#this was so fun!! this series is so rad

[eldritchplutoartedition]

It’s time for Maple Ridge propaganda again!!! GO WATCH IT!!!!! I promise you it’s a great time <3 (go find some info out about it at @cryptidmelody ‘s blog!!)

[llamaisllama777]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS!

I miss this show so much! This shows means a lot to me.

[s0ckh3adstudios]

AHH THE STUFF YOU PUT IN TAGS OH MY GOODNESS….. that is so nice and wonderful to hear thank you 100000 times forever…... I am so glad to be a rayman fan these games are so awesome and it’s SO COOL YOU RECOGNISE MY ART…. i will definitely be posting some more stuff at one point as i learn more about the games so stay tuned :DDD AND THANK YOU AGAIN YOU ARE SO KIND !!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Also ps tysm for saying my globox design is shaped. He is my favourite i love that fucking thang

HEHEHGJFKGH!!! HELLO HI!!! YOU UNDERSTANDD these games are such gems people do not talk about them enough. HEHEHJHGE IT'S SO FUNNY THAT I RECOGNIZED YOUR ART the Pizza Tower to Rayman pipeline is real. I saw your art get reblogged on my dash and was like OMG THAT ARTIST GOT INTO RAYMAN????

I AM STAYING TUNED!!! Sitting patiently looking respectfully and politely. your Globox is so shaped it's true I am a huge fan. i love Globox he's such a funny character to me (design wise AND based on the stuff he got up to in the older games)

[secondlina]

Do you like people who dub your comics with real voices then or do you just not like dubs in general?

At this time, I would prefer if voice actors would not dub my work unless I asked them / am working with them.

Between the AI dubbing, the multiple repost accounts, and a few folks dubbing my comics regardless of whether I say yes or no (I've turned down or ignored most requests and videos still went up) - I've grown cold to the idea. Also, in my experience, they often credit poorly, not including links, not mentioning the series title, only typing my user name in the description as a word without context. A few dubbers also took me agreeing to one comic dub as them being allowed to dub ALL of my comics.

That being said - It's still incredibly flattering when budding voice actors ask, and the love they have for the comic is very touching. I'm exceptionally lucky to have people reach out like this, and probably seem like I'm complaining about something that is actually rad. Because having people want to contribute to your work as an artist IS rad. But when enough people seem to do it as a vehicle for their business rather than out of passion, it's weird vibes.

I hope to get back into a mindspace where it is fun again. I hope to collaborate directly with some dubbers one day, so I can make videos that fit my ideal. And I hope that nobody I turn down thinks it's their fault. There's just too many toads in the well.

I kinda wish wellness pages also didn't repost my fox + crow comics next to ads where they push ad supplement gummy yoga new age bullshit. I've also had some folks clone my instagram account to hit up people for scams. Protecting one's identity as an artist online these days is getting harder and weirder.

[mikeysagereblog]

⊗ superhero cartoons to watch when little!!! (or big, they're that good imo!!) ⊗

✧.* i've been wanting to make this list for a while now, mainly because i wanna talk about my fav cartoons/open up opportunities for other littles to find something awesome to watch!!! there's gonna be a lot of ranges in age ratings to add some variety for older/younger littles :)

✧.* also, i'd like to put a disclaimer here and say that a lot of these are on streaming services that i own, but other littles may not. i would also like to say that there are ways to get around a paywall if you can't afford certain streaming services!!! you can find full episodes on youtube/other sites for free!!! (just use an adblocker if you're on a site other than youtube if u can!!)

✧.* another disclaimer: any regressor of any age can watch any of these shows!! i just wanted to put the age ratings for those who want to stick to media that's more in their age range!! so, don't feel like you have to limit yourself from watching certain shows just because of how old you regress to!!

✧.* spectacular spider-man (2008-2009, 2 seasons): suitable for 7-8+, but i'd say it'd be okay for littles who regress younger to watch, too!! honestly, my all-time favorite spider-man cartoon!!! not only is it fun to watch while little, you can truly appreciate the show when you're big, too!!! josh keaton's voicework as spider-man is just- ahhhh it's so amazing imo!! the story is really good, the animation/style is just so iconic, and the colors are very easy on the eyes!!! (especially if you're sensitive to bright colors when little/in general) absolute banger of a theme song, too!!!

✧.* x-men: the animated series (1992-1997, 5 seasons): rated for around 7-8+, but i do admit that there can be some scary scenes for especially younger/more sensitive littles. honestly, this show is great!!! i loved all the different story arcs, how colorful the show is, the characters themselves- a lot of cool stuff about this show!!! be warned, there's a sudden drop in quality during season 5... i think they switched animation studios/va's or something because season 5 is NOT the best season of the show, i'll tell you that... 0_0

✧.* x-men '97 (2024-present, 1 season so far): rated for 14+, so this show is more suitable for teen regressors. it's a continuation of x-men:tas, and oh man... this is it. my favorite cartoon of all time!!! the animation is just oh so beautiful!!! the fight scenes are awesome!!! the soundtrack- oh golly the soundtrack!!! the remastered x-men:tas opening is just- wow!!! but, there's definitely reasons why it's rated 14+... not gonna spoil anything, but there's a lot of scenes in the show that can be upsetting for younger littles. trust me, watching some scenes when you're little is just- too much sometimes... (speaking from experience) it's an amazing show, but watch at ur own risk if you're a younger regressor!!!

✧.* batman: the animated series (1992-1995, 4 seasons): i'd say it's for around ages 9-10+, since it can be fairly dark at times. (same goes for a lot of batman related media!!) honestly, this show's pretty good!!! the style of the show is very dark visually, so it's easy on the eyes for those with bright color sensitivities!!! the artstyle itself is also very nice to look at!!! the voicework is amazing as well, especially kevin conroy's (rip) performance as batman himself!!! from what i can remember, the plotpoints were also pretty on-par!! i remember liking the show a lot when i was a kid!! :)

✧.* hulk vs. wolverine (not a show but an animated movie, 2009): this one's rated pg-13, since there's depictions of violence. but, i gotta say- this movie had me hyped up when i watched it as a kid!!! this was part of a straight to video two-movie collection, (the other being "hulk vs. thor") and i gotta say... this movie was awesome!!! the fight scenes were rad as heck, the animation was amazing, even deadpool was in the movie!!! (which, fun fact, was his first appearance in animation!!! other than the 2 second cameo in x-men:tas) very fun movie!!!

✧.* these are just some recommendations!!! i really liked these when i was a kid, and i hope you'll like them too, if you decide to watch them!!!

✧.* (also yay!! finally have a new banner!!! + i updated my blog's theme because nightcrawler is so awesome and he's literally my cg guys!!! he said it himself :3)

[brucewaynehater101]

Do you have some young justice fic recs

I'm currently going down the rabbit hole and I need some fics

Fics by Starrykitty013 will always be highly recommended by me for YJ fics (or just fics in general). They've got a few to choose from ^^

I also recommend checking out the author siren_of_the_ocean and their rad stuff.

"how's it go again" by timdrakesuperspy has Tim hopping over to another universe, staying with the Bats, and Bart from his universe also showing up.

The series "Where Bats and Birds Roost" by Mouse_in_this_house has quite a few great fics with YJ in it! I recommend checking out their other fics too ^^

"Tim Collects Last Names Like Infinity Stones" by zetarogue (blue locked so you'll need an account) is Tim platonically adopting people's last names as a form of love language

"glucose guardian" by DairyFarmer (blue locked) is about Tim paying for whatever anyone he loves needs.

Now, it also depends on what you're looking for. I recommend the tags "Bart Allen & Tim Drake," "Cassie Sandmark & Tim Drake," and the one that has all four if you're looking primarily for core four stuff.

If you want fics with the other yj members, there's only 42 fics with Tim and Slobo in it. The other members you may want to include are Anita Fite, Cissie King-Jones, and Greta Hayes.

This is also all under the assumption you're talking about yj98. I've got nothing for ya if you're looking into fic recs for the Young Justice show.

Good luck and have fun reading!

[cobragardens]

My Favorite Good Omens Moment:

An Essay on Why It Is Cool and Rad (Part 1)

There's this moment in Good Omens that makes me cackle every time I see it and leaves me full of warmth, so here's an essay on its context and meaning, because explication and analysis are how I show love. I will try to keep my thoughts as tight as possible, but they do have a tendency to spiral outwards, and I am very stoned. Come, sistren, and get nerdy with me.

My favorite moment in the series so far occurs in 1601. To approach it we will first need an assload of context. There's a TL;DR in bold at the end of the Context if you don't fancy reading the whole assload. Key arguments are in italics and bold throughout.

David Tennant gives Crowley a very consistent facial expression every time Aziraphale says something so outlandish Crowley can't quite believe he's hearing it. It's this one:

Chronologically, we see the Eyebrows of Disbelief twice before my fave moment in 1601: once (above left) in that scene on the Garden Wall that familiarizes the audience with Crowley's face before adding the dark glasses, when Aziraphale admits he's given away his sword; once when Aziraphale tells Bildad the Shuhite that he, Aziraphale, has Fallen because he lied to the angels to save Job's children.

The Eyebows of Disbelief always signal surprise and amusement with something Aziraphale has said or done. This amusement is sometimes at Aziraphale's expense and sometimes not.

In the gifs above, Crowley is laughing because what Aziraphale has just admitted to doing is fantastic and unexpected and frankly pretty gd punk rock. He's not laughing at Aziraphale, he's laughing because he is delighted with him. The only record we have thus far of Crowley laughing at Aziraphale is this one:

Crowley laughs when Aziraphale informs him--him, a demon who has personally been through the process of Falling--that Aziraphale is Fallen and must be a demon now. As though of the two of them Aziraphale is the expert on how and under what circumstances this occurs.

And yet when Crowley sees Aziraphale's distress--not his fear of being taken to Hell, but his heartbreak and lostness over the fact that his conscience has diverged from God's stated will--Crowley stops laughing, and instead he acts very kindly towards Aziraphale. He validates the gravity of what Aziraphale has done and assures him he won't turn him in. He sits with him so Aziraphale isn't totally alone (like Crowley probably was) as he goes through the loneliest moments of his existence to that point and picks himself up newly weighted with the secret he must now bear.

And after this scene (in canon as it stands thus far), we don't see Crowley laugh at anything Aziraphale says or does again.

And he really has to work for it sometimes. We talk a lot about the things Michael Sheen is able to convey with his face in Good Omens, and absolutely rightly so; David Tennant earns a chunk of his paycheck in this regard as well. If you haven't given yourself the treat yet, rewatch the scene in Will Goldstone's magic shop in 1941 and focus on Crowley's reactions:

Tennant takes great care to show, with precision, that Crowley is expending effort not to react to Aziraphale's nervous chaos Muppetry and lack of self-awareness. Crowley is self- and socially and contextually aware enough that he knows (better than Aziraphale, at least, which is not a high bar to clear) what's cringe, what's funny, what's ridiculous, how to behave. But whenever Aziraphale crosses a boundary of normalcy, or even sanity, and there is opportunity to laugh at him, Crowley very carefully doesn't react. He doesn't interrupt him, he doesn't try to correct him, he doesn't make fun of him, he doesn't even smirk; he just watches him, as stone-faced as he can manage, no matter how bizarre Aziraphale becomes.

We should be reading this lack of reaction to Aziraphale's social and rational transgressions as powerful positive action. Go watch the Doctor Who episode "Human Nature," or literally any episode of The Inbetweeners, or read or watch Regeneration, and reflect on what it shows you about English masculinity; then consider again the depth of significance in how English- and male-coded character Crowley treats English- and male-coded character Aziraphale in an England created by an English and male-codedpresenting author based off a book written by himself and another male-presenting author. Within its context of English masculinity, Crowley's lack of reaction is not a neutral stance; it is a very fucking loud show of support.

This is not even an inference; it's stated outright in the show. Crowley himself puts it into words 422 years after my favorite moment:

You know how Crowley calls Aziraphale "angel" because the factuality of the descriptor offers him plausible deniability to any Heavenly or Infernal agents who might be listening? Remember how Crowley is a great equivocator? Crowley is equivocating here, too: he's using the cover of what Maggie and Nina will take as a disparaging joke at Aziraphale's expense in order to make a perfectly sincere statement. This is his genuine perception of one of the relationship dynamics he has with Aziraphale and how he feels about that dynamic. Crowley thinks he himself is quite witty (an accurate assessment), Crowley thinks Aziraphale isn't sufficiently self- or contextually aware to hide how strange he is and therefore frequently says and does mad things (also an accurate assessment), and Crowley is Into. That. Shit.

Okay. Now let's look at 1601.

Chronologically it's been almost 1,000 years since we last saw Aziraphale and Crowley. In 537, Aziraphale isn't willing even to consider a labor-saving working arrangement with Crowley of fucking off home out of the damp of Arthurian Wessex; but by 1601, he's worked (and met, and Arranged) with Crowley "dozens of times now," Crowley says, and Azirapahle does not correct him.

In that millienium, Aziraphale has grown to care deeply about Crowley:

In fact he may be somewhat smitten with him:

Seriously, go back and watch Aziraphale here as Crowley approaches and starts speaking to him: he doesn't start smiling until he recognizes that the person speaking to him is Crowley (but he only smiles at Crowley while Crowley's not looking at him).

And Crowley is definitely become smitten with Aziraphale:

Our man(-shaped entity) is so allergic to work he sets up a meeting to weasel, cajole, or (as it happens) cheat a coin toss to get Aziraphale to do an easy temptation for him in Edinburgh, and then in the same conversation agrees to miracle a play into success because Aziraphale gives him a single hopeful look. Crowley's got it bad.

TL;DR: The Eyebrows of Disbelief happen when Crowley is surprised and amused by something Aziraphale has said or done. Sometimes that amusement is delight with Aziraphale; sometimes it is at Aziraphale's expense. Crowley is aware of this distinction, and when his amusement is at Aziraphale's expense, he suppresses it, even when it takes some effort on his own part, and remains stocially composed. This is equivocation on his part: to Celestial/Infernal operatives lacking knowledge of the intricacies of human behavior, this non-reaction would seem like neutrality; to Aziraphale, who shares with Crowley and the audience the contextual knowledge of English masculinity's utter viciousness, this non-reaction is a profound show of support; and in the safety of support from Crowley, Aziraphale lets his weirdness blossom.

As another meta points out [link if I find it again], we also see in Aziraphale's wordless request about Hamlet and Crowley's immediate understanding of it that by 1601 Aziraphale and Crowley have developed an unspoken, coded method of communication with each other.

Now that we have all of that in mind, here's my favorite moment in Good Omens:

Ixi of Fuck Yeah Good Omens has even kindly archived a closeup of the aftermath, for Crowley, of "Buck up!" In gif 4, above, you can see that the tiny smile is an involuntary reaction that happens as Crowley's eyes widen: for a fraction of a second, he's caught off-guard. In the closeup it's easier to see that he suppresses the smile and gives a tiny shake of his head, Eyebrows of Disbelief heading for his hairline.

There are a number of things Crowley's reaction could mean and what messages it could communicate (we'll get to that in a sec), but regardless, his reaction is, unquestionably, one of surprise and suppressed amusement. This is an aspect of Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship and characters that I like very much, viz., that one of the reasons Crowley likes Aziraphale (though Aziraphale is judgy and occasionally, unintentionally, horrifyingly cruel) is that in addition to being one of the kindest and most courageous beings in existence, Aziraphale is mad as a bag of frogs. Crowley does not know what is going to come out of Aziraphale's lovely mouth next, but Crowley does know there's a good chance he will struggle to believe he's hearing it, and Crowley likes that.

That's what makes this my favorite moment. What makes this moment so cool and rad, though, is its ineffability. We know from the Eyebrows of Disbelief that Crowley is surprised and amused, but any of several things could be read in that almost imperceptible headshake. Like:

What are you doing? or

Why are you like this? or

How can you be aware that you say these things out loud and yet still say them out loud? or

How has my existence come to this? this moment of listening to such insanity?

each of which is a fair and just feeling to have/message to communicate to a man(-shaped entity) who is yelling "Buck up!" at Hamlet.

But that's only if we read Crowley's amusement as being at Aziraphale's expense. And I don't think we should. Because watch Aziraphale here:

He's doing it on purpose. He is shouting a hilariously inappropriate, 100% authentic Aziraphale-brand thing over arguably the gloomiest passage of Shakespeare's famously gloomy play--right after Crowley complains about its gloominess--and he is watching Crowley as he does it. Look at his smile! He knows he's being Deeply Uncool, and he is doing it literally right into Crowley's face.

Remember that we just talked about how by this point in the chronology Crowley and Aziraphale have learned to communicate with each other nonverbally through facial expression? So what does it mean when Aziraphale responds to Crowley's grumbling about Hamlet's gloominess by smiling his minxious Mona Lisa Aziraphale smile, looking right into Crowley's face, and yelling at Hamlet to buck up? Aziraphale, in a carefully coded, carefully Aziraphale way, is joking with Crowley. His silliness in this moment is for Crowley.

So with aaaaaaallllll of this essay in mind, what does it mean that Crowley's reaction to "Come on, Hamlet! Buck up!" is widening eyes, an involuntary twitch of his mouth toward a smile, and then, his eyebrows still showing surprise and amusement, a tiny shake of his head?

Once more, with inferences:

I do propose, y'all, on the basis of this web of evidence I submit for consideration, that what we are seeing here in my favorite moment of Good Omens is the ineffable equivalent of Aziraphale and Crowley sharing a laugh.

Crowley's amusement here isn't at Aziraphale, because Aziraphale is eliciting that amusement consciously and deliberately. Aziraphale, in good spirits and happy to see Crowley, uses his Aziraphaleness to offers Crowley not only an opportunity for amusement, but the opportunity to be in agreement with him about what in this situation is funny. They're on the same side of this joke.

And his humor lands just as he wants it to: Crowley, just for a moment, is caught off-guard, and tickled--

But remember, Crowley is worried in this scene about being surveilled ("I thought you said we'd be inconspicuous here"), and he worries about audio surveillance a lot ("Walls have ears"; "Don't say that. If my lot hear [etc.]," etc.), so he's very limited in what reactions he can show or voice. Aziraphale knows Crowley must be perceived by anyone watching or listening to disapprove of his, Aziraphale's, behavior (just as he must be perceived to disapprove vociferously of Crowley's). Both of them know this.

--so Crowley suppresses the smile almost successfully, and shakes his head at Aziraphale, minutely, to say Stop. What you're doing is working, you're close to making me laugh, and if I show how much you have just delighted me, it will blow our cover of "just an Arrangement."

I offer three final data points in advancing my argument that what we see in my favorite Good Omens moment is Aziraphale successfully attempting to joke with Crowley and Crowley recognizing that overture from Aziraphale and being momentarily surprised into a reaction of genuine delight before pulling his face back under control and indicating to Aziraphale that he must stop:

Datum 1. Nothing going on with Crowley's face in this moment is accidental. We know for sure we're not seeing David Tennant react to Michael Sheen here not only because of literally every other point of Tennant's and Sheen's performances in the show, but because Tennant is wearing opaque contacts and sunglasses under film lighting and therefore cannot be reacting to anything more compelling than a level-10-lift blur because Tennant cannot see shit. Crowley's reaction is a deliberate and careful performance choice on Tennant's part, and it's underscored by director Douglas Mackinnon's choice to film Tennant in 1/2 profile to keep Crowley's eyes visible and face readable to the audience. This reaction is supposed to be there and supposed to be meaningful.

Datum 2. The husbands in 1601 is not the only moment in Good Omens when we may be seeing an angel and a demon communicate the message Stop doing that, it makes us look too familiar between themselves with a little headshake:

Datum 3: There is another moment in Good Omens when Aziraphale offers Crowley the opportunity to enjoy a joke with him. There, too, his humor lands just as he intends, so we can use this other moment as a comparison to our 1601 moment. I don't have gifs for it, but go back and watch it, S1E6 49:27-42. Snips below.

Aziraphale says something that surprises and amuses Crowley (he asked Hell for a rubber duck while he was sloshing around in the holy water)--

--but what Aziraphale says makes Crowley smile long before it makes him laugh.

In fact, his laugh, though a genuine cackle, is quite delayed, and he laughs only after Aziraphale starts laughing too.

In other words, Crowley's reaction to Aziraphale offering him amusement they're both on the same side of is exactly the same as his reaction to "Come on, Hamlet! Buck up!" right up until he laughs instead of shaking his head. Here, after Armageddidn't, Crowley doesn't have to suppress his reaction, so he can let the smile bloom; he doesn't have to control his response, so, although it takes him a few extra seconds, he lets the smile turn into a laugh.

But in 1601, it's not safe to laugh at Aziraphale's humor. It's not safe even to smile at him. A single piece of evidence or eye/earwitness testimony that he and Crowley have anything more friendly than the most passing and acrimonious of professional relationships could mean death to either or both of them, and depending on what Falling is like, maybe something worse than death for Aziraphale.

But Aziraphale is so funny, so effervescent for Crowley, at Crowley, that it catches Crowley just for a moment. Crowley's eyes widen and the corner of his mouth twitches toward a smile.

And that's dangerous. If Aziraphale keeps acting so charmingly mad, Crowley is going to laugh, and they can't afford that risk, so he shakes his head at Aziraphale. Stop, or I won't be able to keep a straight face around you.

And Aziraphale apparently receives that message, because he immediately eases off. Less than 60 seconds later we learn that he's deeply concerned for Crowley's safety--and that it's not so much that Aziraphale has Crowley wrapped around his little finger as it is that Crowley has wrapped himself around Aziraphale's little finger like a snake arranging itself on the tree branch it calls home.

UPDATE 14/10/23: HOLY SHIT Y'ALL IT GETS EVEN BETTER! THERE IS A SEQUEL!

[comet-soda-lite]

Crane Wives concert was rad as hell btw. Hit after hit all night, and I'm not just talking about the music. Like, immediately so many more people than I thought there would be (hype!!), insanely good Grian cosplayer, life series merch here and there, literally the coolest and most fashionable people all throughout the crowd, lots of queer vibes, people bringing their plushies along, beautiful opening act, two people fainted(?) (not rad), I briefly made accidental eye contact with literally one of the most attractive people I've ever seen (and they were masked too, extra rad), silly fun crowd/band interactions, band promises to come back to Toronto sometime in the future (let's gooo!!!!), the very last three songs were the ones I was most excited to hear live so it was insane hype one after the other right at the end for me, and then finally the whole crowd singing Chappell Roan on the way out. Just pristine vibes the whole experience from start to finish.

[hulloitsdani]

Crit cut-in time lets go!!!

I've been cleaning up my art files and this has included finishing up some long abandoned wips. Accepting that I am pretty much done with these projects and finally putting the finishing bow on them. And I'm very glad I did, because I really like the final result!

The premise was to give our feh protagonists more series standard critical hit cut-ins. I wanted these really intense expressions too— that's not something we get to see on a lot of these characters and I had fun exploring that. Ratatoskr's saddest wettest cat expression was so god damn easy, you guys don't even know. But more than that, being in a fight against the divine personification of death itself and landing a crit should feel rad as hell. That's the intensity a lot of these fights are operating under and I wanted to drag that out.

Pick a favorite if you'd like! Maybe even recommend some crit quotes! I spitballed a few as I was working in order to get a better feel for each character's vibe for each portrait. Personal favorites being Anna's "You don't scare me," Fjorm's "I shall repay your cruelty," and Ash's "May your unfortunate passing be relatively painless."

[vespaer77]

I have a hot take.

And I understand that a lot of it comes down to opinion and interpretation. The "official canon" for the game is your own damned canon, and I frankly love that for all of us. It's beautiful and freeing and sets us up to celebrate a variety of different worlds and that's pretty rad.

But (of course there's a "but") I'm coming to understand that…

…my canon interpretation of this line is very different from a large majority of this fandom.

And I guess it's not really a hot take. No one's interpretation is wrong, and I would never want someone to think that. No one should ever have their fun taken out of the game, it's a game. I think mostly I'm just looking for folks who read this the same way I do. Because to me?

Solas' greatest fear is not to literally die all alone.

Like, all by himself.

Not only do I believe that that's a large oversimplification of the meaning behind that statement, but I'd also argue that dying all by himself is precisely what Solas intends to do. He has had every opportunity to avoid it, especially in a Solavellan run, yet he's made zero moves to do so whatsoever.

At the end of Inquisition, he was still a member of the single most powerful and influential religious and paramilitary organization across the entire southern half of their continent. Aside from defeating a sea of demons and darkspawn horrors, and closing a breach in the sky between the Fade and the material world, they've also singlehandedly redesigned the flow of commerce between two nations, they've seated a ruler on the throne in Orlais, and chosen the next Divine to serve on the Sunburst Throne in the Chantry. They're responsible for shaping the future for the whole of southern Thedas, and the leader of that organization is potentially very sympathetic to Solas' beliefs and perspectives. There was much they could have accomplished together, and yet…

He left. Vanished into thin air, even, for two years. With no word.

And when we finally got the chance to confront him, and wrestle a larger kernel of truth out of the man, he told us that he walks the din'an shiral. A journey of death. And he made it unequivocally clear that he intends to walk it alone.

By himself.

There are a lot of ways to interpret what the din'an shiral even is, but the solemnity and weight he used when he referred to it carried a sense of finality. He intends to bring about the death of the world, that much we know is true, whether he sees it that way or not. But could his own life be the cost?

His ritual artifact is a blade, believed to have been fashioned from his red lyrium idol after having been recovered and cleansed. But it could've remained an idol, or it could've been made into an orb. It could've been a staff or a crown, or a necklace with the jawbone of some other critter. But it's a blade. Is it simply because rending the veil involves a certain act of piercing or tearing? Or is it still a weapon? An implement of violence or self-defense? Or even… of self-harm?

Regardless of the interpretation, there's nothing about Solas' future that suggests to me that he's safe. Or accompanied by anyone who intends to keep him safe. And there's nothing about Solas that suggests to me that he isn't acutely aware of all of this.

I don't think Solas has any fear whatsoever of literally dying all alone, at least according to my personal canon. To me, I think Solas views his death as his duty and he will not bring anyone down with him.

I believe that "dying alone" means something much bigger and deeper and more meaningful to Solas than it does to us, the player. And he goes to great lengths to identify and define what this fear means to him through a series of conversations he has with Varric during party banter.

There's quite a bit of self-discovery Solas conducts through this dialogue. It starts when tells Varric that he read Hard in Hightown. He then asks him if there are other trickster figures in dwarven literature, presumably because stories of Fen'Harel stated he walked as kin amongst both the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones and there could could be some tie or some clue about that here, whatever that means. He goes on from there to begin asking pointed questions about Orzammar and what he perceives to be a lack of dwarven ambition. He makes remarks about how they could have a larger hand in shaping global affairs through their control of the lyrium trade and he seems genuinely confused why Orzammar would never consider reuniting with Kal-Sharok.

But he really circles down into the heart of the matter when he asks Varric if he ever misses a life beneath the stone. Varric responds by asking how he could miss something he'd never had, having been born a surface dwarf. And he tells Solas that even if the stone called to him in the manner he's describing, he's very happy with who he is and the life that he has, and he has no wish to change anything.

And from there, we watch Solas grapple with his answer. To him, Varric is someone who is just as sundered from his own identity, and he cannot fathom finding satisfaction in a life like that - a mundane life without magic or the song of the stone. He cannot rationalize it against his guilt and his regrets and his pride, and cannot let it go. So he then spins up an anecdote of a man he saw in the Fade.

He saw a man, alone on an island. His tribe had fallen to beasts and disease, and his wife had died in childbirth.

He was the only one left.

He could have left to find a new land or a new people. But instead he stayed. He spent his days catching fish in a little boat and he spent his nights watching the stars and drinking fermented fruit juice. (That's wine, Solas. That's called wine. You can just call it wine.)

To Solas, this man has surrendered to his defeat. And he gives us our first glimpse into what his fear might actually mean, right here.

"Knowing it will all end with you."

From there, Varric even asks him, "What's with you and all the fallen empire stuff, anyway?" And they go on to discuss what it means to give up and what it means to fight back, what costs are truly associated with each, and how those meanings can vary so widely between individuals whose lives have been so different. The analogy we didn't see at the time however, that we can now examine through hindsight, is that the man on the island wasn't just a representation of the old dwarven empire, but also of the Elvhen.

The man on the island was supposed to be representative of Solas himself.

(I also think it's cool that Varric mentions Orzammmar being too proud to ask for help.)

We are supposed to hear the anguish in his voice when he asks Varric whether he has any concept of what his capitulation to live as a surface dwarf has cost him.

Because Solas knows. For whatever reason (that we're about to discover in Veilguard), the remaining Evanuris were so horrific after the death of Mythal that the only solution he could devise that had any hope of protecting the world was to create the Veil and drive a wedge between the dreaming and waking worlds. To create a divide between magic and reality. To silence the song from the stone. To create a barrier that the blighted gods could never cross.

But one that also trapped the spirits.

And afterward, while he slept a dreaming sleep for centuries, the toll of creating the Veil having been so great, he watched as his people also began to quicken and die. He watched as their spirits also crossed the Veil to be trapped behind it forever. Everyone he ever knew and loved. All the chains of slaves he broke were for nothing. They simply traded one cage for another. Because of him.

And while Abelas and his company still guard the Well of Sorrows, they are bound to Mythal. (Also, I'm pretty sure you can make a choice to kill them? I never have, but I think you can?) They are still creatures that are beholden to her, and thus they are expendable. Mythal was even willing to sacrifice Flemeth to gift her power to Solas, to cure his weakened state after waking from uthenera, and hopefully prevent the risk of future mistakes being made. Like Corypheus.

Even Solas is expendable in the line of his duty, if it means he will succeed. He would gladly sacrifice himself to rectify his greatest mistake, and restore his people to themselves. Because they've been sundered for so long, they've forgotten who they are. And they are not his people anymore. He will make them remember.

He will restore their connection to the Fade, he will reveal lost paths to ancient libraries, and he will reawaken their relationships with their spirits - archivists, and spirits of purpose and wisdom and valor and faith and all of their ancestors that lived before them. He will make them what they were, as they were when he knew them. Because without that, they are incomplete. The spirits are incomplete. He is incomplete.

Our job in Veilguard will be to either help him find a better way to accomplish his goal, or help him find a way to find satisfaction and completion in this world. (Or, you know, kill him, but not in my canon, thanks.) Either way, we have to get him to accept help.

Because the burden that he carries within himself is the sole memory of a vast nation, and it is heavy. Far too heavy to bear alone. He is the last living key, a fragile remnant, a final, solitary link through dreams to the history, the knowledge, and the entire cultural identity of the Elvhen people. (The People people? Is that redundant?)

And without him, all of that is lost.

Forever.

To him, he is the last of the Elvhen.

So, my interpretation of Solas' greatest fear is not that he is afraid to die all by himself. It is something I feel is truly much more heartbreaking.

It is that he is afraid to die the last of his kind.

He is afraid to die alone.

[tdm0912]

haha wow guys! Look at Harold and Leshawna! Dressing up as Sollux Captor and Aradia Megido from the hit web series Homestuck! Haha! Wow! Look how happy they are! Man, I wish I could've got a selfie with them. That would be so rad.

PLEASE HELP IM BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP ME PLEASE HELP AHHH HELP

(I hate the comic btw. I do not support or associate with the creator I just find the panels funny as shit and unserious and very fun to redraw LMFAOOOOOO)

[sapphiretanto]

(CW: Ranting/Venting; the fic I am talking about will not be named, nor will I give the author’s name away. Please send me a message if you want to know)

Did we even watch the same show? He’s not a caring, big brother? He’s a stick in the mud?

The only thing I’ll give you is that he’s full of himself… because he’s an idiot teenager with badass fighting skills and weapons. Of course he’s gonna be a cocky little shit. Most people with Leo’s skill would be.

I’m going to assume that you mean part of the time he’s full of himself. But if you mean all the time, then I’ll correct you there. More often than not, he is actually very insecure— a very common trait among the Leonardo’s.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be leading the team?”

“It’s all my fault. I let the guys down!”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again”

“I’d just hold you back. You guys train, I’ll watch. It’s all I’m good for anyway…”

“I’m a liability to the whole team”

“I won’t be much help out there anyway”

Leo is a perfectionist and this shows in the way he leads— coming across as bossy or arrogant— and how he treats himself. The guy just got out of a three-month coma after he had the shit kicked out of him and what does he say when he’s by himself after everyone else went to look for Raph in the woods?

He holds himself to impossibly high standards— both placed by himself and some of the misguided lessons he was taught.

Alright, now for the stick in the mud part. Leo is a fucking dork (I mean this in the most affectionate sense). He loves Space Heroes to the point where he quotes it during missions. He likes puns, is fascinated by Japan culture, martial arts, meditation, etc. He trains very hard to excel at ninjutsu/martial arts— both so he can help his brothers in combat and because it’s a passion of his. That doesn’t make him boring in the slightest. He has some of the most ridiculous dialogue throughout the series:

“Alright guys. Let’s put Old Mother Hubbard back in her cupboard!”

“Hello!? Space Heroes!? Captain Ryan! Didn’t you see the episode where they fought the Cortexecons?!”

“Awesome! Oh, this is so rad! I feel like Van Helsing, but way cooler than him, actually. Way more rad than Van Helsing”

“Alright guys, prepare to dish out the mighty wrath of justice!”

“We don’t know he’s gonna do anything bad. He could be on his way… to… church!”

“I… don’t really have a pinky?”

He can’t lie for shit which leads to him saying silly things:

“Be cool. Be cool.” *answers phone* “uh.. hey man! What’s… what’s going down? *Raph says they better have not watched the Crognard finale without him and Leo laughs nervously* W-who, us?! Of course not! But I bet if we did watch it, we would have found it anti-climate… climactic!”

*gets asked by Chloe if there’s other turtles like him* “Nope! Uh-uh! Just me! Mr. Imaginary Talking Turtle!”

“He’s just kidding, Mrs. O’Neil. Kirby’s…uh.. on a.. safari! In Puerto Rico! And he won’t be back for a while.”

And he’s not the goody-two shoes and suck up people think of him as. He has gone behind Splinter’s back on several occasions, snuck out both willingly and unwillingly. The guy dressed in black and caused petty crime with his sister and her girlfriend Shinigami because he was pissed off at Shredder.

As for not being a caring brother. You mean this guy?! This Leo?! ⬇️

Couldn’t be this Leo, right? There’s no way he’s a mother hen— being both doting and getting after his brothers.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full!”

“Mikey, you never cease to amaze me”

“Leo never left your side” — April when Raph was reduced to a mere plant by The Creep

“I’m sorry about Spike, Raphael.”

“Donnie, don’t lose sight of who you are!”

“Nice job, D”

“Donnie, the go karts worked great. Nice job!”

“Mikey, come on! It’s not that bad! And Raph promises not to make fun of you anymore.”

Not the Leo that uses all his strength and stays behind in the Technodrome holding Kraang Prime so his brothers and April can escape. Not that Leo who while just barely awake after a coma goes after a mutated monster in the woods to get his family back. Not that Leo who forced himself to stay calm so the others can be calm while they go through the most insane shit, or cannot grieve in the moment because he has to ensure the rest of their safety, so his focus during missions and battle is scattered in different places. Because he couldn’t possibly help bandage their wounds, worry when they’re hurt and not give up on a family member. Not Leo preventing Donnie from straight up unaliving Don Vizioso because Leo doesn’t want his younger brother to do what he did and change him like it changed him. He doesn’t sacrifice himself over and over because he loves his brothers, right? Right??

[dxncingwithastrxnger]

prologue: the death of a wise king (Obey Me!)

***HEY!! PLEASE READ!! This story will have a lot of angst and a lot of Major Character Death and Injury, BUT, I want to tell people ahead of time that it will not stay that way and there WILL be a happy ending, so, if you're willing to stick it out for awhile, I promise it'll be worth it eventually!!***

A/N: Aaaaaahhhhhhh!! A multi-chapter obey me fic?? From me?? We'll see how many chapters I get out before I start forgetting to write more 💀💀 But!! I'm currently actually really excited for this story and have a lot of motivation and inspiration for it right now, so I'm hoping to get a lot of it written out!! It's gonna be way angsty, but it's also gonna be so fun. I got the inspiration when I was playing around with some different scenarios regarding nightbringer and such, so do with that what you wish. Happy reading!! I hope you enjoy!!

Pairing(s): None (yet)

Summary: A disturbance in the quiet.

Tag(s): Major Character Death, Blood, Sharp Object (Mentioned), Fear, Angst

Word Count: 455

Song Inspiration: Technically none, but listening to Way Down We Go by Kaleo while you read it is a vibe

Not beta'd, all mistakes are my own.

~*~

[Series Masterlist] (Link TBA)

[Prologue] [Chapter 1] [More To Be Added]

[Read on AO3]

[Author Masterlist]

~*~

A high-pitched, blood-curdling scream breaks the quiet of a seemingly normal morning at RAD. It was a scream that was immediately recognized by most, but some knew it better than others.

“ASMO!?” Lucifer shouts as he leads the group in their endeavor to follow the sound, his voice tinged with panic and concern.

They didn’t have to go far. In fact, they didn’t even have to stray from their original path, as the scream came from their planned destination. As they reach the doorway of the RAD student council room, there are multiple other shouts.

“Asmo!? What’s goin’ on, huh??”

“Asmodeus!?”

“Are you alright!?”

“D-Did something happen!?”

But as everyone entered the room, they all stopped in their tracks. The only sound was the whispers from the other students in the hallway as they creeped closer to the room, trying to figure out what all the commotion was.

Asmodeus was in the middle of the room, stopped right before reaching the round center table. He was visibly shaking as he stared straight forward and the others were certain that if they could see his face, he’d be crying.

But the sight of him was not what had the others stunned. No, it was more likely to be the dead body placed over the table and the beloved human standing on the opposite side, blood dripping from both. But it’s clear that the blood only spilled from one of them.

“I-Is that-?”

“Oh, shit.”

“No.”

A pause of silence, and then, “Lexy…?”

The person on the other side of the room showed no signs that they heard their name being called. He stood still as a statue, staring down at the body of the other human with blank eyes and a familiar dagger still clutched tightly in their fist, his head tilted down. He was still wearing his sleep clothes, which were now torn and dirty with more than just blood.

A quiet whimper echoes through the room and Simeon is quick to grab Luke and face him away from the scene, cursing himself for not doing so previously. Multiple others also found themselves looking away, unsure how to handle what their eyes were witnessing.

Lucifer then reaches forward to place a hand on Asmodeus’ shoulder. The other demon startles before immediately turning and latching onto his older brother, choked sobs muffled by the chest his face was buried in. The Avatar of Pride stares across from him with a look of betrayal, confusion, concern, and anger.

“Lexy…Lexy…What did you do? What did you do?” He asks urgently, desperately, pleadingly.

But Lexy wasn’t answering.

And the Wise Sorcerer lay dead on the table between them, warm blood still leaking from the stab wounds in his chest.

~*~

A/N: So!! What do we think of the prologue? 👀 Imma prolly cry so many times while writing this story, the things I'll do for the sake of fandom content, smh. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to hear it!!

My asks are also always open, so if you wanna discuss anything obey me related or just wanna say hi, then please don't hesitate to stop by and do so!!

If you wish to be added to a taglist for future parts of this story, lemme know!!

[attic-club-sandwich]

Dear 🌹 Anon,

So I couldn't help myself with continuing this little series for you by writing for the undateables as well as platonically for little Luke! It was sooo much fun to write, and I hope you enjoy this part as much as you did part 1! I would love to know your thoughts on this one as well ❤️

Read Part 1 Here! (and for the prompt that inspired part 2)

See my Obey Me! Works Masterlist for more of my writing.

Fill out This Form to be added to my Tag List.

Taglist: to be followed in a reblog.

✨Please remember that comments and re-blogs are appreciated✨

Meetings in the Moonlight Pt. 2 (undateables version)

Content Warnings: None; just general anxiety/depression. I made some aspects of the scenarios open for your interpretation as well.

gn!MC x Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, and Solomon. Platonic Luke.

Diavolo:

You were staying over at the Demon Lord's Castle for the weekend

It was partly meant to be a vacation from the seven brothers, but also because you really wanted to spend some time with the Demon Lord himself.

You found yourself tossing and turning as you lay in the guest room bed.

It was the comfiest bed you've ever laid in, but somehow you still couldn't fall asleep.

You were restless. A sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Was it...homesickness?

You sighed, tossing the covers off of your body, deciding you needed some air.

You find yourself in the gazebo in Diavolo's garden

You breathe in the cool, night air. The light floral scent from the garden relaxes you slightly.

The moon is bright and full, complimented by the starry night sky.

You feel a lump in your throat as you gaze up at the beauty of the meteor shower that is taking place miles above you.

Suddenly, you are crying.

The feeling of homesickness washes over you, and the tears roll down your cheeks.

"MC?" you hear a voice behind you.

Trying to wipe away your tears with your sleeve, you spin around to see Diavolo.

"Dia..?" you squeak.

He gives you a gentle smile as he steps up to join you in the gazebo.

"Hello my darling. What troubles you this late at night?"

You shake your head, spinning back around to rest your arms on the railing.

"I think I might be missing home." you sniff.

Diavolo hums, taking a step closer to you.

You feel big arms wrap around you and you sink into his embrace.

"I understand. Shall I take you back to the House of Lamentation?" he asks softly, nuzzling his face into your hair.

You shake your head, turning around so your face is now buried in his chest.

"No. You being here is helping a lot, Diavolo."

He smiles, rubbing small circles on your back.

"Shall we return to bed then, my love? I will call Barbatos for some tea."

You smile, wiping away the last of your tears for the night. "Yes please."

That's all he needed to hear as he gently lifts you into his arms, carrying you bridal style back to the warmth of the castle.

"Let's get comfortable. I'll make sure you feel right at home in no time."

Barbatos

You don't remember when, but you must have fallen asleep at some point.

Your eyes blink awake rapidly, trying to adjust to the low light of the candle burning bright in the corner of the room.

Taking in your surroundings, you begin to remember where you are.

You came over to Diavolo's Castle after RAD to have tea with Barbatos... and to work on some homework.

You were exhausted to begin with, and the warmth of the tea had you yawning almost instantly.

Apparently, you had fallen asleep on the couch in the tea room.

The castle was silent, and you figured it was probably pretty late.

You glance at your phone, seeing that the time was 2:30 am.

Upon checking the time, you also notice a text from someone who you don't particularly feel like talking to.

Turning your phone over, you bring your knees to your chest.

Your eyes now start to burn with tears.

You start to tremble as sadness and guilt plagues you.

The tears can't seem to stop after they've already started.

You jump slightly as you feel gentle hands on your shoulders.

Lifting your head, you find Barbatos standing behind you, draping a blanket over your shoulders.

"Hello, MC. Pardon my intrusion, but I heard you stirring awake and figured I would check in on you."

You sniff, attempting to hide your face in the blanket he had just given you. "I-It's okay..." you accidentally stutter, grimacing as your voice gives you away.

"My, my. What is troubling you MC?"

His voice is soft and calm, but his concern for you is evident.

You begin to sob a little harder, once again burying your face into your knees. Through your tears, you explain the message you had gotten to the royal butler.

"It sounds like this individual causes a lot of unnecessary stress to you. Shall I kindly confiscate your phone for the remainder of the evening?"

Nodding, you pass your phone into his gloved hand. Tonight was not the night to give it the little energy you had left.

"That's much better. I'll keep this for now. Anyone who is causing the smile to disappear from your face isn't worth your time right now. There are other pressing matters to attend to." he smiles as he tucks your phone away into his jacket pocket.

You can't help but smile back at him. His jade green eyes seem to glow as he reaches a hand back out to you.

"Would you care to follow me to your room? I would be glad to tuck you in."

He pulls you up off of the couch, and you stumble against his chest.

He holds you for a moment, his hands resting on your waist.

You nuzzle your face into his neck as he holds you. He plants a soft kiss into your hair.

"Thank you, Barbatos." you whisper.

"Now, there's no reason to thank me. Let's just go get some sleep, it's way past your bedtime."

Simeon

What you thought was finally a peaceful night's sleep was interrupted by unpleasant dreams, startling you awake at the wee hours of the night

Your breathing is heavy and you try to calm yourself down.

Ever since you had that encounter with a rouge demon in town the other day, you've been on edge.

Especially since you are staying at Purgatory Hall instead of the House of Lamentation surrounded by the brothers, you're feeling a little uneasy.

Of course you know Simeon, Solomon and Luke would never allow harm to come to you.

But your nightmares say otherwise.

Your stomach is in knots with anxiety, and you decide you need to get some fresh air.

You throw on a cardigan, and tip toe down the hallway.

The balcony seems like the perfect place to calm your racing heart.

Once the cool air hits you, the adrenaline of the dream begins to wear off.

Your eyes begin to sting, and you aren't sure it's from the cold air.

Your mind begins to play images of the demon that attacked you, and your tears are now wet with tears.

You tremble, wrapping your cardigan tighter against you.

"MC?"

You hear a soft voice behind you and you spin around, fear in your eyes

"S-Simeon?" You breathe a sigh of relief.

"My little lamb, what are you doing out here at this hour?"

His cerulean blue eyes are filled with worry as he slowly approaches you.

You choke back tears as you find yourself running into his arms.

He gasps softly as you wrap your arms around his torso.

"There, there, MC. I'm here. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

You are still in tears as you explain the close call you had, and he holds you tighter.

"I'm so sorry, my love. I promise i'll always be here to protect you. You have no reason to be afraid when I'm around."

You sniffle, your sobs now turning into little giggles."Like my guardian angel?"

He chuckles softly as he plants a delicate kiss to your forehead.

"I would gladly be your guardian angel. I will be whatever you want me to be for you, MC."

Soon you begin to shiver, the night air's crisp bite getting to you.

"Shall we go sleep in my room for the night?" Simeon offers, taking your hand in his.

You nod, the anxiety in your tummy turning to butterflies.

Arguably, a much better feeling.

Solomon

It was another late night in the wrong timeline

You were seriously exhausted trying to corral the 7 brothers all over again.

You lay wide awake in your bed in Cocytus Hall. Despite how tired you are, you can't manage to fall asleep.

Your mind is racing with thoughts on how to get home.

Home.

Your heart aches, and you roll over.

Even though they are the same brothers you know and love, they are different.

They weren't supposed to know you yet... and you were starting to get discouraged with the whole 'getting home safely back to your own timeline' thing.

Your eyes squeeze shut as they begin to sting with fresh, hot tears.

The tears begin rolling down your cheeks, leaking down onto your pillow case.

Your breath shudders as you begin to hyperventilate.

You don't notice the creak of the door as it opens.

You also don't notice the bed shifting from the weight of another person sitting down next to you.

Suddenly, your torso is being gently lifted so you are now in an upright position.

Gentle hands rub your back and quiet murmurs of "Shhh.." and "It's alright, MC" soothe your state of panic.

You attempt to catch your breath as you glance over at your unexpected guest.

"S-Solomon...i-i'm sorry..."

His silver hair practically glows in the moonlight that shines through your bedroom window.

"It's alright, deep breaths, MC. Do you want to talk about what is troubling you?" he offers you a handkerchief and you take it with trembling hands.

He already knows, but you can't help but tell him how homesick you are.

How much you miss the brothers. But your version of the brothers.

He nods, expecting this. "You're trying very hard, MC. We both are. And we will get there, I promise you."

You throw yourself into his chest, wrapping your arms around him.

"I hope so, Sol. Please tell me that's a reality for us."

He hums, squeezing you tight. All he wants to do is protect you from the world.

"I know you'll make it a reality, MC. You continue to impress me everyday."

You begin to relax into him as he cradles you, gently rocking you in his lap.

After awhile you pull away, and he surprises you with a peck to the forehead.

You can't help but smile, gazing up at him with tired eyes.

"There. You look so much better with that cute smile on your face."

You scoff, rolling your eyes. "Don't sound like some creepy old man."

He chuckles, brushing your hair out of your face. "Well this old man is tired. Why don't we get some rest together, my dear MC?"

Luke

You startled awake, grasping at your bedsheets.

Your forehead is soaked with sweat, causing your hair to stick to your face.

You thought you were over the nightmares, but they still somehow manage to plague the peacefulness of your dreams.

Gasping for air, you hop out of bed.

You decide you need some water. And some air.

Remembering that you had stayed overnight at Purgatory Hall, you make your way in the direction of the kitchen.

Trying to stay quiet, you creak open the door of the kitchen, wincing at the high pitch squeal that elicits from it.

You grab some water, taking thirsty gulps as you try to calm down.

However, you can't help the tears that spill over your cheeks.

You sob softly, still trying to keep quiet. You weren't sure how late it was, but you knew everyone else would be asleep.

Or so you thought.

You hear the door creak open again, and you spin around quickly, tears still glistening on your cheeks.

"H-Hello? U-Um, who is in here? Is everything ok?"

You hear the tiny voice of Luke, his blonde head peeking through the door.

You give him a half-hearted smile as you attempt to wipe your tears away.

"H-Hi Luke, it's just me. Yeah i'm okay. You don't need to worry."

You hear a small sigh of relief as he steps into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

He glances up at you, more awake now that he notices your sniffles and red rimmed eyes.

"B-But... you were crying...are you sure you're okay?" he frowns, sadness filling his bright blue eyes.

You shake your head, sitting down at the kitchen table. "I just had a bad dream and I got really thirsty, so i needed some water."

Luke nods, coming over to sit down next to you.

"I get that. I have bad dreams too. The Devildom is a little scary sometimes, so i try my best to be brave during the daytime...but at night..." he glances around, shivering a little.

You chuckle, nodding in agreement. "I'm glad you understand. Sometimes it's a little scary to me, too."

Of course, you don't want to tell him about the night of the incident with Belphegor.

That's the true reason nightmares creep in at night. But you don't want to scare the little angel more.

"But you're so brave, MC. It makes me want to be a little stronger too."

You smile, reaching out to ruffle his blonde hair.

"Luke, you are already so brave. You came in here ready to fight off whatever intruder was lurking in kitchen!"

He giggles, grabbing your hand. "I will always keep you safe, MC!"

It's your turn to giggle now as you stand up to stretch, a yawn escaping in the process.

"Well what do you say we head back to our rooms before Simeon hears and comes and scolds us? Then you'll really have to protect us both."

[bogleech]

What are your favourite dragon quest monsters across the entire series?

The first Dragon Quest Monsters game I've ever gotten to play wound up being the first one to leave out exactly the top three I looked forward to getting:

GIANTSLUG/MAULUSC: I'm pickier about slug and snail creatures than you maybe expect but I love the vapid drippy zombie face of the DQ slug. It perfectly captures the appeal of a slug as a monster, a mindless gooey thing that will just eat you without a care. And its classic color scheme is that of a Banana Slug!!

BELZEBUB: I am also picky about fly creatures; usually I want them to have the proboscis present in some way, and the correct number of wings (two). There's something I still love about the toothy mouth of Belzebub however, maybe the way it curls up between the eyes? It just does a good job capturing the feel of a fly's personality I guess.

DARKEYE/EYELASHER: eye creatures can also very easily feel a bit boring to me because I've just seen so, so many of them, but DQ's basic killer eyeball appeals to me a lot with its irregular fungus-like collection of tentacles. The little root branches on "top" are especially cool to me, and sometimes they're the bottom, because they represent where the eyeball attaches to either floors or ceilings! In a few games, they're even encountered as parasites inside bigger monsters!

I used to admire the guidebook to the first two DQ Monsters games as a kid but never had the games themselves, and never got around to any other DQ titles. I just spent my whole life waiting for just the right one where I'd finally get to assemble my three favorites, then finally this new one comes out and has to be the first time these three took a vacation :( But, Dark Prince was at least nice enough to include exactly my next three favorites in the franchise. I went over them already in my DQM Dark Prince post but some people will see this post first so I will have to reintroduce them:

DROHL: droopy flappy membranous mollusk guys, honestly horrible looking in a great way. In 3d games it turns out their helmetlike head spirals in the back like a snail shell! Apparently they're meant to be troll-like beings.

LUNATICK: just a blue fleshy sac thing with gooey antennae, a bunch of tentacles (most of them segmented like worms!) and a little eyeball, perfect, no criticisms, also reminds me of what Berserk considers an "Incubus:"

(Don't worry, Berserk Incubus aren't sex monsters but monsters that give you nightmares and feed on the fear)

TAILEATER/MAD MOLLUSK: I love how pathetic their front face looks, and the whole shape is so pleasantly reminiscent of an abyssal sea cucumber of some kind.

SKULLROO/GUAARDVARK: I didn't even realize this was one of my top favorites until getting it in Dark Prince. It's an unpleasant wrinkly fat aardvark kangaroo thing that just always carries a human skull around. Its profile says they collect them and the one they carry is their favorite! A lot of slightly lower favorites were also left out however, none of these are in Dark Prince but are very high up there to me:

PYURO: what is this thing? I don't know! Different games have categorized it as an insect or a plant. It's a furball with five eyes encircling a butterfly proboscis, two little legs and a big huge ring of flower petals behind it. Very xenobiology.

TONGUELLA: it's kinda like a dumpy, hairless sloth with an aardvark tail with a mushed-in dog face and a giant gross tongue. I guess I just like foul moist beasts. I wish this was a real mammal we had in the world, I bet it'd smell terrible. Feels like a perfect counterpart to Guaardvark.

SLURPERON: it's one tiny pitcher plant with a giant tongue and then it has cool reptilian eyes at the bottom end. So simple and so rad! A fun way to stylize a pitcher plant monster without ripping off Victreebel.

SICKLER: is a little tiny mantis in a robe, like the Tonberry from Final Fantasy but a mantis

RAGIN' CONTAGION: a newer one, a gooey vaporous cyclops ghost that represents disease. In its first appearance as a boss in the series the English localizers decided it should talk like Yosemite Sam. Sure why not!

So I like the new game and it gave me some new favorites like Skellyfish and new appreciation for some others, but oddly it only has my very middle all-time faves

[greenerteacups]

Hi! Just wanted to say the latest chapter is lovely & amazing & sweet & had me smiling the whole time! I absolutely love your characterisation of everyone, especially Draco, so it was so so lovely to return to this world & to his thoughts!! with his best friend and crush at malfoy manor no less! All the yearning is already off to a great start hehe I am so excited for the rest of book 5!

Wanted to ask you how has it been for you to write this new book and volume? Has your writing process changed since when you’d first begun taking on a long form project like this?

& also are there any moments or surprises in this book that you’re especially excited about?

sending so much love & gratitude for you and your incredible works 💓

Thank you so much! This is really encouraging, I so appreciate it.

Inasmuch as I can use this metaphor without having kids myself, I sort of see each of the books as a different child. The first one flew out in basically a few weeks of very intensive writing, and it was a total dream — plot, pacing, symbolism, major beats, all fell into place basically without effort. The character stuff was the hardest, as I've written about before, but even then, the glorious part of writing beginnings is it's the most energy you'll ever have for a project, so the lows were pretty soft lows. Book 2, in contrast, I had to drag kicking and screaming by its ankle from under the bottommost mattress of my brain. It's one of my least favorite books (tone problem; COS has killer plot/setting/ingredients for a YA novel, but it's stuck in the doldrums of Harry Potter's well-documented Early-Installment Weirdness, before Cedric Diggory slams the gas and upshifts the whole series into its correct age bracket). More specifically, once I'd gone through and picked out everything in the book that happened because of Lucius, I didn't have a plot — hey alexa how do you rewrite Chamber of Secrets when We Got No Fucking Chamber Of Secrets — and oh by the way, even if you want to do a moody tone/political setup book, remember that your protagonists are still twelve, so if you go too dark or too intense, you'll risk torpedoing your readers' suspension of disbelief. Good luck, Charlie.

Book 3 felt the most like its own novel, if that makes sense? It's the last truly feel-good book of the series; it's a great stand-alone mystery novel with relatively low stakes. Plus you get a bunch of the big series icons: patronuses, dementors, werewolves, Hogsmeade, the Marauders' Map, and time turners arithmancy. It just felt like a good old-fashioned motherfucking romp of a mystery/adventure story, before any of the complex character work and major stakes of the late books come in.

Book 4 was the most fun I've had writing anything maybe ever. I don't even know what it was. Maybe the tournament arc, honestly? Love me a tournament arc. But in any case, I opened every new chapter feeling a tingle of excitement for what I was gonna get to do. Oh, and the romance started, finally, Jesus God (if it feels like a slow burn reading, just imagine what it felt like writing it, when everything takes ten times as long, and you have to figure out how to word the fucker.)

Book 5, in contrast, has felt much less like that tingle of "here we go!" and more like "oh, man, this is gonna be cool." Because this is the arc of the story that composed the original idea for Lionheart, literally years ago, and to be honest, I didn't think I'd get this far! If you'd asked me "do you know that it's going to take you 500,000 words of backstory before you can start writing that concept you're thinking about, and you're going to do it anyway?" I would have said: "absolutely not, strange mind-reader!" But like... I'm here! Finally! And it's... real now? Like, this isn't just a bunch of clips of scenes in my head anymore! That's rad!

That being said, it's definitely been slower than Book 4, because I kept switching back to my outline document to make sure that certain things were set up properly, and that I hadn't lost any of the plot threads or forgotten a minor beat that was vitally important for the story three chapters later. And I had a minor crisis about three months ago when I ripped out about 8 chapters in the first third of the book — basically everything from September to December — because I'd done a readthrough to check pacing (big mistake! never edit while drafting, that's satan talking) and realized I had a missing storyline. Like, there was a whole layer of the story that was just. Missing. Not there. And the existing text really couldn't fit another thread, so instead of taking weeks to pore through and try to sift out what I could save, I needed to factory reset and start over. And I didn't want to! I vividly remember sitting there with my head in my hands, trying not to weep, because I'd decimated 90,000 words of work in a single edit. But it had to be done. Because the story wasn't going to work. And now (hopefully) it will.

And of course, there's still that sense of excitement and exhilaration from before. Always. But whereas Book 4 felt like a delicious chocolate pudding, Book 5 is a medium-rare steak.

(Book 6, so far, is four shots of espresso and a whiskey chaser. FWIW.)