#that scene from divine does not count btw.

[anomura]

need callum to do some gay4pay shit

[littlefireball]

May I request a Yunho x Yeosang fic? Where all of Ateez is Poly but Yeosang hasn't gotten intimate with anyone yet. But when yunho comes out of a shower he gets really hot and bothered and he doesn't know why. (He's a virgin) He talks to Yunho and Yunho explains to him what's going on. And he asked to know what it feels like to be fucked and Yunho shows him while the rest of ATEEZ watch?

🐈‍⬛

First time to write BxB ahhh hope you like it

sorry for the slow update cuz i hv no inspiration to write TT

i quite like 'Fake God' setting so i added it to this fic

maybe i'm gonna make a series haha btw i find that 99% of requests are about yeosang 😂(it doesn't mean that i don't like him, just wonder why 🤣🤣 where are the other members ㅋㅋㅋㅋ）

Yunsang|BxB|Eros paidikos(M) ft. OT6

© Pinterest

Fake God Yunho x Human Attendant Yeosang ft.OT6 Fake Gods Warning: Smut|Poly AU|BxB|Unprotected sex|Make out|Public sex|Pool sex|Huge age gap (OT7 are 1000+ and yeosang is 20+) Word count: 2K 

Becoming an attendant of the gods was considered the ultimate honor for a human being. Whenever a deity descended to earth, people would eagerly showcase their loyalty and talents in hopes of securing a place in heaven. They reveled in the adoration of humans, effortlessly casting spells to captivate them. To these beings, humans were mere playthings for their amusement or desire.

Yet, this did not stop humans from desiring to get close to those Gods, or I should say, those Fake Gods.

Becoming a servant was no simple task; one must first earn their favor. However, there was one man who effortlessly captured the hearts of the gods. No tribute or money was required. Simply being in their presence was enough to inspire them to offer everything for him. His appearance was akin to a masterpiece sculpted by the divine, drawing others to him like moths to a flame.

"Yeosang, bring us the wine," Yunho instructed. "Yes, master," Yeosang replied with a simple salute before turning to retrieve the wine. Unbeknownst to him, the seven men observing him were captivated by his beauty. Dressed in a white gauze garment that left little to the imagination, Yeosang's exposed chest, arms, and legs only added to his allure.

"He is truly remarkable, isn't he? I never thought I would use such a word to describe a man," Yunho admitted, his voice betraying a hint of desire. "Did you fuck him?" Jongho inquired, his posture shifting slightly as he leaned against the pool's edge.

"No," Yunho shook his head. "But I will not impose myself on him," he added. "Oh, really? I believe you have already made him your cum pocket," San remarked with a chuckle, resting his head on Seonghwa's chest. "I want him to come to me willingly. I am confident it will not be long before he does," Yunho replied.

“Why are you so certain?” Wooyoung interjected, moving closer to Yunho. “Maybe you just show him your big dick and he will ask you to fuck him badly.” “What?Do you want me to fuck you now?” Yunho lifted wooyoung's chin with his finger, hiding his surging lust under his cold face.

“Then fuck me,” With a smooth motion, Yunho flipped wooyoung over, pinning him under his big frame and thrusted into his hole with one go. "Oh fuck! You're so big!” Wooyoung moaned loud enough for yeosang to hear. He was already used to it as he watched them make love a thousand times, not to mention he could alway hear their moaning the whole day.

Yeosang carefully carried the tray back to the bath where they were gathered. What was once a sacred space now felt tainted by debauchery. Wooyoung was riding Yunho, Mingi was making out with Hongjoong, and Jongho was fucking Seonghwa as if the last day of the Earth.

The scene in the pool left onlookers speechless upon first sight. Yeosang was no exception, though he was tempted to join in despite his shyness. Deep down, he longed to experience the sensation of being desired.

The water in the pool rippled with their movements, creating a symphony of splashes against the sides. Moans and hesitant kisses filled the air, blending with the heady scent of desire to create an intensely erotic atmosphere.

"Master, your wine," Yeosang said as he approached Yunho, offering him the glass with a steady hand. As Yunho took a sip, Wooyoung's sudden rough movements caused him to choke on the wine. “Oh…mas─"

“Fuck you, wooyoung!” “Don't be mad~” Gripping wooyoung's waist hard enough to leave a red mark, Yunho fucked him at an inhuman pace. “Fuck!Fuck!Fuck!Slow down!” “Who told you to act like a brat?" With a loud moan, both of them reached the climax and the white liquid floated on water.

“I gotta take a shower. Yeosang, go bring me some new clothes.” Yunho stood up from the bath, wrapping a towel on his waist. But that didn't stop him from seeing his big cock. “Yes, master.” Swallowed with a ball of saliva, Yeosang tried his best to hide his nervousness before turning to get some clothes.

“Hey, Yunho, what I said is true.” Wooyoung bent over the edge of the pool, tilting his head with an evil smirk.

“And remember what I said? It won't take too long for him to ask me.” Yunho winked before taking a quick bath.

—---

Yeosang's body suddenly felt ablaze, as if a fire was consuming him from within. His flushed face only intensified the heat that coursed through him. The recent scene played on a loop in his mind, stirring up desires he had long suppressed.

Holding Yunho's garment in his hand, Yeosang found himself drawn closer, unable to resist the urge to inhale deeply, savoring the scent that was uniquely Yunho's. The action only served to heighten his panic, causing his heart to race as if it might burst from his chest.

"No… I have to go back now…What's wrong with me?" Yeosang willed himself to calm down, the chill of the wind offering a slight reprieve from the feverish sensations that gripped him.

Yet, fate seemed determined to play him as the next sight pushed him to the brink of losing all restraint.

"Master, your attire." Yunho had just stepped out of the bath, water droplets cascading from his hair onto his broad shoulders, trickling down the contours of his sculpted abdomen… He was big,no,huge. Yeosang couldn't bear to meet Yunho's gaze, immediately averting his eyes from the mesmerizing sight before him.

"Thanks, my doll.” He deliberately emphasized the last sentence, and his knuckled fingers traced Yeosang's arm, making him tremble. But Yunho took his hand back and didn't grab the clothes, making Yeosang whimpered softly because of lost touch. "Shouldn't you serve me change my clothes?” Yunho remarked, raising an eyebrow at Yeosang. “Ye…yes, I apologize.”

Yeosang's hands were shaking like a leaf when he touched Yunho's arm, making him imagine how it felt in his embrace, just like what Yunho did to Wooyoung a moment ago.

“Are you hot? Your face is so red, just like the apple Jongho crushes every day." Yunho's concerned voice and laugh snapped Yeosang to reality, making Yeosang slightly jump.

“Just…a little bit…”

“But heaven is not that hot, here is not hell.” Yunho lifted Yeosang's chin with his big hand, brushing his moist lips while speaking softly, “You know why, Yeosang?”

“Why…?” Yeosang once swallowed nervously, finding himself unable to move away from Yunho's captivating gaze.

“Because you want me so badly.” Yunho stepped close enough to brush yeosang's forehead with his lips. “It's called heat, doll.”

“It's just human nature, not a big deal. And of course, we, Gods, have desire too.” Yunho continuted, luring Yeosang to ask the question he wanted to hear. “Sometimes, we just have to do something and the heat would cool down.”

“Is it being fucked?” Yunho's face lighted up as he finally heard what he desired, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yes, you're right, darling.”

“How…how does it feel…? Is…is it hurt?” Yeosang stammered, realizing Yunho's cock sunk between his thighs and rubbed against his sensitive skin.

“No, of course no. It feels so good. Do you want it? Tell me.” “Yes, please. Mas─" Before his words fully came out from his mouth, Yunho attacked his lips without a second thought. They kissed each other hungrily without care. Yunho took the lead, parting yeosang's lips and intertwining with his tongue. Yeosang let out a hem as Yunho kissed him aggressively, leaving him breathless in this heavy make out.

“Gotta fuck you now,” Leaving from each other's lips, Yunho wrapped Yeosang's legs around his waist and knelt down before placing him down on the ground. “Oh god!” Yeosang let out a soft gasp as Yunho entered him, drawing the attention of those around them. Yunho started at a slow pace to make Yeosang adjust to the sensation of being penetrated. After all, it was his first time. The feeling was a mix of strange and thrilling; Yunho pushed deep, almost pushing past his limits. Yet, Yeosang loved it so much. Each thrust gave him a wave of numbness and pleasure.

Murmuring and swearing fled both of their lips, Yeosang threw his head against the ground and closed his eyes, throwing himself into this endless bliss. “Fuck, you're amazing!” Yunho murmured, picking up the pace as Yeosang's long throaty moan urged Yunho to ruin him, have him completely. “Oh gosh-!!My god!! Ah~” Yeosang let out a choppy moan to make everyone gasp. How beautiful the melody was.

Without warning, Yunho pulled out and flipped Yeosang over, pressing him against before thrusting hard from behind. Yeosang's hips were in the air, allowing Yunho to go deeper in this new position. “Fuck!” Yunho groaned, his breath coming in heavy pants. His sanity was about to fade away as Yeosang kept sucking him in;the tightness and the wetness drove him crazy. He drew his hips back, and then slammed himself back in, pumping into his sensitive area.

“Keep your eyes open, Sang.” Yunho commanded, and Yeosang slowly opened his eyes to find that all of their gaze lingered on him. They couldn't tear their eyes away from the sight of Yunho entering him, and his face a mix of pleasure and desire. The wet strands of hair clung to Yeosang's face, swaying with each movement; his ass bounced each time Yunho rolled his hips into him. All of them couldn't lie; their lust was palpable, impossible to ignore.

“Wanna be fucked by them? Huh?Tell me, you slut.” Yunho slapped his ass, making Yeosang groan at the pain. Yet, he wanted more.“See?They all wanted you, wanted to sink their fat cock into your pink hole.” Yunho leaned down to whisper in his ears, pressing his chest against his back. “Oh please, pretty please.” He didn't know what he was begging for, but only felt something tightening in his stomach.

“Need to cum?” Feeling Yunho's big hand trails down to his erection, Yeosang moaned loudly as the cold touch sent him numbness. “Please, please.” Yunho jerked him off at a fast pace, all the heat rushed to his tip. The friction pushed him to the edge of climax, Yeosang spread his legs wider to make Yunho sinking deep. “Master…master…” Yunho fucked him faster and faster and the sound of skin slapping echoed through the room. Everything was overwhelming but perfect at the same time. Yeosang was on cloud nine, totally lost in the lust.

“Cum.” “Gosh!!” Yunho's command was like a trigger, making Yeosang cum immediately. “Good boy.” Yunho also came with a loud moan, filling Yeosang with all his seeds, even dripping on the ground. Huffed and puffed, Yeosang collapsed on the ground and couldn't even sit up straight.

“You're too rough, yunho.” Wooyuoung said while walking to Yeosang's side. “You should treat him softly," Patting his head, Wooyoung left a peck on Yeosang's lips, making Yeosang's eyes shut open in surprise. “Don't be afraid, we will treat you well.” “Don't break him.” Yunho smirked. Without waiting for Yeosang's response, he was picked up by someone effortlessly.

“We're gonna have something fun.” A gummy smile broke out on Jongho's face. Oh he looked so cute. But Yeosang soon denied this thought as Jongho was definitely not cute on the bed.

What Yeosang could remember after that was his clothes were literally ripped off, all the men fucked him at least twice, and he had came countless times until he couldn't anymore.

And, since then, Gods have not come to the world again. The blessedness of humans? They never care.

“Oh pretty, pretty, You want our cock so badly, do you?”

“Yes, please.”

What they cared about was only lust.

[arcimoniousaltheon]

Zero-Two is a nightmare

(It's super long and ranty btw) So I recently watched Darling in the Franxx since I saw the memes a while back and overall, good anime. Definitely a recommendation if you haven't watched it and like mecha animes and romance. However the main character dynamic is just so disturbed. If you haven't seen it and plan to, full spoilers below the breakpoint. If you want the romance 'ruined' though try to keep this question in mind (Yes I'm drawing it out so you can stop reading): "Does she actually know Hiro's name?"

I'll be honest, I didn't think I got off on the right foot with the show. The kiss she forced on him without Hiro knowing what it was already rubbed me the wrong way and somehow that managed to be the least of her problems. In the first half of the show the 'relationship' is one-sided, with Hiro moving heaven and earth for her while she's clearly just using him. At no point does she actually show care for him as a person, for his well-being or for his relation with other people. Even the feeding him at the table, which is the most relation-y thing I can remember her doing, is just for her benefit. He doesn't seem into it, he doesn't seem to like steak with honey and she doesn't wait for him to eat, she forces him to.

Zero-Two acts cold, dismissive with no concern for other people and her relationship with Hiro is nothing but 'greed'. She 'loves' him like a dragon loves gold. Not for any intrinsic value, both want to have it so no-one else can. She doesn't care whether he lives or dies to such a degree that when she has to pick between 'an itch for battle' and his last few minutes on this planet, she picks the former. Other people's lives just don't count to her. She's caused the deaths of multiple people and she can't even be bothered to remember for 24 hours with a living reminder in eyesight.

Another thing is that at no point in the entire show does she take any responsibility for what she's done. The narrative keeps forgiving her but she never actually bothers to learn her lesson. The only even possible exception I can think of is at the start of the second half after the Hand comes down. That off-screen conversation is the only spot where it could feasilbly be slotted into. And it's not once or twice, it just continues. She kills Hiro, he survived so it's fine. Insubordination endangering the team, eh. She puts the rest of the team in the hospital, reconciliation is on the table once the scabs are fully formed. And another thing about that hospital scene: Her thought is 'This is my punishment' which just shows you how much she thinks the world revolves around her. It's a logical consequence of how bad she's acting and her mind frames it like it's divine punishment.

But the main thing thing that just didn't leave me after I thought about it is the constant use of 'Darling'. It was super cute in the memes but once I noticed she literally never calls Hiro by his name it became much less sweet. It struck me like a rockstar calling their side-piece-of-the-week 'babe' because they can't be bothered to learn the actual name. With Zero-Two it mostly strikes me as the actual object of her affection. This vague memory of her 'darling'. Every corpse she's squeezed of energy like a capri-sun was just a temporary substitute which was enjoyed as long as they could last. Hiro is no different to her.

You might argue that that's just until their shared memory is unlocked and I firmly argue against. I don't think Zero-Two actually loves Hiro, the person, even after that. Nothing much changes about Hiro after that so what is this part she oh-so-suddenly loves now? Is it his sweet personality which he'd been displaying since day 1? Is it his leading position among people she didn't even bother to see as alive before? Why does she 'love' him once she knows that he was the boy who gave her freedom? To me the answer became 'she doesn't, he just changed roles from being a substitute to being the embodiment of her Darling'. She acts better because she's supposed to act lovey-dovey with her Darling. She plays ball with his friends so they don't force the wedge between parasite and host again. Maybe this is a bit too assenine, in fact it almost certainly is. But a healthy relationship tends to provide some actual counter-arguments to this line of thinking.

Some miscellaneous things: She fully intended to rape Hiro on that beach. The interruptions between Hiro and Ichigo were most likely intentionally since her senses are suggested to be excellent. Even in those scenes after the Princess kidnapped Hiro I didn't see concern, just focus on her-her-her.

Overall she can feel like a psychopath who instead of reading the Wolf of Wallstreet, read a sappy romance novel. (And thought that analogy up before the picturebook came to light) The show overall is great, the side-characters more than making up for the more messed up parts of the dynamic. Even the main couple themselves aren't unwatchable since the scenes themselves are sweet enough to be enjoyable. It's just the more I think about it the less sympathetic Zero-Two becomes. It just makes Hiro feel mind-controlled honestly.

The weirdest thought I had was that overall the show feels like a fanfic of another show in which Zero-Two doesn't exist. One where Hiro and Ichigo end up together which the writer of the fanfic really hated for whatever reason. The "I feel nothing" line just felt really egregious to me thought it lines up nicely with this. It'd probably have two seasons with the second being VIRM focused with them under command of the Princess and Hiro under some effect similar to that pulsing tumor-thingy he has during his third ride with Zero-Two. Since Zero-Two takes a decent chunk of the role of the Princess, the VIRM plotline is squished into just a few episodes and of course the central OC solves the issue by blowing up the VIRM homeworld. As opposed to something like Hiro and Ichigo undergoing full Saurification and slumbering underneath the earth for the next wave. I don't know, just some deranged idea to explain why the show feels so centralized on someone with surface level humanity.

Sorry for the rant, I'm probably wrong and/or stupid for it but thanks for reading. (if you did.)

[money-and-dandellions]

An AU

where Meg gets seriously hurt and Apollo loses his shit and panics and turns her into one of his muses (that are also counted as minor goddesses, btw) to save her life (that also goes with a different headcanon of gods being able to turn mortals onto divine beings by making them drink ichor straight from the vein immediately after some sort of a spoken permission because otherwise the mortal would be dead on impact after a second; and gods also use it to heal difficult wounds on each other) ; she ends up being the goddess of vengeance and chia seeds (or something like that) and his daughter-sister in the terms of god relation;

she is one of the muses of *his* to, technically, not be under Zeus and, so, there is no need to comply? to obey? to him as she is not under him but under his son instead;

(thinking about it now, Zeus does have ways to order her around)

anyways, 'pollo turns her into an immortal, shit such as mental breakdown and paperwork occurs, and I have a blank space in there, like:

'shit'

'____'

'zeus is getting demolished by a 12 year old girl-muse-godness who has unicorns (for example) as her sacred animal and craves to see his *sensitive part* being chopped off, fried, stuck in his cloaca maxima before making him eat it;

—

sharpens a knife

you made my brother cry and you made him beg for his life, kneeling, we don't do that in here, nuh uh

shakes her head as if 'I am very disappointed in you'

—

[sensitive and violent scene ensures, because only Meg kicks her brother's butt, not some whore of a man Gandalf]

and after that they drive to watch some fluffy cows and Apollo rambles to her about them for 2 hours straight

"Oh no, Meg will die one day and Apollo will be all alone. How sad. :("

Like Meg isn't going to bully her way into immortality sometime in her 30s.

Furthermore, while I do not think Apollo will be able to go through with overthrowing Zeus (mostly because it proves Zeus's paranoia right), Meg is toooootally going to do it because he made her dummy cry that one time.

(Artemis is totally down once Meg tells her about their dad has done to Apollo behind closed doors)

[translightyagami]

💎 🎭 🎢 📜⭐  - a divine power

I just reread this again and I want you to know how much I still fucking LOVE it. And its not just the smut (which is perfect btw)! Like it's so self indulgent and out of left field AND it's just a dern good read. Funny and hot af and that's a rare gem to find.

💡💎 🎵 📜 ⭐ fantasy of a fantasy & possession <3

💎- What was your favorite part?

a divine power - my personal favorite part of the whole fic is the turn when Light finally gives in to L's "power." it took so long to figure out how best to write that slide into madness, and i'm rlly proud of how it came out.

fantasy of a fantasy - favorite part is when L imagines Light in front of him as part of Light's fantasy; its like a nesting doll of weird horny projections.

possession - the part when Light comes back to life and re-enacts the jennifer's body raw beef scene.

🎭- What was the feeling or mood you were going for?

a divine power - huh, this is a tough one to answer bc the real truth is so silly. i wanted to take a super over the top hentai device (the magic dick that makes someone fall in love) and write it as seriously as possible. the mood i wanted was, i guess, classed up porn? as classy as one can get.

🎢- Were there any scenes you were nervous about? For audience reception or otherwise?

a divine power - does my nervousness abt the entire fic's reception count? people were rlly rlly weird in the comments of that fic. like ... legit made me uncomfortable weird lol.

📜-Do you want to write something like this again in the future?

a divine power - like this? probably not. i don't think i'll be dropping this pure uncut smut ever again. tbh, smut gets low audience engagement, and unless i write in a very narrow window, most ppl never even read the stuff. so i will write this stuff, yeah, but i won't post it.

fantasy of a fantasy - sure. entwining character study with smut is the brand here.

possession - no, almost definitely not. i had fun writing this, but i don't think it fits in my fanfic ouvre super well.

⭐- What’s a scene/paragraph you’re proud of?

a divine power - the entire sex scene, plus the part i mentioned previously. i rlly had to work to get it to as clean a read as possible, and i'm proud of how it looks now.

fantasy of a fantasy - i really liked the paragraph where L is trying to figure out how much Light is in the closet. just some super smooth writing there. reads really nice.

possession - oh boy. i like the part where Light grabs L by the horns as they make out. its just hot, and i felt cool when i thought of that.

💡-What was the motivation behind the story?

fantasy of a fantasy - i wanted to write a fic abt L being horny over Light being horny over L. it was also going to be an omegaverse fic that would've delved into like what is acceptable for omega desires but i discarded that shit early bc its a hat on a hat.

possession - i was trawling the old dnkinkmeme on livejournal and there was a request for a fic where Light is sacrificed to L, who makes him his like bride or whatever. the fill was this (a little bit tortured) fantasy thing where L was a dragon, and i thought that the prompt might be better suited to more of a horror vibe. then the scene of Sayu finding Light in the kitchen eating raw meet came to me, and everything else flowed from there.

🎵- Did you have a playlist/piece of music that went with this story?

gonna answer this for all the fic i write, which is that most of the time I don't write with any music playing at all. i can't deal with the distraction. i would say these particular fics (fantasy of a fantasy and possession) don't have music associated with them. maybe living dead girl for possession.

[incomingalbatross]

for the wip meme:

Full Marks

An Old-Fashioned Romance

Turlough Time, I mean how could I resist that as a title

(there seems to be a lot of Turlough love on my dash recently! Are we just all in a mood for slightly evil ginger aliens or what)

Thank you!

“Full Marks” is an older WIP of mine, written not long after “Time of the Doctor.” It’s a missing scene on Gallifrey, right after Clara’s impassioned plea to save the Doctor. The Council is unmoved by said plea in this take, because, well, Gallifrey. What did you expect? But there is one member of the government, who’d been brought back to life with Rassilon, who did listen and find himself caring...

So this was the story of how Borusa saved the Doctor. (Hence the grade-related title.) Because I love Borusa and I want more content of him in the world.

(Note: at my sister’s suggestion, if I rewrote this now it would include Borusa enlisting the Master’s help. Because the Master IS probably technically on Gallifrey during this period??? And he must have gotten out somehow. And also.. this is just the kind of nonsense alliance that happens when you’re a Time Lord stuck on Gallifrey and your shared favorite idiot is out there dying.)

---

“An Old-Fashioned Romance” is answered here!

---

“Turlough Time” is my master doc of notes/speculation on our favorite slightly evil ginger alien, mostly based on Mawryn and Planet of Fire. (Hey, I’ll never complain about positive Turlough content! I love this ridiculous “can’t believe I have morals, UGH” alien boy.)

Some excerpts I like from this doc, unedited:

Doctor: This is Turlough. I have another kid now I guess? I mean the rest of you just sorta appeared in my life, so why not.  Tegan: ALIEN. EVIL! It’s funny because she has so little evidence at the start and yet she is still so right. Love her. - Turlough: *spends five minutes with the Doctor* He’s NOT evil actually and I don’t WANT to kill him. - WHY DOES TURLOUGH KNOW TEMPORAL MECHANICS - Turlough is so happy to be swept up in all this, honestly. I’m telling you, he loves mystery-adventures. They’re his jam.

And my personal version of his backstory! (Also mostly in the form I first typed it out, though with some clarifications and rearrangement for coherency’s sake.)

SO.

Turlough’s family are Very Special People—I’m thinking Space Romanovs probably. Either way, they were high up on the losing side of a civil war, in which Turlough’s mom was killed, and they ended up imprisoned. Turlough’s dad and Malkon were sent to Sarn (WHY??) and Turlough was being groomed to become part of the new regime for some reason?

(GOSH is there a lot of between-the-lines drama packed into the four lines of exposition we got. Well done, Turlough.)

…I’m going with some kind of Divine Royalty concept for Turlough’s family, I think. Some religious/cultural reason that not even the Space Commies dared actually execute the family (though did they sabotage the Misos ship? QUESTIONS), lest they estrange the common people.

Also, it’s super clear that this isn’t Sarn’s first connection to the Misos Triangle—if we’re taking it as a mark of royalty, that opens up Interesting Implications.

Does Turlough evince any signs of magic powers, btw? This is also a Question. (ETA: Ancestral memories COUNT. So yes.)

ANYWAY. Turlough’s time on Trion ended with him committing some offence, getting caught, and being marooned on Earth.

…OH!!

He was trying to escape Trion so he could go rescue his family!! But he didn’t TELL the new regime that, obviously, and he’d already been put in the military, and probably stole one of their ships to ditch the planet (and I‘m not saying “avoid his first engagement” WASN’T a factor in his timing). So it got labeled desertion and cowardice and trying to “run away” (as the other Trion officer says in Planet of Fire).

…ahhhh, that’s beautifully full-circle. Look at my boy invoking his rejected and harmful military rank to save others in Planet of Fire. And it also feels like it would be a good backstory for the Doctor if he hadn’t had Susan?? Which pleases me.

I mean, Turlough basically canonically “doesn’t want to be a soldier,” so… *shrugs with intense meaning*

Very rambly, but I’m proud of the work I did there, even if not the form. :P

[ambidextrousarcher]

Sarcastic StarBharat Reviews- Episode 2: Pratigya, Iccha Mrityu, and a very long, detailed, boring part.

The episode starts off with Devavrat calling his mama to do a prakat and witness his oath. She doesn’t do a prakat, the skies are still all red-red, obviously this oath thing is not a good idea. (Sidenote: Neither elements of nature, nor characters in the actual epic are half the drama queens they’re portrayed as in this show) But no one cares, because plot. And the oath proceeds. Devavrat swears on his mother’s divinity, her purity and his father’s trust that he won’t be Hastina’s King, he’ll be its servant all his life. (Also. Mata Satyavati? That soon? Whoa. Dedication) Shantanu makes his horrified entry in the middle of his oath, which is one long oath. Anyway. Devavrat swears that he’ll give the Kingdom over to Satyavati’s kids, and for the sake of their future, he will abstain from marriage, from family and be a brahmachari all his life. For some reason, Satyavati is gaping like a fish. I dunno why. She’s gotten all she’s asked for, right? I see. She wasn’t expecting to. BTW, she’s looking rather horrified, too. Maybe she’s regretting it already… All this takes place to the music of ‘Dharme cha arthe cha kaame che moksha cha…” Should I assume it’s adharm? Probably. The waters of the Ganga begin boiling and shooting out like geysers. It is making clearer by the moment. Not a good idea. But what is done is done. Shantanu, idiot that he is, yells his son’s name after he’s done swearing the oath. He runs up to his son and goes “What have you done?” while Devavrat, quite coolly, goes ‘Pranipat, Pitashree.’ You gotta admire the man here, really, you got to. Apparently, Shantanu still wants to drown in self-pity, because he’s like “How could you take such a terrible oath (Bhishm pratigya)? You’ve forgotten that a gift too large is no pleasure, but punishment…” Dude. If you want to look for ways to remain wallowing in self-pity, everyone! Take lessons from Shantanu. I mean, what does it take for this guy to be happy? Devavrat, all Mr. Dutiful son, goes “No, no, dad, don’t say that! I haven’t given you any boons, just made sure the Kingdom of our ancestors remains afloat. I just pressed the delete button on all future problems!” Oh, dear. My beautiful summer child. You have no idea how horrendously you’re wrong. He continues in the same vein. “This is my duty as the crown prince.” Shantanu gleefully accepts it, saying, “Many people grant wishes, but few have the courage to accept it as duty.” He then asks for a chance to return the favor. Devavrat, who is a paragon of perfection here (which he is not in canon, so #canon fail 3, I guess) asks for the boon not to die until Hastinapur is ruled by Dharma and Samarth (talent) both. (In that vein, the King he dies for doesn’t have Samarth, afaik. He just uses his brothers’ Samarth for his purposes. But maybe I’m biased. Or maybe it counts anyway.) Cue the precap scene. He gets iccha mrityu and is also christened with the name Bhishm. Cue dramatic “Bhishm Bhishm Bhishm” music, followed by slow Bhishm theme.

We cut to a map. Quite a beautiful one. And focus on Panchal. We reach Panchal, where there is a crowd clamoring for the King to punish someone. Who could it freaking possibly be? Oh, shit. Shit. He’s Hastina’s Prince, Prince Vichitraveerya. (BTW, what kinda name is that?) Also, canon fail #4, I think. Vichitraveerya wasn’t ever this debauched in canon, afaik. Correct me if y’all remember something like that, okay?  Also, this guy gets a swell intro for someone who’s about to be punished, flogged, I guess. That guy, for his part, is watching the proceedings with a super creepy smile. He’s accused of drunk entry into Panchal and the crime of setting farms ablaze, which is a more serious crime than manslaughter, apparently. So he’s sentenced to death. Oh, yeah. He appears quite unconcerned, stating that his elder brother will come to his rescue. And then he goes on and spits on the Panchal King’s face. Bravado. The punishment begins. And…an arrow cuts through Mr. Drunk Trespasser’s bonds. Bhishm theme! Bhishm makes a dramatic entrance. A trading of words occurs, to the theme of ‘Your Prince messed up bad, we were just taking advantage of the situation.” Bhishm comes with a legit badass line, “Raavan thought he was taking advantage of the situation when he set fire on Hanuman’s tail. Do not set fire to Bhishm’s hear.” Dude. Badass. Referring to yourself in third person a la “Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he,” type, much? Whoa. “Stop me if you can.” Mr. Panchal King yells “Attack!” An arrow flies, Bhishm stops it in his hands, breaking the arrow. Behind him, the Hastinapur Army streams in from the gates. Mr. Panchal King tries to kill him by sleuth when he’s picking up his useless Prince. This guy smoothly disarms him and slaps him in the face for good measure. Mr. Panchal King, pissed, gives a shraap. “Bhishm! You will pay for what you did. The cause of your death will be born here in Panchal!” Bhishm just gives a look as he leaves.

Camera focuses on psycho Princess #1, psycho lady #2. Amba. I dunno why, for some reason, this adaptation is showing too many women as psychotic. Canon fail #5. Neither Amba nor Satyavati are this psychotic.  Then follows a cringey love scene b/w Amba and Shalva. Before which the maiden sets fires to fields, and probably to her men also. Scene change. Camera pans to pathetic Vichitraveerya, who’s getting a lecture on the ills of alcoholism and the strength expected in a Crown Prince. He’s pleading for mercy as Bhishm easily manhandles him all over an arena, finally falling at his mama’s feet. Psycho mama fusses over her stupid kiddo. She scolds Bhishm for disciplining her son who had after all, only humiliated an enemy. Canon note: Was Panchal really Hastina’s enemy back then? Dunno. Bhishm is like “He’s a crown Prince. He cannot be weak.” Right, bro. Psycho mum: “You are his strength.” Followed by “A King’s body is like a golden chalice.” Bhishm nods. “But for the chalice to attain respect, it should be at the pinnacle of a temple. I only wish for Vichitraveerya to be like father, his name to be taken with respect in the people’s voice.” Rational, really. But psycho mama is having none of that, as she clutches her drunk and staggering kid close. And..skip. Because Krishna Gyaan. Wait, let’s at least know the theme of the lecture, yes? It’s about the duty of parents. Alright. Skip again. Precap: The Kashi Princesses are having a Swayamvar. Psycho princess is making eyes at Shalva. On the other side, Satyavati is asking Bhishma to bring the 3 princesses of Kashi to Hastina as brides for her drunk kid.

tagging @starsailororastronaut @butchcaroldanvers, @walburgablack, @iamnotthat because you guys seemed to like the first post.

[cnceuntcld]

melindax

replied to your post

“The alternate Enchanted Forest is clearly about French stories...”

Well they established that different lands, time goes by differently? It's why Belle aged so quickly and Emma and Killian's child hadn't even been born yet?

They actually never established that for real. The time Cora spent in Wonderland, as well as Jefferson didn’t alter the time on his own realm. Same as any other realm except for Neverland, where time doesn’t pass within but it does without, or the Dark Realm, where time passes faster (just not much faster). The problem is that Once Upon a Time writers and creators, liked to work with numbers, and always the same numbers: 28, 7, etcetc. 

So, Hope wasn’t born because the curse that Drizella cast sent them to the past within the land Storybrooke was, as proven when Robin and Alice travel in the finale and find that Henry just graduated the day before, or Henry calling himself within the previous (i think it was the previous) episode and precisely telling himself to leave. The fact that HEnry left Storybrooke to the New Enchantd Forest is in itself a paradox, which is why, once the last curse is cast on the finale, Wish!Henry is there and adult Henry with his family, because the kid Henry is making it possible. 

Bella and Rumple technically have a long life in our mind because we have the imagery of people dying of old age at a really old age. But that’s because we have medicine and whatnot. Belle and Rumple live travelling around. HEnce the scene of Rumple trying to get rid of the Dagger is set 10 years after the season 6 finale (because Gideon is 10 years old), whereas Gideon leaving is early twenties (Since he’s going to an academy, this is an asumption but i doubt he’d be much older) and they’re living in the library of scrolls. 

Library of Scrolls is a location. It appears in the fourth episode of the seventh season. The Library of Scrolls is a big library where Belle, Mr. Gold and Gideon research information about how to free Mr. Gold from the darkness. However, it is not known if Belle and Mr. Gold actually own it.

Belle continues to age normally, and there’s been several years after they left in the first place, not after Gideon left them. Because when Belle dies, Gideon, same actor, is present. Gideon can’t be more than 32at the time (basic assumption). 

At the same time, Henry is 34 or so when Lucy is 6 years old, because 28 is the year that is set at Henry arriving. So here they are coming with maths problems due to the need of recastin henry with an older actor (since Jared left the show or wanted to leave it more prominently rather than being in it for every episode).

Anyhow, is hard to keep up with it but basically: the time didn’t pass differently, it’s just by the time Hope is around a year old the last scene takes place, several months after the curse was cast. It is hard to know if becuse of how the curse was cast, they chose to pick up Emma pregnant because originally, Emma wasn’t going to have Hope in the inale to begin with so if we follow the actual time line: Emma was not pregnant when the curse took Storybrooke and united all the Realms (Including, btw, DRizella and Anastasia who are not seen but technically should be there, as well as the Evil Queen as she was also there, Phillip or Aurora and everyone who was left behind because Regina took everyone). But since they wanted to end the show with Hope which is the motor of the series, they took that little time bubble thing that puts Emma being weeks pregnant when Henry meets Ella onto the not so pregnant Emma because Henry was meant to not be that way.

So going back to Gothel which was the primary problem: technically Gothel was in the New Enchanted Forest, as she delved there and only there. Rapunzel is from there, after all. So is the witch in the divination Ball. And every character that is not from Wish Realm nor Storybrooke’s curse. The state of “before this land lost its magic” was probably an understatement because, technically, the land should’ve lost its magic openly in the Renaissance, (and the Renaissance are theclothes those characters are wearing in that flashback) but that’s not 1000 years before the events of the show, but 600 at much (since the Renaissance begins in Italy in mid 1400 (or the quattrocento), because technically Hyperion Heights curse is set in 2020 (Henry being 18 when he leaves Storybrooke, while being born in 2001)  It should be a different land then, as if we count the 2020 year as beginning of Henry’s own story and sum up the adventures he had with Jack as an still teenager, then meeting Ella because before meeting Ella he had been world jumping assumingly (otherwise recasting with a much older actor makes 0 sense),  which should be around 15-20 more years. The events in the New Enchanted Forest before the curse should be set in 2040 within Storybrook standards so still very much far from 1000 years and when Emma and Regina meet him again in there and iti ss revealed that Emma is pregnant, they both noticed how much he had grown up. 

Further more, in the moment Alice and Robin travel, Robin in Zelena’s car is 6 years old. That’s why the beginning says 6 years after when Lucy knocks on the door. Because for Storybrooke events only 6 have passed, but in reality muuuuch more has.

Eitherway, That’s why Gothel can’t be from the Land without Magic. If Seraphina was at least 1000 years old she wouldn’t be wearing a blue pompous dress like because this is Renaissance clothing. And this is a Renaissance building. Impossible for it to be the time it should be for 1000 years of difference within the Land Without Magic. Unless she comes from a different, very different realm without magic. Lastly, but not least, they travel through a portal. Which implies that it actually happens in a whooole different realm.

So she might be a 1000 years older, but from a different land. Landing a 1000 years into the past of the New Enchanted Forest events rather than the Land Without Magic. Making Gothel Mother Nature, surely, and a nymph, but not from our world, but a different land, and Seraphina a witch fromt hat world, as magic seems a weird talent in that earth as well.

Hope it makes sense lol I’ve tried to write it during the episode and couldn’t XD

[scriptautistic]

@horribleprotagonist​ submitted:

So I have an autistic character who’s extremely sarcastic and understands the definition of sarcasm but when other people use it he doesn’t pick up on it bc he has trouble with social cues. Is that accurate? He’s also super friendly and connects well with kids bc it’s easier for him to communicate with them and I was wondering if that perpetuates the autism is childish stereotype. He stims by hugging people and seeks hugs from people he trusts bc the pressure is calming but he is averse to handshakes and hugs from strangers so I was curious if hugging counts as a stim? he’s super smart too like Super Smart, how can I portray this without stereotyping? also he’s ace partially because of his autism but not entirely is that ok to say that he’s ace partially because of his autism? Lastly he has 2 really strong special interests can autistic people have more than one that are lifelong? Sorry for all the questions love ur blog btw

Sarcasm Yes, that is one way that a character might experience sarcasm. It is also possible that when he uses sarcasm other people don’t pick up on his sarcasm because he uses it a bit differently than most allistic people do.

Connecting well with children This is a real thing that happens! I talk about it a bit in this post. Connecting well with children does not necessarily make your character seem childish–it depends on how you write it! You can show that he gets along well with children while at the same time showing that he is very different from a child.

Hugs Hugging is definitely a sensory experience that some autistic people enjoy. The deep pressure from hugs is good for many people. Whether it counts as a stim depends on exactly how you define stimming, but hugs are definitely something that can stimulate the senses in a positive way.

Super Smart Please be aware that autistic “savants” are relatively over-represented in the media, and not usually in an accurate way. As for how to portray this without stereotyping… there’s a lot that could be said here, but I will give only brief suggestions (there are quite a lot of questions in this message!)

I would avoid having “character happens to know the information needed at this exact point in time” in a) every scene (it is not realistic); or b) as a miracle that saves the day when there has been no indication that the character would know this sort of information (a deus ex machina). Obviously there are exceptions, you know your manuscript and I don’t, I just personally find these tropes tiresome.

Consider what types of intelligence your character has, and what his areas of expertise are. You could look at Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences to help you think about which types of intelligences are a strength for your character. Then think about what sort of information your character would be able to know given his life so far.

If we look at Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger for example, although she is very intelligent and is able to memorise huge amounts of information she has areas of weakness (for example poor skills in Quidditch and Divination) and areas where she has not had access to information (for example knowledge of the Tales of Beadle the Bard and magical culture)

From an autistic perspective, try to avoid having a story that implies “this autistic person has a Hard Life, but it is ok he has value because he is smart!!!!” People’s value is not dependent on their abilities.

Asexuality We previously posted this answer about a character who is asexual and aromantic. When it comes to saying that your character is asexual because of his autism, it’s a tricky decision. Some asexual autistic people do feel that their sexuality is related to being autistic, but you have to balance that against the desexualisation of disability in the media. Some autistic people (including asexual autistic people) would be uncomfortable with someone saying that there is a causal link between autism and asexuality. One possible thing you could do is include another autistic character who is not asexual. Another thing you could do is show that while being autistic doesn’t make someone asexual, being autistic does have an impact on how they relate to their sexuality.

Special interests Your character could have more than one life-long special interest. They might not both be as intense as each other, or they might be two very different types of interest (for example, one could be collecting match boxes and the other could be Old English literature).

-Mod Snail buy me a coffee // check out the FAQ

[dracomxlfoyss-blog]

harry potter related facts about me!

i've probably mentioned a lot of these in previous posts, but i need something to post so just go with it okok

btw i'm getting most of my ideas on what to put here from the #hpmonth2 thing on instagram lol

–i'm a proud gryffindor ❤️💛

–the house hybrid id probably fit into the most is gryffinclaw (gryffindor and ravenclaw)

–my ilvermorny house is thunderbird

–my patronus is an orca

–my wand is black walnut wood with a phoenix feather core 11" and unyielding flexibility

–my otp is harmione (i stg i love them)

–i also ship drarry and nuna (a lot but not as much as harry and hermione)

–my favorite male characters are draco, sirius, neville, harry, remus, hagrid, and the twins

–my favorite female characters are hermione, luna, ginny, molly, mcgonagall, tonks, and narcissa

–my least favorite male characters are crabbe, goyle, and lucius malfoy

–my least favorite female characters are umbridge and pansy

–my favorite marauder is padfoot

���my favorite villain is bellatrix

–my favorite class would probably be charms (i would say others but those are dependent on who's teaching them.)

–my least favorite class would probably be divination (i think that whole seer thing is annoying lol)

–my favorite professors are lupin and mcgonagall

–my least favorite professors are umbridge, lockhart, and trelawney

–my favorite d.a.d.a professor was lupin

–my favorite books are prisoner of azkaban and order of the phoenix

–my favorite movies are also, once again, prisoner of azkaban and order of the phoenix, with the addition of deathly hallows pt 2 and halfblood prince

–i'm still not over the deaths of sirius, fred, cedric, lupin, tonks, and dobby

–id probably be best friends with hermione

–my favorite scenes from each of the movies are:

ps/ss- their flying lesson

cos- ron getting the howler and the dueling club

poa- hagrid's first care of magical creatures lesson (ngl it's mainly because of draco being such an adorable jerk during it)

ootp- when theyre at a d.a. meeting and they're practicing producing patronuses

hbp- the fight in the bathroom between draco and harry and dinner with slughorn

dh pt1- the story about the three brothers and death (pretty sure it was in this part?)

dh pt2- mcgonagall saying boom (lmao does that even count), when snape pulls out his wand are the students are like lol okay he's not gonna do anything but when mcgonagall does that all freak out, and when pansy and the slytherins get locked in a dungeon (and when draco apparates in all of a sudden, he looks so hot djdahsjsk), when narcissa lies to voldy about harry being dead to protect draco, and when molly kills bellatrix

–my favorite friendships are the golden/silver trios, harry's with the twins, harry's with mcgonagall, and hermione's with ginny

–my favorite family is the weasleys

–my favorite weasley is either molly, the twins, or (book) ginny

–my favorite spell is expecto patronum or accio

-my favorite cast members are tom felton (draco), emma watson (hermione), or bonnie wright (ginny)

–my favorite quotes are "you're just as sane as i am" "i solemnly swear i am up to no good" "mischief managed" and dumbledores speech in the 6th movie about dark forces trying to penetrate the castles walls and that stuff

[kierongillen]

Writer Notes: The Wicked + the Divine 28

Spoilers, obv.

I mentioned in the back of the issue that I was thinking that Imperial Phase Part I would just end with no climax. As in, what would be more proggy and self-indulgent than to do that? Just to assume that people would accept a whole year of issues as a single trade, and have that slow build. And if people are expecting a surprise, not having a surprise would be the bigger one?

Except I plotted out the fucker, and realised this issue would end the trade, and that works pretty well as a climax.  Not as big as any of the other ones, arguably, but wider and certainly a change of status quo. Plus it's an unexpected answer to the question of “Who's going to die?” undermining the assumption that it has to be one of our core cast.

This is probably a good example of how I talk about knowing everything in WicDiv, but the execution being more flexible. As in, all these beats are there, but working out how to play them came when planning these two arcs.

It's a hard issue for me, to be honest. WicDiv is definitely in a cause of anxiety place for me now, and thematically I can see why. WicDiv is always a juggling act, but I'm aware I'm juggling knives.

Jamie's Cover: The last of the first half of Imperial Phase. The design continues to the second half of Imperial Phase, with variations. I think this one is particularly beautiful, but pointed.

Elsa Charretier's Cover: We met Elsa when we were launching WicDiv in France. Glenat, our French Publisher, had commissioned her to do a WicDiv print. That was beautiful, and we asked her if she'd be up for a cover. And lo, this was born. The commission was glamour and sex – I think I suggested the idea of a sun in a martini glass. Elsa summoned this panorama that I just lose myself in.

It's also one of our rare Alt covers which is actually coloured by Matt Wilson, who took a pretty radical approach to the image. Matt Wilson for Eisner!

Page 1 Last time I talked about having a surplus of material and working out how to present it, and it actually all compressing down worryingly well. I had my list of things I wanted to happen before the party. I realised that some of them – mainly Sakhmet related – I could move into issue 29. Which left this, which I felt as an incredibly low-key mundane scene made a fun thing to hard cut from to the party.

Roehampton chosen due to me doing a seminar at the University there last year. I felt that Blake would be teaching in a place like it.

Jamie had a hefty re-write of this one when drawing it, and we chewed over the execution in chat a little. “The script is the start of a conversation, not the end of it.”

Wall stuff was also done in conversation. I gave Jamie a bunch of suggestions and we unpacked a little more.  Shall I go though and say what they all are? I'm not sure if I can recognise them in fragments. That's Girl's Generation, the K-Pop band on the left. They were the primary visual inspiration for the Valkyries. Oh – and Jamie tells me that's Katy Perry on the right.

Page 2 I am very fond of the side-eye of Blake in the second panel. Strong Jamie expression.

Behind Blake is... League of Legends, Ghost in the Machine and Voltron.

And another really strong face in the last panel.

Page 3 Oddly, Cassandra's habit of little encouraging asides to people seems to be a thing now. How will people read them in world? Actually sincerely or patronising? I guess it depends how defensive they were feeling on any given day.

Page 4 A call back to Larkin's This Be The Verse, quoted by Luci in the first issue, recalled by Laura in issue 6.

My first draft title was Pride, drawing a line between Blake's parental pride and Sakmet's pride of lions. And then we remembered it'll also call to mind Pride, which when there's a slaughter at a pansexual orgy, is definitely not a comparison we wanted to make. So we went to this.

I suspect these writer notes are mainly my “here are some of the landmines we nearly stepped on” log.

Page 5 Originally the line was a lift of Lady Vox's in Phonogram, but something more noxious was clearly better. I called for the cocaine-tool, and Jamie out-did himself. The mosquito-like device emerging from the helmet is quite the thing. I suspect this is a left over Iron Man idea.

The visual element of the performance of the colouring-stage added symbols came from Matt. He was playing with various overlapping shapes, which were beautiful, but didn't seem to be anything other than a cute aesthetic. And then we realised that if we made them all Amaterasu symbols it'll integrate into the whole book. And lo, it does.

When plotting this issue, it's very much a “okay, what order CAN they be in.” I suspect I'd have rather taken more time to get to the confrontation, but everything else is more important to be in its place. Space is the interesting one – I suspect given an infinite budget we'd have have played more space to introduce this party/temple, probably with a issue-8 style dance-floor shot. But we don't, so we go completely the other way with this very TIGHT open, and put you in the middle of this slightly disorientating party you build up piecemeal. 

Page 6 This involved some consultancy here, as I suspected (and I was right) that the original draft of Cassandra's dialogue let Woden off the hook too easily. We ended up tweaking a bunch to make her angrier to start, and still angry at the end, even after she takes Woden's point. I suspect I'd have gone even further given a chance to do it again.

(I mean, do you believe Woden that he didn't click? Plus that he knows the implicit threat by saying he didn't click – as in, he definitely could click if he wanted to. This is particularly noxious by Woden.)

End of the page is the closest we get to an establishing shot of the club/temple, btw.

Note that Jamie has moved away from a strict eight panel grid here, which suits the material. That panels two and five are these relatively smaller moments means that it would be dead space.

Page 7 And notice the strict eight panel grid here, which Jamie maintains as all these beats are basically of equal narrative weight.

Panel 7 is Jamie redrawing the splash from Brandon Graham's issue. Clearly relevant to what's coming further down the line.

In an issue of fairly bleak jokes, I think Woden's last panel takes the prize.

Page 8 The sequence is the last bit of set-up for the end of the issue. I suspect a re-read of the last couple of issues will see what I considered the necessary Sakhmet beats to get here. Next issue has more, but it's all very morning-after.

Special call out for Clayton for the second panel, which uses a PING! To basically split this panel into two panels in terms of reading. There's Amaterasu's first line... a small delay – and then the next piece of information. This is joined to the left-right movement across the panel from seeing the back of her head (I'm leaving!) to the right side of the panel (Where we then see she's looking at her phone.)

The softest beat of the issue, and probably one that I'd have stressed more if it was only a grace note, would be the reason for Baal's absence. Persephone assumes it's because that she is there, hence the segue in conversation on hurting people.

(In a boring practical way, Baal and Minerva not being here streamlines an issue which all the cast are present at. They don't need to be here, and their absence says more.)

The last three panels on the page are the closest that Sakhmet has come to a speech. Originally, there was about twice as much dialogue, but we worked it over obsessively to get to the core essentials (and try and avoid juxtapositions which we simply didn't want.) C and I shouting various takes and word-switches for about an hour in the living room.

All the WicDiv characters depress me. I think Sakhmet depresses me most of all.

Page 9 Anyway, yes, Sakhmet, that is a very good look.

Sakhmet's entry for the bleak joke competition, evidently.

Page 10 That we cut away from Casssandra means we get to cut back to her after the reasonable stage of an exchange and straight into this.

Hmm. There's something odd about this issue in terms of how pretty it all is, versus the emotions that are flying around. That's Amaterasu all over though.

The third panel was key for us to have Amaterasu's lines juxtaposed by Cassandra's response, so that it couldn't be taken out of context. A character responding to another character's incoherent racism is important context. I considered the archaic spelling “Moslem” but decided that while I'm sure that Amaterasu would use it, it wasn't worth putting in the text. It's offensive enough anyway.

Page 11 Some fascinating character work by Matt and Jamie on Amaterasu's speech to camera. The passive-aggressive nature of her threat is particularly sickly.

Cass' swearing is a delight.

I think I originally did something like “Clawing her eyes out” and tweaked as I) gendered ii) with where the issue goes, sets up all sorts of uncomfortable resonances with both Morrigan and Sakhmet. WicDiv is designed to be viewed as a hologram, so removing data strands that aren't intended is key.

(I mean, I talk about being anxious earlier? That's certainly a reason. There's so many moving parts in this fucker, and for all our efforts we can’t be sure that some of them are going to mesh awkwardly. We can always miss something.)

Anyway – there goes Cass, told to go home, the first of the people to leave the party. Everyone else gradually leaves, until it's just the people who remain. Woden doesn't get an exit, but let's be candid – no-one would have ever assumed Woden would be invited to the orgy.

And Dio takes over as the connective tissue. Hmm. Re-reading this after a few weeks is making me realise how tightly wound it really is. I had a friend write to tell me how many panels the last two issues had. 26 with 127 and 27 with 142. I did a quick count, and this one is (about) 119, so a little down, but when an average mainstream comic would have around 80 panels in (No more than a 5 panel beat, with average panel count lower than due to splashes, action pages, etc) it speaks to how compressed this is running on. No wonder I feel like it's going to explode.

Anyway, Dio. What have you seen?

Page 12 The main worry on this page was not making the storytelling too comic. The “someone leaves” And then “Someone unexpected follows pushing first person out of the way” can definitely come across as slapstick. Jamie doesn't do that, so phew. It's setting up for the destination.

The hyper-distorted close-up-to-reader Amaterasu symbols here are fascinating. Well done, Matt.

Page 13 And out in the street. Matt's glow from the door, into the cold blues of the street is strong. Immediate change of mood.

(Also, has me thinking of the break to darkness in issue 8 before going back to the party, as a structural parallel)

I don't actually use much contemporary slang in WicDiv. I suspect this isn't actually something people have noticed. As such, I had a good hard think before using Ghosting, but it's the right word and sentiment. And – well – Ghosting and Goths is an interesting line.

The goth kids absence from the comic have been notable. As they'd been major players earlier, they were always going to step back so other characters can move closer to the spotlight. I realised pretty early in planning Imperial Phase that the necessary retreat from the spotlight would be a way to explicitly introduce the plot. We could delineate their absence.

Page 14 Yeah, I'm uncomfortable too.

I don't think it's worth talking about this in any more detail now. Probably more later as we continue into the story.

Dionysus is the character who has most often surprised me in WicDiv. When he enters a scene, he goes in an unusual direction. He asks slightly different questions from most of the cast. “She chased him out the building and now he looks like this? Clearly...” seems a fair leap to make.

Page 15 “I love you, but...” is one of the more obvious bits of connective tissue in the issue.

Jamie does an interesting choice in terms of panel 4 and Persephone's response.

Another bit of peak Amaterasu here in the “What happened to my party?” response. Upset of her party not going according to her plans is, of course, how the arc starts for Amy as well.

Matt obviously gets the colouring interesting – all amber here – but Jamie is doing a lot to bridge the gap between two sub-scenes. That fifth panel re-sets it all, and hopefully Amaterasu's voice carries people back inside.

Page 16 The first panel landed very well. There's a lot of emotional weight that this has to carry, and suggesting of other things, and it seems to hold together. I suspect you can patch together all the Persephone Lines To Camera in WicDiv and get an interesting portrait of where she thinks she is.

(I mean, this is Jamie. It's never just about the line. I can't even imagine trying to write this stuff for another artist.)

My favourite person in all of WicDiv may be the guy in the hat in the bottom panel who goes “You know – actually, no, I don't think so. I think I'll have an early night” when presented with this offer. Good call, random person.

Interesting choice of panel breaking by Jamie on the last panel, which gets a sense of the rush of the response.

Page 17 Well, yes.

Page 18 When someone asked me about sex scenes a while back, this was already written and perhaps even being drawn, so I was aware of this in terms of a hypothetical WicDiv scene scene. Let's quote the thing here for reference...

We certainly don’t linger on the sex scenes. There’s an orgy in issue 11. There’s one beat where you see Morrigan and Baphomet in issue 16. There’s the repurposed Sex Criminal pages in 14. There’s very little kissing in terms of what you actually see  - there’s one in 20 and one in 24, so far. While at the same time, characters having sex with one another is one of the things which drives the plot.

Speaking generally, I’ve got no moral reservation about sex scenes in stories per se. It always speaks to the effect the story is trying to have. To state the obvious, in erotica it’s very much the point of the thing.

There’s a couple of problems specifically in WicDiv…

1) Seeings someone have sex has a tendency to make the scene about you watching. Our characters are often, in their own way, viewpoint characters. Anything which makes a character perform for the viewer is against our intent there. There’s times we’ve approached it, and Jamie has very much backed away when we approached the page, as it was just extraneous. Why do it if it serves no purpose? 2) Probably more importantly, sex is usually dead pages in terms of drama. The fight scenes WicDiv does are almost always not about fighting. They’re about a change of dramatic states, a visually interesting way to push the plot along. Go through a fight scene and note down what you learn about each character in it. You can certainly do that in a sex scene… but dramatically speaking, the “decision to have sex” and “how you feel afterwards” are the key beats. So we linger on them a LOT.

But there’s certainly sex scenes I’ve written in my notes, and they’re much more character driven things, one way or another. I suspect one will come up sooner rather than later, though watching how we do it will be the interesting one.

That “interesting” sits uncomfortably with me, as it sounds like I'm foreshadowing this awful mess, when I'm talking in terms of craft. How do you do that and stay to our aims? The things I'd point to here is primarily Jamie's choices – how he chooses to frame nakedness, how he chooses to frame sex. Generally speaking, this is an illustrative scene. The neutrality is key – Amaterasu's nakedness  in panel 6 would be a key one. There is no pose for the readers' eye's delight. This is a character who happens to be naked. Or at least, that's how we hope it's read.

(There's also other things – we thought that if Sakhmet is the first character to be shown naked just as she turns on a killing range, that has a lot of semiotics in there we'd like to avoid.)

Page 19 You know how life can just shatter in a second? I guess that's what we were going for here. Just one character being thoughtless, and...

(Fill in “That escalated quickly” gif, obviously)

For my money, perhaps Jamie's best art of the issue is the last two panels. The suspended glass, and then that close up – which is not one, but both of the best single expressions in the book.

Page 20-21 Amaterasu runs – I've seen some people think that Sakhmet killed her in this scene, which is one of those “you always must remember your audience is diverse in terms of how much they're aware of things like knowing what a character's power looks like, especially when a larger than normal percentage of your readers are new to comics.” I'm not sure there's much we could have done, except maybe a “come back!” from Sakhmet in the first panel. But  that feels too crass for the people who DO get it. Balancing what is too opaque and what is too crass is basically 95% of comics for me.

This spread was budgeted as a single page, in terms of the amount Jamie has drawn. I may have done it anyway, but it is a way to ensure that we have a page turn onto the image on page 22.

(Also visual symmetry with Sakhmet in issue 17, where the black out image is also used.)

Page 22 I like how careful Jamie is here as well. I suspect the page with the most colouring tweaks in it, as Jamie wanted it to have the correct level of horror to it.

I originally had a more on-the-nose element to the image – a message scrawled in blood – but as much as I like a good System Shock homage, it was decided it was just too much. It's a Grand Guignol beat, sure, but not like that. It seems that there is a thing such as “too unsubtle” even for WicDiv.

Page 23 When originally planning the book, I thought this flashback was going to be at the end of Rising Action. After writing it, we realised we didn't need it – Persephone terrible and resplendent, with all the awful potential didn't need anything else. This is probably a good example of what I talk about in terms of when we say “we know all the material – it's just a question of execution.” I find myself thinking of how movies are really made by the editor, cutting scenes around.

(There's certainly things I've wanted to get in this arc which I've lost as something else was always more pressing. You may remember me saying one of my worries about year 3 in WicDiv was it was mainly girls being involved with girls, and there wasn't enough male/male intimacy? That would be an example of something which I'd like to find a place for, but have failed to do so far. Still, onwards.)

As a craft note, I'd point towards “6 months earlier” as a choice worth considering for creators. If you just write dates to control flashbacks rather than stating the relative position, you will lose your reader almost completely. They don't remember what period a story is set in just via numbers. They need either word based hand-holding or something much more visual in the story. Be very careful with this shit.

Page 24 In an issue as compressed as this, a page of Ananke way back in issue 21 me a luxury. But for someone like Ananke, it's so rare I hope it's interesting. Some strong expression work in here.

Clearly the advantage of that mask of hers is that it means it's harder for people to see that she's been crying.

Page 25 A “free” page in terms of budget, though Jamie clearly committed to it  with the hand.

In the third year's hardback, we may include our somewhat hilarious lettering trial runs where Chrissy and Katie tried their handwriting. The final one is actually the work of Marguerite Bennett, who as a self-described Supervillain seemed a good person to ask to do it. Also, I've seen enough of her pen when signing issues of Angela, so knew she had a fascinating font. She was enormously ill and bed-ridden, so it was touch or go whether she would be able to do it, but thankfully it all came together. Thanks, M.

Page 26 A complete re-use of the opening of issue 21, with the final panel turned into a (tweaked) repeat of the penultimate panel. Once more we return and all that.

We'll be doing a little tweak to this page in the trade in the penultimate panel, to put a little glow on the machinery.

Page 27 We had to debate whether to put the present date or the flashback date here, but settled on this.

And that's it. Coming up shortly is the 455 AD special, which certainly fits thematically in with this arc and Andre (and Matt) have done wonderful work on. Then the trade in June, and back with Imperial Phase Part II in July.

Thanks for reading.

[totesmccoats]

All-Star Batman #13

Alfred continues to wonder if he’s to blame for enabling Bruce to risk his life every night as Batman, and if Bruce would stop if he wasn’t around anymore. But before anything else, Batman and Alfred have to focus on reaching the ground in one piece among the falling debris of what used to be the new Wayne Miami hotel.

The issue opens on an extended sequence of Bruce and Alfred falling, Bruce trying to hold onto Alfred while also keeping his glider cape stable, Alfred willing to sacrifice himself for his son. It’s a beautiful sequence aesthetically and thematically; both men falling together, trying their best to save each-other as their world crumbles around them, Alfred afraid that he’ll just weigh Bruce down, dooming them both.

We also get more of Alfred’s backstory as Nemesis, as he completes his training and discovers that Briar is darker then he knew. And later, Batman chases down the villains that stole the Genesis Drive, bringing him face-to-face with Briar and the new Nemesis, and prompting Alfred to once again run towards the darkness.

I swear, every issue of All-Star is full-tilt Batman. Even quieter moments, like Batman stopping some teens to take their motorcycles, don’t go by without some Lethal Weapon handshake-esque gesture of badassitude. And the final page of this issue made me squeal it’s so awesome.

  Wonder Woman #29

It’s rare for a comic to improve when half an issue is a fight scene, but this may be my favorite issue of Fontana’s Wonder Woman yet. While the fight itself only barely advances the plot – by giving Wonder Woman the opportunity to track down who hired all these assassins – it contains a lot of great dialogue as the assassins fight among themselves to bring Wonder Woman in, while Diana asserts that she doesn’t belong to any of them, and Candy shows that she’s just as dangerous with a cane as she is with a gun. Even Fontana’s jokes, which were a sore spot for me in previous issues, work better with the fight to act as set-up or punch-line.

And the dilemma presented to Diana after the fight, when she learns that the assassins were hired to bring her in because her DNA may be able to be used to cure numerous diseases, is interesting. Does Diana give herself to the “villain” if doing so would allow him the ability to help millions of others; especially if she can do so voluntarily and without sacrificing herself? Really, it seems like an easy choice to make, with Diana’s only real doubt coming from the fact that he hired assassins to get her rather than just asking – which, admittedly, is a completely legitimate reason to not trust someone.

Really, that this dude’s first thought was “hire assassins” rather than to just ask the superhero if she’d help him cure millions is a pretty big red flag; and the sort of thing that really makes this issue feel comicy in a not-great way.

  Generations: Hawkeye and Hawkeye #1

Kate finds herself mysteriously transported in time and space to and island full of the world’s greatest marksmen, most of whom, unfortunately, are villains; but one of whom is Clint from before he met Kate. Together, the two have to find out who organized this weird contest while surviving all the other marksmen, including Taskmaster, Bullseye; and Swordsman, Clint’s former mentor.

Thompson hasn’t yet written Clint and Kate together in her main Hawkeye series, but this issue proves that when she does (which’ll be soon!), she’ll kick ass. Even though Clint doesn’t know Kate at the beginning of the issue, they easily fall into their familiar routine by the end, with Katie being the wisecracking voice of reason to Clint’s more experienced recklessness. Thompson fits in a sly reference to the famous Fraction/Aja run that doesn’t feel at all pandery, and even feels like it naturally sets up the bit for that run! We even get a truly sincere moment at the end where Kate tells Clint why she appreciates him that doesn’t feel at all schmaltzy or out of character.

  Black Panther #17

Wakanda once again finds itself divided. During the endless rainfall, some turn to the prophets of the Originators, the Old Gods retaking their place from Wakanda’s missing Orisha. Yet other Wakandans find hope in Ororo, their former queen who walks in clouds and can make the storms obey her will. Ororo shies from their adulation, but T’Challa assures her of the power that the people’s faith can lend her, and them, in their fight against the monsters crossing their borders.

I love how this issue tackles the place of religion in Wakanda and its intersection with superheroes, because it’s such a fertile space. Firstly, Wakanda is a monarchy based on divine rule. The Black Panther is the king of Wakanda because of his connection to Bast, the Panther God. Religion is one of the foundations of the government, which means that heresy is tantamount to treason, as it’s an argument against the government’s legitimacy. The Orisha’s existence and favor of the King are necessary pillars of T’Challa’s legitimacy and given that the Orisha seem to have disappeared and Wakanda is suffering because of it, the people are reasonable in looking for other leadership.

On the other hand, Ororo is, despite her own humility, a god. She can control the weather, and by extension, Wakanda’s prosperity. Her marriage to T’Challa is rightly seen by the people as a sign of divine intervention, literally a goddess empowering the ruler of the nation. Even if T’Challa loses the favor of the Gods, it’s completely reasonable to expect that Ororo can keep the country safe. And seeing Ororo handle not just the responsibility, but the expectations of the people, provides a great personal arc for her that reflects the arc T’Challa took earlier in the series regarding his place as king.

  Black Panther & The Crew #6

In 1972, Ezra discovers who the Crew has been working with and realizes that his dream has been too perverted to succeed in his time. And in the present, having discovered who killed Ezra, the Crew organizes to take them out before they start a war in Harlem.

It’s honestly a little disappointing as a finale, a little too little action at the end; but as a way to cap of this too-short lived series, it more than does its job. It’s a cyclical story, one about how revolution takes generations, not instances, and how a dream deferred may find purchase sometime in the future. It’s reminiscent of Dr. King’s long bend towards justice and the heroes who keep it on track despite the people who would use revolution for their own gain instead of the gain of the many.

Honestly, it’s not exactly the message I think many of us want to hear at the moment, instead preferring a way to somehow make all the bad ideas and people disappear all at once. And while there are definitely certain ideals that should never be compromised, and plenty of progress that must be achieved in a rush; it is helpful and hopeful to remember that even if all you can do is plant seeds today, they can become so much more in time.

  Crosswind #3

Juniper fumbles his way through escaping the FBI and heading back towards Case’s apartment without getting killed by Cruz or the cops. Meanwhile, Cason seems to be having a much easier time righting the wrongs of Juniper’s life in his own aggressive way. He stands up to June’s abusive husband, takes her son out to get even with his bullies, and then teaches the neighbors a lesson about how to talk to a woman. It’s violent, and attracting undue attention, but it looks oh-so-satisfying.

I counted the pages twice, and I still can’t believe that Case and Juniper get the same amount of pages in this issue, which just goes to show how different the pacing of a story feels between having an active or passive character. Despite her confidence in cleaning up the body last issue, Juniper finds herself completely out of her depth in this one, having things done to her by other characters that pull her through the plot regardless of her own input. Meanwhile, Case owns his time in June’s body, demanding the same respect he does from everyone, and taking all the steps necessary to receive it. It just feels like he get so much more done in what turns out to be the same amount of space that June barely makes a single decision.

  Saga #46

Oofa doofa, this is a heavy one.

Alana, Marko, and Hazel finally make it to the Endwife (amazing name, btw) to get the corpse removed from Alana’s womb before it kills her. Marko and Endwife (seriously, inspired naming) have a short chat regarding the morality of abortion, and Hazel spends her last moments with the idea of her little brother.

Meanwhile, Prince Robot and Petrichor have an argument on whether or not he should have saved her.

But, woof, this issue though. As the abortion issue it was always going to be heavy, but the way that BKV and Staples handled it is masterfully gentle yet sorrowful. Again, the Endwife is a completely inspired creation. She’s shocking, scary even, at first impression – because abortion is scary, even when you support it. Even if, and it’s one heck of an if, you can disregard the idea that you’re terminating a potential life, it’s still a pretty invasive surgery. And in the incredibly likely chance that there is a part of you that cares for the thing what may be life inside the womb, then I can’t even imagine what making that decision must be like – and I’m glad that as a man I will never have to make that choice. But, should you decide that an abortion is the correct course of action, then the Endwife becomes a caring figure, even a necessary one. And she has such cute puppies! Because she recognizes that it is a choice, and just because others rely on her to help make it for them doesn’t mean she had to make it for herself. Again, so much out of just one character in one issue.

And then there’s the scenes of Alana trying to explain what’s happening to the idea of her little brother, essentially rationalizing abortion to herself. Can something that wasn’t “alive” die? Do the memories count for anything? And it’s especially powerful given how many deaths Hazel has already seen in her short life, that this is one of the first she realizes is happening, and that this is her first chance to have a ceremony of good-byes.

I don’t think there have been any bad issues of Saga, but this one may be the best.

  And if you’re wondering where my review of one notable comic release from today is…don’t worry, I have it. Secret Empire #10 will be getting its own review, that should be going up tomorrow.

Comic Reviews for 8/30/17 All-Star Batman #13 Alfred continues to wonder if he's to blame for enabling Bruce to risk his life every night as Batman, and if Bruce would stop if he wasn't around anymore.