#not nearly often enough to generalize the whole anime???

[childeapologist]

Also friend who cut me off posted some time back that they "slept on Frieren bc they thought it would be all 'moe moe' garbage but that they were presently surprised. however it's still 90% 'moe moe' garbage"

MOE MOE WHERE???? LMAO?? DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT MOE MEANS???

maybe sometimes when Himmel is on screen but still WHAT?????

[rainrot4me]

Whispers In The Trees

Summary: Prepped your whole life to complete a ritual to hand yourself over to a monster, you demand the reason why. When he gives you the answers, he demands your body.

Characters: Slenderman x Female Reader

SMUT WARNING MINORS DNI

TW: Big size difference, rituals, tentacles, gagging, choking, suffocation, eating out, Slender has a big tongue, vaginal, tip fucking, forcing, blood, clawing

Words: 5.2k

The curse of Slenderman had been in your family for generations.

Since you were little, this curse-like entity crept on your kin and ruled their lives. Demanding sacrifices and obedience every decade; deeming itself a God over you. 

So as you trekked through the dense moonlit woods, you clutched the wicker basket so hard in your hands that it nearly cracked. You tried to think of your mother and her sisters, and her mother and her sisters, who have gone through this same ritual like generations before. The fog was dense all around you, the small flashlight in your hand doing little to breach the thick blanket. 

The nature around you was quiet, a dull whisper of insects and animals as you trudged through the underbrush and thick roots. You knew this path, having walked it often when you were little to help your mother and sisters prepare for their turns, their time to appease the creature. You didn’t understand then, but now that you were dressed in thin white robes and bare feet, reality quickly faced you. In other circumstances, the outfit wouldn’t be bad, a nice Halloween costume of some cute cult girl from Midsommar maybe. But as you neared the familiar clearing past the trees, you didn’t find the idea of being a sacrifice funny anymore. 

Standing just at the edge of the treeline, you took a deep breath, limbs shaking against the cold and fear that ran through you. It was late summer, well past midnight, and the night air brushed against your flushed cheeks leaving goosebumps. Closing your eyes, you stepped forward, leaving the dense forest behind you. 

A sense of dread immediately engulfed you. The fog suddenly fizzled out on the ground like it wasn’t just blinding you. The air was silent, not a bug or animal to be heard no matter how hard you listened. And the breeze just stopped. It was like the whole forest was afraid to move into this clearing, hugging close to the treeline curiously but daring no further. But you had to, no matter how badly you wanted to turn and run back home to the safe arms of your family. To keep the vengeful creature at bay, this was the price that must be met. Every ten years, you watched as another woman from your family disappeared for a night late in the summer, silently praying that she would make it home in the morning. They always did, but the haunting look that followed them shook you to your core. 

Reaching the center of the clearing, a dead spot in the grass was etched in a circular shape, the familiar pattern laid before you. Lying down your basket, you flicked off your flashlight, the moon illuminating a milky blue hue into the clearing bright enough for you to see. You shuddered, the silence creeping into your mind and making you look around quickly, paranoia gripping you. You huffed, rummaging through the items in the large basket and laying the contents out, preparing for the exhausting ritual. Your mother had taught you, every step perfect as she walked you through the routine. The symbol, the candles, even the perfect way to position yourself. It was like an art form for her as she taught you and your sisters.

Unwrapping the large bag of salt you packed, you began to follow the outline in the grass, pouring as you walked slowly. The symbol was forming nicely, a large circle with an x etched through it, the symbol of Slenderman, bore by anything he owned. As you closed the symbol, your heart pounded, the next steps coming quickly as you could feel the forest beyond the treeline begin to stir, its curiosity pressing. Setting candles along the salt, you spaced them evenly, lighting them as you went. It wasn’t nearly as perfect as your mother would have done it, but your shaking hands restrained you slightly, giving you little reason to care.

The candles flickered against the night, the warm glow surrounding you as you studied your work, praying desperately that it was good enough. You felt an impatience in the air, quickly cleaning up the rest of your items into the basket before sighing, and closing your eyes tightly. This was the part you dreaded. The part your family was reluctant to tell you when your time eventually came around. You hooked your hands under the hem of your white robe, the thin fabric almost see-through as you tugged it over your head, your bare body flush against the cold air. Your nipples had already perked, your nervousness making you squirm into yourself as you folded your robe neatly and laid it in the basket, turning back to the salt symbol. Breathing deep, your hands shook, goosebumps running all over your body. You took a step in, careful not to disturb the salt as you kneeled in the middle of the x, tucking your feet under yourself and straightening your back, placing your palms flat against the top of your thighs.

The salt was meant to protect you, a barrier that Slenderman couldn’t break. You were supposed to come out willingly, offering yourself to him without force. Was it for trust or some sadistic attempt at manipulation, you didn’t know. But as you breathed deep, you stared into the dark corners of the forest, eyes flicking nervously and watching for any signs of movement that you knew would come. You had only heard of Slenderman’s appearance, never seeing it besides what your family could recount. Terrifying, was the word they all used. It didn’t help as your heart pounded, the thudding echoing in your ears as you prayed he would never come. But it gave you a good time to reflect.

The specific reason why your family was enslaved to this creature was unsure, tracing back generations and lost with time. But like any of Slenderman’s victims, who's to say exactly why he did anything except for his own gain? 

As you caught yourself zoned out in thought, you were quickly snapped back when you heard the rustling of leaves yards ahead of you. Your eyes snapped wide, back straightening quickly as your tits perked, your naked body on display amongst the candles and decor. You studied the shadows carefully, watching for any sudden movements, your pulse quick. But finally, slinking from the shadows, the lanky creature emerged. The sheer height of him made your heart sink, his bony limbs long and awkward. If it wasn’t for his movement, he could easily blend in with the tall trees surrounding him, making you suspicious of just how long he had been watching concealed by the dense forest. Your nails gripped into your thighs, teeth gritted as you tried to hold down your tears. His presence is overwhelming and otherworldly, defying the logic and rationality you’ve always relied on. The air around you seems to distort, amplifying the surreal nature of his presence until it feels like you can’t breathe. He was closer now, it barely even seemed like he had walked but more like appeared before you, only a few yards away from the circle protecting you. However, the worst part about the encounter was the lack of a face. It was like someone had pressed a sheet against his face, features protruding against the pale skin but offering no obvious facial structure. It was purely terrifying, this creature far beyond what you could’ve imagined.

His dark suit contrasted against his terrifying appearance, his buttoned coat and tie making you knit your brows, your unease only growing. Slenderman just stared, his vacant eyes absently staring down at you. His faceless visage and elongated limbs exuded an unsettling yet compelling magnetism that you found yourself drawn to, eyes refusing to look away as you studied him. Finally catching yourself, you looked down at your hands quickly, cursing yourself for being so disrespectful. “Slenderman, sir.” You mumbled respectfully, keeping your body at attention even though embarrassment wrecked you internally. “I come, as my kin does, to offer myself to you. To fulfill our obligations to you. And to-” 

The speech you had so delicately rehearsed was cut short by a low grumble, the echo of the tall figure’s voice cutting you short.

“I hate to interrupt,” His voice was smooth, every word laced with the undertone of a darker grumble, like two voices were speaking at once, overlapping each other. “But hearing this same dedication every time I meet with one of you becomes rather tiring.” You sat shocked, unsure of what to do next as your careful instructions were quickly skewed. You kept your head down, eyes flicking against the grass as you carefully waited, shaky breaths the only noise between you. You felt so helpless against him, like if you made one wrong move that would be it. The only reason you weren’t screaming and running was the salt circle and the looming fact that if you did run your family would be massacred in minutes. 

“Forgive my rudeness.” He coaxed, pressing closer against the circle until you could see his black dress shoes come into the edge of your vision. You dared to look up, your eyes slightly edging up until you were staring at his face again, that odd sense of being drawn in coming over you again. Slenderman tilted his head, vacant expression examining you. “But, you and I both know what we’re here for. There is no need for formalities anymore.” You knitted your brows, embarrassment creeping up your cheeks as you remembered just how bare you were. You gripped your thighs, nervousness running through your every word. “But I thought there was a need for formalities. This being a ritual and all.” You mumbled, eyes roaming the tall figure, his long limbs clamped respectfully behind his back as he chuckled darkly. “All of this,” He motioned towards the salt circle beneath you. “This is only for aesthetics. You understand, to make the scene more appealing for us. Humans have such an odd fascination with beings like me, so to combat your fickle bravery: you created a routine. Something to take your mind off of just how terrifying encountering me may seem.” He explained calmly, his body hauntingly still as he talked, but there was barely a motion of his jaw, like the voice was coming from somewhere inside. 

You glanced at the salt circle, your efforts to make it look so nice thrown to the wayside. “So, the salt…” You glanced up, Slender nodding reassuringly. “I cannot penetrate it. Your protection is still guaranteed. However, I quite like it when you silly women step outside your protective ring and offer yourselves so willingly.” He was teasing now, his thin hands reaching around to adjust his suit before kneeling in front of you, his limbs awkwardly contorting to allow him in front of you. “But you are not like the others. I feel a very reluctant air from you. The others were a lot more… eager.” He cocked his head to the side. At this angle, you could clearly see the massive bulge beneath his dress slacks, the sheer size of the thing making your stomach twist. “I don’t find giving myself over to a cryptid demon so… appealing.” You huffed back, trying your best to conceal the dark tint against your cheeks. Slender only chuckled, the dark echo of his voice making your skin crawl. “But oh how fun it would be to show you otherwise.” He purred, tracing his pale claw against the edge of the salt, his actions impatient. You squirmed, nails digging into your thighs. 

You straightened up, your bravery low but overruled by your curiosity. “Tell me why. Why the decades of demanding our submission while we cower for the rest? Then, when I am satisfied, I will offer myself. No resistance.”  You demanded, eyes hooded as you tried to stifle your fear. Slender stood slowly, clasping his hands behind his back as he contemplated. Until he finally nodded, sighing. 

“Alright, little one, I’ll bite.” He cooed, that ominous voice seemingly coming from nowhere but everywhere simultaneously. You settled, brain running a mile a minute as your heart beat heavily in your chest. “When old cryptids and beasts still roamed rampant through the Earth, your family was desperate. It must have been more than eight generations ago now, but they sought me out, begging for my protection against the things that went bump in the night. I obliged, my only demand being an offering. I never specified, but you hormonal humans took it upon yourselves to offer your bodies. For all I cared you could have given me your leftovers, but I was more than satisfied with what I have been given.” His words were thick with this cryptic dialect, his accent unheard of. “No such creatures roam these lands, long hunted out or deceased. But your family continued to show up despite my resignation, paranoia convincing them if they didn’t I in turn would be the monster that preyed on you. But, I’m afraid I have more important things to deal with than any of you.” Finished, he leaned forward, his white face vacant, but you could tell what he wanted. 

“Then why do you still co-” 

“Ah, ah, ah. I was promised if questions were answered I would get what I came for.” He growled, the calm voice laced with a tone of demand as you scowled. He waited expectantly, his hands tapping quietly behind his back as you stood, the salt on your knees falling as you shook them off. When you looked up, you realized really just how tall he was. You stopped at his waist, your face eye level with the terrifyingly large bulge nudging against the slacks in front of you. He was tall, towering and matching the height of the trees around you. He stepped back, standing straight as he waited for you.

Breathing deep, you took a step, your foot halfway out of the circle as your heart began to race. You could just wait him out, lay here until morning. But you feared his peacefulness would turn to wrath under desperation. Clenching your fists, you stepped completely out, straining your neck to look him in the face. Slender chuckled, his demeanour instantly switching as you felt the air stir, the forest pressing in on you with such an intensity you thought you were hallucinating. It was like he was controlling the trees themselves, making their branches press in and suffocate you. With a hissing, you finally saw the reason for the sudden intensity. Several black groping tentacles shot from his back, their form close to tree branches with their edges and curvature. He seemed to control them as well, the long limbs reaching around his body and whipping at the air, stretches and tears of the odd black liquid molding into new shapes instantaneously. 

They encompassed your vision, the tentacles casting shadows across your face as they streaked across the moonlight. They slithered forward, sliding across the grass and in the air to grip onto your body. The tentacles were cool, like slimy tree branches that defied all laws of permeation. They slid around your ankles and up your calves, gripping tightly against your thighs before hooking onto your waist. They gripped your wrists, up your forearms and around your neck, tugging as they wrapped around your tits and waist. Soon you were completely secured, the tentacles curiously studying every inch of your bare skin, goosebumps rising everywhere they touched. It was electrifying, your body stiff under the chilled slime. Slender was quiet, his body just as curious as his tentacles as he relished in the way you squirmed under his touch. “So warm.” He mewled, his hands gripped tightly behind him. You shivered as the tentacles breached past your thighs, the slimy tips sliding against your folds, curiously spreading them open while you flinched. They slid further, pressing between your ass cheeks and making you hiss, the coolness sharp against your asshole. 

“Wait-” You whined, your hands straining to push the tentacles off your body but they held your wrists still. They engulfed your tits, the tips wrapping around your nipples and tugging lightly, making you whimper. Slender watched carefully, his face never letting any emotion reveal itself. “Relax, little one. You made this decision. Now let me claim what has been so graciously offered.” He grinned. The tentacles slipped between your folds, your nervousness making you clench your knees together but they held them apart easily. Slipping against your clit, you groaned, your stomach tightening as you stood. Pressing further, they probed against your entrance, tiny little tips tangling with each other to slip inside of you, your warmth contrasting with their chill. You whined, eyes slipping shut as the tentacles pressed further in, stretching you as they squirmed and whipped. You felt incredibly full, your clit throbbing against the intrusion as a single tentacle flicked against the hardened nub. 

Slender grunted, his eyes darker as he relished in the way you squirmed, your tiny noises making him strain against his slacks. “Go on, no one can hear you. Be as loud as you please.” You gasped, the tentacles in your cunt tangling together and pressing deep, stretching you wide. They began to pump inside of you, pulling out before pressing in quickly, your mouth falling open. Every inch of your body was covered in the cool slick of the tentacles, every inch sensitive as they glided along you. You felt a tug along your waist, the tentacles securing around you as they began to pull up, lifting your feet off the ground. You panicked slightly, the loss of stability unnerving as you were lifted to meet Slender’s face, your body angled back so he got a clear view of your cunt full of him. You whined, your face flushed and breathy as they trusted quickly, your slick coating the dark limbs beautifully. You found it terrifying how no expression or signs of interest flashed on Slender’s face, only the heavy breathing in his chest telling you how excited he was. Curling, you moaned loudly, throat straining as the tentacles pressed against your warm walls, squelching loudly through the quiet woods. 

You couldn’t speak, the air in your lungs restrained as the tentacles gripped your throat, choking you. Some more moved up, pressing against your cheeks and against your lips, nudging their way inside. The tentacles tasted grimy, unlike anything as they slid around your tongue, filling your mouth full of him. You choked, the tips curiously pressing down your throat, quickly following the pace of the tentacles in your throat as they began to thrust down your mouth. It didn’t help when you felt a single tentacle slide across your asshole, forcing its way inside and stretching uncomfortably. You were gasping and gagging, every inch of you overtaken by these slimy things as they pressed against every inch and the entrance of your skin. That’s when you began to hear Slender’s ragged breathing, his chest heaving against his suit as he watched closely, entranced by the whole scene. He felt every slide and movement of the tentacles, relished in every vibration and constriction that your body gave him. He pushed you, seeing what made that beautiful voice stir or what made you flinch. He loved every answer he got. 

Your senses were skewed. You forgot what direction you were facing or how high you were off the ground, everything becoming a blur as your body dissolved under his touch. Pleasure was racking your body, your resolve leaving you as Slender’s tentacles broke and pulled at every restraint you tried to use. No matter how hard you wanted to resist, these tentacles were quick to force embarrassing noises from your lips, pressing on all the right places. Squirming, the tentacles slicked against your cunt, pounding up into you at an inhumane pace. You couldn’t concentrate, every inch of your body was violated at his will. You couldn’t hold back anymore, your cunt throbbing against the thick tentacles inside of you as you felt your orgasm crash down. You gasped loudly, mouth full of slimy limbs as you came roughly, walls constricting around him. Your body thrashed, fighting against the restraint as you rode out your high, chest heaving. Your head was light when the tentacles slipped from your sensitive cunt, replacing themselves around your thighs as you were hoisted up higher, your brain too hazy to care. 

Your body was angled upright, legs spread wide apart as your clit throbbed, aching from the intensity. Your heavy eyes watched as you were lifted to Slender’s face, your cunt open and raw inches from him. You whined, squirming as the tentacles slipped from your mouth, gasping. The tentacles retreated to your limbs, holding you firmly as Slender’s claws left behind him and reached up, wrapping firmly around your hips, pinching the plush skin. “You have such a pretty face when you cum. I would love to see it again.” He growled, pulling you close to his face. You were confused, wondering what he meant until you heard this sharp tearing sound loud enough to echo through the trees. You tensed, watching fearfully as Slender’s face split where his mouth should have been. It was terrifying. His mock mouth split wide, jagged pieces of skin splitting to reveal a dark interior, his mouth pitch black. Emerging from the dark, a tongue, similar to the shape of one of the tentacles, slipped through the jagged skin, pressing close to your cunt. You squirmed instantly, unsure if you wanted this to happen.

You didn’t have much of a choice as he ran his large, thick tongue through your folds, a groan echoing through him. His tongue was long, black, and inhumane. It pressed through your entrance, the warmth a nice contrast to the coolness of his tentacles that still slid against your skin. His claws gripped tight, holding your cunt flush against his mouth as he slowly lapped you up. He moaned at the taste, pressing against your velvety walls until he heard those wonderful gasps again. “Delicious.” He grumbled against your cunt, tongue curling and filling you as he relished the sweet taste of your orgasm. It was all too much, your body squirming against the sensitivity until you were gasping for air. He was so skilful with his tongue, lapping at every inch of your inside until you felt your orgasm rocking you again, your eyes rolling as you cried your pleasure. It was all too fast, his touch too addicting as you stared at his blank face, pleasure struck across his knitted brows. 

“God… Fucking human.” The words sounded so vulgar following how polite he’s been. It caught you off guard. But you had little time to think as his tentacles were tugging you down quickly, laying you flat as they positioned your legs to spread around his hips, hips straining as the tentacles pulled. You whined, watching carefully as Slender unzipped his slacks and freed the bulge that had been haunting you from the moment you saw it. To say it was huge was probably an understatement. The thick length was easily larger than your forearm, not even two hands would be enough to hold the thing. You began to struggle against the tentacles, panic overtaking you as his cock twitched with excitement. “There's no way in hell that thing’s fitting inside of me! It’ll rip me in half!” You squealed, feet planted against his legs to hold yourself away from him.

Slender’s claws wrapped around your thighs, scraping the skin lightly as he tugged you towards him, his cockhead laying against your cunt. You cringed, fear riding up your spine. “I’ve never gotten this far with the others. Their voices and bodies were too annoying. But you intrigue me, little one. I’ll make it fit.” 

You tried to close your legs, but Slender was already wrapping his claws around your hips, his claws easily overlapping as he nudged his hips between your legs and held you open for him. You were breathing fast, heart pounding as you watched the head of his cock line up with your entrance, the head alone the size of your entrance. He dug his claws in, pinching your skin as he began to press against you, nudging his cock into you. The stretch was rattling, the sharp sting making you cry out as the head of his cock barely pressed inside, your entrance begging for relief. Your hands reached down, gripping his claws tightly as tears spilt down your cheeks, your babbles echoing loudly. The tentacles slid across your skin soothingly, pinching at your nipples and rubbing at your cheeks the further he tried to press. “Ple- Please- Oh, God, please-” You cried, your stomach tightening as his head popped past your tight entrance, your walls constricting against the intrusion, “Breathe, little one. You’re doing wonderfully.” He groaned, hips stuttering lightly as he nudged his head in and out of you. You were whining, breath catching every time he pushed back into you.

He couldn’t go further than the tip, but Slender didn’t seem to mind as he shallowly fucked you onto his cockhead. You were whining, back arched and hips grinding as the sting and stretch of his head slowly turned to painful pleasure. The nudge of his cockhead against your walls made you moan loudly, tentacles sliding down to tug at your clit as he fucked you onto him. You could tell he wanted more, his slimy tongue hanging from his mock mouth and lolling with every thrust. His desperation showed as he breathed heavily, gasps ragged as he held himself back. Even though your mind screamed that you couldn’t handle any more, you gasped, gripping your hands against his thin forearms. “Deeper…” You whined, staring up at him through heavy eyes and flushed cheeks, jaw slack. 

Slender’s body lit up, his claws gripping tighter as he groaned, brows knitting. He was reluctant, his movements nervous until his desperation overtook him, his shoulders crouching low to press his face close to yours. “Hold on tight, little one.” He hissed, your hands slinking around the back of his pale head as you gripped the collar of his suit. He breathed your scent in deep, tongue pressing from his mouth to slink against your neck, relishing in the taste of your sweat. You groaned as the tongue pressed against your cheeks, sliding across your lips before pressing inside. You sucked on his tongue, the long warmth pressing against your throat as Slender began to press your hips down further. It felt like you were tearing, the incredible sting making your eyes clamp shut, Slender’s tongue quick to distract you. His tentacles moved rapidly across your skin, pinching and pulling against every available sensitive service to help relax you. Slender’s cock pressed barely deeper, not even halfway inside of you, but it was all you could take.

You clawed at his shoulders as tears spilt to your cheeks, the fullness obstructing your breathing. Slender was moaning deeply, his ominous voice ringing across the trees as he began to thrust your body down onto his cock. You were both sporadic, hands and tentacles gripping onto every available surface as you stretched impossibly wide. You couldn’t believe the feeling, both painful, but so wonderfully pleasurable. You were so sensitive, so overwhelmed, but oh so full. It was nothing like you had ever experienced.

Slender was holding you tight, pressing your hips down roughly and pulling up quickly, just to nudge you down again. He was careful to read every signal your body gave. Every hiss of pain or sigh of pleasure, he was sure to adjust for you. “Sir- So full-” You groaned against his mouth, tongue slipping to glide against your neck. He groaned deeply, teeth gritted and brows knitted. “So good, little one. So good.” His tentacles flicked against your clit, tugging until you couldn’t take it anymore. 

You couldn’t breathe as you felt your orgasm rush over you, hips jerking down against his cock until you were too tight to move. Slender still tried to thrust you down, but your walls constricted and kept him in place. You cried out, clawing against the back of his neck as he slammed his mouth back against yours, tongue invading your throat before you could catch your breath. Slender was quick to follow, warm seed shooting up inside of you in thick stripes as he groaned. His claws dug in deep, blood pooling around his pale skin until it was dripping down your legs. His tentacles lapped it up, pressing the thick liquid across your skin. 

When Slender’s heaving chest finally settled, he took a deep breath, slipping his claws under your arms. “Hold still, little one.” He hissed, pulling you off his cock slowly as you whined, the sharp sting stretching your sensitive cunt. You couldn’t focus when he finally popped out of you, thick black liquid leaking from your ruined hole. His cum was hot, a thick black liquid that bubbled and gooped against your folds. You whined, emptiness making your cunt throb as your head pounded. Slender sat on the forest floor, laying down on his back as he pulled you with him, laying you down on his chest as you both settled. Your limbs were weak, eyes heavy with exhaustion as Slender’s tentacles ran soothingly across your back. 

When you finally caught your breath, you braced your hands on his chest, leaning up to stare him in the face. His pale skin had fixed itself, with no sign of the mock mouth that tore across his flesh. The blank slate was all that was left. “I release you… Of your duties. There’s no need for you to come here anymore.” You sighed, resting your head against your hands. Slender reached forward, tangling his claws with your matted hair, sliding his fingers through the long strands. “But what if I want to come here? More often than just once a decade, that is.” He huffed, sliding his claws against your cheek. You sat stunned, glancing at his expression and searching for any tricks. “But why..?” 

“I guess now I’ve found a more enticing reason.” He grinned, pinching your cheek. He blushed, turning away. You traced along his chest, the fabric of his suit soft under your touch. “You’re still released from protecting us. No need to give you more work than necessary. I suppose you won’t be requiring the ritual anymore?” You smiled, resting your chin against your hand. Slender chuckled, rubbing up your sides. “Only if you would like to reminisce, little one…” He growled, holding you tight.

In reality, you never imagined the monster that haunted your family to become humane to you. You also never expected to meet with him weekly, in the same clearing, exploring each other and relieving the urges only the two of you could satisfy. 

Maybe it was a slap in the face to your kin, but as Slender held you close for another week, all you could think of was him. 

He may have been a curse, but he was yours to bear.

This was an anonymous request!

Comments and reblogs are appreciated! 𐚁₊⊹

[tainbocuailnge]

I think there is a difference between the comic as a sequence of images with text and the comic as a comic. it's a subtle difference that an untrained eye might not see but the more one as artist draws comics the clearer this difference becomes, because one who first aspires to draw comics will soon find they are merely drawing sequences of images with text.

when people say an artist is clearly inspired by anime they often use "anime" to refer to japanese pop culture in general, but if you look more closely you can often tell it really is specifically anime rather than manga that inspired them, because the paneling and camera angles in their comics will read like a series of anime screenshots rather than a manga page. similarly, when I was a teenager really popular manga that had anime adaptions would sometimes get "animanga" reprints where they replaced the panels with the equivalent anime screenshots of the scene, and they often looked like dogshit because the very premise showed blatant disregard for why the original comic worked in the first place. these two examples are both about anime because i am a weeb but it applies outside that context too. a cartoon storyboard can be read as if it were a comic, but what it really is is a sequence of images with text that has yet to be refined into its actual intended format.

there are many artists who only employ the medium of comic because what they actually want to draw is a video, or a video game cutscene, but the only tool actually at their disposal is the ability to draw a series of images and add text to them so that is what they use. there is no shame or mistake in doing this, you have to make your art with the tools that you have available, and if the sequence of images with text is enough to convey the idea then it was the right tool for the job. but these are different mediums with different visual languages, languages which have a lot of overlap and can occasionally be used in each other's stead to achieve similar results (especially when drawing a fanart comic of a video game for example), but which are still ultimately different. the comic and the video and the cutscene are all different forms that a sequence of images with text can take but they are far from completely interchangeable.

there is a key difference in approach to the comic as a series of images roughly interchangeable with other forms of series of images like the video and the cutscene, and the comic as specifically the comic. this difference in approach is not always necessary to achieve results, an artist who wants to convey a scenario they came up with needs only the sequence of images with text to achieve this. but the difference between a comic with good writing and art, and a comic that is a good comic, is in whether it was treated as a comic rather than a sequence of images with text. I say this as an artist whose nearly every comic has been simply a sequence of images, because I just don't have the patience to refine it into a comic when I merely want to convey my idea rather than draw a comic. it takes a particular skill and insight that have to be developed and practised separately from the ability to draw well and the ability to write well in order to become good at making "the comic" as synthesis of the two.

it's hard to specifically point out the essence of this difference between the sequence of images and the comic because it's kind of a vibes thing honestly, and it depends on where and how the comic was meant to be published too. comics meant to have paper print editions have different constraints and requirements and frameworks to work with than webtoons meant to be read on slim mobile screens in a continuous scrolling format. a good traditional comic will consider not just how each individual panel looks but also the way each page as a whole looks, and how the pages look next to each other in a spread, and how it feels to turn the page towards the next spread. a good webtoon will consider the movement of scrolling down and how this affects the transition from one moment to another in its composition. time is time in videos and cutscenes but space is time in comics, and the space your have available determines how you can divide time across it. when you make a webcomic on your own website you have no constraints but the ones you set for yourself, and sometimes this leads to things like homestuck, which would not work in any other format than the one it created for itself.

the best comics are good because they tell their story and present their images specifically in the form of a comic, in a way that would not be possible if it were not specifically a comic. I think this is true for basically every medium, I'm just thinking about comics specifically lately, because even though I don't really consider myself a comic artist - because I usually draw sequences of images rather than comics - the thing my clients want to pay for is often still "a comic", and they don't know or care to tell the difference. it's a difference that, as established, is often fairly moot anyway, because as long as it successfully conveys your idea it's good enough. but it's precisely because the sequence of images is often good enough that the specific skill of the comic artist is often overlooked.

[fr3sh-tragedies]

Jinx Masterlist

Obsessed (1.9k) You're the only one who managed to catch her eye, and she would do anything to make sure you know that.

Scarred (1.9k) Losing sight of you was bad enough, but her mind turns fatal when she finds you nearly lifeless on the ground.

Mistake (1.8k) Arguments with her are common, though it's clear that one in particular has sent you over the edge when you don't return to her.

Good Luck Charm (3.09k) Jinx has been told she's a mistake and a... well, a jinx her whole life, which is why it's such a surprise when you tell her she's your good luck charm.

Struggle (3.05k) "You're like my rock, and I want to be that for you, too, even if I don't exactly know how to do it."

Grudge (5.03k) - [Has not been uploaded] She can still remember when you'd tell her you loved her before bed each night. Now, as she lays alone in bed, she can only hear those words through memory.

WIP - Near You (?k) Simple acts of service ultimately become Jinx's best excuse to be as close to you as possible, and she's thrilled when you return the favor.

WIP - Teach You You're Mine (?k) Jinx always has her ways to get what she wants, and you so happen to be one of them. She intends to make sure you see that you belong to her.

WIP - Tomorrow (?k) Jinx never looked forward to tomorrow until she met you.

Keep You Close (1.25k) - [Has not been uploaded] Her mind often makes it hard to fall asleep, but it's hard to get her to let go of you once she finally does.

Modern Headcanons (3.11k) - [Has not been uploaded] General and romantic headcanons for Modern! Jinx with a female S/O.

Irrational (3.08k) - [Has not been uploaded] Isolation can cause one to be emotionally irrational when they find someone who will stick by their side, and meeting you has caused Jinx's rationality to falter.

Female Singer S/O (1.17k) - [Has not been uploaded] Headcanons for Jinx with a female singer S/O.

WIP - The Path Lined with Red (?k) "Follow the path lined with red to find me."

WIP - Laid Down (?k) "It's a dream, but I can't wake up, and I don't remember when I ever laid down."

[Animated dividers by: grungenglam]

[pileofboneswrites]

PRETTY BOY.

general eddie munson headcanons.

SUMMARY — some of my eddie headcanons :)

MASTERLIST | STRANGER THINGS | NEXT

eddie is adhd personified

will start 16 tasks then realize he didn't finish the first one so he will go back and then turn around and do the same thing until he's finished them all

will make himself something to eat or drink, and then go back to the livingroom/his room and get hungry/thirsty only to find thr drink or snack waiting for him because he forgot it the first time

puts things down and then 'loses' them constantly!! it's literally in front of your face pretty boy!!!

obsessed with music, and absolutely hates silence

he literally cannot function if there's silence

cleaning the kitchen? he's blasting metallica. in the shower? black sabbath on full volume and you better believe he's doing every (air) guitar solo, and singing along the whole time. getting ready for bed/falling alseep? his favourite dio album is turned down low enough it won't bother wayne, but it's playing until he either passes out and it clicks off, or he's putting on another album

isn't a music genre snob but in the same breath will tell you he'd rather die than listen to country music

despite his stance on country music, loves willy nelson and johnny cash (because who doesn't???)

loves animals and would kill if he caught someone abusing them

cries watching kitty/puppy videos, because they're so damn innocent and too good for humanity and this world

he physically cannot watch those ads about abused animals, will turn the tv off or leave the room (will still get misty eyed just thinking about the poor babies)

will steal animals he sees being mistreated, and will either beg wayne to let him keep them or rehome them to somewhere they'll be loved and properly cared for (he goes and visits them periodically too)

super flirty with people, especially if you're on the shyer side, or are an old lady

if he notices you're shy/insecure he'll lay it on thick (loves seeing people blush/get flustered)

loves old ladies, like grandma's, always tells them they don't look old enough to have children let alone grandchildren or gasp, great grandchildren

gets easily flustered when people flirt with him

he's a natural flirt, unless someone flirts first/or flirts back – then his brain short circuits and he's completely thrown off his game

very gentlemanly

holds open doors for everyone, doesn't matter if you're a man, woman, etc, also doesn't matter how far from the door you are, he will hold it if he sees you coming in his direction — respects wait staff, janitors, etc (always leaves a good tip because people suck, and wait staff deserve to be treated well and tipping is essential!!!)

is a good cook/terrible baker

loves to try new recipes, loves experimenting with his cooking, wayne taught him the basics and then eddie started cooking super all the time for them, making sure wayne was well fed

also can make delicious food out of things you would never expect!!

do not try the cookies/muffins/cupcakes/etc. just don't he doesn't realize that baking soda and baking powder are different things!!!! he will make you the saltiest baked goods you've ever tried!!!

looks like a black cat is infact a golden retriever

he is a silly, goofy, happy boy!! he likes meeting new people, making new friends, (also thinks hes a lap dog)

has zero spatial awareness

he flings his hands/arms around like there's no one else on the planet often results in accidentally hitting someone or almost hitting someone

walks into things in his eyeline that he can see are coming closer, or tries to dodge things when they get close enough instead of just moving over half an inch

bumps his head, stubs his toes a lot, trips or almost trips like once an hour

will bump into your if you're walking beside him, he has a bad habit of nearly shoving people into walls because of how close he gets

apologizes to inanimate objects that he bumps into on the regular

taught himself to play the guitar, drums and piano

when he was a kid his grandparents had a little standing piano in their living room and he'd mess around with it, and then he heard a song on the radio he really liked that had a piano in it so he sat down and over christmas break he taught himself how to play the song, and then how to play some more songs — he only ever seeks out a piano when he's sad now

wayne got him a kid sized drum set for christmas one year, and he played with it until it ultimately broke apart — he taught gareth to play drums

his love of playing guitar came from his father, who before and abandoning eddie taught him a couple chords, and gave him his first guitar — it was an acoustic but it was the only good gift his father ever gave him

cannot stay still

fidgets with his rings, taps his foot, clicks pens (until everyone around his is annoyed), picks at peeling paint, stickers, etc, doodles on himself constantly

has hearing loss from how loud he plays his music + not wearing ear protection at band practices

its mostly because of how loud he cranks his music in the van, never realizes how bad it is until he gets in in the morning for work/school and nearly deafens himself but also scares himself so bad that sometimes he dumps his coffee all over the place

has a terrible memory

writes lists/important 'to do's' on the top of his hand/wrist because he always forgets something, he always has something written down — and despite this still forgets

reuses jokes that aren't that funny but will die laughing upon every delivery

walks into hell fire weaing the same shirt as every friday session and will say "oh that's embarrassing, we've all worn the same thing" ((also not my head canon but it's so funny and i can't stop thinking about it so i had to add it))

is always reading something

be it a horror novel, a dnd manual, something someone recommended to him, he always has a book on/with him

loves thunderstorms and rain

he finds it calming, the rhythmic beating of the rain hitting the metal of the trailer roof, a kind of music in its own right

he likes to sit in the doorway and watch as it pours down, just sitting there, feeling the mist of cool water that sprays up

under absolutely no circumstances does he fuck with porcelain dolls

their eyes are creepy and they follow you, 'nough said

loves halloween more than any other holiday

dresses up every year with zero regard for what anyone thinks, loves to scare kids, always has the most elaborate set up so that he can sit out in the yard and watch/be apart of the scaring

is a lover

doesn't really have many preferences for a partner, isn't really set on a specific gender, body type, age, etc

i'm of the belief that eddie would love you for loving him

terrible at fighting

he prefers not to fight, which is why he wears rings, so if he has to at least that might get them to back off

so good at gift giving

he remembers that one thing you mentioned that one time like nine years ago and anytime he sees something that reminds him of you he gets it

prefers to make gifts for people, and always gets them something they love/need

[ren-054]

Random unassorted headcanons for BlushBlush boys (main game and phone flings)

!! Also some of the guys just won’t be on here, sorry akdnsm

- Nimh used to have strong compulsive tendencies due to worrying over his health, but he’s been trying to form healthier habits like working on grounding and meditation

- Fabian would have a guilty pleasure fascination with legs and feet but he’d never fully admit it

- Garret isn’t entirely as himbo-like as he lets on and sometimes uses people’s expectations of him to his advantage, but on the whole he’s still the sweetheart we know

- Garret gets a kick out of (lightly) teasing his partner and may play around using his strength on them sometimes (consensually obv)

- Stirling had a considerably long phase where he had long hair (think mid-back length)

- Logan has a lisp

- Cole is hypermobile in his arms and legs (and that also means chronic pain wooooo)

- Eli is a sex-favorable aroace

- Reece is autistic and also maybe aroace

- Ferris is a fidgeter and either currently or needs to collect fidget toys to play with at work so he doesn’t pull at his hair or pick at his skin absentmindedly

- Anon has freckles and moles all over

- Jaxon has intimacy issues and it’s relevant to his future character growth

- Ferris is a chronic Twitter user and doom scroller

- Boss has TMJ disorder

- Poe has a hobby and decent knowledge on scavenging for, bleaching, and collecting animal bones

- In that vein, Poe keeps a box of sterile latex gloves in his room

- Most of the guys don’t really have six packs (aside from maybe Kelby and Logan)

- Garret has a Lot more hair than his game sprite

- Cashew has conflicted feelings about his father

- Haru can be a bit choosy about who gets to touch/handle his hair, he doesn’t get aggressive about it usually tho. More like a “ahhh someone’s being a little handsy in places they shouldn’t!” or whatever

- Poe, Cash, and Cole all go to the same college

- Cole goes to college? I guess? Idk

- Kelby has ADHD and horrible impulse control when alone (I will never let him live down the time he admitted to eating flowers off the side of the road)

- Ace and Kelby have karaoke nights (Ace’s idea)

- Scale entered the assassin academy at a young age and is probably a bit developmentally stunted in areas outside of physical wellness

- Scale knows how to speak Mandarin nearly fluently

- Volks is secretly a picky eater (meaning you can usually tell when he doesn’t want to eat a certain food but he’d still force himself to eat it anyway)

- Nimh can get irritated/overwhelmed by loud noises such as when he’s in crowds, so he brings around earplugs and/or noise canceling earbuds with him just in case

- Sven works in stocks as his day job and is a streamer on the side, sometimes giving quick advice and lessons on finances every now and then

- Dmitri is much more of a jokester than he lets on and would use brainrot speak for its effective psychic damage on anyone in earshot

- Reece has frequent conversations with his ship whom can communicate back, especially to help work through his thoughts

- Anon has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and he has cleaning compulsions which he often does whenever stressing

- Seth can bring back his cooler horns, ears, and tail, but he doesn’t doesn’t care enough to

- Cole was one of the most disappointed when he changed back into a full man, no longer manimal, and lost all his cool traits

- Drake’s accommodations for his spell casting class had to do with the sensory aspect of casting which made him too physically uncomfortable (from sweat or itchiness or just general overheating) which led to the solution of casting with less clothes on

- Eli has a collection of those gaudy socks with text and funny patterns on them

- Poe is a thrifter and DIY master for his clothes and accessories, but he still thinks he’s an amateur

…… There’s probably a bunch more but I need to go to bed so uhhh goodnight akdnsk

[bottledkriegmen]

ZERO DAY HEADCANONS!! >O<

xoxo @calcyum helped me write some of these go look at his art its so yummy!! literally the loml MWAH

☆ Cal tells white little harmless lies like, all the time. He doesn't mean to, it just happens

⋆ Example, he says he doesn't like ice cream but he can and will absolutely destroy an entire tub of chocolate icecream in a heartbeat

☆ Andre burned the shirt he got called a faggot in the bonfire before Zero Day.

☆ Cal's half Russian, his bio dad lives in the European half of Russia.

☆ They both call Mel, "Mel Bell" or "Melanie Bellanie"

☆ Andre played softball when he was little.

⋆ He quit because he got hit really hard in the head by a bat.

☆ Cal's a total metalhead. He has a ton of diff band tee's, but he's never gone to a concert.

☆ Andre has especially sharp canines!! (Feeding into Dogdre propaganda/j)

☆ Cal is a chronic doodler. If he and Andre are sitting next to eachother and Cal has a pen or sharpie in his grasp, Andres getting a whole SLEEVE of silly little doodles all over his arm.

⋆ he's also a stick n poke master, he's got little tatoos littering his ankles.

☆ Andre is a left handed shooter, right handed writer..... Cal is the opposite.

☆ Andre is a polyglot!! He forgets words in English and has to try to convey what he's trying to say to Cal in literally any other language he can think of. (Never works.)

⋆ This makes him so unbelievably mad.

☆ Cal watched Duckman growing up.

⋆ He introduced it to his siblings and they used to all watch it together!! TRUST!!

☆ Andre watched M*A*S*H growing up...

☆ Cal knows how to play a few diff instruments, other than a guitar and sitar.

⋆ Violin, piano, trumpet, all that good stuff.

☆ There's definitely a few holes in the basement walls of Andre’s house. He'll swear it wasn't him. (It was.)

☆ Cal is very awkward with love in general. He'd be an... okay boyfriend, but he would NOT pay enough attention to his partner because he'd be too busy hanging out with Andre.

☆ Andre 100% grew up on older fashioned values with new fashioned eyes iykwim. He'd treat his partner with the utmost respect, but he'd also have the same problem as Cal. He wouldn't pay much attention to them.

☆ (A personal fave) Cal and Andre have matching dog tags!

⋆ Before their final scene in Zero Day, Cal and Andre decided to switch dog tags with eachother. (fags..)

☆ Andre got a little teddy bear as a birthday present when he was itty bitty, and kept it. He's wayy to embarrassed to show anybody.

⋆ Cal found it one day and Andre nearly lost his shit.

☆ Cal often meows or hums in response when talking to Rachel or Andre when he doesn't feel like actually speaking.

☆ Stealing this from another post (I can't find creds rn i am SO sorry), Cal's siblings absolutely love Andre. He's like their other older brother.

⋆ Andre loves them just the same, he's such a good big brother. :(

☆ Cal's sister paints both Cal's and Andre’s nails, and makes them attend her tea parties with her stuffed animals.

☆ Mel follows Andre around the house wherever he goes. There's literally not a second when she's not behind him.

⋆ She gets jealous of Cal whenever he's too close to Andre.

☆ Andre and Cal share a bed everytime they spend the night with eachother.

⋆ They totally spoon but like hell they'd ever admit that.

these were so fun to write guys ty again ml MWAUGHH

[zoobiefish]

So, I nearly missed out on Auctober again, whoops! I am now 9 days behind, woohoo 😂😅 I’m an Autistic university student, so I may not always have the spoons to commit to this daily challenge, or at the very least I may not be able to draw something for each prompt…I may have to just write a little blurb about what that day’s prompt means to me lol But ideally I would like to contribute as many pieces of art to this challenge as I can! For now though, to catch up on all I’ve missed, I’m going to make individual short blurbs for the prompts I’ve missed thus far:

Day 1: Autism Plus

For myself, in addition to being Autistic, I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, EDNOS, and generalized anxiety. I also suspect I may have hEDS (hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome). Fun stuff!

Day 2: Infinite

The most popular symbol for Autism Spectrum Disorder to my knowledge is a golden infinity ♾ symbol (sometimes I see a rainbow-coloured one in use as well, though my understanding is that the rainbow infinity symbol is used for neurodiversity as a whole). For a long time, the infamous puzzle piece 🧩 symbol was used to represent ASD—but most Autistics HATE this symbol!! I recognize that I don’t speak for all Autistic people, but this is the common opinion on the puzzle piece symbol and the one I share as well: The puzzle piece symbol is problematic because it suggests that Autistic people are inherently “missing a piece” or that we are “a puzzle to be solved.” Plus, this symbol is used by the evil corporation Autism Speaks. I would prefer not to go on a rant right now about why they’re evil; if anyone is curious, I would recommend doing research on why Autistic people HATE Autism Speaks. But the short version is that they support eugenicist policies around Autism and seek to eradicate us from existence. They treat us as non-humans under the guise of doing “charity work”—they are absolutely NOT a charity. Do NOT support Autism Speaks under any circumstances—any supporter of Autism Speaks (or as most of us spell it, “Autism $peaks”), is NO friend of mine!

Day 3: AuDHD

This is a fun little term I’ve seen in the Autism and ADHD communities! It’s a portmanteau of “Autism” and “ADHD” in case it wasn’t obvious heh! I myself do have AuDHD; it’s a very common comorbidity! It’s certainly…an interesting experience because the two often conflict with each other, as if I have 2 wolves fighting within my brain 🤪

Day 4: Music

Music is one of my favourite coping mechanisms. If I’m understimulated or need inspiration (especially for art or writing), I’ll put on some fun, energetic music to get the juices flowing and will dance and/or pace around the room to get the energy out of my system! If I’m overstimulated, relaxing videogame soundtracks are often my go-to—especially music from The Legend of Zelda, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing etc. Another aspect of my being on the spectrum is that my thoughts are very vivid and visual. Often times when I hear music, I can’t help but see colours, shapes, images, and even stories with characters and whatnot going along to the music. It gives me great ideas for animatics and artwork! I love this fun little bonus feature in my brain haha 😛

Day 5: Verbose

This one is rather interesting for me. I find when I feel safe around a person or I have just TOO much energy to control myself, I WILL talk—and talk—and talk—etc. I feel so bad for those who fall victim to my “infodump sessions”—but just know that if I do that to you, it’s my way of showing affection. If I talk and never seem to shut up around you…I probably really like you (platonically) 😁 Other times however, I am dead silent. This is usually around people I’m uncertain of, don’t know well enough, or I may just be burntout/too tired to talk 😅

Day 6: Individuals

As the saying goes: If you’ve met ONE (1) Autistic person, then you’ve met ONE (1) Autistic person! We are NOT a hivemind, people!! Just because I’m not like your “friend’s cousin’s aunt’s 3-year-old stepson” doesn’t mean I’m “not Autistic.” The stereotype with Autism is a white cishet dude—but we are just as diverse a population as any other demographic. We all have our differences and similarities, but we are unified in our shared diagnosis—and that’s it!

Day 7: Neuroscope

Ah yes, the “superpower” Autistic people seem to have in which we can all “sense each other” 😂😂😂 I find this to be scarily accurate actually—the majority of the people I’ve become friends with at uni turned out to be Autistic, and long before they mentioned they were on the spectrum I was able to tell. The funniest part though is that they all the said same thing about me! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Day 8: Non-Speaking

So of course Autism is a spectrum, and among the ways in which Autistic people can differ from one another is whether we possess the ability to verbally speak or not. I do not want to talk in length about what being “non-speaking” means as I am not non-speaking myself and don’t wish to talk over those who are. What I do know though is that some of us are unable to verbally speak and may use alternative methods to communicate (whether through the use of sign language, AAC devices, or other means), which are equally valid methods of communication that deserve to be respected. Once again, I must iterate that I am fully capable of verbal speech and I am in no way non-speaking myself. That being said, sometimes I do have a reduced capacity to speak or feel it takes far more physical effort to speak when I am tired, stressed, overwhelmed, in sensory overload, or in the midst of a shutdown. This does NOT mean I am non-speaking—that label is exclusively for Autistic individuals who cannot verbally speak at all. I’m not sure what the proper terminology is for my specific situation (if anyone knows of it, I’d appreciate if you let me know in the comments!) but because of these situations, I am currently trying to learn ASL so I can still communicate in some way during these episodes.

And that’s it for now! I am hoping to have a drawing done by the end of today for Day 9, but we shall see! In the meantime, check out @autiebiographical on Tumblr! They are the one who started Auctober in the first place to my knowledge and they create amazing comics and other content that educates people on Autism Spectrum Disorder! Happy Auctober y’all!

[saintship]

okay just hear me out!! 13 but with tf141 wherein reader HATES physical touch like they’re completely repulsed by it but they know they can trust tf141, it’s just a matter of getting used to it and time. i’d imagine like it would be them slowly noticing it like if price pats reader on the shoulder for a job well done or if soap just surprise hugs reader from the back and in each scenario the reader freezes up 🤭 also it’s 1 am and i’ve been bingereading your work it’s so good 😭

Prompt #13 - "Take your time."

Thank you so much<3

I’ve struggled with touch aversion my whole life, and it can be upsetting at times so this is free therapy for me,

Hope you enjoy!

Reader & 141 - A little getting used to

Insert excuse to use this gif

The first time they learned of your aversion was at a loosely named ‘work party’, when Gaz had thrown back enough liquor to kill a small animal, Ghost had gathered a few empty pint glasses, and Price drank Soap under the table, literally, when he collapsed to the wooden floorboards of the bar.

You had quickly helped him to his feet and turned to return to your seat when he suddenly enveloped you in a drunken bear hug from behind you, nearly toppling the both of you over with his staggering balance.

You made a low noise of surprise before freezing in place, your hands held up awkwardly as Gaz hiccupped tears of laughter at the scene.

Soap had apologized profusely through the winces of his hangover the next morning, assured when you told him it wasn’t just him, it was touching. But when you were alone with your thoughts, you couldn’t help but recall how warm it felt, how he held you to him like you were something precious.

It wasn’t long after that night that the 141 had completed another operation, mingling conversation echoing throughout the hangar as they filed out of the jet. Your boots had just touched the concrete floor when you felt a Price’s gloved hand pat your shoulder twice, along with a gentle squeeze and a smile.

“Good work.”

Your rigid body made him retract, but you surprised him by laying your own hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks to the Captain..” You murmured with a nod.

What he took as a small gesture was an act that kept you up that night. It had always seemed like you would always hate touching in general; and you did, but it felt different when it was them.

Maybe it was because they never treated you like a child. Some thought your touch aversion was the result of something terrible, and wanted to talk to you like you were some kind of rescue. But on this team, in this job, they just didn’t care. And it felt good.

You and Ghost shared the same hesitance; he showed his love in different ways. Whether it be his humor, pulling you out of a tight situation in the field, or just staying up when neither of you could sleep because of the flashing images that played behind your eyes. So he was the one who surprised you the most.

The operation hadn’t been going well; there were more hidden explosives than they had prepared for, and the task force were clinging to the only truck that wasn’t shattered into a grotesque metal skeleton. The truck wasn’t meant to fit five bodies, and the uneven weight careened it into a small cluster of metal beams and half-walls that had collapsed from a singed building. The crash wasn’t overly harmful, Price hadn’t been going fast, but you were tossed into a pile of concrete rubble, disturbing a metal beam that fell on your upper arm, snapping the bone and pinning the limb underneath.

Your instinct to struggle only tore at the flesh and ligaments more, a white-hot clamp from your shoulder down. Your nerves spasmed and ricocheted, a fuzzy coating of needles trailing up from the smallest finger of your left hand.

You screamed in a way you likely never would again, your guttural cries of pain alerting Ghost. He knew what you sounded like when you were lacerated, or even shot; you would breathe through the groans, often treating it yourself despite his lecturing that would follow.

Now, there was no breath, no quiet murmurs of discomfort. There was only your screams. Not a high-pitched, piercing tone, but a cry, erupting from deep in your ribs, desperate and hollow.

Gaz was stuck as well, a chunk of concrete the size of a car toppled precariously near him and blocking any route of escape. Price and Soap ran to him while Ghost ran to you, an unspoken divvying of effort. Ghost knelt by you, his adrenaline momentarily halted by your grasping of his gloved hand.

“Please.. please help, please, please-"

You were sobbing from pain, but the beam was too heavy for Simon to lift on his own.

“You’re in shock, Sergeant. You need to keep breathing, you got that?” He spoke steadily, though his eyes darted from one part of your broken body to the next frantically.

“Hurts..”

You felt weak saying it. But that was all that was on your mind. The blinding, stabbing pain.

“I know..” Ghost seemed to murmur under his breath, as if the words escaped him involuntarily.

“Got him!” Soap’s voice rang clear as Price dragged Gaz free. Soap vaulted a pile of brick and cinder blocks, quickly assisting Ghost in lifting the beam off your broken arm. The absence of Ghost’s hand made your palm feel cold.

The pressure being released incited more pain. Your screams increased in severity before you were finally free, Soap discarding the beam roughly. You could see in his eyes he was out of his element. It was unlike you to scream or cry.

“We’ve got to set your arm, we’re too far from a hospital to leave it for later.” Ghost stated. You shook your head vehemently.

“No, no, no..”

“It’s alright, Sergeant..”

He sat behind you, holding your torso in his arms as your injured arm continued to swell.

“Look at the clouds. Don’t look at him.”

Soap had knelt beside you, preparing to set your joint. You obeyed, your eyes fixed on the hazy grey clouds that decorated the muted sky. The season being Autumn accompanied by the fact it was nearing sundown made the sky a gorgeous deep blue, stained with a grey overcoating.

“Just keep looking up..”

Soap set the joint in one fluid motion, and a choked cry escaped you, your flinching only held steady by the arms of a man you hardly even looked in the eye.

“Good.. good job..” Soap touched your knee gently, and any panic seemed to ebb, if only for a fleeting second. You could hear Price radioing for a medical evac through the pounding in your head. You would have slipped into the warm blanket of unconsciousness, had Ghost not been behind you. He had fully settled on the ground, at first to secure you, but now at will. For the first time in a long time, you felt arms around your middle and didn’t want to shrink away.

On the gurney, his gloved hand stayed on your shoulder.

In the helicopter, he held your body steady as the cabin shook during takeoff.

In the medical wing, his palm rested just at your ankle while you were treated.

Every so often, you glanced at his hand, the skeleton print of his gloves stained with grime and blood. And with the warmth of his palm, you figured the touch of someone else might not be as repulsive if it's someone like him.

[copperpipes]

PLEASE? TELL ME WHAT YOU DO IN SPECULATIVE BIOLOGY? THAT SOUNDS REALLY COOL???

WHERE DO I EVEN START???

Okay I know. Some general information about the subject first:

Its a genre.

Before speculative biology comes speculative evolution, a more known subject that is basically a whole genre of books, projects, and is more spread then speculative biology because it is less specific. You would find plenty of speculative evolution projects.

They are very similar in a lot of ways and I think the difference is that speculative evolution 'documents' the journey (the evolution) of a creature or a multitude of creatures throughout a time-line of events that may or my not effect its form, while speculative biology is more focused on a single time period or just one creature or maybe a made up culture or an entire planet at a certain point in said journey, and digs deep.

A good example would be birgworld by @iguanodont and alien whale documentary which I definitely recommend checking out if you like the subject and a couple I forgot the name of currently ':]

Whe i say digs deep, I mean it could be as vast as from the building bloks of DNA (like carbon and nitrogen for us) to the politics and cultural plays. Tradition, religion, culture, history, language, psychology, and of course, biology. From general physiology to the way they reproduce and raise their young if at all.

This genre is usually categorized as sci-fi (not in all cases, but then it would be seen less as speculative biology and more just world building, an example would be monstergarden on YouTube) even though its word building because most of the creatures 'documented' are made up aliens and the projects themselves are closely tied to science.

Everything has an explanation in speculative biology and it goes into detail.

Actually a couple of my personal projects are categorized as speculative biology since in them I put my imagination to use and explore alien creatures and their identity.

Being my autistic self everything is thought out to the miniscule detail of how my aliens farm their equivalent of potatoes to what is their social structure and the different things I listed prior. Consider it my special interest.

To this date, I have at least drawn a picture of 10 different intelligent alien species (not including animals or other life forms from same planets, not even different life stages that may be in one species) all seen in a single time period on their respective planets.

Speculative biology also often features in it the planet itself and the solar system it belongs to since one is heavily effected by the other.

I am planning on posting about my project soon enough since I'd like to document it digitally but for now its nearly 3 am so yeah

Thank you so much for the ask I've been wanting to blubber about my favorite subject for some time just didn't have the opportunity :]

This is merely a summary of what little knowledge I hold, I encourage you to look into it and maybe start one of your own.

Also if I didn't get the question right correct me please

[stellasolaris]

What does canon suggest about Riven and his background? I will share some of my thoughts about Riven's background and potential socioeconomic status in this post. As always, these are just my opinions. (If anyone's wondering: no, this is not the meta post that I was talking about in one of my other posts.)

I'll start by saying that my following thoughts are based on the RAI dub and the first four seasons (S1-4) as I don't consider anything past season four canon. However, I'm mainly going to focus on seasons one and two in this post.

As pointed out by many, the one-on-one scene between Sky and Riven in 2.08 is the closest we get to Riven directly confessing that he is (or has been at some point in his life) from lower-class origins.

Riven: Must be nice being a prince. You spend your whole life learning from the best.

I agree that this does give us some indication of his social class, mostly because this line fits with the rest of his characterization that's established in the earliest seasons, but even on its own, it does imply that Riven isn't nearly as privileged as Sky. He wouldn't make a comment specifically about Sky's access to highly qualified teachers if he didn't feel like he lacked them in some capacity. In other words, when we take into consideration his character as a whole, it's implied that Riven has not had as many resources growing up. This hints at him being from the lower class or relating to the struggles of someone from the lower class.

It's important to note here that this isn't the first instance Riven has expressed distaste or a mocking attitude toward privilege. It is also equally important to understand why he reacts so strongly to it. It's not that he hates or dislikes anyone who's above him in wealth or opportunity. I think he primarily has an issue with the injustice of being looked down on, of not being treated fairly, of not performing well enough. He's sensitive to people being ignorant of their privileges, which is why he often calls it out, but it's not necessarily out of resentment toward the person or their social class, but rather an indicator of his roots and how he feels about privilege in general. 2.21 is a good example of this, which I will get into later.

The reason Riven is so aggressive and abrasive in the first season has to do with a myriad of things, but it makes the most logical sense that he's likely had a bad childhood (aka trauma) and experienced being treated unfairly by either the system or people above his status. Riven wouldn't otherwise feel so strongly about privilege in season two or make patronizing remarks that are directly about one's social class in season one.

Sky (Brandon): What Riven means is that perhaps it would be best for you to go back to Alfea while we try to capture that animal. Riven: We don't need your editorial comments, Your Highness.

Brandon (Sky): Riven, you've gone too far! Riven: You're just Prince Sky's yes-man, Brandon. Why don't you go clean up his stables?

In season one, Riven likely projected a lot of his personal issues and insecurities on Brandon and Sky and their class dynamic as a whole—primarily his trust issues and feelings of inferiority—but after the infamous monster scene in 1.22, he goes through a ton of humbling and character development. He grows as a person and learns to trust and appreciate the boys, and most importantly, he starts to embrace himself. He also finally feels accepted by the group, which makes him want to clean up his act even more.

By the time we get to season two, Riven is relatively calmer and significantly lacking in condescension. The comments he continues to make about privilege are mostly a nod to his background and how he feels about unfair advantages. This is why we see a much more mature and open version of Riven in season two where he continues to make remarks about privilege on several occasions, but he's much more reasonable about it.

I want to thank @skylaryozora for mentioning the following scene in 2.21 because it ties in perfectly with what I've been explaining so far.

Riven: Well, I think it's high time you girls get a taste of what life's like where you don't have magic powers, and all you can count on are your wits and your muscles.

In this episode, Bloom says she finds it hard to get used to not having magic powers, which leads to Riven making the aforementioned comment. Similar to 2.08, he indirectly calls out the privilege (albeit a different kind) but doesn't make a big deal out of it. He's most likely talking from personal experience and having had to count on his "wits and muscles" as a kid. He isn't angry or insulting in this scene, but he does acutely notice the difference between himself and others when it comes to having unearned advantages or a better upbringing or better circumstances, and again, he wouldn't continue making these types of remarks if it wasn't deeply personal to him.

Riven's comments based on 2.08 and 2.21 alone suggest that he's had to work hard on his own to get to where he is. It's blatantly obvious he knows what a lack of privileges (and likely economic instability) feels like, probably more than anyone else because the writers make it a pattern to have Riven point out these things.

Let's talk about Riven's skills and what they mean for his character

I don't think it's a coincidence that Riven is good at creating lock picks from scratch . . .

. . . or that his stealth and wilderness survival skills are impeccable compared to others

. . . or that he's exceptionally resourceful and adaptable

. . . or that he's good at spying

These are generally not skills someone randomly picks up or excels in after a year or two of training. These are skills usually associated with people who've had to look after themselves, watch their backs, and protect themselves—people who are more likely to come from the lower class than the upper class. These "street smarts" skills might not hold a lot of weight on their own but together they form a bigger picture as to what Riven has possibly gone through to obtain these skills. (Yes, I'm sure they teach all these skills at Red Fountain, but what I'm getting at here is that Riven's expertise lies in these skills, and I think it was an intentional decision on the writers' part to showcase these particular skills.)

It's also important to consider Riven's fighting style in season one. It's not very polished. It's rushed. It's rough. It's very direct and brutal. He's not afraid to play dirty. Riven almost seems inexperienced compared to the other guys when it comes to technique and formal training, which suggests that Riven has likely been self-taught for the most part or lacks some private or selective education.

Incidentally, and this is more of a personal note, I think one of the primary reasons why Riven seems to always lose to Sky in one-on-one combat is because Sky has an edge over Riven when it comes to technique. But when it comes to other skills, like racing and wilderness survival instincts, Riven is better than Sky—the former being canon, as witnessed in 2.01. In spite of this, Riven feels a little insecure and bitter about not being as good as Sky. That lack of technique, coupled with a lack of opportunities, might be what he thinks is holding him back from being one of the best students in Red Fountain. The balcony scene in 2.04 is interesting in that regard because Riven appears to feel some type of way about the fact that Brandon and Sky were chosen to accompany the girls to a mission instead of him. He doesn't express it outright, per se, but you can tell by his tone and posture that he wishes he was included.

While the show deservedly gets a lot of criticism for its bad writing, season one is mostly decent in terms of character portrayals and has some of the best writing in the series. As I mentioned before, I think the writers were intentional with their decisions to paint Riven in a certain way, to have him say certain things, to give him certain skills that set him apart from the other characters, and in several ways, the narrative of his story gives us many details hinting at his background.

All in all, it's not strictly canon that Riven grew up financially lower class as we don't have any direct statements in the show about his background. However, I think there are more than enough allusions pointing to Riven having had to be independent and live in less-than-ideal circumstances with limited resources, so the idea of him having had a rough childhood (economically and otherwise) or being from the lower class at some point or another in his life is not unfounded. Personally, I think it's heavily implied.

[sammylbir]

My V3 Talentswap AU!

HEYA!

Here's a lil talentswap AU. Its just for fun yet again and there won't be much made out of it. Here we go!

Male Cast:

Shuichi Saihara: Ultimate Crime Novelist

Appearance: Dark hoodie with some hitakana, bag with writing utensils and tools, also carries a notepad on him to take notes, for potential ideas. Lean built, yet firm.

Growing up mostly alone with his uncle, Shuichi spent most of his time reading case files, which gave him a fascination for crime novels in general, inspiring him to become a novelist himself. He published many crime novels, and he is beloved thanks to that. He does avoid interviews mostly and when he goes outside, he often goes outside disguised.

Kaito Momota: Ultimate Motivational Speaker

Appearance: Wears a dark pink sleeveless shirt that exposes his arms and is tight enough for his muscles to shine. His hair is a bit shorter and more well-kept. Very muscular and has facial hair

Kaito's whole life was rather normal, with no real personal tragedies. However, after losing his best friend to depression, he decided to become a motivational speaker, so the others can find the power within them to change and grow. He is very adamant and determined, if a little overbearing and too passionate.

In his freetime, he still does stargazing.

Ryoma Hoshi: Ultimate Assassin

Appearance: Complete Prison Uniform, dark purple, wears handcuffs. Hair is barely visible and he has baggy eyes. Muscular built

Like in the main story, Ryoma used to be a tennis player, who took out the mafia to take revenge against them, for killing his lover. But in this AU, Ryoma was never arrested and took the job as an Assassin, in order to keep the money afloat. He hates his job and a part of him wants to turn himself in and yet, some part of him wants to keep going. He was eventually arrested, but even so he managed to continue his business in his prison, often taking out prisoners who did the worst kind of possible crimes and sometimes helping prisoners escape, if they had been wrongly conflicted.

He loves the sea and animals. He is also a vegetarian.

Kokichi Oma: Ultimate Clown

Appearance: Light Purple and white jester suit, with clown makeup on it. Lean built and quite short.

Kokichi Oma always liked pranking people even as a child, yet after a meeting with someone special, he realised that making pranks to hurt people was wrong and instead began using his abilities, to make people laugh instead. Taking on the persona of "The Lying Clown" he often visits hospitals where kids reside, to put on a show and laugh. He makes sure to never curse or be mean in front of them, only doing so when they are not there.

In his freetime, he watches tons of social media posts and is quite a big k-pop fan.

Korekiyo Shinguji: Ultimate Ex-In

Appearance: Long black hair, wears a dark suit with a red tie, has no mask and he has no lipstick, like in canon. He is tall and lean, yet still toned in some areas.

Korekiyo Shinguji suffered his whole life, thanks to psychological abuse from his family, especially his sister. After a metal breakdown, in which he nearly murdered a young girl, he was sent to the psychiatry and after a year of therapy and recovery, he came out better than ever. Now he's an Ex-In, someone who's experienced with the inner workings of the psychiatry and helps other inmates to recover, by giving them advice on medication, thought progress and overall well being.

He's an avid reader, although he avoids anything that's too scary or horrifying.

Rantaro Amami: Ultimate Drag Queen

Appearance:

In costume: Dark blue undershirt, tons of makeup, especially green lipstick and medium length fake nails, along with fishnet stockings.

Out of costume: Dark blue shirt like in canon. But the lipstick remains and so does his extended eyelashes. He also wears a dark green coat over his shirt and has long baggy pants light blue pants. Piercings remain. His overall built is muscular, but still pretty lean and not bulky.

Rantaro Amami always had a thing for crossdressing. Whether it was because of him having a deep platonic relationship with his sisters or because of his general affinity for feminine clothing, he began to perform in drag on stage. This was something his father did not enjoy in the slightest and so, he was disowned and Rantaro performed on his own, secretly being in contact with his siblings for advice.

He listens to piano music in his freetime and likes to give make-up tips to others.

Gonta Gokuhara: Ultimate Botanist

Appearance: Dark Suit, well-kept long hair. pair of small glasses and a bag, to carry his notebook about various flowers he sees. Built like in canon and very well shaven.

The patriarch of the Gokuhara Family Clan, Gonta may look intimidating and strong, but is very sweet. He never went lost in the woods as a kid and therefore grew up, his parents grooming him as the next heir. But his good-hearted nature remains and so did his love for nature, allowing him to grow up to become interested in plants. He began to grow flowers and tons of other plants, for nature to thrive and for him to learn more of this world.

He still speaks in third person, but he is still highly intelligent, if a bit naive. He enjoys drinking tea.

Keebo: Ultimate Anthropologist

Appearance: Same body like in canon, but he wears a beautiful dark green kimono over his body and his ahoge is pointing behind him. Bulky

Keebo was built by his father, as an attempt to understand humanity more. For this purpose, to please his father, Keebo began to research humanity and about his tales. But witnessing the rather gruesome parts of humanity did leave him depressed, though he is trying his best to cover it up.

In his part-time, he tries stand-up comedy. Keyword being, "tries".

Female Cast:

Kaede Akamatsu: Ultimate Barrista

Appearance: Wears a white shirt with a big pink apron and some dark blue jeans. A rather chubby built.

Kaede Akamatsu's life was rather simple. Loving parents and a loving sister, her life was good without any more difficulties. That was, until her parents passed away and so, Kaede took over the Café. She left behind her piano passion, so she and her sister cam remain afloat. During that time, she became an expert at making any sorts of coffee, so much so that she has been dubbed "The Coffee Queen" by the local media, a title she is not that fond of. She is nice and hard-working, but also misses playing the piano.

She listens to classical music in her freetime and can speak fluent german.

Tsumugi Shirogane: Ultimate ???

Appearance: White blouse, a dark blue cravat and short blue hair with a pair of glasses. Has a chubby built.

Tsumugi Shirogane is rather secretive. Not much is known about her talent or where she came from. She is rather interested in manga and anime, yet she claims her real talent is not related to any of that.

In her freetime, she reads tons of novels and challenges herself with all sorts of puzzles.

Tenko Chabashira: Ultimate Drag King

Appearance:

In costume: Wears a dark blue suit and wears a fake mustache, along with baggy clothes.

Out of costume: Has long hair, wears turqouise shirt and a pair of light yellow shorts. Has a muscular built.

Tenko Chabashira doesn't like men. She loves exercising and protect women from evil men (at the cost of several restraining orders). Her becoming a drag king, was because she lost a bet with a friend, forcing her to perform on stage. Tenko at first hated it and then began to enjoy it, using her persona to mock overly hypermasculine and misogynistic men and also gives advice for men to improve themselves, in order to protect females. She is a bit stupid, but her heart is good.

She loves watching circus performances and loves bubble tea.

Maki Harukawa: Ultimate Chef

Appearance: Wears a big black apron and her hair is shorter, tied to a ponytail. She has kitchen tools around her belt. Has a tall yet firm and toned built.

Maki Harukawa grew up in an orphanage, like in canon. Surrounded by tons of kids, she eventually began to care for them and also took up cooking, to give her "siblings" (the other orphanages) some food. She is extremey skilled at cooking anything and she hates junk food of any kind, while also being an overly perfectionist. She does offer cooking lessons and she doesn't get, why no one wants to employ her services. (Everyone is scared of her.)

She enjoys arcade games, but nobody knows that. Except one.

Kirumi Tojo: Ultimate Prosecutor

Appearance: Dark purple suit, short grey hair, wears glasses and has a golden pocket watch in her pocket. Tall and lean strong built.

Kirumi Tojo is the most feared prosecutor in the country. She is very obsessed with justice, after witnessing her brother's killer escaping off-scott free, due to a faulty justice system. She became a prosecutor to change the system from the inside and yet, is often willing to pull dirty tactics to find the truth. Nothing of that is proven, though...as of now.

She enjoys playing video games and likes Facebook memes.

Angie Yonaga: Ultimate Influencer

Appearance: A white tanktop, long white hair ad baggy jeans. She has an athletic and fit built.

Angie Yonaga is an influencer, hailing from her island, to share more about her culture, life and Atua's teaches. She is beloved by many for her charming smile and bubbly personality. Angie does not like racist slurs in the slightest, especially the N-word and will get extremely PISSED, if anyone uses that word nearby, even as a joke.

She loves sketching in her free time and to visit the beach. She is fluent in many languages, including Bulgarian.

Himiko Yumeno: Ultimate Strongwoman

Appearance: Dark red top hat, sleeveless suit with a red cravat and some long stockings. Extremely tall, bulky.

Himiko Yumeno is known worldwide, to be the main attraction of the Nanami Circus. On stage, she is proud, witty and very confident. But in reality, this is a facade. In reality, Himiko is often depressed, tired and overworked. She hates her job and yet still keeps doing it, because it brings her money and makes her think that's the only thing she's good at.

She loves animals of all kinds and even if she is very strong, she actually would never hurt a soul.

Miu Iruma: Ultimate Mechanic

Appearance: White messy undershirt, dark pink overalls, tons of tools on her belt and wires wrapped around her arms. Has a strong fat built.

Miu spent most of her life in poverty and thanks to this, had to work her whole life in her friend's mechanical shop. Thanks to that, she began to learn more about machinery and get interested in it too. She is quite strong physically, yet her endurance is rather poor, due to a combination of poor nutrition and lack of sleep. She spends all night perfecting certain inventions, while taking care of clients during the day. As foul-mouthed as she is, this mechanic has a golden heart.

And she loves watching kids cartoons in her freetime and playing video games.

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That's it! Make sure to let me know your thoughts down below, okay? See ya! Questions, reposts and fanart/fics are appreciated, but necessary. Have a nice day!

[faultychips]

I <3 Catching MONSTERS and BEASTS!!

...Y'know, the more often you have to acknowledge something awkward, the more awkward it gets. So, I'm not gonna make a big deal about how long it's been since I last made a review again after this time. Finishing college and health complications got in my way for a little while, but I think I'm finally ready to get back in the saddle, and I'm very excited to write about games again, at whatever pace I need to take to do it. I've missed this. Let's get back into it already!

In my search for something that can measure up to my expectations and my nostalgia for Pokémon, I came across two games that stood out to me: Coromon and Cassette Beasts. Both looked like very fun games, but to know how good they really are, I had to try them out for myself. Let's start, then, with the game I finished first.

Coromon is, first and foremost, an extremely good "Pokémon Clone". It can be kind of exhausting to hear this said about any game that remotely includes monsters or creatures, but Coromon is very clearly trying to replicate the core features of the Pokémon games, and it does it very well. There are technically 124 Coromon to collect, but a few are variants on existing ones, so it's really closer to 110. Still an impressive number of original designs! I found myself thinking "Wow... this game's art is gorgeous!" over and over again; the game would not be nearly as engaging, as it indeed is, without the vivid backgrounds and beautifully animated sprites.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with Coromon. Everything that is fun about Pokémon is present and still fun in Coromon, and there are even a few improvements on the formula. For instance, capturing Coromon seems to have a much higher chance of success, making that whole process much less annoying while still not being a guarantee, and you'll be given plenty of free healing and capture items throughout the game that I encourage you to use freely (basically everything is available in shops by the end of the game, unlike items such as Max Revives in the older Pokémon games). There is also a welcome change to the "shiny" formula: there are instead "basic" Coromon, "potent" Coromon, and "perfect" Coromon, each with a different color palette and most importantly, better stats for rarer variants. This gives players an actually good reason to seek out "shiny" variants, and the midground Potent Coromon are relatively simple to find and you'll meet a nice amount over the course of your journey. (Perfect Coromon are... not so easy to find, but I'll get to that.) And most importantly the game is fun! Coromon Battling is unique in many ways--like how there are 13 types, but only 6 are available as Coromon Types, and the other 7 can only be used as Skills (attacks)--but it's just as entertaining as Pokémon battling and I enjoyed designing my team around the blend of new and familiar rules.

Of course, in a cruel bit of irony, Coromon falters in the same ways it triumphs: it is a lot like Pokémon, specifically the older generations 1 through 5. I hope you're the kind of person who likes grinding level-ups in RPGs, because you'll be doing it inevitably here. The story is also pretty forgettable, with mostly unremarkable characters... true to most Pokémon storylines. The "Perfect" Coromon replicate all the time-wasting problems of regular shiny Pokémon, typically taking multiple hours to catch just one, while adding on that the perfect ones are ideal for competitive play and therefore you're playing sub-optimally by not grinding out hours to get one; the double-edged sword of "a good reason" to get "shinies". Though honestly, for better or worse, you don't need to worry about competitive play because there aren't enough players online at any given moment to actually engage with the multiplayer features. There are no asynchronous options to cover for this, either. I found this a real shame, because it seems like the only way to get certain visual cosmetics (that the game goes to great lengths to make sure you know about) is through participation in multiplayer battles. It feels like you should be able to purchase them with actual real-life money; I wouldn't be willing to do that anyhow, but I couldn't even find a way to do that, so... Maybe on the mobile version you can. And finally, when Coromon's main story ends, you're basically done playing, same as many modern Pokémon games. There's an attempt at a battle tower equivalent of sorts, but I found it way too grindy for way too little rewards. It's hard to get excited about cosmetics and such when there's nobody else to show them to.

I think one thing that Coromon does that doesn't work very well that is unique to itself is that the player character has a good lot of dialogue, and oftentimes I found myself thinking "Wow... I wouldn't say that. That really takes me out of roleplaying as my character." Ultimately, it's a small 'problem', but I think it's an interesting example of why silent protagonists are so effective, because when the player character acts independently of the player, it can be distancing. ...Oh, and the game was made for mobile first and once you see that big glaring pause button at the top of your screen it's hard to unsee it, but ultimately I do like having the option to use just my mouse as a controller when playing. It would just be nice if you could toggle the mobile UI elements off.

Ultimately, Coromon was a game I enjoyed a lot, and nicely satisfied that Pokémon gen 4-5 2D itch I had, but while it makes a lot of the same good choices as Pokémon, it also carries over many of their flaws. I think it succeeds as being a generally equivalent experience, though notably lacking some of the perks that come with Pokémon's cultural popularity. As I was writing this review, they announced that they're in the process of making a sequel to Coromon, which will be titled Coromon: Rogue Planet. While I didn't feel like I necessarily needed more of the original game after the 50 hours I sunk into it, I think this is a great opportunity for the devs to learn from the creation of this first game and for the sequel to surpass its inspirations; I will be watching to see if it does.

Despite coming out about a year after Coromon, my Cassette Beasts review is actually much more overdue, because I started playing it in 2023 almost immediately after its release. I spent 30 hours in the game, did everything you need to do in order to beat the final boss...and then I dropped it in early May and never got back around to truly finishing it. After playing Coromon, I decided it was also time I put this other beast to rest. In all fairness it had been about a year and a half since my last playthrough, so I started a completely new file from the beginning to make sure I was refreshed on the full Cassette Beasts experience.

Cassette Beasts, like Coromon, has a really phenomenal amount of work put into its artwork. Every single monster is fully and energetically animated, with attacking, hurt, and sleeping animations for all 129 monsters (in the base game). There are also full dialogue sprites with a range of expressions for every remotely important NPC in the game, and it makes each bit of interaction feel more significant and engaging. There are some caveats to the visuals which I'll elaborate more near the end, but overall, the effort on display is incredible and all the 2D artwork looks great. The monster designs in particular manage to be unique in ways I really appreciate; it's really easy for mon-games to fall into the trap of just making most of their catalogue "just a real-life animal but... red, or maybe blue" and I feel like Cassette Beasts manages to avoid that trap and is consistently creative with their real-life inspirations.

One of the first things you might notice about Cassette Beasts is that all of its battles are in "Double" format; i.e. you control two different characters at once, facing one or two enemy characters; usually fighting 2-on-2. Those were always my favorite in the Pokémon games, and having an entire game of it does not disappoint. I also really like how much there is to the combat system; the way different types interact with each other is complex without being too hard to remember. Whenever you encounter a new mechanic you haven't seen before, like status effects such as Poisoned or Burned, a tutorial tip will show up to explain how the specific mechanic works, which helps a lot to evenly introduce the player to everything as it becomes relevant. In summary, the battling system is designed well and very fun to play around with.

One of the other things you might note about Cassette Beasts is that it boasts a "fusion" mechanic, something rather coveted in Pokemon spaces (so much so that there is a volunteer-driven fangame dedicated to the concept), making it a perfectly understandable feature of a game trying to go above and beyond the existing fusion-related ideas Pokemon has to offer. Unfortunately, while this idea is relatively well-implemented in gameplay, it wasn't anything very interesting either--every possible combination of monsters are fuse-able, and every fusion has a custom animated sprite, which is a jaw-dropping amount of work, but because of the huge amount of them these fusions tend to be very simple blob-looking combinations, often with "copy-pasted" elements. Shortcuts like these are extremely understandable given the workload, but aren't very compelling to look at. Since textually these "fusions" occur when the player character and a given NPC have a strong bond, maybe taking the time to design a single complex, unique fusion for each NPC instead of every single actual combination--quality over quantity--may have been a better choice.

The pacing...let's talk about it. The game doesn't waste any time hitting you with its complete premise and then throwing you out into the open world within the first hour. This feels pretty breakneck, but I suppose I appreciate that it seems to be trying not to waste your time...though I think a game should ideally make you enjoy even the starting tutorial-y parts of the game. Unfortunately, the game never really stops feeling breakneck, since it is an open world game with quests that you can technically complete at any time. Pretty much the whole map is accessible to you immediately, gatekept only by obtainable abilities scattered throughout that have no hard level or progression barrier. The game then becomes a series of frantic grocery check-listing: run back and forth from one destination to another, fast-travel repeatedly because it's the most cost-efficient option for healing, snap up every new objective the game puts in front of you...wander aimlessly until an NPC hands you another quest or hint about something you should probably be doing right now. This formula is what actually caused me to drop off of Cassette Beasts for so long back in 2023; once you reach the endgame, the quests dry out almost completely, and I just... ran out of momentum. Not to mention, that's around the time the game will start increasing your chance of finding bootlegs- the "shinies" of this particular title, which have a random typing and better moves than the average beast. My last hours on that save file were spent trawling the world map for these random bootleg encounters under some vague pretense of preparing for the final boss, before I realized how pointless it would be to raise a monster from scratch when I already have a fleshed-out team from the previous 25 hours of playing...and then I had no willpower left to cross the finish line, so I dropped it and moved on. On my more recent attempt, I was able to mostly ignore the bootlegs (still compulsively catching every one I found of course -- maybe one day shiny Pokémon just won't be a thing in these games and I can be free) and got all the way to the final boss and got to see the ending, which I enjoyed and wish I had just gone ahead and seen in 2023, but… it still felt like it was hard to really sit still and savor the world of Cassette Beasts; there's always something I ought to be getting over with instead. It could honestly sometimes be more of a nauseating chore than a thing I wanted to do.

...Actually, it took me two play sessions and a total of 50 hours to realize this, but I think the game actually made me motion sick for a majority of the time I was playing it. A previous version of this review was a bit more harsh (as harsh as I'm comfortable being, anyway) but I realized after looking it up and seeing some other reports of the same issue that it's likely more a fault of the way the game's lights and camera are functioning than anything else it features. I almost never get sick playing video games, so I'm honestly not exactly sure why it was happening, but I suspect it's something about the 3D backgrounds with 2D sprites, as well as the ways the camera shakes and sometimes swerves quickly in 90 degree increments. I feel like the game would have looked nicer (and been less nauseating) if the world map was in 2D with a stricter player movement limit, with less room for janky collision and puzzle malfunctioning, but I also understand that would have likely been much harder to implement. The music is a small part of this, but I also feel like the addition of vocals to existing instrumental tracks in certain areas and conditions made me get tired of hearing said tracks over and over very quickly; more songs to rotate through may have helped this, but I feel like the vocals were best isolated to the fusion battles, and even those ones start to get repetitive eventually.

Finally, I want to wrap up by talking about the story, because I feel like Cassette Beasts has a great story with an interesting cast of characters, but it's also very brief in total, and it often pulls its punches when it feels like there's something interesting about to take place. For example, one of the NPCs you can fight alongside in battles--I'll call these “companions”--is an ex-member of a cult that still actively occupies the island you're stranded on. Not only that, but she was essentially a high-ranking member with a good degree of participation and control over the cult’s activities; sounds serious and complicated. But dig deeper and you come to realize that the cult is little more than a paparazzi club for a guy who intentionally resembles a talk show personality, and the only real negative impact they have on themselves and others is the fact they hoard a small bit of land far away from anybody else, and are generally antisocial. Your companion will still act like she can never be forgiven for her involvement, to which your character will have two options of response that both say "it's okay, you're not a bad person"... which is true, because it seems like she never did anything of particular consequence. I don't think any of Cassette Beasts has to be gritty or serious or troubling; my favorite companion quest is the one where an artist's character from middle school has come to life and wants his validation, which is quite silly and fun, while also having real emotion to it. But it feels like sometimes the game dips it's toes into more serious topics with purpose--cults and depression/suicidal ideation being the standouts from the companion questlines--but then quickly retreats or covers itself with jokes before it can really make a proper impact, and I find that disappointing. (I do wonder if maybe these companions have their more potentially "undesirable" edges sanded off because 5 out of 6 of them are romanceable.) But aside from the companions, I really enjoyed the main storyline of the game, and the different "Archangels" you'll meet were the highlights of my visual and gameplay experience. The ending was satisfying and, in my opinion, nice and sappy in the best ways. I love a good story about alternate worlds and strange creatures and people rising to overcome any challenge. I really enjoyed the time spent exploring that with Cassette Beasts; my main criticism is that a lot of the rest of the game feels like a winding distraction away from this solid core conceit. Maybe in a more concise game a playthrough would take a nice 10 hours rather than 20...or maybe I would play longer instead in a game that makes you feel better about taking it slow.

Despite the criticisms I've had in this review, it is truly amazing to see the work small independent teams are doing nowadays, making titles that rival triple-A studio efforts. Especially when it comes to Pokemon, which has found itself producing increasingly unimpressive games over recent years, but also in general, as big game companies across the board rush to get messy products out the door, there's a great opportunity for indie devs to rise to fill the gaps of quality these studios have left empty. It is no small feat to do, but Coromon and Cassette Beasts shoot for the moon anyway, and I think they stick the landing quite well in their own rights. My criticisms are made partly in the hopes that they will be useful feedback for whoever comes along looking to make their own Pokemon-inspired title, be it these studios in sequels, or a newcomer to the game. These two games are fine candidates for someone looking to have a new, fresh experience with the classic monster-catching formula they enjoy; if either interest you, check them out below!

Coromon is available for $19.99 on: Steam, GOG, Nintendo Switch; $4.99 on App Store , Google Play

Cassette Beasts is available for $19.99 on: Steam , Nintendo Switch, Xbox / Xbox Game Pass

[venaue]

tada , i redesigned them !!!!

anchor , crimson & aros only slightly , but i made the biggest changes to yuuto -- (hair colour + style)

in order : yuuto , kiyuu , anchor , mace , aros , crimson

general info + relationship dynamics between them below cut :3

gen info:

anchor is a puppy beastman , the rest of them are human

(or are they ;3)

anchor is 151cm (4'11) , mace is 166cm (5'5) , yuuto is 177cm (5'9) , aros is 178cm (5'10) , kiyuu is 180cm (5'10) , and crimson is 187cm (6'1) .

yuuto and kiyuu are from ramshackle , anchor from savanaclaw , mace from ignihyde , aros from pomefiore , and crimson from octavinelle .

ill add more here if i think of it ...

relationship dynamics:

yuuto and kiyuu have only known each other for a couple months by the time they get isekaid , but they're already really close. they are the only people who they can fully connect with all the way. the only people who have gone through what they have. they are the friendship of friendship ever.

anchor and mace have known each other and have been incredibly close since they were children, but got separated when they were around 10. they then met again at NRC, and their friendship was still as strong as ever. at least that's what anchor want to believe. what mace is trying so hard to pretend is so.

crimson was taken in by aros's family at around 6 years old. he's not officially adopted, but rather just lived with them, on the condition of crimson starting a modelling career just like aros. crimson and aros view each other as their saviors, and will always love each other unconditionally, and did from the very moment they met.

yuuto and mace are basically each others enablers they are so chaotic together. mace insinuating most of the chaos, and yuuto joining in for the thrill of it. he knows he'll always be entertained with mace. other than that they often play video games together.

yuuto and crimson are extremely close, and are always there for each other. they understand each other, and they both find comfort in that fact. they dont mind spending their lowest moments with each other. especially when they feel too shameful to spend them with their closest.

aros likes animals a lot. he being a supportive figure to anchor. he especially enjoys ruffling his hair and petting him like an actual dog. anchor doesn't mind it. even if he insists he does to everyone else.

aros often gives kiyuu makeup, accessories and outfits, and they often doll each other up and do cosmetics together. they're peaceful, calm times. times kiyuu doesn't get nearly enough off. they appreciates the efforts aros makes for them, and aros enjoys their company.

ofc there are others but these are the dymanics ive thought about and yeah!! they're the ones that spend the most time together 1 on 1, the rest are mostly only together when the whole group is.

im working on a visual ref post for things that i cant quite capture w the gl2 designs but uh -- well that'll get done when its done ig ...

[justpoliteconversations]

The Pinks [Linked Universe Hyrule]

There's a family in every era. Hyrule's about to learn about this one.

Masterlist

TW: None. Maybe.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise. Linked Universe is the fan creation of jojo56830.

---

Hyrule was nervous. No, that's not nearly a strong enough word for what he was feeling. He was downright terrified of what he was about to do (what the rest of his brothers had convinced him to do). What he was currently doing.

In his time, the land of Hyrule was an inhospitable place to all life not born of darkness. To plant, animal and other with equal viciousness, equal cruelty, with few exceptions. An unhabitable wasteland in some areas, so damaged and tainted by Ganon's many years of dominion the air itself had become poisonous to anything that entered it.

Except, of course, for the monsters that dominated such places even several years after the fall of Ganon. Kept strong by the residual malice that seeped through the land like groundwater, often unseen, but prevalent in its impact upon the land. Whole legions of dark creatures living, planning, breeding, growing in the dark places of the world, just waiting for Hyrule to stumble upon their decrepit nests.

Hyrule made it a point to stay far away from such places, entering only when absolutely necessary. Understanding that sometimes the most heroic thing one can do is to not get involved, to stand back and let the timer run out even as your heart twists and rebels at the very thought of doing nothing. Such was the nature of his blessing, his curse, his burden. The magic that runs deep within the thick of his lifeblood.

And, there was another reason he stayed away from such places.

This is the type of land the largest mercenary guild (militia, for there can be no other word for the size and scale of such an organization) in the entirety of his Hyrule had claimed as their own long before Hyrule even drew breath. Generations upon generations of warriors and hunters all clustered together in great legions of bloodthirsty unity. An extended family of killers, near 700 strong and counting in ever rapid growth. With a bloodline so extensive, so ancient, so persevering, the very beginning of their origin was shrouded in legend.

The Pinks. The Mercenary family of the wastelands.

Their name was known throughout the land, and yet rarely ever uttered from the lips of the common folk. Because while this family was known for their strength and power and the service they gave as the unofficial keepers of the deadly wastelands they stood guard over. They were also known to be unsociable and far removed from the people of Hyrule as a whole. Often displaying fits of temper unbecoming of anything resembling their near knightly standing amongst the public (sparse though that public may be).

Because they weren't knights (and never claimed to be). The weren't palace soldiers (whom they openly regarded with distrust). They weren't even bound by the niceties of social convention. They were a family of mercenaries and hunters, completely uninterested in the politics nor social governing of the land they shepherded (because that's what they did, whether they owned up to it or not). By their own admission, in one of the few addresses they'd ever made to the greater masses, they thought the idea of playing nice to save face was a joke.

They really were a strange bunch. Strange, but powerful nonetheless.

Still, despite their oddities, Hyrule had never had it easy with mercenaries. With such value put on his blood, and the lengths (and money) pro-Ganon factions were willing to go to obtain it, he had never met one that didn't know his face on sight.

He couldn't even imagine what would happen if he wandered into their territory and they got it into their heads that his head was worth whatever inflated price the latest dark affiliated cult had put on his bounty. He didn't want to think of how quickly he'd have fallen had these powerful individuals with their influential family and damn near limitless resources had ever sought to take his blood for their own.

He prayed to the Golden Three every time he heard even a whisper of their name on the wind, in the dark of a tavern rafter, in the shadow of an alleyway. Thanked them for the fact that he was not the kind of prey these people sought. That they were not known for hunting fellow hyrulians for profit or sport (Hyrule shivered at the memories, so many memories, of sadistic grins and leering eyes). That they had a strict code of ethics they were bound to.

But he would never tempt fate. He would never put himself in a position to see how deep that moral code ran through their blood (to see if the Blood Cursed Hero of Hyrule was exempt from their decree). He had never stepped foot into any of their dead-land border towns. Had never taken that risk. Not until now, that is.

It felt almost surreal, to gaze upon a village pushed right up against the suffocating dark of a tainted forest edge, separated by nothing but a flimsy wooden fence and a scant few meters. Truly, these people were as brazen as rumor tells.

"The Pinks? What a dumbass name for a merc guild." Legend huffed, taking in the small splattering of buildings clustered in half-hazard formation around one decently sized Mercenary Hall in the center of the makeshift village. His thin brows had quirked in judgement, clearly unimpressed by the (as one could guess) pink banners hung from nearly every building.

No one said anything directly to contradict him (because really, they were having the exact same thoughts), but one look from Time kept Hyrule's predecessor from further comment as they moved further into the village. Hyrule was grateful for it, because he really did not want to find out if these people were just as quick-tempered as rumor said.

He sent up another prayer. Begging for things to go smoothly just this once. For them all to leave fully intact and without the fabled legendary grudge of The Pinks following in their wakes.

He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Or, more accurately, he should have realized the world had a sense of humor. And he was the subject of it.

'On second thought.' Hyrule's mind stuttered numbly with disbelief, stunned silent (as was the rest of the Chain, eyes wide and floundering in the face of this unexpected revelation). 'Perhaps it wasn't me who was the butt of it this time.'

"You deaf or stupid, Side Bangs? I asked what region you hail from?" A young woman with dull pink hair and a frightfully familiar face stared down their very own Legend, who was looking rather pale around the face.

"Back up, Rina. Yer ugly mug's throwin' him off." Came another pink haired (but only on one side, the other blonde as a wheat field) girl's cool quip.

Rina swirled around with a thunderous snarl, thin, expressive brows hiked into an ominously pink hairline. "Shut yo mouth, Halfie bitch! No one asked you!"

"Girls." Came the firm, even reprimand of a tall man with long pink-blonde braids cascading down his bow-laden back. "Yer gonna be late if you keep wastin' time runnin' yer mouths."

The full pink one looked about ready to snap something back, but the arrival of a dark-haired woman (with the same damned face. the same damned nose) stopped her cold.

"Move." The woman said, voice low and rasping with cold command. And the girls fled, but not before full pink cast a defiant glare over her shoulder at the woman.

No more words were exchanged after. The woman merely nodded to the group, cast a considering eye over Legend, and left. The braided man in toe, casting his own apologetic grin over his shoulder and a small wave of farewell.

As one, the chain all turned to Legend, waiting for him to explain.

"The fuck would I know!" Legend snarled defensively, not appreciating being the center of attention while he was still reeling from having met his (probable) descendents so unexpectedly.

"So it's real?" Wind asked, wide eyed, as he eyed Legend's single pink bang.

Instead of answering, Legend turned heel and stormed off towards the Mercenary Hall, determined now to get this over with and forget the whole experience had ever happened. And the chain scrambled to follow behind, wanting answers, but understanding Legend couldn't have known regardless of their curiosity.

Hyrule prayed once more to the Three. Prayed that no one thought to ask him if he knew anything about the whole spectacle. Because he most certainly didn't and was still reeling himself from such a chance encounter.

The Chain caught up to Legend just as he threw the doors open.

Only to be greeted by a sea of pink. And a sea of equally unimpressed glares staring them all down with varying levels of judgment. And Legend stood before it all, looking like the foot of Hylia herself had come to kick him between the legs.

"Who popped another kid without tellin' no one!? Amanda!?"

"Fuck you! That ain't my problem!"

And then. Chaos. Sheer, unbridled chaos.

And amidst that chaos.

"Oh! Look at the freckled one! Isn't that Link?"

"What a cutie! I call dibs on courting rights!"

"I outrank you!"

"And I'm better than you, Streaks-freak!"

"Fuck you!"

"No! You!"

"The tall one's pretty cute too, though. Wait a minute."

And the only thing to run through the Chain's collective heads in that single, unified moment of befuddlement as they stared at Legend's back was...

'A rabbit indeed.'

---

Back to the deepest of shadows for rest.

[rust-bearer]

Zombie au that I haven’t touched since like May… anyway the Combaticon family all had hobbies before the whole outbreak like usual, and I think they still attempt to entertain said hobbies after the apocalypse occurs.

Written in ask form because I’m way too lazy to write it in story form

Swindle runs with the “survivors” and is often out of the house for days on end. It’s that fast-paced, risky lifestyle he’s entertained before this mess occurs, and if he keeps himself busy with sipping champagne and laughing atop some sick millionaire’s lap while he runs their funds dry he can pretend not to hear the faint, sickly moans of the undead beneath the floorboards. They’re low in numbers, but if a cure comes up… they just can’t take the risk of taking the horse out back.

Onslaught has always wanted to take some of those cooking classes in his free time. He’s no sucker for the high-and-mighty chefs they broadcast (or used to broadcast) on television or anything, but sometimes he imagines himself being pretty good in the kitchen. Nobody needs any cookbooks anymore, that much is for certain… and now he doesn’t have nearly as much competition.

Life is short, Brawl realizes. That’s what he says when he defends his recent obsession with gardening… and farming… and basically just utilizing all the stuff on their property that’s otherwise been going to waste. It’s not so he can set up a greenhouse next to the fire pit where he and his old buddies used to drink, and it’s not so he can repair the fences or scratch his head while figuring out how to tend to animals while looking out over the town a few miles away. It’s just a good way to spend his free time. That’s all.

Nothing has changed for Vortex. Not a thing. He’s relentless and he’s got bounds of energy and now First Aid is living with them, and… the kids too. Yeah, First Aid’s been kinda mopey lately and really he can’t indulge in all his old hobbies and activities like he used to, but First Aid’s here! That’s entertainment in of itself really. He’s fine, everything is fine, everyone will be okay… nothing has changed, not a thing.

Going down the rabbit holes of information on the web isn’t possible anymore, but Blast Off doesn’t care. He can still read up on books he’s read a thousand times or adjust his telescope from the window he’s kept shut after seeing that living corpse stagger into their yard. He’s never needed social groups before now, after all. Those Reddit posts and online forums for people as troubled and astro-obsessed as him were convenient, but not necessary. He can still see the stars if he wants, and he can still see the planets without sharing photos with so-called friends online. He just… he likes to keep the curtains closed at night. That’s all.

I haven’t had NEARLY enough time to dedicate to more of the zombie au so reading this stuff always makes me go “hehe… yes…… yes”

I’m always of the persuasion that “rich person in zombie apocalypse” is a fun, under explored trope. Because no one really wants to focus on them- and it’s kind of boring, so it’s understandable- but imagining how to best ‘play’ them is such a fun image with Swindle. Like, of course money isn’t useful… but ‘resourceful’ rich folk already understand that. So they draw up old contacts and generally still feel rather untouchable. Life changes for them, yes- good help is so hard to find- but someone like Swindle is always just a call away.

Then comes the overreliance on Swindle. It’s so easy to just depend on him to get things done. And Swindle does get things done, and he enjoys it, and- eventually, well…. Eventually, he will decide if one person is more trouble than they’re worth, after he’s run their assets dry and weighed them in his mind. Who has what other connections, who has what else to offer; who can guarantee Swindle safety, and if it came down to it, who could guarantee the safety of his friends. Family.

Those that don’t have anything to offer, beyond those first few months of favors and items of worth, well… swindle eventually has to cut them loose.

And it’s so easy to walk past their now empty estates, as he scavenges with the group, and say nothing beyond a passing “I knew the family that used to live there.”