#they’re just a tragic duo and I love them

[mykelneedssleep]

I know I’m going to release my COD stuff first but when I say you podcast bitches are not ready for my Wolf359 shit I mean that

I’m actually ruining my own life at this point because I’m just making myself sad over and over again but this project is literally all that’s on my mind. I sit in class and I think about it. I try to sleep and then I get up to write more. I attempt to get writing/editing done on my COD projects and I switch tabs. I can’t get anything done because suddenly I have an idea and it must be included.

[apollosmoon]

I love when people draw Grian with sharp teeth. He is spiky. He is a brat. He will talk back, and get under your skin, and blow you up, and laugh at you, and for all intents and purposes, is a great ally to have. You can make truces with him, and have him on your side, but a true ally ship with him is rare and worth so much.

It takes a certain kind of patience to peel those spiky layers away and expose the softness underneath. And Scar has that unintentional patience and charm. He is so effortlessly himself that it makes you want to be open too and bask in his warmth. He is kind, and wears his heart on his sleeve, and does flighty, fanciful acts of indulgence that make Grian giggle and role his eyes.

Grian is like a cunning attack dog, setting traps for those who mean him and his possessions harm. Fiercely protective and loyal to the core. He builds a home for them, a monument to their alliance, and a place for only them to enjoy in the quiet peace under the stars. Scar welcomes him back with a warm hug, coos and praises his lovely bird for a job well done. He gives Grian freedom to do what he likes, to venture, and find, and will always wait patiently, for he knows his birdie will come back to him.

They are both akin to dragons hoarding what they find to be precious.

Their bodies may leave that desert, but their remnants are there for decades to come, dancing a slow, musicless dance with one another in the pieces of sand where their relationship blossomed.

[arctic-bookclub]

imagine loving someone so much you’ll leave to keep them out of danger, your heart hurts but it’s to keep the danger that follows you away from them, imagine being comforted thinking the ones you love are strong and healthy, they’ll be fine just like they always have been without you, your children are protected by the one you love, someone strong and dependable, imagine going to sleep comforted by this information… imagine being so distant from the ones you love to be so unaware of just how false your false sense of comfort regarding their wellbeing is, not knowing how close to the one you love, the one you see as strong and undefeatable, is to giving up, to let himself get lost forever, and just how much pain all those you love have endured and are haunted by

imagine leaving to protect someone you love, only to unknowingly risk losing them forever to a threat you could’ve never even imagine

i’m thinking a bit too hard about qmissa and just how unaware he is of the fastly declining mental health of his family, hiding in an attempt to keep his family safe while not knowing just how desperately he is needed by them :(

[scatterbrainedart]

Desert duo is a disease and I am on my goddamn death bed

[watarfallar]

Desert Duo treats because it's a week until Christmas

Grian: I’m going to get so much done today. Scar: I’ll hold you to that. *8 hours later* Scar: So how much did you get done? Grian: One thing. Scar: Well, that’s one more than usual.

Scar: So my therapist was talking to me and she said that I really just need to break down my walls and let people in. Scar: So I’ve decided to break the fourth wall. Scar: *looks at camera* Hi there. I use humor as a coping mechanism.

Scar: Hey, are you alright with swearing? Asking for a friend. Grian: Yeah? Scar: Bitch.

Grian: *Gives a bouquet to Scar* Scar: You know I'm allergic. Grian: That's the point.

Grian: Is this mistletoe? Scar: Uh, no, no, that is basil. Grian: Too bad cause if it was mistletoe I was gonna kiss you. Scar: Yeah, no, it’s still basil.

Grian: What have I done wrong?! Scar: Everything. For your entire life.

Scar: If it’s any consolation, they got me here on a very misleading text message. Grian: Technically, you are about to be screwed in the biology room.

Scar: What is wrong with you? Grian: Many, many things… Grian: And most of them are your fucking fault.

Scar: Live fast, die young, leave behind a pretty corpse! That’s what I always say! Grian: You should say something else.

Grian: My back hurts. Scar, walking into the room: Take the spine out.

Scar: Everything will be ok. You can not stop it. Scar: Everything will be fine. You have no choice. Grian: What the fuck kind of pep talk is that? Scar: Ominous positivity.

Grian: Scar, what did you just do!? Scar: I took your advice. I stopped running from the problem and I tackled it head on. Grian: I meant try emotional honesty, not murder!!

Scar: I’ve become a bread crumb dealer to four crows at the lake. They pay me with a bit of everything. Like shiny things, fabric, or pens. But recently they paid me with a 20 dollar bill they found somewhere. So I decided to buy them some more expensive bread. They loved it. So they understand what to do. Give me money. I’ve probably racked up about 200 dollars at this point. Is it morally wrong though, I mean. They’re the ones who steal the money from others. Or perhaps they just have a big pile laying somewhere. Should I keep on doing this? Grian: You sound like the start of a Batman villain.

Scar: Detective! The man belonged to some kind of cult that worshipped a divine forest creature with antlers and that’s how he met his end. Grian: Dear God! Scar: Yeah! Exactly!

Grian: You've got to act tough, Scar! Show 'em you can't be pushed around! Show 'em they can't mess with you! Scar: Right. Yes. Tough. Got it. Scar, standing up on their stool and slamming their hands down on the bar: I'LL TAKE A CHOCOLATE MILK.

Grian: Fight me! Scar: gets on one knee and pulls out a ring Scar: Fight me for the rest of our lives.

Grian: Don’t preach to me about romance, Scar. I had a three-way in a hot-air balloon.

Scar: What’s sexting? Grian: I'm not having this conversation with you.

Grian: If I ever had a child, I imagine they would be a lot like you. Scar: Aww, thanks— Grian: Which is probably why I’ve never reproduced.

Scar: What’s your greatest weakness? Grian: Interpreting the semantics of a question, but ignoring the pragmatics. Scar: Could you give an example? Grian: Yes, I could.

Scar: Okay, but what if we went to dinner not as friends this time? Grian: AS ENEMIES?! Scar:

Scar: I desire moisture. Grian: Please just say "I want water" like a normal person.

Scar: Babe, you're so funny! Grian: We have 1492 days until your tragic premature death. You will break my trust three times before that happens, but I forgive you. Scar: Awwww, that's sweet of you!

Grian: I didn’t want to do it, no one else wanted to do it, so I made Scar do it!

Scar: You got a date yet Grian? Grian: No… Scar: Well you do now! Get your ass up and hold my hand!

Grian: Dammit, you ruin everything! Scar: You're welcome.

Scar: They called me the B-word. Grian: Motherfucker doesn’t start with ‘b’.

Scar, talking about Grian: WHAT THE FUCK I WAS ARGUING WITH HIM AND I SAID “OOH YOU WANNA KISS ME SO BAD” AND GUESS WHAT? HE DID. HE KISSED ME. WHAT THE FUCK WHAT DO I DO.

[xiuminsmygrandpa]

I’m devastated that Dead Boy Detectives for many reasons but mostly because every characters story, even the side characters is left open. If there ever was a second season this is what I’d love to see

Niko coming back as a ghost or some other supernatural being and her and Charles bonding over accepting that they are dead. Especially because in season one Charles is forced to confront both his abusive father and being beaten to death. He repressed those memories for 30 years because they were too painful for him. And Niko did the same thing with her father’s death and the mistakes she made while she was alive. Plus I’d just love to see the two of them become friends.

On the flip side I see the other focus on Crystal and Edwin also confronting their pasts. While Charles and Niko struggle with confronting their deaths Edwin needs to accept he was a living being at one point. And now that Crystal has her memories back she will have to reconnect with her past self. I’d love to see her and Edwin bonding over being from families with money and neglectful parents and fearing they deserved the punishments they received. Plus I wanna see more of them bicker like the siblings they are! Maybe we get to see more of Edwin’s family and life when he was alive because it’s basically nonexistent in season one!

Charles realizing his feelings for Edwin are more than platonic now that he knows Edwin likes him and Charles and Edwin becoming more comfortable with being closer physically. Just like Edwin had a sexuality crisis in season one I see Charles also having a sexuality crisis in season two. Luckily he has three girl friends who are all super openly queer.

Edwin going thru his hoe phase but struggling to form emotional connections with his sexual partners because he loves Charles and Charles wanting to be supportive but also being down bad for him. And Edwin potentially confiding in Charles??

Charles and Crystal trying to make a relationship work but realizing pretty quickly they’re not compatible. I do think the season ended with them being in a quasi relationship and I see it dragging out a bit longer because neither of them is ready to let go.

Edwin going to Jenny for relationship advice and her actually giving decent advice. I feel like most fanon assumes he’d go to Niko but I honestly don’t think Niko feels comfy giving relationship advice after the disaster that was Jenny’s date from Hell. I do see both of them possibly tag teaming relationship advice for Edwin. I could also see him confiding in Crystal since they’re already bonding over their shared trauma.

I also see Charles venting to literally everyone but Edwin about his feelings because he’s having a sexuality crisis and confronting his past trauma at the same time. Charles being 100000% jealous of every guy Edwin’s been with and judging whether they’re actually a good match for Edwin. He will be the bestie who’s like “I’m so happy for you” and Edwin being like “then why are you crying” “these are happy tears mate🥺😭”

Edwin and Charles finally having a conversation about the staircase and Edwin realizing Charles only said he wasn’t in love because he wanted to wait until he knew for sure. And both of them admitting they don’t feel like they’re good enough to be what the other one needs.

As for the side characters, I wanna see Jenny finally get a gf in London and become a butcher for both the living and the dead. I want tragic mic to finally become a walrus again because he’s been thru it. This probs won’t happen but Monty coming back and him and Charles bonding over their shared jealousy of Edwin and maybe hate fucking?

This is a long shot but it would be so cool to see Desire and Charles especially when Charles realizes he’s a chaotic bisexual. And Despair and Edwin because I can see them being a disastrous duo.

And lastly death finally meets the dead boy detectives!!

[ftl-faster-than-life]

Okay so. I just tried to send an ask to my drafts and had it promptly evaporate, so while I still remember the gist of your ask, anonymous friend:

You said that you think Mark Waid really likes Hal and Barry, because he has them cameo so often in his World’s Finest book and you said that you would love to see a Hal and Barry centric comic written by Mark and drawn by Dan Mora.

I think Mark Waid definitely favors Hal and Barry. I think he found their stories and their closeness and the tragedy of Barry’s untimely death and Hal’s tragic descent into a destructive spiral really compelling, and that he enjoyed them both as individual characters but especially as a duo in their pre-crisis incarnations. I think you can really see how he’s drawn to the tragedy of them in JLA: Year One and his The Brave and the Bold book, both of which contain a lot of little nods towards the fact that they’re doomed by the narrative.

I agree that it would be amazing to see a Hal and Barry centered story like his World’s Finest—with a heaping helping of Iris and Wally and Carol and Tom, please!—with Dan’s art. I really enjoy how he draws Barry and Hal, I think he does a great job with their body language and expressions. I think about this panel from The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive (2020) #8 a lot. Barry looks so effortlessly relaxed and unthreatened despite being surrounded by characters who are supposed to look physically imposing. Which makes Barry look powerful in his ease, and I absolutely love that.

And of course Mora just draws really pretty people!

I’m really sorry Tumblr ate your ask.

[tojiscrack]

on my weekly re-read of liar liar, and i was GOING TO pull an all nighter and finish it all, but i feel asleep before i could 😞😞

ANYWAYS!! i find it so funny that throughout the first chapter (and even later chapters, but not as much) its mentioned (and made very obvious) that y/n is a little devil child, that can be too much to handle, but never w megumi. like, idk how to explain it, but hes never thought shes “too much”, and lets her do what she wants, just puts his input in (like when she switched classes, he didnt feel overly annoyed by it, just told her that she was gonna get in trouble) (i might be wrong about this LMAO) youve written them in a way that they balance each other PERFECTLY, like they are genuinely soulmates.

the end scene of the first chapter is oddly one of my favourite parts of the fic, because we get other characters (albeit, minor characters, but wtv) opinions on them, and youve written them exactly like how they describe it. they keep each other in line, and thats why they work so well together.

anyways!!! i love this fanfic so sosososooos much!!! i dont understand how this isnt more popular because???? ITS SO GOOD???? literally how arent people falling in love with your writing within the first 1k words??

(also i meant to include this in a previous ask, but i forgot lol, BUT ONE OF MY FAV DUOS IN THE FIC (and in canon lfmao) is megumi and nobara?? everytime they’re together i genuinely laugh, you nailed their characters and character dynamic)

liar, liar masterlist here:

INCOMING YAP SESSION CUZ THIS ASK GOT ME SUPER DUPER EXCITED KSJSJDIWJ

WEEKLY reread? girl, stop, you’re gonna notice all the typos i cba to get rid of 🫣

HAHAHA, NO STOP, I HAVEN’T HAD ANYONE MENTION THE WHOLE ‘DEVIL CHILD’ THING SINCE THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS WERE RELEASED 😭 and that, my friend, was months ago 🌝

so i’m so excited to just talk about this omggg!!! 😫💘

yes indeed 😤 megumi would most likely say she’s sm to handle, but really, he lowkey enjoys it. it’s the only time he can be an accomplice witness to such foolish behaviour, and not be reprimanded for it as much ‘cause he just has her to fall back on and blame. he won’t ever stop her, per se, but he’ll tell her once or twice ‘whatever you’re doing, it’s not gonna work’ or ‘don’t be dumb’, and think he’s done his part before being influenced by her 💀

‘i might be wro-’ stfu you’re right and you know it 🙄❤️

and you’re also right in it not being mentioned as much when they’re older. no, i did not forget to add it, that was done intentionally for two reasons:

they’re older now, so as much as she does what she wants with him, she’s a lot more tame than she was as a child. that doesn’t mean she ever regrets the stupid things she’s done (except for the whole mermaid thing, that is a lifelong regret she’ll always have 😭)

the idea that she’s such a menace has been established enough over the years to the point where no one feels the need to voice it. new characters probably would — someone like miss b who was introduced in the middle school chapter — but even then, she was exposed to the more tame versions of the chaotic duo. so everyone kinda silently acknowledges it, and only during crazy moments (like the tragic helicopter incident of 2016, rip satoru/suguru’s will to live 😔) will it actually be voiced (like ogi mistakenly believing that y/n didn’t start any of the nonsense that occurred during the incident, and that was mentioned cuz of the fact that she’s famously known to be so incredibly out of control).

the bonus scene for the first chapter was my fav to write as wellll (tho arguably, i say that about so many scenes, so the value of this statement is probably worth nothing 💀). bonus scenes were initially meant to be ONLY from other people’s pov, but i noticed how so many things from y/n and megumi’s childhood tgth are littered around the story, and that the only way you could ever get any insight of them is through the bonus scene since the chapters are too long to add flashbacks AND bonus scenes. i could always do a separate set of oneshots for them, but i don’t have the time for that (yk this through my horrid updating schedule) 😟

but i am so glad you’re telling me what you enjoyed — and more importantly, being specific about it. it lets me put into perspective how the later chapters (tho already planned) should be set out. your feedback means the world to me, and you deserve a million set of kisses every night for them <3333

‘i love this fanfic sosososo much!!! i don’t understand how this isn’t more popular because??? IT’S SO GOOD???’

okay brb, gonna go and find my right to exist and have the perfect life when cutie pies like you grace this earth 😖💞💓💗💞

maybe one day it’ll get bigger 😊 if that day ever comes, i’ll remember my og readers. i’ll remember the support i was given from them. i’ll remember people like you, who continuously flood my inbox with enough love to pull yank me out of writer’s block and squeeze out another chapter, how because of your long and juicy asks/messages/dms, the cycle of writing i have going on here continues, and i feel more and more proud that i even developed such a fic to begin with ❤️

‘literally how aren’t people falling in love with your writing after the first 1k words’ — errr probably ‘cause the first 1k words were just y/n trying (and failing) to explain what happens in her horror stories without stuttering 💀 LMFAO, SORRY 😭 i’d fall asleep on that carpet if i were the kids surrounding her, and they went to listen willingly.

but ugh, that’s so nice of you, i’m gonna siwjosnwidjwjd

AND OMG YOU’RE SO RIGHT

like everyone talks about yuji/nobara, or yuji/megumi, bUT WHAT ABOUT MY BEANS NOBARA/MEGUMI? they have a level of deep understanding with each other in canon (and in my fic, which will be addressed CHAPTERSSSS later) that i’d love to yap about, but i’ve already yapped enough, like you’re probably cringing rn i’m sorry 😭 another time, maybe 😔

[olympeline]

Been thinking about why I found Arthur in the Dark so impressive and it made me realise something kinda significant. Something significant that I’m going to put under a read more because it revolves around a heavy subject. So I wouldn’t advise looking beyond the cut if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.

Less important, but everything below is a big spoiler and, guys seriously. If you like USUK and can handle darker fiction - no pun intended - give AitD a try. Don’t spoil yourself here. Go try it first and then come back if you’re interested. Try it if you’re neutral on USUK. Or, heck, even if USUK is a ship you dislike but isn’t an outright NOTP. I’d still recommend checking out this comic. Arthur in the Dark is still worth a read in my opinion. It’s that good. But enough gushing. Read on for the meat of this post.

Ready? Here we go: Arthur in the Dark has one of the best depictions of rape I’ve ever seen in a piece of media. “Best” as in most skillfully crafted for narrative purposes. Honestly and truly. Not even kidding. Which is kind of amazing considering it’s a depiction that came from a fan comic based on a jokey, anime gag series. Why do I feel this way? A couple of reasons:

Firstly, the rape in AitD is frighteningly, tragically realistic. Something the majority of fictional rapes are not. We tend to think of rape as taking place in a dark alley in the inner city. Stereotyping up a scene of a bottom feeder, criminal man dragging a (young, attractive) woman away to violate her. They’re usually total strangers and it’s always violent. These kind of rapes do happen, but statistics tell us they’re the minority. The majority of rapes happen like the one in AitD did: between two people who know each other well. Friends, romantic couples, even family members, make up the bulk of rapists and their victims.

Most narratives prefer the less common type of rape. Usually because the creator doesn’t want to tell a story about rape. Not really. What they want is a gut-punch to add easy drama and darkness to their creation. The sliding scale of “irredeemable bad guy” roughly goes: murderer → cold blooded torturer → rapist → child rapist. Making a villain a rapist is one of the worst things he - because 99% of the time it’s a he - can be. Conversely having a character be raped gains them instant sympathy because people are moral and empathetic creatures at heart. Most creators know this and throw in a rape for the shorthand: “Look how evil our villain is!” Which often makes the rape and its aftermath feel artificial. In no small part because the rapist characters, by virtue of being written to be the worst of the worst, don’t come off as very human. They can’t be when their main purpose is to be loathed by the audience. I could go on because there’s tons more to unpack about rape in fiction, but you get the point.

The rape in AitD isn’t like that. America and England know and love each other. Their relationship is complicated (oh boy, is it ever!) but that part of it is never in doubt. They’re each other’s most treasured person and have been for centuries. They’re not a duo made up of a flat, hate bait, villain on a collision course with their victim. Who’s doomed to suffer and be pitied until the creator decides the audience has had enough of their trauma and shuts it away so the story can move on. America and England are two people living together, going through a period of immense change and stress, trying to manage as best they can, and sometimes getting it very wrong. From a narrative point of view, this makes what happens between them so much better and so much more upsetting at the same time.

Which brings me nicely to reason number two of why this particular rape works: the build up. Like everything else in AitD, America raping England is carefully planned out and set up. The chocolate bar scene, man. Brilliant, I have to say. Alarming, uncomfortable, and brilliant. The scene in the garden is not just sprung on the reader for a jarring “Oh no! Oh shit-!” moment. If your typical under written rape is a cheap jump scare, the rape in AitD is a carefully crafted slowburn dread. Early on we start to become aware we’re building to something bad. From the foreshadowing, the art, the atmosphere, etc. We just know a storm is coming. It’s done without America acting OOC too, which is very important. It’s how he can come back from what he did. Something that would be impossible if the author didn’t handle this setup well. America’s actions aren’t right, but they are understandable. That’s the crucial distinction. The psychology of the whole thing is so very well done. America was in love with England and had been for a long time. The guilt he felt tormented him because of what their relationship was in the past. Caught between his human side and his immortal one. The guilt helped keep America in check because he didn’t want England seeing the lustful way he’d begun to look at him. Then they started living together and England was suddenly vulnerable. Vulnerable in more ways than America was aware. Which is another vital detail of how the creator keeps America sympathetic, but more on that in a moment. England willingly went blind so he wouldn’t have to see when America - the man grown from the child he raised - looked at him with lust. The guilt America felt peaked, only to clash with the realisation that he could freely indulge in his fantasies. Indulge and push (again, chocolate bar scene) now the usual moral restraint - England seeing his desire - was removed.

Meanwhile, England himself felt that same guilt but his was also laced with panic and despair. He didn’t want to lose or strain his relationship with the most important person of his centuries long life. Pulled between human standards of morality and the very inhuman existence of nation-people. Incidentally the clash between their existence as humans, while also being something more than human, is brilliantly done in AitD. It’s something that’s hard to get right - especially involving such taboo topics - but Hotama nails it. USUK usually handwaves the implications around England raising America, but here it’s made part of the narrative. Part of the tragedy, part of the resolution. Good stuff. Anyway, England begged Arthur to take his sight away so he wouldn’t have to see the way America looked at him. Then banished Arthur back into the dark in an attempt to run away from his problems. But without Arthur - without his strength - England couldn’t stand up to America when he needed to. Not that America was aware of any of this because he never knew about Arthur. Which brings me to point three: nuance of blame.

“Blame” is a very loaded word in this context, so I’ll do my best to talk about this carefully. Rape in the media is almost always black and white. Absolutely evil, irredeemable rapist. Absolutely blameless, sympathetic victim. But real life isn’t always that simple. Obviously the rapist is always the perpetrator and the one most in the wrong. I need to make that very clear. But the scene in AitD illustrates that sometimes a victim could have done more to help themselves. Not always, but sometimes. This is a delicate subject so I hope you understand I’m not trying to victim blame. Just saying that rape, like all crimes, doesn’t always deal in absolutes. Unlike media, real life is often complicated and tragic. Good people can give in to temptation. Be weak, do bad things, or allow those bad things to happen. England told America to stop, but failed to follow it up when needed. When America pushed for more and used England’s own words to argue he’d already been given consent, that was when England needed to push back. Interpretation comes in here but, personally, I think if England had told America to stop when prompted, America would have. But England didn’t and he gave in instead. Something America took as a tacit “yes.” Again, not right, but understandable in how it could happen. Their power imbalance had grown extreme, stress and feelings were running high, they were struggling to connect as they used to, England’s prior cowardice and separation from Arthur prevented him from being strong when he needed to be, America was ignorant of his problem, and it all came together in a horrible, tragic mistake. All throughout, the rape continued to be brilliantly, awfully realistic. America not noticing - either genuinely or from denial - that England was not enjoying what was happening. England quickly becoming too distracted by the pain to do anything other than focus on enduring it. Then the aftermath where America didn’t realise what he’d just done due to coming down from a post-sex, post-stress euphoria. Awful, miserable, horrifying, tragic, perfectly crafted scene.

Which brings me to my final reason why this comic impressed me in its depiction of rape: where the story goes from there. Where it goes and how the narrative builds from the rape instead of trying to move on because the “shocking” part is over and now we’re in diminishing returns. Going back to my first point, too many stories see rape as something that happens in an isolated part of the narrative. It happened, it was shocking and brutal, now it’s done and we can move on because we didn’t plan to interweve the rape with the rest of the story. So we won’t give it the weight it needs. At best the victim might get a few scenes expressing their trauma later on - maybe a callback or two - but that’s it. It’s shallow. Plenty of fictional rapes could be replaced with a savage beating and nothing would change. In the worst cases you could remove the rape, not replace it with anything, then run the story with minimal problems. Not so in AitD. There, the rape isn’t just another semi-important plot point. It’s a crucial one which couldn’t be replaced with anything else. The whole first part of the story, the engine of the narrative, is built around America and England failing to deal with their changing relationship. A relationship between a pair of humans who also happen to be strange, immortal beings that ordinary humans can’t understand. Changing from platonic/familial to romantic over hundreds of years. With romance comes lust. Lust can be perfectly healthy just like any other bodily appetite. In this case it became twisted by circumstance, and the only “suitable” narrative payoff was rape. Nothing else would have had the necessary impact.

Then there’s how the rape compares to the final sex scene in some classic narrative juxtaposition. The final sex scene which happens to be the only one in the comic that’s fully consensual on both sides. The one that goes beyond sex and becomes real, honest to goodness lovemaking. It’s a perfect contrast. The rape scene had all the trappings of a classic romance. Right down to it being their first time and taking place in a rose garden. But it’s tragic, horrifying, and deeply unsexy. Then, near the end of their story, America and Arthur get lost on their road trip and have sex in their car. Their crappy, cramped car, where they’re surrounded by ordinary luggage, both of them sweaty and a little cranky with each other after a long day. It’s awkward, ordinary, imperfect and gorgeous. If we didn’t have the rape before to show us the nadir of this relationship, the healing and the dawn that came after wouldn’t be half so meaningful. A very strange thing to say without context, but it was a perfectly done rape that gave the audience the payoff of perfectly done lovemaking. It’s no small feat to get a reader to cheer for a romantic resolution after all of the above. Kind of in awe of Hotama’s skills, I tell you what.

Up to this point and I don’t know what else there is to say other than, geez. This comic, man. Blew me away. I’m so happy I rediscovered my interest in Hetalia if for no other reason than I got to read Arthur in the Dark. I’m a bit of a bookworm in my spare time and I’ve read quite a lot of classic literature over the years. Classic literature with rape scenes not crafted half so well as AitD did. Really think about that. An amateur fan comic based on a jokey gag series about national personifications being silly with each other. Did better at something than the books we hold up as the best of the best. Can’t really say anything else than that is genuinely bloody amazing

[lockandkeyhyena]

am i allowed to say hoot and jumper/ice and snake. kinda hard to separate them their life and blood is being a duo. agony

LOVE these two guys. they’re so funny yet tragic to me. them trying to larp as cool tough guys and changing their names is just. peak pathetic behaviour i adore it. awful, awful cats, but some of my fave characters. cant believe i havent drawn them before. them doing awful horrid things just to be tough and cool but crumpling when faced with the consequences for their actions is chefs kiss

[sage-lights]

joe locke & kathryn hahn / amanda & chanse anon going off anon for tumblr user hauntinglesbian and also to send u my attempt at a moodboard cause i can't necessarily explain WHY they're so similar other than ✨️vibes✨️ but like. kathryn hahn and amanda are both Mother™️ and also the same font of woman (and kathryn hahn's detective acting is veryyyyy sarah christ), and joe and chanse are just gay boys that love women who mother. i also think i'm fond of the chanse and amanda dynamic cause i loved the koda amakiir and delores dynamic and i also love the agatha and teen dynamic.

granter, one duo is def more dysfunctional and unhealthy than the other but like- mothers that tragically lost their children and the extremely powerful little queer that readily accepts the guidance of a maternal figure. another way it pops up in my mind is joe locke is kathryn hahn's drag daughter in the way that chanse is amanda's drag daughter. YKWIM????

hopefully u all get ✨️the vibe✨️and see ✨️the vision✨️ cause omg it was so hard finding pitures of amanda and chanse together without angela also being in it.

and on a sidenote: i do think me thinking of this has largely to do w the fact that i think kathryn hahn looks like amanda but with arasha's nose. i think about amanda and kathryn hahn often.

I’M OBSESSED WITH THE FACT YOU COMPLIED PHOTOS TOO! i interestingly think that dolores is teen and koda is agatha because of the way dolores/teen gravitates to the other to fulfill a familiar role that they’re missing in their life AND that their relationship with koda/agatha helps them grow more confident in their magic abilities (which to be fair was just amanda learning from chanse too!)

@hauntinglesbian your prayers have been answered!!!

[kitty-i-swear-to-gosh]

Hi!!! Hope you're having a lovely day/night :>

Might I request a rant on Captain Mordicondor and/or anything else you wanna share about your story and ocs? :3

(No pressure!!!)

Dude I just saw this yesterday lmao my bad. Had to whip up a few references for this but YEAH LETS GO

Mordicondor Agapé is the fearless captain of the starship Arora. He’s your classic space pirate cowboy guy—quick with a quip and quicker with a laser revolver—and like all space cowboys, he’s got a tragic backstory!! ✨✨✨

Buckle up for this.

(It’s long. I’ve put away too much thought into him and he’s not even the MC.)

In younger years Mordicondor served as an admiral in the Galactic Federation of Intelligent Worlds (“The Federation”, for brevity), along with his wife Donnatoria, and his best friend Drocithar.

(This is Drocithar. He’s a Fire Giranicon. He’s cool.)

Mordi and his fleet were stationed by a contested colony planet embroiled in a war between the Federation and an Enemy Faction. However, the planet’s surface was scattered with small civilian settlements caught in the crossfire, and Donnatoria and her squad were often sent into these settlements to provide relief.

The Federation gets word that the Enemy is planning an attack on the colony’s capital city, where most of the planet’s resources and key leadership are located. At the same time, intel comes in that a remote civilian settlement is under siege by enemy forces— the one Donnatoria is stationed at. She sends a desperate message for help: they won’t hold out much longer without reinforcements.

Mordicondor asks his commander to redirect their unit to rescue the settlement, but they prioritize the capital instead, and basically leave the little village to its doom.

Obviously this doesn’t sit too well with Mordicondor, but he’s ordered to stand down and threatened with court-martial if he disobeys. He messages Donnatoria and begs her to pull out before it’s too late, but she refuses to leave innocent people even if they’re doomed, she wants to go down fighting.

So obviously Mordi’s like “Then I’m coming with you” and grabs Droc and they hatch an epic plan to rescue the settlement with a few other teammates. They steal a dropship and launch the mission, but they arrive too late. The settlement has been destroyed.

Mordicondor finds Donnatoria among the casualties and barely even has time to mourn before they’re swarmed by enemies. Chaos ensues, they’re getting massacred, then a stray laser bullet hits an oil reserve while Mordicondor is standing literally right next to it oh crap—KRABOOM EXPLOSION💥💥💥

Drocithar, being a Fire Giranicon, isn’t burned by the blast, but the sound deafens him. Despite his own injuries, he drags Mordi out of the burning wreck to safety. He cauterizes his friend’s wounds himself and keeps Mordi alive until help arrives. (Ouch) Mordicondor ends up losing a pretty significant chunk of his lungs, and Drocithar loses his hearing.

The duo are soon rescued and treated, but they get court-martialed for stealing military property and disobeying direct orders.

Word of the destroyed settlement and Mordicondor’s rogue mission begins to spread, threatening the Federation’s reputation. Publicly, the Federation spins some bull, framing Mordicondor’s actions as an example of reckless behavior that jeopardized the war effort. Privately, they want to silence him before he can expose their abandonment of civilian lives.

And at this point Mordicondor has been thrown back into civilian life after being a soldier since he was like 14, he’s stuck full of tubes sounding like a thirty-year-old hotel air conditioner, and he’s reasonably pissed at them so he does the only thing a rational Pyrek can do— buy an old freighter ship and go join the small rebellion faction gathering at the outer rim. Yeehaw.

So for the past like 20 years these two idiots have been causing problems and leaking classified information to anyone with cash. They gain a reputation as vigilantes, fighting for the people the Federation abandoned, and wreaking absolute havoc for those who ally themselves with oppressors.

They never did it on purpose, but they pick up quite a few members for their crew over the years—anyone in need of a home can find one on the Starship Arora because Captain Mordicondor is a sappy old man and can’t turn anybody away.

The first addition to their crew was a small, dirty, oddly-colored Simiak boy named Roaco. He’d stowed away on the freighter while they were loading up supplies, and Drocithar found him hiding in the vents two rotations later. The Captain soon discovers the child has been cursed with a Withering Touch that destroys any living thing he touches with his hands. The curse is slowly killing him as well, creeping up his arms and melting away his flesh. Despite the danger, Mordicondor takes him in and tries to find a cure. Roaco becomes like a son to Mordi, who officially adopted him two years later.

After that it was Beelos Barthanos, a mentally disturbed Belphie who somehow clipped out of warpspace and crashed his ship into the Arora. He woke up without a single memory of his past and started raving about hearing voices. Something about the “Child of Chaos,” and how “The Red-Blood will be our doom.” Weirdo. He was pretty handy with the engine though, so The Captain let him stay.

Then came Nyranu Buluro, a Naga girl who trained as a medic under the Federation until her family ran out of money. She originally joined the rebellion as an undercover agent so she could get close to Mordicondor and turn him in for the bounty, but she switched sides after the Arora saved her life.

Most recently, a young Goldra named Griffinart Eltidar joined their ranks after Mordi saw poachers shoot him out of the sky for his pretty wings. The Captain soon found Griffinart to be a skilled fighter, and convinced him to join the rebellion. But while Griffinart’s quiet nature allows him to sneak up on opponents, it also hides a mountain of secrets.

Now, when a Human explorer finds her way onto his ship, Mordicondor must keep her safe from the Federation’s forces that hunt her. 

ANNND THATS BASICALLY THE WHOLE THING sorry for the long ass post I just have a lot on my mind about this. I’ve had these OCs for years and have had a lot of time to make up lore.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my ramble! Love you sm 💕

[lazywriter-artist]

The tau post was just so I could post some oc stuff =w=

Everyone meet Solomon Silverworth and his child friend travel buddy tau ‘associate’ Al’vah.

They’re a pretty simple duo and I only have so much lore on them settled rn but gehehehehe I lurv them

Their story is pretty early but basically what happened is Silverworth, a member of the Ordo Xenos the irony I know, is doing his work. Taking and cleansing a Xenos ship trespassing imperial airspace and not heeding his warnings. Upon their mission however he begins to realize this ship has various civilians in it, his own moral code and tragic past catch up with him and he is starting to have a breakdown when- gasp?! One of the few tau left get into a fist fight with one of his soldiers giving Silverworth a chance to rectify this even if only a little.

So he saves Al’vah from the soldier and in that moment decides “huh….new child” bc old man is a big old baby and misses his wife and kids very very very much pls pls pls god emperor he misses them— and needs something to keep his mind off that void.

So new child acquired :3 wdym he can’t love a xenos like his own child? You get a divine smite from the gauntlet and a firm talking to.

I love them so fucking much…

[artblock-tm]

For the ask game, SINF :))))

Blorbo: Josh Newman

For those who don’t know, “SINF” is short for the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, and Josh is one of the protagonists. A lot of the story and suspension of disbelief depends heavily on his point of view, and some of the BEST foreshadowing in the series surrounds his character and the eventual plot twist with him. Kicking my feet and giggling…

(I can’t put actual pictures of the characters here, unfortunately, so I’ll just find quotes from the books of them that I really like ^^)

“I was just wishing we could go back in time, to before all this happened.” “Why?” “So I wouldn’t have to be like this… so we wouldn’t have to be different.” Josh looked into his sister’s face and tilted his head slightly. “You’d give it up?” he asked very softly. “The power, the knowledge?” “In a heartbeat,” she said immediately. (Book 2, The Magician)

Skrunkly: Billy the Kid

This might be an odd choice of characters that I find cute, but I think there’s just something charming about this adaptation of the outlaw! Especially his later dynamic with Machiavelli- they’re a fun duo, and the contrast between their characters is really great.

But instead of pulling away, Billy took a step toward the Elder, slashing out with the Macuahuitl. The razor-sharp glass whistled as it cut through the air. Kukulkan immediately sucked his tongue back in and then coughed and gagged, choking on it. The Macuahuitl had missed it by inches. “Do that again and I’ll cut it off!” Billy yelled. “I know you’ll grow a new one, but I bet it’ll hurt.” (Book 4, the Necromancer)

I am skipping the scrimblo bimblo category because it is almost the exact same as the next one.

Glup shitto: Cernunnos

It’s a shame that Cernunnos was only in book 3, but by GOD did it have the most AWESOME entrance and description ever. It was an excellent way to introduce Archons, what they were, and the effect they had on others just by being there. I love every single detail about it… from Dee slowly figuring out how it operates, to even the pronouns it’s described with changing as the reader becomes familiar with it (going from purely “it” pronouns to “he” later on.) Cernunnos my beloved I miss you every day,,,

A wave of stinking fur, claws, teeth and eyes made yellow by the lights flowed down the streets, boiling out of the houses, leaping through windows, flattening fences, pushing up through sewers. Filthy foul-smelling creatures gathered in a huge silent semicircle behind the Archon. They had the bodies of enormous grey wolves… but they all had human faces. “Turn,” Cernunnos said. Without moving its body, its head swiveled at an impossible angle to regard the silent army behind it, and then it looked back at Dee. “You are strong. You will last a year before you become part of the Wild Hunt.” (Book 3, The Sorceress)

Poor little meow meow: Gilgamesh

…listen.

This is a very different interpretation from Fate Series’ Gilgamesh. SINF’s interpretation of the character is much more pleasant, and much more blatantly tragic. The driving force of the 3rd book technically revolves around meeting with him, and conflicting ideas of him are given throughout the story before he is actually introduced- until you finally meet him. It’s an anticlimactic meeting… he’s not a kingly figure, and despite being the oldest immortal human, he’s far less impressive than any other immortal human they meet. He can barely hold his thoughts together through the jumbled overflow of memories that he holds in his mind. Everything important to him needs to be written down because he is always at risk of forgetting everything dear to him. And,,, oouuughhghhh,,,,

“The Alchemyst leaned forward, and for a moment, it looked as if he was about to put his hand on the king’s shoulder. Then he drew it back and asked gently, “What are you remembering now, Gilgamesh?” The king pressed his index finger into the page, rubbing silver tears into the paper. “The day someone cared enough to shed a tear for me.” (Book 3, The Sorceress)

Horse plinko: Scathach

I love Scathach as a character but I feel like the struggles that she was put through were a little bit inconsistent? I wish that we’d gotten to see more about her relationship with Aoife from her side- it makes sense why we didn’t get to see that, but having her focus on other aspects on her family in the final books doesn’t feel as impactful when their sister relationship had so much intrigue surrounding it in Book #4. I assume that the focus shifting to Scathach’s parents has to do with keeping up the parallels to the twins since their story shifts to having a conflict with their parents.

But I still think that Scathach should’ve gotten more of a spotlight on her emotions on Aoife. She’s too optimistic. I think I need to hit her over the head with a massive metaphorical hammer.

Then Scatty strolled out into the yard. She was twirling her nunchaku as if she were Charlie Chaplin swinging a cane. There wasn’t a hair out of place or a mark on her body, and her green eyes were bright and alert. “Oh, I’m in a much better mood now,” she announced. The twins looked past her in the corridor. Nothing and no one moved in the darkness beyond. “But there were about ten of them…,” Sophie began. Scathach shrugged. “Twelve, actually.” “Armed…,” Josh said. He glanced sidelong at his sister, then back at the Warrior. He swallowed hard. “You didn’t kill them, did you?” Wood snapped and something collapsed in the shop. “No, they’re just… sleeping.” Scatty smiled. (Book 2, The Magician)

Eeby deeby: Niccoló Machiavelli

Oh my god. I LOVE Machiavelli. Everything about his arc is executed so wonderfully- I love from the moment he’s introduced, there is a very clear distinction between him and Dee, how the two operate, and how the two act. Dee is a terrifying villain, sure, manipulative and cunning, but Machiavelli has a striking subtleness to him that contrasts his layers to Dee being a less mysterious villain. I love how even though they are both manipulators, we see what makes Machiavelli a master in how he expertly controls situations- he’s able to direct the interests of Elders themselves to get what he wants, while Dee is constantly getting into trouble thanks to his brash and rushed decisions.

I also hate him and want him to be eaten alive.

“I don’t…,” Josh began, his voice echoing distortedly in the narrow tunnel. I really don’t like small spaces.” “Neither do I,” Machiavelli added tightly. “I spent a little time in a prison, a long time ago. I’ve never forgotten it.” “Was it as bad as this?” Josh asked shakily. “Worse.” Machiavelli was walking behind Josh and leaned forward to add, “Try and stay calm. This is just a maintenance tunnel; we’ll get into the proper sewers in a few moments.” (Book 2, The Magician)

[whoblewboobear]

Hey sorry if this is weird to say n I know the tags you left on my post the other day when I was joking abt like. How all roads for Jace lead back to Porter like I know they’re old tags and I meant to reply sooner but I really liked what u had to say esp the part at the end I guess abt like. Is Jace returning to Porter even when we try to give him something new tragic or is he glad he got to experience new life with other people who also got to experience new life through essentially the act of creation. I just thought that was a beautiful sentiment. Like I joke about us being in the Zarajace trenches but I love her so much and i get she’s a minor character but it really does make me sad that she’s never seen as a character whose interiority is worth taken seriously. (I literally checked to see if i was crazy and like for example on ao3 she’s only in like 10 works and one is mine two are yours! and the others are like misc Zaraporterjace or sb content n offhand mentions.) I love her so much. Maybe this is silly but even as ‘always a duo’ can be so personal there is something to like. Imbuing a constellation of people including Zara that also get second rich life when we write abt our little blonde guy that we put in Situations :’)

Anyway keep fighting the good zarajace fight ily we’re stronger together! 💪

It's not weird at all! I got so in the weeds with my tags on your post bc Just the idea that maybe we all doomed Jace by tying him back to porter makes me sad but then there's duality to it of, hey he got agency and maybe he's happy too. They started in such a dark place because of the implications within canon but like- the power that creation holds is so special. In the show, Zara had a lot more to work with and I remember being a little scared to write her because it felt so daunting. She already had agency and personality that felt so clear. Like I look at her and I want to be truthful to the seeds that were planted with how she's portrayed. But it really is that same internal debate of did we doom her and take away some of that agency by tying her to Jace? Or is she happy?

ngl I have both you and @italicized-oh to thank for putting the ZaraJace brainworms in my head bc I- wow. Just like- I came into this a starbreaker girlie and fell ass backwards into ZaraJace best friends to QPR to Lavender Marriage pipeline and I think through that, through Jace and through creation Zara is happy. Plus I love that her paramour is still acknowledge a lot of the time. She has such a deep love for them outside of all the Jace and Porter shenanigans. Maybe when the lens isnt focused on her, she's having a full life in her own right. I like to think that she's fulfilled and she's happy. But goddamn I would love to see and maybe even write some Zara charater studies bc as a vampire loving whore, I'm in love with awe of her 😭

Thank you for such a lovely message~ and godspeed in the ZaraJace trenches bc we're gonna need it lmaooo

[s0leinis]

── .✦ 𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢 𝔩𝔦𝔲 𝔟𝔦𝔬𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔥𝔶

⟡ — is that STEVIE LIU i just saw walking around kilmer’s cove? i heard they’re a RESIDENT who’s been here for TWENTY-FOUR YEARS. it slipped my mind, since they just tend to hang out at THE CEMETARY. at face value, they’re said to be SELF-ASSURED and LOYAL, but i don’t know… some people have said they can be quite ARROGANT and ABRASIVE. just don’t get on their bad side, i guess! don’t tell them i told you this, but i’ve heard they DO NOT believe in all the ghost stories around town. who knows what the future holds for them! (sophie, she/her, gmt-8)

full name: stevie liu hometown: kilmer, ri sexuality: pansexual gender: ciswoman, she/her occupation: bartender birthday: december 12th, 1998 zodiac: sagittarius height: 5'1" languages spoken: english, mandarin traits: self-assured, loyal, arrogant, sarcastic face claim: brianne tju

── .✦ background

stevie was born the youngest child to melati and haitao liu. her parents are immigrants, who worked tirelessly to provide a stable life for her and her older brother, peter. stevie was one of those kids who was too smart for their own good. the type that would cause trouble and then shamelessly argue their way out of any consequences. though an irksome trait, it served her well through school. stevie graduated with great grades and was encouraged by her family to follow through with her dreams of law school.

around the time stevie was accepted into school, her parents grew ill. melati had developed cancer and a few months later, haitao was gravely injured in a fall. stevie's brother, peter, stayed in kilmer's cove to care for them.

however, tragedy struck halfway through her studies when peter tragically passed away in a car accident. with no other family in the states and her parents unable to work, stevie had no choice but to drop out of school and move back home to care for them. though stevie holds out hope of one day returning to her studies and becoming a lawyer, she is plagued by self-doubt and grief. these feelings often manifest as arrogance and abrasion when trying to connect with others.

── .✦ personality

stevie is sharp-tongued, equal parts intelligent and stubborn. as a child she was always testing boundaries, questioning rules, and talking her way out of trouble. she rarely accepts help from others. however, the grief of losing her brother and the shift to becoming the sole caregiver to her ailing parents has left her hardened. stevie developed a defensive edge. she can come across as arrogant and dismissive. "no one has it worse than me". still, stevie demonstrates an unwavering sense of loyalty to the people she loves, which is shown more often through actions than words.

── .✦ headcanons

makes it a point to visit her brother's grave regularly, often talking to him as if he were still there.

deeply skeptical when it comes to relationships, she often brushes off romantic advances convinced they only lead to pain and loss

loves reading fantasy books & closeted D&D player.

has a black cat named nyx

more to come !

── .✦ connections

childhood friend: just two people who lost touch, maybe enemies now because stevie changed and is kind of a jerk

unlikely duo: they shouldn't be friends but somehow they just make sense fr

older brother's friend: could potentially be an interesting connection, maybe they're friends. or maybe they hated each other but the passing of her brother brought them closer and then like we hooked up and now it's weird !

past situationships/ exes always welcome!

friendships of all kinds welcome!

coworkers welcome!

mess always welcome!