#shut up meru

[selfindulgenceisthekey]

𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚞 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚞 𝚗𝚘 𝙼𝚒: 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚙𝚝. 2

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Pt. 1

A/N: I have so many plot ideas in my head for this, but so little motivation to write. Don’t expect a schedule from me, sorry.

You weren’t sure… how you were here.

Eimi was curled in your arms, practically seated in your lap, trembling, her eyes wide but fixated on the waters surrounding you.

The group around you was talking, and they seemed to be working on keeping their voices low as they spoke. The waters were rather calm, and had this been under different circumstances, you’d also be staring out to the water. But you kept your sights on the Strawhats.

One of them, Robin, you believed, had given you a blanket, wrapped around you and Eimi. You both were still clad in your pajamas, and you had never felt more exposed than you did now.

“Captain, please—”

Your attention shifter, body tensing as Luffy bounded forward. Eimi let out a small gasp, burrowing further into you, and you let her, holding her tighter as the grinning captain stopped in front of you.

“Robin says you probably ate the meru-meru no mi fruit, did you? That’s so cool!” He was hunched over, face close to the pair of you.

“Luffy!”

You didn’t respond, not sure if it were from fear or stubbornness. Luffy didn’t seem as if he minded, still grinning even as he was grabbed by the back of his shirt, pulled backwards. Nami stood in front of you and Eimi as Sanji pulled their captain back, all his members looking a mixture of annoyed and exasperated.

“You can’t just crowd her like that!” Nami scolded, hands on her hips as she stared down the grinning captain.

“We talked about this Luffy,” Robin spoke next, her voice gentle from somewhere off to your left, “Personal space is something many value.”

At her words, he pouted, allowing himself to be let go, not rushing toward you again. His attention did turn your way, and Eimi made a noise, turning her head so it was pressed to your chest.

“I’m sorry,” He apologized, sounding weirdly cheerfully apologetic, “Everyone says I need to be better with this personal space stuff, especially with strangers,” He blinked once, before continuing, as if a thought just dawned on him, “But you’re not a stranger! That guy said we could take you!”

That… did not sound like something Kurozawa would say, nor something he would do. He had had people killed for trying to steal you away— you were his songbird.

“Luffy, shut—”

“That is not what he—”

“Well he said I could have you for one night,” He clarified, eyebrows furrowing, “But when you’re my crew you can stay for longer than just one night! Hey— you didn’t answer my question— did you eat a devil fruit? Was it the one Robin said you did?”

Oh. Yeah. That did check out. Kurozawa was not going to offer your devil fruit talents to anyone unless they offered him a very hefty sum, but he wasn’t above having others pay less for… other things.

He probably tried offering that when his deal went up in flames, probably right after you had retired to your room.

Several shouts were heard, all directed at Luffy, but the sounds were loud and jarring, Eimi was now trembling in full in your arms. You held her tighter, wishing you could merge with the floorboards beneath you.

There was some breakout of arguments, you didn’t follow it, your brain feely fuzzy, no words truly reaching your ears. You heard your name called gently, once then twice, before you turned, Robin kneeling near you two, but with enough distance to feel safe.

“Would you feel comfortable following me somewhere quieter?” The way her question fell made it really feel that you had a choice— it was an open ended question, if you refused, you had a feeling she’d allow that.

But, you didn’t want to refuse. Swallowing hard, you nodded, feeling shaky as you stood, still keeping Eimi tight in your arms. The bickering didn’t cease, as you followed far enough away from Robin that you felt safe. You could hardly pay attention as you walked, the setting suns warmth disappearing as you made your way indoors.

“I do apologize,” She spoke, and you felt yourself snap out of whatever empty thoughts had clouded over, realizing you were in… a library?

You glanced around, not sure what to say in response. She continued, thankfully, motioning to a chair, “Would you like to sit?”

Every part of your body felt exhausted, and despite knowing how powerful Robin could be, you’ve heard the stories and seen the bounty, you felt almost safe around her. So you sat. If she tried anything, you’d fight back of course, but you were hoping your trust wasn’t being ill put.

“Luffy gets excited very easily, and it doesn’t take a lot of input for others to follow suit, in their own ways. They mean well, of course, it’s just sometimes harder for them to put it into a way everyone would understand.”

You cleared your throat, swallowing hard, “You were right… I had eaten the meru-meru no mi fruit. I’m… it’s hard for me to control, though,” You glanced towards her, before looking away, studying the books you could see, “If your captain wishes to use me I’m afraid it would be—”

“I can assure you that isn’t why you’re aboard our ship,” She interrupted you, not unkindly, “Kurozawa had been on our radar for a few weeks now. His invite merely gave us a way into his home directly. We had our own reasons, but when you came to dinner, well, it’s safe to assume the stories we’d heard about him weren’t just stories.”

You shook your head, pulling the blanket around you and Eimi tighter, the young girls eyelids were drooping. She was absolutely exhausted. You don’t blame her.

“I imagined so. I won’t lie, he did attempt to offer a night with you to our captain, our crew,” She kept her voice quiet, as if hoping to ensure Eimi didn’t hear her speak, though each word was dripping with venom, “Once he had made that offer, our minds were made up. We would work to free you from his hands, as well as work on his downfall. One happened tonight, the other is to come as time progresses.”

Free you from his hands.

It wasn’t that simple.

It couldn’t be that simple.

You had stayed up nights, long after Eimi had fallen asleep, as she was close to doing now, praying to whoever may hear your pleas that you both would escape one day.

Eimi was asleep now, fingers gripping your top tightly, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. You couldn’t cry, you couldn’t wake her up, worry her. Robin gave you a gentle look, something sympathetic, something understanding.

Your free hand covered your mouth, teeth sinking into the flesh of your palm. You hiccuped once, twice, before you managed to calm your breath, dropping your hand.

“I,” Your voice trembled as you spoke.

You wanted to thank her, to offer to do whatever the crew needed of you to repay this debt. You wanted to scream at her, ask— no, demand why they freed you, what did they gain from this? No one in this world did things to be kind, no one did things without gaining something.

“He won’t let you leave with me easily,” Was what you managed to whisper, “He… I’ve been his for two years now, and I’ve… made people do horrible things.”

Admitting it felt like acid, like bile coated your throat as you spoke, “He’s unstoppable with me, but he’s powerful without me. He won’t stop until he gets me back, until he’s decimated your crew for taking what’s his.”

Robin shook her head, sending you a gentle smile, “He was only unstoppable because of you, he’s a man, he’s human. He bleeds, the same as you and I. We’ve fought with many people, many who wanted nothing more to destroy us. He’s merely a name added to that list, and I can easily promise you, he will not be the one to end the Strawhats.”

“As for making people do things,” Her eyes drifted, her gaze soft as she looked at the sleeping figure of Eimi, gentle puffs of breath against your skin, “You had your reasons. We all have done things, things we may not be proud of, but we had our reasons to do so.”

You absentmindedly brushed some of Eimi’s hair from her face— she’d need a bath soon. There were no words you could come up with to respond to Robin, but your silence didn’t seem to affect her negatively. There was a gentle knock on the door, and it cracked open, the sharpshooter, Usopp, peering in.

“Luffy’s calmed down,” He spoke, lowering his voice when he noticed Eimi was asleep against your chest, “If you’d feel comfortable coming back up, we’ll all be a lot calmer, Usopp’s promise.”

You licked your lips, unsure as to what you wished to do. You’d need to face them, sure, thank them, you suppose. But this entire day was… beyond draining. You were tired, you were hungry, and you were scared. They both seemed to understand.

“We’ll all speak in the morning,” Robin decided, “I can lay out a bed for the two of you,” She paused, studying the library for a moment, “Would you feel more comfortable if you two bunkered down here? I imagine rooming in the women’s cabin may still be a bit much. And I’m not sure I can convince Nami to room in the men’s cabin for the night.”

Usopp chuckled nervously, “We just managed to get everyone calm, I think that suggestion might make things worse.”

You nodded, the library was quiet, warm. It was cozy, it felt safe, reminding you of those fleeting memories of youth, a time that felt like eons ago.

“Usopp, if you wouldn’t mind fetching some spare blankets and pillows.”

He nodded, smiling at you as the two of you made eye contact, before turning and hurrying out. Robin sighed, a soft sound, as she turned to you.

“Tomorrow morning, I can come fetch you if you feel comfortable. Give you time to wake up, and adjust. Explain a few things if need be. Our cook, Sanji,” She clarified for you, “Will ensure to make space at the table for the two of you. Are there any allergies or dietary issues I should pass on to him?”

“Oh,” You stammered, “That’s not— I’ll be fine— Eimi, she doesn’t have allergies. But- but she doesn’t like eggs. In any way, really.”

She nodded, mentally noting that to pass along, before she spoke, “You weren’t allowed dinner when at Kurozawa’s, and our cook ensures no one goes hungry. It wouldn’t be a bother, or an issue I promise. He’ll be overjoyed to have new palettes to cook for as well.”

You swallowed, “I… I’m okay with anything,” The words sounded weak, even to you, but thankfully, Robin nodded, more than likely understanding not to press you.

There was a warning knock, before Usopp entered, carrying pillows and blankets so high that he didn’t seem as if he could peer over them.

“Nami said she would find some of her clothes that may fit you for the morning,” His voice was muffled as he moved to place everything down on the table, “Unfortunately we don’t have much that will fit your daughter. But we’re not far out from a mini town, and Nami also said she’d put some berries aside to get her some things.”

“O-Oh, she’s—”

Usopp shook his head, looking almost guilty for a moment, “She… may have robbed a few thousand berries from Kurozawa’s before we left. As well as some things she says are pure gold we can sell, so it won’t be hurting us. Besides, if Nami is offering you berries without interest, take it and run.”

You hesitated, before nodding. That… was an issue you were going to address, just not the first one. Eimi shifted in your lap, and you glanced down at her.

You suppose you’d tell your story in the morning.

“We’ll leave you two to set up,” Robin spoke, bidding you a goodnight as she left, Usopp following right after.

The couches, you supposed they were couches, lining the walls were soft. Firmer than your bed at Kurozawa’s, but didn’t that make them all the better? You made quick work, lying Eimi down, a pillow under her head, blankets tucking around her body. She looked relaxed, comfortable. You stood for a moment, simply staring at her, looking around the room you were in.

Two years and all you had seen were the walls of Kurozawa’s home.

He called you his songbird, and his home was your golden cage.

And apparently all it took was some rowdy pirates— pirates, apparently, who had kind hearts— to bust the cage doors open.

You brushed a hand over Eimi’s forehead, moving to lay with her, and willing yourself with to fall asleep. Asleep in a room that wasn’t your prison, for the first time in over two years.

[rainbowgod666]

Meru: i mean. You have a literal holy shotgun

JOHN WARD:...yeah.

Father, a thought has been plaguing my mind for the past week. Who would win? John ward or Meru the succubus?

John ward certainly has more of a Chance against Meru than an average person due to him being a priest he could likely naturally resist some of Meru’s powers. It is shown that only “preistbloods” are able to see that she is taking over a body so we can assume that a priest would have various advantages over a normal person. Most of Meru’s abilities relies on the victim being complacent (sweet dream, pheromones, along with her natural seductive abilities.) Another thing is that John would likely know that Meru could be repelled by salt (this is never shown in the show but due to her nature as a demon we can assume this) and he could sit inside a salt circle until he outlasts Meru’s control over her host.

I personally am in favor of you but most of it depends on Meru’s current level of power.

I have put far to much thought into this.

anon i wish i could answer your question but our only choice here is to put this to a vote

[iwoszareba]

i wanted to introduce some characterisation for Qurin in wotr and since i enjoy doing banters ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Qurin is a sister of my Knight Commander Aqil Meru, she’s kitsune/ifrit, background: guard, class: Mixed-Blood Rager/Scaled Fist

—

Qurin: I never expected to see a paladin dancing on a table, but I’m sure glad I did!

Seelah: Ha! And this paladin was glad to see a monk willing to join her.

—

Ember: I was wondering… do you know any stories? Aqil often makes up little stories for me and Soot.

Qurin: Sure thing, kiddo. I may not be as fancy with words as he is but I would not shame my kin by not being able to tell a decent tale.

—

Camellia: Do I understand correctly that your parents sent you away to undergo monastic training because they couldn’t handle your bad temper?

Qurin: What? No. They wanted me to be able to handle it myself, for my own good.

—

Qurin: Don’t you ever think about dropping that bow to go fight up close and personal? That’s where things are most fun!

Lann: You can call me old-fashioned but I was always a little more concerned with survival rather than fun.

—

Qurin: I’m not a demon so I can’t guarantee these will be effective with whatever you have going on, but if you want I could show you some techniques that help to stay calm and grounded.

Arueshalae: That’s a generous offer, I would like to give it a try. Especially with someone to guide me through it.

—

Woljif: So you are from this famous wizard family and you really can’t cast none? Not even simple spells?

Qurin: You see kid, my magical power is getting real mad so I can beat up fools who just don’t know when to shut the fuck up.

—

Qurin: I sometimes catch myself thinking how pretty you are but thankfully you always find something annoying to say to bring me back to reality.

Daeran: I did not expect you to be a sensitive sort! But I will keep in mind that you find me attractive.

—

Qurin: I’m not saying that romance is a hoax, I’m just saying I don’t feel it. And don’t fucking dare “maybe you haven’t met the right person” me.

Sosiel: I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention to upset you. As a cleric of Shelyn love occupies much of my thoughts and I admit it can colour my perspective. Your heart is clearly filled with much passion and care, no matter what form it takes.

—

Regill: Your keen perception and martial skills are commendable but your volatile temper makes them worthless in a military setting.

Qurin: Please, I’m not an army person. I’m interested in receiving orders only for good money or considerable pleasure.

—

Wenduag: Everyone sees you as angry and unpredictable but I can see the truth. You are holding back. Why?

Qurin: Unchecked fire spreads quickly and I’m not the one to worship ashes.

—

Nenio: Fire girl, stand still and open your palms! I must conduct an experiment to determine if your hands can be used as a cooking surface.

Qurin: Already ahead of you, the answer is yes.

—

Greybor: I expected you to have more objections towards my company, considering our professions. I admit, I’m pleasantly surprised.

Qurin: Oh, it’s really simple, I’m smart enough to know that being a personal guard has no future without people with murder on their minds.

—

Ulbrig: So being from a family of witches changed your body so? They must wield some truly frightful powers.

Qurin: Uh, no. That part has nothing to do with their magic, but rather my family’s dalliance with genies of the desert. I’m sure Aqil could tell you who exactly and how many generations ago if you care for such details.

—

Trever: Do you ever regret being here? In this demon-infested nightmare?

Qurin: I hope you are not trying to get out of me some secret truth Sosiel was unwilling to share with you, because that’s just silly. But listen… I do not regret coming here to help my brother, not even for a second.

[nilesmoon]

fuck it bee sora timeline under the cut. join me as I ignore canon and turn the bees into my ocs

!!era: basically all the fics I've written up to this point.

Kohaku actually enrolls to reimei as a first year, he hates the place.

The first beeXswitch tour is a huge success, it becomes a summer tradition for them to do a live together.

+1 year: sora becomes a 3rd year & kohaku is a 2nd year.

bees give sora the Ring™ in this year's live. [The Ring™ is a matching ring everyone wears in crazy b, it's a red ring they wear on their pinkies, it's the one they wear in the ariadne event]

This starts a controversy, fans start calling sora a traitor to switch or whatever. natsume tells all of them to shut the fuck up during a solo fortune telling show which stops most of the hate.

himeru asks for help about kaname from sora. [FIC IN WORKS]

+2 years: sora graduates, starts majoring computer science/engineering. kohaku becomes a 3rd year.

kaname wakes up, his physical therapy begins, he starts to learn how to play some instruments to gain better mobility.

+3 years: kohaku graduates, (no idea what he'd major in afterwards, if he'd even go to uni at all).

kaname moves to the dorms, he's roomies with jun & kohaku. he continues physical therapy, gets better with instruments composes songs on his own.

talks of switch disbanding starts due to natsume wanting to focus more on fortune telling & tsumugi possibly taking over newdi.

RINNIKI INTERMISSION: after valk decides to fuck off to france (happens in +1 year) they get married (+3 years) which makes rinne think, hey why don't we do that?? niki tells him that the most they'd manage with their dumb asses is a shitty vegas wedding where everyone is drunk off their asses. which does end up happening. everyone cries but if you ask himeru he definitely didn't do anything like that.

+4 years: switch is now on indefinite hiatus.

kanasora debut as a duo, kaname makes their songs and sora comes up with bonkers stage production.

kaname can perform on stage but it's very difficult for him so he uses his wheelchair or a cane most of the time (on his daily life he uses some sort of mobility aid almost always).

kaname leaves the himeru title to meru, he debuts under his own name. he leaves whether or not meru will keep the himeru title up to him.

+5 years: sora & kaname OFFICIALLY join crazy b.

sora becomes crazy Bs co leader alongside rinne.

kanasora still perform together every once in a while.

kaname realizes that he enjoys making songs more than performing on stage.

[cryptidm0ths]

stares at you with autistic eyes. i still need to finish tma but.. tma au……. stares…………..

okokokokokookokokok tma my love the over arching special interest with pokemon

sososo tastumi is the archivist in this with the rest of alkaloid as assistants, mayoi fitting into a similar role to martin being partially aligned with the dark then the lonely. Hiiro joins the institute to look for rinne who has somehow gotten mixed up with the entities probably the slaughter or the lightless flame (tim with 100% less rage), aira probably joined out of a deep passion for the supernatural and such. if we follow the tma storyline i feel like tatsumi wouldnt get as paranoid as jon gets but gets just a shut in refusing to let any of the others do anything in the processes fucking up his health and just straining all the relations in the archives. eeuu if i get further in its probably going to get out of hand so other characters.

kaname and tatsumi have a similar relation to enstars canon, now if the HiMERU situation is just kaname getting replaced by the NotThem or just that himeru got align to the stranger before learning about kaname. jun probably joins the institute later on not really of his own volition if kaname is still alive at this point they re probably hanging out to dating euuuuu meru is probably fucking with that relationship just by existing. the rest of eden is probably there nagisa touched by the end makes sense to me. ibara could fill the role of elias bouchard there is angst and paranoia factor in that with [redacted for spoiler reasons]

[the-good-projxct]

July 7th, 2024

10:28pm. Listening to Fall for you by Leela James. I want to start a blog someday named perspective. Maybe after September, I will create a different tumblr blog and name it Eden’s Perspective. Because honestly, I come here for perspective. I just. Yeah. I need to write today. I didn’t exactly want to write but I needed it. So this whole thing of being where your feet are isn’t easy. I am concluding that I am a person that easily gets overwhelmed then easily gets over whatever it was that was overwhelming me but it goes in that order. I feel on the brink of tears right now and I just can’t even explain all the things racing through my head. And I know the answer to all the chaos is to focus on here and now. I am in this Season for a reason. I know all of this. It doesn’t make it any easier. All this change is overwhelming and in the near future all this change will be the norm. Life eh? I romanticized my life on Friday and took myself out for a little date. I also bought toilet paper because… balance. I had a nice latte and cake. Then I went home and chilled, then got ready for Sato. I walked to and from my date which was really nice. On Saturday morning, I went boxing, came home, spent time with my grandma, then my brother and his girlfriend came over, then I went to my Aunty’s house for the night. I enjoyed Aunty’s house, it was just her, her parrot and I. We had a slow sunday of food, soaps and naps. Then I came back to my grandma’s house. SweSwe has always body shamed me. As a kid I was too skinny. Now I am too fat. It’s a lose lose ya know. Anyway, today she brought up that I needed to lose weight. And I told her I was happy with my body. She said if she were me then she would lose weight and I told her to do with her body as she pleases and I will do with my body as I please. She kinda got the clue and she said she was sorry. But also truly, I don’t give a fuck about the apology because she has always been that way about my body. Always has something to say about it. High Key gave me an eating disorder. But this isn’t even about her. It’s about that moment when I said I like/love my body as it is. I said it with conviction. And now I am wondering, do I? Like I Love myself. I know I am beautiful. But I have such a distorted relationship with my body fat because of my grandmother and mother. I should never be too skinny and I should never be fat. The window of the perfect weight they expect me to be at is unattainable. So I said I Love my body. It’s easy to say that. But Can I Love my body? Honestly, I just want to be happy, healthy, and strong in my body. That’s the goal. And I am achieving it. Their perspective and self-hate is theirs and theirs alone. I will start to shut it down by saying I Love my body. Because honestly, how I feel about myself is all that matters. I read this article in a Kenyan magazine that talked about sex like prayer. A meditation. A ritual. And I love that. A place where there are certain routines and steps that lead to this deep connection with yourself or with your partner. I rock with that. Sex as Holy Worship, Prayer, Sacredness. Anyway, I am going to Meru tomorrow for the first time since I have been back. I am looking forward to seeing family and being in the countryside for sometime. I just did some math and the luteal phase just hit.  Does this explain the changes in mood? HMMMMMMM. Anyway, Life is Still Gøod. I am Gøod. My body is Gøod. Change is Gøod.

Ase. Ase. Ase. Ase. Ase.

[umilily]

Is the butler meru fic 10k+ Words or in general very lengthy bc either way I’m gonna enjoy it wayyy too much

it is 11k because i am incapable of shutting up and getting to the point.

[meruz]

any advice for comic layouts?? i really like the way you do ur comics

this is a really interesting question!! and it took me a lot of thinking as to how to answer.... I don’t know if I can give advice per se because I feel like I’m still figuring out a comics process myself, but I can try to walk you through what I’ve done thus far

Lets take this one page comic..

my comic process tends to be 2 tiered. once I have an idea of what I want to draw, I have a brainstorming/sketch phase where I will essentially just jot down whatever layouts and images first come to mind and experiment with them, making a bunch of drawings that have minor tweaks (shown above as Draft 1).You can see I really wanted to sell the deadpan expression in the last panel so I sketched out a couple different iterations. And I wanted to explore what the latte art would look like and how it would transform. A lot of this is not very well drafted, just ugly shorthand just to see what resonates with me visually. I generally do this on paper (often with pen) so I don’t feel the compulsion to fiddle with any particular drawing too much. less focus on perfecting and more focus on iterating.

Once I think I’ve got a good idea of the visuals, I’ll bring it into the computer where I can copy paste and move things around with transform tools in order to come up with a rough layout. My thought process kind of goes like this

I know I want the 1st and 4th panel to hit hard so I prioritize them in the layout and make them break the gutters. the other panels I keep contained and focus on pacing/contrast to tell their story. I think a comic page can generally have only one or two big moments before it becomes cluttered so it’s important for me to establish those first and work around it.

Similar goes for a slightly longer comic.

The process remains pretty much the same. This one is a scene adapted from a videogame cutscene so I’m working from a bit of a script and a bit of the cutscene compositions. I spend a bunch of time at my sketchbook brainstorming and I figure out pretty early on I’ll probably need two pages between the dialogue I want to fit in, the set up of the threat, and the big line drop. I know I want a panel where asch is standing in the middle of the room surrounded by enemies so I do some sketches to test out his silhouette and try to figure out if I want him to be half turned to the camera or fully turned when he says his big line. By the end of it I’m starting to piece together a layout.

Thought process is as follows:

Every piece of art has to be planned around the format through which its consumed and for comics on the internet its either a scroll or a click. I’m posting this comic in two pages so I want to plan for my impact to be made on clicking from one page to the next which spurs me to put the close-up at the head of the 2nd page. Since I want to build tension up to that reveal I consciously decide to make most of the panels on the first page small and obscure stuff like faces so things feel rushed and uncertain. for comics small panel = fast and big panel = slow. in terms of how the reader processes the information. I save the single big panel on the 1st page for the establishing shot of the conflict and add in a panel at the bottom to start the proverbial drum beat for the 2nd pg reveal.

I make the 2nd panel on the 2nd page a big one to let the page turn line ring in the air and also to solidly establish how the perspective of the battle turns when you realize the character’s resolve.

Of course, I didn’t think any of that stuff to myself as I was making it. I think a common misconception I want to dispel is that, contrary to how it appears when people break down comic pages, few artists will explicitly plan out the way your eye is supposed to move across the page. I think more likely is that if you read a lot of comics and you draw a lot of comics you form a visual (non-verbal! often unconscious) understanding of what has impact and what will create tension and which speechbubbles to read first. And putting it to paper is just trial and error coming off of that instinct. Maybe. I don’t know.

Sorry this is really rambly. And I don’t really have any advice... I guess if I had to sum it up... be aware of what you want the reader to focus on, where you want the reader to gasp and where you want them to laugh. what you want the reader to know vs not know. this sort of stuff should inform your decision making the most.

Also don’t take my advice. There’s a lot of people who are way better at this stuff than me. I recommend reading comics you like and studying them! And heres some resources also I guess

- Understanding Comics/Reinventing Comics/Making Comics by Scott Mccloud

I specifically had Making Comics on my shelf (one of my RISD classes forced me to buy it lol) but the others are great too. I think some may look at the Scott Mccloud books and call them basic but that’s just another way to say /fundamental/. They’re great at explaining the bare bones of comics and entertaining to boot so always worth at least a look, I think.

- Framed Ink by Marcos Mateu-Menstre

This book is less about comics and more about general visual storytelling... iirc Mateu-menstre mainly does storyboarding professionaly. But it’s a great overview of the composition of visual storytelling. This guy is also like a perspective extraordinaire.

- Wally Wood’s 22 panels that always work

This is just this one cheat sheet image but it’s worth studying. Wally Wood was a Silver Age american comics artist who made this page with his assistant in part to coach younger Marvel comics artists.

OK IM DONE TALKING :’ ) happy october everyone

[shima-draws]

Thinkin about........Keroro

[makur0]

Day 4 - Dacryphilia [HiMERU x afab! reader]

content warnings — nsfw, mdni. mean! dom! HiMERU, fingering, edging, humiliation?

word count — 414

“Please... please!”

Why was he being so mean... so cruel? Fat droplets ran down your cheeks, uncomfortably gathering along the base of your neck. The fact that HiMERU had cut you down into a whining, pouting mess in such a short amount of time really showed the amount of control he had over you.

While you were pitying yourself, the said male on the other hand was smirking down at you, his golden eyes sparkling with unhinged pride. He hovered over you, one hand next to your head as the other was busy torturing your sex, his long slender fingers shining with your slick. He’s been at it for almost... wow, twenty minutes? Fingering your sorry ass (ahem, cunt) and bringing you close to your orgasm just to stop his movements altogether. At first you just sucked it up and waited until he grew tired, but at this point, this was just hurtful.

“I’wanna- I wanna cum! Please, please~!” More tears dotted your cheeks as you screwed your eyes shut, grinding against his fingers. HiMERU narrowed his eyes, suppressing a small chuckle as he pulled away from you again. Wailing pathetically, you bucked your hips at the lost of friction.

“~Meru...!”

The male clicked his tongue. “Why should HiMERU give you what you want? All he has been doing is that... what’s so wrong about switching up all of a sudden?”

He slapped your pussy, causing you to jerk. “Answer me.”

“N-nothing’s wrong!” you forced out, shaking your head. “Nothing, nothing... c-cum, let me cum please...-!”

He sighed. You really were set on that, for such a broken slut.

HiMERU’s free hand drifted towards your face, tracing your tear stains with his finger. “You know... you really are beautiful like this. HiMERU should do this more often.”

“No! No no no please!” You cried out, grabbing his wrist. “’Meru, I-I can’t- please...mmn!?”

A sudden moan was ripped out of you, and before you knew it, The male had you finally reach your high, his fingers skillfully fucking your dripping sex. A long string of ‘yes’es and ‘thank you’s poured out of your mouth, your frame curling as you indulged in the long-awaited pleasure.

But your moment of glory didn’t last long, because he didn’t seem to slow down. You looked at him with blurry eyes, your mouth gaping.

“HiMERU likes that face,” He chuckled, his face calm despite his hand viciously flying in and out of you. “Do you think he’ll see it again if he makes you come over and over again.”

God... he really was going to be the death of you.

[magicalgirlagency]

If you don't mind, could you talk more about this Daybreak Illusion anime, and why it was bad?

With pleasure.

I might struggle with remembering some bits and pieces about Daybreak Illusion, because despite being born out of Madoka Magica's success, this anime is very very very obscure and easily forgotten.

However, to my luck, a magical girl blogger by the name of @mew-cake (a.k.a.: CakeoftheMews on YouTube) has made a video summarizing and explaining the anime, so y'all can get up to speed on things! She's honestly a lifesaver, 'cause I ain't watching that anime myself for shit!

The video is titled Daybreak Illusion Tripped On Its Face, if anyone's curious.

But, I'll give you my version of the facts...

So, here's the plot's summary:

A young 12yo girl by the name of Taiyou Akari discovers that she has tarot-based powers (she's The Sun card) after her mother's passing. She's later scouted by an organization called Sefiro Fiore, with a team of tarot-based heroes specialized in exterminating wicked beasts by the name of Daemonia.

The thing about Daemonia is that they are innocent civilians who were infected/corrupted/possessed/whatever-the-fuck-happens-to-them-because-the-anime-never-bothered-to-explain-in-rich-detail by evil demons, but they cannot be saved and return back to normal, so the girls have no other choice but to murder these innocents and put them out of their misery.

Akari, our protagonist, is the only girl who can hear the Daemonia's thoughts, listening to their cries of help; which at first it sounds like a solid idea and a catalyst for a huge change in the series... except that this was never brought up again, and every civilian still died anyways.

Y'know, back in the days, we used to throw a Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss on them bastards.

One shot of those, and these corrupted victims were as good as new.

And I don't know much about the ending, but it seems that it ended with everyone dead like the Ugly Barnacle tale, because why not? Why not make everyone's lives even more miserable? As if they weren't content with sexualizing 12yos non-stop.

Yes, it was one of THOSE animes.

The girls' designs look like they came out of a l*licon hentai doujin that you could easily find on those shady websites, one of them is corrupted and transformed into a she-wolf monster going around with their tits and pussy all out in the open (and she was in one-sided/unrequited love with the MC, so I can't help but feel this was yet another demonization of sapphic folk...), and the villain wants to impregnate the 12yo MC and won't fucking shut up about it every single time he's on-screen (oh, and did I mention that the aformentioned villain was heavily implied to be the MC's FATHER?! Hopefully, I don't need to explain to you all why this is gross and totally not legal?!)

So, yeah; this is Daybreak Illusion. A huge waste of time, with fap material for l*licon otakus to relish on, and heavy on the shock value. It's not just bad, it's pure SCUM.

If it serves as any consolation, Magia Record (the game, NOT the anime because we do not talk about it) has a tarot-based magical girl on their ever-growing roster, named Meru Anna, who was a former comrade to Nanami Yachiyo at the Mikazuki Villa.

Unfortunately, she's canonically deceased, as she sacrificed herself in battle to save her friends when her Soul Gem was grimy, and became the Disclosure Witch Etteilla.

Despite the fact that she's dead, her Magical Girl Story reveals that she has become a guardian angel of sorts to Yachiyo, alongside Yukino Kanae, another colleague who perished (mind you, due to Madoka existing as a mortal in MagiReco, the Law Of Cycles is not a thing, so there's not an afterlife for Puella Magi like in the original series).

And, if you're craving something classic, there's CardCaptor Sakura, I guess. I mean, don't get me wrong, this one's the most tame out of the bunch; but there are the gross implications that Sakura and Tomoyo are second cousins, and several references to pedophilia (with Sakura's parents, and an actual teacher/student relationship).

I used to like it as a child, but now that I am more critical of anime, I think it's meh.

Though Tomoyo's fashion sense is still legendary; that's an universally accepted opinion.

[catboyrobin]

i could have made this polycule even bigger, but i decided to spare you all from the horrors of my mind (some small descriptions of their relationships under the cut)

-rinne -> arashi : "shes too pretentious and sucks up to the industry so much. can she stop putting on so much perfume as well? usually im a feminist and all but narukami rubs me the wrong way. sometimes i get jealous seeing her kiss himeru, but its not like i really talk to tojo either." -arashi -> rinne : "i feel bad for kanata and hiyori having to share a room with him... and i dont like seeing him cuddling my tojo chan.... but i have to be nice to him for himeru's sake"

-nikki -> shinobu "cute kiddo! looks like a little dessert. his devotion for mayoi is very obvious, i see why she likes him" -shinobu -> nikki "i wish i could see you explode i get so jealous whenever you smell mayoi. shut up im going to hiss at you"

-tojo -> rinne : "what an admirable person.. he reminds me of myself when i was younger. im very grateful for him taking care of meru for me. i hope he succeeds in life" -meru -> rinne : "i want to punch you and kiss you. you make my feelings a paradox. you are my antithesis, my narrative foil, i despise you because i see myself in you. but i need you because you understand me so deeply in a way that i never even needed to express. you know who i am and im scared of that, but i want to break free. i want you to read my mind and tell me who i am so i dont have to decide for myself. im jealous that you get to spend time with your own little brother, and i cant begin to describe the hurt i feel when you ignore him. i wish i really knew what you were thinking, because on some deep level, i dont want to believe you are cruel to hiiro because of how gently you treat me in private. i hate you for making me want to open up." -rinne -> tojo : "a really chill guy but honestly he makes me feel nervous.. i feel like im talking to meru's dad or something. hes just too nice to me, and its really weird seeing himeru smile, even if it isnt actually meru." -rinne -> meru : "im really worried and concerned about you. i want to know who you really are. i want you to be happy living as your true self. i need to see you enjoying life. i feel responsible for you in a way i cant describe. i want to be happy with you, but on some level you're the same as hiiro- both of you could hate me for eternity, but i would still love you both. at least hiiro is my brother, but to you, im just your unitmate. you could leave me whenever, but you dont, despite your words."

-mayoi -> tatsumi : "we're dear friends, and im so eternally grateful for you, but... you hand-hold me like a child sometimes, and it's infuriating. im sensitive, but im not made of glass. im learning and i want to do things by myself sometimes. but i dont think i could ever truly dislike you... what sort of person am i, thinking such cruel things like that about you? shouldnt i be your lapdog after all that youve done for me? so... why am i so selfish? why do you even care about me? sometimes, i wish you had never met such a person like me... perhaps i bring out the evil within you. would we be one in the same if i fully infected you with my vile nature? maybe then i would be okay with you loving me, because it would be dirty love. -tatsumi -> mayoi : "i would blame myself for forever if anything ever happened to you. i need to protect you, because what if someone hurts you in the same way kaname was hurt? what if i hurt you like i hurt him? my true self is sinful and greedy, but i still want you, even need you. i am selfish in desiring that i am the only one who cares for you, because you need more people in your life than just me, but i know that i would be strangely happy if you only had me. despite my urges, i will always do whats best for you in my eyes. i want to save you from yourself."

[dr-fumbles-mcstupid]

Here is a snippet from my untitled star wars AU for @kakavegeweek I hope there are some other star wars fans in the fandom!

“That’s... not a good sound.” Kakarot ventures.

“No, it isn’t, thanks for stating the obvious,” Vegeta snarks as they both back into each other.

  Kakarot’s tail wraps tighter around his waist. All of the doors except for the center one slam shut and metal clanging comes from deep down the hallway. “Sounds company's coming.”

“What do you say…. Vegeta pulls out both of his lightsabers, a savage grin splits across his face, “ we give them a warm welcome?”. The lightsaber ignites, filling the room with a gentle but powerful humming. Kakarot does the same, taking a defensive stance as they wait for whatever is coming to find them.

Moments later purple lights fills up the hallway, silhouetting a tall lithe figure. Kakarot grips his lightsaber harder, getting ready to attack.

Their foes emerge as a squadron of Magnaguards. Each of them holds a staff with malicious purple electricity crackling at each end.

“I didn’t know they had magnaguards when this temple was active.” Kakarot muses as he sends the first Magnaguard flying back with a pulse of the force

“Who says they did?” Vegeta stabs one and sends it reeling across the hall.“The Jedi like to teach that the Sith are extinct, but there are still Darksiders a plenty in the galaxy. Who's to say they haven't visited this temple? The secrets of the Sith are valuable-” another stab - “That’s why Master Merus sent me here.” Vegeta finishes by twirling his offhand lightsaber in a showy flourish. 

“Well, I guess it doesn't matter when they were left here.” Kakarot’s eyes narrow in focus“Because they won't be operational for much longer.” Kakarot shoots forwards towards the first droid and swings his lightsaber up in a flash of blue. The droid only just manages to block. It brings the staff down towards Kakarot in a valiant attempt at electrifying him. Kakarot moves quickly disengages and flips back out of its range.

“Running away, Kakarot?” Vegeta taunts as he takes on another of the droids. The Magnagaurd swings its pole down in an overhead strike, but Vegeta uses his off-hand blade to redirects it and it slides smoothly down and away from its target. He quickly strikes with his other blade and shoves it right through the droid’s center and with a shower of sparks the Magnaguard stops. Vegeta pulls his saber back out and the droid crumbles to the ground.

‘It’s called a strategic retreat. You might want to do it yourself.” Kakrot suggests cheekily.  He points at the two Magnaguards that are coming in in a pincer movement on either side of Vegeta. The other Jedi curses and uses the force to propel himself into the air and back towards the center of the room

Both men stand back to back as the four remaining droids start to circle them. “I know this isn't your strong suit, Vegeta, but I think we’re gonna have to work together on this one,” Kakarot says as he swings his lightsaber around to a backhanded grip.

[sexysilverstrider]

'shut up youre next and i'm afraid'

MISS FAFAR THAT SOUNDS SO OMINOUS OUT OF CONTEXT

meru literally im preparing myself for whatever hell there is for the next route im laughing now but i never learn lesson

[mrfog5]

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[vasavajit]

💔- A memory that leaves them feeling lonely

Peer into my muse’s memories // accepting

It is the destiny of every male child to be sent off for schooling, so long as they are of a family that can afford it. Among humans it is common for male heirs of royal and noble families to be taken in to a gurukalam so they might learn history, medicine, war and of the Vedas from wise sages. If a family has enough standing with such a sage, or be so lucky as to find an agreeable Brahmin, their child might be allowed to stay in that Brahmin’s own hermitage; or ashram.

No sage that Meghanada knows of, however, would willingly accept a rakshasa into their home - even if he is the son of Lanka’s great and powerful King. Humans tremble in fear at the mention of his people, decry them as cannibals and evil demons meant to twist the hearts of those faithful to the gods. And among the rakshasa of Lanka, no one is quite so learned as his revered father, Ravana.

Still, his father always provides for his family and no one but the best will be fit teachers for the son he commanded from the very heavens themselves. How, exactly, his father had managed to secure his tutelage from the Trimurti themselves Meghanada does not know. He is made aware of it only days before he is meant to leave, alerted to the change in everyday life by the tears in his mother’s eyes and the aura of pride that makes his father’s footsteps lighter than usual.

His head is shaven and he is given the pale orange robes of an ascetic to wear. The last sight he has of Lankapuri is her walls gilded by early morning sunlight and his mother waving goodbye.

It is lonely in its own way, spending those years on Mount Kailash with distant Shiva and motherly Parvati. In Satyaloka, with sagely Brahma and revered Saraswati. Last of all in Vaikuntha on Mount Meru, to learn from serene Vishnu and compassionate Lakshmi. All of them are efficient teachers, but none of them are children - let alone rakshasa children. Chores and lessons, at least, eat up whatever time he has and keeps the worst of longing at bay.

When he is released at last and allowed to go home, the sight of Lankapuri comes as something of a shock. Time is strange between the godly realms and where mortals reside. Years have passed, he knows, but coming home is the first chance he really has to see it for himself.

There are new wings to his father’s palace that had been untouched land or simple garden before he’d left. New faces dot the courts of Lanka, new wives stand dutifully at his revered father’s side when Ravana makes his appearances. He is now a brother several times over, three born to his mother Mandodari and many more from the brides his father has taken from strange new corners of the world.

All the new faces set him on edge and he forgets his new siblings’ names almost as soon as his mother says them. He stays at the banquet his father holds in his honor for longer than he would have managed years ago, but only for politeness’s sake. As soon as he can Meghanada excuses himself to his room and shuts himself away after getting lost twice in what had once been familiar halls.

It leaves him feeling just the littlest bit sick in the pit of his stomach, to be surrounded by things once treasured as reminders of home that now seem to belong to someone else. To feel a little bit left behind by family, still close with one another but now awkward with him.

He spends the night sleepless, throwing himself into prayer instead. In the morning, he tells himself, he will commit this place and these people to memory again.