#this is one of my favorite pieces of fan art of him ever

[eustasscapitankid]

art by gggaya

everytime I see a big man letting kids climb over him, my ovaries explode

[hairmetal666]

Eddie owns a record store, gets to talk about music everyday. Life is good. Great, actually.

He's consolidating the Christian rock section on a quiet Wednesday morning when it happens. A man with swoopy dark hair, tight dark blue jeans, and a plum Member's Only jacket walks in, and doesn't take his Ray Bans off even once he's solidly inside.

Eddie is awestruck. This dude is gorgeous. Heart stopping. He watches him browse in quiet astonishment, unable to say anything until he blurts, "Can I help you find something?"

The man smiles--Eddie's heart stops--and he says, "Nah, just browsing. Your sign caught my eye."

And he's still not quite with the program, the rich honey of the man's voice taking him totally by surprise. "Ah, oh, it did?" He manages after a few long beats. "Painted it myself."

"No shit? It's great."

"Thanks, man. I also think it's some of my finest work."

The guy laughs. "How can I know unless I see some of your other pieces?"

Eddie's face heats, but he's never been known for having good impulse control. "Maybe you'll get lucky."

Spots of pink bloom on the man's cheeks and the tips of his ears. "And here I was, thinking I was getting special treatment."

Eddie cocks his head, smiles big. "Well, the day's still young." It's so risky and stupid; no way this guy is queer, but he grins at Eddie, laughs a little too.

"That right? Well, tell me your latest recommendations."

"For you?" Eddie eyes him up and down. "Wham!"

The guy's laugh is warm and rich and Eddie wants to drown in it. "Big of you to say for a someone who's only listened to Enter Sandman for the last four months."

Eddie cackles, points a be-ringed finger. "It's a good song! A great record."

"Hey, I've got no problem with Metallica. I just don't think you should be casting aspersions on Wham!."

"Casting aspersions, do you have a word of the day calendar or some shit?"

"No! It's toilet paper."

Their snickers grow until they're both hysterical, needing to lean against a display to stay upright.

It's like he's living in a dream, hitting it off with a beautiful man who just happened to stumble into his store. They catch their breath and Eddie uses the time to grab a record off a nearby shelf.

"Here," he says. "Try this."

"Joni Mitchell?"

"Don't tell me, Wham! fan, that you're too cool for Joni."

"Nah, she's my best friend's favorite. How much do I owe you?"

"On the house," Eddie shrugs.

"Shit, that's generous. Thanks, man. Now, about your art--" He glances at the shiny watch on his wrist. "Fuck, is it really 3:15? Goddamnit, I gotta get going."

And Eddie wants to call him back, doesn't want this dream encounter to end, but he's dashing to the door--

And just like that, the man is gone, the only evidence it ever happened the lingering chime of the bell over the door.

The bell clatters again, and his head wrenches up hard enough it hurts his neck.

"Was that Steve Harrington?" the customer shrieks.

"No," he scoffs. Except. Except. The hair and the clothes and sunglasses and the face and his lips--

"No!?" He feels the way his eyes have gone wide with panic. He didn't just flirt with Steve Harrington. Of course not. Not ever. He would've recognized--

He runs to the racks of magazines in front of the register, grabbing the latest issue of People. The cover features a glossy, polished photo of the man who just left the store. The one who had the highest grossing movie of the summer alongside his co-star, Julia Roberts. The one who, according to the article within, is in Chicago right now shooting a new movie. The one who Eddie flirted with. The one who flirted back.

He groans and covers his face with his hands. At least he'll never see Steve Harrington again.

---

Harrington comes back.

The second time, he's wearing a jewel blue polo and fitted slacks, Ray Bans nowhere to be seen.

"Got anymore recommendations?" Steve asks.

"What?" Eddie's still trying to accept that Harrington came back.

"I finished Joni. It was good. Recommend something else for me."

Fully with the program, he reaches to the rack behind him, handing the vinyl to Steve without ever taking his eyes off him.

"Seriously?" Steve deadpans.

"Tell me you don't deserve it after last time."

Steve studies the cover of Metallica, a complicated look on his face. "Fine, but you have to listen to the album George Michael released last year."

He mimics getting shot in the heart. "After my magnanimous first suggestion, you dare to punish me with Freedom?"

"Think of it more as an opportunity."

"To regret every decision I've ever made?"

"To expand your musical horizons."

Eddie rolls his eyes. "Fiiiine. It's a deal."

Steve beams. "Good! Ring me up."

And Eddie, he'd comp it again, but Steve gives him this look that tells him not to try it.

As they pass the magazine racks, Eddie points at one featuring Steve on the cover. "That thing you wore to the Vanity Fair party last month was hideous."

Steve snorts, then laughs. "Thanks. My stylist decided to go for something--"

"--terrible?--"

"Avant garde."

"Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?"

Steve pays, throws Eddie one last smile, "next time?"

Eddie nods, already certain this time is the last one.

---

He keeps coming back.

Eddie tries not to read into it.

Steve is straight, famously has a girlfriend. former horror movie child star turned cinema wunderkind, Nancy Wheeler. They're always on the covers of the tabloids, in ever more improbable stories about affairs and secret babies and french countryside weddings.

But he keeps coming back. And eventually, they grab dinner. And that dinner becomes lunches, movies, clubs, concerts. Eddie's in paparazzi photos, and there's no speculation about their relationship. Steve has a girlfriend.

But sometimes. Sometimes Steve will rest his hand on Eddie's nape, his lower back, let it linger. He'll trace a finger down the tattoos on Eddie's forearms or the patches of his battle vest. He'll lean too close when they talk, unafraid to press their bodies together. And he catches Steve's eyes on his mouth more than once, his pupils wide.

Over the next few weeks, Steve's gaze on Eddie's mouth gets hotter, his looks longer, and it's killing him. All he wants to do, all he ever wants to do, is close the distance between them, appease the gnawing beast of desire in his chest.

But Steve has a girlfriend.

They don't talk about her, not even when he knows all about Steve's best friend, Robin, and the gang of kids who adopted him, or Joyce and Hopper, his surrogate parents. Never Nancy.

He tries not to read into it.

---

They're supposed to meet for dinner. Steve scored reservations at a trendy new restaurant, but Eddie's late. Astronomically, horrifically late. It's pouring rain, it takes fifteen minutes to get a cab, traffic is a nightmare.

Out of patience and time, he decides to run the last few blocks to the restaurant. By the time he reaches the building, he's soaked to the bone, spluttering harsh breaths through mouthfuls of rain.

Steve is walking in the opposite direction, hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat.

"Steve?" He calls.

He turns and this is the first time Eddie's seen him angry. "You're late," Steve's eyes rake over him, and his face softens in an instant. He takes Eddie's wrist, leads him into an alley where the buildings are close enough to block some of the rain.

"What happened?"

"Traffic."

Steve's gaze go all soft and gentle, and Eddie's knees buckle a little. "You look like a drowned rat."

"Yeah, well." Eddie scoffs. "We can't all be beautiful movie stars."

"You're more beautiful than I could ever be, even soaking wet."

He shakes his head, ignoring the cascade of butterflies; Steve shouldn't say things like that. His vigorous movement sends wet strands of hair slapping him in the face.

Steve reaches out, softly brushes it back.

Eddie stops breathing.

Steve closes the distance between them.

What a thing, to be kissed by Steve Harrington. What a terrible, glorious thing.

He breaks it fast, face red, can't catch his breath. "Nancy," is all he can say.

"Nancy?"

"You have a girlfriend."

Steve's face scrunches. "She's not my girlfriend."

Eddie's mouth drops. "Yes, she is." They went to the Oscars together.

"Eddie." Steve takes a few steps back. "Eddie. I'm gay."

He laughs, an ugly honking thing. "C'mon. What could she possibly get out of that?"

Steve's eyes widen, eyebrows reaching his hairline, mouth pursed in a bitchy line. It takes Eddie a minute but, "Ohhhhh. So, it's all--?"

"It was the best way."

"But you're--?"

"I thought you clocked me immediately! Wham!???"

"That was because of the jacket!"

"Have you ever met a straight man who dresses like I do and likes George Michael??"

"That describes five dudes I see a day!"

"And you thought they were straight??"

Eddie stares into the middle distance, replaying some of those interactions, and--"Huh. Okay. I get hit on at work waaay more than I realized."

"For fuck's sake, Eddie!" He's shaking his head, but Eddie sees the way the corners of his mouth shake with suppressed laughter.

"I'm sorry! You have a very public straight relationship!"

Steve giggles, pulls Eddie close. "Is this okay?"

"So okay."

"You do like me back?"

"Are you kidding! Thought I was going insane, how much I want you."

"And now?"

"Come back to my place?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

And Eddie, he's seen Steve playing at love dozens of times, but this--right here, in a soggy, smelly alley where they're both soaking wet--it's more perfect than any movie.

[bbokicidal]

[REUPLOAD] skz + head [giving + receiving]

warnings : oral, obviously.

notes : if they prefer receiving or giving head, how they do it, etc!! a reupload from my old blog !!

chris : prefers giving

eats that pussy like it's his last fucking meal. gently, of course. but he's 100% going to be fucking his tongue into you until you're almost crying. it'll be the most blissful thing you've ever felt - and part of you prefers his mouth to his cock just because of how much passion he puts into it. of course, sex in general is great with him. he's just the type to put his full attention into making you feel good when he's got your hips pinned against the bed and his head is stuffed between your legs.

loves it when you suck his cock. his favorite place to have you do it is the studio, because he knows if he asks nicely you'll come running to him after a long day of working and you'll sit right under the desk while he works. it eases him, relaxes him some. he still may not sleep a whole lot those nights but he's feeling a lot better by the next day - especially if you wake him up with some banger head, too. (also the type to hold the back of your head and force your nose to his pelvis a few times just to feel your throat oops.)

minho : prefers receiving

he definitely likes eating you out. he's the type to like, sit up on his knees and drag your lower half up with him though, your shoulders pushed into the bed and neck cramping. the pain mixed with the pleasure from his tongue is perfect, either way. he loves seeing you unable to squirm, dark eyes staring down at you, lidded and warm with lust as you make a mess of his mouth.

he loooooves when you give him head though. give him head? let him use your head. he'll let you start off at your own pace while he sits on the couch and scrolls on his phone, one hand keeping your hair out of your face so you're comfortable. but it always, always ends with him fucking into your mouth and throat and holding your head with both hands to keep you still. he thrives off the wet noises that come from you.

changbin : prefers receiving

will absolutely wake you up by eating you out - with your explicit consent prior, of course. he adores waking up early mornings and seeing you all curled up and squirming because of a dream about him. he loves rolling you onto your back and letting you wake up to see him under the blankets, hands splayed over the soft warmth of your sides before one trails down to let his thumb brush over your clit. he's so gentle when he eats you out - he's there to worship, baby.

will melt when you give him head. will literally pool in his studio chair when you sit on the coffee table and lean in to take him in your mouth. his head'll drop back, he'll let his hands grip at the arms of the chair. he'll refuse to touch you because he knows you'll ruin him the way you want on your own. it's gold to see, truly. his ears getting all pink. ugh. he's a sucker for your mouth.

i'm also a firm believer that binnie shoots fucking ropes, so take that as you will. (will fill your throat with cum, absolutely.)

hyunjin : prefers giving

he thinks you're like the most beautiful piece of art on earth. you're so gorgeous when you're squirming and writhing on the dressing room couch, hips perched up on the arm of the sofa while he kneels nearby and buries his face in your pussy. he's weak for you, absolutely - so desperately weak. he loves hearing your sounds for him. he loves the idea of the others hearing you from the locked dressing room - he loves the idea of someone walking in and joining. yeah, he just wants them to see how he gets you whining.

not a huge fan of receiving head just because he'd much, much rather be eating you out instead. he thinks you're too pretty to be on your knees, but when you are you can bet he will absolutely be looking down at you with his hair falling over his eyes and sticking to his face. motherfucker is gonna be dripping sweat just from the way you make him feel.

jisung : prefers giving

lazy eater. not bad, by any means - just lazy. he likes to lay between your legs while the two of you are lounging watching a movie (probably HMC.) and just casually eat you out. you won't be squirming or whining or gasping for breath - you'll just be smiling, moaning here and there and combing your hand through his hair while his tongue slips over your folds just the way you like. he'll let his thumbs massage over your clit as his hands rest on your hips, breathing heavy and big eyes focused on the television. he just likes doing it so casually, but there's always a massive wet spot on the sofa after because he'll sit there for hours just doing it and letting spit drop.

another one who doesn't really like making you get on your knees for him - but the occasional blowjob won't upset him. he likes when you have him squirming in bed, holding his thighs open so he doesn't close them on your shoulders or choke you out - not that you'd complain about dying there. he's the type to get reaaaal loud and whimpery.

felix : prefers giving

messy, messy boy. i have a feeling he's the type to spit on your pussy and then lick it up or push it into you with his tongue, and he's the type to get you to squirt. he will not stop until you're making an absolute mess of your bedsheets, but he will of course take care of it all after and make sure you're comfortable immediately. he's the type to leave bruises on your hips from his rings digging in.

likes head every so often - another one, i know i know, who doesn't prefer it but doesn't mind. he's pretty casual about it, rocking his hips into your mouth and breathing hard when you take him into your throat. he likes to cum on your face, rather than in your mouth - because again, he likes the mess, and likes the image of you with his cum just painting your pink cheeks and puffy lips.

seungmin : prefers receiving

another one who just eats that pussy like it's his last meal. he prefers you giving him head instead but he's going to make this shit good, holding you down and sucking on your clit until you're actually crying. he's a bit mean in bed, slapping your ass and maybe even spanking your pussy when you get too wiggly on the bed.

is all too casual, sort of like minho. he'll sit there and just comb your hair back, let you lay on the sofa with your feet kicking while you keep him in your mouth. you're comfortable, he's comfortable - he's also taking a few short videos to send to the groupchat so the others know why he's a little late to practice. you're his main priority and he prefers being with you anyways. but yes, he's definitely got at least 30 different videos in an album of you sucking his cock in multiple locations.

jeongin : prefers giving

mo. ther. fucker. the ONLY one out of the boys to use his fingers when he eats you out - deserves to be in the hall of fame. have you seen his hands?? (guilty, oops.) he will absolutely be pushing two fingers into your cunt while he eats you out, sucking and nibbling and licking long stripes over your slit and clit until you're whining loud. he'll only eat you out in his bedroom - because he loves rubbing it in his hyung's faces that he can make you feel this way.

will only let you give him head IF you're in the car. roadhead. he figured out he reaaaaally liked it after you offered it up once when he got his license. he absolutely said yes, and at first was a bit shaky but now he's a pro at keeping a straight face. one hand'll be holding your hair back while the other grips at the wheel tight, white-knuckled and chewing on the inside of his lip as he drives. if you ask really nicely, he'll even let you do it while seungmin is in the backseat.

Taglist :  @dwaekkicidal @jabmastersurpriseee @possum-playground @thatonedarkskinnedsiren @oc3anfloor @theyadorevalerie @vanillacupcakefrosting

[jellyfishandry]

W/ a s/o who paints/draws

Characters: Toshinori Yagi (All Might), Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo

CW: gn reader, established relationships, inseurity, non-sexual nudity in Toshi's part, supportive bfs!!

Toshi

There’s a lot of art of him out there, and he’s always amazed by the talent of his fans. But when he first saw the portrait you gad drawn of him, he was blown away. Your skill was incredible, and he felt like you hadn’t just painted his face, but his soul. Any time he finds drawings of himself in your notebooks, he feels cherished.  If you ever ask if he could model for a painting or drawing, he’ll agree instantly.  Although if you ask him to pose he’ll be a little hesitant, but he’ll still agree because he trusts you.  He never felt great about his body, but seeing your art made him appreciate his body a little more.  You told him once that he’s your favorite muse. That sentence alone made his heart melt. He loves to watch you paint, the process is so interesting to him. He’ll hang as much of your art up in the house as you’re comfortable with.  Anyone who will listen will be told how amazing of an artist you are.  He’s honored to be the focus of many of your pieces, and does get a bit flustered by the attention. He’ll find out what kinds of paints and pencils you use, and will get you more when your run low.  When he’s in public as All Might, he’ll promote your art if he gets a chance. (If you sell or post your art.)

Izuku

He’s an artist himself, but he really only draws heroes and designs for his hero suit.  Though he starts drawing you as well when the two of you start dating. He’s way too embarrassed to show them to you, but were a few times you got a glimpse of them.  He knew you were an artist, but he hadn’t seen your work.  During a casual date at your house, the two of you went into your room, and he was shocked. There was an unfinished painting of Mirko on your desk.  He was amazed to say the least. The open sketchbook on your nightstand caught his eye as well.  There were a few portraits of random people sketched out on the page.  He tried to tell you how good your art was, but his amazement made him trip over his words. If you ever drew or painted him, he’d be over the moon.  His partner spending time, effort, and materials to paint him, made him red.  Any art you give him, he’ll cherish. If he feels confident, he’ll draw you, and give you the drawing.  Occasionally he’ll ask you for tips on how to improve the anatomy or hands of his drawings.  He’ll take notes of any advice you give him.  He’s honestly a little surprised when you say you love his art. He thinks you’re a much better artist than he is, but he’s incredibly grateful for the compliments.  And he does feel better when he sees that you’ve hung up his art on the walls of your room.  Maybe the two of you have a date where you draw each other. If you ask him to model for you, he’ll get a little nervous, but agee.  He’ll try his best to stay as still as possible. Every time he moves, he apologies. You tell him it’s fine, but he still feels bad.  After a few times, he starts to really enjoy it. He’ll talk about anything and everything as your paint, as it fills the silence. When you’re done, he’ll immediately move to look at the painting. He’ll start to ramble about how well you did, and the certain areas you did super well on. 

Katsuki

He’s not much of an artist when it comes to visual arts. “I’ve got better things to do.” He claims. But he is impressed by your talent.  He likes watching you work. It calms him down, even though he doesn’t know why. He believes you’re the best artist, and no one can top you. If you paint him, he’ll be both embarrassed and cocky. “Of course you’d paint me.”  Despite how confident he is, he really love the painting.  He’ll show it off to anyone. He’s very proud of your skill. “Only my face is worth their talent. You extras go find someone else to paint you.”  He’ll buy nice brushes  on occasion, and leave them in your mailbox. But he gets embarrassed when you thank him for them. He’s willing to model for you at almost any time.  He’ll complain about having to stay still for so long, but he’ll barely move until you’re done.  He tries to get you to submit to an art contest, telling you: “You’ll kick their asses!”  But if you don’t want to, he won’t push it. If you post your art online, he’ll like every single one of your posts.  He has notifications on for only your account, cause he wants to be the first one to like your posts. “I’m just showing my support..” He’ll tell you when you ask him about it.  He respects your talent, and loves how much work you put into each piece.  

|| Navigation ||

[rae2velaris]

2024 Was a Great Year for Elriels

The end of the year is approaching, and unfortunately, there's no announcement yet, but Elriels definitely have plenty to be grateful for this year.

On the contrary... (Quick rant...I'm allowed one a year)

The other side has enjoyed complaining and discrediting articles and large companies commenting on Elriel...

Why?

I suppose it's because their side of the fandom has nothing new to talk about with their ships?

All they have are:

Commissioned art pieces paid for by themselves (great for the artists and Elriels do commissioned pieces to so... touche)

Screen Rant articles. This website is a way for free lance writers to make some money. Honestly, if you want to dive into them, go ahead, but these article centralize on the writers' opinions and click bait/SEO. And no, I'm not going to hunt down these writers' information to discredit. People are allowed to have their opinions and make money however way they want. Just at least take a moment to look at the titles for Screen Rant articles vs. TIME, TODAY, and E! News. You'll see a difference going forward in this post.

Additonal unnecsssary "official" weeks/ "spontaneous" days for ships and characters due to the belief that Elriel fans ruin everything

Anyways, let's dive into this year's pro Elriel content ❤️

January 30th, 2024

TIME- Time magazine is a widely cited resource and maintains high standards of journalism. In this particular article, only Elain and Azriel are mentioned as a possibility for the next ACOTAR book.

January 30th, 2024

TODAY Show- A sit-down interview with SJM. (This particular part of the interview I condensed together on Canva because of the limited pictures we can include on Tumblr) Below, Sarah talks about fate, the idea of exploring rejecting mates, and free will. (Lucien and Elain?) She also discusses her characters ending up with someone who offers growth and joy. (Azriel and Elain?) SJM can't tell us in black and white that she's doing this, but COME ON people. There's a reason she discusses it.

Oh, and the TODAY show decided to like/comment on Elriel comments ONLY.

Side Note: If interested, take a look at this tumblr post for a lovely, thorough breakdown. ( @courtofblooming )

April 19th, 2024

Guilty As Sin Instagram Story from SJM- Sarah loves her little crumbs, and this song honestly encapulates Elriel. We unfortunately don't get confirmation from SJM, but I'll include some of the lyrics for you to judge.

This cage was once just fine

Am I allowed to cry?

I dream of cracking locks

Throwing my life to the wolves

Or the ocean rocks

Crashing into him tonight

He's a paradox

I'm seeing visions, am I bad?

Or mad? Or wise?

What if he's written 'mine' on my upper thigh

Only in my mind?

One slip and falling back into the hedge maze

Oh what a way to die

I keep recalling things we never did

Messy top lip kiss

How I long for our trysts

Without ever touching his skin

How can I be guilty as sin?

What makes it even better? Audible and Spotify commented ONLY on Elriel posts in relation to this song. You won't find these particular companies commenting on any other ships of the fandom.

Side Note: The other side of the fandom tries to discredit these influential companies by stating the person behind the account doesn't represent the whole company or just enjoy saying the companies comments aren't credible. Multi-million dollar companies are NOT going to waste their time and reputation on fanon created ships. These companies are business smart and only invest in what's profitable. There's a reason they make millions...ELRIEL is profitable due to canon evidence. Simple as that.

December 2nd, 2024

Bloomsbury and SJMaas Updates announce that the audiobooks are now available on Spotify- Bloomsbury, SJM Updates, and Spotify are in close collaboration with each other. Makes those Spotify Elriel comments even more satisfying. ❤️

December 9th, 2024

SJM 2024 Author of the Year Spotify Video- Although we got little news for the coming spring about audible books, us as a fandom had a lovely time dissecting the video. Yet again, Spotify only commented on Elriel comments.

Side Note: Take a look at these tumblr posts for an inciteful look into the significance of tea cups/Elain ( @offtorivendell ) and an excellent interpretation of the Spotify video. ( @wingedblooms )

December 13th, 2024

E News!- I know this particular article has ruffled some feathers, but it's entertaining none the less! Gotta love the nod to Azriel's wingspan. IYKYK (And yes, it's credible... it's owned by NBC Universal... the same company that owns TODAY and 33% stakes of Hulu through Comcast (Comcast owns NBC Universal, and the stakes are through NBC Universal). I only add Hulu due to the ACOTAR TV series being developed through Hulu.)

December 17th, 2024

Goodreads- This is just a little star on top of the tree, but it's great to know that ACOFAS made it into the top 10 most read overall books this year. (Interesting how ACOSF didn't make it...) Notably, ACOFAS is the bridge for future spin-offs. (Also interesting how a particular character isn't seen in ACOFAS...)

(ACOFAS pictures taken from @psychologynerd post linked below)

In Conclusion...

As an Elriel, I've truly appreciated the continuous confirmations for Azriel and Elain for the future ACOTAR 5 book in small, simple ways. Even better knowing that Spotify and Audible have outwardly commented on ONLY Elriel posts.

As the year 2024 ends, I'll treasure these little nuggets of positivity until the announcement day! I have a feeling 2025 will hold some excellent news for the fandom. Until then, have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

P.S.

If you know of anymore pro Elriel content from this year, by all means, write a comment. 🥰

[lavender-skull-garden]

You ever read s fanfic that was so divorced from canon that it wasn’t even enjoyable?

I just remembered a svsss fic where they made sy a terrible person, lbh was actually in love with sj and when sy revealed that he was a Transmigrator lbh killed him to bring back sj.

First of all sj HORRIFICALLY abused lbh

Second lbh fell in love with sqq after sy was transmigrated into him because he was kind to him

Third sy was justified in his dislike of sj because he was a fictional villain who in the original text was one dimensional and once again, horrifically abused his favorite character. There was no evidence in the text that he was anything but a monster.

My fourth point is, you should not hold your fannon of a villain character over a canon mc. It simply is the most brainless thing you could ever post.

I get It! fannon sj is cool and really fun to read about and cannon sy can be a bit of an asshole sometimes but that doesn’t mean you can create such a garbage take as this.

sj is not you UwU soft baby who has never done anything wrong and sy is not the source of all evil.

It’s also a disservice to lbh he isn’t some loser yandere with a teacher kink. He is a complex character who is loyal to his loved ones and harsh to those who wronged him.

If you want to properly enjoy these characters then you have to explore their nuances and flaws. Mxtx put so much thought and effort into these characters and you reduce them into something that can barely be recognizable.

Fanfiction is an art. Something mad by fans for fans so that we can appreciate it together. I understand that sometimes bashing a character is cathartic and can help you enjoy it but why are you consuming a piece of work if you hate every aspect that makes it so good.

I admit that I haven’t really been active in the danmei community for a long time but it still hurts to remember these kinds of things.

[cringefaecompilation]

okay since i have felt i've been really negative i am going to be positive and talk about something near and dear to my heart. fanart redesigns!

this design of braius by @phi-guy is delightful, including the mustache variant. i'm not a big fan of him as a character, but this is a great compromise with the holstein patterns on his humanoid face that previously left a few furries disappointed.

fcg is a very tough character to stylize, given the whole... aeormaton of it all and that they're so intricately designed that any attempts to move any part of their body around tend to make things they do in-game not make sense. the blades of grass emblem being revealed as bloody fingerstreaks, for one. but this design by hugo cardenas strikes a good balance between canon and fanon where you don't have to sacrifice accuracy for imagination or vice versa

imogen sadly doesn't receive a lot of redesigns in fandom and even got hate (?!) for people putting glasses on her. but for the people that do a little more than that, i would have to give my favorite design to @rokiie! it's subtle, but i love that she's musclechubby and mixed, and her curly hair and ponytail is adorable. @jadequarze also has a nice looking mog, though theirs is more angular than bulky.

ashton is another character hard to redesign... because his original design is so damned complex it feels like a downgrade to change it. so not a lot of people do and focus more on his outfit and body type. so that's why these two, by @magscherer and @ladysantos are so great! little tweaks that make him fat or simplify him are so nice

@lyadrielle has the most complex chet redesign i've ever seen. i love how in-depth it is, and even if full head of hair chet isn't canon, i still adore the fluffiness of it. also quick shout out to @colealexart giving chetney a mustache because i love it.

conversely from her girlfriend, people love to redesign laudna, if not just to pump up her creepy factor over her "bizzarely beautiful" factor. @astoriacolumnstaircase and @paragonraptors do this in a fun-scary way! i love how spindly they make her, like a praying mantis. for a more scary-scary way, @cpprcoyote's laudnas are stunningly creepy and lovely. @galacticjonah's take on her is also very cute with her billowing fabrics surrounding her like a security blanket. good stuff!

being the mixed orym truther guy, naturally i love art that makes him a man of color, and this art by @therosecleric hits the mark for how i see him in my head. i love his curls, his jaw, and his strong nose, and it's always good to give him muscles in a way that don't make him look like a tween who powerlifts. the previously mentioned @magscherer's art of him is a bit more hobbit-y but still scratches the same itch. love me a brown eyed orym. @jennydolfen also gets points for her terrific hobbit/halfling proportions

@jam-etc's critical role redesigns might not be for everyone, but i love 'em all. dorian here looks so friendly and seeing his native culture depicted so overtly in his outfit is awesome! no whitewashed dorians allowed. on the same token, here's a repeat of @therosecleric's dorian art because it also is great to see him with curly hair and a wide nose. this design by @caitmayart with dark cloudy speckles on his body is incredibly nice as well.

and of goddamn course fearne gets the most art. it's fearne! there are so many good pieces of her i could not choose one. i love ones that play up her goat-y nature, like @willowbirds, @rainbow-roll-art, and @phi-guy again. and i love fat fearnes, like these two by @marmadelin and @countslimeula. this one by @maluspumilaa is so beautiful, making her a little more fey and extremely animalistic. all fearnes is good fearnes

[freebirdsworldburritos]

The classism in the "music gear" scene is fucking atrocious. So many people will shit on other people for using affordable gear as a way to justify within themselves that dropping $3,000 on a guitar was a smart financial move.

About 3-4 years ago I joined a band and a month after I joined we went on some video podcast. Play a few songs, do an interview, something I've never done before but it seemed like it'd be fun.

I wasn't able to really get a word in during the interviews (stuttering/speech impediment/anxiety issues ran wild) but I was able to speak up whenever the host went around and asked us what our favorite instrument/gear brands were. Weird question, but alright buddy.

I've always been a fan of cheaper gear. You don't need all sorts of expensive shit to get the sound you want. So when he asked my answer was "Squier" and the dude just started laughing. Because who possibly would prefer one of the cheaper brands??? (Keep in mind this douche had a whole wall of the absolute worst looking collection of custom shop BC Rich guitars you've ever seen.)

Eventually he backed down once I started arguing with him about it, but his immediate elitist attitude really struck a cord in me because I see that shit all over the internet in music communities. "Oh you only like Squiers/Epiphones/Harley Bentons because you can't afford BIG BOY guitars like a $5,000 Gibson".

Fuck right off with that shit. Why would I pay thousands of dollars for a guitar when I can get something that works amazingly for me for just a few hundred dollars? The extra money I save by not dropping 4 figures on a guitar or amp goes towards paying my bills, feeding my kids, just trying to fucking live and exist.

At this point I've had to sell 99% of my music gear after over a decade of following the gear chase. I only have a "cheap" acoustic I bought several years ago for $350 and it's the best guitar I've ever had. I love my little busted neck Hummingbird to death.

I'm much happier now than I was when I had a huge assortment of pedals and guitars to choose from. The Gear Chase is designed to make you want to spend more and more money in an endless pursuit of finding that "perfect" piece of gear. Guitar companies, partnered youtubers, influencers, and all sorts of advertisement campaigns are purposefully trying to misguide you into thinking you NEED their product. It's marketing and capitalism at work and so many musicians fall for it every time. I fell for it for years before I got completely fed up with it.

Go out and gig with your Squier Bullet Strat and a cheap amp you found at a pawn shop, fuck anyone that gives you shit for it. Go ahead and record with whatever you have at your disposal. Put out an album that's comprised of Voice Memos you recorded on your phone with just an acoustic and your voice.

Music, like any art, is about way more than what you used to get there. It's how you express yourself that really matters. Don't listen to the elitists and marketers telling you the only way you can authentically reach your creative vision is by buying their snake oil.

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

FAVORITE FANDOM MEMORIES

I was tagged by approximately ten million people, thank you all I am queuing your posts for today through the weekend as to not completely flood the dash lmao 😂

⭐️ ATX Trip With Anne For S5 Premiere

This was soo much fun!!! I’ve wanted to go to Austin for a long time, as a lifelong Spoon fan and general music nerd this is the Mecca and I’m glad I was able to go with Anne so we could nerd out about Lone Star! We ate amazing food, got to walk all over the whole city, checked out landmarks from the show, built new headcanons like what touristy things TK, Marjan and Paul did when they first got to town in s1. And we got to see my beloved Omar Apollo 😍

⭐️ Season 4-5 Hiatus Rewatch

I made soo many new friends including ANNE, we hadn’t ever really talked before but she slid into my DMs early in the rewatch and asked if she could help and then we have basically talked every day since 🤭 And all the really amazing pals I made during the weekly group watches, my unhinged polls, just generally chatting with folks about the weekly episodes and going deeper with headcanons and stuff. This event really helped me feel accepted into the fandom and I think it did for a lot of others!

⭐️ Rabbit Holes and General Shenanigans With @carlos-in-glasses

We are the goofiest. There was the time she wrote Owen sleeping in a vest and no pants I was like…? The time I thought a dressing gown was an old Victorian nightgown… THE ALAMO …The time she thought somebody had SIX FINGERS

⭐️ Wearing @chicgeekgirl89 Down Until She Finally Let Me Be Her Friend

I remember the first time I posted a fic and getting a comment from you and being like 🤯🫨 hehehe And then when you posted Saturday Night’s Alright I was losing my shit so much I dm’ed you my live reactions. And then HARASSING the hell out of you every week for Thirsty Thursday!!! It’s so much fun!!! AND THEN YOU TRICKED ME WITH MY SECRET SANTA FIC!!!! Omg you guys she played me LIKE A FIDDLE!!! An elaborate ruse!! She pretended like she got some rando who provided a bunch of dud prompts, had me pick one and then proceeded to WRITE A FAKE FIC to throw me off her track lmaoooo

⭐️ My Silly Fandom Edits

I *think* this started out as me terrorizing @guardian-angle22. And then I randomly decided to make that first snack post before 5x01 and people really liked my weird edits so I kept doing it heheheheeeee!!! I’ve had so much fun with Ranger Baby Seal with @literateowl and @laelipoo and also just generally (affectionately) making fun of Rafa. He’s such a goober, I adore him, and I really need him to wear this hat.

⭐️ All of the Art by @whatsintheboxmh

I have been so incredibly blessed by May!! She’s made some truly beautiful art for some of my fics, some absolutely unhinged art for my fics and polls and metas. It’s always an absolute delight logging in and seeing a notification that she’s made a piece of art for some goofy ass thing I said or a silly poll I made. Here are just a few:

⭐️ All The Friends!!!!!!

Everyone who I’ve talked to, be it about fic or headcanons or discussing our interpretations of an episode or a scene, or anything!! If I’ve talked to you a few times or on a daily basis, know I cherish you!! This is my first fandom experience and I’ve really been enriched by all the different folks I’ve met and interacted with!! And I’m continuously blown away by all the talent! Watching season five live with everyone is such a serotonin boost every week!!! Also shout out to my discord girlies!! I’m so glad we randomly decided to start a discord for people who love OG but hate ****** 🤭

⭐️ When @ladytessa74 Had My Fic Bound 😭

Tessa had this beautiful copy of my fic bound and she was so sneaky and surprised me with it!! 🥰

⭐️ Writing Fic

I remember how scared I was to post my first fic!! But people were so lovely and supportive, and I’ve had such an incredible experience uncapping this creative well inside of myself that I never knew was in there!! I feel like I’ve grown sooo much since I posted that first fic in June of 2023!

ETA: THE DAY I WON THE BASEBALL SO WE COULD ALL WATCH 5x05!!!! OH MY GOD THAT NIGHT WAS THE MOST FUN I’VE EVER HAD ON HERE!!!!

Thanks for the tags: @thisbuildinghasfeelings @annoyingcloudearthquake @everlastingday @welcometololaland @she-walked-away @carlossreaders @nisbanisba @tellmegoodbye @heartstringsduet @freneticfloetry @firstprince-history-huh @carlos-in-glasses @bonheur-cafe @goldenskykaysani @chicgeekgirl89 @herefortarlos

Tagging: @messymindofmine @toomanycupsoftea @hereghostslive @just-inside-her @laelipoo @literateowl @reyesstrand @reasonandfaithinharmony @guardian-angle22 @alrightbuckaroo @basilsunrise @carlos-tk @doublel27 @fitzherbertssmolder @irispurpurea @noxsoulmate @reeeallygood @shes-an-oddbird @tailoredshirt @ladytessa74

[romchat]

The Double (Ep. 26): A place to rest your head

"Everywhere else is not comfortable, but the place you picked sure is not bad."

Can we just take a moment to gush about THIS scene?

There's so much going on here and it's equal parts delicious and beautiful. Look, the writers and director of The Double don't always get it right, but when they do? Perfection. Fangfei and the Duke might now be one of my fave OTPs ever.

I've said this before but one of my favorite elements of The Double's storytelling is its use of extended metaphor, particularly its use of theater to represent Duke Su's character. Not only does he put on a good show but he also appreciates one. And Fangfei looks like a piece of art he can't help but admire.

Look at how lovingly the camera glides over her to represent his gaze. He could stare at her for hours and never grow bored. It's sexy but also incredibly intimate, especially since there's nothing really else in the frame but their faces. Both might say they lack a home, but it seems like they've been able to carve out a space for only the two of them just fine.

(See all those window and doorway frames within frames--they’re like a cocoon, protecting them from the outside world.)

But unlike Rapist Zhou, Duke Su doesn't want to conquer and possess Fangfei like an object, and you can immediately see him repressing the rage he feels at seeing her bruises in the close-up edit that lasts a beat too long.

It ties back to their earlier conversation about her wanting to switch roles with him and be the player instead of a pawn. He doesn't balk or make fun of her desire to see the world from a more powerful vantage point and instead clarifies whether she'd like him to be her pawn as well.

The fact that he knows what she has suffered at the hands of her ex husband and Rapist Zhou but only asks about what would make her feel empowered? Telling you, the man is trauma-informed. He knows when to ask questions and when to shut up.

And this close-up shot after the camera slowly pans from her bruised wrist to her gently smiling face? This shot made my heart twinge.

That Fangfei felt comfortable enough to come to his home and even rest in his private quarters after almost being assaulted is so incredibly telling. She knows he's gazing at her bruises and she smiles at him because she trusts that he'd never do the same.

I love that his presence gives her space to heal. It's such a marked difference from when they first met in that room.

SIDE NOTE: Whenever she gets to use that fan on him, I will go freaking feral.

Give me what I want, show.

[dearweirdme]

In the interest of justice for my gayby JK, here are a few non-Tae-related reasons I personally think that JK is not only not straight, but probably gay:

• Starting out with JK's own words about himself, the "I am still me" thing. This came up for JK twice in 2019, when he mentioned it in relation to himself during that year's Festa, and when he posted an art piece featuring this phrase. Obviously the phrase is from Love Simon, a coming of age/coming out movie about a gay teenager, which is telling already, but I think it's also worth noting that around this time, JK had been going through a bit of a phase in terms of his thoughts regarding being open with himself. He talked quite a bit in 2018/2019 about feeling like he was wearing a mask when he met people, his struggles with authenticity, and his fear that specifically fans wouldn't love him anymore if they knew the real him. I think a lot of the members were struggling with similar feelings at the time, no doubt because of their rising fame, and we see that reflected in their disbandment talks and in LY: Tear, but JK seemed to struggle with it really personally, and his struggles lasted beyond the disbandment talks, still coming up quite a bit later in 2019. I think it's also worth pointing out that Love Simon isn't so much about Simon realizing his own sexuality as it is about him opening up and sharing that with other people, which also ties back into JK resonating with that message while struggling specifically with his perception by others, and how much he could or wanted to be open about himself with other people. He also talked a bit around this time about trying to find the balance between what should stay personal to himself and his private life versus what he could be more open with. All of that taken into consideration with his clear resonance with the phrase and idea behind "I am still me" gives a pretty clear indication of where those feelings were coming from, I think.

• Beyond his words about himself, I think there are a lot of small indicators that add up. JK has always been pretty obviously interested in male bodies (his comments on random strangers while traveling, on the men's bodies in that Netflix show he watched during his fried chicken live, and the Namjoon "thighs" story all come to mind as examples). A lot of his favorite/enjoyed artists over the years have been openly queer (Troye Sivan, Sam Smith, Kim Petras) and explore queer themes in their work consistently. He has a lot of soft, dainty mannerisms that he doesn't seem to make any effort to hide or stamp out (playing with and tucking his hair behind his ears, "sitting pretty" as fandom calls it lol, the skipping and his style of running when he isn't attempting to be genuinely athletic). And just to be clear on this last point, anyone can have mannerisms like that and it doesn't necessarily mean anything about their sexuality, but the fact that this is just a part of who he is, how he moves through the world, with no attempt to "masc" himself up, while at the same time not taking away from his other, more "traditionally masculine" traits, says a lot, I think. People contain multitudes, and the fact that JK embraces his is both revealing and quite beautiful imo.

• So far all of this paints a pretty clear picture, in my personal opinion, that JK is probably not straight, but the reason I think he's most likely specifically gay is less about what he does show and more about what he doesn't, because I have never seen any actual indication that this man has ever been attracted to a woman lol. He's basically the walking embodiment of that "name a woman!!!!!" meme. It still sends me that in that one interview, he couldn't come up with a single actress to just say he liked ("I know her face, but not her name. I know the movie, but not the movie's name." Sure, Jan 😭). Even when he was pretty young in the early days, when other members were focused on the women around them, JK couldn't care less, and that's stayed consistent over the years. There are times when you can see other members show subtle interest in the women around them but for JK, there's just nothing there. I'm so sorry to anyone who would like to believe otherwise, but flirting with fans on lives, fans he can't even see and doesn't have to have any kind of personal one-on-one interaction with, does not count. That's his job, and on top of that, he clearly finds it incredibly silly and unserious to do. It's goofy, and it's for fun, and it isn't a genuine expression of sexual or romantic interest (obviously).

If I brought Tae into it, we'd be here forever, but hopefully this was interesting or fun to read for people curious about where this opinion comes from lol. Justice for 🏳️‍🌈 JK loml

Hi anon!

Thank you for this 💜

[badninken]

um, first of all, good luck with the next 100 or something episodes without zoro or law, but chopper is there to provide you emergency support! 🦌

now for the ask, I'm curious about what it's like knowing a character from fic. did the characters, like law, meet your expectations, is there any part of canon story, or law's character, that surprised you? is there something you didn't expect would be canon but it ended up being canon?

That sounds like something to have on in the background while I tackle my mounting pile of art obligations...

Good questions! I barely had any expectations on the series in general so I'll focus on Law.

Law met my expectations but not in the way I expected him to, if that makes sense. The first big difference is that he's much softer than I imagined, which isn't strange considering the dark and gritty nature of the type of fanfic I tend to read. I knew he'd be good and kind deep down but I thought it would be way deeper down and covered by a much harsher surface. I'm actually surprised he wasn't played up as more of a creepy villainous figure when first introduced, considering the potential of The Surgeon of Death thing. This brief crazy-eyed look as he's about to do surgery on Luffy is pretty much as far as that went,

because that handover of hearts did not make him look intimidating at all. He's just a little guy with a yellow submarine and a fluffy fur hat and A BOX FULL OF BEATING HEARTS.

Trafalgar Law has HOPE! Big surprise. Maybe it's because he's always stuck in really awful situations when I read about him but I didn't expect him to be a character with any sort of hope for a better future. In the actual series he comes in strong with his goal to stand up against and ultimately destroy the established systems of oppressive power and he's already got plans! For all the reluctance he has when it comes to blending in with the Straw Hats, he sure seems to admire them a lot and he puts so much faith in them. The way he time and time again risks his life to make sure they can get away safe from the botched plans of Dressrosa is kind of heartbreaking to watch because I don't think they ever realize the extent of that (and he would never let them know)

HE IS POWERFUL AS FUCK!

This is one of the sexiest thing I've seen a fav character do. I never pick my favorites based on their "power level" (I don't pick them at all they just attach themselves to my mind) but I want them to be skilled and confident and able to fight. I knew he was all that, but I knew very little about his abilities and had no idea he could do THAT. What a rush to see.

Law's childhood was a mystery I was trying to crack the entire time while watching. I only had re-imagined modern AU glimpses of it + fan art to go on. I knew his parents were doctors and that he had a younger sister and that they were all dead in some tragedy that involved a disease. I was certain that he came from a snowy place considering how much of the fan art of him as a kid is set in winter environments. A piece of fan art that I really really love (please help me find the artist) has little Law reading a book with "Drum Island" on it so when the Straw Hats came to Drum Island and they started talking about doctors and stuff I was certain there would be a Law connection there. I was fooled!

And I was not prepared for the horrors of Flevance.

I still don't know how to comment on this so I won't.

I wasn't prepared for the beginning of Cora and Law's relationship either. I'm glad I accidentally read a comment somewhere mentioning that Cora hit the kids or I would have been shocked and horrified. I love that he's introduced as a villain though because he really looks good as one, and then he turns out to be the absolute best.

Finally getting to see their story unfold in the correct order felt so good even though it hurt the entire time. I knew how Cora would die but I didn't know when.

Just from fan art I couldn't be sure if Law was with Cora before going to Doflamingo or if it was the other way around. I had many theories and versions in my head of how things fit together and for a while I thought this scene might be Cora helping Law escape whatever tragedy befell his family and that Law ended up with the Donquixote pirates after.

Having a bunch of puzzle pieces of spoilers didn't help me figure out what the whole picture would look like until I saw it for myself and it was a very rewarding experience. I haven't been disappointed in anything, except that I'll always want more than I get.

Okay time to take care of those art obligations baaaiiii.....

[eggwishing]

LORD alfuckingmighty i don't think there is a single string of words i could piece 2gether to properly describe the absolute magnificence of ur art . you have such a vast understanding of art & so many of its intricacies. ur character designs are ALWAYS incredible, so so endearing & memorable. every time i see one i get incredibly excited & am strangled by the urge to make fanart because just. oh my god. you have some of the BEST color work i have ever fucking seen like it is genuinely fucking spectacular what you are able to create & look good with combinations of colors i would NOT think to place in the way you do if i were given the same palette. i feel like calling your doodles just "doodles" is like, WRONG, because every single one is something u could spend ages looking at on its own. i'd pick favorites to describe but we would be here for hours . you have the insane ability to keep your style consistent but are able to stretch it & change it for whatevers appropriate/the receive your desired result for the particular drawing and its just SO. SO. COOL. take literally all of this and add it to the fact that you can fucking ANIMATE !!! while still keeping all of these features of ur style intact and that fact is just OTHERWORLDLY to me in the best way possible . not only that but ur stories r always so very intriguing and it makes me SOO ANGRY that oc artwork & original stories dont receive the same attention as fandom work or otherwise because i swear 2 fucking god you go absolutely ABOVE and beyond in terms of creativity for ur stories & DESERVE THE RECOGNITION AAAAAAAAUUUUUUGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRORWGGGGGGGGGGGGRWGGGGGGGGGGRGGGGGGGGGRGGGGGGGGGGGGGRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG okay im done. i hav been up for almost 24 hours and saw one of ur drawings and got real emotional ihope uhave an awesome day eebrt i hope to be at least 10th place in ur list of biggest fans .

oh my god . I'm responding to this on a computer which doesn't have any of my usual images OR emojis that I would usually throw at you like. I don't know Someone who's really really REALLY good at throwing stuff. so I'll just use my words. THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!! this means the absolute world to me.. I did not expect to be blasted in the face by one million kisses when I checked my inbox, I had to sit back in my chair like WOW.... I love you .... I love youuuu...... thank you so much for the encouragement, I've been feeling not so confident And kind of afraid (leaving to study animation in college very soon) for the last few days n your words are lifting me out of the void like bingbong's rocket from inside out. not gonna lie your comments are one of the highlights of posting on Tumblr, I love reading them so much when you reblog my stuff. they're beautiful and always make me feel better when I'm feeling down... you were there from the days of homestuck dragons... you were always there for my ocs... You are a "real one." If I had a heart locket I'd print out your icon and put it in there along with all the other people I treasure ^_^ so yeah, definitely in the ranks... when I'm up on stage wearing a solid gold tuxedo (they had to wheel me in because I could not walk in the Solid Gold Tuxedo) and giving my speech to the world before I take it over my i will start by saying First of all I'd like to thank Mel Tumblr user Melissa-titanium On Tumblr for always hyping me up... could not have made it this far without him. And then I'd press the doomsday button and blow up every world leader.

I wish I could respond with something that appropriately returns the energy of what you sent me, but this is all I've got. Just know I am vibrating in my chair right now... hope you got some sleep!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[arecaceae175]

For Want Of Rest: Ch. 4

FAN JOY JULY!

Fic Summary: Five times Sky falls asleep somewhere that isn’t a bed plus one time they all do. Or, Sky struggles to manage his disabilities, then the chain has a conversation about accessibility and accommodations.

Fan Joy July! Each chapter is inspired a few amazing art pieces of Sleepy Sky <3. There are plenty more chapters and art inspirations to come :D

Chapter Summary: Sky struggles to stay awake as the chain travels. 1.3k, angst and hurt/comfort. Also Legend decided to use she/her pronouns in this one, apparently. Good for her

Art pieces:

Sky snoozing by @narsh-poptarts Sky and Wars napping by @sraksha

My favorite thing about narsh-poptarts's art is how much the pose mimics the one in the game. Even later in life, blorbo is still the same eepy blorbo. I also think the pose is cool and it looks hard to draw!

Sraksha's art is always amazing. It's such a distinct, soft style that is perfect for two blorbos napping. I love how Warriors is smiling in the second panel. He is very proud of himself for helping his brother be comfy <3

Chapter warnings: could be read as dissociation, but is intended to be blorbo being soooo fucking tired. Also Sky continues to be an unreliable narrator with low self esteem and internalized ableism (directed towards himself, not others)

“You good, Sky?”

Sky held back a sigh and forced a small smile instead. Ever since they found him passed out beneath the tree, one of the other heroes was never far from Sky. He was glad he was used to living in close quarters on Skyloft and used to Groose’s anxious clinginess; some of the others surely would’ve snapped by now. Every time he felt frustration bubbling at his family’s overbearing concern, he had to remind himself that he was thankful they cared so much.

Legend was watching him with thinly veiled concern. Against his will, Sky’s eyes darted to the braces on Legend’s knees and the compression gloves on her hands. Sky felt the burn of shame. He could ignore the ache in his joints and the fatigue dragging him down. He didn’t want to be the one to slow down the group. 

“I can keep going,” Sky said. 

“Not what I asked.”

Sky felt the tips of his ears go pink. “I’m okay. Are you? Do you need a break?”

“If I need a break, I’ll ask for one,” Legend said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at Sky. 

Sky shrugged and turned away. A break would be nice, but he didn’t need one. The pain wasn’t unbearable yet, and he was still moving. As long as he wasn’t assigned to a watch shift tonight, and they made it to a place to stop early in the day tomorrow, it would be fine. He could handle it.

Legend’s stare weighed on Sky’s shoulder for another moment, before Sky heard her huff and stomp away. Disappointment twinged in Sky’s chest, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. His gaze went back to his feet and he tried to let himself zone out, just barely watching for hazards he could trip on. It was easier than focusing on the pain in his hips or knees or back or feet or head or the one weird, sharp twinge in his ankle— that was new, what was that about?

It must have worked, because next thing he knew, Four’s stopped feet appeared in his view. Sky barely scrambled to a stop before he ran into Four, and he still had to put a hand on Four’s shoulder to steady himself. He muttered an apology as he took a step back. Four smiled and waved it away. 

Sky glanced around. They were still in the woods— which did not make Sky want to cry, not at all. The path ahead was split into three forks. Wild, Time, and Twilight were crowded around a broken signpost trying to make sense of the directions. 

Pain slammed into him with full force. His legs were shaking minutely. Sky felt himself sway, and he desperately looked around for the nearest tree to discreetly lean against. Things always felt worse just standing. If they were going to be here for more than a few more seconds, Sky really needed to find a spot to rest. 

“Hey,” Legend said quietly. 

Sky looked at her in surprise. She inclined her head towards Sky’s left and raised her eyebrows. Sky followed her gaze and saw a tree stump partially hidden from Sky’s view. Sky felt himself sag with relief and immediately went for the stump. He collapsed on top of it with less grace than he would like to admit. Against his will, his eyes slid shut immediately. He crossed his arms and clenched his fists into the fabric of his sleeves as he breathed through the wave of pain in his hips and back with the new pressure. 

The voices of the others faded into background noise as Sky began slipping into a light doze. Sky could still hear the words, but he didn’t put much effort into processing them. Someone would get him when they needed to move again. 

A voice rose louder than the others. “Um, guys?” 

Sky startled, ever so slightly. Sky knew he should probably open his eyes to see what the problem was, but he couldn’t muster the energy. There was a span of silence.

“Is this a safe place to make camp?” 

“Fresh monster tracks.”

Another pause. The voices faded into a buzz. 

“Sky.”

Sky jolted, then winced as his back twinged. He rubbed his dry eyes. “Hm?”

Hyrule smiled apologetically and held out a hand. “We’re moving on.” 

“Oh. Okay.” Sky stifled a yawn as he took Hyrule’s offered hand and let the traveler pull him to his feet. “Thanks.”

Hyrule’s smile widened. “‘Course.”

As they started to walk again, Sky tried to focus on anything besides his body. He looked around the path and noticed a hero was missing.

“Where’s Twilight?” Sky asked. 

“Scouting ahead,” Hyrule said. His ears twitched, and wasn’t looking at Sky. If Sky had any energy, he would’ve pressed. His thoughts were too heavy for that, so Sky just hummed a reply. 

An amount of time passed. Sky didn’t know how much. Staying upright and putting one foot in front of the other was taking all his concentration. An amount of time passed, and then Twilight was jogging down the path towards them. 

“There’s a cave close. A few monsters outside, but it don’t look too deep. We can clear it,” Twilight said. 

Sky frowned. His accent was thicker than usual. That usually meant he was tired, hurt, or stressed. 

“It’s a tight fit, though,” Twilight continued. 

“We’ll split up,” Time said. “Legend?”

Legend shook his head. “I’d rather keep moving.”

“I can stay,” Warriors said.

“Um.” Sky cleared his throat. His ears pinned themselves to his head as Sky grabbed his sailcloth to fiddle with it. “I don’t think I would be the most helpful right now.”

Warriors, with clear movements in Sky’s line of sight, patted Sky’s shoulder. “We’ll stay back.”

“I’ll stay, too. I’ve got a bit of a headache,” Four said, tapping his temple lightly with one finger. 

“Come on, then. It’s close,” Twilight said. 

“Stay safe,” Warriors called as the group left. 

Sky’s eyes burned, both with forming tears and the dryness of exhaustion. He hated feeling like he let the others down. He hated being too slow. 

Sky stepped far enough to be off the path and collapsed in a heap against a rock. He curled his sailcloth around himself and let his eyes slide shut, then let his head fall against the rock. His entire body throbbed. 

“Do you need anything for the headache?” Warriors asked. 

“No, it’s not bad. More pressure than pain, really. I’ll stand watch if you want to…” Four trailed off.

Sky’s neck protested the angle with sharp pains. He huffed a watery breath of frustration and dragged an arm up to rest between his head and the rock. 

Leaves crunched as footsteps approached. 

“Sky?” Warriors asked softly. His voice was closer than Sky expected. He dragged his eyes open and saw Warriors kneeling beside him. 

“Hm?”

“Do you want to lean on me? It’ll be more comfortable than the rock.”

Sky briefly considered protesting, but exhaustion and pain won over. He nodded wordlessly and pushed himself off the rock just a bit. Warriors smiled and settled against the rock just behind Sky with his head pillowed on his hands.

“Touch is okay?” Sky had to check.

Warriors smiled and nodded. “I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Here.”

Warriors gently guided Sky to lean back against his side. With the way he had his arms up, Sky’s head fit securely on his shoulder. Sky scooted until his back was fully supported and extended his sharply aching knee. He wanted to thank Warriors, but he couldn’t find the energy to open his mouth. 

Sky’s eyes slid shut as the aching in his body settled. He’d be sure to thank Warriors tomorrow.

Endnotes: By the way, in case any of the implied stuff wasn’t clear: when Legend left Sky, she went up to Time and Wild and said “Birdbrain needs a break. Don’t make it obvious.” And then when Sky’s on the stump, they’re trying to figure out if they can stop and rest because Sky is clearly having a horrible time. Wolfie is sent to scout for the nearest place to rest, even though they won’t make it to wherever they were going. And they split up on purpose so Sky doesn’t have to fight. There is plenty of room at the cave. Sky doesn’t know any of that though. Blorbos :)

[papabigtoes]

How are you feeling about knubbs

I thought he was FANTASTIC in this movie (you gave me an excuse to draw him from it) !

(very in depth response below)

I love his character and how he acts. The facials of him sassily kicking the breakfast table killed me in a watchparty I had with my friends

And yes, all three of us went “NOOOOO!” when he was engulfed by the explosions.

I will say, as much as I tried to avoid spoilers, his death was spoiled for me in my inbox once the leaks circled around last week. It wasn’t it being spoiled that made me groan - it was the fact they were typed as if the annoying orange grew fingers and wanted to be EXTRA quirky. I am embarassed for the anon because all it made me feel was the same way I feel when I stumble upon a millenial making videos with their dog where they speak in this pseudo-european accent all squeaky. If you ever wanna make me clench my toes in disgust, just send me clips of dogs with bad forced accents all chipmunked. that one audio that goes “IF MONDAYE WAS A VEGGIETABLE, IT WOULD BE A ZZUCHEYENEYE, BECAUSE ITS ZUCHS!” oughhh i will be white knuckling my phone like murderface on twitter when he shits bro

THEN, I saw people on instagram and one had Dick’s face as it was melting from Nathan’s trip. When I saw that image before the movie, I believed either A.) When MF got exorcised Salacia jumped into the closest body and because he wasn’t a demi-god, his body began to legit melt, OR B.) it tied into the fact Crozier hired Knubbler to get info on the band since S1E2. And he was revealing that he wasn’t actually as good-intentioned as the band thought.

The fact he continued to be a wholesome wine aunt and hippie stoner uncle hyrbid to the boys, AND THE FACT CROZIER HAD AN ARC (in my au I have him be like a grumpy grandpa to the boys, and a dad figure to MF so the fuel this film gave me for fan art? BOUNTIFUL) god it was truly a feast

I think I would be more sad if they decided to have the route be that Knubbler was terrified to die. If he was pounding on that shield in a panic, oh that would hurt! He looked so accepting of it, looking at the band with confidence that they’d indeed save the world, was a pretty damn awesome way to go. He went out like a true gear - he feared not his mortality.

I will say, his passing wont cause me to cease drawin’ him and William! I’ll draw him like he died but he got better so he’s ok.

have a lot of dickface stuff I want to include into my fan piece au, and he’ll still be a favorite to draw when it comes to it. Lmk if you want me to draw any knubbler angst with mf and whatnot, because I’ll probably continue with my favorite route with drawing him - the Cheese Route™️.

What do you feel about it, anon? You don’t have to answer back, but I do enjoy Talkin’ Klok and would love to hear your thoughts too!

[discotenny]

I saw this yumejo tweet once that just made me go oh.

the idea of you being your f/o's comfort character....

like imagine. you are just a fictional character they happened to find and took comfort in.. you make them imagine a better, cozier life where they feel loved.. ramuda secretly takes little photos with an acryl stand of you at the cafes he tours or sasara keeps your keychain in his pocket for good luck and gives it a kiss before his shows, uhhhh toki always watches your show to power up before beating someone up- LMAO idk but rightttt??

OOOOOOH ANON THIS IS GOOD THIS IS GOOOOOOD

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Honestly, I feel like Ichiro would be the most obvious with his fanatics. He's already been shown in canon to be an unabashed anime / manga fan so can u imagine how he'd act towards you??!?!?!

Ichi has a binder full of prints for your official art that he keeps in the Odd Jobs Yamada office. He looks at it in downtimes, kicking his feet and squealing as he stares. Ichi also scours second hand sites to try and get merch for cheaper than official. He owns pins, stickers, plushies, and SO, SO MANY KEYCHAINS.

He honestly is the one most likely to write/read fan fiction too LMAO. Shipfic, platonic fics, reader insert- it doesn't matter. Don't tell his brothers, they'd be absolutely mortified.

Ramuda secretly runs one of those Twitter accounts that take pictures of their mochis/nuis in different irl settings!!! He MAKES little outfits for a nui of you and is so proud of all of them.

For every little cafe he goes to he always makes sure to take a pic that implies cute little nui of you is the one that just demolished 3 pieces of cake.

In the times where Ramu was still working with Chuuoku, he'd pull your nui out of his pocket and talk to you while he's scheming ;_; He has the image in his mind that you're the only one that would ever accept him as he is.

But my favorite image of this ask has to be DOPPO!! DOPPO!!! DOPPOOO !!! I saw this image once of ties that have anime charas in the inside and I think it's so silly to imagine Doppo has one of those of you AHAHAHA.

Doppo can't have personal items on his desk at work, so aside from his tie he has a little keychain of you tied to his bag :C Whenever he gets in his real shitty moods Doppo holds onto it and just mutters mutters mutters.

Since Doppo is the chara that speaks the most of his personal life / inner thoughts in his raps- imagine that he frequently mentions you in his verses and ship art of you and Doppo starts floating around in the Matenro fandom LOL. He'd be so embarrassed but he'd secretly love it.

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Bonus!!

Dice keeps a mochi of you in his pocket at all times, calling it his personal good luck charm. Whenever he's gambling he squishes it real hard and always has to apologize to it after.

Saburo is the most embarrassed about having a comfort character. The most obvious he is about it is having you as his desktop background but other than that he is too embarrassed to go out and buy merch. Ichiro buys him a lil plush of you for his birthday and he starts to cryyyyy.

Hitoya keeps an acrylic standee of you on his office desk but he faces it towards his clients LMAO. He comes across as so unserious.

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jkaiofeawfewa this was such a good concept omggegwargew