#potential new favorite icon?

[rajamitsu]

Quick Dr. Oddfellow doodle, just to get it out of my system.

[ao3topshipsbracket]

Top Femslash Ships Bracket: Seeding

As promised, we're back with a new bracket! However, we're doing things a little differently this time. Rather than taking the data for seeding directly from a ranked list, we want you guys to be a part of the seeding process!

> Here is the Femslash Bracket Seeding Survey! <

This survey contains a list of over 100 ships, pulled from centreoftheselights's AO3 ship stats for 2023 and 2024, and Tumblr's year in review, as well as a few submissions that are not on either list but are considered iconic or historically important. It asks two questions: which ships have you heard of, and which ships do you view positively? The final seeding for the bracket will be based on a ratio of these numbers, from which we will rank the top 96!

A few notes regarding this survey:

Please answer as honestly as you can! Yes, that does mean going through a long list of ships twice in order to check all the relevant boxes, but such is the price we pay for accurate data.

Please only submit the survey once! While we normally delight in voter fraud, artificially boosting your favorite ship in this survey will only skew the results with no benefit; in fact, it could potentially hurt your chances in the actual bracket!

Do, however, feel free to reblog this post so we get a larger sample size.

The form does require that you be logged into a Google account; however, we are not collecting email addresses, and responses will be fully anonymous.

As always, this poll is a celebration of fandom and fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.

We will be collecting responses until December 22, at 11:59 pm EST.

Take the survey here!

And, if you'd like to review the ships before you click through, here's the full list below the cut (listed alphabetically by source)

The 100 - Clarke Griffin/Lexa

Adventure Time - Princess Bubblegum/Marceline

Aespa (Band) - Kim Minjeong | Winter/Yu Jimin | Karina

Agatha All Along (TV) - Agatha Harkness/Rio Vidal

Agent Carter (TV) - Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli

Agents of SHIELD (TV) - Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson

The Amazing Digital Circus - Pomni/Ragatha

Amphibia - Anne Boonchuy/Sasha Waybright

Amphibia - Anne Boonchuy/Marcy Wu

Arcane: League of Legends - Caitlyn/Vi

Attack on Titan - Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart

Attack on Titan - Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir

Avatar: The Last Airbender - Azula/Ty Lee

Avatar: Legend of Korra - Korra/Asami Sato

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Tara Maclay/Willow Rosenberg

Carmilla (Web Series) - Laura Hollis/Carmilla Kearnstein

Carol (2015) - Carol Aird/Therese Belivet

Criminal Minds - Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss

Critical Role - Beauregard Lionett/Yasha

Critical Role - Laudna/Imogen Temult

DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe

DC Universe - Pamela Isley | Poison Ivy/Harleen Quinzel | Harley Quinn

The Devil Wears Prada - Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs

Doctor Who - Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan

Dungeon Meshi - Marcille Donato/Falin Touden

Frozen - Anna/Elsa

Game of Thrones - Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell

Genshin Impact - Beidou/Ningguang

Genshin Impact - Raiden Ei | Baal/Yae Miko

Ghostbusters (2016) - Erin Gilbert/Jillian Holtzmann

Glee - Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray

Glee - Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce

Grey's Anatomy - Meredith Grey/Addison Montgomery

Haikyuu!! - Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka

Harry Potter - Hermione Granger/Pansy Parkinson

Harry Potter - Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley

The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV) - Dani Clayton/Jamie Taylor

Hawkeye (TV 2021) - Yelena Belova/Kate Bishop

Hazbin Hotel - Charlie Magne | Morningstar/Vaggie

Holby City - Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe

Homestuck - Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam

Homestuck - Terezi Pyrope/Vriska Serket

House of the Dragon (TV) - Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryen

Jujutsu Kaisen - Kugisaki Nobara/Zenin Maki

Killing Eve - Eve Polastri/Villanelle

The Last of Us - Dina/Ellie

Legacies (TV 2018) - Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman

Legacies (TV 2018) - Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman

Life is Strange - Rachel Amber/Chloe Price

Life is Strange - Maxine "Max" Caufield/Chloe Price

LIttle Witch Academia - Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari

The Locked Tomb - Gideon Nav/Harrowhark Nonagesimus

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanov

Mass Effect Trilogy - Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni

Merlin (TV) - Gwen/Morgana

Miraculous Ladybug - Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant

Motherland: Fort Salem (TV) - Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn

My Hero Academia - Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo

My Hero Academia - Toga Himiko/Uraraka Ochako

Naruto - Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino

NCIS: Hawai'i - Lucy Tara/Kate Whistler

The Old Guard (Movie 2020) - Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko

Once Upon a Time - Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan

Orphan Black - Delphine Cormier/Cosima Niehaus

Overwatch - Fareeha "Pharah" Amari/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler

Overwatch - Lena "Tracer" Oxton/Widowmaker | Amelie Lacroix

The Owl House - Amity Blight/Luz Noceda

Person of Interest - Root | Samantha Groves/Sameen Shaw

Pitch Perfect (Movies) - Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell

Pokemon - Hanako | Delia Ketchum/Musashi | Jessie

Power Rangers (2017) - Kimberly Hart/Trini

Project SEKAI - Akiyama Mizuki/Shinonome Ena

Project SEKAI - Azusawa Kohane/Shiraishi An

Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Akemi Homura/Kaname Madoka

Revolutionary Girl Utena - Himemiya Anthy/Tenjou Utena

Riverdale (TV 2017) - Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz

Rizzoli & Isles - Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli

RWBY - Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long

RWBY - Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee

Sailor Moon - Kaiou Michiru | Sailor Neptune/Tenoh Haruka | Sailor Uranus

Shadowhunters (TV) - Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Adora/Catra

Splatoon (Video Games) - Marina/Pearl

Star Trek: Voyager - Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine

Station 19 - Maya Bishop/Carina DeLuca

Steven Universe - Lapis Lazuli/Peridot

Steven Universe - Ruby/Sapphire

Stranger Things - Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler

Stranger Things - Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield

Supergirl - Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer

Supergirl - Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor

Teen Wolf - Allison Argent/Lydia Martin

Undertale - Alphys/Undyne

Warehouse 13 - Myka Bering/Helena "H.G." Wells

Warrior Nun - Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva

Wednesday (2022) - Wednesday Addams/Enid Sinclair

Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman - Elphaba Thropp/Galinda Upland

The Wilds (TV 2020) - Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe

Women's Association Football | Soccer RPF - Tobin Heath/Christen Press

Wynonna Earp - Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught

Xena: Warrior Princess - Gabrielle/Xena

[deesseshesca]

PAC: What does my life look like once I hit my full potential?

Hope I make it out of here.

ALL READING ON SALE (70% OFF) (BLACK FRIDAY OFFER)

PILE 1

Oh, bestie, I feel you on this. Balancing hustle and chill vibes is so important when you’re in that “level-up” era, especially with the Lovers card as your overall energy—it’s giving alignment and divine choices. Here’s the tea:

First, trust that this new career opportunity isn’t just a job; it’s a gateway to something magical. Your next lover is literally waiting for you on the other side of this. Like, how iconic is that? The universe is basically screaming, “This is part of your glow-up!”

But let’s keep it real: grinding too hard can mess with your flow. So, schedule your downtime like it’s a business meeting—whether that’s journaling, bingeing your fave show, or vibing out with a playlist that makes you feel main character energy. Chill time isn’t lazy; it’s necessary. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

When it comes to hustle, think of it like this: show up and give your best, but don’t overthink it. Be intentional, not overwhelmed. Remember, the Lovers card is also about harmony—so treat your hustle like a love story. Be passionate, but know when to step back and breathe.

And here’s the real plot twist: this opportunity isn’t just about meeting them. It’s about meeting the next, more evolved version of you. They’ll love that version of you, and so will you. So take the leap, but keep your soul soft. You’ve got this. ❤️

PREVIOUS READING

2) Wanna know the love story the universe has for you? 💫 In 8 parts, I spill all: first meet, first kiss, confession, sexy time, and more. Don’t miss out! 👀💖 (LINK)

3) ALL READING ON SALE (70% OFF) (Recent review 🎀)

PILE 2

Okay, imagine this: when you hit your full potential, your life looks like the perfect balance of confidence and rest. You’ve worked hard to know your worth and never settle, and now you’re living in a way that matches that energy. Think quiet mornings in a space that feels so you, reflecting on your growth while sipping your favorite coffee—unbothered and untouchable.

But here’s the thing: getting there doesn’t mean you’re grinding 24/7. You’ll learn that slowing down is the power move. For example, instead of saying yes to everything, you’ll get super intentional about what aligns with your long-term goals. If an opportunity feels off or doesn’t match your vision, you’ll confidently pass, knowing that better things are waiting.

That self-love you’ve mastered? It’ll make you a magnet for respect. People will see how deeply you value yourself and will match that energy—or they’ll fall off, and honestly, you won’t care. It’s like you’ll finally be surrounded by relationships, jobs, and opportunities that deserve you because you’ve set the bar so high.

Here’s the practical advice: stay open to adjusting your plans, even when it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes, what looks like a setback is actually setting you up for something bigger. For example, if one path feels blocked, don’t fight it—pivot. Trust that your ability to choose yourself will always lead you to the right place.

And don’t forget to rest without guilt. It’s okay to take breaks to recharge because that’s when your best ideas will come to you. Picture yourself booking a solo trip, splurging on the nicest accommodations, and using that time to dream even bigger while staying grounded in gratitude. You’re leveling up and protecting your peace, and that’s the ultimate glow-up. 🌱✨

PREVIOUS READING

2) Wanna know the love story the universe has for you? 💫 In 8 parts, I spill all: first meet, first kiss, confession, sexy time, and more. Don’t miss out! 👀💖 (LINK)

3) ALL READING ON SALE (70% OFF) (Recent review 🎀)

PILE 3

Alright, picture this: once you hit your full potential, your life is like a perfectly designed blueprint, executed flawlessly. You’re running the show—waking up early, knocking out your goals, and moving through life like you own it. Your schedule is tight but purposeful, and everything you do feels like a step toward something even bigger.

You’ll probably have this fire inside you to keep starting new projects—like launching that dream business or taking on leadership roles that actually challenge you. People will look at you and think, Wow, they’ve really got it together. But behind the scenes, you’ll know it’s because you’ve built systems for yourself that work. For example, you might have a weekly ritual where you plan every detail, from career moves to self-care, so nothing feels chaotic.

That being said, you’ll need to make space for the unknown too. Life won’t always go exactly as planned, and that’s okay. Think of it like this: when things feel uncertain, don’t freeze up. Instead, take a moment, check in with yourself, and adjust. For example, if a big opportunity comes up and doesn’t look like what you expected, lean into it—it might just be the thing that pushes you further than you imagined.

And here’s a practical tip: track your progress. Maybe it’s a journal where you write down your wins every day, no matter how small, or a calendar where you block out “me time” just as seriously as work tasks. The key is staying grounded while keeping your eyes on the horizon.

Your focus on success will still fuel you, but it’ll feel balanced. Imagine being so confident in what you’ve built that you can finally relax a little, knowing that your foundation is unshakable. You’re not just surviving anymore; you’re thriving. And it’s all because you created the structure to let your ambition flow without burning out. 💡

PREVIOUS READING

2) Wanna know the love story the universe has for you? 💫 In 8 parts, I spill all: first meet, first kiss, confession, sexy time, and more. Don’t miss out! 👀💖 (LINK)

3) ALL READING ON SALE (70% OFF) (Recent review 🎀)

PILE 4

Okay, so here’s the vibe: when you hit your full potential, your life is gonna feel like this beautiful balance of self-love and success. But here’s the thing—you’ve been carrying a lot, especially with your sibling’s struggles. It’s tough because you want to help, but you have to realize that in order to become the best version of yourself, you have to put yourself first. And I know that’s easier said than done, especially when you love someone so much and want to see them thrive.

You’ve been trying to fix things, trying to heal others, but you can’t keep pouring from an empty cup. You’ve been holding onto a lot of emotional weight, and that’s been draining you. It’s okay to step back and focus on your own growth. I promise, you’re not abandoning anyone by taking care of yourself. In fact, the more you work on you, the more you’ll be able to help them from a place of peace.

But it’s gonna hurt a bit—letting go of that guilt is a process. You’ll have moments where you feel torn, but trust me, your potential and your future are calling you to take care of you. Your dreams, your goals—they matter, and they deserve your attention. It’s about putting boundaries in place, even if it feels hard at first.

You might not have all the answers right now, and that’s fine. You don’t have to have it all figured out, but you’ll get there. Things will come into focus when you start giving yourself permission to live your life without guilt. It’s gonna feel so freeing once you realize that your own peace and happiness are the foundation for everything else to fall into place.

So take it slow. Focus on your journey, even if it means you need to step away from the chaos a little. You deserve to put yourself first, because the version of you that is fully healed, confident, and at peace is going to be the one that thrives and makes all those big dreams come true. Your success starts with you, and you’re worthy of every bit of it. ❤️

PREVIOUS READING

2) Wanna know the love story the universe has for you? 💫 In 8 parts, I spill all: first meet, first kiss, confession, sexy time, and more. Don’t miss out! 👀💖 (LINK)

3) ALL READING ON SALE (70% OFF) (Recent review 🎀)

[siyzuii]

⨳ 　 ʾ apps/sites 4 shifting 　 . 　 ♡

hi! this will be long but i made a list of apps/sites that might be helpful for your shifting journey. reminder that you don't need these to shift but they can be helpful with manifesting, keeping track of stuff, etc.

enjoy! divider cr

NOT SPONSORED BTW LMAO

﹒ 　 ⊹ 　 🝮 　 OO1: NOTION 　 ✩

description:

basically notion is an app for documents and stuff. i have to say this one's relatively known and it's such a huge life saver and i know that probably everyone knows about it already (as they should) but i'm gonna recommend it once again.

useful for:

scripting

dashboards you can add life goals & stuff here you can look up some templates/ideas and see what i mean LOL

cons:

i personally can not think of any major ones because this app is just that good

you do have to make new accounts for the text ai generating feature but i don't know if anyone would use that

additional notes:

i personally love how customizable it is! like you can make each page have a custom icon & header, add widgets, images, and so much more. it is so so so insanely helpful for scripting i'm telling you. or you can just be basic, that works too. there's also a bunch of script templates online including specific ones (like a better cr, fame dr, fantasy dr, fandom-specific drs, bla bla bla) and it's literally the only thing shifttok is good for imo. i'm a big fan of shifterium's templates but there's other people who make them as well and i'm sure you can find some recommendations!

★ 　 ₊ 　 ➲ 　OO2: CANVA

description:

a website + app where you can design stuff from headers down to presentations, posters, covers, etc..

useful for:

album covers for singer/idol drs

book covers for writer drs or something

fake social media posts but there's better apps out there and i'll list them here as well

and much more!

cons:

a lot of things (most of which i think are the good stuff) are paid but you can find similar replicas if you scroll long enough i guess..?? and there's a free trial but i don't know if that helps

additional notes:

definitely my favorite place to go when i need to design something tbh. there's a bunch of templates you can use and the layout is very easy to navigate through! and it's pretty easy to find free alternatives for the paid stuff you do have in there

₍ⁿ⑅..ⁿ₎ 　 ˇ 　 ⩩ 　 OO3: PARROT 　 ❀ 　

description:

parrot is an app where you can record yourself saying literally anything and play it on a continuous loop

useful for:

affirmations (manifesting??)

cons:

i'm pretty sure it's iOS only

additional notes:

personally i haven't used this app (i don't like my voice so i will not be recording myself saying affirmations thank yew) so i can't give it a rating but from the looks of it and based off of recommendations i've seen it's pretty useful. should be a white icon with a pink circle that has a white parrot in it!

≥≤ 　 ﹕ 　 ⤷ 　 OO4: BEHINDTHENAME 　 ◍

description:

a site where you can generate names & even life stories if you choose it (including height, weight, blood type, birthday, nationality and more i think?? at least it gives those for me). you can choose from different cultures and stuff like fantasy & mythology.

useful for:

finding a name & info for your dr self (which is literally you by the way don't forget that!) and potentially other people you'd like to script in

cons:

it really just helps to make a basic profile of a person so the things you can do with it can be a little limited

additional notes:

i prefer using this site for ocs instead but i think it can definitely help with shifting! oddly enough it also shows like a lifespan & cause of death so.. cool i guess!!!!

✦ 　 ﹕ 　 OO5: SOCIAL MAKER/dummy

description:

social maker & social dummy are both apps where you can replicate almost basically anything from the internet from twitter posts to facebook posts, youtube posts, and more!

useful for:

social media stuff especially useful for fame drs, streamer drs, idol/singer drs and so much more

cons:

both apps were deleted so you have to have had installed them before if you want to get them back

social maker is ios only i think?

additional notes:

yeah both apps are deleted but there's alternatives out there like twinote (for twitter) photonote (for instagram) canva (has fake social media templates as i said lol) and others that you can look for (because i personally only use twinote)

⋆ 　 ᶻᶻ 　 　 OO6: HELLOFACE 　 ﹒ 　 ★

description:

basically an app for ai face swapping

useful for:

seeing what your face claim (if you have one) would look like on for example dances, fancams, interviews definitely useful for idol/singer/maybe fame drs

cons:

uses ai (i'm personally not a big fan of ai)

pretty underground so the chances that you might not like it are not low

✭ 　 　 ❒︎ 　 OO7: ROOM PLANNER 　 . 　 ♡

description:

basically what the name says. it's a 3d home designer

useful for:

making your dr room/house

visualizing your dr room/house

cons:

has paid stuff

┊ 　 ‧ 　⬭ 　 OO8: COMBYNE

description:

an app where you can combine items you like from a wide selection of stuff to make outfits!

useful for:

making outfits for your dr

visualizing said outfits

additional notes:

there's other things you can do on the app like challenges where you can compete to make the best outfit i think?? looks pretty fun i might try it HAHAHA

yuh so i got a little lazy here at the end & i know this is prolly not very helpful because most of these apps/sites are pretty well known but maybe just maybe.. i helped someone out...

HAPPY SHIFTING!!!!!

[schlatt-love-bot]

being a cute supportive girlfriend at schlatts professional baseball games 🙏

OKAY okay this is right up my alley!! For context, although I do fully believe that Schlatt’s ideal team to play for would be the Yankees, they have that really strict facial hair policy. Since this is written from my  ✨imagination✨, I think I will let him play for the Yankees, and just have them get rid of their facial hair policy, since I absolutely refuse to think of him as a potential Met. As a lifelong Phillies fan, it hurts me to write about a rival team, but my love for the big guy prevails. Here goes nothing! 

_______________________________________

Swing, Batter Batter...

The summer sun burned slightly against your skin as you sat off to the side from the home side dugout at Yankee Stadium. The game was set to start any minute now, and the boys were already on the field, stretching, practicing their swings…you couldn’t help but scan for your favorite player. Unbuttoning the jersey you were wearing to reveal a white tank top, you flapped it slightly to cool yourself off as you locked eyes with the iconic, mutton-chop wearing, right fielder for the New York Yankees...Jay Schlatt. You wore his number, 11, proudly as you watched him stretch his arms across his body with a smirk. He was the best right fielder the team had seen in years, famous for hitting his out-of-the-park homers when he was at bat nearly every game. He had been in a flow ever since he met a certain someone, someone who pushed him and encouraged him to train harder, to play harder, and certainly to smack those balls as hard as he could. 

“Hey, toots. Glad you could make it.” His New York accent stated, as he made his way over to your side of the dugout, leaning against the concrete half-wall separating the dugout from the stands, smirking up at you.

“Hey, baby. Good luck out there, play hard, yeah?” You said, smiling down at him. He reached up for your hand, as you bent down to give it to him—he had a superstition that if he didn’t squeeze your hand right before the game started, he wouldn’t hit the homers he needed to during the game. It was just like how he kept a pocket sized photo of you tucked into the brim of his ball cap, taking it off for a quick glance when he felt he needed your support out in right field. Giggling, you squeezed back before you watched as he let go, lightly jogging to the otherside of the dugout to grab his glove before turning back to you, giving you a quick wink before running out to right field. 

You kept a close eye on him for the top of the first inning, the visiting team, the Philadelphia Phillies, giving them a run for their money in this first inning straight away. Going into this rivalry game, you knew things were going to be tense, but as you watched Schlatt run and leap towards the wall, trying to grab a Harper-hit ball that could easily be a homer, you held your breath. Watching his body crash into the wall, you prayed he caught it…the stadium was near silent. He popped up off the ground, holding the ball in his glove with a knowing smile, immediately turning towards the players around him to celebrate the catch. The stadium erupted with cheers, your smile growing wider by the second—this was the man you had fallen head over heels for. 

The game steadily continued, the tense air in the stadium never leaving, as the two city rivals were neck and neck, with a tied score of 6-6. You ran your fingers through your hair, stressed, watching as Schlatt warmed up in front of your row before going to bat. 

“You got this, big guy. C’mon now…bring us a lead!” You cheered, leaning against the railing to make sure he heard you. He practiced one more swing before turning back to you with a smirk. 

“Relax, sweetheart. Trust me. I got this.” The player before him struck out for the final time, leaving the bottom of the seventh in his hands. Strike out, and the Yankees would only have two more innings to smash one out of the park and bring this win home. Right now, though, Schlatt could easily guarantee a Yankee victory with wiggle room to blow them out of the water. There was a sparkle of confidence in his eyes, you knew he had exactly a plan. 

The Phillies had put in their best pitcher, Zach Wheeler, during the 6th inning, anticipating the Yankee’s slow crash. Schlatt and Wheeler had met many times before, and each time they faced off, Schlatt had homered—nothing seemed to be different this time. You said a silent prayer, your knuckles turning white from how hard you had been gripping at the railing in front of you as you watched Jay saunter cockily over to home plate, dragging his bat in a cross symbol on the dirt before lifting the bat above his shoulder. It felt like time slowed as the pitch clock began to count down, every moment beginning to matter more, and more, and more. You watched in slow motion as Wheeler pitched the ball, a curveball Schlatt hadn’t initially anticipated opening with. Wincing as he swung his bat with gusto, you groaned, hearing the home plate umpire calling a strike. 

“C’mon, Jay!” You called out, leaning far over the railing, screaming with all your might to make sure he could hear you, “Swing hard, and knock it out of here! You’ve got it in you!”

He swayed a little, watching Wheeler like a hawk as he heard your calls, nodding as he focused even harder. It was almost like the pitcher could read his mind, as he smirked before finally throwing a pitch just before the clock ran out, a sinker to the right Schlatt hadn’t expected. Thankfully, he hadn’t swung, causing the crowd to cheer a little louder as the umpire called a ball. You sighed, shaking your head.

“Get out of your head, Schlatt!” You yelled, harder than before, “hit the ball home, god damnit!” 

Your scream echoed in his mind, he locked in on the ball in front of him. It was as if time had slowed, watching as the ball left the pitcher’s hand, directly in Schlatt’s sweet spot. He began to grin cockily, knowing that this ball was going to go out of the park. 

CRACK!

With the snap of a bat, you stood in awe, watching the ball fly past the outfield fence. You watched as your boyfriend began to run the bases, and as he turned the corner of second base, he lifted a hand, pressing it to his lips before throwing it in your direction—his signature thanks to his girl for getting his head in the game. Even though he had done it every single game, it still managed to melt your heart, and make the apples of your cheeks begin to heat with a blush. He winked at you as he neared home plate, before heading into the dugout to give his fellow teammates high fives and celebrations, before making his way towards the side of the dugout you were standing by. 

“Couldn’t do it without you, toots.” He hummed, smiling widely up at you. To others, it seemed like the same cocky, confident smile he wore out on the field, but to you it was a smile filled with genuine love and joy. You mirrored his expression, reaching a hand down to him to squeeze, giggling at his sweaty grip. 

“Oh, really?” 

“Absolutely. If you didn’t take my head out of my ass, there, we’d still be tied up.” He said, sincerely, still only looking at you. Without realizing, the team manager came up behind Schlatt, clasping a hand on his shoulder. Schlatt turned to him, clasped his hand with the manager, before his eyes turned to you. 

“I take it you’re Schlatt’s good luck charm, huh?” He said with a laugh, smiling up at you. Bashfully, you nodded your head with a smile.

“Yes, sir. That I am, pleasure to meet you.” 

“Say…what’s your name?” 

“(Y/N)...” 

“Alright, (Y/N)...what’re your plans for next week? We’ve got a few away games we could definitely use your charm for, and I think we’ve got a spare travel ticket.” Manager Boone asked, looking between you and Schlatt with a slight smirk. Schlatt smiled, cocking an eyebrow up as he looked at you, leaving the decision in your hands. He knew that you would do absolutely anything to support him, even if that meant up and leaving your life behind for a week or so to travel with the team and support him. 

“Well…lucky for us it’s summer, and I’ve got nothing better to do. It sounds like a plan, thank you.” You hummed, as Boone nodded, walking away and back to his lookout spot from the dugout, watching the next batter head to bat. 

“Hear that, good luck charm? You’re going on the road with the big boys.” Schlatt teased, smirking up at you as you rolled your eyes playfully. 

“Yeah, yeah, but…I’ll tell you what. If you keep going out there to your at-bats with your head out of your ass and hit a couple more homers tonight, I can guarantee it won’t just be here on the field where I bring you some luck…” You said with a wink, watching as his eyes widened briefly, the tips of his ears turning red before he realized he needed to go out to right field, since the teammate up to bat struck out. 

Needless to say, the score by the end of the game was 8 Yankees to 6 Phillies, and Schlatt received all the post-game good luck he could ever need to help carry him through the rest of the season.

[nieceeee]

Just For Tonight

PS: What happens when your mortal enemy shows up at your doorstep battered and bruised?

Pairing: spiderman!gojo x black!reader

WC: 1.4k

A/N: Something that was just in my head and I wanted to get it out. Not sure if I like it but I had writer's block and I needed to post something.

Tonight had been a success. 

You were just about to pull the skin tight black suit from your tired body, the leather feeling like a second skin as you gently remove it from your body. As the warm materiel comes off your skin, the cool night air hitting your bare skin. It's been a long night-- your latest heist went off without a hitch. The robbery was perfect, a clean getaway with your new favorite possession. A clear cut diamond necklace. You slipped in and out of the shadows like you always do, leaving only chaos in your wake. 

The adrenaline still buzzes through your veins, but now, there’s nothing left to do but let the rush wear off. A nice glass of wine, a warm bubble bath and your faux fur blanket is calling your name. Curling up in your bed and forgetting about the outside world was all you wanted to do for the rest of the night. After your shower, you slip into a black lace two piece set and make your way towards your bedroom. Wine glass in hand, hair tied back and skin moisturized, you walk back towards your bedroom. But just as you begin to hang the suit up, the soft sound of knocking interrupts my stride. Three taps against your front door. 

You freeze. 

Who the hell knows where I am? You think to yourself. You are for sure that you slipped out without a trace from the heist. Your heart beats a little faster, a slow pulsing warning trickling down your spine. 

There was only one person that could’ve potentially knew you location but… “That's not possible..” He wasn’t even around. Three. Little Knocks and a deep vibrato calls through from the other side of the door as you press your ear to it. “Kitty.” it speaks breathlessly. You gasp.

Gojo Satoru.

Spider-man.

You’ve faced him more times than you would ever care to admit, crossing paths in alleys and on rooftops. His mask hiding that arrogant smirk while you throw all your skill and wit at him. And he always beats you. Always. It’s absolutely infuriating—because you know what’s beneath that mask, you know the real Gojo. The real Satoru. He’s never just the hero, the do-gooder Spider-Man. 

He’s always something more, something... dangerous.

He’s the man who’s spent more time in your thoughts than you care to admit. But tonight? Something’s off. You’re not sure what it is, but the knock—three solid raps on the door—feels too urgent. Too desperate.

You try to ignore it. Pretend like you didn't hear it. But your instincts won't let you. His heavy presence sitting on the other side, waiting patiently. The air was heavy with uncertainty and pain. Do not open this fucking door. You reprimand yourself. You don’t owe him anything. He’s your enemy. Your rival. You don’t have to deal with him. 

But again, the knock comes. Three more taps, more frantic this time. Something inside of you shifts. Maybe it’s the way it feels like he’s not just knocking for the hell of it—maybe it’s the way it sounds like he’s reaching out for something, or someone, in a way that makes your gut twist.

You move before you can think it through, your hand already turning the doorknob before you even realize what you’re doing. You swing the door open, and there he is. Your Spider-Man. But not the confident, invincible hero you’re used to seeing.

His normally spiky white hair is matted down with blood, a trail of crimson streaking down his face, mixing with the dirt and grime from the streets. His iconic suit—the one that’s almost always perfect—is torn, shredded in places, as if he’s been through hell. His mask is gone, revealing a face twisted in pain, lips parted with shallow breaths.

He stumbles forward as the door swings open, barely managing to keep himself upright, and you catch a glimpse of the raw vulnerability in his eyes before he speaks. 

"I didn’t know where else to go."

You should be angry. You should slam the door in his face, tell him to go crawl back to whatever hero group he’s part of and leave you out of it. You should remind yourself that you’ve spent years as Black Cat, battling against him, using your every ounce of skill to outsmart him, outmaneuver him, to get ahead.

But instead, you’re frozen. 

You stare at him for a moment, processing the sight of Spider-Man broken, desperate for help, standing on your doorstep. The man who’s always made you feel inferior, who’s always been one step ahead, now crumbling in front of you as though you’re his last hope.

Your thoughts clash. You can’t help him. You shouldn’t help him. He’s your enemy. You know his secret identity, and he knows yours. Every time you’ve crossed paths, it’s been a battle of wits, a dangerous dance, one that always ends in defeat for you. You’re Black Cat. He’s Spider-Man. The line is drawn in blood.

But there’s something in his eyes that makes the usual anger and frustration dissolve into something... softer. Maybe it’s the way his shoulders are slumped, or the weakness in his voice. The vulnerability that you’d never thought he had. He takes a hesitant step forward, and you can’t help but instinctively step aside, making way for him to enter. You hate yourself for it. You shouldn’t do this.

He stumbles past you, falling to one knee as soon as he’s inside, his breath ragged and shallow. You watch him, heart racing for reasons you can’t understand.

“Shit, Gojo,” you mutter, your voice catching in your throat as you kneel beside him, almost against your will. “What happened to you?”

“I—” He hisses through gritted teeth, clearly struggling to stay conscious. “I didn’t... I didn’t think I’d make it. Thought it was the end this time. They got to me... some of the others—" He winces, his hand instinctively clutching at his side where a deep gash bleeds through his suit. 

You feel a sharp pang in your chest, but you push it down.

“Stop talking, Gojo.” You grab his arm, helping him upright, guiding him toward the couch. “You’re bleeding all over my floor.”

He laughs weakly, eyes glazed with pain. “You’re not exactly a hero, pretty kitty. You’re not supposed to care.”

The words cut deeper than you expect, because they’re right. You shouldn’t care. You shouldn’t be helping him. You should be pushing him out the door and leaving him to fend for himself. And yet, here you are. Tending to him like he’s not the person who’s ruined your plans for years.

You pull his torn suit away from his wound, your hands brushing his skin with surprising tenderness as you assess the injury. “Who did this to you?” you ask, your voice low, cold. “Tell me, so I can make them pay.”

He lets out a ragged breath, eyes flickering with confusion. “Awe kitty. Sounds like you’re really starting to like me.”

You don’t look up, focusing on the wound as you start applying pressure to stop the bleeding. “I don’t. I’m going to kill them for making sure you come here and bleed out on my couch.”

His chuckle is weak, but there’s something behind it, a thread of something you can’t name. It feels too intimate. Too... real.

For a long moment, the two of you sit in silence, the only sounds the faint rustling of fabric, the steady drip of blood onto your carpet, and the quiet, rhythmic breaths coming from his chest. You work in silence, knowing that every second you spend here is a second you’re walking a thin line—between enemy and ally, between Black Cat and Spider-Man. The distance between you, the walls you’ve built over the years, feels like it’s dissolving as you stare at him, seeing the man behind the mask in a way you never have before. It’s complicated. Dangerous. And yet, you can’t seem to make yourself walk away.

You should hate him. But... you don’t.

Instead, you just finish what you’re doing, your fingers trembling ever so slightly as you secure the bandages around his torso, your breath catching when your skin touches his. “Thanks,” he says, his voice strained but grateful. You don’t respond right away. You just... breathe. “You’re welcome,” you finally murmur, and the weight of that phrase settles between you, leaving the question hanging in the air: What happens now?

But for now, it’s enough to simply exist in this strange space between hero and villain.

Just for tonight.

[sorenphelps]

Rockstar AU album covers

I hyperfocused on a tiny detail again, so I drew all the album covers of rockstar Sirius, and also came up with a “backstory” for all. I put the descriptions under the cut, with some more details of this rockstar AU! Beware, long post! (also someone please write this)

Albums (Sirius’ age indicated):

Practically Royal (20): A sharp, system-critical punk album that dived deep into social and political commentary. With its raw energy and defiant tone, the album offered an aggressive critique of authority, consumerism, class and societal norms, aiming to spark discussion and challenge the status quo. This debut album was a huge success, launching Sirius into instant stardom and becoming an important public figure and activist in political and societal discourse. He firsts got arrested for engaging in civil disobedience / demonstrations related to an anti-government movement. He was heavily criticized by both parties because of his rebellious actions and undeniable privilidge of his noble birth.

Stray Dog (22): After his brother died, Sirius released his second, highly personal album that showcased diverse musical influences, blending multiple genres into a complex soundscape. Despite its personal depth, it struggled to find a clear identity and the eclectic style left many fans disappointed. The album was considered a flop financially, which added yet another layer to Sirius’ personal struggles and scandals.*

Orange is the New Black (29): This album contained almost entirely cover songs, a bold move that alienated fans who were hoping for original material. It failed to resonate with listeners who wanted Sirius’ distinct voice and creativity, rather than renditions of already well-known songs. The album was released a little after Sirius had served his prison sentence,* and was very despised by the audience, who referred to it as „only a desperate money-grab”. Sirius got heavily criticized, with many arguing that his time had passed and his music no longer stood the test of time, becoming overly commercial. This album was so disappointing that fans began to rediscover and appreciate his second album more.

Wasted Potential (33): After a long hiatus and a period of public controversies and scandals, Sirius returned with his forth album, which was a huge commercial and critical triumph, marking a powerful comeback. It blended his core sound with fresh ideas, and successfully proved that, despite previous doubts, he still had the musical chops and authenticity that made him a fan favorite in the first place. The album became Platinum in 3 months, and dominated the Charts, the titular song spent 3 consecutive weeks as No. 1 of the Billboards Hot 100. The album was nominated for a Grammy, and won the Brit Awards and multiple categories at the AMAs/VMAs.

Fleurs du Mal (34): In response to criticism of his „less poetic” lyrics, Sirius released an acoustic album based entirely on the works of iconic poets like Rimbaud, Verlaine, and Baudelaire. The album received a mixed reception. On one hand, it introduced Sirius’ work to a new audience, gaining significant praise in academic and literary circles. On the other hand, it alienated the core fanbase, who were more attuned to straightforward rock songs.

Supernova (41): Released unexpectedly after another extended break, this album was a declaration that, despite aging, he still possessed the fire and creativity that made him a rock icon. The album featured multiple heavy hitting rock songs, dramatic ballads, grand and epic anthems, showcasing a renewed energy that surprised his fans and critics alike. It served as both a personal statement and a challenge to the idea that aging musicians lose their edge. The album was well-received for its raw vitality and confidence. It was a commercial success as well, the titular song broke the record of „Wasted Potential” by spending 5 consecutive weeks as No. 1 of the Billboards Hot 100. The album also won a Grammy.

*Further details:

Sirius got in touble with the law multiple times for various reasons:

Reckless Driving and Substance Abuse: speeding, drunk driving, drug or alcohol-related offenses, drug possession and addiction

Vandalism and Violent Behavior: trashing a hotel room and damaging private property (charged by Walburga as Sirius damaged Black family properties), physical violence against paparazzi

(Alleged) Fraud: embezzlement and tax evasion, actually comitted by his (asset) manager, Peter, who fraudulently used Sirius’ wealth and invested using his name in questionable business opportunities, mostly regarding property handling and real estate investments.

Criminal Negligence, Endangerment and Involuntary Manslaughter: A gas leak related explosion happaned at one of the properties that Peter got involved with in Sirius’ name, which unfortunately resulted in the death of 12 people. As Sirius was the landlord/investor, and he already had a criminal record, he had to face criminal charges, including imprisonment as on paper, he was the one recklessly ignoring safety regulations. After his second album flopped financially, and he got very publicly disowned, the rumor of his teorethical money problems sort of solidified the charges. It was later proven that he was not responsible as Peter fraudulently used his name and assets without his knowledge, so Sirius got released after 5 years.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Legsit

Debut: Yo-Kai Watch 3

Look at this! Look at this!!! This is the little guy from emergency exit signs and stop signs and various more of our favorite signs, but this time you can BEFRIEND them! You can run all around town with this absolute icon of an icon! You can take Legsit for a walk across the crosswalk... and you can even teach it to jaywalk! A new thrill it would never dare to experience without your help!

Legsit is an incredible kind of design, the one that's so simple, barely a change from its inspiration, but the inspiration is what's so creative. Legsit is basically JUST the little guy from the sign, with only a little wispy head to differentiate it, but how many times have you seen it used as an actual character, with its origin tied to its gimmick? I have actually long ago had the idea of a Walk Sign Guy as a character (in the context of a boss that swings the sign itself as a weapon, and can call upon the red Stop hand to freeze its opponent) and it is so awesome to see this concept come to fruition in something big, and with its own flair!

By default, Legsit is in its iconic Static Running Pose, though it is not afraid to actually move around, too. It looks good doing it thanks to being tastefully cel-shaded! What if there was an animal that was cel-shaded in real life? Just one. Not even a translucent invertebrate like you might expect, but like, one particular species of vole. Pretty cool!

In terms of gameplay it's very straightforward. Its specialty is to make itself and allies faster like they gotta get outta here. I'm done talking about gameplay already, it's really about the visual novelty there. Now I will talk about its anime appearance, because yowza!

The anime reveals that inside the exit sign is a whole other world, one populated by a whole civilization of Legsit! They each take turns posing in the sign, but when not doing that, they just Hang Out. Some of them play on 3DSes, some lounge about, some play guitar, and some barbecue various meats that are most certainly radioactive! Would you eat Legsit's Famous Toxic Kebab? I sure hope not! Because they were saving it for me.

Legsit represents the creativity and wonder that can be found everywhere in the world, and NOT just if you know where to look! I can assure you that anywhere you look, you will see at LEAST a few things that are waiting for someone to appreciate them in just the right way. Maybe you will be the first to discover the potential of something overlooked, and if you're not the first, then that's great too! It means the world is full of beautiful minds!

[proton-wobbler]

Backyard Bird Off - Cosmopolitan Birds (poll 1)

Bird Info & Submission Reasons

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Continents: Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America

"When I was a kid I saw a lot of these around but some time during my teen years I feel like they kinda got scarce... But good news! They started popping up again in recent years!"

"those iconic cheek spots"

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

Continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania

"Ok so I don't see them in my backyard but in the right places I do see them around a lot, even when I'm not specifically looking for them. I love they're majestic little crowns (or crests) and the stripey heads of the younger ones are super cute and funny, looks kinda like they're wearing pyamas on their head to me honestly. Also they've just made my day better quite often, especially at my old place of work (which happened to be close to a little river)"

Image Sources: Sparrow (Michael Stubblefield); Grebe (Pierre Montieth)

Continents which are italicized represent the non-native range of the species. Whether introduced on purpose on or accident, these species may have become invasive in this range. Despite their potential impact on native wildlife, please do not leave disparaging comments on these polls. Their purpose is to celebrate people's love of these species.

[mellxncollie]

ao3 icon gifs: edwin and charles

for ao3 icon gifs that are of other dbda characters, see here

About a month ago I discovered that you can have gifs as your Ao3 icon and so obviously I’ve had one since then. It’s a bit of an acquired look but I’ve come to enjoy it and have been wanting to make a collection of icons for anyone to use.

I went through my most popular posts, as well as some of my favorite gifsets and spent some time resizing, optimizing, and for some, adjusting the colors a bit, to make sure they fit in the super small file limits for Ao3 icons (under 500kb), and still look okay.

There’s about 50, and most of these are 120px squares, which is a bit bigger than the 100px square that Ao3 recommends. I mostly did this because Ao3 makes your icon bigger in the comment section and on your profile, so it's nice if it’s a bit larger than 100px. That being said, they will not look very good in this post. They are itty, bitty gifs and as such, they are really pixelated.

To download, I recommend using tumblr desktop, opening the gif in a new tab, and then in the url where it says “.gifv” delete the ‘v’ so that it says “.gif” at the end. Only then can you download the gif properly.

If you’re on the mobile app, tumblr will often compress the gif. I recommend opening the post in your phone browser instead of the app, and then following the same instructions for desktop. This way, you’ll get the best looking file for your icon :)

row 1: charles cricket bat ep 1 | charles "yes i can crow, you'll see" | charles "i left it back at the office"

row 2: charles "i'll make you my friend eventually" | charles "an evil seagull" | charles imitating edwin ep 4

row 3: charles "is that right?" | charles cricket bat ep 6 | edwin indignant ep 2

row 4: edwin "do not get used to it" | edwin "what is a handjob?" | edwin crying in hell

row 5: charles "i'm here to rescue you" | ep 8 hug pt 1 | ep 8 hug pt 2

row 6: charles post-hug hand on heart | ep 5 hug | edwin post-hug hand on heart

row 7: (potential couples icons) charles on tube | edwin on tube | edwin "perhaps we should follow up with this molly character"

row 8: (potential couples icons) edwin smiling at charles ep 1 | charles smiling at edwin ep 1 | charles "molly character" reaction

row 9: edwin staring wistfully ep 4 | charles talking to crystal ep 4 | charles "right edwin?" ep 4

row 10: edwin gasp ep 4 | edwin violet gif ep 1 | edwin violet gif ep 1 (pink edition - inspired by @idliketobeatree)

[cloama]

*rubs temples in annoyance*

Now Drake, if you knew you were in the middle of fierce negotiations with the record label, trying to show them you're worth more pay, why the fuck would you enter a rap battle with your brand new lable-mate and rap icon, Kendrick Lamar?

You were gambling on the notion that if you won, you'd secure that raise. You didn't win. You actual lost so badly that it fucked up your literal and social capital. You played against someone on your label thinking the label would back you. Why? Man that's Kendrick Lamar. Beyonce's favorite rapper. What were you thinking?

It's one thing to lose a rap battle, or lose some public favor. It's a whole other thing to lose your potential 200 million dollar raise and streams and album sales. You dummybitch! Why would you bet it all? You know they say you got a gambling problem. I'm not unconvinced.

Now you're calling the success of Not Like Us A Fix™️ and trying to figure out who to sue because if your lawyers can find wrong doing(they won't), you might be able to get out of that contract you've been in since you were a young man(you won't). Sad.

You wouldn't be filing this if you hadn't lost enough money and opportunities to affect your current standard of living. It must be bad. Another reason this is really pathetic: rap battles are notorious money makers for both sides. People stream more and buy merch to participate. It's a huge boost every single time. So much so that some rappers start shit just for a quick paycheck and popularity boost.

So with that being said, imagine how wack you have to be to become the first rapper in history to lose money in a rap battle. Wild. I am riveted.

I cannot wait to watch this lawsuit unfold, once you figure out who to sue at Universal Music Group. Thinking there was payola and stream manipulation when it was the first organic hit in over a decade is so funny to me. Universal Music Group is about to kick your ass when they prove that they actually had to do less for Kendrick on this than they usually have to do for you. Or when they bring up that they asked Kendrick and The Weeknd to spare you stop beefing with you because they could see your were losing public favor. Or when they bring up that Kendrick let people stream and react to the song on video platforms for FREE. He was smart. The label didn't want you to lose this badly. You actually let them down. Now everyone's gonna know your business if/when you get this deposition you want so badly. It's gonna make you look even more patheti-- you know what? Nevermind. You got it, big dawg.

[queenendless]

ÆŁŁ ƏŸƏ§ ØŊ MƏ

A/n: This was gonna be for another series. But this idea popped up for this one instead.

Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Yami Yugi x F!Reader.

Self aware AU. Inspired by Cross Duel and Duel Links; especially plot wise. Other YGO sequel series mentioned. But mostly DM. Mainly on these two.

CW: Depression, dysphoria and dysmorphia implied, chronic ailments; based off my own issues. Brief swearing, blood, violence. But also fluff, hurt/comfort, and romance/dark romance.

You spend many a day into the late nights, wasting the hours away by watching whatever and every other thing to dash away the emptiness you have inside. Whether on the TV, your laptop, to even your phone, you get lost into the vibrant, upbeat, tear-jerking moments of your favorite media. Shows, movies, games and beyond.

Like an iconic anime on a trading card game.

Having gotten late to the party, you quickly fell for the series, the plot, and its cast. Most of all, the reincarnated Pharaoh and his fated rival for his life.

The appeal of a brand new game peaked your interest. More so a fan game. The mechanics of Duel Links paired with the 2D CG moving models of Cross Duel. An immersive app combining all the series.

While you weren't the best at such competitive games, you still found yourself enjoying the experience. With every series up to the present day. So many characters to unlock and many decks to make. You weren't good at memorizing names, though. But your top two would be your #1 priority.

Anything to help you get through the days. Your job less, disabled days. Cooped up in your room, blocking out the yelling and slamming doors and intrusive thoughts.

Focusing on their handsome faces and familiar voices kept you calm and elated as you always switched between the two throughout your playthrough.

"You're a long way from become a true duelist ... but I can see you have the interest and potential for it. Stick with me and I'll make it worth your while."

"Not to fret. Each battle helps you learn and improve. So long as I am at your side, you'll be amazed at how far you'll go. I'm looking forward to it."

Hearing their voices, seeing those beautiful faces, gave you such serotonin as you stay cooped up in your own little safe haven, escaping from the suffocating cracked home life into the YGO verse.

You spent the next few days grinding in this immersive game, your free time spent leveling up, collecting your favorite cards, and raising the trust level of your other liked favorites. Especially to see the interactions, crossovers, and more as you picked up their voices.

The surprising sight of tapping all over your screen to see their hair and attire rustle paired with such flushed alarmed expressions poking their faces.

"You've got a lot of nerve to mess with the President of Kaiba Corp ..." The sight of him flicking you followed by the immediate firm tap on your forehead made you yelp loudly, nearing dropping the phone. Seeing Seto's laughing face on screen made your strewn expression lighten. "Well deserved."

Yami's raised brow look made you look away in shame. "Pardon me, but I'm right here. There was no need for that." The firm poke to your cheek made you jump in alarm and drop your phone on your bed, gaping at Yami's chuckling face. "Now that was well called for."

It had been a week when that happened. The real world influence from the digital world held in your hand. Startled, alarmed, concerned you had to close the app and take a while to process your racing, anxious self. The app flickered from blue to red. Your phone screen glitches.

Escaping to your laptop proved fruitless. For seeing your lockscreen darken and distort yourself, only to show the cast walking and chatting along the metropolis setting of the game you just checked out of in alarm. A certain white trench coat wearing giant walked along the screen, only to stop and turn to face you. Frozen in place, you watched as he walked head on in, getting closer when he started speaking in his usual snide, sarcastic tone.

"(Username) huh? To tell the truth, Y/n sounds better to say. How do I know your name, you ask? From your account profile, obviously." The roll of those piercing blue eyes was in character. The low soft words that came after were not. "I didn't mean to scare you off earlier. I was actually starting to enjoy myself around you. You're tolerable, at best."

The tri colored star shaped head of his rival peaked out from the side, guilt laced in his features, when he came in fully. "He won't bite you, if that's your concern. But, I too apologize for alarming you. We mean you no harm, Y/n. Honest."

The uncertainty of this meta phenomenon taking place before you was mellowed out at the sight of THE rival pair acknowledging you. Pinching yourself hard to smacking your cheeks to make sure you weren't in lala land now.

Dopamine and endorphins came hand in hand as their eyes widened in astonishment at the way your entire expression lite up, covering your now squealing mouth, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from your folks, your lips curving peaking out beneath your hands. It's all real.

You spent the remainder of that night asking them anything and everything you ever wanted to tell them, curled up in bed, smiling dazedly, lost in the nostalgic fuzzy experience that is these self aware anime baes, bouncing off each other in prideful, sparky conversation. The corner of their eyes caught sight of you sound asleep, Yami smiling tenderly at the sight and Seto's eyes giving off the same aura.

The following week since that night, you felt more energized and motivated than you have in a long time. You were curious if any other fellow players experienced such a phenomenon. Being able to interact with them, actually talk to them outside the contrivances, even offline was a relief. Even your old dead TV was brought to life by the sights of the vibrant series setting; Domino City. Numbers, Dueltaining, Links, and beyond. The world of dueling was seemingly endless.

"Artificial intelligence is more real now than ever. Not to mention virtual reality. So it was only a matter of time. This game is experimental proof of that self awarness. Not all of us are that bright, though."

Joey's pinched face cameo over that comment didn't go unnoticed by as evidence by Seto's snide face. Mai dragging Joey off screen to see kisses literally flying off in the background had the CEO turn pink at the PDA.

"I'd rather glimpse into the real world to broaden my knowledge. Every single being that's connected to us gives us insight. Getting to know you Y/n has been the best experience in all of it."

Waving to Yugi, Jaden and Yusei driving recklessly on the latter's duel runner in the off distance made you crack out a laugh. The charmin smile Yami gave at the sight of your expression caught your eye, turning you a bashful pink, to which he deeply chuckled in kind.

But even you need a break every now and then. You have bad days. And by bad, it gets BAD. Constant styes or eye irritations. Circulation issues in the feet. Swollen ankles. Depression, stress and many intrusive thoughts becoming hyperactive in that tired scarred mind.

Demented suffocating folks. Dysfunctional argumentative drama. And you? Walled up in their corner, feeling years older than their actual age, self pity and self hate over this defective body. The thoughts of self made wounds made on every defective part of you brought on tears every time.

So, fights like the one you just experienced today brought tears, swelling, and the truth to light. Your own fault for believing your own flesh and blood would provide genuine professional help, for the body and mind. But all they can afford is gaslighting, dogpiling criticism. Slamming doors, holing up in your room and blasting tunes through your ear buds was your only affordable escapism.

Black, blue and red glitches overtake your phone. It all happened in such a blur. Layers of warmth swallowed you whole, brushing away those tears, as you felt your face pressed gently against such support, protectivness enveloping you.

"Now that's just bullshit. Everyone’s flawed. If you count me and my many attempts at dethroning my one and only rival myself as one, go right ahead. Point being, screw them. You're genuine. Flaws and all ... you're perfect."

"You should never feel ashamed of yourself or your appearance. You should feel comfortable in your own skin. Regardless of what others choose to believe, your own feelings matter the most. When I look at you, I see nothing but a goddess in my eyes."

Digital character gaining form in reality before you changed things. Just as soon as they were there, they were gone, leaving you fuzzy or better ... and for worse?

The rare times when you had to go out on trips or even taking walks by yourself around your area meant you waving your phone around, being their window into more of your life. Even giving a room tour meant them blushing at spotting chibi plushies of them on your nightstand; their egos rising at further proof of you being smitten with them.

Only when everyone else in your household went to bed would you go hogging up the living room couch and be on your laptop and phone to get lost in watching your movies, shows or whatever to lift your spirits. Yet these late night binges bring with them chronic headaches that would kick in during your all night bends, leaving you closing your eyes and falling sound asleep to drive off the pain on top of your flared up feet covered in cold compresses.

Your laptop flickered and buffered in distortions as whatever you were watching is halted as entities literally come out of your screen. Warmth brushed your flushed cheeks, rubbed your scalp to soothe your aches, rewarded by your hums of content, as murmurs of their names parted your lips, causing the seed of possessiveness to grow at such a rate.

"They don't deserve your tears. They don't even deserve you. None of them are worth it. Unlike them, you've always been deserving of greater and better things. And I'll make sure of it."

"Please dream sweet dears, my dear. It hurts me to see you like this. Things will get better ... they will be better ... you will not suffer alone anymore."

But all good things come to an end. And this was no exception. For there came that time when you were in so much agony, suffering to the point where you wanted the rest of your ignorant home to suffer with you. Eyes too Strained to open. Feet too swollen to walk. Even your neck and scalp were stiff in pain. Your own body fell apart and all you could do was cry in silence, stuck in bed, as you just wanted to be free of it all.

A cold storm raged outside, tipping things over the edge. Your phone vibrating and dinging with notifications were left unchecked. The various reports of disapperances over your fellow real life players and the like. The strong voices of your kings calling out to you were left unanswered as you were too still and quiet.

So they animated right out of your phone screen. The eye of Udjat glowing as the Pharaoh dealt the fatal blows. Thrown furniture exploding. Glass shattering. Ear shattering screams cut off midway. Gurgling cries of agony follow right after. Thumps hitting the floor. The tall shadow of his megalomaniac partner covered your frail weak body as he carefully took you in his arms. It was now or never.

"Seto, are you sure about this? Bringing an actual human over to our side is too risky. Her body will not survive it."

"Please. My next gen solid vision system is visionary. Finding you across dimensions, for example. Connecting others across time and space through dueling has broken boundaries. Linking the cerebrum of those that have accessed my side project app has allowed us to view everyones memories and knowledge of our counterparts in this world has expanded our reach. Sharing our energy with her shall give the strength she needs to cross over. And besides, you practically begged me to take her with us from the start."

"Don't tell me THE Seto Kaiba is jealous about sharing me with another now. As if dragging me out of the afterlife wasn't enough for you. Part of me is still wrapping around your experiment on cross dimensional expansion. Regardless if we're just avatar copies based on fiction, we're still alive. We're past the point of no return. I just hope Y/n will understand."

"Take me ... take me away from here ... please."

Your consent was the trigger. Crimson met solid hologram as their combined hold made you feel at peace at last, blue and golden energy seeping into you, falling fast asleep. The next time you woke up, all the pain left your body, replaced with such looseness. Such levity. Basking in the endless streams of code and ethereal light. The faces of many familiar characters standing about among those like you that now obtained their virtual anime counterparts.

Smothered in between such defined sturdy bodies to remind you of your situation, your heart hammered on in the blue eyed and violet eyed gazes of your two Kings gazing down at you with such fervor, pristine looking with no signs of crimson staining their attire, right before they both layered gentle kisses all over your face. Their sculpted veiny hands held each of yours, tracing your very real skin, squeezing them to assure you that this is all happening. Tears of joy filled your healthy e/c eyes and giggles filled their ears as the sight of you brimming with happiness made their own hearts tremble at the hold you have on them. And vice versa.

Reshaping the future of dueling outsides the confines of an app game takes so much work, you know. Gaining sentience and all that. And it means everything to them to have you there with them for their journey across the Yu-Gi-Oh! multiverse. Hand in hand in hand. For life. These two Kings have finally found their Queen.

"Welcome home."

[mysticofspades]

Top 10 Moments in the Life Series

Okay, so like, a month ago or something, Jimmy asked his viewers to compile together a list of their top ten moments from the life series, and I put together my potential list right then and there when the video came out. Then I forgot about it for the entirety of a month and now here we are. (ADHD sucks sometimes TT). Since he’s already put out his reaction vid, I didn’t feel like putting together an entire video but still wanted to ramble some so~

10. Desert Duo on a Camel Together in a Red Desert

Frankly, this made the list exclusively because of biases. The significance of these two men wandering around a RED DESERT – red as in; covered in blood – on the back of some rideable minecraft animal is probably lost on any new viewer. Not to mention the Cactus Monopoly scene, with Scar giving Grian the monopoly over it while saying; “I know how you love monopolies.” That entire interaction pretty much ruined me. I haven’t not thought about it in weeks. I need help.

9. The AH-HA Bit

I don’t know if I need to say anything more about this. If the previous was iconic for its dramatics, this is iconic for the opposite. It’s just a bunch of men having fun together, laughing and making stupid little puns about a made up British tradition. The fact that Impulse, a very american american, was somehow bound up in this group made it ten times funnier. No notes, this bit speaks for itself. Insert funny AH-HA pun here.

8. Etho’s Fishing Rod Kill on Scar

Already one of my favorite seasons for a variety of reasons, Last Life didn’t need this scene to make it my all time favorite season or anything. But damn, am I glad it happened. The precision and calculations on Etho’s part is just– damn! That entire situation, no matter how it played out, Etho would be on the winning side. Like, it was either Scar dies and Etho gets a boogie kill or just not. Even if Etho didn’t get his kill there, Bdubs woulda still gotten a life and Etho could still kill anyone else. Either way, Bdubs would’ve gotten his life and Etho would’ve gotten his buddy back. It’s all just beautifully and meticulously planned out that I can’t help but plop into this spot.

(Yes, I recognise that it might not have been planned to that extent on Etho’s part, or IRL Etho’s part, at least. I am choosing to believe that ch!Etho totally did weigh out all his options and came to the conclusion that this was the best course of action and was confident he could get the kill and even knew that Scar would have the Enchanter on him. He just comes off as that type of character to me, is all.)

7. Scott’s Sacrifice for Pearl in DL

You cannot tell me that this is not one of the most iconic moments of the life series, ever. Scott standing over that pile of TNT, lighter in hand while Pearl, bathed in red and a bloody ax clenched tightly in her fists, watches, wide-eyed and hysteric, trying to desperately ask what’s going on or to understand or to just do something, unable to in the end as Scott takes his own life crowning her victor over the bloodbath that she had never thought would end like this.

And that fucking line?! “Tilly death do us part?!” What the hell, Scott?!

In conclusion, your honor, Tilly is still alive somewhere in the DL world and someone should rescue her.

6. Grain’s Stalactite kill on BigB / Ren

Alright, this is pure luck and I am so fucking here for it. It’s simply beautiful. The unplanned accuracy of a man on a bloodlust ending up only getting a kill on his chosen soulmate is poetic as shit (shit that just so happens to be really poetic, that is).

It’s kinda like the reverse or inverse of the Etho fishing rod kill. Grian’s pure luck and also not is what makes this scene so fucking memorable.

Not to mention both Grian and Scar’s reactions. Grian was over the moon, screaming and celebrating and being ecstatic until he realizes just what he’s done. And his little “except when I got married,” is all pure chaos and we live for that here.

Then there’s Scar, ever the opportunist, immediately starts looting the corpses. Silently. He picks up anything he deems valuable (which could mean useless lint and string, but whatever) and tries to bealine it out of there the second he’s done. I love Scar, honestly.

5. Scar’s SL Win!

This specific season holds a special place in my heart for being the only season I watched and stayed tuned in for the entirety of its run. So when Scar, the one I’ve been rooting for since 3L, happens to win, you can imagine my excitement.

It was so out of left field, too. Like, in the final battle, I knew for a fact something was going to take out Scott and Pearl, them being winners already and this spoken rule of no double winners and all. But between Scar and Gem? I’m sorry, Scar, but I definitely didn’t see it coming. Gem was on a mad one, killing or getting someone else to kill more than half the server and already being stacked on kills. It just fits, ya know?

Like, Martyn, Grain and Pearl all were crazy about killing their entire season, even on green they were kinda unhinged, ya know? (couch couch Scarlet Pearl cough cough). And it's not like Scott didn’t have a body count.

To be fair though, it’s not like Scar didn’t get any kills either, it was just more…. Discrete? Unintentional. His kill on Bdubs and his accidental shot on Gem were both not of his own volition.

The idea that what it took for Scar to win was to completely give up on making friends is poetic as shit.

First season, he had an ally, a friend, a comrade, one whom he betrayed then gave his life for.

Next season, he tried and tried and tried again to make friends, almost as if chasing that same high he got with his first partner, but never managing to make any meaningful connections, and ended up shot in the back.

Then, he’s reunited with his partner of old and they get off to a good start, being the last greens and all. But as if with all things, it came down as Scar, accidentally, took their first two lives and his soulmate took the other.

Afterwards, he returns to his family, hoping to find peace and connections there. He finds it with his mother and brother and, sort of, with his estranged father. He leads a Scar-typical season of blowing things up (attempting to, at least), stabbing people in the back and swindling (only a little). It all comes to a head as his once-soulmate, once-partner-in-crime stabs him in the back, literally.

Finally, we have this season. Scar starts out looking for friends, he very much does. But the universe itself has other ideas. Bad task after bad task, Scar is left almost entirely isolated from the rest of the server. The backstabber of a soulmate offers him a home but he cannot take it (as per rules he made up about his task). Then, somehow, somewhere, he sees those words, “She’s dead, Scar, you won.”

It’s all just beautiful honestly.

4. “It was just a prank, Scar!”

The beginning of it all. This little prank led to so much that it deserves to be in the top5 of every list out there, in my opinion anyway. Like, Grian randomly happening across a creeper out in broad daylight then proceeding to choose to lead it all the way into a group of distracted people in the name of a prank which leads into a season-long, dramatic, all-defying alliance of which leads to a climactic battle surrounded by the disheveled and war torn lands they once ruled over together (we’ll get to this in a minute, don’t worry), chants of the ghosts of the lives they ended to get to where they are, screaming in their ears to fight and to kill and having to brutally take the last life of the person he’d once vowed his own to Al because of what? A prank?! Seriously?!– is that not the best shit you’ve heard all day? Or all week? Hell, maybe your entire fucking life???

I sure think so.

3. Liz’s Final Death in SL

I realize that this is my only Tim related moment on the list and it was Tim who had asked for the list in the first place, but whatever. There are plenty of cool ass (and miserably funny) Tim moments out there (ones I might plop into the honorary mentions bit) but this is honestly my favorite and the one I think makes the cut compared to the others on here.

Anyhow. Onto Liz taking Tim’s place as first out.

I watched Liz’s POV late, can’t remember if it was because she uploaded late or someone else uploaded and I forgot to get back to it afterward– I dunno. I saw hers late and thus already knew she was going to die first, so, unfortunately, I didn’t get to live it through her eyes first, quite sad I know. Point is, I fucking. Nearly. Cried.

Like, not only was Liz’s whole arc in the season quite sad already, with the whole, “I wish everyone were here,” and her attempt at cheering herself up ending up so horribly, I knew beforehand that something awful was going to have to happen to sum up all her season-long misery. Dying in the midst of an attack, her only proper attack really, with an ender-pearl sitting untouched in her hotbar, was not the way I thought that would happen.

And something I didn't expect even more?? Her dying first??? Yeah, no, it was definitely not on my SL Bingo Card, that’s for sure. It was just so out of nowhere and yet, it also wasn’t? How do I explain? Like, Liz’s whole season was going from one misfortune to another, bad decision to another and it just kept piling on, until, well– you know.

Tim’s seasons are usually like that, no? Bad decisions followed by the universe itself hating on him followed by pure bad luck. Pretty much any Timmy Life Series season honestly.

I don’t think I’m doing this scene– this event justice. Timmy went out first every season for 4 seasons in a row. then Lizzie waltzes on in for the second time, suffers a bunch in her episodes, tries to kill Scott (a well-known no-no if you want to live) and then dies. First.

Beautiful and iconic; that’s LDShadowLady for you.

(I realize I should probably talk about Tim some more, given that this is the only Jim-related moment on here, but eh. This segment is too long already. I’ll talk about some other Jim moments later.)

2. Scar’s Water Bucket Clutch

This moment proved to me that putting Grian and Scar together in a life series makes a seriously underrated but totally fairly rated duo. Like, in one season they managed to keep a whole ass, proper, monopoly going for at least, like, 2(?) whole sessions, Grain managed that stalactite kill I talked about already and then Scar does this shit??

I just– there’s a reason these guys got so fucking close to winning and never teamed up, volentairily, ever again. Had they teamed up again, and wanted to actively work together and actually win this shit, they totally could. There is a fucking reason both of them are individually winners now and I’m so shitting here for it.

Onto more specific things; Scar is a mad man and I love him for it. He saw Etho burning a couple of pandas (I apologize; a couple of jellies) and was just, “screw you Giran, those pandas need me,” and he went.

Grian’s reaction going from severely panicked to immeasurable pride is just beautiful (lots of things are beautiful, shut up).

When I tell you I replayed this shit non-stop until all the dopamine this scene could provide my ADHDed brain could be sucked up dry until it was drier than the driest of dry prunes you’ve ever seen on a hot ass summer afternoon, I mean it with every ounce of my being.

With that said; second place it shall be forevermore~

1. Cactus Ring

I mentioned this earlier and I don’t think anyone is necessarily surprised judging by all my other picks thus far, yeah?

Everyone’s heard of the beginning of the end. Well this feels a lot like the opposite of that. The end of the beginning, ya know? Third life’s the beginning, where everything began, where everything and everyone got established (well mostly everyone) and it’s where everything started. The cactus ring, to me, marks the end of the beginning. As if to say, “the beginning is over. We all know what we’re doing from now on, the trials are over and the bloodlusts and betrayals have already begun, let them continue (forevermore~).”

It’s a red mark (of blood) in the sand from where they began to where they’ll continue to go. It's the end of an era, the beginning of another, the continuation of a story left unfinished. It’s everything and nothing and I’m making no sense–

My point in all this is that this moment is iconic and deserves top 2, at minimum, on any and all lists of this kind. I accept none otherwise (not really :P).

…I feel like I spoilt myself a little my gushing about these guys earlier and now I don’t really have all that much to say–

Honorary Mentions!

1 - Tim’s final LimL death.

What the hell, dude? Talk all that crap to what? Trip off your own fucking Bad Boys Bread Brige™? Timmy, Timmy, Timmy.

Joel and Grain’s, and even Pearl’s, reactions were awesome btw!

2 - Grain and Scar’s Sing-Along!

It’s a desert duo moment, I don’t know what you want from me.

3 - Tim Killing Liz in SL

If I’m not mistaken, this is, like, Tim’s only kill that season and it being completely accidental and the fact that he feels horrible for it makes this moment comedy gold.

4 - Grain’s Triple Kill in 3L

This set the stage for many, many kills to come, and the excessive use of TNT minecarts can also be pinned back here, which is awesome of course.

5 - Etho’s Washed Up?!

This was originally on the list but because of (Scar-related) changes, it no longer is. It's awesome though so I put it down here. I fucking love this shit, dude. Cleo and Budubs’ back and forth and Etho just like, “I knew it guys, I really am washed up,” is just great.

6 - Mumbo’s Death in the Nether in SL

Mumbo is awesome and kinda not all there sometimes. This just so happens to be a moment of the latter, is all. Love him.

7 - Joel and Liz’s Romance in SL

I love these two interacting just casually. They’re super sweet and I just– I love seeing couples just doing normal things, like playing a game they both like together and just having fun, ya know? Whether that be with a little flirting or not, it’s fun to watch.

Alternatively; the Joel and Liz are trying to flirt in LL with Scar awkwardly there in the background.

[nico-esoterica]

The Fame & Power Cheat Sheet:

Manifestation 101: Remember that you're just telling yourself a new story about everything in your life and consistently choosing it. You're investing in the best outcomes at all times. If something happens to contradict it, disregard it and stay in your story. That situation will resolve itself to align with it.

⭐ The industry: Full of wonderful and good-natured people who want to help you succeed. They're clear, concise, reliable, loyal, and transparent. No one lies or deceives for a pay check. They're always looking out for you, positive, and uplifting. They give you opportunities others would kill to have w/o you needing to work for any of them. Everyone believes you're a natural start and you've got "It." Veterans come out of the woodwork to give their support w/ no strings attached.

⭐ Your Team/Agency: Always on time, professional, honest, accountable, disciplined, and are work horses to get you every great opportunity. It's like they're blood hounds finding you the best deals where you're paid excessively well. No obscure fine print on your contracts, they find you the best people in their network, they're the perfect team/agency known to man. You're well paid and so are they. No attitudes, throat-cutting, or drama. Everyone's wonderful.

⭐ The Media: Everyone adores you, even Dispatch and TMZ. Every international outlet has nothing but wonderful things to say about you. No harmful rumors ever surface and you have a mysteriously positive experience with paparazzi. Everyone respects your boundaries and no one tries to dig up dirt or information on you. They're so charmed by you that they think it's disrespectful to ever hurt or disrupt your image. You're like the world's Princess Diana. You don't have haters. If you prefer them for fun, they're secretly die hard stans working to help increase your fame and status at all times. Every online comment about you is ridiculously positive. People are in awe of you. The world's better because you're in it!

⭐ Money + Privileges: You always get paid 5x+ the amount that's supposedly listed. Execs and CEOs adore you. No matter who's top dog, you're their favorite. Every producer, director, big shot has their eye on you and gives you special priority. All contracts work in your favor. You get better treatment than people who've worked in the industry for decades. But your luck affects everyone you go. While you're winning, everyone does too. Any project you're a part of, even if it doesn't get greenlit, will ALWAYS do monstrously well. You're a walking good luck charm. Creative teams are always well paid if you're there and your projects win more awards than anyone's seen in their lifetimes. Everyone's life gets better in your presence, thrives, and surpasses their personal potential. You're always a part of someone's magnum-opus. You're greater than an icon. You're living breathing MYTH itself. You call the shots and you're given more control than you're signed on for and get the money bonuses. Your projects always receive 10x the money/resources you thought you'd get. This quality gives you a star pass in multiple industries and everyone does what you want happily and by choice.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Different nonnie from the Tikki-Xuppu person, but what you said about Tikki’s personality fitting Order better than Creation made me think about how Pollen would’ve be a better fit for Creation symbolism-wise over Tikki given how much bees better fit that image over ladybugs with their beeswax, honey and hive-making, not to mention the intimate relationship humans of various cultures have had with bees for literal millennia. Even the restoration of Miraculous Ladybug fits bees better due to the connotations of pollination and how essential bees are for the world’s ecosystem. In a universe where Pollen was the kwami of Creation with Tikki’s canon powers (though with bee-theming of course) to Plagg’s Destruction, how do you think things would’ve gone with Marinette and Adrien while having their canon personalities? How do you think they would have played off of each other with their canon personalities?

(Post that spawned this ask)

Before we begin, I want to note that my answer is probably going to be at least a little biased by @zoe-oneesama Scarlet Lady comic because Pollen has a big role in that and Zoe's read on Pollen pretty closely matches mine. Do with that what you will.

This is the first Kwami swap that I could see working. Plagg's personality is so iconic that it's hard to imagine anyone being an improvement, but Tikki is pretty generic. While she has a clear personality, she has no real interests or hobbies that make her stand out. She's mostly just here to be cute and act as the writer's mouthpiece. While I hate that for her and think she deserves better, it does mean that booting her and replacing her with a different Kwami doesn't feel like you're breaking a core element of the show so long as her replacement plays off the other characters well.

We don't see much of Pollen in canon, so it's hard to get a great read on her, but she her love of calling Chloe "my Queen" and the fact that Pollen is a bee give me vibes of a loyal, devoted Kwami who thinks that her Chosen is the best thing ever no matter what. Compare that to Plagg who delights in tormenting his Chosen and there's major potential for some excellent banter and fun contrasting moments, which is what Tikki's replacement would need to be able to do. Tikki and Plagg's contrasting dynamic is a lot of fun and you wouldn't want to lose it. Pollen and Plagg's dynamic would be different, but in a similar enough vein that I think it could work. Which is actually a point in Pollen's favor. If she was just another Tikki, then there would be no point in making the switch.

While Tikki is often dishing out lectures, her most valuable role is building Marinette up in moments when Marinette is feeling down. Pollen should be able to do that no problem. If anything, Pollen may be a little too zealous in supporting Marinette, but since Marinette isn't often shown to listen to Tikki's advice, that's not really an issue. It could even be a new source of comedy where Marinette comes up with insane plans and Pollen hypes her up while the audience watches in fascinated horror. It could be a lot of fun and also give Alya a better chance to fill the voice-of-reason role that she's occasionally allowed to have. That's one of the many awkward things about Alya knowing now. Her and Tikki often fill the same role on the civilian side since Tikki isn't presented as a wise, ancient mentor who knows things that these kids don't.

I especially love the idea of a Kwami swap where Adrien is praised to death and then refuses to give Pollen back because he needs this right now, okay? His lady can have the cheese loving gremlin for a few days while Pollen floats after him, calling him a Queen and praising his every move. Maybe Pollen even starts sneaking into his backpack and leaving him whatever her favorite treats are as a little sign that he's appreciated, leading Plagg to get all territorial, which further validates Adrien. (I just really like comedy that has a sweet undertone, okay?)

Since we don't have a full understanding of Pollen's personality, I won't speculate further than that as I'm trying to avoid getting too far into the realms of headcanon, but I do really like this idea and think it could be a lot of fun. I even like the idea of Pollen as Creation because bees do make more sense than ladybugs from a theme perspective. Plus Ladybee was such an iconic look, one of the few good unifies, and a version of that without the red would still be fabulous!

[dorothylarouge]

Dorothy's Big List of Comic Book Recs - Marvel Comics Edition

I often get asks about getting into comic books, and how daunting it seems, given the huge back catalog of titles and issues available. I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be scary! From miniseries that act as good introductions to characters to runs on ongoing titles by individual creators that serve on jumping-on points, there's lots of ways to get into comics without having to have a lot of background knowledge, and I'm going to give you a lot of potential places to start. Please note that this post only covers Marvel Comics; this is a companion to my DC list and I will also have a list for indie comics and smaller companies at some point. Also note that I haven't read everything, and I won't recommend something I haven't read, so a few runs or books some consider must-reads may not be on here. This is based purely on books I have read and enjoy, and that I think are suitable for new readers.

SPIDER-MAN

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Stan Lee, with artists Steve Ditko and John Romita, Sr.: The classic Spider-Man stories which laid the foundation for the character. These stories are filled with the melodrama and pathos that really makes Spider-Man shine, and with two of the greatest artists of the Silver Age on deck, you really can't go wrong. Ditko stays on the book until issue 38, and Lee's run ends at issue 110.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Gerry Conway, with artists John Romita, Sr., Gil Kane, and Ross Andru: Picking up immediately after the end of Stan Lee's run, Gerry Conway wrote issues 111 to 149. This run includes a number of vital Spider-Man stories, including Spidey's climactic tussle with the Green Goblin and his first brush with the nightmares of cloning.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Roger Stern: Spanning issues 229 to 252, this brief but memorable run includes several iconic Spider-Man stories and the debut of the Hobgoblin.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz: DeFalco wrote the book from 253 to 285, and this run included the debut of Silver Sable as well as Spider-Man's black suit.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by J. Michael Straczynski: This should be read in omnibus format as the numbering is a little weird; the run starts during volume 2 of Amazing but the book switched back to volume 1 and original numbering partway through. One of my favorite runs on the book! The creator of Babylon 5 brings Peter Parker into the 21st century, giving him a job as a science teacher and first hinting there might be some destiny at play in how he got his powers. There are a few warts on this run, however, mainly due to editorial mandates: it contains the dreadful "Sins Past" storyline and it ends on the wet fart that is "One More Day."

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) by Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom: The sister book to Amazing often goes a little overlooked, but this is a great run on it, including one of the best Doctor Octopus stories in Spider-Man history.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (2017) by Chip Zdarsky: Spectacular was brought back in 2017 with writer Chip Zdarsky at the helm, and it's great. The standout story is probably issue 6, "My Dinner with Jonah," which is one of my favorite Spider-Man issues ever.

Spectacular Spider-Man (1988) by J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema: This run spans issues 178 to 203, and includes Spider-Man's final battle with the second Green Goblin, the standout storyline of the run. DeMatteis also had a turn writing Amazing, but I wouldn't wish the Clone Saga on any new reader.

Spider-Girl (1998) by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz: An alternate universe title set in the future and starring the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, it's great superhero fun featuring everything that made classic Spider-Man great.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley: Another alternate universe book which sought to reintroduce Spider-Man to a new generation. It's a solid book and a good read, but it is very dated to the 2000s for good and for ill.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2023) by Jonathan Hickman: Another alternate-universe take on Spider-Man, this time reimagining him as a family man who gets his powers in his 30s. Whereas most Spider-Man takes start Peter off as a kid with power but no responsibility, this flips the script by having him as an adult with responsibility but no power, as he finds himself drafted into a war against the forces that have taken control of the world.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2019) by Saladin Ahmed: Hot off the heels of Into the Spider-Verse, Ahmed's run on Miles' title pushes him forward and secures his place as a leading light of the Marvel Universe, and even gives him his own Clone Saga.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) by Cody Ziglar: This title is ongoing, but it's a great read that continues the work of carving out Miles' niche in the Marvel Universe and taking him in new directions.

Spider-Man: Life Story (2019) by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley: A thoughtful and heartfelt story that takes Peter Parker on a real-time adventure through the decades, beginning in the 1960s.

Spider-Man 2099 (1992) by Peter David: A cyberpunk romp through a futuristic New York, featuring corporate oppression and intrigue. Miguel O'Hara's best run as Spider-Man.

X-MEN

X-Men (1963) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: The initial run of the X-Men lays the groundwork for everything to come, but the book didn't sell well or retain Stan's attention the way Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four could, and he left the book after issue 19. Roy Thomas took over for the rest of the 60s, and there's some good stories in there too, but the real great stuff was still to come.

X-Men by Chris Claremont: MUST be read in omnibus format, because this mammoth run spanned over a decade and a half, including multiple titles - not only the main X-Men book but the New Mutants and the stellar graphic novel "God Loves, Man Kills." THE definitive X-Men run, featuring most of the team's most iconic stories.

New X-Men (2001) by Grant Morrison: Not my favorite work by Morrison, but this is probably the most important run after Claremont. Morrison brings a more militant spirit and a focus on radical activism to the X-Men, and the run opens with a bang - though I have to admit that it closes with two of my least favorite X-Men stories.

X-Men (1991) by Mike Carey: Fun stories featuring an eclectic assortment of characters and interesting team dynamics, but the real treat comes when the book becomes X-Men: Legacy, and a character study on Professor X and his son Legion.

New X-Men (2004): Of course, a classic element of X-Men stories is the school setting, and this book brings that concept into the 2000s, focusing on students at the Xavier School and their interpersonal drama. Degrassi with superpowers.

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) by Jason Aaron: Another school-set book, this one focuses on Wolverine's efforts to run a school filled with mutant teenagers.

X-Factor (1986) by Louise and Walter Simonson: A very 80s team book focusing on the original X-Men, reconnecting after several years apart, and the conflicts they get drawn into, often the result of their own mistakes. Also features the debut of Apocalypse, one of the best X-villains.

X-Factor (1986) by Peter David: After David took over the book, the focus of X-Factor was shifted from being the original X-Men to an oddball group of government-sanctioned mutants. This book also helped flesh out the character of Mystique.

X-Factor (2006) by Peter David: X-Factor returned under David in the 2000s, this time as a detective agency specializing in cases involving mutants. There's a cynical edge to this book which was common in the 2000s but it really works for this title.

X-Force (1991) issues 116 to 129 and X-Statix by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred: Allred's art is worth the price of admission. Imagine a team where every character is expendable, most of them are liable to die in really nasty ways, and they all have weird and uncomfortable powers. That's X-Statix.

Ultimate X-Men (2024) by Peach Momoko: Probably my favorite of the new Ultimate line. Very different vibes to basically any other X-Men book - this one is essentially a horror manga in the vein of Junji Ito or Shigeru Mizuki.

THE HULK

Hulk: Gray by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: A moody and gorgeously-illustrated take on the Hulk's earliest days.

The Incredible Hulk (1962) by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema: Buscema is one of the best Hulk artists of all time, and while Mantlo's writing can be hit or miss, when he hits he really hits, as in issue 312, one of the best Hulk issues ever written.

The Incredible Hulk (1962) by Peter David: David's run is considered the definitive Hulk run, and for good reason. It is best read in omnibus format because it is very long, and packs a lot into that long tenure. Bruce Banner's Joe Fixit alter debuts here, as does his Professor persona.

The Incredible Hulk (2000) by Greg Pak: This run includes the Planet Hulk storyline! Exiled from Earth, the Hulk rises to power as a warlord on a hostile alien world. Really scratches that Conan the Barbarian itch.

The Indestructible Hulk (2013): A different take on the Hulk, this time recasting him as an agent of SHIELD with all the adventures and difficulties that brings.

The Immortal Hulk (2018) by Al Ewing: Here we see the difference between "definitive" and "best." While David's run is the definitive Hulk run, for my money Immortal Hulk is the best. It is both a gnarly piece of body horror and a deeply thoughtful title that muses on the nature of anger, of suffering, and of pain, drawing heavily on Kabbalistic imagery and themes.

She-Hulk (2004 and 2005) by Dan Slott: An offbeat workplace comedy set in a law office specializing in cases involving superhumans. The best She-Hulk run in my book, not least because it does not involve John Byrne.

DAREDEVIL AND STREET LEVEL STUFF

Daredevil (1964) by Frank Miller: Probably the definitive Daredevil run, and the only time I've been able to stand Frank Miller, this run features some great art as well as some of the most important Daredevil stories in the character's history.

Daredevil (1964) by Ann Nocenti: Carries on from the Miller run and takes the character of Daredevil, his supporting cast, and Hell's Kitchen in some totally new directions. Includes the story of the excellent villain Typhoid Mary.

Daredevil (1998) by Brian Michael Bendis: A gritty, very 2000s take on Daredevil, Bendis' strengths as a writer are on full display during this run, with grungy art to match.

Daredevil (2011 and 2014) by Mark Waid: A much lighter and more superhero-y run than Daredevil often gets, this excellent run features Matt going up against criminal syndicates, old enemies coming back for revenge, and more.

Hawkeye (2012) by Matt Fraction: Easily the best book Hawkeye has ever had. Spectacular art and excellent scripting featuring both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in a firmly street-level narrative focusing on threats to the local community.

The Punisher (2011) by Greg Rucka: For my money the best the Punisher (whom I usually don't like) has ever been. A genuinely thoughtful examination of Frank Castle as a human. Many people swear by the Garth Ennis run on the character, but to me this is the definitive Punisher run.

Mockingbird (2016) by Chelsea Cain: A short but fun series focusing on Mockingbird in a number of spy thriller scenarios.

Alias (2001) by Brian Michael Bendis: A mature mystery series starring a former superheroine. It goes into some gnarly territory but it really displays Bendis' strengths in writing street-level, grounded stories within the Marvel Universe.

Moon Knight (1980) by Doug Moench: Moon Knight fans will be mad that this is the only run I have on this list but it's the only one I've read! It's a fantastic read though.

Ms. Marvel (2014 and 2016) by G. Willow Wilson: There's a reason that Kamala Khan has been one of Marvel's biggest breakout characters in recent history, and it all starts in this initial run of comics. Great art and fantastic scripts by Wilson.

Runaways (2004 and 2005) by Brian K. Vaughan: One of my favorite setups in a comic, with a group of teenagers learning that their parents are actually a supervillainous cabal and running away from home in response. Great teen drama with a superpowered twist. The second volume also has a run by Joss Whedon (bear with me) that's also pretty good.

TEAMS AND TEAM-UPS

Fantastic Four (1961) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: One of the greatest comic books ever written. Both Lee and Kirby poured their heart and soul into these early adventures, and you can really tell. The first Galactus story is still one of my favorites. Essential reading.

Fantastic Four (1998) by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: Probably my favorite Fantastic Four run, with a great focus on Doctor Doom, Mister Fantastic, and Ben Grimm.

Fantastic Four (2022) by Ryan North: The current FF run, this one goes all-out on wacky science fiction adventure, with most stories only taking one or two issues to tell. Bite-size superhero fun, with fantastic characterization. Made me stan Alicia Masters.

The Avengers (1963) by Roy Thomas: The initial run of the Avengers by Lee, Kirby, and Heck, is serviceable, but the team came into their own under Roy Thomas, who introduced mainstays of the team like Vision and Black Panther to the roster, in this run which also incldues the classic "Kree-Skrull War" storyline. Throw in art by legends like John Buscema, Sal Buscema, and Neal Adams, and you've got a great run to get into the Avengers with.

The Avengers (1963) by Roger Stern: Another great Avengers run, this one solidified a roster for the team which included members like Hercules, Black Knight, and the best Captain Marvel aka Monica Rambeau, and includes the best "Avengers Mansion is attacked" story.

The Avengers (1997) by Kurt Buseik and George Perez: A creative dream team relaunched the Avengers in the late 90s to fantastic effect, with several excellent storylines and gorgeous art. This is, for my money, the definitive Avengers run.

Young Avengers (2013) by Kieron Gillan: The Young Avengers have mostly been supplanted as Marvel's premiere team of teenage superheroes, but this is their best book in my view, featuring the team's best roster and some of their best stories.

Champions (2016) by Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos: A great teen team book, the Champions have basically replaced the Young Avengers in no small part due to this run. Makes me yearn for a Waid-penned Teen Titans ongoing.

Defenders (1972): I'm just gonna recommend the whole comic. If you want off-beat and unusual superhero team dynamics and out-there storytelling, this is a good bet. Special attention should go to Steve Gerber's run around issue 20 or so.

MAGIC MARVEL

Doctor Strange: The Oath (2006) by Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin: A good entry point to Doctor Strange and his weird world, featuring some really great art.

Strange Tales (1951) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko: Never has Steve Ditko's art been better than in those first Doctor Strange stories, weird and wonderful and surreal.

Journey Into Mystery (1951) and Thor (1966) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: The first Thor stories are not only great, they feature Kirby's excellent Tales of Asgard backups which he would eventually develop into his Fourth World at DC.

Thor by Jason Aaron: Read in omnibus format. A true epic worthy of Norse legend. Includes some all-time great Thor stories.

The Immortal Thor (2023) by Al Ewing: The current Thor run, with a strong focus on mythology and how stories are constructed and passed down across the years.

Scarlet Witch (2023 and 2024) by Steve Orlando: A fun ongoing that finally made Wanda Maximoff a worthy headliner in Marvel, featuring her protecting a small town from magical threats.

COSMIC MARVEL

Silver Surfer (1968) by Stan Lee and John Buscema: One of my favorite comics as a teenager, this book combines space opera and melodrama to great effect.

Silver Surfer (1987) by Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin, and Ron Marz: The definitive Silver Surfer run. Includes some excellent stories, including some from the master of cosmic Marvel, Jim Starlin.

Silver Surfer (1988) by Stan Lee and Moebius: Must be read for the art alone.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2008) by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning: This is where the MCU team originated, and it's still the best run the Guardians have ever had.

Quasar (1989) by Mark Gruenwald: Has the energy of a Silver Age comic with none of the baggage. Definition of a hidden gem.

Nova (2007) by San Abnett and Andy Lanning: Probably the definitive Nova run? Spun out of Annihilation which as an event comic I haven't included here but is still a great read.

Eternals (1976) by Jack Kirby: It's kind of Fourth World backwash, but it's Kirby doing wacky cosmic stuff so you know it's a good time.

AND THE REST

Power Pack (1984): What if a bunch of kids got superpowers? No, not teenagers, little kids? It's a thoroughly 1980s premise and one that shines best in the original series from that era.

Captain America (2005, 2011) by Ed Brubaker: A high-octane action-spy thriller which reintroduced Bucky and made him Cap for a while. The definitive modern Captain America run.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1976): A short adaptation of the novel and film, and then like 10 issues of wacky Kirby sci-fi. Really great hidden gem.

Black Panther (1998) by Christopher Priest: The definitive Black Panther run, that set the stage for everything to follow.

Black Panther (2016) by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Another great run exploring the nature of power. Many comic fans do not like it because they are philistines.

Vision (2015) by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walla: Tom King is hit or miss, but this book is great, with the Vision building a family - of a kind - for himself.