#their designs are killing me rip i cannot figure it out

[teslacoils-and-hubris]

as i continue to try and fill in the world of loam with actual people and factions and not just obsess over the technical aspects of how magic works and influences the world, im finally finding opertunities to use some of my favourite troupes i haven't had a change to before

namely, in the case of the trio im working on now, the blindly loyal knight and the jester

The Nothing King claims ownership over all things dismissed and forgotten. If you brush something, anything, off as 'just nothing' she Will come and lay claim to it. She's an eccentric figure who's actions and plans make little sense to outsiders, even her loyal companions. As difficult to understand as she may be, the Nothing King is not a cruel ruler. If you come looking for something lost or forgotten there's a good chance she will have it and be willing to hand it over, so long as you have something to trade and make sure not to offend her.

The King's guard has no other name, and only one other title: hound. Though not violent by nature, his blind loyalty to his master makes him an incredibly effective weapon when need be. Thankfully the Nothing King doesn't seem keen to push him past his limits. Unless you've horribly fucked up, the guard is more like a bouncer than anything- removing those who are not worth the King's time and protecting them from the dangerous beasts of Loam. He doesn't speak, but is quite the skilled writer. His companions always seem to know what he's thinking, even with the helmet he never removes.

The jester is the most hard to pin down of the group. Everything about them is fluid, a carefully constructed performance he's willing to cast off for the next mask whenever the fancy strikes. She loves causing trouble, spitting cutting remarks at anyone and everyone to get the King to laugh. Hir jokes are often lewd in nature, but they save any and all proper flirting for their two companions. Despite seeming lackadasical on the surface, the Jester does just as much work if not more behind the scenes to make sure the King's obsurd plans come to fruition.

The group live somewhere at the later parts of Loam's exsistance, when magic has torn apart the fabric of reality so much that it's having a hard time staying together, resulting in a lot of strange and impossible things happening. Like all lost objects finding their way to one person. They've also got some sort of highly complicated relationship anarchy thing going on. You'd need like three highly detailed charts to understand whatever weird thing they have going on. The most important detail is they're all Highly codependant and have seperation anxiety about it. Do not seperate them!

[autisticlalna]

skyblock kingdoms species headcanons v3

follow up to my previous posts on this (v1 / v2), here's the overview of my takes on the cubitos as of now!

under cut bc this is gonna be. long.

viking:

secret catboy. ears are hidden under hat.

tail is probably shorter than i draw it

does have some cat instincts he tries to cover. can purr

i wanna start drawing him with glasses i just need to figure out a good design for em

fix:

normal human

...to point of canceling out the weirdness of anyone around him

this applies to himself. god knows what he's like when he's not self-nullified

ruby:

mimic, copies vibe of whoever she spends a lot of time with

baseline form is... mostly human.

gemstone hair and he cracks and chips instead of bleeds

(basically like the gems from land of the lustrous)

allay wings were injured at start of sbk, didnt heal for a while

vintage:

dryad

looks like a faun with a tree branch unicorn horn

flowers are physically a part of her

rue:

clone of ruby's baseline form, so is human-passing with wings

not a mimic

avid:

started human and then he got Worse

the deeper he got into dark magic, the more it changed him.

white streak from his stint in incendium

monkeyvid is soulfire reshaped into a physical form. similar situation with ruby where he's organic until something breaks

avoid has a x-shaped scar where olm ripped out his soul

doovid:

human, then monkey, then human again

is a normal guy but, like, For Real. he's chill

fool:

was human once

soul spots are big cracks like broken pottery

bleeds liquid gold

librarian still has the cracks but is iridescent

milkman:

basically a cartoon character

shapeshifter For The Bit

can completely copy people but keeps the mustache on purpose bc, like, why wouldnt he. thats his brand

cannot be killed in a way that matters

cloneman:

also a slapstick cartoon character but more cringefail

can, unfortunately, be killed in a way that matters

mig:

lumian

(alien with pointy ears, glowing freckles, tail)

elytra is ender dragon wings

kale:

also an alien

something adjacent to a piglin

marm:

im gonna be real my thoughts on marm are constantly changing. for the love of god please help me

current take is some kind of weird swamp gargoyle thing

void exposure made her more monstrous over time but has since evened out

tea:

very fluffy anthro cat

i dont know how to explain it. tea just has the vibes

trog:

was human once. isnt anymore.

is either "was human and was turned into an eldritch horror", "is an eldritch horror that took the original trog's place", or somewhere inbetween

does not feel like trying to make the distinction anymore

sometimes explodes into triangles when stressed/startled

the other sbkers wave it off. trog has always been like this, its fine

kitt:

red panda hybrid

is able to ignite at-will

i still wanna keep her partially sculked i think. flammable red panda warden human mix

tube:

human.

acorn:

raccoon mask is functionally her face

start of season: fairly ordinary. maybe just a tanuki

got hit hard with spruce adaption after the void jump, is now an abstract combo of winter-associated animals

anathra:

im still attached to anathrabot but Canon Hologram Anathra has overtaken it

minor visual glitches now and then

sometimes has trouble with briefly clipping through things or otherwise being solid

freezing cold to the touch

elffe:

herobrine :D

looks fairly human but has strong cryptid energy. also the stereotypical glowing eyes when he wants to scare people

anathra runs cold, elffe runs hot. space heater of a man.

crimson vines growing on him. hes not very bothered by it.

artemis:

symbiotic relationship with the mushrooms (red, brown, crimson, warped) growing on her

Weird Vibes. something is just off with nethershroom

neon:

retro cyborg. very funky.

was very run-down when found, has since fixed himself up

leon:

penguin :3

not anthropomorphic but scaled up to a "human but short" size

got scrungled SO HARD by the ender corruption. still some remnants of it even after olm transferred it

probably would have even more thoughts if i actually. drew most of these guys. i do wanna do a lineup eventually but thats 23 (24 if you count avoid) people. hrk

[moliathh]

Hmm any alutegra enemies to lovers or rivals to lovers au ideas? Those are my favorite tropes but idk i can’t picture alucard hating integra…

OOOOOOhhh well!!! First of, the classic, Bram Stoker's Dracula au!!!! It's soooo easy, you just have to make Integra the Van Helsing hunter, there you go. I remember there is an Alucard/Integra fic in the Bram Stoker's novel au on AO3 but I have not read it yet, it is in my to-read list!!!

I did drafted out a Bram Stoker au too. Where Integra's role is mixed between Jonathan Harker and Van Helsing. The idea is that Integra is an occultist sent to a Transylvania castle to investigate paranormal activities there under the guise of real estate investigator. Seras plays the role of Dr Seward as Integra's apprentice who later got bitten too (erm i have not decided whether she live or die yet im sorry in every au she get changed one way or another and possibly go through death). During their investigation they encounter several different people in the castle who are different versions of Alucard. Since he already died and fragments of his soul haunts the castle. I figure each version of Alucard react differently with entirely different personality. This one is easyyy to imagine their dynamic, since Alucard doesn't outright hate Integra. They're testing and studying each other before deciding if the other one is a threat or not. That is the setting I have not write the specific events yet. And I have not write it because I didn't have the time yet.

I have another au vaguely based on the Demeter voyage. This au is vaguely thriller detective genre. Integra is the ship captain and Seras, Pip and Wild Geese was her crewmate, along with Walter as her vice captain. The people who boarded the ships are Iscariots and Milleniums, and Alucard. And then after a few quiet nights people starts dropping dead like flies. Sorts of like werewolf card game, after a few quiet kill people starts getting paranoid and starts pointing fingers and they locked the crew inside the the captain's cabin and started forcing each other to walk the plank. Seras died from stray bullets during a tussle involving guns. Alucard is actually responsible for all the kills behind the scene. He boarded the ship to target nazis from the start. I had been debating with my friend to keep this au thriller or bring it over to dark fantasy genre. If we take the fantasy route, Alucard is a seaborne monster (like Leviathan) that just eat the bodies clean off and he made Seras a siren out of pity her getting caught in the crossfire of his doings. In this au though Alucard and Integra could have a rivalry relationship at first since he didn't reveal his motives while assuming she sided with the nazis cuz she let them boarded when she did not know the insides of the millenium organization that well, and she still have a killer on board to catch. Sorry everyone, I didn't have time to write any of that I just have enough mentality to draft out the main events and the setting of it.

Besides that, you can run with their prototype design. Integra was a nazi officer in Hi-and-Low. There isn't any translation available that could help me understand the plot but I can see she is wearing a swatiska armband. Although there might be some betrayal plot in that manga I'm not entirely sure because I cannot read it. Let just assume she is a nazi. Alucard with a nazi? Even if she's Integra he's gonna blow her head clean off. I fear this au is not getting to the "lovers" part. RIP

There's also the Hogwarts au (disclaimer: I think the setting of Harry Potter is deeply flawed and I do not associate with JK Rowling in any sense, she is a bigoted transphobic racist). I sorted Integra and Maxwell in Slytherin, in charge by Walter, Alucard and Seras into Gryffindor, in charge by (the Queen) Elizabeth, Pip and Heinkel into Ravenclaw, Anderson and Yumi into Hufflepuff. Integra is Slytherin's prefect, Alucard is Gryffindor's prefect and quidditch captain, with Seras as seeker. Pip crashed into Seras during a quidditch session and broke her arm so he insisted on following her to assist her since she have one arm wrapped now. Both Alucard and Seras are orphans in this au. Alucard is a metamorphmagus because he was cursed to shapeshift into animals randomly and he have bad control over it so Integra offered to help. Alucard is good in subjects such as transfiguration and defense against dark arts, which was also taught by Walter haha. While Integra's strong subject is history of magic, alchemy and care of magical creatures, so she at least have the vague idea of helping Alucard when he just started shapeshifting out of no where into an animal. Seras is good in divination and flying but bad at transfiguration and arithmancy, she have to study from Alucard and Pip, whose strong subjects are arithmancy, potion and alchemy. Ah to the rivalry part, Integra descend from pure-blood wizards, Seras is born from non-magic parents and Alucard is half-blood, the wizard on paternal side. Not only that they at first poke at each other because of their descend and the competition between houses, Abraham, who is Integra's grandfather in this, killed Alucard's father. But they don't know that yet, hihi. Im building up so that at the beginning they bicker as comon discrimination among wizard students do, but then overcome their prejudices of each others to befriend and study together, Integra finding a way to help Alucard deal with his shapeshifting and at the same time get to study the animals he turn into. And then at some point they found out their family have a life-long feud and have to do something about it, maybe miscommunicate about it and hated each other for it idk I have not finished writing yet.

So there's that, I think the way to write enemies/rivals to lovers for Alutegra the early step is to seperate Alucard from allying with Integra. We see him devoted to her on their first meeting in canon so there was already zero ground for him to hate her for real. It is still very difficult to think about tho I cannot comes up with any scenarios where he SERIOUSLY hated her guts, he just can't. She's too easy to love, she's so kind and caring to him. He on the other hand, well um i think Alucard is not as easy to love, he's a handful! But she loved him regardless!! These lil mfs piss me off because of how much they care for each other. They're cute!!

[astralartefact]

Placeholder Name for Atarase's Media Diary

Entry 006 - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom <<Prev: Paper Mario TTYD Remake

Synopsis

Once and for all the truth behind the enigmatic Zelda of legend is revealed; We finally get to hear her side of the story - and even the art style won't hide her war crimes.

How much did I know before playing?

I wouldn't call myself a Zelda person, for some reason that's the big Nintendo one I'm just kind of "Sure!" about and yet weirdly enough I've played almost every Zelda. Yes, even both Oracles (twice) and Link's Crossbow Training! I'm pretty sure I've played more Zelda than a lot of people that you would call Zelda people! I don't know either!

Relevant to this one - I do tend to prefer the 3D ones, not really a Link to the Past kind of guy (and yet i've played a randomizer of it before - i don't know, maybe i need to figure something out here about myself, is this imposter syndrome? why won't i call myself a zelda guy??)

Did I like it more than I expected?

About as much as I expected! *thumbs up*

Since I liked it, here's what I hated about it

why is there no retry button on time trials, the menuing & transitions required for one retry take longer than actually loading in the power of technology, 15 year old me couldn't imagine

Speaking of the menuing, it is at a lot of points more troublesome than it feels like it should be, specifically menuing the echoes

the final dungeon was far too short, there was like one single puzzle room where you have to build something for Link but I guess the Final Boss slapped so Jury's still out. Some of the other bosses were kind of a little lame though :(

don't sue me but i don't like zelda's design in this one all that much i ended up using the pyjama for her outfit

I guess I am coming to the realization that I don't actually like the BotW approach to an open-world all that much (which this game also uses) It's not bad bad evil bad or anything - I don't know where in the "the game everyone and even their grandma loved is bad actually" Cycle we're at right now, I know people have turned on ToTK pretty quickly but this is not that - I think BotW, ToTK and this are totally fine in their approach, it's just not quite for me.

Basically, being able to go anywhere and unlock everything at the word go sounds nice but without any "forced" meaningful progression points what ends up happening is that I end up with a murky second act where I'm just going through the motions of "Yeah sure, let's do the stuff I didn't want to do first so I can get to the ending."

And when you can unlock op summons relatively easily from the get go there's also a lot of "Aha!" Moments lost when you can just brute force every puzzle with the Waterblock or the Magic Tile or that Yellow Thwomp Thing or an unholy combination of the three (at that point it feels cool again though actually) before even the half way point and the game doesn't really go out of its way to not let you basically just spam the same echoes to break every puzzle in very similar ways.

That being said you can still of course set yourself rules Nuzlocke style - you have agency over your own interactions with a product after all - and I think this game in particular is great for that.

What did this game make me think about?

Women, am I right. (zelda sweetie, i don't think the devs hate you, i just think they haven't thought all that much about you. i'm so sorry, i know that doesn't make it better. i love you <3)

Specific Impressions that will stick with me

The Final Boss is pretty good and I especially loved how long it was! I know for a fact a certain sect of the internet will complain about it, something something combat is just you standing around waiting for your mobs to do something, but I liked it!

Also, some of the ways Zelda can kill mobs without a sword are heinous in a way even the artstyle cannot hide:

grand scale arson in the middle of a forest

violently ripping off the heads of Dekubabas

the most efficient way to kill those jumping four-legged spider creatures is to grab them and then dive to drown them

hug the electric slime hug the electric slime hug the electric slime

etc...

Outstanding Audio

This is another one where I don't really have specific tracks to highlight, but I thought the Soundtrack was pretty good :3

The only ones that really jump to mind are the Link Mode versions of the Boss Tracks, they did something with those that they certainly didn't do with the normal Link Mode theme (that's the only piece of the ost that i'm kind of :/// about and i think that's just bc it plays so often)

also, the Void(?) OST really reminded me of Super Mario Galaxy

Favorite Character

This is going to be fun because I will argue against it later on, but I did like this game's interpretation of Zelda! I think they used her well.

I'm also always fond of Impa for some reason, but I am sad we didn't get a Dark Impa Mid Boss :((( I was so sure that was going to happen in Dark Hyrule Castle

Also VOLVAGIA IS FCKING BACK THAT WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE OoT BOSS btw in general i really liked how they did call backs, it felt like a very cohesive mix of a lot of games and not just the obvious choices

Favorite Arc/Story Line

I actually found most of them sweet :)

Favorite Set Piece

Maybe the Zora Performance or the escape sequence after the tutorial? Since aside from the Final Boss the Bosses were for the most part a little bit lackluster in presentation there weren't really big stand-out set pieces for me :/

Best Performance

Doesn't really apply, but just like with TTYD Remake the speaking noises were really pleasant to listen to, don't know what they're doing with those.

German Localization Notes

Pretty good! *Thumbs up*

--- ENTERING THE PRETENTIOUS SECTION OF THIS ENTRY ---

What about this game gives me Hope for the future of gaming?

I'm glad that games like Zelda keep this sort of more "Formulaic" Video Game alive when more and more things become more free form and "unscripted."

I'm somewhat of a Video Game Meta-Metaphysicist, I guess. (this section hasn't lived up to the section title in quite a while and i'm here to remedy that) (it's also not the right title, i think just meta-analyst is actually more right for what i mean, but that doesn't sound as pretentious and I think calling what i'm doing "thinking about the reason of meta stuff" is at the very least not wrong)

My favorite parts of video game series are always how reoccurring elements and structures are re-used, shared, opposed, that sort of thing - not in an asset-reuse sort of way god forbid ugggghhhh please spare me context-less software engineering talk, that's almost as bad as people talking about immersion as if it's objective - I just love to see how series staples, things that you come to expect from a tangibly related series of games are redone, how they are expressed this time when they were expressed another way that time and most importantly how that creates relationships between entries in video game series and how those relationships create additional meaning - that's the part I'm obsessed with.

Like how in Bravely Default, the letters that fall away from the subtitle are FF when BD is a clear successor to FF Four Heroes of Light, or how Bravely Default 2 doesn't really reuse Motifs from BD1 except for Wicked Flight in that one section of Edna's Theme (and also the first BD2 Asterisk Theme is a battle theme version of Eternity's Moment) I'm obsessed with shit like that ugh!!!

And Echoes of Wisdom has that a lot in very cute ways, I've already mentioned the return of Volvagia but the Ice Temple also had Yetis like the ones from Twilight Princess, I absolutely loved the way Dekus were used this time, it felt fresh and yet also just like I remember them, I loved that we had both River and Sea Zoras,... It shows an appreciation and veneration of the series' own history that is a little bit more internally meaningful than just "fanservice".

I hope in a world where 2B's ass cheeks can be sold off to whoever is willing to pay for them - even the guy that's blatantly ripping your work off while pretty much belittling your games entire point - revisiting the legacies of your games in interesting ways sticks around.

What about this game makes me scared for the future of gaming?

So this is finally the Zelda game where we play as the titular Zelda, huh. Surely there's nothing that that could tell us about how Society views Women and Girls, right...

I said I liked her in this game and I do. I do think the way she's depicted is pretty cool! I like and appreciate that she doesn't primarily swing a sword, that when she's doing that it is an external "Link Mode" and that her game is not just Zelda in the role of Female Link, I think that would have been a lot lazier and not in the spirit of Zelda as a character (even though I would also like to see female link and more importantly male zelda one of these days). (i actually also really liked the Link Mode from a gameplay perspective btw, i think it's pretty cool as a strategic element)

That being said, it is a little weird, isn't it. We have to wait how many years until the name in the title finally gets the sole playable character spotlight because apparently even that "Zelda as Link" quick swap premise was just too far-fetched, a fact that is certainly not helped by this game showing us that Zelda, the girl, can't just possibly swing a sword without some form of magical assistance. She has to summon creatures to do that for her. She has to use the Sidekick to be strong for her. She has to enter Link Mode for her to be able to do any of the stuff Link would do. Her frail little girl hands and feet just simply can't move as fast, jump as high and hit as hard as those of a boy hero.

And sure, we can handwave that away making up some Lore about how Link had Training and Zelda didn't - but Lore is made up, Zelda isn't a real girl we happen to watch a recording of, the writers wrote this, all of this shit is made up. The fact of the matter is that it took years on years for Zelda to finally be the Playable Character (listen it's my favorite but no i don't count spirit tracks) - and as much as I liked it, it's an almost overwhelmingly straightforward take on Zelda as a PC. In everything but mechanics this could have been released directly after A Link to the Past and nobody would have questioned a thing. By which I mean to say:

Why did it take so long to get here? You could have done this game years ago, years and years ago even, but you didn't - for some reason this was such a burdensome step for the devs to take it took this long to act upon something people have been asking for for years - and tbh that kind of makes me worried that this is going to be their one and only take on Zelda as a PC for a while, because again, as much as I liked it, looking at this as "another product of the usual Zelda formula" this was just really fucking basic, a regular ALttP Zelda with a neat little gimmick, but it's something that was apparently that big of an ask. The thing this game has shown more than anything else is that nothing about Zelda as a PC is all that "out there." So then where was she all this time?

The Ramble Section where I get to actually talk about what I thought about

I don't really have anything eloquent to ramble about this once, I'm just currently imagining if Zelda could have worked as the MC in Twilight Princess (pretty sure she could have. easily.) tp was btw my first actual Zelda game, but only since i don't count the oot demo from brawl and also not link's crossbow training. yes i did own crossbow training before twilight princess

Honestly, I liked BotW and TotK but for now I just want another dungeon crawl-centered 3D zelda :/ the dungeons are the best part and were also the parts that were sorely lacking from those two (the ones they did have didn't hit the same at all) - and honestly the weirder their themes the better... like the weird rail sand temple or the ice manor in tp (honestly all of the tp dungeons are exactly what i want out of a good dungeon theme) or the weird buddhist poem lotus water temple and the sandship from skyward sword... (btw that's my favorite 3D zelda, i didn't mind phi and i didn't even mind the motion controls also i really really really like zeldas design in that one it's so simple and so pretty q_q but it's second only to her hyrule warriors design that one is absolute fire do you guys remember they gave her the dominion rod??? i love her she's so pretty)

Like, I want a 3D Zelda with a Demon Train-Train Level, maybe even with a Spirit Tracks gimmick where you have to draw lines to tell the train where to go... that reminds me, as a child I used to design zelda dungeons (and their bosses ofc!) with the weirdest themes and gimmicks I could come up with... I vaguely remember thinking of a desert temple that was a giant pot with the gimmick of growing plants or something? i should do something like that again, those were the good times...

...

...let's face it, as it turns out i was a zelda guy all along.

[typekiku]

TSUKIHIME FASHION REVIEW 3!!!

under the dark crimson moon, i write this newest entry of the much awaited much beloved tsukihime fashion review.

it's a duty i must carry out for the sake of the generations of lost sheep both before and after my time that have yet to truly appreciate the true depth of style that is contained within the single greatest visual novel known to mankind (according to me)

yet, i feel as if i am not doing my duty to its fullest... how can i possibly adequately sum the glory of todays fashionista? how can i dare attempt to sum that up?? no! i cannot waver in my faith in my incredibly lacking writing skills nor fear people figuring out this barely has anything to do with fashion... I WILL PERSEVERE!!

on with the show as the youth say!

(SPOILER ALERT: i should mention ill probably end up spoiling a shit ton of oghime and whatnot here so watch out)

so without further ado todays subject is:

drum roll

MORE DRUM ROLL

thanks uhh whatever you are from

MICHAEL ROA VALDAMJONG

yes the one and only roa

BROA

the legend himself, the Serpent of Akasha, Uroboros, the founder of the burial agency, the infinite reincarnatior, and professional Arcueid simp.

we have gathered here today to judge his design and uh fashion ig and whatever else i feel like ranting today about.

lets get right to it.

look at this dude all shirtless and shit like cmon so shameless... cover em up damn. seriously tho this man has a thing for showing off his (or should i say others) bodies like you will see soon.

i guess this comes down to him enjoying the freedom of being fully in control of whatever body he is currently occupying actually?

maybe this is some super deep look into the merits of semi nudism or whatever idk im not smart.

probably takeuchi just wanted an excuse to draw some seriously ripped abs actually i mean this might seriously be the most abby abs we ever see in any TM work. its fucking shredded and roa probably knew that. weirdo

on the flipside that majestic hair is simply incredible. DAMN thats some 10/10 hair. only other hair in this series that compares is my wife arcueid's long hair before her mean little (Older actually but idc) Altrouge got all mean and shit.

umm who is this? what happened to my incredible haired roa?? TAKEUCHI WHERE ARE YOU??? someone please give me back long haired roa... this isnt funny...

do you see what we lost? long gorgeous haired roa should've stayed and im genuinely upset we lost him to this admittingly much better dressed roa. im ashamed of you serpent of fraudkasha

fr tho where tf did he even get this rockstar ass drip anyways? we know SHIKI has been locked up in the outside house for awhile before released thanks to a certain maid... did he just drop by the local hot topic or whatever? did he manifest it through sheer willpower and arcueid simpery?

understandable tbh i too acheive things through arcueid simpery such as dirty stares and social exclusion!!

for reference, here is SHIKI

yea

i guess he just uhh changes him which in hindsight is really fucking sad to think about so lets not

uhh ANYWAYS

ok so ignoring ciel on the right elesia or should i say roa decides the very first thing hes gonna do in poor elesias body is to strip it naked

huh?

yea roa is definitely a weird one. no wonder the other ancestors hate him (besides nero because he is #HIM)

sick cape tho

why is he so hot here actually? what the hell? i underestimated his looks like damn

no really why is he so hot anyways he should look like an absolute freak like he actually is. i see you roa. i see you got that long braid wrapped around your neck like damn son... you may have fallen in love with a literal killing machine and never even got to speak to her till the very very end but i see you.

rizzless bastard.

well thats enough from me so ill drop this classic mahoyo line because i found it very funny without context.

ciao!

[insoucianceart]

guess what! I’m animating (most of) Episode 4 of Super Suits, “Stall’s Well That Ends Well”!

it’s not going to be fully animated of course— that would literally kill me. but I’m making a ~20 minute animatic of an abridged cut of that episode! so here’s the character designs I decided on and my thought process behind them.

First up, the genius Dr Torque!

I came up with most of this concept based purely on her voice and vibes. I have no idea where the big hat came from, but the feathers in said hat are duck feathers. Also, I decided to give her an eyepatch because I figured at some point during the engineering process she managed to gouge it out on accident. RIP, I guess.

Now for the handsome Kurt Rappaoport!

Yeah this is literally just Jonny with some minor tweaks. And a suit because court shit. That’s literally all there is to his design.

Onto the irritable Phillip Aria!

Based on his character, I figured he wouldn’t look quite as ancient and antique as Mal, so I gave him a modern suit, with a jabot to keep things classy. Apparently he’s ALSO a mosquito vampire, so I gave him the same antennae I gave Mal. Other than that… yeah, it’s Tim, pretty much.

Next up is the mysterious Malcom Aria!

I cannot stress how hard it was to not make this guy look like Manfred von Karma. IT WAS SO TEMPTING. In the end I gave him a haircut similar to that of von Karma and an outfit that is pretty close to the one shown in the animated trailer. I’d also like to note that, although it’s not visible in this lineup, his coattails resemble the wings of a mosquito.

And of course, the inevitable Harper Hallo!

Similar to Mal, I had such a hard time NOT making Harper look like Phoenix Wright. They have a suit basically identical to Phoenix’s (bar the iconic Attorney’s Badge) because they seem like the type to dress to impress. I projected my height issues onto them, so they are the shortest of the crew. And their ponytail is made up of five segments, so when viewed from behind it looks almost like a hand waving “hallo!”

Now, the inseparable Bonnie Firestein and Cole Castillo!

My original designs for both Bonnie and Cole were vastly different from how they ended up in this lineup. I eventually just adapted the designs from the animated trailer.

Next up is the wonderful Jasmine Green!

I honestly didn’t have a thought process behind Jasmine’s design. It’s actually just a version of someone who randomly popped up in a dream I had once. So yeah.

And of course the Honorable Judge Leslie Finer!

I gave Leslie the classic judge’s outfit, then designed the rest of him based purely on his voice.

Last but certainly not least, the omnipresent L.O.I.S.!

It’s just the design from the trailer. Not much else I can say about that. (I would make her have a screen projecting an animated personage like my I.M.O.G.E.N. design from Stellar Firma, but she said she doesn’t have eyes so there goes that idea.)

And that’s all of them! Some of the designs definitely had more thought than others, but I love all of them! And as a treat for reading all this, have a WIP of the first scene :)

[soullessjack]

fave saw trap?

OOHH oh my god okay I have so many.

Obligatory reverse bear trap mention bc who doesn’t love her, she’s mother. she is the beginning with John and Amanda and she is the end with Jill and Mark, she brings the narrative to a full circle despite her mechanical function being the opposite.

THE BATHROOM TRAP!!!!!! Obsessed with it. The shades of blue and white and the fluorescent lights, the grimy browns and greens and reds, all so absolutely beautiful together. Really pulls you into the dampness and coldness and the filth of it. Obligatory chainshipping mention also. Love those guys. Very normal about them.

the angel trap and its’ fatality is so so visually beautiful to me. she mothers extremely hard (god rest Kerry tho). truly one of the artsiest of the traps. I love the warmish shade of green in the room, and in the acid, and of course I love it contrasting with the red shade of the ribcage gore.

glass coffin for obvious reasons.. mark is soooo delicious in it with his hair all messy and his nose bleeding and his tits propped up I mean what hahah who said that . and I absolutely love the cold shade of blue it gives off, very lovely contrast with marks nosebleed also. and the whole coffinshipping thing. like it’s such a trust-based trap ironically. like, “you know what I’ve done you know who I am you know I am guilty and cannot be trusted whatsoever but will you throw away all of that and trust me anyways, is your will to survive strong enough to trust someone who ostensibly does not deserve it.” so delicious

I don’t like Jigsaw but I will admit the hot wax trap looked pretty cool, definitely one of the scariest of the movie. if you’ve ever seen 2005’s House of Wax it gives the same literally suffocating and uncomfortable feeling as Jared Padalecki’s character’s wax coating (and the horrendous peeling of it) bc you’re watching someone in such a helpless horrible position and relegated only to watching it.

the death mask is another super cool visual trap, love the green tint, love the spikes, even Michael’s eye injury looked cool! the snapping kill at the end was definitely cool too.

the nerve gas house 100% fav. I love saw 2 very dearly, both for Daniel and Amanda and for Mudvayne’s Forget To Remember song in the credits. I didn’t enjoy most of the traps in the house, mostly bc I felt like they could’ve been easily avoided or thought out better (but in the victims’ defense they were actively being poisoned) and also bc I wasn’t very attached to anyone outside of Danny and Mandy. Love the atmosphere of the house, the grime and dim fluorescence and yellow-greens (as a graphic designer warm tints like that are very good at giving off a sense of humidity and feverishness, really adds to the nerve gas poisoning and the claustrophobia of the house, too).

the horsepower trap. quick bonus for the green and yellows tints, but also I’m personally very drawn to settings with mechanical clutter. I’m not mechanically inclined in any way but visually I love looking at them and figuring out what they do. based mark for putting nazis in an inescapable trap also! the kills are deliciously brutal. the skin ripping scene, the windshield crash, the face smashing, and my absolute favorite has to be the arm/jaw yanking (specifically the jaw, idk I just think it’s neat. maybe not neat , per se, but one of those extremely gruesome things that you just can’t look away from. no pun intended it’s like a car crash).

the Mausoleum Trap. love the setting, a trap in a fucking mausoleum is metal as fuck. more traps should have spooky settings like that I think (a morgue trap would go so fucking hard also). love the colors, basically I love the entire concept but the execution could’ve bene way better (which can be said about a lot of 3D’s themes, especially the See/Hear/Speak/Do No Evil ones).

[alarajrogers]

Alara's List Of Games She Cannot Design Because She Is Not A Game Designer

None of these exist as anything other than high concept, and if you wanna rip one off, feel free, but give me credit for the original concept.

"Rat Man" game except with Portal IP stripped out of it. I wanted, years ago, to see a game about the Rat Man, which turns his schizophrenia into a game mechanic. In Portal lore, Rat Man, a paranoid schizophrenic who worked at Aperture Science, was the only survivor of GLaDOS' deadly neurotoxin, because his paranoia led him to flee. I wanted to have a character who successfully escaped an evil computer due to being paranoid. He has meds with him. If he takes the meds, he doesn't hallucinate, he sees the world as it is, he is better able to control his emotions (extreme terror can lead to a heart attack). But, he is less likely to notice threats. Without his meds, his inanimate comfort object talks to him so he is less lonely (extreme loneliness can cause depression, which slows all reaction time), and gives him warnings about threats before he can see them. Also, he sees the threats faster. He also sees a lot of threats that don't actually exist, which causes him to burn through his health faster. So the player has to trade off between taking meds for greater health and calm, vs not taking meds for greater reaction time and higher mood (without meds he is terrified all the time but he has his talking friend, who fills him with determination and strength of will, because his friend wants him to survive. With meds, his friend is an inanimate object and he's all alone.)

Something where you get to weaponize gravity against threats, like, you're on a space station where the artificial gravity is shut down, and your first and best big upgrade is getting the remote that turns on the gravity plating in the bulkheads. Gravity plating is in all bulkheads so you can make gravity happen on your left, then after your enemies are all drawn to your left, switch it off there and turn it on to the right, making them all fall the width of the room.

Bad Bitches, where you (or you and 2 friends in co-op mode) play female dogs getting into trouble in the trash cans and pantries in your house, while your owner patrols and tries to catch you being bad.

Mini Fridgy, where your mom is a jerk who has hidden all the snacks in the house in various mini-fridges, pantries and lockers in your house, and you have to run around eating the snacks and dodging your mom. Done in retro 80's mode because that's when I came up with this game. There is absolutely no pro-social or "health conscious" model here, you are a kid who wants snacks.

An RPG where you are a human who died and was sent to a world mostly populated by cute talking animals who are very sheltered and have basically the emotional regulation of 8 year olds. Also magic works here and responds to emotion, positive or negative, so friendship really is magic, a bunny rabbit throwing a Karen tantrum at the market because they didn't have the lettuce they wanted could turn into a poltergeist throwing everything around if you don't talk her down, and killing a sapient being turns anyone who does it into a monster. You can be a monster hunter, a monster reformer (this is dangerous as shit), a peacemaker, a farmer, a shopkeeper, whatever. Kind of like Animal Crossing in some ways, but with some MLP kind of shit mixed in.

Prison Break (not the actual title): Another story about cute animals. They are in prison for murder, arson, grand theft, etc, and so are you. Build alliances with your fellow prisoners, don't get shivved by that bunny with a knife, and, eventually, organize a prison break. You can kill people in this game but if it's not self defense you better make sure the wardens can't figure out it was you. And by people I mean adorable small animals who are disrespecting you.

[average-transfem-robotgirl]

I HAVE CATALOGUED EACH OF THE MECHAS ACCORDING TO MY, “VERY OFFICIAL,” ROBOT-FUCKER OPINIONS.

I will now begin an explanation for each. If you believe one of these mechas was rated unfairly and is, in fact, the hottest bucket of bolts this side of the Mississippi, feel free to add in your opinions.

#1: Chicken Tank

What a cutie!! This mech works super hard at it’s job but constantly gets shot to pieces by enemies. Easily replaceable, mass producible, and definitely has some stress it needs to work out. I’d be more than willing to assist in that stress relief. <3<3

#2: Gun-on-Stilts

Oh baby, that’s an alien. Three legs?? In this terran economy?? Definitely outta this world. I would love to treat this cool mech to all the earthly wonders of the world. Just remember to wear a mask around it or else it’s gonna get sick from earthly diseases..

#3: Boüg

Awh yeah, I love Boüg. This thing gets it. Boüg understands your trauma, your emotions, all the troubles in your life. It’s more than willing to sit down and have a lovely chat with you about all those frustrations. Of course, it will have to stop mid-dinner to shoot down an enemy aircraft, but that’s okay.

#4: Forklift Man

ARFARRFAWAWAARF BARK BARK ARFF!!! >//////////<

I mean,, uhm,, h,hot!! Heavy d,duty machinery, designed to really m,man-handle my delicate frame. I’d l,let this hardworking mech and it’s pilot use me!!!

#5: The Bucket

Sinister vibes… I’ve played enough Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe to know that buckets canNOT be trusted… It’d also not pay the bill at dinner and wouldn’t stop talking about it’s time in the military, and not even in a cool way. I don’t care about how many extraterrestrials you’ve killed, Bucket, you’re just making the waiter uncomfortable.

#6: Big Knight

This mech is sooo cool!! Very nice guy, I’d love to just sit around and play some games with this mecha!! It would let me sit in it’s cockpit when it’s raining, warm me up when my chassis can’t handle the chill of winter, and overall just be a great mecha to hang out with.

#7: Man, this is just some dude on a sled.

Won’t stop talking about war, but in a way cooler way than Bucket. I’d hump it’s rough outer exterior, run my hands along it’s chipped paint, masturbate on the worn leather seats of it’s internal cockpit while it watches emotionlessly. Plus, when it takes you back to your house after a wonderful night, it would probably say some shit like “PAYLOAD SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED AT DESIGNATED DROP OFF POINT.”

#8: Honse

GIANT ROBOT CENTAUR COCK MNFNGH.

Next slide, please.

#9: furry.

Yeah, this is just a chill dog. It wants you to throw a frisbee, it promises it won’t destroy the neighbors house again.

The pilot of this mech, however, is a mindbroken, kinky, constantly in heat shell of a person. I’d let them fuck me. The mech is just chilling though.

#10: Extra THICC

I think it’d break me, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. For science, of course.. (and for getting my ass fucking PLOWED by industrial machinery that’s meant to pound through steel.)

#11: BOOB

I WANT TO PILOT THIS MECH MNFNFGHH FUCK PLEASE~???<3<3<3

Goddd, sitting in the cockpit, all wired up to the advanced neural interface, receiving a constant dosage of positive coding directly into my mainframe, l,letting the advanced A.I slowly meld my mechanical body to be the perfect l,little mech pilot for i,it~<3<3<3

I c,can imagine feeling the r,rush of power as we s,sync together, one in t,the same~<3<3 ^/////////^

#12: Stick-Figure

Is it possible to fuck a gigantic mech while you yourself are f,fused with a different hot mecha?? I d,don’t know, but I’d l,looovveee to f,find out~!!<3<3

I’d let this thin b,but powerful mech rip t,through the tough plating o,of my combat m,mech, hungry for the weak pilot i,inside~<3<3

#13: “Normal Vehicle” [Has Limbs]

What those arms do??? (They gently slice the synthetic tech suit off of my frame before proceeding to fondle and inspect me, that’s what.)

#14: Rocket Crab

Ehhh, I dunno man. The arms are too clunky, this thing is definitely meant for space travel judging by the fact that it doesn’t have legs but rocket thrusters, and the two titanium cannons are just gonna make it uncomfortable. I can’t fuck someone in space, the radiation would fuck me up but not in a very hot way. I don’t like the vacuum.

#15: scaly.

I know some of you all might be mad at me for this… I don’t like Mecha Godzilla. The face, a bit too off-putting. I just feel like I couldn’t enjoy having sex with Godzilla chrome version.

#16: Kirby?

HELL NO. This clunky american football helmet is NOT gonna be allowed to hit it. It would keep talking about it’s plans for world domination, none of which involve xenodrugs or hot plants. It’d be cartoonishly evil shit like destroying the rain forests, nuking other planets, or melting the ice caps. All of that to have like, an evil empire or some shit. This is not a fuckable mech.

#17: Submarine Man

This mecha has a 9:00 to 5:00, three lovely little calculator babies, and a darling mech pilot that it has been married to for five years. It’s a pretty closed relationship and I’d hate to be a homewrecker. I’d still be good friends with it, but we wouldn’t fuck.

#18: I Know What You Are.

GENDER GOALS MDNNFMFMFNNGHFH!!!!!!!

This is what I w,wanna look like!!!! So b,bad!!! Let me b,be a small robot-girlthing that p,pilots a way bigger, more dangerous mech!! I w,want a strong, cute, curvy chassis!! I w,want the strength and certainty o,of steel, but t,the supple tenderness o,of silicon!!!

#19: World’s Largest RV

I w,wanna fall into t,the super computer of t,this magnificent titan, so d,deep inside of it’s c,core that it can s,stash me away f,forever if it w,wanted to..

I want to b,be within s,something so much g,greater than I e,ever will be. I w,want it to know t,that. I w,want this mecha to toy w,with me, understanding how m,much power it h,has over my insignificant f,frame~<3<3

#20: Tiny dude on a MASSIVE weapon

Though I want to fuck this robot, what if it cums so hard it shoots it’s massive fucking gun and blows a hole through my ceiling?? We’ll just have to settle for Outback Steakhouse instead. We’ll get a bloomin’ onion to share. :))

#21: ???

Ah, man-made horrors beyond my comprehension.. The singularity is now, and oh baby, I’m gonna be the most f,fuckable little machine a,at the AI uprising. This t,thing could probably b,bend reality at it’s will, w,which is probably gonna be s,super hot in the bedroom!!<3<3

#22: . . . How do you even move?

I’m sorry, I couldn’t let the Megazord fuck me. I’d be bouncing and moaning on it, but them five plucky rangers would pop out and talk about the value of teamwork and believing in yourself as I cum. I couldn’t handle it…

We could still be friends though!! I’d relax with the Megazord in between it’s shifts at the alien killing factory.

#23: Just wings n’ shields

Gabriel Ultrakill and V1’s offspring all grown up. 9/10, religious trauma be damned, I’m going to get pounded.

#24: Easy to Cosplay

The booty shorts bring it up a tier. Excellent sense in fashion, very gorgeous, wonderful mecha.

Every* Type of Mecha

*Not Actually Every Type.

Something I spent WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much time on lol. This is entirely just riffing off of the many 'kinds' or 'tropes' in mecha design I found. Feel free to suggest more of them.

Might make a document providing examples for each one, but idk. I think most of these are pretty self-explanatory.

Tell me your favourites below

[Update: Here's the sequel to this chart, cataloguing Kaiju instead!]

[illmoraineakoi]

Guess who's designing a Blackwyrm OC

RIP

I'm trying to figure out how I want her to look, mainly her lower body.

A part of me thinks it'd be funny if she were naga-like, either fully or with a few insect legs, but another part of me really REALLY wants to give her long legs, to go fully in on the whole insect body and to strut about sexily tormenting Hollow who cannot stop staring and getting distracted-

Maybe I can do both. Insect body similar to Grimm or Hornet but super long worm-like 'tail'.

(The image of her just rearing up on her tail like an angry snake to tower over PK and everyone else is so funny to me)

That'd really help to go in on the "He made me an abomination" angle, a creature that clearly wasn't quite a bug but sure as HELL wasn't a Wyrm either.

Still unsure if that sort of a result was intentional or not; it being an accident gives a little bit of leeway to forgive the King (only a little, dude, you intentionally fucked with her body at their most vulnerable time wtf is wrong with you? That's low, even if she did try to kill you and steal your kingdom. No I don't care if you saw the opportunity to "experiment" that makes it WORSE!) and it's a little more believable that something went wrong or didn't work as intended since this was something he's never done before.

On the other side, this alteration was meant to be a punishment, retribution for the destruction and death she caused. Wyrms aren't known to forgive or go easy on those they defeat, the fact that she's allowed to live at all is a mercy. Wyrms normally go for the kill. He could've totally just killed her, again, for good, and he would've been in his right to.

(She's probably super insulted that he didn't. She probably calls him a coward, a weakling, a pathetic failure of a wyrm who can't even bloody his teeth right. And he's just like "lmao okay whatever helps you sleep at night, looser.")

I'm also turning around the idea that wyrms teeth are unique, though I'm unsure how much leeway I should give myself if so. PK's work as teeth and horns, they're simple enough, and over-complicating a tooth/horn might turn out shitty.

I'm rambling, I should probably just sketch.

[crankynewt]

Good for a Weekend (Helmut Zemo)

Masterlist

Summary: You were retired, a disgraced Avenger content living the rest of their life out in solitude. But Sam and Bucky's shenanigans dragged you back into the hero life and you found yourself face to face with the man who'd got you into this mess in the first place. The question is, however, is he really who you thought he was? Or are you just as crazy as him?

Pairing: Helmut Zemo x Reader

Warnings: TFAWS Episode 3 Spoilers, Zemo (he's a warning), swearing, mentions of torture and experimenting (past), drinking, Zemo being semi-protective, I think that's it??

Word Count: 3.41k

Author's Note: Biting the bullet and writing this BEFORE Marvel does something to get us to hate him again. Also, ZEMO AND BLANK SPACE WORK SO WELL TOGETHER OMG.

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” You murmured, looking at the message from Sam flashing across your phone. Although you had stopped dead in your tracks, the chaos of the bustling streets of London continued around you. You pushed your sunglasses further up your nose, them having fallen down as you were peering at the screen of your burner cell.

‘Need your help in Madripoor ASAP,’ the text read. You weren’t daft, you knew exactly what kind of lawless entropy happened on that Indonesian island and if Sam was asking for your help, that meant he was in some deep shit.

‘I’m retired,’ you replied, glancing over your shoulder out of habit. Although you’d been pardoned after the Berlin incident by the government, you were still a disgraced Avenger in the eyes of the world. All you wanted was to live the rest of your life out in peace, a future without the world-saving you began when you left HYDRA with the Maximoff twins.

You hadn’t chosen to become a human lab rat, tortured and exposed to the mind stone until you could suddenly hear the thoughts of others in your head. Telepathy and telekinesis were not necessarily the kind of special skills that employers wanted to see on a resume, but alas, here you were. Thankfully, however, you'd learned to block them out until necessary to violate people's privacy. Fighting aliens and other superpowered entities, including the people you’d once considered to be your family, were in the past.

‘Please. It’s Bucky,’ Sam messaged again. Those three words were enough to make your blood run cold and your heart stop. Bucky was the reason you were in this mess in the first place, and you would be damned if the ex-assassin was going to fall back into the clutches of evil.

With a sigh, you typed back ‘fine’ and began the trek towards your apartment. Your phone was vibrating again immediately, Sam explaining that they would be picking you up at a small airstrip on the edge of the city.

Three hours later, you were walking along a long, concrete runway, the harsh England wind attacking your body as you pulled your leather jacket tighter around you. Your brows furrowed in confusion at the sight of a civilian jet rather than the military-esque vessels you’d become accustomed to. The steps were awaiting your ascent with an older man stood adjacent to the entrance.

“Ms.(Y/L/N),” he greeted. A thick accent laced his tone, one you couldn’t quite determine from the crackling of age in his voice. German or Russian, most likely, you deduced. Attempting to be polite despite your skepticism, you gave him a tight-lipped smile and handshake before the elder man gestured towards the stairs for you. Entering the jet, you turned right to be met with the familiar faces of Sam and Bucky.

“(Y/N)!” Bucky exclaimed, rising from his seat and embracing you in a hug. He held you tightly against his body, almost as if he wasn’t sure you were really there. The super soldier had taken a liking to you when the two of you stayed in Wakanda during your exile, both of you having a certain understanding of the other due to your shared experiences with HYDRA. The sergeant had become somewhat of a brother to you in your time away together. “What are you doing here?”

“Sam messaged me.” You replied, Barnes’ arms immediately releasing you as he whipped around to face Sam.

“You tattled on me to (Y/N)?” He scoffed. If looks could kill, Sam would have dropped dead from the darkness in Bucky’s orbs.

“Wait, if he’s okay then what am I here for?” You said, shifting your gaze to Sam as you raised a brow.

“You’re here to make sure that he stays in line.” Sam snapped, crossing his arms over his chest as Bucky let out an exasperated ‘Jesus Christ’ under his breath.

“Bucky’s fine, Sam.” You replied, rubbing your face with your hand in annoyance as you glanced at the super-soldier.

“He’s not talking about James.” A new voice sounded from behind you, one both vaguely familiar but also strange. Whipping around, you were met with a face you’d only ever seen through a screen. Zemo.

“What the fuck is he doing out of prison?!” You exclaimed, looking between Sam and Bucky in utter disbelief.

“Bucky broke him out of jail!” Sam exclaimed, pointing a finger towards the super-soldier.

“Sam’s the one who pulled me into this mess!” Bucky pointed back.

“You two morons have reached a whole new level of dumbassery!” You exclaimed, keeping a cautious gaze on Zemo in the corner of your eye. “You broke out the man who ripped apart the Avengers out of jail and you let him do it?! The same man who killed King T’Chaka! Do neither of you remember what T’Challa and the people of Wakanda just did for us after we became enemies of the state?! I cannot believe that you would betray their trust and help this monster to escape!”

You paused for a moment, breathing heavily as you looked at the ashamed faces of Bucky and Sam in front of you.

“I’m sorry to-” You heard Zemo begin, you turned to face him with utter rage shining in your eyes. “No! The grown-ups are talking, you can wait your turn.” You scolded him, almost as you would a child but just a tad harsher. Grown-ups may have also not have been the best choice of words to describe Wilson and Barnes.

“I don’t want any part of this suicide mission!” You snapped at the duo, moving to leave.

Thirty minutes later, however, you were still on the jet, glaring into a pair of brown eyes as the four of you flew through the air. Honestly, you couldn’t believe you were still there, but Sam and Bucky knew you too well and pushed just the right buttons to convince you to stay. Sam needed you to tap into Zemo’s mind if need be to figure out if he was planning on betraying them, and you didn’t want two of the last people you trust getting themselves killed if you could prevent it.

Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum were sitting across from each other, meaning that you got stuck sitting across from the Baron in silence. He shifted uncomfortably under your gaze, the darkness in your (Y/E/C) orbs not sitting well with the man.

“So, you read minds.” He began, rubbing his hands together anxiously. You noted the nervous tick and couldn’t help but feel amused at his discomfort, but your expression never faltered.

“You don’t need to make small talk.” You bit, your icy tone growing colder in every syllable.

“I’m genuinely curious, is all.” He began, pausing his fiddling to brush his hair back only to resume it once more. “It just seems like for someone with your abilities, you’re often an overlooked member of the team. You’re the most powerful, even more so than Maximoff or Banner, perhaps, yet you were never truly an Avenger, were you?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m retired.” You muttered, ending your glaring to gaze out the window. The way Zemo spoke about you was unsettling, especially considering how he felt about the Avengers. He seemed not to think that you were part of the team, similarly to Bucky, and that brought you a feeling of unease.

“And why is that?” Zemo pushed, your avoidance evidence that he’d struck a chord.

“Why do you care?” You scoffed, looking back at the Sokovian man, both annoyance and exhaustion present in your tone.

“Because I think you’re like me.” He answered, his tone becoming quieter. Zemo didn’t look at you with the same rage you’d seen in footage from 2016, nor with the amusement that he gazed at Bucky and Sam with. No, it was something different, softer and analytical, perhaps. You wanted to peer into his mind for something, anything to figure out what he was thinking, but he would likely feel your prodding into his consciousness. As of now, he didn’t seem to have any plans to betray you guys, and you wouldn’t be the one to give him a reason.

“That’s enough from you.” Bucky interrupted, rising from his seat to switch places with you, his brotherly possessiveness clear as day.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, and Zemo provided the three of you with costumes for the roles you were to play in Madripoor. Yours seemed to have been designed specifically to be horribly uncomfortable, both in feel and the amount of skin that was exposed in the cool evening air. The three of you were making your way towards the glowing city shining in the distance, the nerves in your stomach rising with each step.

“Only an American would assume a fashion-forward Black man looks like a pimp.” Zemo explained in response to Sam’s protests over his own outfit. “You look exactly like the man you’re supposed to be playing. The sophisticated, charming African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger.”

“He even has a bad nickname.” Sam said, looking at the picture of Conrad on the phone Zemo had just handed him. “Hell, he does look like me though.”

“And who am I supposed to be playing, exactly?” You questioned, still unsure as to what role you would be playing in this scheme.

“My partner,” Zemo said simply, an amused smile working his way onto his lips.

“What?! No! Nu-uh, I’m not doing that!” You protested, Sam chuckling at your denial of what was probably inevitable.

“Would you rather the alternative of all of us getting slaughtered the second we step foot into the city?” Zemo retorted, still humored by your resistance.

“Fine, but if you try anything I’m going to break your nose.” You gave in.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Soon, the four of you were making your way into a bar, Helmut’s arm wrapped tightly around your waist since the second you exited the car in a mock possessiveness. It was all part of the charade, you had to remind yourself, as the Baron kept your side pressed against his snugly.

Making your way up to the counter, the bartender didn’t look impressed to see the group of you there as he made his way over to you.

“Hello,” He began. “Wasn’t expecting you, Smiling Tiger.”

“His plans changed. We have a business to do, with Selby.” Zemo interjected before Sam could respond.

“The usual?” The bartender ignored Zemo and turned his attention back to Sam, who simply gave a curt nod in response. The bartender turned, grabbing a snake from a jar and slicing it down the underside with a blade. A part of you wanted to cackle, especially seeing Sam stiffen beside you, and you didn’t doubt that Bucky was having to restrain himself as well. Zemo didn’t seem surprised as the bartender pulled who knows what out from the snake and placed it into a glass.

“Smiling Tiger, your favorite.” The Baron commented, the bartender sliding Sam his beverage only to pour two glasses of a different liquor for Zemo and yourself.

“I love these,” Sam said, raising to clink glasses with yourself and the Sokovian man whose arm was still draped around you.

“Cheers, Conrad,” Zemo replied, smiling back at poor Sam. The three of you downed your burning liquor, Sam struggling the most out of the three of you, clearly appalled by the organ at the bottom of his shot. You could see Bucky give a little nod in the corner of your eye, knowing he must be finding this as amusing as you were.

A man soon approached Helmut from behind, tapping him on the shoulder before he turned to face the stranger, shifting you with him. When Zemo felt the little nudge, he immediately pulled you closer to him. You were even tighter against him now, so much so that you had to wrap an arm around him as well to stabilize yourself. It was almost as if he was trying to shield you from the man despite him knowing full well that you can hold your own.

“I got word from on high; you ain’t welcome here.” He spat, getting too close to the two of you for either of your likings. But Zemo kept his air of indifference while you instinctually moved closer into his side. It’s all an act, remember? You have to play the part of the clingy partner who would get frightened at such a rough man threatening you two. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself.

“I have no business with the Power Broker, but if he insists, he can either come and talk to me…” Zemo began, trailing off as he gestured to Bucky.

“New haircut?” The strange man asked Bucky, who merely glowered in response.

“Or bring Selby for a chat.” Zemo finished, this time him being the one to get into the man’s face. Thankfully that was enough to send him away, most likely to Selby or this Power Broker who seems to be Madripoor’s own version of Big Brother.

You could feel Zemo let out a breath that you don’t think he even knew he was holding, giving a quick glance down at you before placing a peck on your temple. For the facade, of course. But what wasn’t fake were the butterflies rise in your stomach, something that you hadn’t felt in a long time. Were you… Flustered?

No, you reminded yourself internally. This was a very bad man holding you close, the same one who killed the former King of Wakanda and ripped your team to shreds. Not only that, but he hated all the Avengers, so why did he seem to like you? It doesn’t matter whether or not he likes you, he’s Zemo. But the more time you spent with him, the more intoxicated you became. He was starting to look more and more like your next mistake, and love is certainly not a game you wanted to be playing with him. Right?

The next thirty or so minutes were a blur. Bucky having to fake being the Winter Soldier to kick a bunch of men’s asses to finally meeting up with Selby, only for Sam to break your cover through a phone call and Selby quickly being shot. The four of you promptly exited the bar, attempting to remain inconspicuous until bounty hunters from all around started shooting at you. Bucky and Sam jumped forward, meanwhile, Zemo darted to the right, dragging you with him as he moved his hand from your waist to interlock your fingers.

You cut through alleyway after alleyway, hiding in the shadows as gunfire echoed around you. Eventually, you managed to catch up with Bucky and Sam, approaching the pair with your hand still in his.

“Well this is too perfect.” A female voice interrupted your mini-reunion, Sharon Carter emerging from the shadows as she ripped down her hood, gun fixated on Zemo.

“Drop it Zemo,” She started, Zemo raising his gun-holding hand before lowering the weapon to the ground. “You cost me everything.”

“Sharon, wait.” You reasoned, raising your hand as you slowly backed up.

“What, are you his lover now? His sugar baby or some shit?” She badgered you, causing your eyes to widen as you only just remembered that you were still holding his hand. You quickly dropped it, raising it to match your other arm as Zemo sent you a look that you couldn’t decipher. Oh, how desperately you wanted to look into his mind, but the little bit of sanity left in you told you to leave it be.

“Someone recreated the super-soldier serum and Zemo had a lead,” Sam explained.

“That explains why you guys are here. And Selby’s dead.” Sharon replied, gun still pointed at your group.

“So what are you doing here?” Bucky questioned the blonde.

“I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass so that you could save his ass from his ass and became a criminal with their ass.” She explained, pointing the gun at each mention of whoever's ass it was that turn. “Unlike you, I didn’t have the Avengers to back me up, so, I’m off the grid in Madripoor.”

“Hey, don’t blow that smoke. I was on the run, too.” Sam rebutted Sharon’s complaints.

“Was. Is. Big difference. I don’t speak to my family anymore - I can’t. My own father doesn’t know where I am.”

“Listen…” You began. “Sharon, we need your help, the former agent only laughing in response. “Please.”

“This isn’t over.” She conceded, shaking her head at you. “I have a place in High Town, you should be safe there for a while.”

Sharon’s place was definitely nicer than yours is now, and you’re not even on the run anymore. She, thankfully, had a change of clothes for you to slip into, the soft material much a welcome relief from the tortuous item Zemo had you wearing.

While you were waiting for Sharon’s guests to begin arriving for whatever event would soon be taking place downstairs, everybody slowly filtered out of the room until it was only Zemo and yourself remaining.

“Can I ask you a question?” You spoke up, breaking the silence from your spot on the sofa as you glanced towards the Baron seated across the room.

“Ask away.” He smiled, taking a sip from the amber liquid in his glass.

“What did you mean earlier, when you said we were the same.” Your voice was quiet now, so much so that you weren’t sure if he’d even heard you. That is until he got up from his seat and slowly walked towards you.

“I never wanted to tear the Avengers apart, not until they killed my family. Destroyed my city… Sure, I didn’t like them, but I didn’t want to destroy them. It was all about vengeance.” He began, sitting beside you on the yellow fabric. “For you, it was HYDRA who ruined your life. You joined the Avengers because it was where the last people you had left were going and it was the easiest way for you to ensure the organization was destroyed. You never wanted the idolization that came with being a hero, and it was clear when your work was done that you had no desire to keep going. Everything that came after the Sokovia Accords was out of survival.”

“I’m not saying you're right,” you began, “but what would that make me, then? Insane? Cause that seems to be the running theory.”

“You’re not crazy, despite how rumors fly. Neither am I, really.” He began, eliciting a small smile from you at the last bit he added. “You’re a fighter, someone doing whatever it takes to get their agenda done. Whether that means breaking the law or joining the Avengers, nothing will stop you once you put your mind to it - it’s one of the things I admire about you.”

You pursed your lips as you focused on the amber fluid floating in its crystalline home, him taking another sip of the burning liquid. Your gaze shifted back to his face, and oh god, look at that face. Maybe it was the liquor in your system already or maybe your last bit of sanity was finally escaping your mind, but suddenly his past didn’t seem to matter anymore. You had plenty of red on your ledger as well, and the more he spoke the more you began to sympathize with him.

“So you admire me?” You smirked, crossing your arms as you tilted your head slightly to the right playfully.

“Why don’t you look into my mind and tell me?” He replied. Reaching out, you gently placed your fingers against his temple as you gazed into his consciousness. Flashes of magic and madness, ideas of a love that could be forever or go down in flames. You didn’t go searching deeper, because your own mind was racing. Would pursuing this be worth all the pain that could very well follow? No, not could, would. You’d be betraying your former teammates, but what did that matter much anymore.

Rather than pulling your hand away, you placed your lips gently on his, tentatively, even. He tasted of expensive liquor and a hint of peppermint, and you found yourself intoxicated. The kiss ended far too soon for your liking, him pulling away so his brown orbs could gaze into your own.

“So… What do you say?” He asked, cupping your cheek in his hand, you place your own over top of his.

“Why not?” You smiled back, reconnecting your lips to his.

“I can make the bad guys good for a weekend.”

Taglist:

@fanfictionedagain @lam-ila @b0nnyzz @haydieenzzibug @cyanide-mustard @duchess-of-new-shire @the-chocoholic-writer @milenadixon @real-fbi @golddenlioness

[toomanyf4ndoms7]

Missing MK11 Koncept: Ermac

Bio: A fusion of ten thousand souls, Ermac has been a dutiful warrior of Outworld since their creation by Shao Kahn. After nearly being killed by Shang Tsung an realising a powerful presence within, Ermac now has the chance to choose their own destiny.

Gear:

Mask: (Select animation: Camera pans up to his face.) Designs include varying styles of face mask. Cloth, metal, bandages, ripped bandages to expose some of his face, but there is no mask-less option. I feel it makes him mysterious when you can’t see his face.

Chest jewel: (Select animation: Camera focuses on his chest) Designs include his crest from MKX, a glowing eye, A symbol of Shao Kahn, one for Mileena, and one for Kotal, and one that is entirely original called “Our own path.”

Spirit: One of Ermac’s souls burst out and take a human shape. Designs include one with edenian armour, a ravaged ghost, and one with a vaguely king-like attire. 

Skins:

We live: The MK11 Krypt Outfit.

Broken hold: Their deception outfit.

Raging souls: New design with ripped fabric, exposing glowing holes.

Ko’atal’s enforcer: A modified version of their MKX design.

Universal moves:

Force lift: Ermac lifts the opponent into the air with telekinesis and slams them down. amplify for a pop up.

Force-ball: Ermac shoots a blast of soul energy as a projectile.

Teleport: Ermac vanished and punches the opponent from behind. Amplify for a pop up.

Kustom moves:

Suspend: Replaces force lift. Ermac suspends the opponent in the air for a free hit.

Soul-ball: Ermac shoots one of his souls forward, which this as a projectile. Amplify to have the soul enter the opponent and stun them for a moment.

Misdirection: Gains the ability to cancel the teleport.

Tele-push: Ermac captures the opponent in a hold before pushing them away. Amplify to stun them on the hold.

We are many: Ermac gains a combo string reminiscent of his assist konsumable in the game proper.

Fatalities:

Helping hands: Ermac unleashes two of his souls to grab the opponent’s arms. He holds out his hands and begins to slowly pull them apart as the spirits begin to pull at the opponent’s arm. With a powerful motion, the opponent in ripped in half down the middle.

From within: Ermac forces the opponent’s mouth open and blasts soul magic into their open maw. The opponent stumbles back in pain, twitching and yelling before their body explodes and reveals a group of ghastly souls bursting out.

Friendship:

Glitching out: Ermac turns around, finding an arcade cabinet. he levitates in a quarter and begins to play, before it suddenly glitches out. He hits the machine with his fist before groaning and turning away. He occasional gives a glance to the camera that screams ‘Are you seeing this shit?”

Intro animations:

Ceamr odse nto exist: Ermac’s corpse is impaled through the pit spike, before a rush of souls rejuvenate them.

Inner torment: Close up on Ermac’s gem, filled with ghastly screams before it zooms out.

You’re next: Ermac walks into the arena while levitating a head in the air.

Strength of souls: A storm of swirling souls is seen perform it shrinks into a person shaped figure that becomes Ermac.

Outro animations:

WE ARE MANY: Ermac floats in the air and folds his arms.

Strength of souls: Ermac places his hand over his soul jewel, concentrating power, before shooting a blast to the screen.

Rage of spirits: A group of souls burst out of Ermac’s gem and rush towards the screen with ghastly shrieks.

Mystic warrior: Ermac levitates and meditates in a cross leg pose.

Intro dialogue:

Vs Shao Kahn:

Ermac: Kotal has earned our loyalty.

Shao Kahn: You were created to serve me.

Ermac: We choose our fate.

Shao Kahn: My greatest creation.

Ermac: And the one which will end you.

Shao Kahn: HA! Delusional fool...

Vs Shang Tsung:

Ermac: You attempted to consume our souls.

Shang Tsung: You will join them, in time.

Ermac: We will take them, and you!

Shang Tsung: I thought you dead.

Ermac: We cannot be killed by impalement.

Shang Tsung: I have other ways to finish you.

Vs Kotal Kahn:

Kotal Kahn: You have returned.

Ermac: With news of Shang Tsung’s returned.

Kotal Kahn: What manipulations has he cast on you?

Vs Mileena:

Ermac: You never deserved Shao Kahn’s throne.

Mileena: I am his rightful heir!

Ermac: You were his pawn.

Ending:

Our power tore through Kronika’s body. And as her power washed over us, we were… disoriented.

(Shot of Ermac standing over Kronika’s body, before they clutch their head in sudden pain.)

Our souls were in turmoil, shouting and screaming for control, but they soon fell silent in the face of King Jerrod.

(Camera zooms in on Ermac, their countless souls ripping out for dominance, before they all return to their body and Ermac stands back up.)

Jerrod ordered us to restore Edenia, the kingdom that had been consumed by Outworld for thousands of years. We felt it was just.

(Ermac floats to the hourglass, using it to observe the moment of Edenia’s fall.)

There is a drawback to this approach. Without Edenia’s fall, our souls would not be combined. We will never exist.

(Ermac looks on their creation, as Shao Kahn binds countless souls to a single host.)

We… believe it is a worthy sacrifice. For all Shao Kahn has done. We will soon be erased. 

(Ermac makes their decision, as the image transitions to a restored Edenia, never set upon by Shao Kahn.)

But, as long as Edenia lives, so shall we in spirit.

For we are Ermac. And we… are many.

(Final shot is of countless Edenian soldiers, with the faint outline of Ermac over them.)

Mid fight quotes:

“You face an army!”

“You will become part of us!”

*A multitude of ghastly yells*

“You are one.”

[justcallmenikki7]

BTS Reaction To: Them Breaking You Out of Jail

Mafia!Au & Maknae Line

Summary: the boys are not happy when they find out that you, their girlfriend, was arrested and put into jail.

Warnings: mafia related stuff: guns, killing, mature themes (torture), split!jungkook that is basically a given with his insane personality, okay jungkook is insane in this mainly because of his love for you, ACAB is mentioned in this on all of the parts mainly in tae’s part but the term ‘acab’ is not said directly, a heated kissing scene in kook’s part, THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BOYS IS A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP!!!.

W.C.:

Notes: I went overboard with jungook’s part that I feel like I kind of do all of the time with his part in these kinds of reactions. But, I hope you enjoooooyyyy!!

Hyung Line’s Part

Park Jimin:

You were sat twiddling your thumbs on the cold concrete floor of the jail cell that you were for unnecessary and unfair reason. Being the mafia leaders girlfriend who is hated by the law enforcement is not really the best thing in the world. The cops who hate Park Jimin are the ones who know that they are crooked and unfair, so they very stupidly try to make his life a living hell. Sometimes, you wonder if they know what exactly your can and will do to them, especially if they mess with you.

They thought it would be okay for them to make a scene at your work by arresting you for being a suspect for a shooting that had nothing to do with you or even your boyfriends gang. Shrugging your shoulders, you let out a heavy sigh, now deciding to retie both of your already tied shoes from boredom. What you did not know is that on the other side of the jail, your boyfriend has stormed into the jail, shooting the cops that were in his way, Jungkook behind him as an extra eye. Walking up to the front desk lady who was secretly a spy for his gang, he gave a smile as she threw him a key that was specifically for your cell.

“Thanks, Jisoo,” Jimin thanked before making his way to you, sighing at the armed men that were at a stand off with his gang. “Why can’t things ever be easy for once?” He groaned before signaling Jungkook was a nod of his head.

You did not hear any commotion or even footsteps that were making their way towards you. A familiar chuckle was what got your attention, looking up so quickly which cause you to get dizzy for a split second. “Jiminie!” You squealed excitedly, running towards the bars, grabbing onto them.

Pouting, “Did you not think that I was going to come for you? My heart,” he pressed his right hand to his heart in a dramatic manner.

Rolling your eyes, you smiled, “well, you took an hour too long to come and get me,” you teased which earned you an adorable laugh from your boyfriend.

“Well, my bad, princess. Namjoon was taking a shit as I got the call from Jackson that you had been arrested, and so Namjoon delayed us.” Your boyfriend spoke honestly, unlocking the cell door to let you out.

You tackled him into a deep kiss, heart fluttering like it always does when he wraps his arms around your waist to bring you in closer to him. “I know that you’ll always come for me, my knight in shining armor,” you said once you pulled away from the kiss.

“NOONA AND HYUNG SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S,” You jumped from the loud yelling of the two youngest. “On a serious note, Noona Jisoo said that the SWAT is on their way and will be here in like, I don’t know, .5 seconds,” Jungkook noted casually. A loud crashing noise was heard with a few cusses from Jimin’s hyung’s. “Looks like they are now here,” he said calmly, “I suggest we should get going, don’t you think?”

Kim Taehyung:

Kim Taehyung has always been a person who does not tolerate bullshit and people who have the train of thought of abusing their power just because they believe that they can. He knows that the law enforcement hates him because he basically does their job for them by getting rid of pests and keeps the streets clean. The hate that they have for him is from jealousy and pride. He knows that a few law enforcement people are actually grateful for him because of how Taehyung and his gang can actually figure out some cold cases and criminals that the law enforcement are trying to catch. Some cops and FBI members actually turn to Taehyung and his gang, mainly Min Yoongi the IT of the gang, for help when they cannot figure out a case even though their bosses are against it.

Anyways, the call that Taehyung had gotten from one of the officers that turns to Taehyung informing him that you had been arrested for going ‘over the speed limit’ with a suspension of you carrying marijuana on you really did not make his day. The officer, Yu Jong, gave details of which cell and area of the jail you were at that really went against his protocol, which Taehyung thanked him for, informing him that Jong and the other three officers who are for Taehyung that they needed get out of there as soon as possible because it will turn into a slaughter house. Dressing in his designer ripped jeans, a black shirt and his Gucci jacket, he grabbed his pistol and got the gang together, making their way to the jail.

You are having a glaring contest with the officer who arrested you, the distaste that you both have for one another is strong. “You’re honestly a piece of shit, you know that?” You commented calmly, knowing that your boyfriend could be showing up any minute now, so you are going to make the best of it.

“Don’t test me, bitch. I could make your life—”

“Make her life what?” Your boyfriend’s baritone voice boomed in the hallway, comforting you but mainly scaring the officer.

Smirking, you stood up cuffed hands resting against your lower stomach as you walked towards the bars, a calm look on your face. “Go on, don’t be shy now, say what you were going to say,” you said calmly, too calm for the officer.

Not saying anything due to being frozen in shock at the thought that Kim Taehyung is standing right behind him with his pistol aimed at his head with the safety off. Sighing, Taehyung rolled his eyes out of boredom, “You guys are literally all talk but cannot for the life of you actually say anything to my face, it’s pathetic really. Now, hand me the keys so I can take my innocent girlfriend home.”

Doing as he was told, you were out of the cell and in your boyfriend’s arms in no time. You knew that this was the cop who has been tormenting both you and Taehyung for years now, and you knew that Taehyung has had enough of it. So, wanting to spice things up, you whispered into your boyfriend’s ear, “He also called me a bitch, Tae.”

Smirking darkly at you, “oh did he now? What a shame,” Taehyung looked at the officer who was looking back at him with fear in his eyes, “what a real shame.”

Jeon Jungkook:

You love your boyfriend with all of your heart – you really do – but sometimes you get nervous with how … sadistic he can get with his job. You know that he loves the thrill he gets when he sees the fear in his victim’s eyes, you can tell that he gets off from it sometimes. Knowing him since you both were in diapers and been together exclusively since the age of fifteen, you are confident with confirming that you know your boyfriend like the back of your hand, and as he did you. But having been in the job since the age of seventeen, taking  over his dads position when he was murdered, Jungkook, you can now say that you do not know his business side like his gang. Namjoon once said that Jungkook turns into a completely different person, someone more sinister – and you do not want to know that side; not because of the fear of him hurting (something you know that would never happen) but because of wanting to stay out of whatever business he is in.

Jungkook has made it a mission of making sure that you would never get tied into his business, and made a promise to yourself that you somehow you did, he would make sure that whoever found out about you and dragged you in would never see the light of day ever again. So, receiving a phone call from Seokjin, telling him that the cops in Busan had arrested you as a pay back for ‘scaring them into submission’ and wanting to show that they will not back down, Jungkook automatically saw red. He knew that this would happen once the Sheriff, Kim Jung, stepped down, a good friend of his dads, actually. But Jungkook dreaded the thought of the son of the Jung, Kim Mark, would screw everything up, always having something against Jungkook since the two were kids without any reason. Jungkook had told Mr. Jung that even though they were almost like family, Jungkook will do whatever he would to a person that he ran into on the street – in short, killing them – and Jung sadly accepted that possible fate of his son.

And as you sat in jail cell that was being watched over by Mark himself, both of you hearing the gun shots and screaming of the officers in the room above. There was a feeling of relief of safety that you felt, but there was also a feeling of nervousness, almost fear, that you felt that came of the knowledge of seeing your Jungkookie in action – the side that you will meet. You came to accept that this may change your relationship dynamic, something that both you and Jungkook will have a very long talk and acceptance of whatever that means. To make things clear, you will never leave Jungkook over this, but you know that this is the beginning of being involved in his second life style – the lifestyle that Jungkook was trying to prevent you from of being involved in.

So, as you heard the deep, sadistic laugh that came from your boyfriend, you braced yourself. You watched his intimidating form walk in, his long black hair in a half up bun while the lower half of his hair touched his shoulders. His signature outfit which consisted of his black ripped skinny jeans, timberlands, and an oversized white shirt and his black leather jacket – you would be a liar if you said that he did not look hot as fuck. But the one thing that you did notice about him was the deranged look in his eyes that looked you straight in the eyes – noting the fear you felt.

“Now look at what you did, Marky, you scared my girlfriend, my Y/N. Now that is another thing that you will have to pay for.” He snarled, moving to the side so that Taehyung and Jimin restricted him, kicking the pointing gun out of his hands. Walking over to the cell door, Jungkook unlocked it, pulling you into him for a heated kiss. You allowed him to dominate you for that small moment, letting out a shaky breath as he pulled away. You knew that right now the man standing in front of you is not your Jungkook, it is someone different. Brushing the hairs that fell in front of your face, Jungkook smiled down at you lovingly, “There’s my beautiful princess. I’m sorry that Marky over there caused this mess, but I’ll make sure to clean it up for you, don’t want my princess to get into anymore messes now,” he chuckled a spine chilling laugh, one that shook you to the core. But what made you even more nervous for Marks life was when you were walking up the stairs to the main floor was the scream that came from Mark and the laughter of your boyfriend that soon followed after.

[mihai-florescu]

Hi as my designated Madara mutual could you tell me about Double Face pls also hi hope you’re having a wonderful day ily

Omg hii yes well. What do you know already? I'll give the quick tldr of their first event: Kohaku was tasked to investigate a shady producer, Madara was also interested in this man's downfall because of his connections to Leo, so the 2 joined forces to take down gfk under the name Double Face (which was initially used yeeears ago by Godfather to form a duo but it didn't stick cuz the other person died. I'm sure that's um. Irrelevant though...👁👁)

They continue Double Face even though initially it was supposed to be a one time teamup situation and they investigate Ibara and Valkyrie in Antique Legend. Their dynamic works because they both have quite dark backgrounds, Kohaku's assassin family and Madara's whole yakuza-police-cult childhood. So neither reaaally fits into "normal society" although Kohaku's more well adjusted since 1. He was shielded from much of the family's business, for better or worse, and 2. He has Crazy:B as well. So, despite initially not wanting to team up, in the end Kohaku's the one pushing Madara to open up and realise he's not as alone and damned as he thinks. Tfw a 15 yo is more emotionally mature than you. Rip😔

In Secret Service, Madara and Kogaku have a reaaally good showdown, I cannot even begin to describe it, I really recommend reading it. Kohaku threatening to kill Madara (who had formed an alliance with Gatekeeper to ensure he progresses in SS) since their duo was only formed by coincidence and they're not even friends and Madara being certain Kohaku can't follow through with the threat is something you have to experience yourself, i'm still wrapping my head around it rereading from time to time. Secret Service has some of my favorite quotes exploring Madara's loneliness.

I think the last story they were both in is Spring Evening's Respite where Madara tries to shut down Double Face by faking a (i dont remember exactly) journalist or blogger or paparazzi that is alegedly capable to figure out his and Kohaku's pasts if they gain more traction as a unit, so it's better to just disband now. Which was another one of his attempts at distancing himself from people cuz he thinks he'll inevitably hurt them but Kohaku calls him out on this and doesn't let him end Double Face so easily. They have a live where df, crazyb and mam all perform (and 2wink but we're not focusing on them rn) and i really love that they got to participate with All of their units. Even brought back MaM! And that's it, we're up to date, I'm sooo curious what their next story will be like.

[nostalgiachan]

Four more entries in my 100 OC Challenge! As always, new versions up top, first drawings of each at bottom, character info below the cut.

#29: Hime Kokoro (SHUT UP)  Idea: Beyond "Sin's Love Interest," I've got no clue anymore. Story: Year Zero

Oh, honey. Honey. I did you so dirty, girl. Not as dirty as Luris, certainly, but dirty. Or at least I think I did, because I cannot for the life of me remember what Hime was supposed to get up to. 

Well, for starters, what we see of her is that she's Sin's closest (and only seen) friend amongst Lord Gerardis' captains. Despite the fact that she gets a POV chapter, the chapter is more focused on their trip out to where Absolution was found than anything really involving establishing her as a character.  Regardless, I remember that she was obviously supposed to be the one legitimately nice person in the whole of the White Tower. 

Also I pretty fucking blatantly based her appearance on Orihime from Bleach. Teen Nost wasn't even trying to hide it, honestly. 

As for her role when our "heroes" get to the White Tower, I honestly can't remember. I don't remember if she was going to attempt to fight them in a sort of "I don't want to fight Sin, but I have to remain loyal" deal. I almost certainly didn't figure out what happens with her and Taris, what with them being identical twins. But like the rest of the heroes, she does survive and probably waits around for Sin to come back from his wandering the Earth in penance because that's what nice girls like her do. 

If I ever get around to The Rejiggering, beyond the obvious "giving her more agency and overall purpose," I definitely would want to put more emphasis on her "morals vs. duty" conundrum. And, you know...change her name.

#30: Absolution Idea: Mysterious genocidal tree man, also hella gay Story: Year Zero

At last, the guy I was most curious about how much his design would change now that I'm not just slapping a brown skin tone on an anime face, but am actually considering semi-realistic facial features. Still a work in progress, but we're getting there. 

Absolution is probably the one character in this whole story I don't see changing too terribly much outside of digging more into the nature of his being, or possibly making him even more eldritch. 

But yes, as stated numerous times through the other characters, Absolution is the mysterious man found in the mysterious glowing tree with the ability to create life from nothing. G finds him, plans to use him as part of a double team with Sin in his world domination plans, but Absolution decides "Nah, fuck that" and kills G when our heroes reach the top of the White Tower. See, for reasons I don't think I fully developed beyond "Wouldn't it be cool (and also kinda hawt)," Absolution was obsessed with Sin, or at least the bioweapon inside of him, and wanted to activate him and wipe out the entirety of the planet, leaving nothing but the two of them. He does a hell of a job at first, too, activating the Great Destroyer with a kiss, but Sin manages to contain the damage to just the Inner City. 

So, you know, RIP rich folk. 

Absolution's pretty upset that his husbando doesn't want to kill absolutely everything, but he figures, "Eh, if I smack you around a bit, you'll come to your senses and we can get to killing." That doesn't go well for him, and Sin kills him after a big dumb anime fight over the ruins of the Inner City.

As for the reworking, I mentioned before it'd probably be a more interesting idea if Sin and Absolution were both part of the same mysterious bioweapon plant race; it'd also certainly go a ways towards better establishing why Absolution's fixated on Sin beyond "I'm just a nihilist, I guess, lol." Beyond that, the damage would absolutely not be contained to just the IC. Everything needs to get fucked. Maybe our heroes survive, but ain't no winners with doomsday weapons around. I also see Sin and Absolution pulling a mutual kill, possibly with a cheeky little "they're regrowing somewhere else, maybe in Lacryma's ruins". Iunno.

#31: Luris Idea: Sexual assassin. That's unfortunately it. Story: Year Zero

At last, we get to probably my most unfortunate character, the culmination of the "Mostly Here to Be a Sexy Villain" trifecta alongside Mulore and Maria. Only this time, she actually has sex. Like, I'm not kidding when I say her whole character is probably the nadir of my teenage internalized misogyny and my adolescent notion of what made mature writing mature. Full disclosure.

Luris is the most trusted captain and bodyguard of G, and rumors abound they may have a little something going on behind the scenes; at least, Sin seems to think so.  Her specialty is sexpionage (and no, I didn't come up with that pormanteau) and assassination, and G so values her work that he even allows her to occasionally target Inner City civilians in order to keep her skills sharp.

Her primary role in the story comes down to one chapter. She manages to not only locate Sin in the Outer City, but to find the very rebel base itself. She presents herself as having defected from the White Tower after hearing about G leaving Sin for dead, and claims that she always loved Sin, but knew that he wouldn't choose her over "that prude Hime," so if she couldn't have his love, she wanted his hate instead. But from the first word, Sin doesn't buy it.  He allows her to start to get intimate with him, but only to get her into a vulnerable position on his bed so he can stab her to death. He makes sure to say some pretty goddamn terrible things about her to the microphone in her earring which he knows is feeding audio back to G.

And that's it. The sum totality of her character is "she's a black widow and then she fuckin' dies." And honestly, as much as I don't like mercy killing a character, in the rejiggered story, the best thing to do would probably be to cut her entirely. But I feel like Teen Nost did her too dirty to just take her out behind the shed, so I should really come up with something more substantial for her to get up to.

#32: Winter Idea: Shy little ice mage who has to fight her friends Story: Love Like Winter (based on the album "decemberunderground" by AFI)

Now here's a story I'd definitely like to revisit, even if it's fairly simplistic.  I totally should've drawn these next few characters before the Year Zero cast, since they predate them, but I didn't actually upload the one drawing I did of them to deviantART, so I forgot to include them until I'd already started the Year Zero kids. But whatever. 

So this is Winter, a teenage ice mage who lives in a hidden city housing the last of humanity. She and her best friends, the fire mage Summer and the shadow mage Silence, were training to become proper mages and join a monastic order dedicated to protecting the city from the demons which threatened them daily.

One day, the three of them learned of forbidden rituals which could unlock incredible magical power within the user, provided they 1) "survived" the process and 2) kept their sanity. Silence, being young and reckless, wondered why the monks wouldn't take them through this process; obviously, if all them went through the ritual, they'd have more than enough power to drive back the demons and reclaim the surface world. Winter was much more against the idea, for the obvious reason of "it tends to kill people," but Summer was on the fence about it. 

That was, until Silence managed to not only figure out what the ritual entailed, but to successfully complete it. Now imbued with powerful dark magic, she took to the surface and started cutting swathes through the demons with monsters of her own creation.

Seeing just how well she was tearing through their mortal enemies, Summer sought her out and asked her to take him through his own ritual. But while the two had managed to overcome hurdle one of the process, they hadn't completed hurdle two: the keeping of the sanity. And it wasn't long before Silence decided that because she was the one who was finally clearing the demons out, she should be in charge of the city instead of those dumbass monks. Summer decided since he owed Silence for this newfound power, he was along for the ride. 

Which left Winter with the unenviable job of having to kill the two of them. The monks now had their hands full with trying to stop both demon incursions and Silence and Summer, so they tasked Winter with tracking down and defeating her former friends, for who is the last person that they'd see coming? 

Well, despite her best efforts, this turns out to be a bad idea. Though Winter managed to break through Silence's ranks with her trainee abilities, between her lack of power and her hesitance to fight her friends, she couldn't stop Summer. Winter barely managed to escape and return to the order, where she came to the conclusion that she was unfortunately going to have to fight fire with fire (or fire with ICE, huh? HUH?!). She was going to have to go through the ritual herself. Initially, the monks were reluctant, but it quickly became apparent it was the only option they had. 

Thus, she finally learned what the process was: the ritual practitioner would be consumed by the element of their choice to the point of death. If they were truly attuned to this element, however, the element would reanimate them, allowing them to freely channel this power through their form. For Winter, this meant drowning herself in a frozen pool of water. Thankfully, the process worked, and she returned to Silence's tower ready to beat some ass.

Though still not completely ready, since there was another hang up: she was completely in love with Summer. Like any good teenage protagonist, she'd originally thought Summer was in love with Silence, but after the death ritual, she wasn't going to play that game anymore. She was going to beat Summer's ass, make him see reason, and confess her feelings. 

And she does all three in spectacular fashion, winning Summer over to her side and convincing him to help her fight Silence, since she was the strongest of the three even before the death ritual. The three have a hellacious battle, but by that time, Silence's sanity was so far gone that after wearing down her body, Winter and Summer had to infiltrate her mind in order to return her to sense. It's magic, you know how it is. 

Whether or not they manage to bring her back, however, has flip-flopped over the years. Initially, they did, and they convinced the monastic order to simply imprison rather than execute her. But later, I started to think that maybe she actively chose to stay locked within her own mind in a catatonic state out of penance, and would only come back when she felt she'd reflected enough on what she'd done. 

But at the very least, Winter and Summer get a relatively happy ending together.

Originally, Winter's superpowered mode was basically just standard aura-floating hair-glowy eyes stuff, but doing the redraw, I thought, "Wouldn't it be cooler if I incorporated the dying part more and made her look frostbitten?" I dunno how well that comes off, but y'know. I tried.

[hezuart]

That anaversary aizen looks absolutely fabulous, he looks like a figure skater xd.

I heard along time ago the last arc of the anime was being animated finally bc they pulled a 90s sailor moon were the last season was not either animated or dubbed untill decades later.

I recall near the end of the current 366 episodes there was an episode were the creapy demon ppl woke up in hell and we're all bitter, and there was the other guy who was like, iM cOmEiNg FoR u IChIgO, but then is never mentioned again after and I'm like,why? Why is lt there just plopted randomly into a different arc that seams unrelated.

And locking aizen up underground seems ok, but It deff won't hold, and he will. Escape, and he will kill, you either need that one spell from star, dubbed, the darkest spell of moon the undaunted, a powerfull dark spell that killed immortal beings, that came from best character, eclipsa, the queen of darkness.

We need that.

Or stick him I'm crystal like eclipsa was in star. Is there no one who could trap him in ice or crystal for all eternity.

How about throw him into the centre of a volcano trapped and caged , forverr being killed by heat?

I assume there's space travel, send I'm into a black whole, were a black whole don't fuckin care if your immortal or fat, you will die

:3

Yes, I love anniversary Aizen. His original octopus-butterfly hollow design was ugly so I'm glad he's back to being the fashion icon he is.

Locking Aizen up underground once is one thing, doing it twice after saying he got more powerful by just sitting there, and he escaped to battle the Quincy Soul King God... is another. I think he should have escaped at the end of the Quincy arc. That is the only feasibility.

I heard the anime is coming back for the Quincy arc as well, but because of COVID its probably going to be delayed. (I'm not gonna watch it until the Rain section of the arc then I'm dipping out. I'm only here for Zangetsu)

and funny that you mention that hell scene in the manga :)

-> spoilers for the new BLEACH 73 page anniversary chapter / thoughts/critique on it

So hey you had a premonition! Syazel .... returned? And his hole is outside of his body??? for some reason???

(I didn't understand the explanation or why / how that happens and what that means for the hollow)

And my friend and I were laughing because out of ALL the things. Kubo could do in this anniversary. He gave Syazel his dick back after going to hell. That is iconic. (that's where his hole was located, and now that its not on his body ... well...) This is the funniest thing Kubo has EVER pulled. Kudos to you, sir.

The entire internet is freaking out over Ukitake being in hell. Honestly Kubo has done far worse, and we've established that Soul Society is a corrupt system that hasn't changed, so I'm not surprised he would pull something like this.

At the same time, Kubo 1. cheated his audience. 2. continues to prove me right that he cannot bring himself to kill his characters

1. Hollows who have commit murder in their human life are sent to hell. Syazel and Aaorniero are two of these hollows, and yet, when they are killed, there is NO gates of hell scene. We see them there later in the hell chapter (which was more of a promotion for the fourth movie and I didn't believe it would hold any merit)

But the same goes for Ukitake. We never see the gates of hell take him. What, was hell late? Did hell's gates get lost like an uber before picking him up? It's bull. Withholding such vital information from your audience, not showing the gates of hell when they should pick up this soul IMMEDIATELY is ... I mean its a lie. Kubo lied to his audience.

2. Now we are told powerful shinigami are sent to hell when they die. First of all that sounds like a security threat. Wouldn't shinigami want revenge for that? Or attempt to escape? Why would they still hold loyalty after being sent to a prison of eternal suffering?

Also "Yhwach and Aizen" were the only ones keeping Hell's gates closed is way too convenient and doesn't really make any sense. I feel like Aizen should have deliberately gone to hell to retrieve powerful shinigami / hollows for his army instead of keeping it /closed/.

This is definitely a Kubo-doesn't-know-what-he's-doing-and-is -making- stuff-up-as-he-goes, but it might have a pinch of merit because of previous plot lines.... but either way, there's some big plot holes here, but again, its Kubo, so I expected nothing less.

Again, he can't kill off his characters. He introduced zombification, he introduced immortality through the hougyoku, he has Orihime and Hachigen's reversal / rejection abilities. He brought back Luppi, friggen.... a character who's entire upper half of his body was incinerated. Like.... come on. No. He's dead, you can't bring him back like that. That's a cop out and just weird. You're taking away consequences and grief.

(Also Yamamoto and Unohana deserve to be in hell far over Ukitake, they've done some fcked up stuff in their pasts unlike him)

Also Kubo's favorite character is Mayuri, which.... you're allowed to have a favorite problematic character. But Keeping said character alive and bared from the consequences of abusing his daughter, murdering innocents, and experimenting on your own squad members? Nah. Nope. Kill him, Kubo. Kill this dude.

(his weird attachment to Mayuri is probably why he keeps bringing Syazel back, since Syazel is Mayuri 2.0, but Syazel is the bad guy who does face consequences for his actions while Mayuri is not)

~

Also, I'm certain Kazui and Orihime are going to be THRILLED that their precious husband/dad is going to hell when he dies :)

(I just... Rukia teased Ichigo about leaving Orihime at home. She teased him about having a house wife who he leaves all the chores to. Orihime had two panels. She checks on her son who promised he would be at home and sleep. Kazui fcking breaks his promise like it never mattered to him and JUMPS out the window after pretending to sleep in front of his mother. ... An 8 year old... alone... in the middle of the night.)

Orihime is abandoned. She is not invited to SS, she is not informed of what is going on, her son leaves her.... I...

Orihime is a side character. She doesn't matter anymore. She hasn't mattered for a long, long time.

A part of me is glad she had little screen time, since she tends to waste it, but another part of me is embroiled with rage.

I've even see people try to defend this. "Orihime and Ichigo can't be together ALL the time, that's an unhealthy relationship!" and I'm like guys... that's not the point. The point is Orihime is not part of Ichigo's other life. Any shinigami stuff from now on is none of her business. She's going to stay at home while Kazui and Ichigo go off and save the world. Ichigo is going to be fighting by Rukia and Renji while Orihime watches from the sidelines, or worse, doesn't even know what is going on with her husband and son. Orihime is going to be uninformed and abandoned, because she has not proven she is capable of fighting by their sides(go on, @ me. I will fight this. She's a failure.), and also because she prefers a human life over a dead one. Which is ironic, because she married a dead man. Ichigo is a shinigami, and he will be one forever. god forbid she ever meets his Zanpaktou. She would tremble in fear at the monsters her husband harbors in his soul, especially when she realizes they don't care about her and would rather see her dead. (Zangetsu would absolutely kill Orihime. Not sure about Kazui, but Orihime has not accepted Zangetsu, she does not like either of them, and the feeling is assuredly mutual.) frick now I want to make a comic about this

Also still frustrated over Zangetsu's shikai / bankai regression. Kubo once again lied to his audience. Ichigo has no bankai. How ridiculous is that? The main character of BLEACH doesn't have a bankai. Insulting.

(RIP to Chad. He doesn't exist anymore. He's just gone. No mention, no cameo. Gone.)

Kazui is a demon child. That character from the novels? Hikone? They're the same character. Literally same personality, same power level. Its worse because Kazui is a liar. He constantly goes behind his parents' backs. He can summon creepy fish and creepy eyeballs and open portals like is ANYONE aware of this? How has SS not kidnapped Ichigo's son and experimented on him / locked away his powers yet? All substitute shinigami require a reiatsu controlling / spy badge to keep them in line. Where is Kazui's? Or is he just a weird fullbringer?

I was worried Kubo was gonna try and pull a knock off Boruto but luckily he kept the focus on Ichigo and the others. But that being said, Ichika and Kazui are now just... sort of there? Kazui was kinda just.... having his own adventure that doesn't matter to the plot at hand, and Ichika had some nice characterization at first but she just hid behind her dad the whole time.

I have a feeling Kazui is gonna step in at the last minute or do some major behind the scenes thing that indirectly interferes with the main plot so no one will realize how powerful and dangerous he actually is. Its sad because Ichika is the superior character in personality and likability, but she clearly is not going to have a bigger part in this.

Ichigo having a normal life after everything still feels extremely boring and uncomfortable to me. Everyone's like 'I'm still bLEACH!" but.... BLEACH just... doesn't feel like BLEACH anymore. It hasn't for a while now.

~~~

There's two new shinigami characters. Didn't care for the girl, but the Sign Language kid who talks to animals is adorable ... however... he just reminds me of Chad, and I just... it hurts knowing Chad has essentially been deleted. Chad and Orihime are officially benched. They have chosen the human world, and Orihime has given Ichigo his spawn so she has no more use/purpose to him anymore... ////sigh

~~~

Also. This is claimed to be a new "arc". So is the BLEACH manga coming back? What is happening. I thought Kubo was tired and didn't want to do BLEACH anymore. I thought Shounen Jump cut him off. People made so many excuses for Kubo and why the past two arcs have been so badly written the past 6 years and now almost everything they've attempted to defend him with has been revoked.

BLEACH is going to continue to screw up its plot lines and characters, so Its probably best for it to stay dead but I've seen a lot of Kubo stans drooling over this content, they're desperate for BLEACH's return, but its already given out all its possible revelations. There's really nothing else to top here. It's just going to make things up as it goes along ,and I'm not really here for half-assed writing like that, especially since the damage of rushing the previous manga has already been done. Kubo and Shounen Jump are riding off a money nostalgia. None of this was planned.

Honestly though.... overall feeling of this chapter, not as bad as it could have been.

Syazel stole the spotlight, and he's my friend's favorite character, so that's all that really matters.