#there’s many variations of what a character who dresses in all black is

[bookwyrminspiration]

it’s ridiculous how predictable my favorite character is. I see “dressed in all black” and start kicking my feet

[dr-futbol-blog]

Our hero, Major John Sheppard is stationed at McMurdo base in Antarctica at the start of the series. We learn that he likes it there. Sheppard himself tells Teyla in Sateda (S03E04): "Well, that [having no social skills] is why I enjoyed flying choppers in the most remote part of my world before all this craziness."

This is what John Sheppard tells us but we learn that what he tells us is not always the truth and certainly not the whole truth.

The alien AI that created a hallucination from Sheppard's own subconscious in Remnants (S05E15) poses him the question: "You're either someone with a death wish or someone running away from something. So tell me: what are you running away from?" Running away to the most remote part of his world, running away to another galaxy.

In fact, he has both been banished to and self-isolated in the most remote part of his world ("You torture yourself every day, John.") due to his "black mark" acquired in Afghanistan. We are never explicitly told what this black mark was, only that it bothered Gen. O'Neill and was something that Dr. Weir could live with. We are left wondering.

While we are shown something of what happened in Afghanistan during the episode Phantoms (S03E09), through the hallucinations from Sheppard's past of him failing to save Capt. Charlie Holland, it isn't until toward the end of the series that we find out what happened through the mirror of a parallel reality in Vegas (S05E19), where alt!Rodney tells us "You were a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan but were dishonourably discharged for disobeying orders and trying to rescue a field medic trapped behind enemy lines. You were shot down – obviously survived, but unfortunately the crash killed four American soldiers along with eight civilians. You avoided jail time; the record was sealed for various political reasons."

The field medic in the Vegas-verse, one where "infinite variations of our own known reality where alternate versions of you and I play out events", is female; this revealed in a mumbled 'ur' (I didn't even catch it on first viewing even though I knew about the gender swap in advance; it might just as well have been "knew 'em") in alt!Rodney's line: "That field medic – the one you defied orders to go back and try and rescue. You knew her personally. You were... involved."

This was one of the differences between the two realities, perhaps even the most defining one of them, the point of divergence.

Vegas Sheppard dies to the tune of Johnny Cash's Solitary Man because that's what he was, a recluse (and note that the importance of Johnny Cash was underlined in the episode by Sheppard taking nothing but his poster, the same Johnny Cash poster that our Sheppard had in his quarters for all of the five years, with him once he walked away from his job; it carries weight):

I know it's been done havin' one girl who loved me Right or wrong, weak or strong Don't know that I will, but until I can find me The girl who'll stay and won't play games behind me I'll be what I am

But our Sheppard is not a Solitary Man (he has self-confessedly found something of a family in Pegasus). He's the Man in Black (in fact, he is dressed in black throughout the series even in situations where other fatigues would have made more sense; it is only in the very last episode that we see him in lighter colours):

I'd love to wear a rainbow every day And tell the world that everything's okay But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back 'Til things are brighter, I'm the man in black

We know the background. When the series begun, DADT was still in full effect, the franchise had a long-standing co-operation with the USAF, Prop 8 was still several years into the future. The non-normative sexual orientation of an All-American Action Hero was never going to be main-text. Even heterosexual romance between characters was mostly eschewed by the franchise. But damn if the subtext doesn't lay it out thick for us.

There are so many obvious parallels and comparisons in the show that I need to write them down somewhere, and while this is a day late and a dollar short, this fandom could do with some meta. So this marks the beginning of my journey through Stargate Atlantis with an eye on its bisexual protagonist.

[whalehouse1]

@thefaeriefeatherdark Sorry, I just haven't had either the time nor the energy to write up a response to your thoughts on the AU and I apologize because this is basically stream of consciousness and not edited, but a few things about my 3 Superboys AU, which thanks to Jon is technically 5 but another time.

Okay, the Superboy AU has actually gotten worse thanks to Leah Williamson (long story, but now we have two Jons). But to answer your questions as best I can given my limited Super family knowlege. Connor is a Cadmus creation, he is straight up the series origins. Made by Cadmus with Lex's funding with Lex's and Clark's DNA. The main difference is he is the first attempt at being cloned and Cadmus lies and tells Lex the clone had deteriorated once he was out of his clone tube. If you want to add Contessa to this, you could have her doing this to spite Lex. I know nothing about her besides what you said in your post, but I'm sure she has good reasons to be spiteful to Lex. And you know to try to keep and groom a Superboy on her own.

As for Lena Thorul, I know nothing about her, but since I am a fan of random characters from Kara's original series (I want that trade if it will ever exist), I don't see any issue with her being involved. My only issue with Kara in your idea, is I hc her around the ages of the original Teen Titans from the comics. At most a year younger, only because I think it's funny that Dick will call her an old hag even though he's physically older, but she's older than even Clark by a decent amount.

I mean all three are Clark and Lex clones, so they will look alike, but as Connor and Kon do have other's DNA mixed in with them (Maik is the only 100% just those two's DNA), they're can be variation. I think Connor looks distinct enough, it could have just been the cartoon style, but he seems more muscular and taller. He's more of a football player, while Kon is more Baseball player in terms of general build (it's a very bad description, but the best way I can explain it without drawing it, sorry). And Maik is 12, he's baby shaped. But he's basically built thicker than Jon, but not really by much since again, babies. Connor doesn't have the earring like the other two do, but I think Maik in terms of appearance does get mistook as Kon's younger brother since they look a lot alike. Maik has much better fashion sense though, cause is it Kon if he is dressed well? Maik has the gray eyes from the movie cause they're very striking compared to everyone else's bright blue ones. I also just like grey eyes and there's not a lot of of them in comics. So Kon and Maik will look alike and will argue about who stole whose look, but it comes down to just their age and clothing. I think Maik will end up looking a bit more different when he gets older, but I think those two will resemble each other the most with the eyes and fashion being their difference sadly. As for their outfits, don't they all need those super awesome jackets? Connor sadly gets his black shirt and pants, it's boring, but you know which Super it is when you see this. I did liker Kon's outfit in Kelly's run and YJ98, but Maik's would start out as the same as in the movie, but I think he would keep a more subdued coloration in his outfit. I also think as he gets older, he would make his costume more punk-rock than just spiked shoulders. I'm not sure how exactly, but I like him having a music industry plant type of idea behind his creation and so I want to incorporate music styles into his older costume if that makes sense.

Well, we have how many Flashes now? It should be fine, right (laughing in DC's inability to give codenames to established heroes for mantle passing)? They would get new codenames, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet. Also their names would have to use some of their personality and stories (Nightwing coming from Clark's story, Troia coming from Donna's stay on the Greek Moon planet thingy, Tempest coming from his water magic, etc.). So that would take a bit to get a good codename for them. But them and both Jons would evolve into having their own codename. Kara at last could go for Superwoman (since as far as I know there isn't one running around (watch me be wrong and there's like 5).

Oh, I completely forgot about Matrix. I want to say since the goal of this AU is to give Ma and Pa Kent the biggest amount of grandchildren, I want to at first instinct say yes, but from what I remember about that, it's still just Kara just merged with another. Also, I just didn't enjoy the bits I've seen of it. But since I haven't read the whole story, I'm not going to say definitively no, but that was just a weird bit of Supergirl's history to me, but not enough for me to just, "yay, no" it. If you want those, ask me about Nightwing XD.

As for the "it's gotten more complicated" it might actually be more fun for you, since you like the paternity bit more, but again I haven't had a chance to read Kon's solo yet (I've been reading from the beginning and I haven't made it to Superman comics yet and until the 90's, there's not really any writer who I'm just going to skip (I can't with Dixon anymore. He can write good plots, but he's such an awful garbage person and it bleeds through too much for me. And actually between him and Fitzmartin, I almost started to hate Tim, but one of his fans actually helped me with that), so I still have awhile and time is a dick. But to the actual point, Connor is the first actual clone, but he isn't "alive" to the world as Contessa is keeping him a secret from Lex and so Lex decides to cut his losses and tries again and that's how we get Kon, but Kon on top of Lex and Luthor's DNA also has Westfield's DNA in the mix. So he'sd the first clone the world gets to know. As for where Contessa and Cadmus is storing Connor, I'm not 100%, since I really, really hated the clone tube, so they probably have a facility underground that they "trained" him in so that he would be perfect for their nefarious schemes. He 100% will keep Wolf, I don't know if it would be from an Outsiders' mission or a one off mission with the Titans, but he's getting Wolf. And I'm fine with him on the farm, the Supers can come and go from there and since it's centrally located, it's not a bad place for him to join up with others. He doesn't have flight, but he's fast and can jump. Also he can get the stickers from Lex again and one of the heroes could probably figure out a way to replicate them without the addiction issue, there's enough scientist to figure it out. I know absolutely nothing about Indigo, but as long as she isn't going to take him to the Legion of Superheroes I'm fine with it (still bitter about that arc with Kara in the show, it just never sat right with me). But I do like your idea of him staying at the Outsiders HQ until Clark invites him to the farm. I think Connor has more of a relationship with the Kents than Clark, because Clark just doesn't know him and after Kon doesn't know how to deal with this new, but older clone. And he has to deal with raising Jon, so he can't just drop everything to help raise this kid he never knew existed. I think it makes him more understandable than what YJ did with him where he just came off as a prick. The powers are right, the heat vision and cold breath aren't as strong as Clark or Kara's, but that can be enhanced with the shields and that's ofc where the flight comes in as well. I do think he has the most strength out of the three in terms of raw physical power. Kon's TTK though obviously wins in terms of actual strength.

Now, because I just want to make things over complicated for no reason, I get you like cybernatics, but as I'm not a big sci-fi fan, when Maik was being cloned, in an attempt to see if they could remove the kryptonite weakness, they had some red kyrptonite in the room where they were cloning him. He still has the weakness, but instead it warped his Kryptonian abilities to an extent. So for example, he has heat breath and frost vision. His superstrength isn't as strong as the others, but (thanks to your boiling water Kara thing), I think he has the strongest durability out of the Supers. This wasn't meant to contradict you, I just think it's funny Kara doesn't want to get him hurt, but if he's not around kryptonite, the kid could get punched by every other Super at full strength and he'd barely feel it. He's still strong and could punch a hole through a solid steel building without a problem, but he's losing the arm wrestling contests. He is also the one Lex had the most see-over on though so he is the smartest since he was basically being taught by Lex approved tutors and that. He also since he actually is the one clone that "got to be a kid" and if the aging thing was retconned, I'm fine with it, he started out as an actual kid, so he and Jon actually are one year apart (Jon's a year older, kid Jon, not teen Jon, as I said it got complicated, but another day), and he would have absorbed some of Lex's "morals", so he could have a good character arc of growing out of that greed inspired mindset and learning to see humans as humans. I do think the Danvers would be a great set for this. The Kents would be too, and they 100% get to help with their grandson, but the Danvers had Kara, who was a teen when they adopted her, with (depending on the timeline) good or bad Kryptonian ideaolgies and previous connotations on Earth and its inhabitants. So they have more experience with that than the Kents. Also, since he and Jon are essentially the same age and Maik starting as an antagonist, that would be a good start for them since it would give a chance of kids figuring out things and influencing each other and given what Jon has been through, it's not like he's 100% rainbows, unicorns and sunshine. He's been through the ringer, possibly more than any other Super, 3 years under Ultraman torture will do that to a person. More so, being left for dead and having to watch that person living your life. But yes, as Kon would have YJ and Connor would be best (for me personally) for the Outsiders with helping out the Titans and YJ at times, Maik would fit in perfectly with the amount of child heroes that exist right now. He might feel redundant if he joined up with Damian and Jon and the people I have on their youth team I have, but what's the harm in having two supers? But even excluding that fact, there's a large amount to make a team out of. And heck, he could even start on my Damian team, butt heads with him (not hard to do) and take a few with him to make his own team and get some of the others Damian couldn't recruit. Even more fun if it splits up the West twins so Wally and Linda have to listen to who has the better team at dinner at least twice a week. And for villains, they would have to fit a theme for him to grow, so if I were to write stories for him, I would want to figure out a good balance for that. I would have to think of a few examples, but someone targeting him for being Lex's son, clone, "hero", "weapon" wouldn't be bad, someone who isn't able to control their actions for one reason or another, I think an evil Toyman would be good to as well, a villain who wants the spotlight (like Punchline, but not as annoying, sorry I just don't like her), he'd be very good for a social media type of villain or a eugenics villain. There's potential for others, but for villains, I think the moral theme for the story should come before their gimmick for a good story (can you tell I'm a batbrat?).

As for the DNA samples, I think it'd be a cute story that Maik and Jon are wanting to be the babies (the twins come in after this so it's all pointless), and also just worried that since Cadmus and Lex both have had access to controlling all three clones, with each one being a stronger control (Maik even having a microchip just in case that Kara made inert whether through Kandor or heat vision, doesn't matter, but one of those), teaming up and Jon using some lockpicking skills he get from Damian and Maik knowing the layout of the building, breaking and entering and destroying the DNA samples Lex has and scanning the building for anything he could possibly use for more DNA and eradicating it. It doesn't even have to be a stressful comic, just a fun little one of them having fun destroying untold and unsolvable property damage to Lex Corp. Everyone wins. And I'll give you this for the cybernetics and Lex being more involved with him, we can give him electric touch. So he could be a human taser or stronger. Lightning has been shown able to incapacitate the Supers, so it wouldn't be a bad thing for Lex to put into the one he has the most control over, until he defects. But now relooking at the timeline you gave me, I don't know if Contessa could have been around for all three cloning attempts. If so, Maik could be the one she doesn't lie about to Lex, but if she couldn't have been in charge for Connor, the pettiness isn't needed. But I do like them lying to Lex that Connor was a failure, so when he finds out he's still alive and functioning, he tries to be a "good" dad with the stickers and to give him resources that Connor knows better than to accept after the incident with the stickers.

[prosciuttulipa]

RAAAAAAH i want a match ngl LMAO

Jjk match because Im a fucking simp, and a guy bcs I am in fact a straight woman thanks

I'm a big nerd. Like, a very big nerd. I do math for fun and I am not ashamed at all when I interrupt someone to correct them (I have autism and ADHD, how could you tell?)

I'm relatively closed off, and most of the time, insecure. I'm shy and I barely ever make the first move (unless I've had a couple of drinks or a lot of eyeliner). I think what people most define me as is the "old soul, young body). I'm like the mom of the group, though I am absolutely reckless when there's another mom in the group, since it takes the responsibility away from me.

I hate going out, and it's really hard to get me to go to the beach, for example. I think my best quality personality-wise is that I'm down to earth and realistic about my goals. A problem is probably how much self-doubt I have, since people constantly tell me I am capable of achieving more than I think I can. I don't settle for seconds, but I'm not too excited when I rech first, because there's always a new competition.

Oh yeah, I'm competitive. Very.

I'm a pessimist, though I like to say it's realism, because why be positive, hype myself up, only for it to go wrong and the disappointment hurt me? As I said, emotionally closed off.

My personality is the infamous black cat, and I think (though I'm not sure), that a golden retriever boy is what would fit me best. (even though I simp for other black cat guys)

For hobbies, I'm boring, though I do have many. I play the guitar, do martial arts (krav maga), draw, sing, write absolutely filthy smut, and, most important of all: do math and study. Yeah, my main hobby is studying.

I'm not sure how I show my love? I don't, usually. I can love someone unconditionally and be absolutely lovesick, but only after a very heavy emotional session, may it be a fight or drinks, will I tell soemone how much they mean to me. I spent the last four years with my best friend, and only after a day's worth of drinking and crying did I tell her how much she meant to me.

I'm a bit icky with physical touch, but if I trust them, I'll let them cling to me. Initially push people away and only after knowing them do I let them hug me, kiss me, cuddle me. I am awful when dealing with compliments, and I cannot take a gift. So probably quality time is my love-receiving language when generally speaking. A boyfriend/husband would probably work with physical touch and words of affirmation, though.

I dont think there's any big turn-off or turn-on in relationships? Maybe not giving me enough attention and helping me emotionally, because I'm easily falling into insecurity, feeling like I'm not enough.

I have like medium curly dark hair and dark eyes. Eyebags, and a lot of moles all over my face. My body is relatively fit? I have a bit of fat ngl but I also have muscles. A bit of a tummy and thicc thighs (they do, in fact, save lives) that double the size when I sit (insecurity alert!) I'm pale, though I am a mixed baby. I dress in all-black most of the time, and all the color variations are like red or dark blue. (I AM NOT EMO). I wear eyeliner from the moment I wake to the moment I sleep and I have pierced ears. I also plan on getting nip piercings and plan on getting

I think i need more songs to listen to, so I'm going with the three songs he associates wit me.

Congratulations! You have been matched with...

Choso Kamo

When people see you and Choso together, they immediately assume that you're just another average emo couple, quick to place stereotypes. But under the heavy eyeliner and dark clothes, are two people who are just trying to figure out life in their own way.

Choso is fascinated by your contradictions: insecure yet quick to correct others, pessimistic but burning with a competitive drive for more. Where some people may see indecision, he sees something much more real and human in comparison to the single-minded characters he's met during his time alive. Living is hard, has experienced it for himself, so he doesn't shun you for your contrasting perspectives. Instead, he wants to learn about the world alongside you, unpicking the way you think, wondering about your insecurities. Although he's been through a lot, there's something inherently innocent and simplistic in the way Choso sees the world. If you're an old soul in a young body, then he's a young soul in an old one. Perhaps by meeting somewhere in the middle, the two of you will get closer to unravelling the mystery that is life.

Choso doesn't mind that you don't like going out, but you often find yourself tagging along as he explores the world in small ways. A trip to the convenience store may as well be a museum visit, with the way he asks you about the products, eyeing them with confusion. He also admires the fact that you study math—to dedicate yourself to understanding anything in such depth is no small feat—and he's happy to sit next to you while you work, occasionally asking questions about your interest in the subject. His most common form of affection is just leaning his head against your shoulder, watching silently as you work.

Dates with Choso are pretty laid back, since he's happy to take the lead on whatever makes you comfortable. It doesn't matter to him where you two are. For him, understanding your mind (and falling in love with the way you think, the way you are) is what matters to him the most.

The Matchmaker's Gift:

Contrary to popular belief, Choso's music taste is rather soft. This song reminds him of the inherent dependence that comes with being connected.

Offering you this song with a curious tilt of his head, Choso asks you if this is how your pessimism feels like.

This is the song Choso uses to confess to you. His feelings are one of the few things he has to his name, and he wants to share them with you.

[duckprintspress]

Fandom Lexicon: L

Moving right along, today we have a modest-sized Lexicon addition – entries beginning with the letter L! With this post, we cross more than half of all entries posted – the alphabet entries skew earlier in the alphabet – but we’re still a week off from being halfway through the alphabet.

Check out the entire Lexicon posted to date!

See a mistake? Have an addition to make? LET US KNOW!

Lexicon entries beginning with L: (read more)

LARP: Abbreviation for “Live Action Roleplaying.” An event where individuals create character profiles per a specified game system, dress up as those characters (optional), and roleplay in person over a period of time. Often includes magical and battle elements through proxies like chalk balls and padded weapons. Should not be confused with the SCA, Renaissance fairs, or cosplay. See also: Boffing. Read more about LARPing.

Lemon: See Citrus Scale.

LG: Abbreviation for “lesbian and gay.” An old abbreviation for grouping lesbian and gay people. When used in modern contexts, it’s often chosen intentionally to exclude bisexual and transgender individuals (because biphobia and transphobia).

Lik the Bred: The last line of a poem that inspired a genre of meme poetry. Read more about the meme “lik the bread.”

Lime: See Citrus Scale.

Listmom: A person, usually a women, who runs/moderates a mailing list. Read more about listmoms.

Listserv: Essentially a way to create email rings for communication. Originally the name of a specific service/program, it often has been applied and used more generally to refer to mailing lists. A primary method for fans to communicate in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Listserv is still available. Read more about Listserv.

Livejournal Strikethrough: See Strikethrough (pending).

Livestream: A real-time video stream, especially common as a way of people sharing with others as they play a video game. Twitch is currently the primarily platform where livestreams are hosted, though places like YouTube and Discord sometimes have them, and historically there have been other services for them as well.

LJ: Abbreviation for Livejournal. A blogging platform that was a popular fandom gathering point in the early 2000s. Due to Livejournal’s actions against queer works and their acquisition by a Russian company in 2012, use for LJ has significantly declined, but the webpage does still exist. Visit Livejournal.

Loaf: Originally, a term for any creature (but especially a cat) who has lain down in a way that they have come to resemble a loaf of bread. Usage has expanded from there.

Loli: See Lolicon.

Lolicon: Portmanteau of the words “Lolita” and “complex.” A Japanese genre that focused on young or young-looking female characters, often sexually. Not to be confused with Lolita fashion. See also: Shotacon (pending). Read more about Lolicon.

Lolita Fashion: A style of dressing “cute,” often involving frilly dresses, many accessories, and “girly” colors and choices (thought it can also be all black and gothic – it’s a large sub-culture with many variations). Especially popular in Japan, Lolita fashion has fans and people (of all genders) who dress in Lolita style all over the world. Not to be confused with lolicon! Read more about Lolita fashion.

LRB: Abbreviation for “last reblog.” See LRT.

LRT: Abbreviation for “last retweet” (on Twitter), “last reskeet” (on Bluesky), and “last retoot” (on Mastodon). Indicates that what is being said in a current tweet/skeet/toot is a reference to the contents of the previous retweet/reskeet/retoot on the same account. Depending on the platform, it may instead be LRS (last reskeet), LB (last blog) or any of a number of other variations.

Lurker: Someone who spends time in an online community without speaking/engaging with others. There are many reasons someone might choose to behave this way, and it’s inherently a neutral behavior despite their being some stigma against it. Read more about lurkers.

[leviathans-watching]

D&D(evildom) Beyond!

my half of a trade done with @kasketart! it was a pleasure working with you and i hope you enjoy!!

includes: lucifer x gn!oc (they/them pronouns used)

wc: 6.5k | rated t | m.list | posted on ao3

a/n: i know very little about dnd, so s/o to my brother who is a dm answered all of my questions & beta-read this for me. i appreciate you!! but anyway, i tried my best to make this work similarly to actual dnd so i apologize for any glaring mistakes lol // i also have a drive folder here with character sheets i used as reference if that's something you want, and i was very intentional about choosing the classes i did for the characters but i will admit lucifer being a paladin was mostly irony lmao. this was also written before dungeons and demons dropped // also, for general requests, i do not write oc's, but since this was a trade where i received something in return, kasketart had more autonomy over the work that an anon requester or wtv would have

“Leviathan, Abel, what were you doing?” Lucifer prompts, and the two share a look.

“We were playing Dungeons and Dragons,” Leviathan begins slowly, “which, now that I’m looking–”

“–Our opening scene was awfully similar to this,” Abel finishes.

“Wait, are you saying you think we’re in your campaign?” Satan asks, eyes wide, and Leviathan nods.

“I mean, it makes total sense,” he says with budding excitement. “Like, I’m obviously supposed to be a ranger, Abel’s definitely an artificer, and Lucifer’s a total paladin. This is so cool, it’s like my dreams are being brought to life right before my eyes!” 

Lucifer grimaces as he sits up, head splitting. It takes him longer than he’d like to admit to notice his surroundings, and by that, he means notice he and his brothers (and the new exchange student, Abel), are in a forest, and an unfamiliar one at that. 

Now, this is concerning for several reasons, but the most pressing is because he could have sworn he had gone to sleep in his bed last night, in his favorite silk pajamas. Not whatever outfit he’s got on now. Black and red gauntlets weigh heavily on his arms, and as he looks, he notices he’s got a complete set of armor to match, completed with a variation of what seems to be his normal cloak. Beside him, in the dirt, sits an obsidian longsword with a matching shield bearing the Lamentation insignia. 

He’s pulled out of his examinations by Mammon, who is now clad in a brown cloak with yellow lining, an instrument slung across his back. “Where the hell are we?” 

“I… don’t know,” Lucifer says, hating the uncertainty. “Is everyone alright?” 

Around him, his brothers all give out varying positive answers, all dressed as strangely as he and Mammon. Abel stands as well, brushing off leaves and dirt from their pants. They’re one of the more normally dressed, which isn’t saying much, but Lucifer thinks it’s a relief that he doesn’t have to worry about them being handed a weapon of some sort. Until he sees the dagger at their waist, sheathed in brown leather.

“This isn’t the Devildom,” Belphegor points out, and Lucifer spins around, still semi-awkward in the armor. As the most powerful demon in the Devildom, Lucifer never needed armor, and when he was an angel they were more or less protected by divine blessings. So he’s never worn anything quite like the get-up he’s got on now and wishes it could stay that way, as the weight and clunkiness isn’t exactly pleasant. 

“Why are we here?” Satan asks, dark green robes swirling as he does his own examination of their surroundings. 

“That, I do not know,” Lucifer says, swallowing his instinctive urge to act like he knows everything, like he’s in control. It wouldn’t do to appear more confident than he is, especially with so many unknowns still present. “Everybody should think back to what they were doing before you woke up here. Maybe something was triggered by one of our actions.” 

“I was sleeping,” Belphegor volunteers, “so as you can imagine, I’m not exactly pleased to be here.” 

“None of us are,” Mammon bites back, “so can it. And I was just watchin’ TV. Nothin’ related to whatever all this is.” 

“I was editing one of my Devilgram posts,” Asmodeus says, examining his white tunic with a look of distaste. “And I really need to post it, like ASAP.” 

“I was in the library,” Satan adds, “but nowhere near the cursed section.” 

“Leviathan, Abel, what were you doing?” Lucifer prompts, and the two share a look. 

“We were playing Dungeons and Dragons,” Leviathan begins slowly, “which, now that I’m looking–” 

“–Our opening scene was awfully similar to this,” Abel finishes. 

“Wait, are you saying you think we’re in your campaign?” Satan asks, eyes wide, and Leviathan nods. 

“I mean, it makes total sense,” he says with budding excitement. “Like, I’m obviously supposed to be a ranger, Abel’s definitely an artificer, and Lucifer’s a total paladin. This is so cool, it’s like my dreams are being brought to life right before my eyes!” 

“Okay, well stop nerdin’ out because it’s not my dream,” Mammon insists. “And what the hell am I supposed to be?” 

“I think a bard,” Abel answers. “And I think Belphegor is supposed to be a rogue, Beelzebub is a barbarian, Satan is a wizard, and Asmodeus is a cleric.” 

“I don’t know what any of that means,” Asmodeus says. “Are clerics, like cool or something?” 

“Before we get into all of that,” Lucifer says, pinching at the bridge of his nose, “I think we should figure out how we got here. And why. Leviathan, where’d you get the game and what happened when you were setting up to play?” 

“Well, Diavolo gave me the game,” Leviathan begins, and Lucifer chokes. 

“Diavolo? You accepted a game from him? And played it? Leviathan, you know his penchant for practical jokes and games. That explains everything.” 

“We were playing with Barbatos, too,” Abel says suddenly. “He was our DM. Why didn’t he come here with us too?” 

“I’M AFRAID I AM STUCK IN THE GAME AS WELL,” a voice booms from the sky, and with a jolt, Lucifer realizes it’s Barbatos. “ONLY, I AM STILL THE DM.”

“This is so cool,” Leviathan whimpers, and Abel slaps him on the shoulder. 

“Dude, focus!” 

“Barbatos, do you know how we get out of here?” Lucifer asks, looking up into the disarmingly blue sky, so unlike the maroons and blacks of the Devildom. 

“I DO NOT THINK WE CAN,” he replies regretfully, the ground shaking slightly as he speaks. “KNOWING DIAVOLO, THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.” 

“Through?” Abel yelps. “Like, through the entire campaign? That could take years!” 

“I do not want to be stuck in here for years!” Asmodeus panics. 

“NOT THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN. MOST LIKELY ONLY THROUGH THE SESSION.” 

“Oh, that’s a relief,” Leviathan says. 

“How long would that take?” 

“Well, we’re all kind of OP, so probably only a few days,” he answers, and Belphegor makes a low noise of protest. 

“A few days?” Beelzebub rumbles mournfully. “What am I supposed to eat here? I’m hungry!” 

“I’m sure we can find some lodgings with some food or something. Maybe there’s an inn or tavern nearby,” Leviathan suggests. 

“A PATH STRETCHES OUT IN FRONT OF YOU,” Barbatos intones, and Lucifer, watches disbelieving, as the air shimmers, revealing a dirt path stretching on into the distance. Now, he’s seen a lot of things in his time in the realms, but never anything quite like this.

“I’ll bet that leads into town,” Abel breaks the silence. “Maybe we should go down it?” They turn to Lucifer expectantly, and for once, he has no desire to be in control, feeling more out of his depth than he has in a long time. 

“I will leave this up to you and Leviathan,” he says, clearing his throat. “You do have the most experience, after all.” 

“That we do,” Leviathan nods, and it doesn’t escape Lucifer’s notice that he’s been smiling this entire time. This truly is a dream come true for him, and Lucifer just hopes he won’t get too overeager and get them in trouble. 

“Perhaps once we find lodging you can explain more of this… Dungeons and Dragons stuff to the rest of us,” he suggests.

“For once, I agree with Lucifer,” Satan agrees, lip curling. “I’d like to know what exactly being a wizard entails.” 

“Well, I definitely think that going down the path would be best,” Abel says, with surprising initiative. In the Devildom, they hadn’t been quite so outspoken, seemingly more anxious and hesitant. “It’s there for a reason.” 

“I agree,” Leviathan says with a nod. 

“But which way should we go down it?” Asmodeus asks. “It goes in either direction, and like, I don’t want to end up going away from town.” 

“How will we find a way to get there?” Belphegor asks, and Leviathan snaps his fingers excitedly. 

“I’ll bet there’s a marker! Barbatos?” 

“ROLL FOR PERCEPTION,” Barbatos instructs, and a moment later, a giant semi-transparent die appears, floating in front of Leviathan. Without hesitation, he plucks it from the air, throwing it down to the ground gently. It rolls across the path, coming to a stop by Satan, who steps back a few feet, away from it. 

“It’s a twelve,” Leviathan pronounces, and the die disappears into thin air, quickly as it had appeared. “And as a ranger… I have a plus four modifier. So sixteen.” 

“YOU NOTICE A SIGN WITH AN ARROW POINTING EAST WITH ‘TOWN’ WRITTEN ON IT.” 

“Nice,” Abel cheers. “Looks like we know which way to go now.” 

“What was all of that?” Beelzebub asks. “Why did that die have so many sides?” 

“That was a D20,” Leviathan replies, slinging his bow over his shoulder, “so it had twenty sides. They’re used to roll for checks, like I just did, in battles, and a lot of other cases. In Dungeons and Dragons, most aspects are determined by dice rolls. Multiple dice are used, and they’re all used for different things.” He pauses, taking in everyone’s blank expressions. “I’m losing, you, aren’t I? Whatever. Let’s just get to lodgings and I’ll explain everything as clearly as I can there.” 

*

The trek to the inn doesn’t take very long at all, but by the end, everyone seems tired and weary. Asmodeus’ complaints about his feet hurting fill Lucifer’s ears, but he focuses more on Abel, who looks confident and alert. Despite being the one who “chose” them and all, Lucifer honestly hasn’t paid much attention to them, besides the necessary. He’s polite and accommodating, yes, but truly, because he’s so busy he hasn’t really had time to get to know them.

Even for a human, Abel seems fairly weak. They don’t have any special powers or any great strength, and though they are diligent and studious, nothing about them has really piqued Lucifer’s interest. Now, he’s a little concerned. He and his brothers all have powers and skills that will hopefully make traversing through this land easier, but they have no such thing. Aside from their knowledge, they’re practically useless. 

Meaning, that for the good of the Devildom, it falls upon Lucifer’s shoulders to ensure they make it out of the game unharmed. 

Once they’re all settled in a room with various bunk beds, quite similar to a Human Realm hostel, they make their way down to the dining hall. 

“AT THE BAR, YOU SEE A MYSTERIOUS-LOOKING HALF-ORC,” Barbatos booms, and Lucifer startles, still unused to his unseen presence. No one else in the hall reacts, so he assumes he’s audible to only them. “AS YOU WATCH, SHE DOWNS A MUG OF ALE WITH A MELANCHOLIC AIR.” 

“Who cares,” Satan grumbles. “None of my business.” 

“That’s not how it works in Dungeons and Dragons,” Abel says patiently. “Side characters are often vessels that take us to the next part of our journey. They usually need help or something, and then there’s typically a reward that benefits us for helping.”

“That’s dumb,” Asmodeus says, crossing his arms.

“How about you all order food–poor Beelzebub looks like he’s going to faint–while Leviathan and I deal with the half-orc,” Abel suggests helpfully, and Lucifer nods. 

“Yes. Let us all find a booth while they deal with her,” he directs, and everyone sits down. “Before we order, let’s figure out much money we have left after renting the room. I really wouldn’t like to find out what sort of punishment we’d receive for being unable to pay our tab.” 

“I miss Goldie,” Mammon groans, digging through his pockets. 

In the end, they have a small pile of coins, but since Lucifer is completely ignorant as to what each coin is worth, he has to resort to flagging down a passing barmaid to inquire. Thankfully, it’s a decent amount and they waste no time placing an order. 

“No ale,” Lucifer says before one of his brothers can do something stupid. It would do them no good to try to maneuver through this world whilst drunk.

Once the barmaid disappears, Lucifer’s left to watch Leviathan and Abel. He can just barely hear them speaking to the half-orc. 

“THE HALF-ORC IS HESITANT TO SPEAK WITH YOU,” Barbatos says, and Lucifer still can’t get over how nobody else but them hears him. “YOU MUST PASS A PERSUASION CHECK.” 

Again, that blue die appears. In an act apparently also not visible to the general public, Leviathan rolls it. From his vantage point, Lucifer can’t see the number, but it’s evidently not good if the way Leviathan’s shoulders slump is any indication. 

“Nine,” he says, “and I don’t get anything else.” 

“YOUR ATTEMPTS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL.” As Lucifer watches, the half-orc gives Leviathan a wary look, turning her whole upper body away in a clear dismissal. “THE HALF-ORC CALLS FOR ANOTHER MUG.” 

“Okay, well that didn’t work,” Leviathan says, returning to the table. “Damn my lack of charisma!” 

“I can try,” Abel suggests. “Though as an artificer, my Charisma isn’t any higher. I’m worried I might make it worse by rolling low. Plus, I’m already not great at talking to people I don’t know.” 

“She doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere,” Lucifer points out after a moment, “so why don’t you and Leviathan explain everything as quickly and succinctly as you’re able so the rest of us can add our input.” 

What follows is a somewhat confusing explanation of the races, classes, fights, checks, and honestly a handful of other things Lucifer struggles to wrap his brain around. It all makes sense, but it’s just… a lot. All at once. 

“So, out of all of us, who would have the best persuasion modifier, or whatever it’s called?” Satan asks, and Leviathan thinks for a moment. 

“Probably Lucifer, to be honest. I’ll bet he’s got a plus three for Charisma.” 

“Me?” Lucifer echoes, surprised. “Does that mean I need to talk to that half-orc?” 

“Well, you should at least roll for it,” Abel says as if it’s the logical next course of action. Lucifer supposes it sort of is. 

“Alright,” he says, standing up and approaching the half-orc. “I want to make a roll for persuasion.” 

The die appears in front of him, and he reaches out. It’s not exactly corporeal, but it does have a weight to it, and Lucifer throws it on the ground as he’d seen Leviathan do. It rolls to a stop, showing a thirteen. He reads the number out, and Leviathan pumps his fist. 

“Nice! You’ve got a plus three, so that makes sixteen!” 

Out of twenty? That’s pretty good, then. Right?

“THE HALF-ORC TURNS TO YOU, UNPROMPTED.” 

“You look like a good listener,” she says, and Lucifer realizes she had done exactly what Barbatos had said. Placing himself in the chair next to her, Lucifer tries for a welcoming face. “And like a strong worrier,” she continues, appraising him. “Do you think you could help me?” 

“I could definitely try,” Lucifer says, and she finally sets her mug down, sighing heavily.

“My name is Shelley, and my troubles all started three weeks ago,” the half-orc, Shelley, says. “My garden was thriving, in the prime of its life! But then he came, and ruined it all.” 

“He?” 

“A three-headed beast,” she says lowly, clenching her fist. Lucifer watches the muscles all of the way up her arm ripple and supposes he’s glad he rolled high. “Apparently, he liked my garden. Enough to frolic everywhere in it and ruin all of my plants! My tomatoes are trampled, my flowers flattened, and my squash, well, they’re squashed. It’s awful!” 

Out of everything Lucifer has expected her to say, this was definitely not it. “That sounds terrible,” he says, channeling the same energy as when he listens to student complaints regarding R.A.D. during open meetings. “Have you tried fighting him?” 

“Oh, yes,” Shelley shakes her head, “but he is too strong for me and my friends. But you and your pals, well, you look like seasoned adventures! Do you think you could help me?” 

Lucifer follows her gaze to his brothers and Abel, who do look pretty badass. Well, they would, if they weren’t all visibly invested in their conversation, with Leviathan going as far as to mouth ‘Say yes! Say yes!” fairly obviously.

“I think that’s doable,” he agrees, returning his attention to Shelley. “Tomorrow, should we meet here? Then you can lead us to your house and garden?” 

“Works for me. I cannot thank you enough, young adventurer,” she says gratefully. “I will see you at ten.” 

“HAVING AGREED TO HELP SHELLEY, LUCIFER RETURNS TO HIS TABLE TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS,” Barbatos booms, and Lucifer finds his feet moving automatically. 

“That was awesome,” Abel says quickly, and Lucifer doesn’t know why their praise hits them so differently from everyone else’s. Is it because they are just a human, and it is only natural that they should be impressed by him, or is it because they are stroking his ego, fanning his pride? 

“Nice going!” Leviathan cheers, holding out his hand for a high five. Begrudgingly, Lucifer obliges him. “So what exactly are we doing?” 

*

The next morning dawns bright and cheery, but they do not. 

“I can’t believe we’re still stuck here,” Asmodeus complains. “The showers here are communal. Communal! And there’s no body lotion or conditioner or anything! On top of that, I’m expected to put on the same clothes I was wearing yesterday? This is absolutely barbaric!” 

“I want to go back to bed,” Belphegor interjects. “I was forced to be awake all of yesterday and now today too? When are we getting back to the Devildom?” 

“I’m hungry,” Beelzebub adds on, and Lucifer sighs, pinching at the bridge of his nose. That damned headache from yesterday still hasn’t cleared up completely. 

“The quicker we take care of this quest the quicker we can get back to the Devildom,” Abel says, already dressed and ready. “So chop chop, because if we’re not downstairs soon, we won’t have enough time for breakfast before we leave.” 

That, at least, sent Beelzebub into motion.

“You’re taking this all surprisingly well,” Lucifer says to Abel, who startles.

“Well,” they scratch their neck awkwardly, “this isn’t the first time I’ve been transported into a strange new world.” 

“Ah, yes,” Lucifer says. “I apologize that you have to go through this. This shouldn’t have been a task of yours, as your duties were just to complete your tasks and go through your classes. But Lord Diavolo has always had a strange sense of humor.” 

They hum. “I mean, it’s not like I mind it too much. I’m definitely not having as much fun as Leviathan, but I think this will be a good chance for us all to grow closer. Though we’re all living under the same roof, I haven’t exactly had a chance to grow close with anyone besides Leviathan. I feel like I especially don’t know you, since you’re so busy.” 

Lucifer hasn’t known they had noticed, or even cared about his absence. “I’m sorry about that–” he begins but is swiftly cut off. 

“No, don’t apologize,” Abel says, holding out their hands. “It wasn’t my intention to make you feel guilty. I know how incredibly busy you are, what with all your work running this family, for Diavolo, and as the student council president. Honestly, you make me feel guilty,” they continue with a self-deprecating chuckle. “I feel like I don’t do enough for the exchange program in comparison.” 

“I don’t think that’s true,” Lucifer says, semi-awkwardly. It’s been so long since someone has pointed out all of his duties, let alone praised him for completing them. To him, they’re just his duties, so he forgets that the burden he takes on is actually quite sizeable. “You have been scoring well in your classes and you stay on track with your tasks. That’s all you should be doing, considering you’re just a human and all.” 

“Just a human?” they question, raising their eyebrow. “Now, what do you mean by that?” 

“Not any offense, I assure you. Just that, in the Devildom, it would be quite difficult for you to do more than that,” he amends, but Abel doesn’t look assuaged. 

“Difficult?” 

“You know–” and here, Lucifer blames his lack of adequate rest and stress of being in a stressful situation for his words “–humans are quite fragile. Especially compared to demons, let alone demons as powerful as myself and my brothers.” 

“Seriously? That’s what you think of humans?” Abel says lightly, but he can tell they’re offended. “Just because we don’t have powers or live a long, long time doesn’t make us weak.” 

“Objectively speaking,” Lucifer begins, but thankfully, before he can dig himself into even an even deeper hole, Mammon interrupts. 

“We’re all ready, so let’s go.” 

Silently, Lucifer allows Abel to go first, following them out of their room and down the stairs. They grab a quick breakfast of bread and butter, then wait for Shelley. She arrives right at ten, apparently unaffected by the large quantity of alcohol he’s ingested the night before. 

“Good, you’ve arrived!” she says, introducing herself to everyone. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me. My house is only a short trek from here, so if you’re all ready to go…” 

“We are,” Lucifer confirms, hoisting his bag. His armor is still annoying, but he finds it’s getting in his way less and less as he grows more accustomed to it. Everyone else gathers their things, and they follow Shelley out of the tavern and through town. 

As they walk, Shelley explains some of the town's background, which honestly, Lucifer couldn’t care less about. Leviathan and Satan, on the other hand, are engaged, asking questions attentively. 

“My arms hurt,” Belphegor complains, and wordlessly, Beelzebub takes his pack, slinging it over his shoulder. Lucifer supposes that’s better than the alternative, which is him picking up Belphegor and slinging him over his shoulder. “Thanks.” 

“No problem,” Beelzebub says kindly. “Hey, Abel, I can carry your bag too, if you want?” 

Abel looks up. “Thanks, but I don’t mind the weight.” 

“It looks pretty heavy,” Belphegor points out, and they smile. 

“It’s not too bad. There’s lots of cool stuff in it and I don’t want to make Beelzebub carry any more weight.” 

If it were anyone else, any of Lucifer’s brothers, they’d have taken Beelzebub up on his offer without any hesitation. The consideration is unusual, but Lucifer is glad to see it being extended, as Beelzebub already bears more weight than the rest of them combined if the thick and wicked armor he’s wearing weighs anything close to what it looks like it should. 

“My house is right up ahead,” Shelley calls, gathering their attention. Lucifer follows her gesture to the very last house on the road, set a bit away from the others to make room for the sprawling garden. The garden that is very clearly in disarray. 

“Bastard,” Shelley spits as they get close, bending down to examine a smushed flower bed. “He’s done more damage since last night.” 

“Where is this beast?” Lucifer asks, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. He still doesn’t really have a clue how to use it, but it makes him feel better. 

“Probably around back,” Shelley says, nodding to the back of her house. “Do you really think you can take of him?” 

“Doubtlessly,” he answers, placing a hand on her shoulder. “But you should probably go back into town. I have no idea what this battle will look like and I’d hate for you to be caught in the crossfire.” 

She hesitates, but Lucifer is insistent. He’d really rather not have her witness the absolute fools of themselves they’re about to make fighting this beast. 

“Fine,” she eventually agrees. “Meet me in the tavern when you’re done. And please, please don’t destroy any more of my garden.” 

“We’ll do our best,” Abel cuts in, looking up at Shelley comfortingly. “I’m sure we’ll meet up with you in no time at all.” 

Oddly enough, it seems like Shelly’s more convinced by Abel than him, though Lucifer's not sure exactly why that would be. Once she’s a good distance away, he turns to the rest of his brothers. 

“I suppose we should get ready for battle, or whatever,” he says, doing his best to channel all the confidence he can. This is just another chapter in their crazy lives; who cares that they don’t know what they’re doing or what the repercussions of getting injured/killed will be? 

“Okay, let’s leave our packs up here,” Leviathan says, “so take what’s essential out of them and leave the rest.” 

Around him, everyone begins getting ready. Lucifer already has his sword and shield, so he figures that’s good, but the others need a little more time. As he watches, Abel pats down their side, checking that their pistols are still there, then digs through the rest of their bag, dumping it out on the grass. It really did have a lot packed in there. 

Selecting a few items, they throw them into their pockets, but for the life of him, Lucifer cannot figure out what they’re doing. 

“Is there a method to this madness?” he asks, stepping forward. Abel looks up, shading their eyes from the sun. Instinctively, Lucifer shifts, blocking the sun from their face, then pauses. Why had he just done that? 

“To be honest, there’s not,” Abel answers frankly, with wry humor. “But I’m an artificer, so I should be able to do something with this stuff, right?” Upon seeing the uncomprehending look on his face, they elaborate. “Well, my talents lie in using infusing magic with everyday items so who knows which of these items will be handy.” 

“I see,” Lucifer says. “But I can’t imagine we will have much use for you in this fight.” 

Rising to their feet, Abel puts their hands on their hips. “What do you mean by that? Is this your whole ‘humans are fragile’ thing again?” 

“I mean,” Lucifer says, “look around. This is not the first conflict my brothers and I have fought in. You, on the other hand, don’t even have the strength to open a jar.” 

“Okay, that was one time. An outlier. So it shouldn’t be counted.” The spirited look in their eyes is captivating. When was the last time Lucifer’d seen such all-consuming passion, let felt it? His days in the Devildom had fallen into a scheduled monotony–even his brothers’ antics were becoming predictable. “And I do have things to bring to the table! Otherwise, why would you have picked my application?”

Lucifer swallows his impulsive words. It would not do for them to find out the truth, nor for it to get back to Diavolo’s ears. 

“Just stay back,” he says instead. “It’s my duty to keep you safe and that is absolutely something I will do.” 

When they’re all finally ready, Lucifer takes the lead, moving quietly around the house's edge. The expanse of the backyard stretches for quite a distance until it meets a forest that is thick and dense. Plants sprawl everywhere, and Lucifer quickly realizes the vegetables and flowers Shelley had mentioned were fairly different from their Human Realm counterparts, namely in size. 

“Holy shit,” Abel breathes, and with a jolt Lucifer realizes they’ve moved to the front of the group, standing next to him. “Those pumpkins are huge!” 

“What are you doing up here?” Lucifer hisses, and they give him a stubborn look, even as they swallow nervously. Thir orneriness is… something else.

“I can be helpful!” they insist. “I’m not going to let you sideline me!” 

“Even though it’s for your own safety?” 

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Abel argues, louder, and Beelzebub makes a quiet shushing noise. They pay him no mind, continuing on. “I know you’re used to being in charge, but I’m not your younger sibling. You can’t order me around.” 

“Believe me,” Lucifer says angrily, “I do not see you as my sibling!” 

Before he can go on, a howl rips through the air, bouncing off of the foliage. He freezes, looking around, but the large plants block his view, and Shelley’s plea to avoid damaging more prevents him from just taking them all down. 

“YOU’VE AWOKEN THE BEAST,” Barbatos speaks, and Abel flinches. “YOU SEE MOVEMENT TO THE LEFT. CRASHING AND GROWLING CAN BE HEARD AND AS YOU WATCH, HE EMERGES.”

It’s exactly as he says. A large black paw appears, followed by not one, but three snouts. As the beast moves forward, Lucifer can’t believe what he’s seeing. 

“Cerberus?” Asmodeus gasps, confirming that yes, the beast terrorizing Shelley is, in fact, his guard dog. 

But this beast is not his Cerberus, at least not in this world, because it gives no indication of recognition, merely advancing threateningly. Drool drips down from one of his muzzles, splashing off of a leaf on the way down. 

“Cerberus?” Abel squeaks questioningly, but they don’t retreat. 

“Our guard dog,” Satan replies blankly. 

“No,” Lucifer corrects. “This is not our Cerberus. And will not listen to us.” 

“Oh, great.” Leviathan’s voice is suspiciously high-pitched. “Our first battle and it’s with an A-class monster.” 

With an angry bark (from all three mouths), Cerberus leaps forward, into a run. Everyone scatters, but Lucifer, who draws his sword, shouts “I slash at the beast, driving him back!”

Around him, time freezes, and the D20 die appears. He awkwardly rolls the die, sword tucked under his arm, then reads off the result once he’s got his sword back in hand. “Thirteen.” 

“YOU SLASH AT THE BEAST, AND THE HIT JUST BARELY LANDS.” 

In a flash of movent, time unfreezes, and his body’s moving without his permission, doing what Barbatos outlines. Cerberus yelps, and Lucifer tries to ignore how wrong it feels to attack a beloved pet, focusing more on how it looks like it wants to kill him.

“YOU MUST ROLL FOR DAMAGE,” Barbatos says, and a different die appears, one with eight sides. Lucifer rolls it, getting a three, which with his strength modifier makes five.

The beast yelps, but the small wound doesn’t deter him much. With a snarl, he’s back in motion, but moves past him, towards Asmodeus, who screams. 

“I bludgeon the, uh, left head!” Satan yells, shoving Asmodeus back before Lucifer can get there. In a flash–and Lucifer realizes only much later that time must have frozen for Satan to roll all of his dice and everything–Satan’s quarterstaff connects soundly, allowing him and Asmodeus time to get out of the immediate attack range. 

Cerberus tries his paw at attacking Belphie, who barely manages to evade, then Mammon, who must have rolled poorly, for he receives a claw to the chest, raking bloody lines down his chest. 

“Mammon!” Lucifer moves forward without thinking, rushing to Mammon’s side. Thankfully, he’s still conscious, but clearly in pain. Cerberus howls, getting ready for another attack upon his wounded prey, but Lucifer intercepts. 

“I slash at the chest of the beast!” he shouts, and again, time freezes. Lucifer rolls the die, blood running cold when he sees the low number. “Three.” 

“YOU ATTEMPT TO SWING, BUT MISS. CERBERUS’S TEETH DIG INTO YOUR ARM AND TEAR. YOU PASS OUT FROM THE PAIN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.” Barbatos’ voice shakes slightly as he says this, and almost in slow-motion, time unfreezes. The anticipation is the worst of it. The knowing that he’ll miss, even as his body futilely tries to attack, is horrible and he braces himself for the pain best that he can. 

But before Cerberus’ teeth make contact with the space between his arm and shoulder plate, a small body slams into him, forcing him to the side. Abel, who he’d forgotten about in the heat of the battle, quickly gets back on their feet, panting. 

“What are you doing?” They yell. “Get up, get out of the way!” 

Lucifer does as they instruct, rolling to the side right as Cerberus comes down where he’d been sprawled out moments before. In his haste to get up, he drops his sword and shield, but leaves them, trying to put some distance between himself and the enormous beast. 

From his periphery, he sees Abel pull something from their pocket. “I use my artisan's tool to make this make the sound of a dog’s squeaker!” The thing in their hand begins to omit a high-pitched squeaking, and almost immediately, Cerberus turns on them. “I then throw this as hard and as far as I can into the woods!” 

“YOU MUST ROLL FOR ATHLETICS.” 

The D20 appears, and Abel rolls it; apparently, time is no longer frozen to roll. “Fifteen plus two, so seventeen!”

“YOU PITCH THE TOY AS HARD AS YOU CAN AND IT GOES SAILING INTO THE WOODS.”

With a loud call of “here, boy!” accompanied by a squeeze of the makeshift chew toy, Abel launches the toy into the air. Cerberus chases after it, and Lucifer winces as he takes down a couple of cucumber plants, sending the fruit rolling. 

“What the fuck?” Asmodeus’ question hangs in the air as they all stare after the beast. 

“Oh thank god, it worked,” Abel says, and Lucifer rounds on them. 

“You didn’t know if it would work?” 

Abel looks too worn out to argue with him. “Nothing else was working, now, was it? And anyway, you should be thanking me. I saved your ass.” 

“Yeah, how did you do that?” Satan asks, raising his eyebrows, and for once, he and Lucifer are thinking the same thing. How did they get over to him fast enough, let alone even know that he had rolled poorly? 

Abel shrugs. “I was right next to him and I guess the angle was off or something. I don’t know, something in my gut just told me to move.” 

The explanation, as weak as it is, seems like the only one they can offer. Abel looks just as taken aback by the turn of events as everyone else. Before the conversation can continue, a familiar crashing becomes audible, and they all immediately jump into defensive positions. But when Cerberus appears again, he doesn’t go for the attack, merely dropping the toy at Abel’s feet with an expectant bark from the middle head.

“Stay back,” Lucifer warns, but Abel ignores him. 

“He’s not violent,” they dismiss. “I want to pet him.” 

“What?” Beelzebub yelps. “No way!” 

“ROLL FOR UH, ANIMAL HANDLING,” Barbatos says unsurely, and the D20 appears in front of them. They roll the die, gasping at the result. “Eighteen, and I have a plus one in animal handling.” 

“So nineteen,” Leviathan says, sounding completely shocked. 

“CERBERUS EAGERLY LEANS INTO YOUR TOUCH, COMPLETELY TAMED. IT SEEMS AS IF HE HAS CHOSEN ABEL AS HIS NEW MASTER.”

Abel grins as they reach up, stretching to rub the right head’s neck. Cerberus pants happily, tail wagging. 

“We… did it?” Belphegor questions. “Holy shit, we did it!” 

They spend a moment celebrating, which is quickly interrupted. 

“Uh, guys, still bleedin’ out here!” Mammon calls, and oh yeah, they’ve got to get him treated. 

*

Once Mammon is quickly and neatly bandaged up by the same barmaid that’d served them the night before (whose other job is apparently at the apothecary), they stake Cerberus up outside and meet back up with Shelley, who jumps up upon seeing them. 

“You did it!” 

“We did,” Lucifer confirms, and is quickly wrapped up in a friendly hug. Well, relatively friendly. He almost suffocates under her biceps. 

“Thank you so much,” she says, going around and shaking everyone’s hand. “As a token of my gratitude, please have this pouch of gold. It’s not much, and definitely not all that you deserve, but it’s what I have.” 

Mammon eagerly takes the pouch before Lucifer can decline, and the tavern shimmers around them. 

“CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMPLETING THE QUEST: CERBERUS AND DEFEATING THE BEAST,” Barbatos says, and a bright flash overtakes the room. When he can finally see again, Lucifer realizes he’s sprawled out on the floor of Leviathan’s floor, again with everyone else. This time, Barbatos is there too. 

“We made it back!” Belphegor exclaims, getting to his feet. 

“Thank fuck,” Satan exhales. “Leviathan if you don’t burn that stupid thing, I’m going to!” 

Leviathan pouts. “Aw, really? But I had fun.” 

“Destroy it,” Lucifer orders. “Or I’ll destroy you.” 

“I must be getting back to the castle,” Barbatos says stiffly as Beelzebub helps him up. “I have some choice words for Lord Diavolo I must share.” 

“Oh, believe me,” Lucifer says darkly, “you’re not alone in that. But first, I think I need a nice, long nap. How long has it been since we first were transported into the game?” 

Checking his PC screen, Leviathan makes a noise of surprise. “Only about five minutes!” 

“Yay!” Asmodeus declares. “I can still upload my post.” 

They all separate then, drifting off to recuperate and resettle on their own, as they tend to do. Lucifer finds himself alone in the hall with Abel, and before he can chicken out, he calls out their name. It’s best to get this over with now, rather than let it linger. Fester. 

“You shouldn’t have done that. Jumped in front of me.” 

They turn slowly, and that was not what Lucifer meant to say. He mean to thank them, to not be an asshole for once, but he’s learned that around Abel, his mouth moves on its own. 

“You were going to be seriously injured. Killed, probably.” 

“I had armor.” 

They scowl, looking past him. “We both know that would have done nothing. I saved you from dying. You should be grateful. Or what, is your pride too strong to let a human save you?” 

Their sneer nettles him. “That’s not it. You could have been killed!” 

It’s only when Abel’s silent that he realizes what he said. Heat fans over his cheeks, and he searches for a way to amend his words. 

“So, you do care,” they say carefully before he can speak. “And here I thought I was nothing but a nuisance to you.” 

“Nobody wants to see someone die in front of them.” It’s a deflection, and they both know it.“Thank you for, ah, saving me,” he tries. “And for your other contributions throughout that little… adventure.” 

“Oh!” They rock back, surprised. “Uh, yeah. I guess humans aren’t as weak and fragile as you thought, huh?” 

“Well, the jury’s still out on that,” he replies wryly, “but you definitely aren’t.” 

The conversation lulls there, and sensing it’s over, Abel goes to turn and continue down the hall. Unable to let that happen, Lucifer reached out and catches their sleeve. 

“Sorry,” he apologizes quickly. “I just– Would you like to do something this week? Get to know one another better?” 

“Taken out of context it sounds like you’re asking me on a date,” they mutter, and Lucifer’s face flames even more. 

“I didn’t mean–” 

“I’d like that. Either way,” they say, beginning to make their way to their room. It takes Lucifer a second to get their meaning, but when he finally does, Abel’s already shut the door behind him. 

It takes him even longer to realize that he’s fine with–no, would prefer it–if it was a date.

leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own

[bigyikes97]

Lily Gao claps back!!!

SO excited about Lily Gao's clapback to bullies over her Ada voice performance!!! Tell 'em, Queen!!! I liked Ada's new voice a lot. IMHO, RE4R Ada sounds like a real woman doing spy stuff who doesn't have time for all that fetishization nonsense. Ms. Gao spit straight facts about her version of Ada being a survivor and standing up to hypersexualization and eroticization of Asian women in media. She's still an attractive character, but on her own terms--not because of thigh-high slits on an extremely impractical dress and a faux purr in which real women (you know, women NOT written and directed by men) never speak, ever. Nah, new Ada slays and I'm so relieved at Ms. Gao's awesome rebuttal and defense. Good for her!

Furthermore? We SHOULD be having a person of Chinese heritage playing a character of Chinese heritage! You can't just use the face and then appropriate the rest of the character. You wouldn't--or, you SHOULDN'T--have a White actor voicing a Black character, for instance. Our ethnic backgrounds can texture our voices in rich and beautiful ways, and embracing those layers of audio is another way we show authenticity and respect the origin of the character. The way we inflect our voices, the tones we use; all that is informed by our language and heritage background. I'm not going to speak Chinese using the same inflection with which I speak English--at least, I 'd better not! But still, my approach to the language is influenced by my own linguistic background. Even if I learn it perfectly, there's going to be some carryover, and that's part of the beauty of diversity as engage with each others' languages. A mixed-heritage speaker is going to have their own take on synthesis, and having them incorporate their experience of however they decide to go about that is key to a genuine expression of their character.

Diversity keeps us learning, fascinated and excited about each other and the variations on our universal human themes that each of our cultures brings to the forefront. Sometimes that comes out in differences in our tones and speech patterns. As someone who teaches ESL to largely Chinese speakers for a living, I thought her voice fit nicely with her character and was consistent with what I've heard from a lot of my students and friends. Caveat--they aren't a monolith! But it felt consistent with many of the patterns I hear on the regular. In my humble opinion, Ms. Gao slayed on multiple levels. 加油 Ms. Gao!! 🔥🔥🔥

[jacktorjoseph]

Set-Up: 🔅In the land of sunny El Paso, It is a beautiful 100 degree weather day and the studio is DEFINITELY feeling it. Fans are running on max, all the ice in the water coolers have melted, and no matter how many times the producer sticks his head into his mini fridge, there’s no sign of relief anywhere. I guess it’s the price you pay being the new show on the block! Repairs and renovations must be reserved only for the cash cows of the company, hence why being forced to shoot in a studio lot last updated in the 30’s was no surprise at all. No need to install A/C if the building can’t support it structurally, the finance department would say! Luckily for you though, being the lead of a children’s television program had some perks. One of the crew members was able to find a lone, oscillating fan to sit in front of your folding chair, but it didn’t do much except blow more hot air around. The production team promised official actor chairs with their names embroidered on the back once the Sunny Time Crew Show took off, but for now, you had to settle for the static clinging variation found at small events and birthday parties. You are reading through the latest episode’s script, noticing a few changes made last minute by the writing staff that made your brow lift. There were characters you’ve never briefed on before. The Sun and the Moon? How’d that work? Sure, they were early in the production process and have only aired the pilot so far, but you’d think you would’ve at least met the person by now. You hear a number of hurried footsteps echo off the vinyl flooring.🔆

*My heels clack loudly against floor as I scour the premises for any sign of life or people. I had already met so many dead ends that there was a part of me that refused to believe this studio is actually shooting anything at all. It didn’t help when the people I did run across didn’t even glance in my direction as they scurried off. Finally reaching an entrance much larger than any of the small offices I rushed by, I took it as a sign that I might be on track. A panicked look is plastered all over my features as I scan the area for anything that hints I’m going in the right direction.*

Oh god, I’m absolutely going to be late at this rate! I knew I should’ve came three hours early instead of two! Where in the world-

*That’s when I spot you flipping through your script in the distance. No one else was around and you didn’t seem like you were rushing to get anywhere, so maybe you’d help!*

OH! Excuse me! Sir!

*I lift an arm up, securing the black binder more tightly against my chest as I lightly jog over to you. My hand instinctively grabs my knee for support once I reach you. Taking a deep breath, I straighten myself up and tuck a long strand of dark brown hair behind my ear. My bangs cling to my forehead for dear life. With how old the building is, people would assume that I’m a ghost or someone who just walked off a princess set with how out of style my puffed sleeve dress is. The bow clipped behind my head becomes more crooked and a relieved smile graces my face*

Oh thank goodness you’re here! You’d not believe the day I was having! I swear I thought I had the plague or something with how much I got snubbed today.

*I let out a breathy laugh, my free hand emphasizing my emotions. I bring my arm back to meet the other along my binder and squeeze it tighter against my chest.*

I’m sorry for interrupting what you’re doing, but my agent set up a vocal audition for me for the…Sunny Time Crew Show? I think that’s what it’s called?

*My brows furrow in thought before I wave a hand dismissively.*

I don’t even know! My agent says it’s the beauty of last minute auditions, but not being able to study up makes me feel more anxious than anything! Anyways, I was hoping you’d know where they’d be at. I’m not really used to being on a film lot since musical theatre productions is more of my thing, but I didn’t think that they were THIS big. Memorizing directions is not my specialty as you can tell.

(OOC-Hi! I’m sorry this is so long, I just wanted to set up the scene! I love how you portray Joesph and I hope I can RP with you!)

-🧜🏻‍♀️

OOC// okay, to start this off, I legit was trying to think of shit all day for this, but got busy with work (ask my s/o they offered help when I saw the absolute NOVEL you had written /positive ) however, it's time for my brain to go back to 2012-2014 (my peak roleplay years)

Joseph looked over at you, his white tank-top both slightly see-through and stained from his own sweat, soon fanning himself with his script.

well, you came to...I guess the right place. Though, it feels more like hell right now. No damn clue why the idiots higher up decided the new show would get the worst building in the area.

He stands up and stretches a bit, if you looked over you'd notice his jeans sitting on his chair, the man in a pair of fitted shorts instead.

If I knew it'd be this hot I wouldn't have even bothered to come nicely dressed.

He offers his free hand to you, it obviously very sweaty.

I'm Joseph, I guess I'll be the main part in this children's show. But, I'll warn ya, some of these actors? Serían mejores para los espectáculos nocturnos, if you get my drift. (translation: they'd be better for the late night shows,)

He gives a very half-caring smile.

What position are you here for? So far, I know about....3, 2? other actors, and none of which have given anyone any hospitality other than the manager and director.

[silver-heller]

Since you showed me that Mordecai design analysis I'd be really curious to hear what that'd look like for Silver.

(This is the post). It's funny you ask that because those sort of design changes, along with the personality changes, actually kind of happened lol, and some of my friends can attest to that. So I don't really have to invent a timeline of "what-ifs". I go into quite a few details under the cut, and love this question btw, thank you so much! /gen

Stage Zero - Who Even Are You?

TLDR: Silver's design was chaotic for a while there. Eventually I landed on a tabby design because it looked neater and made some changes to make Silver better fit the aesthetic of the comic. I also made Silver more unique from Mordecai.

I call this stage zero because Silver didn't have a personality yet, let alone did he actually fit within the series. To be fair, if memory serves correctly, Silver was just originally meant to be shipped with all my furry cat F/Os, which included Animal Crossing F/Os, mainly Raymond (which Silver fit better with at the time). This was more of me trying to make a furry cat character for the first time and throwing the things I liked all into one aesthetic. As you can see by the two designs, I debated over having Silver be very sweet and shy or sharp and "mature" with his attitude (little did past me know I'd end up with a mix of both lol). His appearance was also far darker with silver as an accent and black as his main fur color.

Silver was originally a very chaotic looking black and silver calico, and, though this color scheme remained, I changed his eyes from green to yellow and removed the glasses because I thought he looked too similar to Mordecai to be dating him. His original design was also pretty modern, which of course clashed with the comic's aesthetic. Though the pea coat and boot look certainly carried over in some ways, they were made to fit more into the times and emulate some of Mordecai's own outfits.

Silver's design being cluttered also lead me to the silver tabby design instead of the calico one because I thought it looked cleaner. Here are some of the variations that could have become Silver's final design. I played around with dark and light coats, along with the potential for mismatching eyes:

Again this is stage zero because so many of these designs were completely detached from Silver actually becoming a character and it is wild to think Silver could have looked like any of these lol.

Stage One - The Professional

TLDR: Silver's design used to have short hair and be very neat in some regards. Silver used to be much more proper and confident personality wise.

(Couldn't find this picrew unfortunately)/Picrew/Picrew

Silver finally has a backstory and a personality, woo! Once again you can see the progression from "sweet and shy", to "sort of sweet with a bit of coldness", to the "bitter and done with your crap" Silver we all know and love. I'd say the middle Silver, however, took over most of this phase. His design was altered to be more comic friendly since, at the time, I still preferred the comics over the pilot (but loved both).

Within this stage, he was originally made to be Mordecai's "perfect match" more or less. He was well groomed, from his slicked short hair to the way he dressed, and overall pretty put together both physically and emotionally (though eventually his design took on the chipped ear seen to the far right). He was perfectly clever and sharp to deal with types like Mordecai, but not so brutally honest about it as to be confrontational. He tried to be charming about it. He was almost agreeable, believe it or not, and put up more with people's crap because he had enough confidence to do so. Which was to say, he was professional.

Here is an example of Silver's early personality:

“Hm, no, you wouldn’t. Your reputation relies too much on others’ approval for that. You’d never be able to suck up to him again. Imagine a new shadow hears of Mordecai’s case, what would you do then? Your charm would be short lived the moment they heard about it, no more Mr. Sweet anymore,” I said, and he chuckled, raising his glass to me.

“It must be why you like Mordecai so much. It’s an uphill battle trying to charm him but, once you do, he’ll never forget it. For better or for worse,” I said, looking up and shooting him a smile, “And me, dangerous? Please. I hardly care about anyone else. You’re all just paranoid.”

Chapter four of Silver Bullets & Black Dandelions

Near the end of this stage, however, more bitterness and an asocial attitude was added to Silver's character as his background and the main drama of the series was developed. He became more sassy, and more likely to put his foot down over being cordial or sensitive:

Silver crossed his arms, lagging behind when Mordecai took a moment to do as told.  “Do I have much of a choice?” “No, but,” Asa said with a shrug, laughing at the glare Silver gave him, “You know, the others will like you more if you just smiled a bit more.”

Chapter eight of Silver Bullets & Black Dandelions

Even with these fluctuations, however, a lot of these elements were still true to Silver's character, they just became more developed and refined over time.

Stage Two - Mad Woman of St. Louis

TLDR: Silver is made more rough around the edges and gets his long, wavy hair. He is no longer simply polite, but rebellious, independent, and a bit "uncouth". Not to mention neurodivergent as hell.

Then comes stage two, with Silver breaking out into his more wild phase, which included more physical and personality quirks. Delving more into his past certainly helped to round out his personality overall, and his design was finalized in this stage.

@floofsselfshipblog was the first to draw Silver with long hair (or at all actually), and, again, Silver originally hard short hair. However, I ended up liking that design so much, realizing it made more sense for Silver to rebelliously grow out his hair when past Silver had shorter hair to appear more "cute and lady-like", that I incorporated it into the character's canon. His hair was now messy, he dressed well still but more for gender affirmation than looking sharp. Silver has had wild curls ever since, and deciding to have Silver choose a more free and disorderly hair style definitely encouraged similar choices in the personality department.

Silver was no longer Mordecai's "perfect match". He became far more wild and a lot of his positive traits were balanced out with more negative ones. Yes he was still observant, but his own insecurities and social struggles often made the truth elude him. He became wonderfully neurodivergent with hyperfixations and stims that made him act less than "proper" most of the time (and we love that for him). A more clear balance was struck between the cold and emotional sides of his character, Silver becoming a sadist to assholes that attempted not to cause harm to those who hadn't harmed him first, making Silver terrifyingly merciless when he wanted to be.

Silver also became more "uncouth". No more perfect prime and proper Silver. The developed Silver could out drink most men, loved getting bloody and going feral on the job (to Mordecai's horror and admiration), made vulgar jokes, gave the middle finger to most social structures/expectations, and, best of all, he was not shy or apologetic about any of this.

This new design ended up being more pilot friendly considering the first image was drawn as an edition to the screenshot.

Here's Silver's old physical description from the fic:

In contrast, my own white markings went fully over my mouth, traveling to the two rung side tufts on my face, were only fluff within my ears, and didn’t touch my tail (the end of which was black), but did fully cover my paws and went up to my ankles in socks. On my chest, a small white diamond could be found.  I also had black stripes all along my body, always horizontal, though they framed the white marking on my face rather than fully going across them. Other notable features included my left ear, which had a chip in it thanks to a physical confrontation with an asylum doctor gone wrong, and my black hair, having grown out in recent years to flow down my shoulders.

Here is the updated version:

In comparison, though I had a build that some would call athletic due to the light muscles on my arms and legs, I would consider myself stout, my stomach and legs being plump with barely any torso between my stomach and my breasts.  In contrast, my own white marking went fully over my mouth, traveling to the two rung side tufts on my face. On my chest, a thin, white oval could be found that started at my chest and stopped at my stomach. However, the tips of my ears, paws, tail, and feet all had a smoky black gradient in place of Mordecai’s plain white.  I was also a tabby, with black stripes all along my body. They were always horizontal, though on my face they stopped where my white mask-like marking began. Other notable features included my left ear, which had a chip in it thanks to a physical confrontation with an asylum doctor gone wrong, and my black hair, having grown out in recent years to flow down my shoulders in waves.

Chapter fifteen of Silver Bullets & Black Dandelions

Stage Three - A Whole New Me

TLDR: Silver's final form. He is now the chaotic, murderous, and oddly kind cat we all know and love. Any properness he displays is an act, and now his design is darker with smoky tips on most parts of his body. The white diamond on his chest has become a thin oval of white.

And finally we have Silver as we know him today. His design is far darker, with smoky tips encompassing both his ears, tail, and paws. The only bits of white left are on his mouth and his chest. It's funny, looking at earlier designs Silver's design did go full circle in some ways. Maybe the real designs were the designs we made along the way lol. Just goes to show there is a method to the madness.

Personality wise Silver is polite, quiet, and proper around strangers but an excitable, playfully sadistic, and almost hilariously bitter mess around those who know him well, to say the least. The "uncouth" and "improper" elements of his character are far more evident and a huge part of his character. Silver wouldn't be Silver without burning down buildings and occasionally falling into baby talk.

Again, his earlier characterization wasn't wrong per say, there were just so many complexities to Silver I hadn't explored at that point (and that will, hopefully, really show in part two of the fic as it comes out). This certainly inspired me to get back to editing!

I think Silver's design ultimately ended up very pilot leaning. I am unsure what adjustments would need to be made to make him fit into the style of the comic (besides giving Silver rougher edges and more textured hair), but I feel like his current design would fit more into the show than anything. And, honestly? I am actually really happy about this. The pilot means so much to me now (without it Silver might not exist, it really pushed me to make a Lackadaisy OC), and I am ridiculously excited for the show (and my Mordy plush lol).

Mordecai and Silver Design Developments Side By Side

Thanks to those who stuck through all of Silver's little phases /gen

[xoteajays]

My technology has been acting strange lately. I don't know why. But I have to say that everything has been getting on my nerves more than usual.. Hopefully nothing happens. Because I don't have money for all these new devices that I might need, and all the data I'd actually lose.

~

That doesn't surprise me. Capitalizing on holidays like they always do all the time.. I think that's one of many reasons why I never liked most holidays. Just to make money off a holiday that isn't that important in any way, most holidays should be celebrated with family and friends.

But the spoiled brat in me does like presents though. So I won't really complain if I get presents for the most part. Depending on the person though.. Since I never actually liked most people in my family as it is.

So knowing amusement parks are making money off holidays doesn't surprise me because we have amusement parks like that here too.

~

Since Rocky tends to wear suits a lot, like a suit type of style, then I'm sure he might wear costumes that corporate suits a lot. Like you said: Jack Skellington (or some variation of a skeleton in a suit), maybe the mafia themed costumes for one Halloween too - that could be for any and every Rascals if they do group costumes. And about costumes.. I know that it's canonical that Kizzy and Koo paint their nails. And I can also see Rocky getting his nails done, mostly natural styles like a very clean clear style look though. A natural look but still clean looking. So I do think it would be funny imagining Rocky going to a nail salon just to get his nails done. Since I can imagine his going to a hair salon just so he can get his hair professionally bleached without ruining his hair.

And besides the women (including Kizzy), there have been some men in Rascals who have wore makeup. Some of them. So! It would not be that surprising to see Kaito wearing makeup because there are times, that I've noticed, where he was already wearing his eyeliner in scenes.

And if Koo does possibly wear costumes... I'd see him maybe wearing a costume in groups (like every Rascal wearing a gangster costumes). But, in general, Koo's "costume" is the most minimal costume you will ever see on someone. But that is extremely rare for him to dress up in these holidays, which isn't surprising because Koo doesn't enjoy fun.

Traditionally.. Red, white and pink are usually Valentine's colors so I've imagined those colors. If they have red as a color, then maybe I would see black and red being accented colors to the pink and white colors.

True! If they made it a one night event, then bracelets could help a lot of people. Bracelets for couples and bracelets for single people. Since if there are couples who go Club Heaven (instead of having plans at a restaurant, movies, or somewhere else). And yes! Themed drinks with every holiday event that they might actually celebrate at these clubs.

~

I only recently started watching Borderlands again. So I can't say that have any ideas yet.. Hopefully I get ideas the more I watch the show if I'm lucky enough to figure that out. My brain's fried from watching so many shows and movies lately though so I will have to find out what's going to happen next then. But, that's how I am with creating my own characters. When I hyperfocus on one character at a time, that would be because I'm trying to figure out which type of characters they are.

I'm trying to think up some ideas for games.. Especially games that is not so similar to the canonical games but that's becoming so difficult for me. Especially since I'm biased about certain types of games. But! If I want to make it more realistic, then I could have to figure out ways to balance out the games. So raise the stakes in some ways for them.

But I will have to pay attention to the game montages again though.. I can see why people might actually be fearful of 'beasts', even any that are fictional, because just the thought that animals are after them - in the sense that there were animals that have killed people in games so the thought that an animal is chasing them in mases could make a lot of people fearful of the thought that it could be real animals in a way.

Like a psychological torture in some way.

Exactly! I'm not saying that he wouldn't have had sex with her, maybe even raped her if Aguni is that type of guy. But Aguni does have a role to play... He is the leader of the militants so he can never appear weak in the eyes of other people. Especially toward Niragi and Boss since it is possibly they would use his weaknesses to their advantage. Maybe.

And yes. Arisu's a pathetic character. So there's some part of me who can see why Aguni might not like Arisu in his own way, but he is really one of the characters who does admire Arisu's intelligence (when he's not being emotional). Aguni might have liked Arisu more if he was not an emotional person though. But, like you said, Aguni was abused too often in his life so he learned how to physically fight. Which is why his affection was towards Karube who was more physical than emotional in that way. But I could see Aguni admiring someone's intelligent in all these different ways. Unless you might be Chishiya since no one even seems to like him, which I would see why from their perspectives too.

And! Another thought involving this scenario. Let's say Aguni actually does take Usagi to his room, even if they don't have sex (or get raped) at all, that might have been enough for people to leave Usagi alone as people would consider Usagi as Aguni's property. In the same ways I'll see people writing Niragi with an original character in most stories if I am able to explain that situation better. Who knows what really might have happened if something were to happen with them in that scene.

Who knows? Because I don't. If they do the manga continuation... I do know Arisu and Usagi would come back. And I also know that the one citizen, one of the citizens, was Mira's brother. So I don't even know if characters like Banda and Yaba would come back. But just part of me hopes so because I do like Banda's character, I am neutral about Yaba though since there wasn't many scenes for me to care about him. Yes I know that makes no sense. But Banda did have slightly more screen time than Yaba. So it does make sense if you'd actually think about it.

Oh! You mean A Family is a yakuza movie. That is a very long movie.. I have to admit that I imagined that movie was different than how I did imagine it being if I'm being honest. And Hayato's character, the adult version of his character, had limited screen time just so you know any time you decide to watch the movie. His character had blond hair too. And this is without spoilers. So I won't say any more what I just said.

~

That's how I am. Kind of. I know how to swim. But if swam, I'll actually prefer swimming in the night rather during the day. Which isn't even a surprising to know that people call me a vampire for that reason. And, another reason, is because I have the palest complexion to my skin as a traditional vampire would. As people would always like to say to me.

Another problem with people... I'm content with my body. I don't hate my appearance. But I always hate hearing people making a comment about my body in some way. That's another reason why I do not swim a lot of the time. I'm a chubby person with thick thighs, so my body is actually an average chubby body. But people always make comments though. Whether it was intentionally or unintentionally rude. There's a comment from just about everyone so I can't tolerate hearing people.

~

I haven't watched My Name. So I can't comment about that show, I'm only knowing what I've seen in the trailers of the show. But I know the fans even enjoy the show enough to rewatch more than once though.

That's what I thought. Even if Shizuka and Todoroki aren't friends in a traditional sense, then I can see them as being casual acquaintances.

But now I'm thinking it would be exes to each other now, knowing the characters in the Knuckle Girl movie really were dating for some time.

Well.. Maybe you have you more inspiration for your own character, at least when it comes to Shizuka then. More styles. And even ways that she can fight with certain techniques too. If that's inspiration for you.

Goki Maeda's blond in this movie? I can't imagine him with blond hair.

~

Oh! Did you see the posts, pictures and videos I sent.. Because I really sent a lot again. Some posts were High&Low posts. And also pictures of Dori and the girl who's name I forgot, that was because of the sizes in comparison. Usagi is actually shorter than I thought she would be.

- 💋

i think rocky would still keep the ref gloves no matter what costume he decides on. just for like. the continued aesthetic. kizzy and koo only bonding/getting along over painting their nails together tho. kizzy trying to convince him to get a new colour, but koo has an aesthetic to uphold.

i’m just imagining kizzy sitting on kaito’s lap, doing his eyeliner.

koo is doing the absolute least in halloween when he does dress up. sometimes kizzy just sweeps through and sticks like, a devil horn headband on him.

~

i just watched ep5 (i was doing other stuff so i paused watching for a sec) and i just!! my boys!! chishiya and niragi!! niragi is such a lil brat for this whole intro episode. wahoo-ing on the swinging boat ride, ‘turn off that shitty music’, ‘my boss told me to bring you to him’, ‘i don’t listen to anyone but aguni’. he’s a lil bitch. meanwhile chishiya’s doing all his sneaky shit. i wanna know what game he was playing while kuina, ann and arisu were off at the lightbulb game.

the 2♠️ game was in the montage and i still think it’d be fun to put my dormouse through, but i’m torn between it and the 10♣️ game that usagi played since dormouse is a clubs player.

i still find it so funny that chishiya waved at aguni during the tag game and aguni just ignored him. i don’t think chishiya was even with the beach yet (since he wasn’t wearing swimwear) but aguni was already annoyed at him.

also don’t care about yaba, but i do wanna see banda come back. banda’s more interesting, he was a murderer! yaba was just a boring manipulative conman idc, bring me back the murder boy. i just knew he’s been doing fucked shit in the borderland.

oh god it is like a 2 hour movie. i might just watch scenes of it on youtube or something. i’m lazy and i’ve got too much stuff to watch already anyway.

~

i couldn’t see them as exes since shizuka’s an adult and todoroki’s still a teen iirc. since he’s a full time student. but i am tempted to make a todoroki oc. but i can’t! i’m in aib mode!!

he’s not blond in the movie (a shame because he does look good blond), but ayaka has lighter coloured hair.

~

tao and dori do have almost a foot of difference between their heights. like 9-ish inches i think? she’s so short and he’s really is built like he’s made of pipe cleaners (affectionate. he is still my boy).

[angelicallyblack]

I'm not sure how to explain this but Ana de Armas in the Deep Water trailer and most of her photo shoots has "hot young 2nd or 3rd wife" energy and it is goals. I really want to give off the same vibe with my look and the way I carry myself.

An ask after my own heart!

I watched (and re watched) that movie for her only. The way she looks and carries herself (for the most part) is everything!

One of my favorite things about Ana De Armas is that she makes shorter hair look so sexy and sultry. Contrary to popular belief, but not everyone looks better with longer hair. I love to see women sporting styles that actually suit them so don't feel obligated to wear long locks. If you've always wanted to try shorter hair, go for it! It might make you look sexier.

She wears a lot of black! Mostly sultry dresses that can be dressed up for an evening out or down for an evening in. Tasteful cleavage. Tasteful amount of leg showing. Dresses that show off her figure without being vulgar.

If she isn't wearing black, then she wears neutral tones. That's something that I noticed a lot in the movie. Lots of black or variations of brown. And when she isn't dressing like a sultry wife, she's very put together and reserved. Even her hair will be pulled back into a bun with a few fly always. Trench coats, dress pants, cardigans! But there will still be something extra. The sweater will have the sleeves pushed up or that long dress + sweater combo will be paired with sexy heels.

Her jewelry is very simple. Unless you can afford an actual Cartier love bracelet, look into an impressive dupe. Her rings are basic gold or silver bands and she's not one for gaudy jewelry. She likes for the focus to be on her clothes and body tbh.

https://youtu.be/QwC55QL3B3A

Because she likes for her clothes and body to be the focus, she keeps her makeup fairly simple too. No heavy eye shadow or contour. The makeup is very natural looking except for 2 things. Lips and lashes! Ana has gorgeous eyes and they really play with that by packing on the mascara and making sure those lashes look luscious. Buy some falsies and/or invest in a really good mascara. Rosy lip products too! I'm a sucker for a nice deep berry lip color because I think it looks great against my darker skin but it really stands out on skin like hers.

As for how you carry yourself, have confidence. That's the first key.

Melinda (Ana's character) is very confident in herself. Both in her looks and her personality. She's sure of herself and even confidently told her husband that if he were married to anyone else, he'd be bored. She knows that she's attractive in both mind and body, and she knows how to have men eating out of the palm of her hand if she desires it. Her husband was willing to give her free reign in their marriage just so they'd stay married hello!

She's bold! She has no problem being the center of attention and will happily start playing the piano or get on the dance floor if it'll bring her joy. Because she was bold, and feeling secure in her relationship with her husband, she was also bold in her "extracurricular activities" too. She felt no need to hide or feel ashamed for what she felt she was allowed to do.

She's all about experiences. Melinda had a lot of lovers and lot of culture and that was because she traveled and talked to people and tried new things. She was taking piano lessons and going to fancy clubs and trying new restaurants. She had many paramours throughout her life and we saw that they were happy to come back into her life. She was very set on living her life to the fullest.

In a nutshell, she's "untamable". She's that woman that men have to have even if for the sole purpose of trying to lock her down. I mean, that's basically what happened with her husband. Possessing her was more important to him than having her respect 💀 Who cares if she made a cuckold out of him? It's his ring on her finger 🤷🏾‍♀️

Take this advice with a grain of salt please because if you're familiar with the book, Melinda's antics is how she winded up dead!

[carnal-lnstinct]

SCOURGE OF THE STARS ‧₊˚✩彡

“What should I do? I'm just a little baby. What if the lights go out and maybe. And then the wind just starts to moan outside my door. He followed me home.” - Shivaree

DBZ HALLOWEEN EVENT Oct 1 - Nov 1 REQUEST STATUS: OPEN / CLOSED

Conditions & Characters Updated 9/17/22

Event Open early due to scheduling 🎃 9/29/22

Find completed requests here 10/4/22

Accepted requests tracking below, will keep updated 10/27/22

Happy Halloween! 🎃 requests are closed, thank you for participation! I will continue to wrap up as many accepted requests until Nov 7th. 10/31/22

Intro—

Welcome to my DBZ Requests event! Thanks to the support of some good friends, I was able to kick off this idea in the spirit of Halloween and will be open to requests for the entire month of October!

The Villains of DBZ are taking over the requests! And they've brought the wicked variants of the saiyans with them. Be as dark, spooky, naughty, and creative with your requests. Or just carve a jack-o-lantern while deciding on Halloween costumes with your favorite villain or saiyan who adores you. So long as they meet the conditions of the theme, anything goes!

This will contain 18+ content so MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Accepted Request—

Yandere!Frieza Tail Play - WIP

Goku Black Trick or Treat - WIP

Raditz Halloween Party- WIP

Goku & Vegeta x Majin!Reader

Beast Gohan Corn Maze - WIP

Depraved Warrior Broly Hurt/Comfort

Vampire!Goku

Conditions—

✧✧ Askbox will be open for requests starting Oct 1st and will remain open thru Oct 31st. No requests are accepted on or after Nov 1st. ✧✧ Please adhere to the request rules already in place for what type of requests I do and do not accept. ✧✧ safe for work and "naht safe" for work requests are accepted! ✧✧ Apologies in advance if I happen to not get to you, but any requests not completed by Nov 7th will not be answered later & will be cleared from the askbox. ✧✧ There is no set limit to how many requests one person can submit. Just bear in mind I am one person with a full-time job working the requests, so I'll do my best to get to as many as I can! ♥ ✧✧ Large fics/series will be put on hold for this time to focus on the requests. ✧✧ I will be accepting requests for Villains or Villainous versions of the characters I already write for ( see list below ). In addition to this, I will accept the reverse character x villainous!reader and Halloween-themed requests with the normal characters, villains, and AU villains (ex: dressing up in costumes, trick or treating, visiting a haunted house, binging horror movies, dark/yandere characters, hay rides through the pumpkin patch, etc.) I encourage you to be specific with your requested character. ✧✧ Any requests not fitting the theme will not be accepted at this time. ✧✧ You do not have to use the AU version of the characters I recommend! Be as creative as you like with the request. Consider it accepted unless otherwise stated. ✧✧ This is my first time writing the villainous characters of the series so my characterizations may be a little off to fit the requests. ✧✧ All requests will be tagged as SOTS* which you can track on my blog to find them without searching through the My Writing or Requests tags. This will be updated on the welcome post soon.

Characters—

✧✧ VILLAINS: Villains are their canon appearance with variations being AU versions.

Raditz The Saiyan Elite Variations: Royal Guard Elite (Planet Vegeta AU) Android S (RR Android)

Bardock Slayer of Civilizations Variations: Tyrant Killer (Destroyer of Frieza) Masked Time Breaker (XV2)

Frieza Galactic Emperor Variation: God of Destruction (Lord Beerus' Protégé)

Cooler Prince of Tyranny Variation: Emperor of The Galaxy (Inheritor of the King Cold Force)

Perfect Cell The Immaculate Weapon

Turles The Renegade Terror Variation: The Galactic Usurper (Saiyan God AU)

Buuhan ( Gohan Absorbed ) Chaos Embodied Variation: Buugito (Vegito Absorbed)

Goku Black The Black Divine

Dabura The Demon King Variation: Time Breaker Demon King (XV2)

Super Android 17 The Ultimate Android

✧✧ AU VILLAINS: I use the term AU lightly as they're mostly the "canon" variation of the characters and some fun spin on their characterizations.

Kakarot The Adept Lower-Class - Saiyan of Planet Vegeta Variations: Ruler of Earth (Sent to Earth AU) Super Oozaru Goku (Corrupt SS4 AU)

Prince Vegeta IV Prince of Destruction - Conqueror of the Galaxy Variations: King Vegeta IV (Planet Vegeta AU) Majin Vegeta Super Baby Vegeta

Broly The Exiled Saiyan - The Legendary Super Saiyan Variations: The Forgotten Saiyan (Feral AU) Depraved Warrior (Planet Vegeta AU)

Gohan The Raging Berserker - Ox Prince of Fire Mountain Variations: Super Baby Gohan (GT AU) Corrupted Beast Gohan Legendary Super Saiyan (Pre-Buu Saga AU)

[dance-of-deduction]

#4 - Serpents, Sparrows, and the Samurai on a Mission

Spoiler warning: Major spoilers for all of TGAA2

This one is hard to summarize without massive spoilers, but today we'll be exploring some neat symbolism. At least I think you'll think it's neat. Trust in me and take the plunge!

🌸 Reblogs appreciated! 🌸

In the TGAA2 artbook, art director Kazuya Nuri says he wanted to evoke the image of a snake with Kazuma’s new design, so I thought it would be interesting to explore some of the symbolism surrounding snakes in Japan. As for sparrows, they receive one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention in G2-4 that nevertheless yielded some pretty interesting results once I dug in.

I'll start with a tidbit that I couldn't fit in anywhere else: Kazuma's new white outfit was meant to contrast with his black uniform. White was also the color of mourning in Japan until the Meiji Era, when Western influence introduced the custom of black funeral wear. Before this, though, both the mourners and the dead would dress in white.

Snakes

Throughout Japan’s history, snakes have been viewed as powerful beings that can bestow blessings if respected, and retaliate harshly if harmed. Snakes have been revered as kami (神, Shinto spirits), or as the messengers of kami. Snakes are one of the most common animals revered as kami, and they are associated with prosperity, health, and protection. Kazuma’s design is specifically meant to invoke a white snake, and the Buddhist goddess Benzaiten is believed to have a white serpent as a messenger. Also known as Benten, she is the patron goddess of literature, music, poetry, wealth, and in Japan, she is associated with snakes and dragons. To this day, Iwakuni is famous for its high rate of albino Japanese rat snakes, which are believed to bring good luck and protection to one’s home.

On the other hand, snakes were also believed to bring disaster if harmed. A disturbed snake might retaliate by causing harm to the offender. Disturbing a snake could even put one’s family or village at risk. This taboo extended even to venomous snakes; many would avoid killing them to avoid their wrath. 

One of the most famous noh plays, Dōjō-ji Temple, shows a snake’s capacity for vengeance. Nuri says he played with noh and kabuki elements when deciding on Kazuma’s redesign - which makes sense, because noh masks are a crucial element of portraying a character. In the play's climax, a woman who'd been betrayed transforms into a giant, venomous snake. She burns down the titular temple's bell with the flames of her rage. In some versions she escapes in the end or is exorcised, but some renditions end with the snake burning along with the temple, consumed by her own fury.

Sound like someone we know?

Nuri described Kazuma changing from his old school uniform to his prosecutor's suit like shedding an old skin. One word for a snake’s old skin, nukegara (抜け殻), can also refer to someone who’s become an empty shell or a shadow of their former selves.

This last tidbit isn’t quite as dramatic, but I still think it’s interesting. As seen in this post, Kazuma’s family crest (kamon, 家紋) is made of three snake’s eyes (ja no me, 蛇の目) and three swords. You can find more variations in the following crests here. The snake-eye motif is also believed to have originally represented a bowstring holder (tsurumaki, 鶴巻), and archery is one of Ryunosuke’s hobbies.

Sparrows

In case G2-4, when you inspect a corner on the right-hand side of the prosecutor’s office, you unleash a bunch of bats that made me jump, and then we get this dialogue:

Kazuma: You disturbed the bats, did you? Fitting companions of Lord van Zieks, wouldn't you say?

Ryunosuke: Actually…I've seen things flying in Lord Stronghart's office, too. Doves, I think.

Kazuma: Perhaps you have to like birds to attain rank in the judiciary here… Although bats aren't birds, of course.

Ryunosuke: …How about a sparrow for you?

Kazuma: What's that supposed to mean?

Ryunosuke: Oh! Nothing. Sorry. Just thinking out loud...

I was pretty darn surprised to see Ryunosuke’s choice of bird here. The tree sparrow (雀, suzume) is a common non-migratory bird that’s found all over Japan. They aren’t associated with any particular season in literature, and I wasn’t able to find any concrete symbolism for them. 

What I did find is that they feature a famous folk story, “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow” (舌切り雀, shita-kiri suzume). We’ve talked a bit about how, in the Meiji Era, contact with other countries prompted Japan to adopt ideas from the West. At the same time, people outside Japan now wanted to learn about it, and tourists began to visit the country. In response, Japan began to produce souvenirs for these visitors to take back home with them: photographs, paintings, woodblock print illustrations, and books of old folk tales like “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow”. This particular variety of souvenir, called chirimen-bon (縮緬紙, crepe-paper book), were translated into English and other languages, produced for the rest of the world to consume. Production of chirimen-bon was especially high in the mid-Meiji period. “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow” was translated into English and published in 1885, and you can download it here to read.

It tells the story of an elderly couple, a kind man and a woman with a fierce temper. The man kept a sparrow as a pet and doted on it, while the woman saw it as a waste of food. One day, the sparrow ate some starch she had been planning to use on their laundry. In retaliation, the woman cut out the sparrow's tongue, and the sparrow flew away. When he found out, the old man left in search of his wounded friend.

Days later, he finally found the sparrow. To reward the old man, it offered him one of two baskets, one heavy and one light. The old man chose the lighter basket because it would be easier to carry, and said farewell to the sparrow. When he returned home and opened the basket, he found it to be filled with treasure. Thinking that the other basket must be worth even more, the old woman went off in search of the sparrow. It made her the same offer, but when she chose the heavier basket and looked inside, it was filled with demons - or in some versions of the story, snakes and other venomous creatures. In some renditions, the old woman is killed, while in others, she learns the error of her ways and goes home a changed person.

No matter the ending, though, it remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and anger, as well as the rewards of loyalty and friendship. I can't say for certain if this is the message Ryunosuke was trying to convey to Kazuma, but it's interesting to think about in light of Kazuma's self-destructive mission to avenge his father, and Ryunosuke and Susato's attempts to dissuade him.

And there you have it! Questions? Comments? Feedback? Just want to say hey? Send me an ask me any time!

Sources

Endangered Traditional Beliefs in Japan: Influences on Snake Conservation

Benten | Japanese mythology | Britannica

Shitakiri Suzume, Tongue Cut Sparrow, Japanese Fairy Tale #2, Books Published by T. Hasegawa, Tokyo, Japan

Kazuma's TGAA2 character design commentary @ 8:43

[torchwood-99]

My Favourite Torchwood Looks

So the thing I really love about Gwen’s windbreaker is the colour. Not only does it look pretty, but the light green makes her stand out in a way that really suits Gwen as the newbie, and the pale mint green is just begging to get splattered in blood and dirt. You see Gwen wearing this and it’s obvious what is going to happen to her, and her jacket, by the end of the episode.

Obviously Jack’s coat is iconic. I know he goes through a few variations of coats, and styles them all similarly. I like it with this dark blue shirt the most, and I think the coat looks best in Countrycide, against the fields and grey brick and the Brecon Beacons. When he wears it in Cardiff, he looks really out of time, which makes sense. But in the seemingly abandoned village, where his team are all dressed in heavier clothes as well (apart from Gwen in the above jacket) he actually fits in for once. It pits him firmly against the cannibals along with his team, which is fitting seeing as he’s the one who saves them in the end.

Owen wears this jacket quite a lot, I think. I just really like how it looks with the blue shirt. This is one of the first moments where we see Owen scared, and realise just how vulnerable Owen is under his tough front.

Tosh looks so gorgeous. Love the colour blocking with the red and black, and the lapels of her coat. 

Gwen just looks so adorable in her police uniform, hair drenched from the rain, giving that big wide eyed surprised look that she wears so well. Especially in the earlier seasons. This look just feels like it sums Gwen up at the beginning. In a uniform, firmly in the real world, about to be sucked into something totally new.

Ianto wears so many suits, but this is my favourite variation. Like with Tosh, I love the red and black, and I think the stripy tie goes so nice with the shirt and black blazer. Plus, this is the scene where he and Gwen link arms (iconic) and the red of his shirt complements Gwen’s warm brown blouse.

Just such a gorgeous shade, and I love how soft and romantic the blouse is. Tosh dresses much more femininely than Gwen, which makes sense for their personalities and their job roles, seeing she spends less time in the field than Gwen.  She looks really beautiful in these rich shades, and the flowy fabric is so nice.

Ianto in red and black again! But this time with a suit coat with a pointy up collar! I love a pointy up collar! And I love coats like this.

My favourite Owen look, and sums him up perfectly! The Doctor’s lab coat with all the badges. It’s one of the first looks we see him in, and the one he wears where he is introduced to Gwen and the audience. Seeing as he’s the first to break out laughing, and to confess to ordering pizza under Torchwood, the playfulness of the badges sums up his role in the scene perfectly!

Just a really pretty look on Tosh. I don’t think we usually see Tosh’s arms so bare, which makes sense seeing as this is the moment where Mary reveals herself as an alien. Tosh, falling in love, is likewise more open and revealing in her clothes. The soft, draping fabric and the colour works perfect for a character falling in love.

Gwen looked sooo pretty on her wedding! I actually think she looked better after the fight with the Nostrovite, when her hair was a bit more mussed up. I just wanted a close up of the veil.

This is Ianto’s coat again! I just really liked how it looked in the rain and the streetlights, bonus for his (and Gwen) delightful smiles.

Love LOVE the long leather coat over the skirt. It’s just so flattering, the pink peeking though under the collar, the dark colours with the light pink. She looks so sleek and elegant.

God Gwen looks so gorgeous in this top! As a costume piece, it’s great seeing as this is a Gwen focussed episode, so the bright colour draws attention to her. Plus, as an episode it’s all about Gwen’s compassion, but also death and life. So bright blood red fits all that to a tee. 

This is my other favourite Owen costume. Owen’s had such a god awful time at this point, so seeing him at Gwen’s wedding, clapping and smiling and asking Tosh to dance, is so beautiful. 

This look kind of gives me a lab coat with badges feel in reverse, but instead of the formal lab coat made informal with the badges, it’s an informal t-shirt made suitable for a wedding with a boutonniere. I love imagining how Owen ended up with the flower on his shirt. Was it his idea, did Tosh or Ianto force it on him? I wonder where they found it. I kind of love picturing Tosh and Ianto telling Owen he needs to smarten up before the ceremony, and Banana Boat (who was in charge of flowers) pops up and is all “Need a corsage? The Best Man has you covered!” 

Awesome leather coat on Tosh, just needs a shout out. Also love what Mary is wearing, that skirt and those tights are awesome.

I just adore this blouse on Gwen! In a scene where the highlight is Gwen and Ianto linking arms, I love that the sleeves on this blouse are such a focal point. The bell sleeves are a departure for Gwen, and they’re so soft and romantic and they flatter her perfectly, as does that lovely neckline. Also love the warm brown, which looks amazing on her, and suits her grounded and tough, but passionate and gentle personality.

Leather coat on Gwen! Long leather coat on Gwen!

This is the first episode (KKBB) where we see Gwen in leather, which was introduced to show how she had levelled up after Jack has left, and it was down to her to take charge. 

The top underneath is awesome too.

Long woollen coat on Tosh! 

I just really like coats ok!

Tosh looked so beautiful on Gwen’s wedding day. Most of all I love the red and white flowers, and the silver necklace. The red, the purple, the white and silver just look so gorgeous together.

Such an iconic scene. What I love about this jacket (and her trousers which you can’t see here) is that she kind of makes me think of fighter pilots, which means she really complements Jack. When the two are standing side by side, watching the helicopter burn, after so much time apart.

Black jacket and red shirt. We see this look on Gwen a lot. It’s pretty much her signature, I think. If I want to cosplay as Gwen, I’d go with a leather jacket and a red shirt.

But I love this look the most because of how beautiful she looks when she’s messy, especially with her smudged makeup and extra especially her wavy, messy hair.

Favourite looks for Jack and Ianto here. Both without their top layer, so we get to see Jack in his waistcoat, and Ianto in his red shirt. Both have rolled their sleeves up too, which is double points, and it means they look like they go together even though they’re in opposite colours.

Owen needs a black jacket, red shirt moment too!!! We can’t leave him out. And I do love this shirt on him, especially with the jacket.

Like I was going to leave out the episode where Owen wears a necklace!

And it’s Gwen’s wedding dress again! This is Gwen in the dress Ianto got her, and her stomach is baggy and splattered with alien blood, but despite that, she looks utterly radiant. Glowing. I love her jewellery, and her hair curls now that they’re a bit more bedraggled. I always thought she looked a little stiff and overdone in her wedding clothes when she was first going down the aisle. It makes sense she would be uncomfortable with the alien bump, but at the same time, I think this just shows that Gwen is happiest and at her most confident when she is fresh from a bloody tussle with an alien shapeshifter.

[4dtk]

“32, 37 hand holding and 3, 26 kissing with rookie actor mark and experienced actor s/o on their first drama together?” yes sure!!! excuse me but i don’t watch that much k-dramas so i’m doing this purely from youtube videos LOL + if it mirrors any other k-drama or is similar then it’s purely coincidence!! just conjuring something up in my mind lol

hand-holding, 32 & 37: not really paying attention, both doing something else, but still holding hands / not realizing they’re holding hands till someone points it out

kisses, 3 & 26: smiling while kissing, giggling while kissing

“what’s that supposed to mean?” mark glances down at you in the field, saying his line that he’s practiced with you countless times. the poor boy was so worried about the outcome of it, having only acted as side or filler characters for the past year. although, with every gig he gets, you’re there to help him reach his fullest potential: practicing his lines with him, going through the different variations of how he could’ve executed it, accompanying him to sets.

even the staff couldn’t mask their shock when they see you walking together with a boy who was sweating his ass off, the familiar murmur of his few lines said under his breath as someone led you two to a common break room.

“don’t mind me,” you raise a hand, used to the starstruck faces that looked your way once the door opened. patting mark’s arm, you said something about supporting your boyfriend before settling beside him to work on hair and make-up. you conversed with him easily, briefly stopping at times to entertain autographs or pictures from the other side actors in the room.

it’s been like that since mark made his debut a year ago, taking up many gigs that you always supported. mark struck jackpot when he lucky to have someone to catch onto his talent, running an audition by him that got him the job (with a bit of persuasion on your side).

a job with you, where your embraces and kisses were not just reserved for the two of you in the comfort of your home, or where your affection was held back due to the intrusive cameras. this was an entirely new variation: of moments taken in private mixed with the recognisable traits of korean drama.

the touch of your skin is familiar to mark, but the words that come out of his mouth feel foreign instead. it’s not often that he spouts something so poetic written by the hand of skilled scriptwriters, but at least now he has more words to tell you when he can’t do it in his normal, unique way.

“exactly what i said. why do you need an explanation?” you giggle, hand wiggling out of the expensive coat that your stylist put on you for this scene.

you can tell mark’s arms are struggling to hold himself up, with a teasing glint in your eye that suggests you’re making fun of his strength. your laugh deepens when you realise he’s waiting for you to say your line, pleading with his eyes. he's not used to it yet.

you wait for dramatic effect. “after all, my love for you needs no explanation,” you swear you see mark release a sigh of relief, able to finally lower himself to you while he rests half of his body weight onto your person. his character’s kisses are soft, not much different from your own boyfriend’s as he deepens the kiss.

“remember how i wondered about how you taste like?” he pulls away to ask, the line referencing an interaction from one of the earlier episodes where his character said the same thing.

“what do i taste like, han jiwoo?” the foreign name rolls off your tongue easily now.

“hm… if i’m being honest, i forgot. i might have to kiss you again to find out,” mark delivers the line perfectly and doesn’t hesitate to lean again for another kiss. you’re sure he’s not acting now.

your mouths do a great job of hiding things, before his tongue swipes across your lips. there’s a squeeze from your hand when he does that, but you grant him access either way, melting into it with a cheeky smile that grows and a heart that feels full.

you can taste the incoming snort from mark but he manages to hold it in with a mere giggle. your kisses start and stop, struggling to get in even a bit of contact from how much you’re laughing. like always, you two hold your kisses to make sure there’s sufficient footage, but you have to admit that it was partially indulgent, too.

the scene was almost over, and when mark brings you to your feet you’re able to breath easier, both from your boyfriend’s weight on you and the released tension in having laid in wet grass for the past fifteen minutes.

his hand twines around yours, dragging you along the field as you run off into the distance, shoving and pulling playfully while the camera prepares to pan up. the last shot is of the two of you holding hands, swinging it like a pendulum before the green of the field disappears and the blue of the sky appear. soon, it fades to black.

“and that’s a wrap! thank you, everyone!” the director shouts. claps are heard and you’re dragging mark by then, stripping off the coat that’s overheating your body. it drapes over your elbow easily, responding to the other’s searching hand as you take it in yours. all the way to the dressing room you head seemed to permanently stay down, continuously bowing to directors, producers, staff members.

all you’re focused on is getting to your next schedule, promising to the cast that you’ll treat them to a meal soon as your shout resonates throughout the space. everyone cheers and you reply with a grin, slipping into the dressing room.

as you remove the hairdo with one hand, you ask randomly, “so? what do you think of han jiwoo?”

mark looks up from his phone, pulling a face while he thinks of an answer.

"well, for one, i'm jealous of him for kissing you." that elicits a laugh out of you, giving him a squeeze with your hand before he goes back to his social media with a smile, "but he's a cool kid. i'm glad i got the chance to portray h..."

a thud from the doorframe snaps you out of the moment.

"ah! s-sorry, mark-sunbaenim, (y/n)-sunbaenim," they bow immediately.

"i hope you don't mind b-but, i just came over to tell you how much i loved your chemistry on screen! it's such an honour to be on set with the both of you, especially you, mark-sunbaenim."

you grin as the other flushes at the compliment, but the side actor continues. you don't mind.

"i'm hoping to get a big role like you too, mark-sunbaenim! i've been watching your other shows, too. the way you give life to a character is always very refreshing," your boyfriend takes refuge in your connected hands.

"and i can't help but notice the love you have off-screen too! it's endearing, (y/n)-sunbaenim. i hope i'll have a love as strong as your hands are held right now!" mark barely manages a thank you as the actor excitedly bows again before making his leave.

once he's out of earshot, you giggle at the scrunched up expression, face warm from the comment about him to your interlocked hands and your relationship.

"that was unexpected," similarly, you packed your things again with a single hand when mark reluctantly stands up, overwhelmed.

"y'know, i didn't even know our hands were connected for that long until he said something." mark groans. you laugh.

"please stop talking, i might actually explode," your lover calmly says, letting you drag him out the back door with your hand in his.

with a small peck, your lips meet the back of his hand, "well before i do, i need to tell you that i vouch for every little thing that guy earlier mentioned. talent in every bone in your body, mark lee."

you flag down your manager's car too fast to see the smile on mark's face, but he's grateful for your heartfelt words as he thanks you with kisses and cuddles later in the night.

[descendantsramblings]

Style Headcanons

So basically, I’m a big hater to the way the costume team worked on them. The whole “All Isle kids wear Leather” and “Auradon Kids always look like they’re on their first kid and on the way to the country club” thing drives me crazy. It sorta feels like they made costumes before giving them personalities (The leather on Carlos  and Evie feels like it clashes with their personalities. Lonnie’s dresses in the first movie doesn’t fit the personality we see, even though she didn’t have much of a personality until movie two. Audrey dressed like a thirty-four year old mother who just picked up her kid before going to the country club. Ben’s only good outfit was his swim trunks.) So here are some personal headcanons and pictures of what I imagine for them. (I started making them at 1am last night lol)

Villain Kids 

Evie

As someone raised to want to be a princess, she wants to dress like how she imagines a princess would.

She loves pastels and is no stranger to pairing pastel blue with a neutral red or bright white. 

The only pants she really wears are either athletic shorts or those little flowy elastic shorts, otherwise she’s all skirts.

She’s sorta a prep but not in the same way a character like Audrey would be. 

Evie has respect for most aesthetics, even though she doesn’t fully fit just one. However, she hates crocs and those little pastel shorts that white boys wear, she will announce it often.

Wouldn’t be caught dead in neon colors. 

owns a blue fur coat (it’s fake fur, obviously)

Carlos

Baby boy is a total softie

You know that one gay little sweater in movie one, that’s where they went right, more of that.

He’s into the soft boy aesthetic and only strays from it for formal wear

loves layering sweaters over button ups

Cuffed jeans, always because ya know, bisexual 

Owns a floral button up from Jay, normally he hates patterned button ups but it’s his favorite shirt. 

Loves striped sweaters, he owns about 6 variations of them in different colors (all include red, white, or black of course)

Jay 

In theory, Jay doesn’t really have one aesthetic, he’s willing to try on just about anything

Most of his clothing was bought by Evie or Carlos, especially his formal wear

The only clothes that Jay will buy for himself is athletic wear

He doesn’t really see the point of buy clothing that he can’t go straight to practice in. 

Still has the beanie,  but he owns one in just about every color to match it to his outfit.

Listen, we know Jay’s main color is yellow/gold, but why did we always see him with more red/blue in the movie? What type of snow white aesthetic were they trying to give him?

Jay owns a button up that he write on, he refuses to wear it actually buttoned though

Mal

She loves the grunge/alternative aesthetic, she thinks it makes her look more like she belongs to the Isle

She wouldn’t wear skirts until after she and Evie became friends, Evie bought her her first skirt (a purple plaid one) and she fell in love with it

Mal has a whole jewelry box of just chains, both necklaces and ones that attach to clothing 

Owns a pair of Demonia Swing-815 boots (black patent) and a pair of Demonia Camel-203 boots (holographic purple) 

100% owns one of those studded hot topic belts. 

Has a headband with little horns that symbolize her mother’s horns 

Instead of the leather half gloves from the movie, she has those little fishnet gloves and covers her hands in rings.

Uma

Her style is similar to Mal’s because if Mal is going to do something, Uma will do it better.

Uma only wore outfits that were super Fem and had skirts until Mal started doing it

Then it was Uma always wearing pants, because of her love for plaid skirts she owns a whole collection of plaid pants

the only jeans she owns are black or dark wash. 

Her first ever large purchase was a pair of Doc Marten 1460 Zip Tartan Lace up boots (they’re green, black, and blue plaid) 

She and Harry bought matching Doc Marten Jadon platforms (his are more shiny though)

Isn’t as into chains as Mal, more into chockers. 

Harry 

When the E-boy aesthetic came out, Harry was all over it 

Harry definitely has one of those chains with a little lock on it. 

I’d like to imagine he has baby gauges

the before mentioned platform doc martens, he definitely treats them like his baby

Even though Harry dresses like an e-boy,  he always has his pirate hat on

Definitely wears cloth masks as a fashion piece he actually would wear his in the pandemic though, unlike some people who wore them before but not for safety 

Harry is actually really good at graphic liner, he owns a gold, red, and white eyeliner to add color to the outfit if it’s mainly black

gold>silver 

Bought plaid pants because Uma did, he want’s to match with his captain

Gil 

As we know (maybe you don’t) it’s in the canon that Gil’s mother taught him to sew and he enjoys it. 

So Gil doesn't dress in one aesthetic or even close to being in one, he wants to try out everything, both making and wearing them.

He does stick to a monochrome color scheme though, mainly shades of brown with white or black thrown in. Sometimes he adds a little red or yellow though to “honor” Gaston

Most of his clothing is more comfortable than anything

Only owns three pairs of jeans, the rest are different types of pants (he loves corduroys) 

Owns a pants chain that harry bought him but he only really wears it when Harry and Uma are wearing one so he won’t feel left out on it. 

Dizzy 

Baby girl has seen the Isle steal the childhood innocence from people, she dresses in kidcore as a way to keep hers

Her outfits always has at least 4 different colors in it.

No stranger to neon colors, she has a pair of overalls that are neon rainbow and covered in gummy candy and she only wears them with a neon green tee, Evie and Carlos hate this outfits, Jay loves it because of the disappointment it brings to the two fashion fans 

Dizzy’s outfits in the movie were colorful obviously but they should have been just more over the top

She loves patterns and has no fear of pattern mixing

definitely owns some funky earrings, clay rings, and  statement necklaces

puts beads on her shoe laces, especially on her converse (they were white ones, she drew all over them) 

Auradon Kids 

Ben

Okay so Ben’s animated and movie outfits were bad, you can’t convince me of anything else

Why was Ben not dressed in the soft boy aesthetic? You’re trying to tell me that Belle’s son wouldn’t be a soft boy?

He has a jean jacket with his father’s beast symbol painted on the back

Absolutely loves graphic crewnecks, often layers them over collared shirts

He and Carlos go shopping together often in their free time

Lover of funky crew socks,  ones with paintings, patterns, logos, whatever. But his socks always match

After he and Mal started Dating, he bought a white jean jacket and let her paint it, he wears it all the time even though it didn’t match his original clothing, he bought more clothes in her color scheme to match it

He owns like 6 pairs of high top converse (light blue, yellow, white, navy, black, and Purple after getting the jacket back from Mal)

Chad

Listen, out of everyone he was the closest to how I imagined he should be, that being said, he had a little soft boy thing going on in some movies that I don’t think fit his personality

Polos and button ups are basically all he owns, but he does have some of those pastel simply southern esc graphic tees (Southern people probably know what I’m on about, all the guys who act like Chad at my school have like 5 of them each)

Owns 6 pairs of those horrid little southern boy pastel shorts in different shades of blue (plus 1 white pair)

Will not wear jeans, ever, the only pants he owns are khakis

All over the shirts that have logos embroidered into the shirt over the chest. 

Definitely gets asked if he’s on the way to golf/ the country club, the joke is that he is, he has to meet his father there after school

prep.jpg

Audrey 

Listen, I’m not an Audrey stan, but they did her so dirty in the first movie

She should have been the stereotypical mean girl outfit wise, I mean, mini skirts, all pastels

Owns a pink teddy coat, and a white one, she actually cares about if they get dirty though, takes good care of them

definitely has a collection of tennis skirts, pairs them with sweaters/crewnecks or blouses that have a slight puff to the sleeve

The type of girl to wear rufflely rompers on her birthday every year, pink, white, or baby blue obviously

loves those tiny shoulder bags

preppy and looks good in it. 

cropped polos and tube tops

Jane

This account is a Jane should have been cottage core/ fairy core fan page, her outfits were almost there, just not there, she’s literally a fairy but can’t use magic nor did they let her dress like one, I hate it here

Baby girl loves gingham and floral patterns, some of her dresses are a little more to her mother’s taste than hers (her mother bought them) but as long as it’s a pattern she likes she will wear it. 

Cardigans are her best friend, she owns one in multiple shades of pink and blue, plus a white one (all of her clothing fits a pastel pink/blue/white color scheme)

Babydoll dresses her a her favorite style of them (the one I put in the top right corner is what I imagine her birthday dress as) 

People try to mockingly ask if she’s on her way to a tea party/picnic (like they do with Chad and the country club) if the answer isn’t actually yes one of her friends still say yes, no one can be rude to her about it 

She owns a corset (Evie bought it for her, it made her nervous at first but she loves it) 

Owns kitten heels and flats mainly also two pairs of mary janes (in white and blue) 

has one of those little pearl purses that aren’t really useful but they’re cute 

Lonnie

Last but not least, our funky little lesbian (she is, Jay is just her emotional support queer man) Lonnie, she sticks to the teal, blue, and pink color scheme they gave her in movie one

She mainly wears sweats (or athletic clothing) otherwise it’s graphic tees tucked in (many of them are from the men’s section) 

Only wears sneakers, she has places to be but also collects them (also owns 1 pair of pink crocs, Evie tried to burn them)

Carlos and Ben talked her into wearing a collar shirt under a graphic tee once (they bought her a sleeveless button up which she hated at first) and now she does it anytime she wants to look like she put effort into her outfit. 

Wears a lot of necklaces and rings (she loves to layer necklaces, she thinks it makes her sweats look less boring) 

Uses a mini backpack instead of a purse, easier to carry more things.

Has two pairs of custom painted air forces. 

Hates wearing bracelets but always has to have a hair tie on her wrist so they don’t feel empty .