#they are the new world's finest and I will fight people if you go aCtUaLlY

[ultfreakme]

Jace Fox is Jon Kent’s Batman and Jon Kent is Jace Fox’s Superman.

Hope this helps! XD

[leclercsainzz]

Can I request a reader x wolff one please? where reader and non f1 male were the ultimate couple, so it came as a shock when they broke up. With many people being sad about their split, since they seemed perfect for each other. However recent rumors have surfaced that maybe she might be seeing toto, which causes quite a stir among fans, who are now speculating about the potential new relationship?

NEW ROMANTICS

PARINGS: toto wolff x fem!reader

TYPE: social media au

yourusername

liked by jaredpadalecki, lewishamilton and 567,738 others

yourusername: @vanityfair oscar date night

view 4,748 comments

genpadalecki: 😍 stunning as always!

↳ yourusername: i love youuu 😘

user: can jensen fight?!??

user: MOTHER OMG

user: where’s jen?

user: stunning 😍

user: she does NOT age, i swear 😩

misha: 😃

↳ user: castiel energy frr

user: did jensen go with her??!?

user: mom where’s dad?!???

user: she’s soooo mother, omgg 😍

user: @jensenackles can you fight, bro?

user: lewis, what are you doing here?!?? 👀

user: the definition of MOTHER

user: has anyone noticed jensen hasn’t liked/comment?

↳ user: what are you insinuating??!? 🙄

↳ user: haven’t seen them together for quite a while, actually

↳ user: obviously they won’t be out in public 24/7

user: kindly step on me 😩

user: did her and jensen break up or something?!? 😭😭

user: anyone else noticed the mercedes boys in the likes?

user: 😍😍 gorgeous!

user: jensen’s one lucky ass mf 😩

user: waiting for jensen’s comment and like

user: ATE and left NO CRUMBS

sofiavergara: 😍 wow

user: mother is mothering 😍

user: why are ppl saying her and dad are broken up?!!?

user: 😍😍😍😍 goddess

jensenackles

liked by jaredpadalecki, misha and 788,825 others

jensenackles: a little bts of yesterday’s photo shoot

view 5,736 comments

user: the man that you are, oml 😮‍💨

user: the fact that yn’s getting this everyday 😭😭

user: they’re still together right?!!??

jaredpadecki: 😘

user: so fine

user: apparently he might be single again sooooo 😏

user: he’s fine and he knows it

user: WHAT A MAN 😍😍

↳ user: indeed 😩

user: are yn and jensen still together?!??!??

↳ user: of course, why wouldn’t they be?!?

↳ user: there’s been rumors going on about them breaking up

↳ user: they better not be true 😭 wtf

user: why are people saying jensen and yn broke up??!?

user: father of my kids (im kidding) (im not)

user: aged like fine wineeeee 😮‍💨

↳ user: he gets sexier each year 😍

user: SEXIEST MAN ALIVE

user: @yourusername is so luckyyy

↳ user: supposedly, they broke up 🤷🏻‍♀️

↳ user: sAy SIKE RN

user: how can i get his attention? 😩

user: another day another slay

user: finest man ever 🥵

user: that’s my dean winchester

user: i need to know if mom and dad are still together or not

↳ user: girl, frrr 😭😭 it’s been weeks

user: where’s yn??!?? she hasn’t liked nor commented 🤨

user: sirrrrrr 😍

user: so sexyyyy of him

yourusername

liked by lewishamilton, evalongoria and 600,839 others

yourusername: life lately

view 5,746 comments

user: YN A MERCEDES FAN?!!??!???

| liked by yourusername

user: is thAt toto wolff?!??

user: gorgeous 😍

user: missing dad hours 😓

↳ user: we’re ALL going through it right now:’(

user: mercedes?! lewis liking all her post?!? tell me u all see it?

↳ user: we all see it, i assure you 👀

genpadalecki: gorgg 😍

↳ yourusername: ❤️

mercedesamgf1: thanks for coming, pretty lady 😘

↳ user: ADMIN?!!??? WHAT IS THIS?!!?

↳ user: lewis is definitely behind all this, i just know it

user: WHERE’S JENSEN???? 😭😭😭

user: lewis is great and all but jensen?!!?!?

user: can we talk about toto’s back? 😩

↳ user: she really got the best angle

user: who got you smiling like that? 🤨

user: the most beautiful woman ever, i swear

ruthie_connell: 😍😍😍 beautiful!

user: get back with jensen, please 🙏🏼

user: please tell me you’re dining with dad in the 5th slide

user: your beauty is unreal 😩

user: wait— who’s lewis?!!?

↳ user: formula one driver

↳ user: 8x world champion

↳ user: 7* but okay 🙄

user: mother 😍

user: yn being a mercedes fan is everything to me

user: mad i didn’t see her at the race 😭😭

yourusername

liked by realmarksheppard, pierregasly and 679,738 others

yourusername: 💗

tagged: @genpadalecki

view 4,846 comments

user: tHAT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE LEWIS?

user: who is that?!??

jaredpadalecki: @genpadalecki 😍

↳ yourusername: our wife’s gorgeous, isn’t she, moose?

↳ user: nOt moose 😭

user: that ain’t lewis?!??

user: i’m just going to pretend that’s jensen for my sake

user: missing jensen:((((

user: her friendship with gen is everything

user: gen and yn are the female version of sam and dean

feliciadays: beautiful ladies 😍

user: and everyone thought it was that hamilton guy LMAO

user: still not over her and jensen 😭😭 they were perfect

user: MOM, WE WANT DAD BACK 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

user: anyone else think that looks like toto wolff??

↳ user: tHat’s what i Said!

misha: thanks for the invite btw 🙂

lewishamilton: 👀

↳ user: sIR, wHAT DO YOU KNOW?!??!?

↳ user: mind sharing with us??

carmenmmundt: 😍😍😍 gorggg

user: IS SHE DATING TOTO?!!?!????

user: lewis AND george liked? 👀

↳ user: even gasly’s nosy ass liked

↳ user: that’s why his forehead so big 😭 he knows it allllll

user: her side profile, omg 😍😍

user: he definitely screams toto wolff

user: idk who this wolff guy is but i want jensen back

user: her and jensen were supposed to be endgame 😭😭

user: ngl but her and toto would definitely make a cute couple

user: i love how everyone just assumes she’s with toto now

yourusername

liked by georgerussell63, sofiavergara and 687,863 others

yourusername: ft a small photo dump

view 6,527 comments

user: THAT BACK LOOKS SO FAMILIAR

user: tHat’s TOTO OMG

user: toto?!?!?? 😮

genpadalecki: my loveeee 😍

↳ yourusername: 😘 love yaaa, girlfriend

user: oooh to be yn

user: ynjensen is really over 😞😞

user: toto, that’s a nice back you’ve got;)

user: toto’s one lucky mf

user: I MISS JENSEN 😭😭😭

user: yn, babe, this ain’t you, get back with dad

user: that’s a hot back

user: lordddddddd 😍

user: TOTO?!!??

user: mother 😍

user: IS THAT TOTO, OMG?!??

↳ user: yessss

lewishamilton: 👀

user: ariana (lewis) what are you doing here?

georgerussell63: nice back there, mate

comment has been deleted

user: we saw thAt comment george

user: toto is so fine omg 😩

user: my man is so fine

user: her side profile is everything

user: oNE CHANCE, YN, PLEASE 🙏🏼

user: toto’s soo lucky huh? 😭😭

user: did anyone else see george’s comment?!?!?

↳ user: what comment???

user: MOM MOM MOM MOM

user: you cannot tell me that isn’t toto

user: his back bro 🥵

user: what about jensen???? 😭😭😭

yourusername

liked by lewishamilton, pierregasly and 678,629 others

yourusername: life lately <33

view 6,510 comments

user: “life lately” and post THE TOTO WOLFF?!! 😮

user: bitcH OMG

user: yn pulls the hottest men ever 😩

↳ user: nah frr — first jensen now toto??

user: idk if i want to be yn or be with her

user: can i be your sugar baby?

mercedesamgf1: finest couple ever! 😮‍💨

↳ user: admin— you’re so real for this omg

↳ user: admin knows what’s up

user: can toto fight?

↳ user: can’t fight for a championship that’s for sure

mercedesamgf1: the boss says you’re gorgeous

↳ user: GIVE THIS PERSON A RAISE FOR THEIR HARD WORK

genpadalecki: wifeee 😍

↳ yourusername: love yaaaaa 🫦

user: nooo, i miss jensen 😭😭

user: i KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT

user: okay but how did toto bag her??? like come on

user: gorgeous ladyyy 😍

ruthie_connell: 😍😍😍

user: nOt pierre being in the likes

↳ user: loves the gossip lmao

jensenackles: @misha @jaredpadalecki told you

↳ user: DAD?!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!

↳ user: told them what?!!?

↳ yourusername: 😭 leave me alone, i love my chocolate

↳ jaredpadalecki: it’s always the chocolate

↳ genpadecki: chocolate is addicting okay

user: JENSEN COMMENTED?!???

↳ user: glad to know they ended on good terms 😩

user: yn, you’re sooo gorgeous

user: the woman that you are, omggg 😍

user: mother frrr

user: they make such a hot couple

user: yntoto 😮‍💨

user: i just need to know you and jensen are still friends

↳ yourusername: always <3

lewishamilton: gorgeous - toto wolff

lewishamilton: i don’t have instagram - toto wolff

↳ yourusername: text me, love 😘

↳ user: please this is so cute

user: nOt the sign off by toto himself 😭😭

christianhorner: 🫡

[tmamcufnafandutareonmymind]

TF2 HIGHSCHOOL AU. LAY DOWN AND GIMME EVERYTHING YOU GOT ABOUT IT NEOOOWWWWW (/nf)

pretty please 😿

Inhale I SUMMON @jeremycantdraw @variantdm AND @brainman1987

Background context:

The year in the same as this year and In the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere new mexico there is a town called teufort

In order to attract more people to the town they made a much larger highschool than the town actually needed. They accepted around 100~ exchange students each year.

However one year they took in 8 student we all know very well

These 8 students are absolutely invaluable to the school. Winning compations against some of the country's finest highschools. But theres one small issue with this group of boys. They keep fighting another class of boys (blu class). And no matter what the principal (the administrator) seems to do, nothing stops this stupid feud. So she hires saxton hale (a world renowned P.E. teacher / fitness instructor) to watch them at lunch and make sure no one get seriously hurt. And she gets her right hand gal/vice principal ms pauling to watch them in the halls, fighting in the hallway is absolutely NOT tolerated.

Well what are the boys even fighting over in the first place....

The rights. To play soccer. On the gravel field.

I will probably post about this au more but this is liek.... the master post, so this is the basis of this whole au. Its set in a modern era so lets say covid never happened but tictok still had that cringy poorly made content era. And phones an social media are a thing that the teams can access. One thing im definitely going to do is a post dedicated to each merc and their personalities, who they get along with best. Who they dont.

-olao

[celaenaeiln]

Hi cl! I was wondering if you have or one day would make a recommended reading list for dick?

Yea!! I would love to!

For Robin- the best would be Batman 1940, Batman: Golden Age Omnibus, Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, and Robin: Year One

Untainted by bored and desperate authors, the comics are genuinely funny and interesting and action packed. I love puns and humor and good fighting so Batman 1940 was top tier for me. Batman: Golden Age Omnibus I really liked Bruce and Dick's casual "you're like a brother-son-friend-partner" thing that flowed so naturally.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet and Robin: Year One show Dick's capabilities and and how excellent he is even though Batman 1940 shows that too, these are more recent. Whoever wrote The Gauntlet-I'm kowtowing to you. It's god tier work, thank you.

Batman and Robin, A Boy Wonder

I know this is a controversial one because of what Frank Miller makes Dick do but also I just considered it to be part of this universe's batman's psyche. But Frank Miller aside from this one can go suck it. I love everyone in it.

Robin and Batman by Jeff Lemire

This comic talks about Dick directly after his parents' passing. It shows how instead of angry like people think, he was mostly sad and lonely and how he and Batman both grew from this. Going from grief to the light of Batman's darkness that he's known to be.

The Detective Comics

It's Batman and Robin stuff but you know it's just like a progression of the Batman comics but different stories.

The World's Finest Comics both the 1941 and the new one.

Dick's relationship with the Titans and family- Batman: A lonely place of dying.

It takes place some time after Jason's death and shows how Tim joined the family. I love the way they wrote every character. I'm going to put up a post later about Dick and the Titans and this comic is quintessential to that. MUST. READ.

Want more incentive? It's all about Dick and Alfred's relationship and how they're the best father and son.

Dick's relationship with the Titans and Outsiders

Teen Titans (1966) - the silver age, og titans.

The New Teen Titans (1980)

The New Teen Titans: Judas Contract

The New Teen Titans (1984)

JLA/Titans

Titans Secret Files

Titans (1999)

Outsiders (2003)

Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files

Teen Titans Lost Annual

Titans (2008)

Titans Hunt

Titans (2016)

Titans United

Titans United: Bloodpact

Titans (2023)

World's Finest: Teen Titans

Nightwing Dick- Nightwing 1996 and 2011

Okay. I know people hate Chuck Dixon but honestly, I think he's one of the greatest Nightwing writers. With him, the writing felt continuous and fluent. It takes you from Dick being fired to the majority of his life. Every arc that was written was excellent because even when Dick was at his worst mentally, emotionally, and physically, he was a formidable foe. He's a tactical genius and one of the strongest fighters and Chuck Dixon put him through a lot but one thing he never did was nerf him. This was very good.

ACTUALLY NO- I LOVED THIS SPECTACULAR, MARVELOUS, BEAUTIFUL, EXTRAORDINARY, BRILLIANT WORK. LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.

Nightwing 2011 will be one of my all time favorites. Undefeatable badass boy. The entirety of Nightwing 2016 has nothing on even a single panel from Nightwing 2011. Glorious work.

Batman Dick- Batman: Streets of Gotham

The things is, Dick was a very good Batman. Actually, he was an excellent Batman. Maybe it's because he's an excellent actor but the internal struggle he had was not outwardly shown when he was Batman thus effectively convincing the public that there was not a different man under the mask (They could only tell because he actually cared about people unlike Bruce). Actually I like him better than Bruce Batman because Dick's actions as Batman at that time were cooler than any Bruce has taken. I know it's hard to believe but this comic was fantastic in showcasing that.

Other top favorites- Nightwing: The New Order, Future State: Nightwing, and Grayson Comics

I'm literally going feral over New Order. Nightwing is the world's favorite (as expected) and has an entire army to himself. He also has a kid named Jake Grayson and JAKE IS THE CUTEST ADORABLEST KID EVER. I LOVE Kori but what I love even more is Dick is a single mom to Jake because Kori left and Jake loves Dick so much! I cried at the end because how badly I was moved.

Future State! Future State Gotham was trash. It was so bad I had to search for a trashcan to dry heave over because it's character assassination. That comic was so bad other DC authors just refused to acknowledge its existence. Future State: Nightwing showcases just how brilliant Dick is. Ever heard the saying, "There's method to my madness?" Dick always has a plan. It's only madness for those that don't understand the full scale of it.

Heh. Everyone hated the Grayson comics but honestly? I loved it. Dick was manipulative, talented, excellent fighter, and a spy. Every task he took he excelled in it. They said that Dick wasn't made for spying but they weren't talking about his skill set. They were talking about his emotions. Even Tiger- Spyral's number 1 asesst and spy- was outplayed by Dick multiple times. If Helena hadn't become Matron, Dick would've burned Spyral to the ground so completely not even ashes of the fire he had set would have been left as evidence for beetles to collect.

Batman/Nightwing: Bloodbourne

Pure fighting prowess. It reiterates the fact that Dick is undefeatable.

Batman and Robin (2009)

Dick!Bats and Damian's run as Batman and Robin. It sheds light onto the hardships of raising an assassin child. People think that Damian would just follow someone along and become good if they knew him earlier but you don't understand. Dick. Put. Work. Into. Damian. Their obsessed with each other relationship exists because Damian is fully aware of the amount of time, effort, and love Dick has given him and reciprocates that. He loves Dick beyond measure and will fight anyone who says even one word against him.

Batman and Robin Eternal

Really talks about Bruce's impact on Dick, Dick's impact on Bruce, family dynamics, batfamily working together, intelligence and fight skills of Dick Grayson. There's a couple plot holes in the middle with about 2-3 panels being wrong but everything else is so correct.

Convergence

Do you want to know how important Dick is in terms of the multiverse's perseverance and continuation? This one!

COMICS I HAVE READ A BILLION TIMES BECAUSE THEY'RE SO GOOD - DARK CRISIS, DARK CRISIS, DARK CRISIS!!!!

DARK CRISIS

DARK CRISIS

DARK CRISIS

I SAVORED every letter of that comic.

[fakesimp]

Celebrating New Years with You

Warning !

Slight NSFW ; Fluff ; Comfort ; Mention of Sex at the end ; Kisses ; Celebration of New Years ; Male ! Character ; Established Relationship ;

A/n : Happy New years everyone !! From today and on, I will use this font..

I hope everyone can read without any trouble now (⁠●⁠´⁠⌓⁠`⁠●⁠)

And, yes I'm still alive, writer block at it's finest.

➶◜◝➴

You cuddled up next to each other on the couch, waiting for the long waited new year. You don't know how long has it been, you remember when was the day you both decided to declare your feelings to each other. And started dating, you both have went up and downs together. Even fighting, also have been into that day where your relationship is almost cut off from a fight. But, as a responsible adult both of you are, you both talked about it and make up again.

It was truly an interesting experience, and both of you know what to do and not to do to avoid making the same problem again. And here you are, cuddling next to each other. Basking into each other's warmth, looking at the tv in front of you. Waiting for the countdown, you know everyone at in the world are also waiting.

Either they are actually waiting or not, it doesn't matter. One thing for sure is that, you are kind of not ready for the new year. Afraid of what's going to come, to both you, and him. Your Beloved. Also the people around you.

You know, even the closest person you have in your life. Will eventually leave, and you already accepted that fact. But if you weren't, he is there. To comfort you, reassure you, everything would be okay. Even if it's a harsh reality that you have to accept, you know you can't hold onto them forever. Sometimes letting go, are a good thing. People will get something new, in exchange of losing what they have. You lose your closest people around you, but you know that there would be new people that'll enter your life.

One thing, that you are sure about. That is, him. The Love of your life, he's there, even at your darkest moment. Happiest moment. He, is there with you. Going through all of them together with you, you are more than happy to have him in your life. To be in a relationship with him

You look over at him, who was enjoying his time watching the TV, then down to his phone, scrolling through the social media. He felt your eyes are on him, then both of you made eye contact for a good minute. He then smiled at you, as he slightly tilting his head in confusion.

"Hm? What? What is it?" He asked you, not looking away from you. Your eyes widen slightly and break eye contact first with him, you peek over to him and his smile is getting wider. More leaning towards a teasy one too, you pout. Making the male raise a brow at you, smirking. "What's wrong babe? Something on my face, hm?" He asked softly as he scoot closer to you, closing the gap even more than before. "Hmm?? Babe??" He called you out, he then leaned closer to your ear. Only to blow it. Making you slightly jump at his action, you immediately turn your face to him. Planning to scold him, but—

It only resulted, you getting surprised by how close his face is to you, making you slightly taken aback. Leaning a bit away from the man in front of you, only ending up with you laid on the couch him crawling on top of you. Giving you a sly look, "Is this how we're gonna start the new year?" He asked teasingly making you went red all the way across the cheeks. To your ears. "I-, O-of course not! You idiot.." you stuttered, and slightly whispered at the end. Making him stare at you a bit confused, but he then laid down happily on you.

"It's within a minute darling, isn't there anything you want to say before this year ended, hm?" He asked as he mindlessly tracing his finger on your arm. You, that was playing with his hair locks. Stopped for a moment, earning a unsatisfied groan from him. "Hmm.."

You pondered for quite awhile, ... Times moved rather quick, and it's already 5 seconds away from new years

5

You look down at him, he was staring at your arm, staring at his finger that's trailing on your arm. You gently put a finger under his chin, making him look over at you.

4

Both of you stared at each other, with admiration, Love. You smiled at him and he did the same, you gently pull his face closer to yours, gently kissing him from his forehead

3

Cheeks, nose

2

Then his lips, "Love you."

1

Then on that same exact moment the TV blasted a big announcement, saying it's a new year already. You starting to hear fireworks outside, both of your attentions were on the TV and the window. After awhile, both of you look at each other. He looked at you, and slowly replied "Love you too.." he replied with a whisper

He then leaned closer to you, he kisses you, you can tell he's smiling. He then pulled away from the kiss, "Happy New Years baby.." he said and then pull you up. Letting you sit on his lap. His sudden movement made you yelp, but eventually you got over it and silently sitting on his lap. Facing the male, he look up to you. With a smile in his face,

"Well, since it's new years..

Maybe we can go to the bedroom for celebration? Hehe.."

©fakesimp · 2023

A/n : Happy new years everyone!

Let's see what we got this year.. <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>

I also wonder if I, can reach 1k followers this year.. (⁠＠⁠_⁠＠⁠;⁠)

[dropintomanga]

Manga I Enjoyed in 2023

It's been another great year for manga. And I don't think we wouldn't have it any other way, right?

I got to read a bunch of manga, old and new, this year. But these titles stood out to me the the most.

Honorable Mention: Kindergarten WARS by You Chiba - This was something I needed, post-Assassination Classroom. A school filled with rich kids protected by assassins who have nowhere to go fighting against assassins trying to kill the kids. Not only that, the main female lead is desperate for a boyfriend and will date anyone who looks hot. But if they have certain peeves, the bodies will hit the floor. This is a really funny series with fun characters and a lot of action. It also has one of the best gags of the year.

Favorite Ongoing Weekly Manga: Akane-banashi by Yuki Suenaga and Takamase Moue - Akane-banashi continues to impress me every week. I absolutely love how every chapter continues to be impactful. Akane is still a refreshing protagonist and I love how it feels that even though she can win rakugo competitions based on sheer determination, Akane knows that she has a lot to learn. This is a stand-out manga that is excellent for teenagers.

Here's my top 5 manga of the year!

5.) A Home Far Away and The Yakuza's Bias by Teki Yatsuda (tie) - Once I got into K-Pop, I had to check out The Yakuza's Bias. I enjoyed a lot of the humor and the gags are well-done. It's a title that really showcases what it means to take a deep dive into fandom when you're new at it in hilarious fashion. But Yatsuda's debut work about 2 boys on the run is one of the best things I've read all year. It's truly a heartbreaking LGBT romance that will touch a lot of emotions. Also, Yatsuda's art is absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to see their new work being licensed in the future.

4.) ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead by Haro Aso and Kotaro Tanaka - The only zombie manga story I read was Kengo Hanazawa's I Am A Hero, but I gave this title a follow because people were telling me about it due to its messaging. ZOM 100 stands out as an upbeat zombie apocalypse story that speaks to the resilience of people in tough times. I think we all forget that we can do great things in times of adversity if we all get support. There's some great moments in this series worth talking about. I never felt bored reading it. I'm glad I gave this manga a chance because I really think depressed people need to be told that while it's okay to feel the way they feel, they can still try and people shouldn't shame them for it.

3.) Kowloon Generic Romance by Jun Mayuzuki - Hong Kong nostalgia at its finest, in my opinion. This is one of the most fascinating stories of 2023 with regards to finding your identity and reconciling your past with your present. I have this high up because I really like how the central love story is slowly tying into a bigger mystery on why the world in the manga seems very off. People struggle so much with their pasts and I feel that this manga resonates with those folks. Especially me as I find myself longing for past moments that I dearly miss despite having not-so-pleasant experiences I would like to forget.

2.) Chainsaw Man Part II by Tatsuki Fujimoto - I absolutely adore this series. Fujimoto pulls no stops in telling the story he wants to tell. I love the new female characters that have all shown up and the return of a very notable one. I like Denji's development as he really doesn't know what he wants despite being granted a frightening power that continues to be a target to those who want to use him. This is the story of a "hero" who doesn't have the resilience to be an actual hero. It's also a story about people having their emotional needs warped into desires in the worst way.

1.) The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren - I normally don't read horror manga, but this manga is phenomenal. There was so much hype about the manga being released here in the U.S. and it has delivered in all cylinders. The art is great. The usage of sound effects to convey a sense of dread is top-notch. The interpersonal dynamic between the two main characters is frighteningly realistic. This manga, at its core, about dealing with a relationship that should've ended, but didn't. As much as we talk about needing relationships with people to survive, they have to end sometimes. There's a lot of horror and dread over how to talk about a relationship ending and good god, the manga delivers on displaying that. I also love the subtle reminder that bad relationships have serious consequences for everyone else. In real life, we've seen how abuse and interpersonal trauma trickles down from the victim into other parts of life and other people. All of this makes The Summer Hikaru Died my top manga of 2023.

I hope you all enjoyed my top picks. There's been a lot of fun reads that I probably missed out on, so let me know what you guys enjoyed. 2024 is probably going to be another great year for manga and there's already titles I'm looking forward to.

See you all in 2024!

[linkspooky]

TITANS, ISSUE #2 THOUGHTS.

This is way late but welcome back to my continual coverage of the new Titans series currently being released by DC Comics. Goodbye anime it's time to return to my real passion cheesey super hero comics. This is the first series since the N52 and Rebirth reboots to feature the classic New Teen Titans lineup so as a fan of the old comics I'm interested to see where they're taking these characters. Especially since this is the first time in like three reboots the focus is on letting these characters grow up.

This is also running simultaneously with World's Finest! Teen Titans which is bringing back the silver age lineup + Bumble Bee and making them canon again. As a fan of the silver age comics I'll be covering that series eventually too. Anyway, issue number two under the cut.

MEET THE NEW BOSS

We open with a much younger version of the Teen Titans about to ambush Brother Blood only to find the Justice League has already taken care of them. As far as I know something like this never really happened in the old continuity. Robin always acted separate from Batman that was sort of the point, and the only time they really clashed was the crossover with Batman and the Outsiders. It culminated in a story arc where Dick Grayson realizing he'd been emulating batman a little too much realized he didn't actually want to lead people the same way that Bruce did.

Then much, much later in the JLA and Titans crossover Technis Imperative. So yeah, The Justice League never really sniped one of the Titans targets. It was more of a silver age Teen Titans thing that they were just considered the Jr. Justice League and the Justice League / Their mentors were more active in interfering with them. By the time of New Teen TItans, they were just the Titans their own independent group.

Wally's not dead (obviously), but an alternate timeline version of him does give us the interesting premise that Dick is tasked with solving a murder before it even happens. It gives Dick a chance to show off his detective training here presenting a unique challenge to his skill set.

Cyborg's question of whether or not Dick has contingencies in place is a reference to the Tower of Babel storyline where Batman prepared weapons to use against the Justice League with the knowledge of all their weaknesses, only for those same weapons to get stolen by Ra'as al Ghul who put them into place and crippled the league while at the same time sending Batman on a wild goose chase by robbing his parent's grave an forcing him to track down where Ra's moved the bodies in order to distract them. It was a pretty big deal in the pre-reboot continuity.

Dick having those same contingencies shows his control-freak Bruce foiling, but at least he's open about it I guess. I'd say that Nightwing having all of those weapons and contingency plans though does put a little too much power in his hands over the others. The whole point of Tower of Babel is it's not so much about Batman always needing to carry krytponite around in case Superman goes evil, as it is that Bruce needs to feel in control and in order to achieve that he disrespects all of his comrades agency by devising methods to control them.

THough later on Dick does have a point that it's Wally's tendency to rush off immediately without thinking because he is a speedster and therefore stretch himself too thin. IT's the right call to keep Wally close when Dick knows that he's going to get murdered soon, but it's kind of wrong to hold "I can keep you here if I want because I know your weaknesses" over his head to get him to stay.

Dick makes another controversial decision by putting Donna in charge instead of Starfire. This is probably to give Donna a character conflict.

It's funny that Dick chose Donna over Starfire considering their track record with leadership. One of the biggest fights Donna and Dick ever had is when Dick trusted Donna with leading the team in his absence and Donna let the whole team fall apart. Basically while Dick was gone Cyborg and Beast Boy ran off, Raven was kidnapped by Brother Blood and missing for months and Donna basically sat on her hands and did nothing about it. All because Donna's greatest character flaw is being unable to live up to the perfect image that everyone else has on her.

It sparked one of the biggest fights Dick and Donna ever had in the comics, they literally got into a fist fight over this. Anyway, in summary Donna does not have the best leadership skills. On the other hand Starfire led the Titans pretty succesfully when they were mentoring Young Justice in the 2003 comics and Dick walked away from the team.

Dick probably just made the call because it's his tendency to trust Donna with everything, due to their close friendship.

At least it doesn't get in the way of Donna and Starfire's friendship. There's a funny little nod here to the New Teen Titans which had pretty constant inner-group conflict, to the point Cyborg would make fun of it by calling their lives a soap opera. The Titans are pretty famously a dysfunctional found family. We'll see if they keep that element in or not.

Two more things set up for future issues, number one it's Garth's turn to be brainwashed by Brother Blood this week. Garth seems like the natural choice to get brainwashed, despite being a member of the original four he's kind of been more of an outsider to the group. In the original silver age titans he felt so insecure about his place in the group he literally developed an illness and had to quit.

The second is that it's mentioned that the explosion that started the fire is Tamaranean in origin. Considering Starfire's Tales of the Titan comic deals with her encountering a pair of sisters with a healthy relationship, and featured an off-hand mentioned of Blackfire.

This could be foreshadowing the return of Blackfire, which I'm excited but also nervous for. Blackfire is one of my favorite villains in all of comics, but her relationship with Starfire is often reduced to "Starfire is the good one, and Blackfire is the bad one" when in the New Teen Titans it became much more complicated than that and became a pretty nuanced analysis of the conflict between a golden child and a scapegoat.

However, my hot take about Blackfire and Starfire's relationship is a rat for another post, so I'll just end things here.

[kyogre-blue]

Oh, huh. what bugged me abt that isn't that they couldn't - after all the alliance HAS been in constant conflict ever since they decided to hunt down the Abundance - it was that, out in the whole wide universe...how the hell is the xianzhou the ONLY ONES who care abt a planet being destroyed? like rlly? yes, maybe in a cosmic scale there's multiple planets dying, but he's asking people for help, not the universe! ugh. can't they set up an intergalactic donations box or something?

well, companion quests are like... genshin story quests/hangout events, except w at least two playable characters talking to each other, but idk what you consider relevant context to main missions if you're skipping dialogue. ik Yanqing has a bit of an arc abt learning moves from jingliu and he meets jingliu in the companion quest > adapts jingliu's moves in mq boss fight (in a blink and you'll miss it line that wasn't at all clear but there you go) > succesfully replicates her move in climax of Finest Duel (II), so it may seem to come out of nowhere if you don't do it. like it's definitely not one of the better companion quests, you could just watch the cutscenes and get the idea, but it's one of the most relevant ones. Do you count trailblaze continuance as main story, or...?

The animations Ichor of Two Dragons and A Flash are much cooler than what actually went down in the luofu so I can dream lmao. But for real, who wrote those? They should actually write in the game. They know how to set up a climax, for one.

Characterwise you won't care, but fandom liked to characterise yanqing as a brat and a punching bag until he finally got a W in recent quests and I'm sick and tired of it so...

intro in mq as fighting prodigy who hits his first major roadblock (aka loses badly three times in a row to legendary fighters, one in his cq and two in mq. he's unfortunately infamous for this) > gets his insecurities aired out against his will, we learn that he has lost all his confidence and is desperate to prove himself > trying to balance acceptance of his limits with knowledge that they don't define him, compare and contrast w a new child prodigy chara who IS actually immature so we can see his growth.

Anyways I don't want to start more live service games so between geshin and hsr I honestly like hsr more. gl w your sunday and aventurine pulls!

Hm, well...

There was one thing I noticed, and that is how the game says "no one helps others out of the goodness of their hearts" in almost the exact same words over and over again.

I think I saw it first in Wardance, where it seemed to be part of Topaz explaining her section away as just teaching Belobog an important life lesson, that they can't keep relying on the MC to solve their problems and/or support them. They have to stand up on their own because the universe is a big, scary place full of nasty, powerful organizations (like... the IPC, presumably).

But this is also repeated at least twice in Belobog, whenever we try to say that we're here to deal with the Stellaron. Everyone immediately goes "oh, just because you're nice?? sus, we don't believe you, you're obviously lying."

And then, it has also already been brought up again in Luofu (I'm still on the first act). "Oh, you're here to deal with the Stellaron? Like you always do on multiple worlds, as we've heard since we know about the Astral Express already? Sus, no one does things out of principles, you're lying."

So at the very least, the writers really love having the altruism of the main crew questioned.

But they probably also just generally believe that people are extremely selfish and will not do anything without benefit to them, so asking strangers for help is pointless and Igor was wasting his time. The correct answer was always just to go home and die fighting for his country.

(You can even tie in how the entire plot of Luofu is kicked off by Elio deciding that they need to make sure the Luofu owes the Express a huge favor, so that can be cashed in during a future battle for the sake of the universe. Because you see, the Luofu wouldn't do shit during this massive future conflict of galactic scale, where we are presumably on the side of all life and civilization, without first owing us a personal favor.)

Realistically, they're not that wrong, but I find it annoying to have this be treated as a legitimate point of distrust so often.

As for me, I..... probably still like Genshin way more. The writing is bad for both, both don't let you skip, but Genshin has way more to do.

[wh00pwh00p]

@glupiypryanik THIS IS FOR YOU (n also a great excuse to info dump about my babies)

so i have technically 5 OC worlds (minus dnd characters), i say technically 5 because i post like 4 of them here??? the other one is mainly written so i dont have a lot of art of them. but i also have ideas for how id love to present these worlds in the future..... like making some into shows or comics (i probably wont ever do that bc time but one can dream)

im ganna cover them one world at a time from least to most info??? i think?? its a long one.... much longer than i thought.... (i might just keep adding as characters get more info n stuff)

Nova & Circus (doesn't have an actual name yet) :

Nova and circus are roommates n live in a world which is like a near future with lots of built up places heavily based on cities like Tokyo, Seoul, New York and LA in there too. very entertainment industry heavy. Nova is an Idol (i specifically draw from the aesthetics of J-pop idols and a little from K-pop idols) she is very busy all the time which leads to her being very tired when shes not doing work. she also very much enjoys her work and is relatively popular. Circus is a streamer but does like live radio type streams, he used to be a DJ and producer before he started his own thing and now he also helps produce some of Novas music. hes much better at doing his own thing and he doesnt work well with like strict schedules and such. do they have to live together? no, they both make more than enough to live separately and be pretty well off. are they living together because they are dating? maybe but dating is taken very seriously within the Idol scene and it could cause problems for both of them if they were dating, which they are definitely not doing (/s)

Heavens Finest :

oh Delilah. Heaven in this universe isn't somewhere for the dead but more so a place for angels, these angels have a normal working society where everyone is delegated jobs. Delilah was delegated the job of a guardian angel, guardian angels in this universe are the beings that give you a sense of safety, they are the beings that give you the impulse to look before crossing the road or to watch your step. Delilah is horrifically bad at this (partially on purpose). everyone Delilah is sent to keep safe dies within 2-3 business days because she's either gotten to work late or was far too preoccupied doing literally anything else than her job. however shes also the queen of weaponised incompetence, every time her boss threatens to move her to another sector she happily reminds them that she will screw up anything, anywhere, anytime and out of pure fear theyve had to keep her on. as Delilahs story continues her boss gives her an ultimatum: If the next person she guards dies within a week they will let her go. Delilah happily accepts however what she doesnt realise is that shes been assigned the stupidest yet seemingly invincible guy who just. wont. die. her story evolves from her passively letting people die to her straight up trying to kill this guy within a week.

Bp&I :

this universe is a pretty normal modern world filled with halloween monsters. Skeletons, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, think of any classic scary monster n they are here. the main groups (the biggest groups) are: werewolves, vampires, skeletons, witches, zombies, demons, ghosts, sirens and ogres. sometimes (like a 1/1000 chance) a monster can have a seconds supernatural ability, these can be anything from turning invisible to being able to speak to cats. this universe exists alongside our own, for some this is their afterlife and for others our universe is a source of food (especially for vampires and sirens). another big part of this universe are the Fighting Tournaments. every month has a tournament on the last week of the month. these tournaments consist of one race (eg: an entire vampire tournament, an entire ghost tournament so on so on) this is primarily to do with the fact that some races are less or more effected by other races (eg: ghosts cant really be touched by non ghosts unless the ghost puts energy into being a physical thing and this also effects them using objects and such or vampires are more vulnerable to things like fire but demons are immune). these tornaments give non ranked fighters the ability to enter the ranked places. once a year their is a 'Ranked only' tournament which takes place over most of the month where the top 10 from each race compete to take each others rank. Rank 0s are the highest ranks and essentially run the world. Bloodpact is a vampire who also has the supernatural ability of a necromancer, shes able to bring back people she has drank from to act as undead slaves. Bp holds the 3rd spot within the vampire ranks, shes known for having an energetic and deeply chaotic personality and fighting style. her main weapon is a harley quin-esque hammer. Ink could not be further from Bp if they tried. Bp essentially picked Ink of the street to be their mentor. Ink is a ghost with the ability to shapeshift and has always wanted to be a high rank fighter after waking up here after dying. Ink is extremely chill n mildly worried about Bps caffeine addiction.

tbt the best way i can describe these two is 'Autism n ADHD solidarity' Bp may be Inks mentor but i think ink is objectively more responsible. Bp does also have a manager to keep her (and now Ink) on track in their activities.

The Bastards :

the name sounds mean but trust me they deserve it.

this story takes place on a planet which is made up of a single planet which is mainly desert but has some very large interconnected cities and towns within large bubble like structures which create almost fake environments. they can produce different types of weather and grow crops within them. however people do live outside of these bubbles, in the desert areas. this is a modern fantasy-esque space setting (a lot ik) think like Coruscant from star wars mixed with the envoriment in the Darling in the Franxx enviroment. large pockets of perfect land and infrastructure held within localised stationary domes the capability to mimic different enviroments and weather.

this is a rough idea of what its probably laid out like:

the agriculture domes are the least populated, dominated by fields and farms. these farms are able to produce most types of vegetation and can produce enough food for the vast majority of the planet.

main cities and sub cities have very high population densities (like i said think coruscant) minor cities are like the usual cities we have (think new york and london) the towns are less dense more like large sub urbs.

the smallest domes are either villages or business quarters.

the small red cubes/rectangles are settlements outside of the domes, these houses may seem to be of lower quality than the ones in the dome but theyre just much older and built for the desert conditions.

there is one main intergalactic ship dock far from the main urban areas however some of the outer dome settlements have their own landing zones for their own ships or to get deliveries

talon lives outside of the domes, he and his dad run a ranch with a focus in raising and breeding the older more traditional native breeds.

Heartstopper lives in the main city in a relatively nice penthouse gifted to her by her parents before they disowned her

cat scratch lives in the main city in a dingy basement apartment in the....not so nice parts of the main city Cat Scratch, Talon and Heartstopper all despise each other.

(arrows pointing to someone is why they hate the person its pointing to, it was just far easier to put into a diagram.)

all three of them have become bounty hunters due to life circumstances and had a pretty bad kill on sight mentality towards each other however one day they are essentially arrested and given the choice to either go to jail for the rest of their lives or become a unit to fight more dangerous crime groups. as much as they all hate each other they all hated the idea of prison more.

now these characters are supposed to be bad people however i wanted to build them in a way that gave them stories which are just bad life circumstances or events and essentially what would happen if people neglect the fact that they are deeply effected by these things and continue to bottle it up and ignore it instead of... yk.... going to therapy. just keep this in mind as i explain them.

Cat Scratch was orphaned at a very young age, never stayed in one place for long and was always bouncing homes or families. all this contributed to them harbouring a pretty strong hatred towards the world, they blamed other people their entire life, never trusted anyone and became just very violent as an outcome. as previously mentioned they were bullied during school pretty heavily by talon n his group of goons TM which onl;y made this worse as she then had to physically fight these people. as they grew up they met new people, they met heartstopper (though she wasnt heartstopper then) and a guy who they both fell for. cat scratch believed they should have him and they did get him eventually even if it did destroy their friendship with heartstopper and required a few extra steps. this didnt last long however and eventually Cat Scratch had to make it by themselves... again. they turned to bounty hunting as it was profitable enough to keep them off the streets and... a good way to get some anger out...even if it was pretty violent.

Heartstopper had a pretty good upbringing, her family was upper class and were relatively wealthy and yes maybe she had to fight for attention sometimes between her and her multiple siblings but it was never bad. she always had a knack for lying though, just little white lies here and there and pocketing a couple small things here and there (only a stick of gum or a lipstick here and there). she grew up got a good education, great grades and eventually a good job with even better money and met new people. she met cat scratch and a guy they both fell for. heartstopper knew they both had the same feeling but he obviously chose her and she hoped that cat scratch understood that. a little bit later and they were engaged and happy. only what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life became the beginning of the end. he never turned up. not only did he never turn up but no less than a week later sensitive private images, videos, messages were suddenly not so private. the emails to her work, the lies within these emails lined with sensitive content were the final straw. her family had turned their backs on her, her job had let her go and frankly she had nothing else. these things were her life. she had no money, no life and no aspirations so she said fuck it and became a bounty hunter... a much less violent one but a snake in long grass type. if lies were so easily spread about her, then why not everyone else.

Talon would tell you he had a normal upbringing, he didnt. hid mother left when he was very young and has only ever lived with his dad on their ranch. talons dad isnt exactly a good person, pretty horrible honestly, a notorious bigot but talon didnt see that at the end of the day he was his dad and that was all he had. par a few animals and his bird, rogue, obviously. talon knew he was different. not really because of his physical appearance, horns n tails were rather common at his school but inwardly he was conscious about something. it annoyed him when he saw people who were seemingly comfortable in their skin and cat scratch was one of them. it annoyed him that they would walk around as if they had nothing to lose, how theyd look at others with disgust as if they felt like they were above others. one day he and his friends, admittedly, got a little too rough. turned out this cat has much sharper claws than they thought. the next thing talon was aware of was lightning like pain stemming from his spine and the fact that it ceased as soon as he screamed in pain as if they realised he was awake and stopped. after the pain he realised he couldnt notice anything else, he couldnt see anything else. later hed be told his eyesight was unrecoverable and that his previously tan complexion and brunette hair were now stark white and his horns and spines a silver colour. as shit as it is to loose your eyes you get used to it, you find other means of navigating, for talon it was rogue. like a guide bird if you will. she even helped with using firearms, some things were off the table but if he could set up a place to camp out rogue helped with aiming and guiding him on where to shoot through sound or touch. as talon grew up he learned to ignore the feeling that he was different, as his dad grew old he took on more responsibilities around the ranch and just didnt have time to think about it anymore. money got tight a couple times and talon decided he needed to pick up a side hustle... a bounty hunter would probably make just enough.

as the story of the bastards develops they learn to trust and understand each other. they learn that at the end of the day theres not much they can do except to strive to be better.

key story moments include cat scratch almost dying due to their own reckless behaviour and having to trust the other members to not let them die and thank them for helping when they could have let them die on the mission, heartstopper fully breaking down on a mission and admits that she barely knows who she is anymore after the others confront her on her lying and manipulation of other people leading to her having to revaluate her life and open up to those around her and talon finally finds out why hes always felt different after meeting cyrus and falling pretty horrifically in love with him over the course of a short stay during a mission and having to recon with the fact that this could destroy everything hes ever known and being backed by the others in accepting himself and what he wants.

these guys are little shits but they get better n i love them, they are definitely the most in depth characters i have along with being the most depressing but i enjoy playing with the nature vs nurture aspect of terrible people yk and how some of them can get better if they only had good friends and/or therapy (dont worry i will send these idiots to therapy once theyve finished their main stories)

if you got this far heres a pic of one of my cats :3

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Carla Ecstasy [Epilogue]

ー The scene starts in the entrance hall of the Vibora Castle

Zweig: People of the Vibora. Listen!

In our midst right now is the Princess who descends from our very own Demon Lord,

as well as the one and only Eve, chosen by none other than Karlheinz-sama himself!

*Clap clap clap*

Yui: It’s a pleasure to meet you...

( ...They’re all looking at me with eyes full of respect. )

( This is Cordelia-san’s doing and not my own though... )

Zweig: Due to her assistance, our Clan has decided to form an alliance with the Founders and the Ghouls!

We have gained an immense amount of power, we might as well be invincible now!

Therefore, I believe we should be the one’s reigning over the Demon World! We shall start by declaring war upon the Vampire Clan!

ー The Vibora rejoice

Zweig: Commence the preparations at once! Victory is within our grasp!

Yui: ( They will fight against the Vampires at lastーー )

( Since I’m also part of this alliance, that includes me as well, right? )

( I knew that but it leaves me feeling conflicted... )

ー The scene shifts to the guest room

Vibora B: Thank you for your hard work. Please rest up here for a while.

Yui: Excuse me...Is there nothing I should do? 

Vibora B: No, not in particular. It is the soldiers’ duty to perform in the war. 

The generals - lead by Zweig-sama - will be in charge of giving out the orders.

Yui: ...

( Which means I’ll just be sitting here...? )

Then I don’t need to be here, do I?

Vibora B: Excuse me?

Yui: Please, would you let me return to Banmaden? 

Vibora B: No, I cannot do that.

Yui: Eh? Why not?

Vibora B: Zweig-sama and you are the leading powers in his alliance. 

It would be trouble if one of you were to disappear. Please, do not leave this room without permission. 

Yui: ...I see.

( I vaguely expected this, but I guess it’s no use after all... )

ー The scene shifts to the outside of Banmaden

Kino: Hey, guys. I’ve got fantastic news to share today.

Male Ghoul B: Eh? What do you mean by fantastic news? Hurry up and tell us, Kino-sama!

Kino: Fufu. Relax, okay? At last, time has come for us to rise to the top!

Male Ghoul C: ...? What do you mean by that?

Kino: Good question. I guess you could say we’re going to flip the hierarchy upside down?

Male Ghoul C: ...?

Kino: You guys know that the Founder King is suffering from a severe illness, right? But you see, his health has reached an all-time low.

Male Ghoul B: As in...?

Kino: In other words, it has reached its terminal stage. He can barely get out of bed still, as he’s basically just waiting for the moment he takes his final breath.

Male Ghoul C: ...It’s that bad?

Kino: Yeah. But that’s ideal to us, isn’t it?

I mean, once we get rid of his younger brother Shin, this Castle will be ours.

ー The Ghouls make a commotion

Kino: Shin worked you guys to the bone, didn’t he?

Male Ghoul A: Exactly. We had to train day in, day out, we were utterly exhausted. 

I mean, that was fine at first. But he kept on expecting more and more of us. To be honest, we simply couldn’t keep up...

We were constantly covered in cuts and bruises. I’d love to get back at that guy one day.

Kino: See!? Don’t you think you’d be much happier without that heartless jerk around?

Male Ghoul A: ...

Male Ghoul C: Well, I guess...

Male Ghoul B: When you put it like that...

Kino: I mean, once he’s out of the way, Banmaden will actually be our very own Paradise?

You’ll have the place all to yourself, without being controlled by anyone. Wouldn’t that be fantastic!? 

Male Ghoul C: ...A Paradise just for us...

Male Ghoul A: That means we’d be able to live freely...without receiving orders from anyone, right?

Kino: Yeah, yeah! Freedom at its finest!

Male Ghoul C: Freedom, huh? ...Sounds great!

Male Ghoul B: That means we won’t have to bow our heads to those Founders anymore, you know?

Male Ghoul A: We always believed that we had to live our lifes being used by others but...I guess that will no longer be necessary then...

Male Ghoul C: That sounds great. I’ve always envied people who could live that way...!

Male Ghoul B: Okay! Hey, guys! Let’s enjoy our lives here together!

Male Ghoul A: Yes, let’s do that! We’ll turn Banmaden into our new homeland!

Kino: Seems like you’re all on the same page now. But before that, there’s one final important task left to do. You don’t mind that, do you?

Male Ghoul A: Yes, of course not!

Male Ghoul C: The future will smile upon us as long as we succesfully complete that duty, right? We’ll try our best!

Male Ghoul B: Yeah, count us in! This is all for the sake of our happiness!

Kino: We’ll put our plan into action tonight, once that guy has gone to bed. I’m counting on you guys, okay?

ー The scene shifts to Shin’s room

Shin: Zz, zz...

Kino: ...Okay. Let’s go, guys!

ー The Ghouls storm into his room

Male Ghoul A: You little!

*THUD*

Shin: Ugh...! Uwahーー!? 

...What’s happening...!? 

Male Ghoul B: To hell with you!!

*THUD*

Shin: Uguh...!!

Male Ghoul C: Yaah!!

*THUD*

Shin: Guah...!!

*Thud* 

Shin: Kuh, the muscles in my right arm are...What has gotten into you guys...!? 

Kino: Yeah; Aiming for your dominant hand first was a great idea.

Shin: ...! Kino, so you’re the one behind this...!!

Kino: Tell me, Shin. Despite being a Founder as well, you aren’t very popular, are you? 

Shin: Excuse me...!?

Kino: You’re finding yourself in this position right now because you were too harsh on everyone, you see?

Do you know what they call take? ‘You reap what you sow’. 

Shin: You little...You really think you’re getting away with that!?

Kino: Come on guys, kill him. This eyepatch bastard can barely fight back at this point. 

Male Ghoul B: Roger!!

Shin: ...!!

*TIMESKIP*

Shin: Haah, haah...

Kino: Ahaha! As to be expected of a Founder. Seems like you’re tougher than I thought.

Shin: ( ...I have to let Nii-san know about this somehow...! )

Male Ghoul A: Die!!

Shin: ( I guess they’re getting lost in the moment, that’s quite the large swing. But it’s okay, I should be able to dodge...! )

*Cling* 

Shin: Ugh...!

Male Ghoul A: Uwah!!

Shin: ( Okay! He lost his balance, so now’s my chance...! ) 

ー Shin runs off

Male Ghoul A: Wait!!

ー The scene shifts to Carla’s room

*Thud* 

Shin: Nii-san...!!

Carla: Ugh...

*Rustle* 

Carla: What’s the matter, Shin...? What happened...?

Shin: The Ghouls are revolting...It’s all Kino’s doing...

ー Kino walks up them

Kino: That’s right, Mr. Founder King. I’m the one who came up with this entire plan.

Shin: ...Kino...!!

Kino: Thanks for explaining the situation on my behalf, Mr. Eyepatch. I have no more use for you.

Fufu. See you!!

*STAB*

*Splatter* 

Shin: Gufuh...!!

Carla: Shin...!!

Kino: ...Just bite the dust alreadyーー!

*STAB*

*Splatter* 

Shin: Uguh...!!

...Nii-sa...

ー Shin collapses

*Thud* 

Carla: ...

Kino: Phew~ He’s a First Blood after all. So I can’t cut corners. 

Although I’m sure even a Founder will die after being stabbed through the heart that many times, no?

*Thud* 

Kino: Aah, seems like it did the trick. I mean look, I can kick him or step on him all I want, he gives zero reaction.

Well, I guess even a Founder is done for once dead. Ahaha, serves you right!

Carla: You fiend...How dare you kill Shin...!

*Rustle* 

Kino: What’s this~? Seems like your body won’t move at all even though you want to get up? What’s wrong?

Carla: Kuh...

Kino: Well then, with the Founder King out of commission, Banmaden is as good as mine. 

Carla: Do not be ridiculous...As if this Castle will ever be yours...!

Kino: Oh dear. What are you saying? You’re going to kick the bucket soon anyway.

Carla: ...Kino...!!

Kino: Haha. I guess you can’t move after all. I guess I can just leave you be then.

Just sit back and enjoy the show, okay? It’d make a fine memory to take with you to the afterlife. Ahahaha...!

Monologue

The Vibora Clan declared war upon the Vampires,

and the war broke out.

The Vampire Clan has stormed the Vibora Castle,

as intense battles continue to be fought.

However, admist all of that,

we were informed that an internal discord had taken place at Banmaden,

which let to the Ghouls occupying the Castle,

with Kino-kun serving as their leaderーー

ー The scene shifts to the entrance hall at the Vibora Castle

Yui: Haah, haah, haah...!

( Is it true that Banmaden has been taken over? )

( Is Carla-san safe? How could this happen when Shin-kun was supposed to be there...!? )

Haah...Either way, I have to get out of here...!!

( I have to go to Banmaden, no matter whatーー ... ! )

ー The scene shifts to the forest

Yui: Where am I...?

( I’m glad I managed to use the fights to my advantage to flee the Castle but I have no idea how to make it back to Banmaden... )

Carla-san...

( If Banmaden has been attacked, then what ifーー )

...No. Now’s not the time to think about that. I have to make it back as soon as possibleーー!

*Flap flap flap*

Yui: ...?

( What’s this sound...!? )

???: Oi, there she is! Over there!

Yui: ( Eh? It’s coming from aboveーー )

???: Okay! Let’s take her to the Sakamaki Castle!

Yui: ( The Sakamaki Castle...? Then these people are Familiars from the Vampire Clan ーー )

*Thud* 

Yui: Kyaah!!

ー Yui is taken away

*Flap flap flap* 

Yui: ( I-I’m up in the air...! )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the living room of the Sakamaki Castle

Yui: Shuu-san, Reiji-san...

( Right, they said something about Shuu-san being the new heir of the family, right? )

Reiji: Long time no see, but I believe the two of us would be considered enemies under the current circumstances. 

Yui: ...

Shuu: ...I heard you were at Banmaden though.

When did you move to the Vibora Castle? And why are you a leading power in this war?

Yui: Wellーー

ー She explains everything to them

Shuu: ...I see. I guess it makes sense why you’d be used in such a way, considering the person your heart belongs to. 

Reiji: And after you left for the ally’s Castle, a rebellion took place at the other one. I see.

Yui: ( ...Right now I am an ally of the Vibora. )

( It doesn’t make sense to ask the enemy for help. ...But. )

( This is the only option I have...! )

Shuu-san, I’m begging you. Would you please take me to Banmaden...!?

Shuu: ...

Yui: I have to return to Banmaden. If not, Carla-san will...!

Reiji: Komori Yui. Do you have any idea what you are asking of us right now?

Yui: I do...I believe.

Reiji: Hah.If you are aware, then I hope you realize just how imprudent you are.

Yui: ...

( There is nothing I can say to that... )

Shuu: Would we gain anything from taking you to Banmaden?

Yui: Gain...

...You wouldn’t.

Reiji: Haah...Then what makes you think we would agree to your offer?

Yui: ( Right... )

Shuu: ...Heh.

Pfft...Haha...Ahahaha...!

Reiji: Shuu...?

Shuu: Hehe...You really are one silly girl.

Fine. I just gotta take you to Banmaden, correct?

Yui: Eh...? You don’t mind...?

Reiji: Shuu! Are you out of your mind!?

Shuu: Haha, rest assured. I know what I’m doing.

Anyway, I’ll have my Familiars escort you to Banmaden. Pass this message to Carla from me once you get back there.

Yui: ? What should Iーー

Shuu: Tell him to leave me alone, since I’d like to avoid trouble.

Yui: ( Which means they won’t fight as long as Carla-san doesn’t make the first move...!? )

Shuu-san...! Thank you so much...!!

Reiji: Shuu...

You are way nicer of a guy than a thought. Very much so.

Shuu: ...I don’t dislike weirdos. That’s all. 

Reiji: ... It all depends on how you put it. 

ー The scene shifts to the forest

Yui: ( Wait for me, Carla-san. I’m on my way...!! )

ー The scene shifts to the outside of Banmaden

Yui: ( I made it... )

( Banmaden is currently in hands of Kino-kun and his gang. )

( I have to make it to Carla-san without being spotted by them...! )

ー She runs off into the Castle

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[zahri-melitor]

New(ish) Comics:

City Boy #5: I really do love this comic. Having Cameron meet Swamp Thing was inspired (and I am enjoying how hard Greg Pak is going for 'nope we are fully recanonising Chemo nuking Bludhaven!')

Also heartbreak! Poor Cameron. He's allowed to go a little mad right now, as a treat.

I actually want to see Cameron get to spend some more time with Jack Hawksmoor in the future to investigate the overlap in their powersets.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #20: I really should read Kingdom Come. Also 'who's Booster Gold' lol. Just you wait, you two. You'll meet Michael.

Hawkgirl #4: Seriously I adore this. Vulpecula is great, it's chock full of queer women, there are actual! civilian! characters! and the payoffs coming through are so good. I really wish this was getting and extension.

Warlord #23: if DC isn't going to give these to me I am just going to read them myself.

This week in Warlord Travis Morgan has encountered what appears to be an episode of Star Trek (ta'al, enlightened peaceful race of 'absolute equality' that run around wearing skimpy robes, etc) He goes off to fight their enemies, the Orms, who are green and Neanderthal-like, accompanied only by the hottest girl from the previous scenes who is the only one brave enough to come with him (so peak Travis really).

Travis shoots a computer controlling an artificial sun with his gun, because he's forgotten that he's almost out of bullets for some reason. Perhaps he's made more off page.

Annnnnd... then Travis gets tied up! Amazing. Spectacular. I actually really love the layout of this page.

Excitingly he spends 4 whole pages tied up, because Grell is having a good week.

(The reveal is that the 'Children of Ba'al', our enlightened folk, like to sacrifice people to Ba'al and eat them. I know, this is a major surprising twist to me too)

[thirsty-4-ghouls]

What frustrates me the most about liking the fallout games and elder scrolls games (I still need to play more of them and there are CERTAINLY exceptions) is that i don’t actually know what it is exactly that i like about them. People will be like “Bethesda games suck” and I’m not going to disagree that having mammoths fall from the sky and my gun sink into the floor forever is good game mechanics, that it’s a work of art in the coding department, but i don’t know what it is that makes me love the experience of playing them. People will be like “oh, you like that thing? Try this” and what they suggest isn’t bad, but it doesn’t have the same, idk, combination of things? I just wish I knew what the exact combo was so I could look for more of those things. I can’t put my finger on it and I’m not sure I can find the same combination of those things anywhere else. I don’t really care that the fighting isn’t super dramatic every time, hitting things and blowing things up is fun by itself to me, i don’t need a work of art there. I like the characters and the way you can just go do shit, especially when you don’t have a super pressing timeline. I can build a house before stopping the end of the world in Skyrim (multiple times) and it doesn’t actually make the time more stressful. If I want to take it super seriously I can try and grind through the main plot and after that I’ll still have a bunch of stuff to do! And the things I do will affect other things, but in a certain way I can’t explain? I can’t put into words. I know that they aren’t the finest masterpieces and I’m sure that there are games with things i like about these games but done better, but do they have the combination? The one I can’t put my finger on? Probably not. I play games to have fun and there is so much fucking around I can do! There are little details in the environment, little things to npcs. There are certainly things that left me unsatisfied, but there is also a bunch of things that do? I’ll admit to not playing their newer stuff though. I’ll consider eso but my brothers have already tried some of their other new stuff and left me with some not great reviews. I kinda wish people would stop trying to recommend me games because “oh, you like that part of that game? Here is one that is so much better. You’ll see how terrible the one you’re playing is” because I’m playing the terrible one for a reason. I like it, even knowing it’s not the best, and i would love to see more games that do that thing, but if you are recommending them because they are “better works of art” or “better mechanically” are you also recommending them because they are fun? That’s why I play games. I have my limits, and I respect other people who play games for the sake of the art form alone, but sometimes terrible or just okay is fun too, sometimes with less stress, and fun can keep me occupied for hours. I’m not saying I never play a game for a story, without much of one I often do get bored. I wouldn’t play the ace attorney series if I didn’t like stories too, but i loooove sandboxes and i can’t put my finger on why i like those Bethesda sandboxes so much. It’s infuriating because I really do want to find more stuff that scratches that specific itch, but the vibes are never quite there. I don’t expect the exact same thing, but I do want to try more of that sort of thing, yet I can’t put my finger on what it is about the thing that I need to look for! Very frustrating.

I like lore and environmental storytelling and interesting npcs and sandbox games, i don’t enjoy super complicated combat because i am stupid. I like being able to pick and choose things and seeing one thing affect another but not needing to do things in a specific order. Is that all? I don’t feel like it. There is something more and I can’t put my finger on it. There are obviously games I play that do not check off every single box of mine, look at the ace attorney series! But those ones don’t really take as much of my time. Once you finish the story you just kinda, leave it for awhile. You’re done. You might go back later, but probably not right away. With the games like Skyrim and fallout I can just come back after a busy day and do random low stress tasks and activities, or I could go hard at it for a bit, either way I have fun. I don’t know how to replicate that. I also like when they add some elements like the sims. I know some people hate it, but it gives me even more shit to do, and I can have a part of the map that feels like “this is MINE!” and I can leave my stuff (and some npcs) there and feel like I’m not just shoving it wherever. Sure, you get beds when you join certain groups, but in Skyrim and fallout 4 you can have your own space. If i don’t want to go on some adventure after a long day I can just garden or something, even when it’s winter irl! (Although the gardening isn’t like irl gardening, it still feels better than nothing). I know a lot of people hate how they put certain things I listed into a game that is “supposed to be about the story, or fighting” but i like the eclectic combination of activities, and i feel like they manage to do it without the things feeling like a completely separate game. It still feels tied in, unlike some games where it feels like they just shoved it into the game on the side without any connection I guess. I’m not explaining this well and I’m sure there are people who absolutely hate the things I listed, but there are plenty of games without them, I’m trying to find more with them.

And it has to have interesting npcs, even just mildly interesting ones that you can fill in the blanks for in your boredom. I can’t stand the feeling of being in a completely empty world (with the possible exception of Pokémon go, but they have added so much stuff that it feels parallel to the real world, not completely separate and empty) although, when it comes to Pokémon go, I actually did stop playing for awhile because it felt so empty, now you can at least interact with other players a bit more (even if I’m not great at finding others to play with) and they have added more npcs. I play that game so i don’t get bored at the grocery store and can convince myself to go out and walk around sometimes, so it’s not the same. Idk what I actually really want from a game, I can’t put my finger on it.

[vestigialpersonality]

100-Question Durge Ask Game: Answered

The words weren't flowing today and my focus was too jittery to read, so I filled out Durge Ask Game 10th Edition instead. I know it's not the proper way to do things, but it was this or watching my in-laws play sportsball videogames and this was significantly more entertaining.

@daemon-in-my-head I had already finished when I sent that ask...but I was fucking mortified by what I had done and saved it in my drafts instead of posting. It took about two hours including intermittent breaks for doom scrolling. 😅

For clarity I'm referring to pre-tadpole as just Durge because he had five different names for every day of the week, whereas post-tadpole is Rune.

1) Any major physical changes? Any impairments? What are they and when did it happen?

As a whole Durge is basically a fancy flesh golem. He's not a shapeshifter like Orin, but pre-tadpole he practically lived behind the disguise-self spell. For the few people who got to see his actual face, he looks like an elf, or at least a half-elf, provided they don't too hard. Skin the color of a decaying corpse, black eyes, teeth that came from at least four different creatures. He's covered in scars in all shapes and sizes and kind of looks like he was pieced together like a cheap leather coat. Much like a tiefling, he's an obligate carnivore.

2) Post-Tadpole Durge is pretty messed up, what does past Durge think of these changes? Do they think it won't matter as they'll still be daddy's favourite assassin even with a head injury?

Pre-tadpole Durge would probably kill Rune out of ableist pity. Rune is suffering from speech aphasia, migraines, chronic pain, dissociative episodes, and damaged bones/musculature in his hands. The memory loss has also exacerbated some pre-existing conditions, like dietary restrictions not being met. Anxiety and depression have been cranked to eleven, self-worth is at rock bottom, self-control is all but gone.

3) Out of all the companions, which one would've been an easy victim for past Durge and why?

Gale, probably. Soft, friendly, easy to get in his good graces, but powerful enough that Durge wouldn't want to try to take him in an even fight. And Gale is probably the least inclined of the party to just straight up kill someone.

4) Would any companions have had any chances with past Durge? Who and why?

Astarion, full stop. They knew each other and Durge felt like Astarion would be a welcome addition to his stabby family.

5) What sort of 'real world' clothingstyle would past durge have loved? Are they the type to join a subculture like punk, goth, etc. (Aesthetically at least)?

Durge is a social chameleon, so really all of them. But given the choice he'd be wearing a three-piece suit. Rune is less picky and would probably wear whatever he could find in dark colors at goodwill. Jeans that mostly fit and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off.

6) Speaking of clothes, streetwear or formal clothes?

Durge prefers formal all the way. He wants to make an impression. Rune doesn't care as long as it is comfortable.

7) Durge is old money incarnate, but what do they think of new money? Did their view change after their homemade lobotomy or meeting a young man with a quick and easy smile?

Durge thought the concept of social climbing was fascinating and watched Gortash's evolution like an experiment. Rune has little concept of money or wealth.

8) What's their aesthetic like? Describe it to me. Or better yet, hand over the link to that Pinterest mood board we all know exists (at least in theory, go do it).

Vulture culture at its finest. Bones and shiny things.

9) Any favourite flower? Did they actually decorate things with it or was it a secret hidden pleasure? Do they maybe just like the symbolism, smell, what have you?

Durge had a garden where he grew useful flowers and plants. He liked foxgloves in particular, though there was no special reasoning behind it. Rune has no feelings one way or the other.

10) Did they ever get to enjoy receiving gifts? From whom and which one was their favourite?

Not really. Gifts always come with strings attached and those that don't aren't actually meant for him, they're meant for someone's fictionalized view of him. Even Stillmaker was mostly unwanted and only accepted, strings and all, because it was useful. He did, however, collect trinkets brought to him by crows.

11) Hot or cold foods?

Hot.

12) Do they drink? Which is their favourite liquor? In what situation would they prefer a nice glass of a little something?

They drink, but don't feel any particular way about it. Alcohol is useful for social posturing.

13) How entitled is Durge on a scale of 1 to 'gods favourite little gorebaby deserves the world (or its end)'?

Probably at the lower end of the scale. Too much internalized guilt.

14) Favourite body part? And of whom?

He likes teeth in all shapes and sizes. Hyoid bones. 

15) Can durge ride a horse? Did they sneak around the cities rules pertaining the ownership of horses?

Yes. He grew up on a farm, but he doesn't own a horse of his own. He rode on most occasions when he had to leave Baldur's Gate. Rune may or may not remember.

16) Bribing or threats, which is their preferred method? (Murder excluded)

Depends on the day, though he leans more towards bribery. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

17) Bhaal, of course, has his favourite colours, but which colour is your Durges absolute favourite? Did it change after their brain was messed with? Can they even see colours?

He prefers a relatively monochromatic colors. Grays, dark reds, midnight blues, deep plums. His favorite color is similar to hex code #2a4d6b (dark steel-blue)

18) Their love language? Did anyone ever experience it in the past? Did they survive it?

Murder. Acts of service. Gortash and Astarion are both still alive-ish at the start of the game, so it wasn't always deadly.

19) Did they ever consider leaving the gate? What for and where would they go?

He has no particular desire to leave until his work is done. It's not home, exactly, but it's easier form a stronghold when not roving the countryside like a bandit.

20) Did they maybe even leave the Gate in the past? Why or why not? What kept them there or drove them away?

He's traveled a bit. He's been to Waterdeep and Elturel at least once, though had no desire to stay.

21) Bhaal despises hope, but what does Durge think of it? Is it fun to play with? A lil bit of sadism never hurt somebody or do they despise it too?

He won't give them the hope that they'll survive, but he will give them the hope that it will be painless. Durge doesn't play with his food unless someone has particularly stoked his ire. He feels he's acting out of kindness, that whatever horrific acts he's committing are for the greater good. In his twisted little psyche he's not evil and people should be thanking him for their deaths. 

22) What's their favourite crime? Excluding murder of course, pick another one beside that.

It's relatively minor, especially in the grand scheme of Durges, but busking without a permit.

23) Did they carry money around with them or was their name enough to pay for anything they'd desire (or the explicit death threats they'd mumble)?

They carried money. It was easier to buy silence.

24) The temple has a lending library. Did Durge use it too? What was their favourite genre or did they stay far, far away from books?

Durge loved to read and had a particular fascination with the rites and histories of other gods. Rune can read if he tries really really hard, but it's extremely slow going and gives him a headache.

25) City or village? What would they choose if they were given the choice?

Durge prefers the city. Rune wants a hovel in the woods with no one around for miles.

26) Durge is well spoken and presumably well read as well. Who taught them? Did they attend an academy?

Learned a bit at home before the incident, just enough to help handle inventories and read recipes. All the rest was learned at the temple and through determination.

27) At one point or another Durge had friends. What were they like? What was Durge's position in the friend group?

Durge was a social chameleon who was a lot of things to a lot of people, but there were very, very few he considered friends. Thomas was loveable if weird and would befriend just about anyone who spoke with him. Sterling was gruff and ran his band of thieves and cutthroats with an iron fist. Lily was a kind, grandmotherly figure who knew all of the neighborhood gossip. But he could count on one hand the number of people who knew him and he kept them all carefully separate.

28) Did they ever attend a street fair or similar city festivities? Did they enjoy it? What was their favourite part?

Durge loved festivals. So many people, so many emotions. Plus it was an excuse to be a bit goofy. Rune would hate them.

29) Did they ever attend a ball or banquet? Run me through their typical evening at one of these 'parties' and tell me whether they hated or reveled in it.

Durge hated them. He hated them with a fiery, burning passion. It was always a congregation of the worst of the worst and very rarely was he allowed to let his control slip. Rune would also hate them.

30) Which of the seven deadly sins would represent them best? Also pride is banned from the list, pick a 2nd one that would fit instead (listen I know y'alls Durges)

Envy, pride barely even factors into it.

31) Gambling? Yes, no, are they good at it?

Occasionally. He isn't great, but will absolutely cheat like a motherfucker. Rune is even worse, but may have a better poker face

32) Cigarette baron lord Enver Gortash would like to know if Durge would indulge themselves in his business or if they prefer not to? Did they try before or quit already?

Social smoker. Never buys his own, but will absolutely mooch.

33) What's one unique trait that you think really sets them apart from other Durges? It may be physical, mental, a worldview or a part of their backstory.

He genuinely doesn't believe he's evil. If you take away the murder and cannibalism he'd probably be chaotic good.

34) Flowery, sweet or spicy scents? Not to say, perhaps, musky?

He's fascinated by smells and tends to equate them to emotions and abstract concepts. His favorites are sharp and angry. Teak, cedar, steel, clove, etc. 

35) Melee or ranged? Arcane? Sketchy deals in a dark ally? (Fighting style, I mean fighting styles.)

Dual wield daggers or bare hands. He likes being close. But he's also flexible. Magic? Sure. Poison? Why not. Big fuck-off axe? Great. Whatever it takes to get the job done.

36) About the author; do you love them in a 'oh my precious baby' sort of way or rather 'I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do to you' way?

I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you.

37) Do they like fish? Baldur's Gate is a port city, I'd imagine they've tried it at least.

He'll eat it, but they don't particularly care for it.

38) Also can they swim? How did they even learn it?

Yes. He lives in a port city at the mouth of a giant river. There were a few incidents that were literally sink or swim so he learned which.

39) Heat. How do they deal with it? Do they deal with it? What's their body temperature like, as in warmer, colder, perfect average? His body temperature runs unnervingly low. If given the option he'd nap on a rock in the sun like a lizard.

40) If you have any other ocs, do they exist in the same universe and did they ever meet Durge? What was it like and if they didn't, what would it be like? Would anyone survive?

Tav exists in this version of the universe. They've met. Larian made a browser-game about it. It didn't end well for either of them. They're still causing trouble for each other post-tadpole, Tav has just assumed a new name.

41) Dragons, Bhaal, Bane and Gortash love em. How about Durge? Are they somehow incorporated in their design?

Nothing particularly dragony, no. Maybe some teeth or a bone here or there. Bhaal just picked his favorite bits and pieces and slapped them together like a weird sculpture when making him.

42) What's a trait they have that you could never, ever guess from the way they look?

He really, really likes animals. Not just to eat. Rune collects animal friends like a Disney princess. Durge just had a murder of crows that he fed at the park.

43) Children, yes, no, how many, what's the best way to prepare them?

There is a lot to unpack in this one, though most is going to be answered in fic-format eventually. Want kids? No absolutely not. Full stop. He's meant to end life not create it. Have kids? None living. Like kids? Indifferent, but typically friendly toward them. Favorite Recipe? There is this apple-based glaze……… 

44) Abdirak my baby girl, what would their interactions have looked like? Did they ever meet pre tadpole? What is the gore baby thinking about the lady of pain's priest?

Still not sure if they've ever met before, but Durge would have absolutely LOVED to have an in depth discussion about religion with him. Maybe find some meditations on pain that helped with self-control.

45) Can Durge drive a carriage? Are they good at it? Would anybody survive if they were in control?

Nobody would survive. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

46) Night owl or early bird?

They sleep so little that the answer is both. But it's easier to work at night.

47) Also, open book or mysterious stranger?

Yes to both. Durge is an open book that is easy to read in the beginning, but the pages get harder to turn the further you get. The last pages are glued together. Rune wears his heart on his sleeve.

48) Pants or skirts/robes? And I mean this for every durge regardless of gender.

Given a choice, always pants. But choices aren't always available.

49) Top 3 favourite past times, cannibalism and vivisections excluded.

Music, reading, and people-watching (in the park, in the street, in their home at night while they are sleeping). Rune just seems to stare into the middle distance and snarl like a feral dog.

50) Do they do their own laundry or is it Scels job? How many shirts have been ruined by Scels hands already?

He is very possessive and doesn't like people handling his belongings, even something as trivial as laundry.

51) What do they prefer to be addressed as? Their name, title, nickname, pronouns or just as 'you'?

Another complicated answer. They prefer to not be addressed at all, but usually just nod and say "yup that's my name now". There are certain names and titles he hates less than others. If he had to choose The Inevitable would probably be his favorite. Chance and Rune are special. He actively hates Keres and denies Asphodel ever existed. Crane, Lily, Sterling, Thomas, etc are all masks he wears. He doesn't feel any particular way about them, though it makes him uneasy when certain people use them.

52) Open and honest duels, or back handed trickery? What do they prefer?

Surprise attack, roll with advantage.

53) Art gallery, opera or hunting tournament? Let's just play pretend those exist.

Art gallery.

54) Are they more of a sweet tooth, do they love it savoury or do they prefer their mouth burning from the hot spice? Perhaps they just prefer a neutral taste?

Savory. He's got dietary restrictions that prevent him from branching too far.

55) Did the gazette ever print an article about them (or their deeds), what's the headline and what did they feel about it?

Amusement. Typically it was a page-six type of article filled rumors or gossip. He's the embodiment of the black-eyed children urban legend.

56) Outdoors or stay at home kinda person?

Durge typically wants to be out with a crowd. Rune doesn't much care as long as it's quiet.

57) Did they ever hear about the great Wizard of Waterdeep, Mystra's Chosen and if they did, how? What do they think of him then vs now.

Probably, but it was discarded as currently irrelevant information.

58) Was it them who came up with the cipher or Gortash?

Gortash. Who likely also didn't come up with it and just stole it from somewhere.

59) Story behind their name? Is there any story?

Originally he was named after the flowers that were blooming where he was found. Astarion has now named him twice. Gortash named him once. He dislikes the name Gortash gave him, but can't quite explain why and has never mentioned it.

60) Their most treasured memory with Orin? Why do they treasure it? Love, spite, sibling rivalry win?

He got to teach her how to properly use blades. Taught her sword forms, how to properly clean a carcass, how to maintain her weapons, and he was proud of how quickly she took to most of it. She hated cleaning and sharpening her tools, though.

61) Dear creators, would you like for your own Durge to meet the Durge of another creator? How would that look like? Who would survive?

I can't pick. There are so many cool ones. Most would probably snap Rune in half like a twig, though. 

62) Hats. Yes, no, why? Took too long styling their hair? Everyday is bad hair day?

Preferably not, but a lot of times it can't be avoided. It's a sensory nightmare.

63) The sweet sweet smell of gore, we've all heard about it. But is it really sweet to them? Or does it just smell like metal and rot?

It smells like metal and rot. But it also smells like dinner.

64) Did they debate stealing anything else from Mephistopheles vault while already down there? If so, what item was it and what can it do? (Maks up some stuff)

There were a lot of sharp and shiny things, but it all went tits up about half way through and there was no time for detours.

65) Their sign(s)?

66) Jealousy, is it a problem, could they care any less?

Jealous? Not really. Possessive? Like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. You can borrow his things, but never forget that they are his.

67) Speaking off, did they have any partners before the whole tadpole in their brain bit? If not was there a reason?

Durgetash is already canon in this version of the universe. He was also desperately fascinated with Astarion and his siblings. 

68) Pretty much 99% of the nobility and political leaders in Baldur's Gate is corrupt. What did they think of it? Did they enjoy the infighting and maybe took advantage of it?

Absolutely took advantage to make an obscene amount of money. Though only half of the jobs paid in coin. Anything conducted on Gortash's behalf was paid in weapons.

69) Worgs or Gnolls, which species is their favourite?

Gnolls.

70) Have they ever been imprisoned? Why, by whom, how fast did they escape?

Yes. Though usually it just served as a time-out when he couldn't play nice with Gortash. Made a scene at a nice event? Time out. Killed a person Gortash was trying to make a deal with? Time out. Light stabbing over dinner? Time out. It got worse as time went on, Durge got meaner with age.

71) Would they survive in modern times? Could they adapt easily or would they be desperate to return home?

It's a coin toss as to whether Durge would blend in perfectly or be incarcerated in the first ten minutes. Alone and without medical intervention Rune would sleep in subway stations until he snapped and ate someone's face. With assistance he'd probably become a semi-functional member if society.

72) They don't exist in Faerûn, but hypothetically speaking, which TV show/series would be their absolute favourite?

Durge would really love documentaries of all shapes and sizes. Rune would like trivia-based gameshows even though he'd never have the right answers.

73) What's their usual mood/state of mind like? Happy, focused, grim, about to snap someone's neck from irritation?

Happy on the surface, constant inner guilt and turmoil.

74) Graveyards, a nice place to hang out or a crime scene to be avoided? Did post tadpole Durge ever discover a gravestone dedicated to them?

There's at least six of them. Hell, there's a statue in The Wide, though it has a face that makes his skin crawl.

75) Would they prefer a small and cute pet or a large and scary beast? Besides Gnolls and Worgs that is. Just as a vibe.

The smaller they are the more he can have. Durge really likes birds. Rune doesn't care as long as they're soft

76) Did they ever tell the other Chosen about their own plans to rid the world of all life in father's name?

Gortash knows, Kethric doesn't as far as me knows.

77) Also, did they know that the others would probably betray them? Did they perhaps even prepare for it already, or were they oddly naive enough to trust them?

He had a feeling Orin's betrayal was coming, but he had a feeling that Gortash would be more agreeable once there was nothing left to rule over.

78) Do they wear accessories (earrings count)? Which one is their favourite?

Durge loved jewelry. He typically leaned towards silver. His favorite was a pair of earrings made of Orin's baby teeth. Rune adores his Ring of Resistance to Ants and he's going to turn Timber's skull into a necklace. 

79) What languages does Durge speak? Is there any interesting story as to how they've learned them?

He knows common and abyssal. He learned Abyssal thanks to his father (in Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy, The Slayer's statblock has abyssal as a known language). He also casts speak with animals without thinking.

80) What went through your head when you crafted these little Durge doll, dear creator? Are they a self inserted of sorts or as far removed from you as possible?

He has become the projection of my traumas and insecurities, just cranked up to eleven and with an extra dose of malice.

81) What do they think of bugs and arachnids? Annoying, gross, fun little creatures? How do they treat one of these things when they see them?

Bugs are fun. He'll clean up empty cobwebs and move living spiders to more prime locations. Rune is about to become the father of four phase spiders.

82) Sleeping. Do they do that? Do they avoid it? Are they generally unable to for one reason or another?

Avoid at all costs, both pre and post tadpole. Durge would stay awake until he was hallucinating and couldn't properly hold a weapon because there was too much to do. Rune is afraid to sleep because he horrified by the things lurking in the dark corners of his mind.

83) Coffee or tea and why?

It's a rare day that he says no to a hot beverage of any kind. He prefers tea because there is so much variety.

84) Realistically speaking, would Durge be able to sit down long and still enough for a portrait or would they move within 5 minutes tops? Any reason for that?

There have been at least two portraits. He burned one. Last he knew the other was locked in a vault he couldn't access in the counting house.

85) Would your durge like you? Why or why not? Would it depend on whether it's pre or post tadpole and would it change if they knew you're the reason for what happened to them?

Durge would probably leave me alone. Rune would almost certainly kill me if no one else was around. If they knew I was the author of their discontent they would both absolutely kill me.

86) Most Durges have piercings, tattoos or both. What's the story behind them? What's the story behind the lack thereof?

Two piercings in the lobe of each ear. No tattoos, but scars everywhere. Most of the scars are a running tally of murder. The rest are accidents, surgery, Kressa's delightful vivisection and, underneath it all, are a faint patchwork like his skin is made from different scraps and pieces.

87) Durge needs to spend a day with someone and they aren't allowed to simply murder their companion. What would they do instead? How would they spend that day?

Durge would go somewhere fun, preferably with music and dancing. Rune would go for a long, silent walk in the woods.

88) How do they wear their hair? What's their preferred style? Did their hair go thru any kind of changes, whether length or texture, at any point during their story?

Durge's hair is short, black, and impeccably groomed, though the color, length, texture and style vary wildly depending on his face. Rune's hair is black, unkempt, and looks like he cut it with a dull knife and no mirror because that's exactly what he did.

89) What's the easiest way to piss them off? Interrupt them when they're focused, wake them from a nap, ignore them?

Touching. Do not touch him if you want to keep your hands. Rune is only marginally less stabby about it.

90) Old blood gets crusty, a feeling most don't particularly enjoy. How do they deal with the plethora of blood and viscera they often face?

Durge spent an inordinate amount of time and money in bathhouses under many different names and faces. It was a good place to pick up useful gossip and bathing was practically a second religion. 

91) Does Durge have a loud voice or are they always asked to repeat what they said because nobody audibly understood em?

Durge typically wasn't particularly loud, but he was well spoken and liked using five dollar words. Rune has trouble stringing two words together.

92) Nail Polish. Yes, no, what colour, do they get someone else to do it for them? Do they even take care of their nails are they crusty and each one has a different length?

No nail polish. Despite looking (mostly) like an elf he has claws closer to a tiefling. Durge took rather meticulous care of them, Rune's are shattered and broken.

94) Dried fish/meat and jerky, apparently a really hot debate, but where does Durge fall? Do they like it, do they detest it, do they have a secret stash hidden somewhere?

Jerky is fine. It's better than fish, but only just.

95) Hyperfixation. Yes, no, what topic has their mind in a chokehold and how much do they enjoy info dumping?

As I mentioned above, he's fascinated by other religions. Specifically their funerary rites.

96) What's their personality type? Talking about the '16 Personalities' test.

Not doing this one. These personality tests give me anxiety.

97) How many blankets and pillows are in their bed at any given moment? Just one set for them to catch a bit of rest or is it more akin to a fabric fortress with comfy things galore? Any teddies?

Small bed with about thirty million blankets. All mismatched, nothing particularly fancy.

98) What's their sexual/romantic orientation? Do they themselves know? Do they simply not care as they're too busy being gods favourite little flesh baby?

Gender and physical appearance play no part in their attraction to someone. Durge likes them sharp and angry and willing to not touch him goddamned ever. Rune just wants someone who doesn't flinch when he looks at them, who will maybe pat him on the head and tell him that they can see he's trying.

98) Their favourite piece of clothing? Any story behind it or is it just too darn comfortable?

Durge will never admit it, even on pain of death, but he stole a nightshirt from Gortash once. Rune really likes the tattered blanket he's turned into a cloak, mostly because it's warmish.

99) Wild card - tell us a story, fact, idea you'd like to share about Durge or their creation.

Rune only happened because of a co-op playthrough with my spouse. It was a double-Tav party but their Tav was malicious. The initial spark for the whole thing was when I was talking to Timber and they came over and just punted her into a tree. As Tav. I really, really wanted to see what it would be like if an objectively evil Tav recruited a Resist-Durge, especially if they had history together.

100) Wild card 2

Every installment of my Durgetash series is going to be based off of a song from this album because it crawled into my brain nearly 25 years ago, hid in the walls, and died before I could get it out.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week, especially Wonder Woman's relaunch under Tom King ?

Wonder Woman #1 -

Wondersisters we're fucking back! Fantastic first issue from King and Sampere. It's a very tight compressed read, King wants to make the reader feel as blindsided by how quick everything goes to hell as Diana no doubt does. Sovereign looks like the King Washington from AC3, and I love his design. Connecting him to WW through the lasso mythology is a great concept. Despite the lasso being her iconic weapon, we really don't know a lot about it. King wants to write Superman so bad he gave Wonder Woman her own bald evil genius/mastermind to fight. Seeing Sarge Steel kill an Amazon in front of her own wife and child is a hell of a way to set the stakes. Some people were upset about that, but WW has needed to increase the feeling of danger in her books for a while now, and this accomplished that. Themsyacria itself isn't in danger, but Wonder Woman's mission in Man's World is, and that's a set up that works for me.

Love how Diana casts a huge shadow despite it being a while before she actually appears on page. We see King have her do all the actions you'd expect and then King shoots them all down as ineffective. God I love that scene where she sends her sword back to Nubia because she doesn't want to be tempted, sells the hell out of her being furious. And her dressing down of Sarge Steel? Peak Wonder Woman right there.

Steve is in a potentially very interesting place. Usually he's just Diana's wholesome and supportive boyfriend, this is a chance to put the screws to him and find out what makes him tick. He swore an oath and is technically committing treason by helping Diana, which he points out, but he still helps her all the same. Now I get we don't want to focus too much on a man in a WW book, but as her most important male supporting character, I argue that Steve needs fleshing out to bring him up to the level Lois and Selina are at.

My only qualm is I wish we get a page dedicated to the reaction of the other Wondy Rogues at this new player making moves. What does Circe or Cheetah or Cale make of this? Grail is going to show up, what's her angle? Definitely could see Psycho jumping for joy. While I doubt Sovereign can actually be Wondy's arch, I do like him as this new major player who upends Wondy's status quo, and I want to see where the other Wondy Rogues fit into his plans.

Superman #6 - Quick read but at least next issue is the oversized one. Livewire remains an ass despite working at the Daily Planet and that makes me deliriously happy. Having her as the anti-Superman voice at the Planet is a great gag, hell you could even have her livestream her fights with Supes to boost the DP's sales as a way to profit from being a villain even when she loses. AI Lex insisting on calling Superman "son" remains hilarious, Clark is clearly fed up with Lex's bullshit. The Chained seems to be a powerful telekinetic, was hoping for a more creative powerset, but at least he has hair. Saw that reference to Master Jailer helping Lex build the prison that held Chained, please let that be a tease for Jailer to make his return soon.

World's Finest #19 - Meh. Far as first meetings between Superman and Batman go, this one is down near the bottom. Jax is every bit as boring as I thought he would be, and Waid just pays lip service at the end towards the idea of Batman not trusting Superman. More fuel for the speculation that Waid is taking over Action with "Aethyr" showing up. What a boring look and design, not at all the Lovecraftian god in the vein of Gerber that PKJ had been building up. If Waid is really taking Action I have zero hope he delivers a satisfying conclusion to whatever plot threads PKJ himself doesn't wrap up. Waid is simply too stuck in the Silver Age. Let's hope Kingdom Come gives this book the shot in the arm it needs.

Nightwing #106 - Without Redondo the book's paper thin nature is front and center. Still, far as continuity goes, this does use the Ric era in a good way. Taylor of all people being the one to do something interesting with that time period surprises me.

Green Lantern: War Journal #1 - My grandma has dementia and I teared up at that scene where John makes a construct of his sister for his mother who has it. Caring for relatives with dementia is just trying to keep them happy even when it breaks your heart. If PKJ is really losing Action, at least here he can continue the United Planets plot threads with Thaaros. John put that fraud GL in his place and it was badass. If the Radiant Queen can body hop, maybe the people who speculated she's an alternate version of Katma are right and the body she's been in isn't her original.

Vigil #5 - It's good! Castle is more than a little shit.

Loki #4 - Damn good mini that I can only assume is being totally ignored by Ewing given the ending has Loki seemingly embracing his status as the God of Lies again. Or is that actually setting up Ewing Loki, who is openly apologetic about how he's going to fuck over Thor if it makes for a good tale in Immortal Thor? Watters needs to get more work.

Captain America #1 - Solid character beats and interactions, but it lacks a big "hook" as it were to keep me reading. I am amused to see JMS' big return to Marvel monthlies involves someone trying to make a deal with the devil.

[zorilleerrant]

@confusedshades alright this is just a rant about terminology and I don't have sources so unfortunately I can't share anything like that. this is just something I've picked up reading product release information over decades. so here goes.

so once upon a time Batman was just a character in Detective Comics. I think the original intent was actually to have lots of interrelated stories about different detectives, because it's not like New York is only going to have one detective, but people really liked Batman, and that's the direction they ended up going in. he's still usually the main character of Detective Comics, altho for some reason they aren't really structured like mysteries anymore. but that isn't the only series.

now, when you have just a few series, and all of them star Batman, you can just call them Batman Titles. (title meaning a comic that keeps running under the same title.) and that was easy when there were tons of different heroes starring in tons of different stories, but then comics became less popular over time and people concentrated on the topics that tended to sell better.

(there's a whole history here, with cost, tone, bankruptcy, legal changes, etc. what I can tell you is that tonal shifts in comics aren't unique to comics and reflect general trends in art, which I'm neutral on. and they keep getting more expensive because they keep getting more complicated and holy shit is it a lot of work to produce a comic like way more work than you're thinking. I don't really understand all the obscenity laws and stuff that often targeted comics or the history of the distribution mechanisms, but other people do. but like essentially it's become harder for kids to get comics over time and now it's mostly adults buying comics, and adults are less adventurous about new stories than kids.)

so if instead of just, say, Batman, Batman and Robin, Detective Comics, and World's Finest, you want to also have Robin, Batgirls, Urban Legends, Birds of Prey, Batman Inc., Batman Beyond, and Wayne Family Adventures - obviously these are not the original titles I just mean that there's a lot of Batman related content now - you can't just call them Batman Titles anymore, because not all of them are about Batman, and lots of them don't include him more than, say, Superman does. and Superman is obviously not a Batman title, in the same way Action Comics isn't.

so they need a phrase that groups things together. and while these stories aren't about Batman, clearly the characters are from Batman stories, or they're in Batman stories, so stories about them fall somewhere in the family of Batman Titles, which is to say it's easy to call them Batman Family Titles, and to call the characters that star in them the Batman Family. it doesn't make a lot of sense within the story because it's meant to frame things for organization, advertising, planning out stories, determining crossovers, stuff like that. and it's pretty clear to real world people whether characters are originally from Batman stories or what.

and it's really only recently that people decided they wanted regular comics from the perspectives of villains - because of trends in narrative art on a broader scale - so the Batman Family of titles and the Batman Family of perspective characters were essentially the same and there was no reason to differentiate. now the Batman Family of titles definitely includes Joker titles, but the Batman Family of characters doesn't include the Joker character. so it becomes more confusing to talk about, except that you still want a word that groups together all the characters who are from or mostly associated with Batman and Gotham stories.

which is not how the fandom uses it. and obviously fans are having fun with it and I don't expect them to use it in the same way as something that's a category label for the medium, but it confuses me when people get very upset over someone using a definition that's closer to the category label, or honestly fighting over the definition at all. debate is fun but there's an answer that relies on nondiegetic context rather than canon context, so they're never going to match. and characters in text do refer to the Batfamily (which is esentially the hero half of Batman Family Title characters) but they don't use Batfam which is the more typical fandom tag.

definitions I've been seeing when people try to say which characters do and don't belong to the Batfam:

legally a member of Bruce Wayne's family

currently a hero in Gotham

people who work for Batman

people who have worked for/with Batman for an extended period and not just on teamups

heroes on good terms with Batman

people who wear the Bat symbol on their costumes, and also Robin for some reason

people who have worked for Batman and have never been villains

Bruce Wayne and his children only

Bruce Wayne and his children and mentees

Bruce Wayne and his children and his love interests but only his love interests that they like, and also some of the kids' love interests but only the canon ones

the group of people who have at some point been Batman, Robin, Batwoman, or Batgirl

people who have ever been a part of Batman canon

people who are currently part of Batman canon

more specific definitions from a movie, show, specific run of comics, etc. usually tied to an era or section of fandom

however, all of these groups seem to be willing to include pets almost arbitrarily. I will be testing this with Bud and Lou, and I think it would be hilarious if people accepted them when they don't accept Harley. I'm a little esoteric with it and use wildly different definitions for all the different terms. to me, Batfam means characters you want to see acting familial with Bruce (yes, this is supposed to change person to person), Batfamily means all the heroes (including gray heroes) from or mostly in Batman narratives, and Batman Family means all the characters most strongly associated with Batman media as a whole. and then of course I do sometimes use Batman Family Titles, but I usually shorten it to Bat-Titles for ease of use.

long story short you can do basically whatever you want I just want people to know it's a term that's useful for a whole different thing than what it's used for in fandom

real talk people know that "Batman Family" refers to the family of titles and not the family of characters right