#so that's why i changed it to be more of a headcanon

[natanielkovack]

hii katsuki x shy reader headcannons maybee??

Omg, Yess!!! Thank you for the request, Qyuin! :3

I'm scared of flies... I'm scared of guys...

Katsuki Bakugo x Shy! Reader headcanons ; gn, fluff, comfort.

Ever since the entrance exam, Bakugo didn't pay much attention to you. It wasn't because he was actively ignoring you, you just didn't really talked or participated.

The first time he realized your existence was in the physical testing with Aizawa. It was just a brief moment, but he tried to learn your quirk to somehow beat you in battle.

To him, you were just another extra in the way, another person he had to beat in order to be the N° #1 hero, so he was surprised by your sudden calm and friendly behavior as days passed by.

Of course, he answered with his usual yelling and cursing, telling you to go away and leave him alone. But you never gave up in trying to know him.

Bakugo would secretly keep every detail you give him. At first he would do this with everyone, but as his closet grew full of things he got rid of almost everything... Still, he couldn't get rid of what you gave him.

He would look at you with annoyance when you miss his Monday doodles, silently handing you his notebook for you to draw something small.

At first it feels like a one sided thing... Until you notice how he gives you the bigger portions of the food he cooks for the class, the juiciest parts and the sweetest servings of those cakes Sato bakes.

He knows you're shy, it used to annoy him so much. You would always take so long with talking while handing him something, but now he finds himself looking forward to those clumsy speeches you give.

He's really understanding, but he also understands that you have potential and a lot of it. In class he would tell you to rise your hand when you know the answer, taking your wrist in his hand and raising it for you. It feels like a mini heart attack, but that satisfactory feeling that you answered correctly is so relieving.

He will always follow those with an "I told you so" and a grin before looking back.

Everyone noticed his change in behavior, how he grew sweeter with you. He even knew what you wanted without you even talking... Everyone knew except Bakugo himself and that made everyone so angry at him.

That man is so oblivious to his own feelings.

You can't really tell when your "nervous because of people" turned into "nervous because of Bakugo". Your heart beats faster, you want to be so close to him, you start drawing more hearts and writing sweeter words and oh it makes Bakugo so... Happy?

He thinks that you've somehow infected him with your shyness or something because why else would he blush and feel so warm when you're close? He sees you running away more often, now the letters and drawings just appear in his backpack and he feels his heart missing a beat everytime he sees it.

It takes a few hangouts with the bakusquad before Mina snaps and hits the back of his head, saying "You're more annoying than ever! Can't you see that you like them? Like, you blush and all! Everyone knows! Get a grip!" And he seems to contemplate his whole life while everyone laughs, is that what that was?

He tries talking to you once... Twice... The third time he starts getting angry and there's no fourth time because he decides to do it your way.

His writing is honestly so lovely, a drawing at the end with a heart saying everything he feels. From how he hated you for being like a scared mouse to how he wanted to protect you.

He didn't knew how to look at you the next few days, his eyes darting from you to any other space he could.

When he grows the courage to ask you out you feel like fainting, because why is Thee Bakugo Katsuki asking you out? But you're with him holding hands while walking in the blink of an eye.

He's so sweet and knows when to stop his borderline cruel jokes and comfort you, never judging when you feel so much anxiety for things that are common for others.

He doesn't care that you go speechless when he holds you while watching TV on the common room's couch, it is nice and even you know you'll get used to it... Right?

He cooks for you constantly, he thinks is only fair to give back all you've given him that way.

At first he takes his hand away from yours because of how insecure he is of his sweat, but you just slowly search for his fingers to intertwine yours and the world stops around him.

You slowly grow more comfortable, being more vocal with him about your thoughts and even rambling about nothings. He doesn't ever complain, getting to listen to your voice is such a privilege that he doesn't ever wanna risk losing.

He's so proud to see you growing, working with your shyness instead of against of it, your charm never lost and you're so kind, he could never get tired to see you interacting with the world.

Bakugo makes fun of you from time to time, Joe red you get when he's too close and how your voice lowers when he teases you, you're just too cute, can you blame him?

But he would never be cruel to you, he likes to comfort you. Both of you laying on his bed and hugging, something he would never admit but he loves.

He just loves being around you, you're polar opposites and he can calm down around you while you get more talkative with him.

You're shy, not quiet, at least not around him. And he has learned to be a lot calmer when he's with you, the way his heart beats like crazy balances out that need for constant stress.

A/N: I hope I did good TwT I've read a lot abt Bakugo but I still feel like he's ooc, he's actually really complex! Thanks for requesting, this was so much fun!! (^з^)

Hey! Natan here! ; wanna read more about Bakugo? ; check out my masterlist.

[angelesca]

d d d d dddd d DATING ANAXA HEADCANONS 🗣️🗣️🗣️ bc im proper insane, bonkers even (oh blimey she escaped the asylum again)

full art plug here😎

did i draw this and imagine a million scenarios during it? yes. yes idid. this post is the result. btw havent played 3.1 so here are my wrong headcanons (more mischaracterisation? love that) (w/ gnreader as usual!) bc i love my men bratty and smart. WARNING!! i broke my sfw rules for anaxa LMAOOO💔💔mix of sfw + NSFW ahead guys look OUT ITS NOT A DRILL THIS IS HAPPENING AAAAA😭🙏

starting off strong. i ant hold it in anymore ANAXA'S EROGENOUS ZONE IS UNDER HIS EYEPATCH🗣️🗣️🗣️ I HAVE SPOKEN MY TRUTH‼️THIS IS WHAT MADE ME QUESTION MY SFW STATUS I CAN FINALLY RELEASEMY DEMONS

i imagine he lowkey loves it when you have your finger under his eyepatch and. penetrate it. into his cosmos space thingy. and like he breathes really heavy, flushed cheeks, some tears, def some stifled moaning, and will hold your wrist to nudge your finger further in. basically bro is getting off to it. will clean your finger with his tongue after the session, but you have to help him walk around since his legs are deffo jelly after that DO YOU GUYS SEE WHAT IM SEEING PLEEEEASEEE SOMEONE WRITE THIS DONT MAMKE ME DO ITTT😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏

EDIT: ANAXA HAS A "G-SPOT"/PROSTATE IN HIS SPACE CHEST🗣🗣🗣

WILL TAKE OFF HIS RINGS AND PUT IT ON YOUR FINGERS RAAAAAAAAAAH and he def teases you by sliding it on your ring finger, gauging your reaction as he smirks (that sly sod omggg)

"hmm, this finger looks a little lonely... i could change that."

interlaces his hand with yours to stretch it, like a massage. knows all the pressure points to help de-stress you

uses his wind powers to do fun magic tricks and play with you like imagine he only has to flick his finger and the wind pulls you closer to him HUUUUUUUUUUU SICKCCKKKK. will also blow a calm, soft breeze if you need to relax and take your mind off things.

literally gets a kick off of flustering you (it's his love language) every time you ask him why his response is: "so? don't like it?" mans not embarassed💔

if you have any texting habits, like sending cute stickers or kaomojis, anaxa will copy it bc he thinks its cute and amusing. always replying to your messages, although the same can't be said with the chrysos heirs who nag at him for ignoring theirs

anaxa: where are you? i've been waiting for ages ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴ you: ??? that's my kaomoji??? anaxa: ours now anaxa: (҂` ﾛ ´)︻デ═一 you: ＼(º □ º l|l)/

idk why i feel this so strongly but anaxa just does many smaller kisses, like pecks to the cheek. kinda playful, fleeting but always returning. i also feel like he's a neck kinda guy, always brushing his fingers along it or placing kisses. will secure you in place with a hug just to kiss the nape.

even though you two are together, anaxa will still give you stinky side eyes. loves to hear your gossip for sure, he doesn't say it but he loves chatting shit about others. will be the quietest ever when you have juicy stories.

will flame anyone who has made you upset to bits and pieces. bro's mouth is like a machine gun

likes to tilt your chin, moving it so you face him whenever he wants your attention.

he likes it when you take control, that brat taming typa shiii brooo00 he likes it when you rough him up, always a cheeky grin on his face. prods you as well, like "is that it?", "c'mon, harder my love..."

loves when you give him hickeys, or any markings like scratches. its like staking your claim on him and he fw with that😎

one sure way to get him flustered is straight up telling him "i love you". it forces him to confront his feelings head on and anaxa can't deal with that. will lightly flick your forehead, or anything to stop you from staring at his reddened face.

a/n: so. this is what happens whne im menstruating. how we feeling guys. it was jsut a few very insane headcanons tbh, the rest were fine, bit of an overreaction looool this is tame in comparison to my ao3 works. my god i need my daily cuppa where is it. this reminds me of when i was a wee teenager and experienced akechi from p5 for the first time. changed my trajectory fr. thanks akechi goro u saved ruined me

[kalpeavaris]

Solver Marks - a MD headcanon

I think some peeps have seen it before on my art, but I absolutely love adding arrow markings on some of my OCs and even fan-interpretations of canon characters, and I really wanna share this headcanon with other peeps!

I've seen similar concepts/markings before and it's such a cool design aspect that I wanna spread it some more (pun intended)! :]

-

What are Solver Marks exactly? Solver Marks, or Solver Arrows, are a visual representation of a Solver infection in Drones. While a host or user (non-host) already have some visual differences indicating their status as infected, such as wings, tail, the emblem for the eye and/or eyes & LEDs changing to yellow during hosting the AS, the marks/arrows stick around as a semi-permanent sign of an infection. Similar to a scar or stretchmark these markings never fully fade, even if the Solver is exorcised from a Drone's OS, and they can appear at random all over its User's body.

-

Do these marks have any special abilities? By themselves, the marks don't have special abilities that enhance or strenghten a user's Solver abilities, but they do have some traits, such as 1.) Glowing when in use (usually the marking itself glows white, while the surrounding sheen corresponds to the LED color(s) of a Drone). 2.) Growing/branching off in number corresponding to the user's strenght / ability usage. Some of these branched arrows may fade/disappear fully again after the Solver powers stop being used, but the main markings won't fade out.

-

What do they look like? Solver Marks come in many varities and can appear anywhere on the body, though some of the placements may correspond to certain traits in the host/user. Placements such as the upper body, arms & legs are quite common, while facial marks or those on the back are less common and can range into "rare" territory.

The markings often "snake" around limbs such as the arms and legs, creating spirals and bands on these limbs. Inactive marks appear in a dark color, but can also be lighter - but they're never too light as to vanish against the drone's body colors. Marks on dark/black areas however will turn white when inactive, so they're always visible in most cases. Some marks may also be fully colored corresponding to the Drone's LED color, though these cases aren't that common.

Solver Marks are always in resemblance of arrows, but their shape is never 100% the same and differs slightly from Drone to Drone due to it's organic nature. They're sort of like tattoos and therefore aren't 100% similar, even if their code appears the same when viewed.

-

How does the "rarity" system work? Usually the amount & placement of markings and why they're "common" or "rare" has to do with both the age of the drone and the amount of time they had their powers/infection, as well as the general strenght of their infection. Not every solver-infected Drone has the same or similar power level.

A freshly infected drone may have none to very little markings which usually show up on the upper body or arm/hands, while drones who'd been infected for much longer (e.g 5-10 years and above) are often times in possession of quite a lot of markings that extend into the facial & back area.

Children of solver-infected drones who inherit the Solver code may also already have a certain amount of markings when their OS gets transitioned to their final body, with some rare cases already having these markings in the UNN form (pill babys). Placements may also be inherited from the infected parent(s).

One of the rarest placements is the black visor part, where the code for these markings glitches and has the visor display an LED marking next to the eyes. This happens when the Solver code executing these physical changes misjudges the placement, gets "confused" and adapts (mutates) the code into working as LED generated symbol, similar to the eyes.

The code for the Solver Marks is very unique in nature as in: It mutates & learns, in order to not trigger the anti-virus of the Drone's OS and possibly get interferred with. Solver Marks play a vital role in the Solver infection in this headcanon, so if the marking code gets messed up by the anti-virus the Solver Infection might become incredibly unstable and cause issues over time.

-

Can these markings become dangerous to the affected drone? Usually, the markings do not cause any damage or discomfort to the affected drone, though rare cases may occur in which the markings cause pain due to either a corrupted piece of coding or general issues with controlling the Solver infection itself. Sometimes the markings will cause physical harm due to these corrupted pieces, causing them to actually turn into scarring and causing injuries, which can be healed though if the corrupted piece of code is either removed from the Drone's OS or the Solver itself corrects the mistake (depending on the Drone's power level).

Since the markings are semi-sentient and can move / evolve on their own, their goal is not to cause harm or mutate, but rather to preserve the Solver infection and making it harder to be removed from a Drone's OS since the code for the marks also stores backups for the Solver itself, causing it to regenerate if these bits of backups aren't removed alongside the OG Solver code itself.

[breathinginsulfur]

Hey guys, i know this rant is long enough but i wanna add some more.

Really trying to understand why stolas is genuinely despised, and it’s hard for me to understand. But I think i have something, and it may potentially be a hot take but these days even liking the show is a hot take /hj

I think (SOME) people, not all, just genuinely have a hard time believing that men can be victims of abuse. Especially if the abuser is a woman. Because yes, it is true that most domestic abusers are men, and men are more capable of getting away with abuse, but you cannot act like this is the only way it happens.

Stolas is an abuse victim. His father was emotionally unavailable and barely even remembered anything about Stolas. To Paimon, Stolas is just another one of his spawn. Nothing more.

While we are still lacking on Stella’s background (which we desperately need), what we know is that she never loved Stolas, the same way Stolas never loved her. they were never in love. They had one reason for their (forced) marriage. To birth a new heir. That’s it.

We can assume that they never got along. Judging by their personalities, Stolas is not an assertive person. He’s nervous, but intelligent, and passionate about his powers and interests. He did not at all try to overpower or dominate blitzo as a kid, despite being royalty. We saw him bow down to blitzo, to which Paimon got angry at. Stolas does not look down on people, he looks down on himself.

Based on the photo of Stella Paimon showed to Stolas, she seemed to be a more aggressive child, making it likely that she was also not parented properly. By this we can also assume that she took the more dominant role, taking advantage of Stolas’s anxiousness and taking control in relationship.

In photos she took with Via and Stolas, she looks like she doesn’t want to be there. She doesn’t appear to have any true care for Via. In Loo Loo Land, when Via calls for both of them, Stella refuses to acknowledge her, grumpily telling Stolas to deal with it. Again, i really, really hope they give us more background about her, because it will most likely make it so much easier for people to understand why Stolas is not the bad guy. One of my biggest issues with this show is the lack of background for the women in the show. But i trust that we will get it soon.

I believe Stella only truly cares for the title of being a Goetia. She doesn’t care about her daughter or her now ex-husband, she only wants the richness and glory of being a goetic demon. THIS is why she did not divorce Stolas. When she found out he cheated, did she appear personally, emotionally hurt? She was pissed off yes, but how she reacts is so important.

“I can’t believe you slept with an IMP.”

“You are a god damn EMBARRASSMENT”.

She never once tells Stolas that she feels betrayed, that she thought he loved her, etc. she only cares about the fact that Stolas disrespected the Goetia family name by sleeping with a lower class demon. The themes of hierarchy in this show are so important to the story.

Stolas and Stella hated each other. She constantly talked shit about him, and he just felt empty inside. Blitzo changed that for him. Stolas NEVER forced himself onto Blizo. I have genuinely seen people call Stolas a sex offender. I don’t know how you get it that wrong. He made a joke, saying “you’re here to rravish me aren’t you?” And then that’s it. He did not force Blitzo to have sex. Blitzo is the one who chose to seduce him. Once Stolas realized Blitz was doing that, he got shy and nervous once again. Then the two did their thing and that’s the start of the main plot.

For some reason, people headcanoning Stolas as autistic is controversial, even if autistic people do it. As an autistic person, i can definitely see autistic traits in Stolas whether intentional or not. The same way I see BPD symptoms in Blitzo as someone who is borderline. There is no harm in headcanoning a character as autistic, y’all just hate Stolas. And probably won’t listen to me.

I get that this show is popular to hate right now. I miss when it wasn’t. Hopefully some day they all just leave us alone😭

(Opinion) stolas hate is based on fandom misinterpretations and not the actual show because when the fuck does he act like a “baby”??

Stolas is probably the most over-hated character in all of helluva boss. And some of the downright incorrect statements i’ve seen about stolitz drive me insane

Despite his childhood abuse, neglect and forced marriage, stolas has always been privileged. He’s set for life with wealth, has butlers and staff who feed him and care for him, and can freely travel through the human realm with no legal issues. Obviously, he’s going to have a skewed perspective on life.

Because of his forced marriage and parental neglect, stolas has never really known what love is meant to be. His father didn’t know his name because he’s a king who has a shit ton of children. Stella never loved him, and he never loved stella. They were only married to have an heir. Stolas has an over-dramatized and romanticized interpretation of love, which i think is where the ��baby’ misinterpretation roots from. Blitzo didn’t want to fuck him, all he wanted was the grimoire. But stolas didn’t realize this and genuinely believed that his first ever friend was the one who wanted him the most. Can you see how this would fuel his romantic dreams further?

Stolas, to me, was always in love with blitzo. And (hot take incoming) did not look down on him. “But charlie, what about when he said ___?” We can go through all the quotes that supposedly look down on blitzo and i can give my reasoning as to why i dont think he sees him as lesser. Stolas has grown up with imps his whole life (butlers), and it can be argued that these staff had a closer connection to him than his own family. He’s taught to view imps as lesser, as in the hierarchy they literally are, but stolas has no issue with interacting with imps and, of course, letting an imp have intercourse with him. If stolas truly looked down on imps the way people act like he does, he’d interact with blitzo in a COMPLETELY different way. As in, he wouldn’t even treat blitzo like a human. Stolas loves blitzo so much he want to be his partner.

I will say, Hierarchy is a major theme in helluva boss with several callouts to how the ones who are higher up mistreat the lower class. Just look at mastermind. Satan doesn’t let blitzo speak. But andrealphus is allowed to talk as long as he wants. Blitzo would’ve been killed for using the grimoire, but stolas just gets a punishment. Because verbatim “your life has actual value!” It’s such an interesting theme that does not nearly get as much praise as it deserves

Another huge misinterpretation with helluva boss i see is that people think the show is trying to normalize cheating. And i’ll be honest, i can kind of see how this misinterpretation happens. As much as i adore this show, there are some writing flaws.

In my opinion, helluva boss is not trying to encourage cheating on your partners. It’s trying to show you that it’s okay to leave your abusive relationships to better your life. I may talk about this a different time because this post is mainly about stolas but god i love analyzing this show so much i just go on so many tangents.

Of course, stolas’ love for blitzo pisses of Stella. Not because stella actually loves stolas, but because she is proud to be a goetia and wants to uphold her royal, priviliged status and sees stolas as an insult to the goetic line. Her and Andrealphus’s motivation is to uphold goetia standards no matter how corrupt they truly are. They’re rich people. THEY are the ones who see imps as lesser.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE I CAN GO INTO. How this affects Octavia and why she is justifiably upset at stolas, blitzo’s perspective, themes of the show, etc. if you wanna see my takes on these things LMK!!! I love this show dearly

If you want to counter my interpretation you’re welcome to do so, however please only do it if you’re wanting to do an actual discussion and not just trying to be rude. Some of y’all are so fucking rude to the people who like the show it’s crazy. Just be respectful and i’ll talk to you.

[click4rainy]

Could you do NSFW headcanons of Shang Tsung please?

Sassy Sorcerer//Shang Tsung Boyfriend HeadCanons

👽:I gotchu pookie bear. teehee 🫶🏼

✅:Proof Read

🖇️:Shang Tsung x Reader

⚠️:NSFW/AFAB!Reader/Mentions of fucking a sassy ass man

SFW 👉🏼👈🏼

★ He’ll never admit it outright, but he’s utterly enchanted with you. He’s used to manipulating others for his benefit, but with you? He uses that silver coated tongue of his for sweet, whispered praises and slow, teasing declarations of devotion.

★ “You think I only speak sweet words to sway you? No, my love….I speak them because every syllable is true. And if you doubt me, allow me to prove it— again and again.”

★ He never openly displays jealousy (or at least he thinks he doesn’t….) but the millisecond somebody’s eyes linger on you for too long, he gets subtly possessive, his hand on your lower back and keeping you close.

★ “I do hate it when people forget their place….shall I remind them?” “They do know you belong to me, don’t they?” “Come love, overeager eyes irk me.”

★ This man absolutely loves to tease you. Mercilessly. Your reactions always amuse him, especially when he gets you all flustered and stammering. Or even if you try to fire back, he revels in it. Always having one up over you.

★ “Oh, why so shy suddenly? We both know there’s no need for that, precious.” “Mmh, witty today, aren’t we?” “Don’t be coy, pet.” “I do love it when you’re angry, it’s quite cute.”

★ A slow graze against your spine, fingertips lightly tracing your pulse, a “casual” brush of his lips near your ear, just remember every touch from your lover is always calculated and intentional.

★ “Every inch of you fascinates me. It’s only natural I indulge in my….curiosities.” He’ll murmur, ghosting his fingers over your collarbone, looking at you with something akin to admiration.

★ I’m gonna say he enjoys watching you sleep. (Not in a creepy way of course! Unless…?) but seriously, there’s just something about the way you look so peaceful. A softness to you that seems to warm his cold heart. It’s a rare moment of genuine affection with a man of his caliber.

★ Softly chuckling as he brushes a lock a hair from your face (or just cupping your cheek lightly) he whispers, “So vulnerable….yet the power you have over me is everything, but.”

★ Shang Tsung loves gift giving—and all of his presents are nothing short of extravagant and mysterious—surprising you with trinkets and artifacts that always seem….otherworldly. When you ask where he gets said gifts, he merely smirks.

★ “Does it really matter where it came from, love? It belongs to you now. And nothing in this realm—nor any other—will change that.”

★ He’s actually an amazing listener despite his self absorbed attitude. Shang values your thoughts, and you intellectually stimulate him. He enjoys conversations where you challenge him, even if he’ll never admit fully when you’ve bested him. “Ah, you truly believe that, do you? Then convince me. I do so enjoy watching you argue with such fire in your eyes.”

★ You two definitely have matching, over the top, lavish robes for spa time. Because Shang Tsung insists on a bi weekly spa time with you. Cucumber eyes, mud baths, green stuff on the face—the whole thing, on top of regular mani/pedis. (Material gworl!!!) he’s just that guy, you know?

★ Finds your defiance extremely attractive. You could be spitting venom into his face until you’re red in your own, challenge his every word, and he would only find himself more obsessed.

★ “Tsk tsk, such spite coming from those sweet lips. You defy me because you’re dissatisfied? Or maybe it’s what comes after, that you’re craving, hmm?”

NSFW 🗿🙈

★ This man is obviously into ownership. You’re his, just as he is yours. Though you’re the one who’s on your knees before him, eager to please more than half the time.

★ “So obedient, you must be wanting some sort of reward,” He coos, cupping your face before tangling your hair around his fingers (or gripping your collar because he’s most definitely into collaring you), pulling your head back to look at him.

★ Shang Tsung is an extremely meticulous man, very passionate when it comes to bringing you pleasure beyond your own comprehension. Toys, his fingers, tongue, dick. Whatever he’s using he knows exactly how to. In fact, he probably knows your body better than you do at this point.

★ “You like this, love?” He’ll grunt out, angling his hips to drive his cock into that sweet spot even deeper than before, making your head fall back as you moan out his name, clawing at his shoulders and back. “And this?” He asks, feigning innocence while drilling into you with more force, hands gripping your hips, sinking his fingertips into the soft skin.

★ Loves overstimulating you to the brink of tears. Using a bullet vibe against your clit with your arms bound behind your back, sat at the edge of the bed, Shang Tsung kicking your feet apart, opening your legs for him, forcing you to take the buzzing sensation, the numbing—tingling—hot feeling builds up, coiling tightly at the pit of your stomach.

★ “Please—I can’t take anymore!” You huff out, but Shang Tsung simply hums in delight, sliding down to his knees as he bumps up the intensity of the bullet, watching you squirm and writhe in his hands, he looks up at you through his lashes, those devious eyes glinting in the dim lighting of your bedroom.

★ “I assure you, darling, you can.” He presses a small peck to your inner thigh, keeping your legs spread for him as he peppers more kisses along your skin.

★ Shang Tsung is a man who gains pleasure from having power and control over others. But especially when he has power over you in bed. Pinning your hands above your head, hiking a knee over his shoulder, shoving your face into the sheets—his actions are usually dominant. (Though pookie is for sure a switch—like he don’t mind getting fucked—but he’s still in charge either way. You know?)

★ “Don’t think for even a moment you have the upper hannnh~” he sputters with his hands tied above him as you grind on top of him, stirring his cock around your insides with a coy little smile. “Of course not, Master”

★ Luxurious BDSM, and by that we mean he fancies extravagant sex swings, bounding you in the finest of silks and fabrics. (No rope burn here—he likes to keep his treasure in pristine condition.) get used to mulberry silk blindfolds. A new color and design for every encounter because a special occasion such as making love with you deserves an equally lovely gift.

★ Breeding Kink. He likes to claim what’s his, and what’s the most personal, intimate, invasive way to do so? To fill you up with his cum until you’re the perfect cream filled dessert, of course.

★ it’s just—the thought of you being filled by him and only him? The idea of planting his seed into your garden? Makes him more than reel. It makes him insatiable. Not that you mind. “That’s it, love, you’ll be sure to take nicely…”

★ Pulling out to just the tip, teasing your clit just before he slams right back into you, hilting with an audible grunt—over and over again and again—until you’re a fucked out mess, thighs quivering and dripping with his essence.

★ “Take nicely…and take all of it, pet.” He warns seductively, scooping whatever dared spill from between your thighs back inside, adding a third finger for good measure, pushing into you deeper, with slowed, controlled movements, making your back arch as you clench around the invasive digits.

★ He may be a selfish man, but once he fucks you up and down the block, he’s always sure you’re comfortable after the fact. Clean sheets, pillows, fresh pajamas, a tray of elegant finger foods displayed before you with your favorite drink in arms reach.

★ “I do not say this lightly, but you have undoubtedly become my greatest weakness…” He’ll croon with a soft smile, caressing your jawline before brushing your hair and putting it in a protective style. (Or he’ll simply give you a scalp massage) praising you on how well you took him as he presses soft kisses to the top of your head, cradling you against his chest.

[entries-byemambo]

The LIs Going to the Nail Salon: A Headcanon

So after talking with my best friend @space-of-sk in our private thread on Discord cause our friends know we're crazy for this game, I was sitting at my salon today and thinking about how each LI would conduct themselves if they spent time at my salon. All they're asking for is a manicure and it ends up being my turn to service them. I don't know them nor do I know where they're from in terms of existing in a video game. This is for shits and giggles because being a nail tech is my day job that I consider a side hustle (because I'm actually an illustrator/artist!)

Xavier

First off, he would be in awe of how our salon is decorated. My manager decorates our space based on the passing seasons (since Valentine's is over, we're moving onto St. Patrick's Day!), so he'll definitely point that out to me. My manager is using green star shaped balloons for the decor so he'll definitely get a kick out of that just like I do, they're so cute and plump.

Because our salon is pretty big, calling for our clients when it's their turn can be a nightmare sometimes, and luckily for me, I'm calling his name multiple times because he is literally dozing off in the front lobby despite all the noise. When I finally get his attention, he's having a hard time understanding my directions to get to my station towards the back of the salon, so I'm gesturing him to just GET over here please because now everyone's staring at how awkward our interaction is.

I first gauge that he might not want to talk too much during the service since he's spending so much of that time looking around and being intrigued by all the stimuli going on (the machines, the pedicure stations, the clients chatting up a storm, did someone say they want a mimosa?), but after a few minutes, I ask him the basic questions: have you been here before? is this your first manicure? are you enjoying the session so far? what do you do for work?

Once this man starts going on and on and on about all the various side quests he has, I start trying to recognize the pattern (thank you ADHD) and while not being able to find one, I interrogate him about why he has so many job experiences despite being so young. But once I realized that it is inappropriate to ask someone that out of the blue at the drop of the hat, I change the conversation by asking him if he plans on eating anything after our session is over. Which is how I learned that he burned breakfast earlier and opted for hot pot for the fifth time that week.

Zayne

Although he works overtime at a hospital, I feel like people underestimate the stimuli in my salon: the volume, the smell of the various chemicals, the chatter, it's ultimately very overwhelming for many people (just from me asking clients for the many years I've been working at this place). I think he would first try to block out as much of the noise by listening to his own music, which after getting his attention and working on his nails in the meantime, we can both listen to our own music at our own leisure.

However, I notice just how incredibly stiff this man is while I'm working on his service, which is common amongst many of my clients who work in these very strenuous occupations (medical, corporate, etc.). The concept of "relaxing" is simply out of their grasp so I know that I have to gentle parent them into relaxing as much as they can, especially because so many of them don't even realize that they're doing it in the first place.

Once I'm able to get Zayne's attention by softly tapping his hands, at first, he'll tense up even more out of confusion, but after informing him about relaxing in a playful manner, he realizes what he's doing and eventually releases his tension. After attempting to make small talk and hope that I can make him more comfortable by distracting him through conversation, I learn about his cardiac surgeon experience, while gives him an avenue to yap about his medical experience. I also take this opportunity to ask him questions I have about the medical practice, which helps him further relax in an unfamiliar space.

Rafayel

First off, having someone so luxurious at my salon would intimidate me right away because why are you here in my presence? I feel honored, not gonna lie. And immediately take him in for the service. He would definitely ask me about my tools and what they're all used for, since I have experience of many male clients who ask such questions to familiarize themselves with the foreign environment they're in. After asking him what he does for a living, I immediately tell him about also being an artist, which becomes our main point of interest during the session.

What kind of materials do you use for your painting? Have you tackled digital art before? I'm also traditionally trained and became an artist ever since I was young. I also enjoy nature as my muse and main subject, but I haven't tackled ocean or water before in my work. How did you discover the ocean and aquatic life to be your main focus? Oh, you're from an area close to the ocean? That's really cool!

And with a little nudge, he asks me if I do designs on nails (quick answer: yes, but not all the crazy stuff and not every single time I come to work because it's very tedious!) After asking him if he wanted to do his nails today, with an excited nod, I smile and open my Pinterest app so we can get started on what he'd like on his nails. We went with some chrome line art with a more cool toned color palette consisting of blues and purple. This man ends up skipping to his car in the parking lot after paying and bidding me goodbye.

Sylus

Again, why is such a luxurious man doing here in my salon and I'm honored but scared? After he puts his coat on the back of his chair and tries to sit comfortably, our legs are definitely bumping each other under the table because of how tall this man is. It sounds cute but no, it actually sends chills down my spine because holy shit I'm so sorry, I'm not trying to play footsies with you. And then I'm tense as fuck trying to keep myself from touching him unnecessarily.

He definitely picks up on my tension and actually starts the conversation first, asking me how long I've been working here and if I'm from the area. After realizing that he's just trying to make me more comfortable, I start to ease up and answer his questions, asking him if he's from the area and what he does for a living.

This man sells fruit? Well ok then LOL. I'm thinking in my head because with that face card? Please. Keeping myself from trying to make corny jokes, I keep myself from asking further about his job, moving on to asking if he has any hobbies he engages with in his free time. When I heard that he's a collector, we then talk about music and the like. Realizing that this man is not only charming, but sassy without even trying amuses me, and allows me to finish his service with no issues. AND THIS MAN TIPPED ME $200 DOLLARS ON A $37 TAB??? I THOUGHT YOU SELL FRUIT?

Caleb

He to me, would be the most amusing and fun to work with. Not only does it seem like he knows his way around the salon, but he immediately starts a conversation a few minutes after we sit down and start the process. I have no problem answering any of his curious questions, since he's asking from a genuine place. I then learn that he has a female friend that grew up alongside him as a family member, always smiling while talking about her when he talks about the past.

After some moments, I'm getting suspicious and ask him if he likes her at all. Noticing how his ears got red and he's trying to change the subject because I asked straight liquor, no chaser, I immediately shut up while scolding myself because why you being so vô duyên (iykyk). But then my ears immediately perk up to "it's that obvious, huh?"

HELL YEAH BOY. And then I immediately start doing what I do best: this man spills everything about how much he likes this girl and how much she means to him. To which I'm just there like "ASK HER OUT, YOU DOOFUS?" Of course, there he goes again worried about ruining the relationship they currently have and not wanting to cross boundaries. Or that's what I thought until he shows me a picture of them at his graduation with her kissing him on the cheek like ok girl...(endearingly cause go get your girl)

[harperskele]

Ancients and Beasts Accent Headcanons

While everyone already has voiced lines, that doesn't matter to me because I play without voices on. So I get to make my own rules! Muahahaha!!

First off, I need to establish those whose voices won't change. Dark Cacao, Pure Vanilla, and Shadow Milk are perfect as they are. Could listen to them do ASMR all day.

White Lily Cookie deserves a little bit of a Scottish accent. As a treat. I could not tell you why it makes sense to me, but it does. Just a slight one. It gets heavier as she gets more upset.

You can pry Italian Hollyberry out of my cold, dead hands. She reminds me of my (extremely Italian) aunties. Plus, her April Fool's sprite was a Renaissance-style painting.

Since Golden Cheese is meant to resemble Egyptian styles, I feel that an Arabic accent would suit her very well. That being said, an overly snooty Transatlantic accent would be funny, too.

Burning Spice is Russian. Next question.

Edit: I was wrong! Burning Spice has an Indian accent.

Let me know what y'all think, or if you disagree! I'm curious!

[backtothedrawingboard]

Tadc Cast Tk Headcanons

Here's some headcanons related to a request by @girlyc0ww :D

~~~~~~~~~~

Caine

Lee:

•Wasn't originally ticklish. He learned about it when Jax tried and failed to tickle him.

•After that, he gave himself the ability to be ticklish out of curiousity and now loves it.

•He thinks it's the perfect way to laugh when he's feeling down and will seek it out.

•Very loud laugh. It's one of the only times his announcer persona disappears and his real laugh appears. It's surprisingly high pitch.

•Definitely a squirmer. He'll flail and wriggle everywhere.

•Sometimes he'll pop out of existence.

•His worst spots are his armpits and hips, but he's pretty ticklish everywhere. Surprisingly, his feet are not ticklish.

•About a 7/10 on the ticklish scale.

•Loves aftercare. He doesn't really understand it, but he'll never pass down an opportunity for hugs.

Ler:

•Unintentionally mean.

•He used to tease without realizing it and was confused why his lee got all blushy. Now that he understands it, he overdoes it like CRAZY.

•He will reduce even the toughest lee to a flustered mess.

•Often pretends he doesn't know why the lee is laughing. "You must think my jokes are hilarious!"

•Surprisingly good at aftercare. He gives lots of head pats and hugs.

Pomni

I already have some that you can find here! But here's some more just for kicks!

Lee:

•It takes a while for her to be comfortable enough to let someone tickle her, but she will eventually allow it.

•She sometimes snorts, which causes her to go red and cover her mouth.

•She absolutely will not let Jax touch her. She doesn't like him or trust him. He gets slapped every time he tries.

•She's the only one (besides Zooble lol) that effectively makes him go away when he tries.

Ler:

•She figures out exactly what makes the lee squeal. Whether it's rough clawing or light skittering, she'll find out.

•Since her arms can stretch out, any squirming away won't be effective to escape cause she can keep holding on while scooting closer again.

•If she blows raspberries, she'll go so long her face changes colors.

Gangle

Lee:

•Not super ticklish because it's hard to actually tickle her.

•If you do manage to tickle her, go for her sides. Or what would be her sides. It's the easiest to grab.

•She's a squirmer. And since she's made of ribbon, she can escape easily.

•She doesn't really have a worst spot. She's equally ticklish pretty much everywhere but her arms.

•About a 4/10 on the ticklish scale just because it's so hard to get her.

•Easily flustered but pretty much anything.

•She usually doesn't mind tickling unless Jax is targeting her. She will try to escape no matter who it is, though.

•She enjoys aftercare if it's anyone but Jax. She's sometimes on the fence about it with Ragatha, too. But otherwise, she enjoys chin rubs.

Ler:

•Pretty shy if she's starting it.

•She doesn't usually start anything unless someone provokes her.

•She will get you if you start it, though.

•She isn't good at rough tickling since she's just ribbons. But if soft gets you, good luck.

•She doesn't tease much because it just flusters her.

•Good at aftercare. She'll hold the lee close.

Ragatha

Lee:

•Since she's a doll, she's squishy and easy to grab.

•Very ticklish and will kick you.

•She doesn't like it but will tolerate it if it will make you happy.

•Worst spots are her sides and belly.

•About a 8/10 on the ticklish scale.

•Teasing doesn't work well on her. It just pisses her off.

•She does enjoy aftercare. She'll just flop limply on the ler's lap and accept any affection from them.

Ler:

•Mean.

•So mean.

•She might not like it for herself, but she's a real tickle monster on the others if she wants to make them laugh.

•Pretty teasy. Not as much as Caine or Jax, but still mean.

•She'll do fake-outs just to make the lee squeal.

•Lots of "Coochicoochicoooo!"

•She might be mean, but she does want the lee to have fun and will ease off if they don't like it or are in distress.

•GREAT at aftercare. Lots of cuddles, and she's a plush doll so she's very comfy to lean on.

Kinger

Lee:

•Not ticklish lol.

•He'll pretend to be just to humor the ler.

•If he's out of it, he'll just ask what the ler is doing.

Ler:

•Nice ler.

•He'll almost never intentionally tickle anyone unless they ask him to.

•His teases are usually compliments and encouragements.

•He stops at the first request to.

•If he notices somewhere is a death spot, he'll leave it alone unless specifically asked to tickle there.

•Great with aftercare. He'll hug the lee and offer his pillow fort as a place to rest.

Zooble:

Lee:

•Don't.

•Just don't.

•They hate it and will either slap the soul out of you or get you back tenfold.

•Only allows Gangle tickle them.

•But in case you do dare, their tickle spots depend on what Zooble parts they have that day.

•Ranges from a 3/10 to a 7/10 on the ticklish scale.

•Don't even bother with aftercare. They'll just fight you.

Ler:

•Usually doesn't start anything unless their lee went after them first.

•Mean ler. They only stop after several "stops."

•They target the worst spots and go INTENSE.

•Aftercare includes a middle finger and a slap.

Jax:

I already have some that you can find here! But here's some more!

Lee:

•His tail wags vigorously. That's his main giveaway that he's having fun.

•After a while he'll just go limp and claim that he's dying.

•That's your sign to stop.

•If he does want it to continue, he'll either put your hands back on his sides or nudge your hand with his head.

•Lots of wild squirming and kicking.

•He purrs once it's over.

Ler:

•His burrowing instinct sometimes kicks in and he'll dig at at the lee's belly. It's not too rough, so it tickles like HELL.

•His tail wags when his lee is having fun.

•EVIL with raspberries. EVIL. RUN.

•He'll rub his face against his lee if he's fond of them (chinning!). He'll do this either while tickling or after tickling.

[kidge-planet]

I have this headcanon that when Colleen had a daughter, she had fun dressing her up like a little doll with cute clothing and taking baby pictures of her... But Pidge grew up with Matt too, which influenced her style (lifestyle and other things) because, as she always said, she admires her brother a lot and always has (written in one of the Paladins' handbooks, if my mind isn't messing with me...).

So that's why Colleen says that Pidge has no taste in fashion—because she often dresses "manly."

OF COURSE, Colleen isn't old-fashioned! She herself goes against the stereotypical woman in many ways. Plus, VLD's universe seems very advanced in terms of gender equality! But she REALLY loved taking care of her daughter's hair and making her look pretty. She has a full album of pictures of Pidge being her little doll (from 0 to around 10 years old). Then, Katie asked for more freedom in her style, which is normal behavior for a kid about to become a teenager.

In the end, Pidge actually likes taking care of herself in a "feminine way." She has her own preferences, of course—she doesn’t like to be super extravagant, but she still feels cute in dresses or with different hairstyles instead of her usual messy hair. I really think that after Voltron, she took time to enjoy the teenage years she missed and caught up on many things. She might have tried makeup (she was bad at it... but eventually figured it out, because it's Pidge we're talking about!!!). She also learned to do simple hairstyles with her short hair (I think she low-key misses her long hair... When you watch the episode where she cuts it, she seems hesitant. Plus, we can see that she lets it grow at the end of the show... AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT THOSE CUTE PONYTAILS SHE DID IN EPISODE 1 OF SEASON 8!! I really see it as her looking through her old stuff, finding some hair ties, and getting the idea to see what she could do with them now that her hair was short... Something like that...).

She also tried new dressing styles and nail polish (though she gave up on nail polish).

She didn’t do all that because she’s a girl and felt like she had to, but mostly to experiment and see if she liked it or not. Eventually, she found a few things she did enjoy and that made her feel pretty.

My headcanon, of course, but I love to think that Pidge isn’t closed off to "girly" things like many people assume she is. I think she really doesn’t care how she dresses or what she looks like as long as she likes it, whether it’s "boyish" or "girly"—because she’s smarter than that. And she enjoys both while being 100% a woman (because her style or the way she acts doesn’t change that fact.)

[catenary-chad]

Why Greaseball is a Really Great train villain: a looong post (4.8k words) on all the historical train context behind replica Greaseball 

For all my issues with the other main engines, I think (replica) Greaseball is FANTASTIC. He just works on so many fundamental levels and gets so much better/worse with historical context.  If we make him an EMD E9 locomotive (a common headcanon) things get even more interesting, and there’s even a convenient irl engine to base him on! 

Note: if you’re into real US trains this info probably won’t be as new to you as my Nez Cassé post, since E and F units are so well preserved and documented in English.      A lot of the topics I go on are pretty widely discussed in US railfan circles and not terribly obscure.  Also this is just about replica, Elvis-style Greaseball vs Wembleyball… her being more modern and European changes a lot and I would take a very different approach.

Also CW for non-graphic discussion of abuse in the very last section. I have a separate warning before it comes up so you can leave before then.  

DIESEL TRACTION IN THE US

First of all, to clear up a common misconception: 99% of all diesel locomotives are diesel-electric.  The diesel engine is used to generate electricity to power electric motors to turn the wheels.  This is why dual-mode engines that can switch between drawing third rail/overhead wire electricity and making their own with a diesel engine are so common.  Besides the power source, they work similarly, so it’s not hard to incorporate.  This is NOT how hybrid cars work, though diesel-electric setups have been used on very heavy trucks for purposes like mining.  Diesel-mechanical is more in line with how automobiles work but is basically unheard of outside of very small switchers in the US (mostly in museums now) and 50s-era shunters and that one weird Fell diesel in the UK. The technical reasons of why isn’t really important here, but has to do with the difficult of making an appropriate gearbox for road locomotives and appealing qualities of electric motors for train use (high starting torque). 

Internal combustion-based locomotives are actually much more recent than pure electric ones.  Electric engines achieved practical use around the 1890s and were well-established in urban and mountainous areas by the 20s-30s…. which is when diesel boxcab switchers first started production in substantial numbers and lightweight diesel trainsets like the Zephyrs, M10000, and Flying Hamburger started to pop up.  The earliest diesels were either slow (switchers) or fast but very weak (lightweight trainsets and railbusses). There were major tech limits to maximum horsepower in diesel locomotives until the second half of the 20th century, which is why several of them were often needed to replace one steam or electric engine, and why you had some weird turbine designs in the 50s-70s as an alternative. 

Early diesel locomotives in the US actually had a lot in common with their early implementation in the UK.  They’re often perceived differently because Thomas the Tank Engine had so many characters based on unsuccessful early British diesel models, while most of the failed earlier US diesels are obscure compared to the successful and widespread ones (that often have the strongest museum presence). There were some notably good early switcher models (some still being used today) that were among the first to replace steam engines because it was one of the tasks that they had the biggest advantage over them in, and limited size wasn’t an issue.  Road diesel implementation was messy and due to the early state of the technology, some railroads like the Pennsylvania Railroad had a strategy more akin to early British Rail in that they planned to just slowly phase out steam as they electrified.  Higher wages and stronger unions were also a factor in both countries dieselizing, due to the vastly lower labor needed for diesel locomotives vs steam and generally safer, more pleasant working conditions on them.  There was also a need to shed a reputation for being outdated to draw in customers again with both.  There was also a desperate early demand for diesel power that led to a lot of questionable builders and designs being picked up early on and later dumped for being nonstandard.  

The main difference is that dieselization’s serious pursuit in the US started around the Great Depression and really picked up in the late 30s, almost two decades before the Modernization Plan of 1955.  So it was a far more mature and well-established technology by the 50s and Greaseball is very much based on this dominant position vs the messy early experiments of the Thomas diesels.  

Greaseball’s helmet heavily resembles the fronts of the E and F unit carbody locomotives made by EMD from the 30s-50s.  I’ll go into those specific models later, but the manufacturer alone is really interesting and has a lot of great symbolism that works with Greaseball. 

Earlier diesel manufacturers included steam builders like Alco and Baldwin, outside companies getting into the diesel locomotive market like Fairbanks-Morse, and EMD, which started as an independent company but quickly became part of General Motors.  One of the major advantages EMD would acquire is mass-production in assembly lines, the way cars were made, as opposed to building one engine at a time like steam shops did.  So Greaseball has some quiet ties to the auto industry (and boy did GM hurt trains in other avenues).  They also used common parts between models, making them relatively easy to repair and rebuild.  You had all kind of mods and changes done to their engines over the decades, which is a fun tie-in to the bodybuilder AND greaser aspect of Greaseball.  I’ll go into how I think he’d specifically be modified/rebuilt later though.  

Another major factor of EMD is… they often weren’t the best in a lot of ways and very much an example of “survival of the good enough”.  Until very recently they all used relatively dirty and inefficient two-stroke engines and other manufacturers often had stronger or technically superior competing models… but it was the ease of working on them and relative reliability vs their competitors that contributed to their success and helped make EMD the dominant manufacturer.  

Bonus fun fact: EMD (and later General Electric) had a lot of success in the export model market due to their early reliability, especially vs British diesel engines.  One of the funnier instances being several colonial African railways holding onto steam into the 70s because they were forced to buy crappy British diesel engines otherwise, and promptly dieselizing as soon as they could buy American ones.  EMD made huge inroads into the British freight market with the Class 59 and 66 (the latter also used in continental Europe).  These came too late to have had any affect on the development of the show early on, but it’s an interesting instance of American encroachment that could be thematically relevant.  The sheer ubiquity of EMD diesels worldwide makes Greaseball weirdly relevant in a lot of countries if you basis swap him a little.  I haven’t figured out quite how I’d approach Girlball but I’d definitely make her one of these export models since it fits.  

Anyways, back to the general history timeline because it’s important for the other reason EMD was so successful.  By the late 30s, diesel switchers were widespread and road models were starting to come out in limited numbers.  Widespread dieselization would have happened nearly a decade earlier if not for World War II.  When the US entered the war, copper, oil, and diesel engines became critical to the war effort.  Coal was not and steam engines don’t use much copper, so the existing steam manufacturers were forced into building them.  EMD’s FT series had proven itself prewar and the company was among the few to be able to develop their locomotive lines during the war.  This gave the company a huge advantage post-war and their E and F units dominated the road locomotive market afterwards (switchers remained more competitive since they had more development before and during the war). 

 If you’re European and know little about American trains, you may wonder when things started getting electrified after that.  They didn’t.  Outside of one stretch of the Northeast Corridor, a recent project by Caltrain, and some isolated freight lines… the US didn’t electrify anything after WWII, and if anything de-electrified much that had existed.  The oil crises of the 70s almost led to something, but the subsequent drop in prices in the 80s made that dry up too.  Leading to the modern day status of having only 1% electrified rail mileage.  The rest is all diesel domain.  They were never a stopgap here.  Due to railroads remaining private businesses post-WWII and facing almost unwinnable economic and political conditions vs roads and air travel, the cost of electrification was out of the question and the much smaller up front cost of diesel engines made them take permanent hold over most of the country post-steam.  To this day, railroads avoid paying up front for things vs just paying more in yearly maintenance for diesel locomotives, and the price of fuel has never gotten high enough to incentivize electrification.  There’s also a whole carrot vs stick situation with state governments raising emissions standards without providing assistance to electrify that leads to a crappy state of limbo that just gives automobiles even more of an unfair advantage, but that’s another tangent that’s not relevant enough to go into.  

This is all a long way to say that Greaseball as the conservative, oppressive establishment is spot-on to the status of diesel traction in the US.  It really can’t be overstated how dominant and inescapable it is.  It’s kind of hilarious hearing people from the UK or Europe talk about how gross and stinky and backwards they are and how much more disliked they are there.  This is why the Greaseball vs Electra feud is so appealing to me- the US is one of the few places where they would be considered remotely competitive and where that matchup is politically relevant.  There’s this compelling thread of Greaseball being a “pragmatic compromise” that’s held on so long it’s become status quo, but would be viewed as a regressive relic elsewhere in the world, akin to how the US’s economic politics are seen in much of the rest of the world.  Greaseball is the majority who very much has capitalism and inertia on his side, Electra is the more qualified but long-sidelined minority who wishes things were even a little more like Europe economically and politically.  They’re so rural vs urban, right vs left wing coded it hurts. Diesel power mainly thrives where frequencies are low and distances are long and rail is a private business that often can’t afford to electrify.  Urban trains are almost exclusively electric due to their inherent frequency and pollution requirements, and are almost synonymous with being state-owned. 

Him being particularly nasty to steam engines also checks out, he’s the era of diesel locomotive that often directly replaced them and I’ve seen claims EMD did deceptive things if not outright cheated on tests vs steam engines.  At the very least they had fairly aggressive marketing.  There’s a reason why I object to the idea that Electra would cheat against a steam engine (even in the early days electric ones trounced them so thoroughly it routinely exceeded railroads’ expectations), but think Greaseball doing it makes sense.  Him playing dirty against Electra also makes sense because they’d have similar top speeds (and that’s being very conservative with Electra’s abilities and keeping them a relatively old model) but Electra benefits far more from a clean setting and would be relatively vulnerable to attack. There’s been decades of cultural downplaying of the advantages of electric vs diesel trains due to the latter’s sheer dominance in the US too. Further tying into the political aspect, electric trains are one of those things whose status only goes up the more you actually learn about them… and it really knocks combustion engines down several pegs, paralleling how right wing politicians in the US tend to be actively anti-education because they quietly rely on voters being low-information and uneducated about how negative the effects of their policies often are.  

Greaseball as a macho jock is also reflective of the perceived strength of diesel vs electric engines.  Because the US is infamous for its large heavy freight trains that are almost entirely diesel-hauled (besides a single power plant out west), electric freight is an almost alien concept and people associate electric traction with high speed trains, subways, maybe lighter, faster European freight trains at most.  People often act like they’re weak because of this.  This is patently untrue, just look at IORE or the Virginian Railway.  Also see my earlier discussion of how weak diesel engines were early on.  Electric locomotives still have vastly higher horsepower per single unit and the only reason there aren’t ones as strong as diesel engines in the US is lack of demand.  It wouldn’t be that hard to build one for that niche.  But diesel has strong associations with being the “strong and manly” blue-collar option because of its use by every large freight railroad and almost every shortline for all the tough, gritty jobs, unlike those darn city slicker commuter trains. Let’s just conveniently forget that the Milwaukee Road existed and that mines are full of weird little battery-powered “lokies”.  People will even crow about the Big Boy all day and rarely acknowledge the multiple electric engine models of that era with comparable abilities.  

EMD E and F UNITS

Finally, we can discuss Greaseball’s more specific basis.  Greaseball’s helmet doesn’t have a single explicit one like Electra’s, but its styling is very typical of 30s-50s era carbody diesel locomotives, specifically the “bulldog nose” E and F-Units.  These models were and still remain some of the most popular toy and model diesel engines, and are some of the most recognizable American trains in general.  Which they totally deserve, they came in a lot of fun colors and were VERY widely used from the 30s to early 80s irl and were still used in limited numbers for decades after that and are extremely common in museums today.  It’s probably harder to find a railroad museum in the US that doesn’t have one.  They are probably THE symbol of diesel trains in the US, especially circa the 50s.  Even highway signs for train stations resemble them.  

Carbody locomotives like these made the streamlined body a structural element of the engine to save weight and required indoor walkways for maintenance access vs being able to open external panels.  Alco and Baldwin also made far less successful carbody locomotives as competitors but they looked very different. Funny enough, a number of electric locomotives of the era also were built this way, but with cabs at both ends, some of them looking a LOT like Greaseball’s helmet.  

The E-units were EMD’s first line of road diesel locomotives, mainly designed for passenger service.  Since the 30s there were several different models of the line, the first few being built in smaller numbers, and the later ones being much more widely produced post-WWII.   They were relatively long and large for a diesel engine of the time, with atypical A1A -A1A (powered/unpowered/powered x2) wheel arrangements and two seperate prime movers (the actual diesel engine) to produce more horsepower due to the limited abilities of individual engines.  While successful compared to their competitors (which were… generally a mess) there’s a sense that they were designed for a time that would never come.  

They were very much optimized for being smooth at speed for passenger use and while not useless for freight service, weren’t ideal for it due to their limited strength and not having all powered wheels for traction.  Which was a terrible market to be in with the massive decline in passenger rail post-WWII.  The E-units still generally had long and successful lives, but were never as successful as their younger, smaller sibling, the F-unit.

F-units visually resemble shorter E-units, but with single prime movers and Bo-Bo wheel arrangements (four powered axles).  By modern standards they’re small and not terribly powerful, but for their time they were solid and VERY successful in freight service, and often took the place of E-units in passenger service since they worked for that too, and were more versatile overall.  There are a bunch of F-units running in museums because they look good and are easy to find parts for due to the sheer quantity produced (also some, but far fewer E-units). You could totally make Greaseball an F-unit and it would fit with how there’s been some infamously short Greaseball actors.  

There’s a lot of fun commonalities between both models that are relevant to Greaseball.  Both were explicitly designed to be used in multi-engine sets due to their limited individual strength, which perfectly fits Greaseball having his Gang follow him around.  Working in packs that large is a VERY midcentury diesel thing.  Both had the massive drawback of having no rear visibility and basically no ability to go backwards for switching.  That was one of the main traits that led to this style of engine falling out of favor, roadswitchers that actually had rear visibility were more versatile than having separate road and switch engines.  In a race going backwards, Rusty would clean his clock even if he was SUPER crappy and could only go walking pace, because Greaseball would be flying totally blind and crash.  It’s also a hassle to perform maintenance and get inside that body style and the noses were reportedly harder to manufacture.  

As a cursed side note, ATSF solved these problems with their old F-units by roadswitcherfying them into CF-7s.  Hey, they were old and past their prime but still useful and worked GREAT as ugly utilitarian roadswitchers and ran for decades afterwards.  There’s several of these things running in museums.  I’ve actually worked on one and I approve of roadswitcherfication because they really are way less of a pain to maintain this way.  

Speaking of rebuilds, the highest horsepower Greaseball would have as an E-unit would as-built is only 2,400 if he was an E9, but because early EMDs got modified so much and routinely re-engined, we can play around with this.  It fits the character and the Railways Series routinely did this kind of thing.  We’ll suppose Greaseball was re-engined or otherwise modified to get up to 2,700 horsepower… but then there’s the reported issue that the unpowered axles might make him too slippery to actually apply full force, so we’ll get a bit more out there and say he got more substantially rebuilt into a Co-Co (six powered axle) arrangement.  Now you have something that would be vaguely comparable with one of Amtrak’s dysfunctional SDP40F diesels of the late 70s-early 80s, if still a bit weaker but probably more physically stable.  It’s hard to avoid that Greaseball is kind of statistically wimpy no matter how you slice it.  They’d need to tweak the numbers in the song a little, but again, swapping out engines in early EMDs was super common and suits him so it’s not too much of a stretch to bump him to 3700 or something.  You still have issue that he’s not large by UP standards specifically (they are INFAMOUS for large single-unit engines) but he’d still be fairly large vs more typical passenger diesels of the time.  

Anyways, another VERY fun fact about E and F units is that they were regularly used on corporate trains after most of them were withdrawn from regular mainline service in the 70s-80s.  People often complain that Greaseball is barely relevant circa the 80s, which isn’t really true since a lot of E and F units were used on commuter lines for years afterward (if often in cab car form, which are terrifying in any talking train verse).  But there’s another huge loophole that gives a perfect excuse for his existence well into the modern day.  Union Pacific itself used a set of three E9s on their corporate specials until 2019!  They only got pulled due to wheel issues… got no lovers if you got no wheels I guess.  But now you have a perfect excuse for why Greaseball is a 50s-era engine with UP colors pulling passenger trains well after the railroad axed those services in the early 70s.  He’s a corporate pawn!  He’s one of the faces of their company, chauffeuring executives around. Which leads into another fascinating topic with him.

UNION PACIFIC, FREIGHT RAILROADS, AND PASSENGER RAIL

All of the modern big Class I railroads in the US suck in similar ways, but Union Pacific has a stronger identity and seems to have the largest cultural presence abroad, making it the most visible and appealing of them to the public.  It tends to be THE American railroad to many, which goes well with Greaseball’s basis being THE American diesel engine.  Yes, they do have some cool heritage fleet stuff and really cool heritage unit paint jobs, but you’ll never see me depict them in a terribly positive way (if at all) because they’re a PR campaign like the Budweiser Clydesdales for an infamously awful company.  Make no mistake, this is a company that’s been voted “worst place to work” on multiple occasions (and its cohorts aren’t much better).  That’s the ironic thing about Electra being made a crappy boss, Amtrak is notably much better to its workers (and steam engines are the most competitive where labor is cheapest and least organized).  The main thing is unreasonable on-call hours, lack of sick leave, vacation, and break days in general, and working conditions.  Look into the blocked 2022 railroad strike for more on this.  Greaseball could be SO nasty to the freight to reflect this if you made him a symbol of railroad leadership.  You’d have any railroaders in the audience booing him if they did this in the US, it’s a very relevant political issue.  Ironically, things weren’t nearly as bad labor-wise in the 80s, ALW just really bet on the right horse in terms of railroads to align a train villain with.  But there’s a more prominant and existing aspect of canon that also fits the crappy things UP and other class Is do.

Passenger rail has never been as profitable as freight in the US. To give a modern ballpark estimate, I’ve heard $30,000 revenue on a fully loaded longer passenger train vs $500,000 revenue on a train of oil tankers.  And that’s not even including the higher maintenance standards that passenger rail requires, which adds millions to its cost and makes it almost impossible for it to turn a profit.  There is a reason why almost all countries with widespread passenger rail today have nationalized rail systems and even US passenger service is all government-run outside Brightline and museums.  

This situation was particularly bad in the 50s-60s before Amtrak took over passenger service.  Passenger trains absolutely bled money overall, and many of them were required to keep running even at massive losses per government regulation because they were an essential service.  This contributed to the financial ruin of many railroads, and most of them dropped passenger service or sold it to the government as soon as it was offered.  UP in particular was more financially stable, but also happily got rid of their passenger trains when offered.

Since then, the giant merged Class I railroads have become almost exclusively freight-oriented and hostile towards Amtrak-run passenger services.  They’re almost all terrible, but UP is one of the more visible offenders, holding up commuter services in Chicago, and contributing to the massive delays in long-distance western trains.  “Coach sexism” in the form of widespread hostility towards passenger rail by the likes of UP is one of the few canon social metaphors that WORKS.  The other engines would not be that way considering the systems they’re aligned with, but Greaseball could be made so, so much worse.    

There is a weird element of “I hate my wife” boomer humor when people describe passenger trains.  There’s “keeping freight trains in line” schedule-wise due to their time sensitivity.  There’s being seen as needlessly spendy for PR reasons (often true in the older days) paralleling “my wife wastes money on stupid things”.  There’s being seen as more delicate and refined due to needing better track conditions and gentler handling because you know, humans have standards that grain hoppers and sand don’t.  There’s the way that passenger rail isn’t as profitable as freight and basically requires government subsidies… not unakin to caring jobs and “women’s work” in general vs blue collar industrial jobs (Caveat: passenger rail employees were almost all male until Amtrak).  In short, yeah the freight railroads’ treatment of passenger trains in the US does have parallels to sexism, if slightly different from how canon does it. Abruptly dumping them in the 70s also fits Greaseball ditching Dinah mid-show. 

Even if you go the comparatively mild route of mirroring modern railroads, you still have him treating the coaches as second class vs freight (despite them being legally prioritized).  This is a major issue and why Amtrak has so many delays on long distance trains.  To summarize a complicated issue: due to the relatively unique economics of railroads, they are incentivized to run fewer, longer, irregular freight trains that have become so large they don’t fit in sidings and can’t physically let prioritized passenger trains through.  They then get delayed for hours, especially if the freight train breaks down (bonus: freight trains have a staff of two, engineer and conductor.  The conductor may have to walk up to THREE MILES to check out a possible defect on a car, delaying even more).  The Class Is have a broadly hostile relationship with Amtrak in general for various reasons related to insurance and minimal investment in track maintenance, and it even affects non-Amtrak passenger services like steam excursions.  UP has its personal steam fleet for publicity reasons,  but all of the Class Is are various shades of hostile to running steam excursions with passengers now due to those same reasons.  Even UP barely sells public tickets for theirs.  

Bonus: the reason Mexico has basically no passenger rail now is due to the nationalized railroads being taken over by companies heavily aligned with US freight railroads and with many similar attitudes towards passenger service.  They ditched virtually all of it en masse when they took over. Turbo works perfectly as just Greaseball but in Mexico because the same thing happened there… only a few years before the Mexican Stex production happened.  Electra might be an even more pathetic and unthreatening character there though, because the single, long-delayed electrified mainline built by NdeM was ripped out after only a few years of service by the  private freight railroads.  

WARNING: Leave now if you do not want to read about how abusive Greaseball could be made based to US railroads’ treatment of passenger trains pre-70s.  It’s not graphic, but it is blunt and dark.  I put this at the end for a reason, there is nothing beyond this last section.  

Basically, canon even at its worst arguably undersells how awful Greaseball could be to Dinah and the coaches if you make them symbols of UP and other major railroads vs passenger service pre-Amtrak.  They could be even MORE toxic.  You have a situation now where he outright hates her and wants her gone for above reasons, but is forced to stay in the relationship due to outside requirements and is fundamentally built for that kind of setup as an E-unit.  Railroads forced to keep passenger services usually didn’t have mandated quality standards for them.  They just had to have something.  This led to pathetically short trains (one or two cars), understaffing, and poor maintenance because they just had to have SOME passenger train on that line.  Track conditions reached terrible standards in the 70s on railroads that were near bankruptcy and delaying maintenance.  I absolute do not blame canon for not going this dark in a kids show, but basically there is no limit to how miserable Greaseball could make her life, short of actually killing her. I can’t understate how much she symbolizes something he’d want to rid himself of at any cost but can’t and will take that out on.  It’s BLEAK.  I don’t think I’d even write them this dark myself.

Well… now you see why I do not redeem and revise Greaseball the way I do Electra.  While the latter is wrongly demonized in an impressive number of ways, Greaseball is awful for all the right ones, to extents deeper than the creators probably ever imagined.  He is so versatile and nearly timeless in his awfulness.  If Greaseball were portrayed as remotely good I’d be ripping him to greater shreds than I do Rusty, but he’s great as a hateable bad guy who’s entertaining and globally recognizable even by much of the general public.  Despite all this, I’m fine with him just being a cartoon bully because it’s more palatable and not wrong.  But you could also make him so much nastier than even the workshop if you wanted to go darker.  

[orphiclovers]

It's sort of implied Yoo Joonghyuk starts off every regression in his signature outfit already and I have. Headcanons on how that is possible.

It's explicitly stated in canon that his coat does not travel back to him when he regresses (kdj says so to sp), so the two possibilities are either he buys it as soon as possible and just does the first couple scenarios in a normal outfit (boring, unsupported by canon) or... he was already wearing the coat on the day the scenarios started. Which is what I think, and is more interesting. Since those coats already have so much narrative weight in yjh's story let me add a little more.

I think when Yoo Joonghyuk spawned into existence on the side of the road one day, he was wearing the full WoS outfit, coat included. Because, what else would the protagonist wear? This was the only outfit he was written in.

Eventually, he of course did buy normal clothes (in yoo mia side story, which happens a few years later, he wears 'an old jacket') but that coat he started off with with would have been one of the very few pieces of evidence of his supposed 'past' that he wanted to discover so badly. So even if he stopped wear it day-to-day, I think he wouldn't have gotten rid of it.

For years, A Black Infinite Dimention Space Coat hangs in his closet, totally anachronistic in a pre-scenarios world. Like Yoo Joonghyuk himself.

It's important to note that on the day the scenarios started, Yoo Joonghyuk was taking the train to meet his parents for the first time. Perhaps he felt the need to dress up, and what better way than the unusual clothing he wore on the first day he remembers? He would have finally gotten the answers he had been looking for - perhaps even to the comparatively insignificant question of why he was wearing this coat when he forgot his past.

Well, his parents house was empty, but he still gets the answer to his questions eventually, when at 7 p.m on the ride back, the scenarios start.

In a bitter irony, that outfit he chose to wear on that day would be what he wore for the next thousand regressions. But of course, it never could have happened any other way.

[falmerbrook]

TES Summer Fest Day 1 - Forbidden

A 7 year old Vanus "Trechtus" Galerion stays up late one night reading with his dad.

[m1sc3llaneous]

I see what you’re saying but I want to counter that with another hot take, a lot of the reasons people like Percy or any other character in the series (namely characters like Nico or any of the seven, etc) have evolved into mainly headcanons and fanon interpretation as well, that’s just what happens to characters people like and spin around a lot in their brains.

Also we don’t see a lot of character development for those new people introduced in HoO, so many people can only speculate what those character are like outside of the scenarios written in canon. I like canon Jason, I just want to see him outside of the limitations Rick out on him in the books and wonder what he was like in Camp Jupiter before the swap, in his quests, defeating Krios which are all things we only have context clues for and have to fill in with imagination. That’s the joy of reading though, taking this world the author presents and shares and making yourself a part of it through imagining the characters, seeing them in various scenarios and turning them around over and over again and just immersing yourself in the fandom. I don’t think people liking fanon necessarily changes whether they like canon Jason or not. Much of the basis of liking and even looking into fanon interpretations for a character is liking them enough in the original to take that time to understand them in your own way outside of the canon universe. Nothing wrong with sticking to canon but there’s nothing wrong with extrapolating and liking the way you’ve dissected a character even more.

This isn’t to criticize this original post, I’m just tired of people hating on Jason Grace in the Jason Grace tag and or overlooking him in general all these years, and wanted to take this chance to express some of my thoughts regarding people’s comments and I guess confusion over why people like him and give him so many headcanons or changes. He isn’t treated any differently or liked in any different way the other characters are, people are just more accepting to those headcanons and fanon interpretations that have become widespread over the years because those characters are more popularly liked and his interpretations are more widely accepted. People are more aware of the divide between canon and fanon for Jason because they’re so inherently uninterested or disliking of Jason to begin with that they don’t have the interest to consider him further and have any fanon idea that makes him more likable become widely accepted to the point people blur the line between canon and fanon.

That’s all to say people have different opinions on characters, and yes Jason gets extrapolated a lot but so do other characters and that’s not made a big deal of for them, so if you’re only going to leave negative comments or anything of the sort of people just wanting to spin their favorite blorbo around and dissect him on meta levels you personally don’t see, leave the tag and go somewhere else. Don’t share that thought under those posts without valid reasoning.

Again this isn’t actually related to the original post, just some of my thoughts relating to topics mentioned in it. If you’ve read this far, thanks I guess, and I hope what I say provides some food for thought. And not just for the PJO/HoO fandom, but all fandoms out there. Nothing wrong with liking canon and wanting people to stick to it, but there’s nothing wrong with people who like to extrapolate either, we all just have to learn to coexist and appreciate each other.

Hot take: the pro-Jason thinkpieces seem to deviate a lot from actual canon and seem to be based on heavy personal interpretation/self-projection. I don't dislike Jason or anything, just saying, you know...

[backpackingspace]

Okay no idea if tattoo's were a thing in ancient greece but regardless imagine penelope and odysseus having an olive branch tattoo around their hands that connects when they hold hands.

[realtapiocafan]

justin 😭😭😭 my babyyy

[mikkeneko]

mikkeneko

15m ago

waitineedaname

Jan 30

Anonymous asked:

do you also think a lot about the time between when luo binghe was born and when his adoptive mother took him in? cause sqq says he was homeless before she came around which makes me wonder how did baby binghe even survived

waitineedaname answered:

I AM IN FACT HAUNTED BY THIS. especially when you compare it to all the other little orphan boys in mxtx novels, like. Wei Wuxian had his parents taking care of him until they died. Hua Cheng had parents before he got kicked out onto the streets. we don't really know much about Yue Qi and Shen Jiu's circumstances, but presumably they had parents for a time before they were orphaned/abandoned. but Luo Binghe, we know he was abandoned at birth because Su Xiyan lived just long enough to seal his demon qi and send him down the river before she died. it would make sense if the washerwoman immediately found him in the river and started raising him (which is what the donghua changes, which tbh makes more sense) but no, he was living on the streets for YEARS before she adopted him. HOW!!! presumably somebody found this literal newborn floating down the river and made sure he survived, but like?? we know nothing about it???

in my mind, whoever took baby Binghe in and kept him alive was someone similar to the washerwoman, probably poor but kindhearted enough to not want this baby to die. maybe their circumstances were such that they couldn't take care of him forever, so the washerwoman took him in instead, maybe they knew her and asked her to take him in when they couldn't, or maybe they died and Binghe was left on the streets, slightly more capable of fending for himself now that he could like walk and talk and wasn't a day old. idk, it's all too tragic to think about. regardless, someone must have taken care of him and then couldn't anymore, which means Luo Binghe was essentially orphaned three times. fucking hell dude

skeren

Jan 30

-waves wildly at all of this- THIS is why I think that his mother broke through any spirit calming rituals and Su Xiyan became a river spirit. Just straight up possessed the river to make sure that he survived through first the winter, then the years that followed by making it so he had a safe place where he wouldn't drown and she could feed her qi (even if it was ghostly qi) into him to sustain him against the cold, or to drive fish into tiny hands that had no idea what to do with them.

It's a whole THING in my personal headcanons that basically, even if he was taken in that first winter and was released as soon as the person who picked him out of the water saw he was mobile, that there was a refuge for him to fall back on. Boy's got attachment issues, for sure, but he doesn't have the kind that come of being ignored. He can form attachments and that's an infancy thing. So if he was being cradled by a dead spirit? That's fine. That's good enough.

Hell, it might even be why he takes such a shine to Shen Yuan ultimately, because what is he if not a dead spirit? Even if he doesn't know, it's still true. But, well, that's another conversation probably.

#svsss#it’s entirely possible MXTX has never met a human child and didn’t realize that without adult human care#newborn babies just…die pretty much immediately#and didn’t think about it#but this is svsss!#so we can also just be like#*airplane* had probably never met a human child and didn’t realize etc etc#and furthermore#that the reason peerless cucumber didn’t roast the ever living fuck out of airplane for THAT major plothole#is that peerless cucumber had also never met a human child - via @cerusee

do you also think a lot about the time between when luo binghe was born and when his adoptive mother took him in? cause sqq says he was homeless before she came around which makes me wonder how did baby binghe even survived

I AM IN FACT HAUNTED BY THIS. especially when you compare it to all the other little orphan boys in mxtx novels, like. Wei Wuxian had his parents taking care of him until they died. Hua Cheng had parents before he got kicked out onto the streets. we don't really know much about Yue Qi and Shen Jiu's circumstances, but presumably they had parents for a time before they were orphaned/abandoned. but Luo Binghe, we know he was abandoned at birth because Su Xiyan lived just long enough to seal his demon qi and send him down the river before she died. it would make sense if the washerwoman immediately found him in the river and started raising him (which is what the donghua changes, which tbh makes more sense) but no, he was living on the streets for YEARS before she adopted him. HOW!!! presumably somebody found this literal newborn floating down the river and made sure he survived, but like?? we know nothing about it???

in my mind, whoever took baby Binghe in and kept him alive was someone similar to the washerwoman, probably poor but kindhearted enough to not want this baby to die. maybe their circumstances were such that they couldn't take care of him forever, so the washerwoman took him in instead, maybe they knew her and asked her to take him in when they couldn't, or maybe they died and Binghe was left on the streets, slightly more capable of fending for himself now that he could like walk and talk and wasn't a day old. idk, it's all too tragic to think about. regardless, someone must have taken care of him and then couldn't anymore, which means Luo Binghe was essentially orphaned three times. fucking hell dude