also just has very weird ways of going on about trying to be a better person than what he was before. But regardless, he's trying!

Taranza may be mourning the death of his beloved queen, but as a matter of fact I do not headcanon him to be a complete softboy! Once enough time passed for him to start properly recovering from his loss, he's eventually started coming back to being a snobby rich-theater kid type of guy like he was before. He can be very bizarrely smug and confident at times. He has an iconic devious smile. He makes webs at people's homes with often trollish messages. Don't be surprised if he sneakily rearranges the stuff in your home without you looking.

And believe it or not, he also has a secretly vengeful and vindictive side to him. He'd love to torment and beat up everyone that picks on him. And because it was a dimensional mirror that corrupted his queen, he heavily resents the mirror world and talks smack about its inhabitants. Honestly if he saw a dimensional mirror again he'd love to break it and smash it to pieces. He also legit wants DMK to die.

But overall, Taranza is no serious bad guy anymore. He does have a definite nice and caring side to him. He's really grateful to all of his friends that have helped him out with his grief (especially Susie, who understands him better than anyone else does) and he'd panic like frick when one of his friends gets hurt. He doesn't want to lose any of his current friends, the last thing he needs is MORE things to grieve over. He's also glad to show people about flora. He's also still just a silly-ass rich theater guy that can be quite a big, dramatic handful.

Susie, while no longer the terrifying colonizer she once was, is still very much a corporate-minded woman with a lot of unhinged stuff going on with her. The HWC's practices are substantially improved in her rule compared to what it was in her dad's rule, but she still makes corny business decisions at times. She has a notable stubborn streak, and is often a bit too blunt and formal to people she isn't close enough to be friends with. She's also feisty and a bit too ruthless when it comes to combat, as it may require others to calm her down. And like Magolor, she gets awkward at times with her low understanding of social cues.

She's also still a mad-scientist at heart, although she's mostly stopped mechanizing people (except for those that explicitly WANT it) and has largely shifted to applying her mad-scientist desires on inanimate objects such as toys and accessories. I headcanon that Susie has an entire hobby of making super-detailed custom furbies as I wrote a post about it. But despite the improved shift, she often gets way ahead of herself when experimenting on inanimate objects to the point that the final result of her creations are pretty darn freaky and unnerving to some people. She really loves doing it, though! And the unhinged level of detail to her creations can be hilarious to some.

Susie does have friends that she cares about, and she lets them reign her in as she doesn't want to disappoint them. And despite usually being rather cold, she's not entirely without her kind moments. Susie is at her nicest when interacting with Taranza and Kirby, and she has other friends like Magolor and the mage sisters that she can be great with. Her friends are the one thing that help motivate her to get better. But despite that, Susie is still absolutely a big handful in terms of flaws. She's still a vindictive, standoffish, corporate mad-scientist that's ballsy enough to constantly snap back during confrontations!

The Mage Sisters are still chaotic menaces. They're exceptionally grateful to Kirby and co. for saving them and Hyness in HiAD, and so they definitely ain't doing that Void Termina crap again, but these women still engage in absurdly violent and bombastic activities. They love to destroy random buildings for no real reason other than just for kicks and giggles. They cackle like hyenas when they cause mischief.

Francisca is perhaps the most obviously flawed mage sister, as she literally keeps her frozen trophy collection and even tries to expand it! That's a bruh moment. It doesn't exactly help that she's close buddies with Marx as those two will just make some absolutely absurd hijinks together. Her relatively quiet nature can also be rather unnerving. It's not all bad, though, as she can be genuinely sweet to people that she cares about. And she's kind enough to give you free water with her soda gun if you'd like that, but overall she's an extraordinary freak.

Flamberge is the nicest of the three mage sisters, but she still has her fair share of chaos as she loves causing big booms with her fire abilities. She can be considered a daredevil with that sort of thing. Another notable flaw with her is that she lets Francisca get away with anything. She will NEVER hold her psychotic blue sister accountable. And there's of course her temperament, but she's surprisingly chill a lot of the time and is really only angry if given an actual reason to be.

Zan Partizanne can be quite rude with excessive name-calling, as she has a mentality of "it goes both ways" when her name can't be said right. If you can't say her name right, then she'll make it even by giving you some unhinged nickname. She also has a guilty pleasure of starting playful bickering matches with people purely for fun. That being said, she's something of a leader alongside Hyness at the Jambandran base and is always glad to help guide people around the place, but she can overall be quite a standoffish and feisty person.

The mage sisters do care about trying to be better, though. They want to make Kirby proud as he's essentially their little hero. They're still incredibly unhinged people by virtue of being raised in a literal cult, though, and they still love to start ruckuses and cause chaos. With the amount of mischief they cause with their weapons, it may be wise to keep some distance as to not get caught in their weapons' range.

-----

That's basically everything I got. All these characters are still very flawed people to me. They're all redeemable to various extents, but yeah. I like to think that they all need occasional slaps on the wrists by Kirby. He's their 'parole officer' like I said at the beginning of the post. He keeps them in check. And it works as they all respect him!

But despite sometimes slapping them on the wrists, Kirby does care about all these people. He's friends with all of them. He cheers them on as they progress in life. When they do good things, he's proud of them! He also can't help but feel sorry for the more traumatized ones.

Kirby has remarkable tolerance. He can basically be friends with bad people, lol. He always has faith and sees the good in people. He's the perfect little guy to motivate people to get better. He can keep someone in check from doing bad things, and is merciful enough to always give them a second chance. Man, thank this universe for Kirby!

Thanks for reading if you did. See you for the next one.

[useless-catalanfacts]

What would Kitri (Quiteria) from Marius Petipa's Ballet 'Don Quixote' have worn for her everyday attire and bridal gown, considering her background as the "beauty of the town" from Barcelona, the daughter of a housekeeper, and her role as Don Quixote's imagined Dulcinea and Basilio's bride? Please search "DON QUIXOTE 💃: The drama, plot, and history of ballet's brightest gem ✨✨" regarding the ballet.

I've read the book but I haven't seen the ballet. What I'm understanding from this question is that you would like to know what the historically accurate dress would have been for that character? I've seen a part of that video you mention and I can see why you're asking, since the clothes they wear don't look appropriate for Don Quijote at all (they wear very 19th century Andalusian clothes for a story that is very famously set in La Mancha).

We have this information to work with: 1) she's from Barcelona, 2) the setting is the early 1600s, 3) she's the daughter of a housekeeper so she's lower class, and 4) the occasions for her clothes are an everyday wear and her wedding.

Luckily, a Catalan tailor called Baltasar Segovia (from Perpinyà, Northern Catalonia) published a treatise in the year 1617 titled "Geometry book for the job of a tailor", where he explains how they make the clothes, including the patrons. This is how the historian Francesc Riart has drawn them (I'm taking these images from his article "Una evolució en imatges"):

Figures of a middle-class man and woman, from the images of the time.

Women's dress shapes, without the additions, from the patrons by Baltasar Segovia's treatise.

I think this is the kind of dress could work as a wedding dress at the time. Remember that the idea of a white wedding dress originated very recently (Victorian England) and wasn't widespread here until a couple generations ago (personally, neither my mother nor grandmother married in a white dress) and even then it was a class issue, because that's a kind of dress you wouldn't be able to wear again. The wedding dresses used to be a nicer dress, often the one that could be worn on Sundays.

Our main information for lower class clothes is written sources and art, because the pieces of clothing that have survived this many centuries are a clear case of survivorship bias: they were worn little, made of good-quality resisting material, and they were considered worthy enough to keep as they are instead of recycling the cloth. Poorer people would have worn the clothes until they're broken, adding patches or repairing them as needed, and then would have recycled what was still good of that cloth.

The clothes used by most of the population back then were made of flax or wool (cotton wouldn't be widely used until the proliferation of chintz factories starting in the mid-1700s). Though texts of the time mention that fashion in Catalonia included pieces made in a specific Catalan way ("a la Catalana"), same as each part of Europe had their own way (documents at the time show that people could easily recognise the difference between a Catalan-style and a Spanish-style piece of clothing), in general the clothes were very similar to the clothes worn in other parts of Western Europe. One thing that was widespread for religious and reputation reasons was that married women had to cover their hair, but before marriage it didn't have to be covered but it was generally tied back (not only for fashion but also for hygienic reasons).

In the early 1600s, outer clothes tended to be dark gray (this would quickly change throughout that century and by the late 1600s people wore very bright colours, including the lower class).

One of the ways we have of knowing what ordinary people wore is to look at the registries of people who used the Barcelona public hospital (I'm checking the data as published by Francesc Riart in the article "Una evolució en imatges"). In 1618-1619:

89% of women wore a chemise/shirt

Over this, they would wear a skirt and lower class women very often wore an apron.

68% of women covered their hair with a "tovalloleta", 28% covered it with a "manto", and 10% with a "drap de cap", all of them being different kinds of kerchiefs.

Their clothes in winter and in summer were almost the same. They wore more socks and leggings in winter and the percentage of people who wore closed shoes instead of espadrilles ("espardenyes") rose in winter, but the rest was pretty much the same. The difference between seasonal clothes was likely higher in upper classes, but people who used the public hospital are mostly poor and some middle class.

In the city, most people wore closed shoes instead of espadrilles, which were the standard in the countryside.

An idea for the dress could be a mix of these two, with the dress in the left but slightly darker, and since we're in the very early 1600s it could still have a riff (the neck thing) like the one on the right.

Left: painting of Mary as a child weaving, from 1600s Catalonia. Right: painting from the late 1500s or early 1600s Catalonia, representing the "ideal woman" (in an extremely misogynist way). Both from Ethnologic Museum of Catalonia.

As for jewellery, lower class people often wore jewellery made of glass or metal mixes. Many have been found in archaeological sites in Barcelona like El Born and Santa Caterina.

I hope this answers your question!

[nach0]

MCYT Yuri Week; Day One - Dance/ Break

"Are you taking notes on our date?"

Wordcount: 1504

AO3 Link

It’s not often Pearl and Gem get the chance to relax and take some time away from things. It should have been nice, and by all accounts would’ve been, if only Gem could stop stressing for five minutes.

(Featuring art at the end!)

Gemini Tay, Grand Wizard of the Crystal Cliffs, was proud to say she was good at social interaction. It’d be disappointing if she wasn’t, after all the time she’d put into studying the cultures of each and every important person she’d ever have a chance of interacting with.

It was like a test. A constant, neverending test that she had to pass or else she’d start a war.

But she definitely wasn’t on edge at all! Large formal events totally didn’t make her nervous in any way! In fact, one on one interactions should probably be a breeze in comparison.

Courting wasn’t something she’d ever bothered to study. The Crystal Cliffs historically hadn’t held any close alliances for more than trade, the previous Grand Wizards emotionally detached by design. She’d thought herself the same, even after the Wither Rose Alliance was formed. It was the most involved the Cliffs had been in hundreds of years. Still, romance was something she hadn’t considered. It involved too much trust, too much vulnerability, for her to ever picture herself wanting.

That lack of foresight left her cramming every book on romance she could get her hands on five minutes before her very first real date with Pearl.

Apparently they’d been on ‘dates’ before, quiet moments stolen away in the midst of the chaos that was their lives. Pearl had mentioned a stargazing date fondly, leaving Gem thoroughly confused. It had been entirely spontaneous, she hadn’t even dressed up or planned anything, and it didn’t line up with anything she’d learned about how dating worked.

Not for the first time she wished there were more books on Helianthian culture. Maybe it would help her understand the distinction between ‘date’, ‘hanging out’, and just ‘chilling.’ She still wasn’t sure if they were all separate things yet. Maybe she could ask? But then it would reveal how little of her girlfriend’s kingdom she knew, then Pearl would get offended and break up with her, then leave the alliance, then the Cliffs, Mythland, and the Grimlands would all be without food and everyone would starve.

She was spiralling again. It was thoroughly unproductive.

None of her books were helping anyway. They were all about formal courtships, something Pearl had laughed about with her before-

“Now I get the intent,” she’d said, giggling slightly as she put the sunflowers into a vase. “But he would have had to buy these from my empire to gift them back to me.”

“Traditionally, it’s considered a sign of respect to give things of the courtee’s empire. It shows an interest in the culture they come from, and a willingness to compromise and combine their own culture in the process.”

Pearl rolled her eyes with a smile and Gem quickly closed her mouth, a long honed instinct from accidentally finding herself on the edges of people’s patience, but she got the odd impression that Pearl wasn’t annoyed at her.

“All this courting stuff has its place, but it’s not for me. If I find someone I want to go out with, it’d be nicer if it was natural. And if I don’t… no big deal. I’m happy with what I have. Besides, I know my type.”

Gem’s heart quickly found its place in her throat, thumping so loud she was surprised Pearl couldn’t hear it. “Can I ask what that type is?”

“I can say for sure it’s not-” Pearl squinted at the note, “-Brad from Mythland. Sorry buddy, better luck next time.”

They both laughed, and the matter was dropped.

-or wild, whirlwind romantic fantasies that moved so fast she had to put them down before uncomfortable bile rose in her throat. The thought of jumping into anything without preparation, but especially something as deep and personal as romance, made her nervous. She could handle spontaneity, liked it at times!  But there needed to be trust there first, a baseline to deviate from. Would Pearl try to move too fast for her? Would she say anything against it even if she did? There was no script for her to work from here, no guide to where normal boundaries lay. She was going in blind for the first time in a very long while.

Then a knock at the door signalled her preparation time was up.

“Gem?” Pearl called through the wood, amusement already creeping through her tone. “Did you lose track of time again?”

“No, I’m ready!”

She ran a hand down her shirt to clear all but a few methodical wrinkles, enough to seem casual without looking sloppy, and nodded once in satisfaction. The heavy wooden door opened for her with ease (and she definitely didn’t use magic to make herself seem more impressive.)

“Wow, you look… really nice.” Was Gem imagining the blush on Pearl’s cheeks? She had to be, especially as her voice quickly picked back up into fond teasing. “I didn’t know you even owned any casual outfits.”

The outfit could be considered casual. If one didn’t know the quite frankly overkill amount of thought Gem had put into it. Muted colours to give off a softer feel, an inversion of her regular layers as a symbol she wasn’t acting as a ruler but instead herself. Amethyst around her neck and hanging from her ears both for power in case of an emergency and a reminder of her empire’s resources. Her gloves were, admittedly, mostly just because she wanted an excuse to wear them. But to anyone that asked she could easily pass it off as a combination of the two of them, the stars and moons pattern conveniently fitting. She liked her regular gloves, the leather preventing any distracting textures, but it was nice to make a change every once in a while. 

“I’m full of surprises.” Gem smiled, looking Pearl up and down. She could analyse what it meant later, when they had a quiet moment, but for now they had places to be. “You look pretty as well.”

“Don’t I always?” She flipped her hair, tied up neatly in a braid that made Gem’s breath skip, turning her nose up for a moment before the act broke down into laughter. “Come on, I know you have a schedule for this. Lead the way.”

~

In Gem’s opinion, the date was going pretty well. She’d hit all her talking points and had genuine discussion, Pearl had laughed at her jokes, and she’d learned much more than she’d expected. They were taking a break while their horses drank from a nearby stream, Pearl leaning against a tree and Gem leaning on Pearl. 

It was nice. It was peaceful. It was very abruptly interrupted by the scratching of Gem’s pencil that was so much louder than she’d anticipated.

Pearl cracked an eye open and glanced down at her. “Gem?”

“Mhm?”

“Darling?”

“Yeah?”

“Person I adore more than anything in the world?”

“...Yes?”

“Are you taking notes on our date?”

Gem blushed, ears pressing against her head in embarrassment. She should have been more subtle, or just tried to remember everything she needed to know, even if it meant she’d have less energy to spend on concentrating on what was actually happening, she should-

Pearl pressed a kiss to her head, carefully avoiding her antlers.

“It’s cute, fawn.”

“I just want to get it right,” she muttered, picking at the fabric of her gloves. “I haven’t done this before, before or after becoming Grand Wizard. It’s all complicated and there’s no rules to fall back on if I get lost.”

Pearl hummed gently and unfurled a wing, wrapping it around Gem at her silent nod.

“We just came out of a war with a demon. No one expects you, or any of us, to readjust instantly. If you wanna put this on pause, catch your bearings a bit, I’ll get it. Just tell me, yeah? Don’t get trapped in that head of yours.”

She moved to tap her forehead but pulled back at the last second, humming gently instead. Her gaze didn’t hold any expectations, just a gentle patience and a warmth like the sun.

And oh, Gem remembered why she fell for Pearl in the first place.

“I don’t want to stop. It’s just… a lot. Sometimes. Not that it’s your fault!” She hurried to add. “Rules are just easier to work with, knowing the limits and expectations.”

There was no judgement. The world didn’t collapse, no one mocked her admission of weakness, and Pearl didn’t immediately rescind all of Helianthia’s resources.

It was… a little disorientating, if Gem was being honest.

“That’s ok. We can figure out what works together. I don’t mind if you write your notes or want to set guidelines, so long as it’s not hurting you. Don’t sacrifice what you want for me or anyone else.”

She pulled her ever slightly closer, and the wing around Gem’s shoulders was more comforting than any weighted blanket she owned.

“For today though, let’s just enjoy this break from the chaos. We’ve earned it.”

For once, Gem couldn’t agree more.

(if my laptop messes the colours of this up i'm going to explode btw ^^)

also i know i had a taglist but it's been like a year since i last used it so idk if anyone still wants to be tagged, i'm down for starting it up again though

@mcyt-yuri-week

[allthelittlecreepycrawlies]

Free day - Vampire Au -

In which (some) wealthy vampires rent a human for their blood. Huaisang signed up for the program because he likes easy money not seen by his brother and is snatched up and away by Meng Yao instantly. The vampire is soft, polite; only occasionally possessive and only slightly insane. Huaisang doesn't know much about him yet, only that he apparently killed his master and drank all his blood, becoming very powerful. Other vampires step away when he walks by.

No matter what most of his family said, he wasn't a complete idiot. He'd actually made the effort to look into this 'donation' business before submitting his name and medical records.

The problem was that there was little information to find.

The other problem was that he didn't have much choice, given his current situation.

Two days after he'd signed up, on the first real day off he'd had in over a month, he got a text directing him to a particular address, with the name of the match waiting for him, as if this were a dating site connection.

Meng Yao... why did that name sound familiar?

Shaking off his curiosity, he made his way to the train station to get across the city.

The address he arrived at was a condo building that was a hell of a lot nicer than the school dorm he lived in, and considering the directions were to take the elevator all the way to the top floor, this guy must have been loaded.

Well, that was why he was here, wasn't it?

Other people who were either residents or staff paid him no mind-

-no that wasn't quite right. They were expressly ignoring his presence, carefully looking in any direction besides his.

Snobby assholes. His clothes were just fine, and he was clean, and it wasn't any of their business anyway.

He was the last one on the elevator when it stopped at the top floor, and he stepped out directly into what looked more like an extra long waiting room than a hallway. There were only two doors, one on each side, and both were numbered.

Only two condos on the whole floor.

Letting out his breath in a sharp huff, he quickly stepped out of the elevator before it could go back down with him in it and looked at the door numbers, then pressed the bell button on the left.

"Nie-xiansheng, I presume?"

He supposed he could be forgiven for nearly hitting the ceiling in surprise, especially since the smirk the man behind him was wearing when he whipped around meant he had intentionally been snuck up on.

It... wasn't an unattractive smirk, he would admit, between the dimples and the honey gold eyes-

-wait.

"Meng-xiansheng?"

The smirk widened, briefly flashing very sharp teeth. Yep, this was his match.

"Shall we go in and get acquainted?"

"Sure," he managed to say without sounding too squeaky.

Once they'd left their shoes at the door, Meng Yao led him past the living room to an office that was by itself bigger than his dorm room and waved for him to sit on the huge plush sofa.

He did as told, then watched as Meng Yao picked up a file from his desk and sank into the armchair across from him.

"The agency sent me digital copies, but I prefer to keep paper as well. Do you mind?"

He quickly shook his head.

"Excellent. Now, then," Meng Yao said, opening it up. "'Nie Huaisang, age twenty-one. Currently in university for art restoration and conservation, with a night shift job as a hotel receptionist. A rather lengthy history with hospitals.'"

Meng Yao looked up over the file, and the way those gold eyes flashed with interest made Nie Huaisang involuntarily swallow hard.

"I must say, you are hardly the first university student to sign with the agency, but you're the first to be accepted with a medical record like yours. Why take the risk?"

"It- it's complicated, xiansheng." When Meng Yao waved for him to continue, he took a deep breath, then let it out. "M- my family is known for... physical pursuits. Athletes, soldiers, bodyguards, security, all that. There's a whole family business built around it that my older brother's running now."

"And then there's you," Meng Yao said, but surprisingly he sounded... more sympathetic than scornful.

"And then there's me," Nie Huaisang agreed. "Da-ge covers my room and board, and I've got a couple of scholarships that handle tuition and books, but for renting studio space and buying supplies? I'm on my own. It's... well, that's complicated, too. Anyway, the hotel night receptionist job was the only thing I could get that didn't clash with my classes and projects, but I'm getting so little sleep that I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. And then one of my classmates gave me a card for the agency."

"I see." Meng Yao closed the folder and laid it aside.

"And the medical stuff," Nie Huaisang continued, hoping he wasn't sounding too desperate. "I know the number of times I've been to the hospital looks bad, but it's mostly just been for testing."

For assorted types of delirium, he almost said, but that wouldn't sound good either. And besides, Meng Yao had probably already seen that, if he was as diligent about reading the records as he seemed to be.

"Hm." Meng Yao stood up and walked over to his desk, leaned against it, and folded his arms, gaze sharp. "Nie-xiansheng, I don't entirely believe the agency sent you here for benevolent reasons."

Nie Huaisang's stomach dropped. "W-what?"

"I am willing to admit I am someone who has made a lot of enemies, particularly with how I rose to this rank in the world. And I believe your being accepted into the donation program has been facilitated by one of them."

"How you-"

Oh.

Oh, no.

Now he remembered why his match's name had struck him as familiar. It hadn't been the sort of scandal the mundane news covered, but those that were on the edges of the supernatural community, like his own family, had heard snatches of it.

A dhampir who'd killed his sire of both senses of the word, and in doing so, had stolen enough power to become a fullblooded vampire while still remaining a daywalker.

The other fullbloods in the province, most of whom had been business associates of Jin Guangshan, had been furious, but there had been no actual laws broken so things had eventually settled.

But what did that have to do with-

He jumped a little, surprised out of his thoughts, when cold fingers lifted his chin.

He'd been so distracted that he hadn't even seen Meng Yao move.

“But you, Nie-xiansheng, I do believe you’ve been sincere. That’s why I’m willing to let you walk away, and I’ll even give you the agreed-upon payment for having been dragged into this.”

"But then you'll still be hungry," Nie Huaisang said before his brain could catch up to his mouth. And then his mouth just kept running ahead. "And the agency will know that you know, and then they'll come after me, won't they? And then-"

"Hush."

He obediently shut up so fast his teeth clicked together.

Meng Yao's mouth quirked into a faint, but genuine smile. "You are adorable," he said before pulling away and turning back towards his desk.

If Nie Huaisang had been embarrassed before, his face was on fire now.

"Nie-xiansheng," Meng Yao said after a long silence. "With your history, I presume you're very familiar with giving blood in the medical fashion, yes?"

"Er- yes."

Meng Yao turned to face him again. "As it happens, I very much prefer taking blood from my donors in the same fashion. It might not be as glamorous as the traditional method, but it causes a great deal less mess, and lowers the risk of the donor going into shock. Therefore, I propose an experiment."

"What sort of experiment?" Nie Huaisang asked, though he was fairly sure he'd gotten the idea already.

"If, and only if the blood donation does not cause any lasting problems for your conditions, I would like you to permanently become my donor. In return, you will get the full donor fee each time, without having to give a percentage to the agency, and you will also be given my protection should whoever my enemy in the agency is make any false moves against you."

"And if my body's not up to it?"

"As it was because of my being targeted that you are under threat, you'll still be under my protection, you just won't be getting paid."

And Meng Yao would still have to find another donor, without agency assistance.

Nie Huaisang knew he should just ask for the second option. If this did make his health worse-

"Okay. Hopefully this works out," he said instead.

The smile Meng Yao gave him for that made him feel lightheaded.

And the room he was brought to next was like some bizarre fusion of guest bedroom and hospital room. The bed was definitely a medical gurney, but much more comfortably padded than any he'd ever been in before, and though there was other medical equipment about and the floor was stark tile, the lighting was low and warm.

He took off his jacket and shirt when prompted and accepted a sleeveless one instead, then laid down on the soft gurney cushion and watched as Meng Yao laid out his tools.

"What's that?" he asked when he noticed two syringes of clear fluid.

"How familiar are you with the process of blood feeding in the animal kingdom?" Meng Yao asked in return.

"Uh... not very," Nie Huaisang admitted. "I know there are mosquitos and bats... I could actually name you a few species of birds that do it? I'm better with those."

"You really are cute," Meng Yao said. "Many hematophagic species produce chemical agents in their saliva that create a numbing or sedation effect, to keep their hosts from noticing them and either killing them or shooing them away. So do we."

Nie Huaisang involuntarily wrinkled his nose, but then shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I've gone through worse than anasthesia via vampire spit."

Meng Yao looked amused. "That's refreshingly pragmatic of you. You wouldn't believe how many people are fine with the idea of being bitten, but disgusted by this," he said as he wrapped the tourniquet around Nie Huaisang's arm and then uncapped the needle.

Nie Huaisang barely felt it break the skin. "Oh, you're good," he murmured, relieved.

"A great deal of practice. Now, I'm sure you know the drill, start counting backwards from a hundred."

---

When he opened his eyes again, he could see a wash of sunset-ish colors through the window to his left, and a blanket had been pulled up over him.

Blinking sleepily, his vision swimming, he tried to sit up, only to find his body felt a bit like jelly.

"There you are," a familiar-not-familiar voice crooned, and a gentle hand brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

Slowly, Meng Yao's face came back into focus.

"How long has it been?" Nie Huaisang asked, the question slurring a little in his mouth.

"It's just after seven. I took the liberty of ordering you dinner from the restaurant on the first floor to help you get your strength back. You did beautifully, by the way."

"Thank you," he mumbled, and he wasn't sure if it was for the offered food or the strange compliment.

The motorized gurney helped him sit up and more pillows were tucked behind him for comfort. His hands proved too unsteady to manage a spoon on his own, so he had to allow Meng Yao to help him eat.

"So... what happens now?" he asked when he'd finished the first of the dishes on the tray and a few sips of the smoothie.

"I have already deposited your fee for this session, and I would recommend you contact whoever you're living with and tell them you're staying somewhere for the night instead of trying to make your way home in your current condition. If you've fully recovered in the next three days or so, then we will jointly draw up a contract and get your bracelet made."

"Bracelet?"

"It's akin to a hospital bracelet, really, only instead of having all your medical information, it's a warning sign to anyone else who would attempt to bite you."

Oh. That made sense.

At least as much as anything about this made sense.

Wasn't he accepting it all a little too easily?

Wasn't like he could do much else at this point, was there? He was kind of stuck.

Stuck with a very attractive vampire making the effort to look after his health and fixing his financial situation, though. He was willing to count it in the positives.

"Okay, then," he said, accepting the next bite of salmon and vegetables.

[nyhti]

What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for someone who is trying to indulge in some older batman runs?

Thank you for the ask!

I recently read Under the Hood for the first time! Then that inspired me to read A Death in the Family again. I wrote a little tag essay about these stories actually, but then didn't post it lol. And then I randomly read Detective Comics #388 ”Public Luna-Tic Number One” (1969) again, which I did post about. Oh, and before that I was reading random Alan Grant issues from the 80s/90s. And also I'm still trying to get through every single Pre-Crisis Lex Luthor issue in chronological order lol xDDD I'm currently in the year 1983. I've also been meaning to read Steve Englehart's run again, because my Hugo fic heavily references it and I wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything about it.

Alright! Now, I don't know exactly what does ”old” mean to you. I mean, some people could consider comics from the 90s old, but to me those are very modern. I'm just gonna talk about Pre-Crisis (1938-1986), because that's what I'm most familiar with. I don't really know nor care about Post-Crisis that much. Aaaaaaaaaaand. I have actually made a list before for Pre-Crisis issues that I'd consider essential right here. It's not a definitive list, I've left out a lot of big issues and put in quite a few personal indulgences, but over all I still think it's an ok list. But you asked about runs so...

Actual runs, at least how we've come to know them, didn't really start until the 70s, I think. Continuity did start somewhere in the 60s though and from then on we do have longer stories like the Outsider saga and Dick leaving. Steve Englehart's run (Detective Comics #469-476 (1977-1978) is the first story that I see people calling a ”run”. It's on my previous list and I'm definitely going to recommend it again lol xDDD It's classic for a reason. And after that the only ones that that I'm personally familiar with are Gerry Conway's and Doug Moench's runs. Gerry Conway's run I'd 100% recommend! I'm not entirely sure what issue could you consider the run starting from, but to me Detective Comics #503 "Six Days of Scarecrow" (1981) is the first issue and Detective Comics #526 "All My Enemies Against Me!" (1983) is the last. It's all collected in Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway. I loved it personally. It's my favorite Batman run there is <3 And a lot of it is illustrated by Don Newton, who's my favorite Batman artist! And Dough Moench's run? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. I'll admit, I didn't finish it. It was just so boring DDDx I wouldn't say it was bad, but Moench is not one of my favorite writers lol. I'm going to try and finish it at some point though, because I do want to see how Hamilton Hill's story ends. The run picks up right after Conway's run in Batman #360 ”When Slays The Savage Skull...” (1983) and ends in Batman #400 "Resurrection Night!" (1986). It's the last Pre-Crisis Batman run. It doesn't seem to be collected anywhere, though.

Anyhow, I felt like adding some fun individual Pre-Crisis stories that I really enjoy that I couldn't really put on that older list of mine :333 These are not in anyway big or important stories, just stories that had that special something in my opinion :3

Detective Comics #76 (1943) "Slay 'em with Flowers" Joker being Poison Ivy before Poison Ivy was created <3 This is something that I really like about early Batman. They had so few villains they had to give them themed capers that would've later been given to villains with that actual theme. Kinda like how Hugo was being Scarecrow before Scarecrow was created (Detective Comics #46 (1940)). Also I just really love the art in this <3 It's so lively and flowy. You can see raw scans of the inks of this story in a book called Jerry and the Joker: Adventures and Comic Art. I wouldn't say the colors ruin the inks, but I do think they look nicer without the colors.

Detective Comics #180 (1952) "The Joker's Millions" From since around the 70s every time a writer decides to write a Joker story, they seem to think it has to be BIG. He has to do something HUGE and EPIC. ”The Joker's Millions” continues to be one of the best Joker stories of all time, because all he tries to do in this issue is just pay his damn taxes.

Batman #74 (1952) "The Crazy Crime Clown!" Interesting Joker issue, because this is the first time he's ever in a mental hospital. Golden Age Joker was perfectly sane and it wasn't until the 70s when they made him officially mentally ill, but it's interesting to already see them toying with the idea this early on.

Batman #179/2 "The Riddle-Less Robberies of the Riddler" (1966) First time Eddie's riddle obsession is looked at as anything other than just a silly quirk.

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #70-71 (1966-1967) Selina turns Superman into a fukcing kittyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Penguin is here too, I guess.

Batman #200 ”The Man Who Radiated Fear” (1968) Super cute Scarecrow story that includes a couple other villains as well <333 Nothing much more to say. Just a good time!!!!

Detective Comics #377 (1968) ”The Riddler's Prison-Puzzle Problem” A very classic Riddler story <333 I also base my Riddler's psychical appearance on this issue. If they still did stories like this at DC today, I might actually start reading current issues again. Like truly when was the last time we got an actually classic Riddler story? Just a one issue long story where he sends Batman a riddle he's going to rob a bank and then Batman stops him? I miss it when stories were allowed to be small and the characters were just allowed to be themselves, instead of some grimdarktwistedthis'llknockyoursocksoff re-imagining. I love how Eddie gets thrown around in this one <333 His ass looks amazing in this issue <3 Also his hair looks very cute when it's messy <33

Wolrd's Finest Comics #177 (1968) "The Duel of the Crime-Kings!" One of my favorite Joker stories <333 I really think Joker peaked in the late 60s. Really, I think most characters peaked around then. You can probably tell by how many late 60s stories I put on this list.

Batman #210 "The Case of the Purr-Loined Pearl" (1969) I am obsessed with this girl group. All of them iconic. All of them stars. They exist in my verse, too.

Detective Comics #388 (1969) ”Public Luna-Tic Number One” Another one of my favorite Joker stories. They are toying with the mental illness one in this as well with Batman's ”the problem will be whether to put you in prison -- or in an asylum!” quote. Also my Joker's psychical appearance is based on this issue.

Batman #258 "Threat of the Two-Headed Coin" (1974) Fist appearance of Arkham Asylum - or Arkham Hospital as it was called then. I don't know why I didn't put this on my previous list. It should definitely be on there. A Two-Face story.

Batman #291-294 ”Where were you on the night Batman was Killed?” (1977) Here's a slightly longer story. All of my boys and girls are so cute in this <3333 I love it when they are able to get along and also when no-one is above anyone. Yes, some are more popular than other's but they still all feel equal.

Batman #326-327 "This Way Lies Madness", "Asylum Sinister" (1980) Professor Milo story!!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!! I love that you can see day to day life at Arkham!!! Also this is the issue where Milo becomes an Arkham patient.

Detective Comics #503 ”Six Days of the Scarecrow” (1981) A good Scarecrow story. Also the first time he's admitted to Arkham and it's not because of mental illness, but because he suffered an overdose. The overdose saga continues in Detective Comics #526 (1982) where he is still very ill and Jervis takes advantage of his vulnerable state. And then in Batman #373 "The Frequency of Fear" (1984) and Detective Comics #540 "Something Scary" (1984) he's finally recovered. I don't think it's mentioned in these issues whether he was taken back to prison or Arkham once he was captured, so it seems unclear whether or not Pre-Crisis Scarecrow ever became a permanent Arkham patient.

Detective Comics #510 ”Head-Hunt by Mad Hatter” (1982) Technically the second appearance of Jervis, because this is the issue where imposter Mad Hatter and the Jervis we know and love today were split into two characters. Also my favorite Jervis story :333 I base my version's physical appearance on this story :333

The Brave and the Bold #183 ”Let's play... The Death of Batman” (1982) Riddebat shipper's dream comic lol. Just an all around good story!! Love how Eddie is written!! It's so fun. The art is not very good though. The artist had no clue how he wanted to draw Riddler so in some panels he's literally Bruce's identical twin and then in other panels he'll have a completely new face.

Batman #356 ”Double life of Hugo Strange” (1983) My favorite Hugo story <3333 ((((Actually I admit Engelhart's run has kinda started to rival this tbh)))))))) But this one is illustrated by Don Newton so there's that. First time ever we see him without the beard btw! And more importantly this is the issue where he starts wanting to be Batman.

[sixosix]

To approach ask length and my apologies… lkfhdh you created this monster and now you gotta deal with the consequences of your actions.

i wanted to keep this separate as a more focused thing as opposed to my other rambles. But as to how i think the potion stuff goes down…

Rosalie: no, unless T!Reader desperately wants her to.

T!Reader: Depending on how the interaction with father goes/any interferance, yes.

Rosalie I don’t see drinking it unless T!Reader wants her to, because I’d think she’d want to remember someone she considers her daughter, even if T!Reader doesn’t stay by her side. I’d think she would still cherish those memories and want to hold onto them, kinda like a parent looking back on memories rasing their kid when their kid is now living their own life and creating their own family. But I do think that if T!Reader does push hard enough, that she would drink the potion as to not put her child in distress in what could potentially be their final moments together.

As for T!Reader… something i’ve noticed but never really said rambling wise is that both her and lyney have that same intate urge to do anything for their family and loved ones. And right now, from T!Readers point of view, her only loved one (and family) is Rosalie. If she gets promised/convinced that Rosalie will be safe and left alone by the Fauti if she drinks the potion, I bet she would. Even if she no longer remembers her maman or the positive memories she has of the fauti, as long as Rosalie was safe I doubt she would care.

As for if she actually gets the chance to drink it or not… i’m honestly torn. On one hand, there is the chance that the trio + aether and paimon get their in time to stop her from drinking it and find another way. Which would be very cool and neat… But the potion is already the nice way out, as the hearth’s rule is with their life is the cost. 

Theres not really any nicer way to go around the hearth’s core rules, especially with the distraction t!reader is and the persistence lyney has. I’m sure Arlecchino knows that although her orders to leave t!reader alone may put lyney on a pause, it won’t last forever. I mean, the guy went straight to T!readers house with lynette’s help once their meeting with father was done. And although I haven’t done the story quest yet, I know enough to know that even with the traveler helping, they wouldn’t win unless father specifically let them. 

Plus, (and i had to go digging to find the exact words once i remembered it) i remembered something you said in one of my very first asks. Specifically art naosaki’s quote, "Reader needs to learn how to stay, and Lyney needs to learn how to let go". I can see the reader’s form of staying being finally confronting her past and taking the deal not for herself but for everyone else, while lyney’s form of letting go is letting go of the mc from before the potion. A bit more bittersweet, and again, i’m torn over it, but its just my thoughts! 

Also, I sent this at the same time as the fic since my theory influenced it a fair bit… so ye, back to the pit i go-

-deadman aether anon

- HI DEADMAN AETHER ANON u sent the fic first but i wanted to answer this one cus i got excited and wanted to treasure it…

- im very glad u got rosalie figured out tho!!! despite all the suspicion she received by everyone in the beginning, at the end of the day, she really just cares about mc and will always put her first! AND MC TOO!!!! top tier character analyzation 🙏🔥🔥

- I LIKE HOW U HAD TO SEARCH FOR THE QUOTE 😭😭😭 your interpretation of the quote deserves praise for fitting in the plot of the way things are going right now but i dont want to say anything in case i end up confirming or denying it HHAHA

- still, such a thoughtful and fun little read from you once again 😭🫶🫶 i have so much fun listening (reading???) your thoughts but now i got a wholeass fic from you as well?? oh i am so blessed truly U ARE A BLESSING TO MY ACC

[tomiexkawakami]

𝑲𝑨𝑳𝑶𝑷𝑺𝑰𝑨

𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚛(𝚔𝚗𝚢) 𝚡 𝚃𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚎!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕.

Kibutsuji (name)

(You basically look like Tomie)

Physical age : 17 / 18

Actual age : around 990 - 100

Personality : Basically like Tomie but she is a bit nicer, though she is still confident, despite being the strongest demon along side her brother, she always treats demons normally, she's never been seen upset and/or mad at anyone or anything, despite how she is actually feeling (that doesn't make sense but just go with it🙏😭)

Hc : She has also never consumed a human before, shocking, isn't it... but even if she hasn't, she is still incredibly strong, and no one really can notice she if is a demon because she has no bloodlust.

(Name) has beauty that no human can handle, which leads to men loving her so much they want her to dissappear from this world, and women killing her out of envy.

But of course, she always will return, thats just how It is.

She is very close friends with Daki, as when the young Demoness laid eyes on (name) she immediately wanted to be her best friend.

Muzan cannot read (names)'s mind, so he to could never know what emotion she is experiencing or what she is thinking.

She is also very close with Rui and Kokushibo, Rui sees (name) as an older sister, as she took care of him and treaded him better then any member in his 'family'. For Kokushibo, he is respectful to (name) because of her status and her and Muzan having the same blood, but due to (name) being stubborn and trying to be-friend him, he eventually warmed up to her and considered her as a close friend.

Upper 4 & 5 .... sigh. Gyokko has made very many pots for (name), because the praise he gets from her make him feel confident and good about his precious art, Hantengu however... he... he is fine, I guess.

Hantengu was very convinced that (name) would make fun of his looks because compared to her... he wouldn't be comparable- But to his surprise, (name) was kind to him, and soon enough, he got less scared when he was around her. Key word ; less

Uppermoon 3? He drinks his Respect women juice DAILY, so I can see him being respectful to you like Cockushibo.

At first, he thought you weren't a demon and was confused when you showed up in one of the uppermoon meetings, and was even more shocked that Kokushibo bowed to you to show respect. So after he found about you and your status, he was trying his best to avoid you att all costs, but of course, (name) was too stubborn to let that slide.

Douma, the friendship between you to is kind of difficult tbh, he is very used to being an annoying little fuck so he could get on peoples nerves for fun, but when he tried that with you, nothing happened. He really thought you were serious and cocky like Muzan but, you proved him wrong.

Author's note

Hi!!! I made this chapter to show information about (name) and her relationships with demons and such, I'm thinking about doing this with the demon slayer corps but I kinda just pulled this idea out of my ass and I need to know what I'm doing instead of just writing what pops out of my head...

Anyways- I hope you find this useful!