#though i have my doubts about what kind of animal this little guy actually is...

[marlynnofmany]

Fuzzy Eggs

After several deliveries that we had to cross alien terrain for, it was nice to have a client actually meet us at the ship for pickup. We didn’t even have to leave the spaceport, small though it was.

“I can’t wait to try this out,” said the green lizardy guy as he tapped away at the payment tablet. “The advertising promises it will repel any small pest with a sense of hearing, and the last three repellents we tried did nothing.”

I asked, “What kind of pest?” (Was I about to find a hard downside to meeting someone right outside the airlock? I really didn’t want any kind of infestation on our ship.)

The guy handed the tablet back and gestured vaguely. “Round furry things. I don’t know what planet they’re from, but they could easily overrun this one if we don’t get a handle on the situation fast. The colony’s already having to keep every window and door shut, but they slip through the tiniest cracks. At least they’re wildly colored and easy to spot before they eat all your food.”

Mur tentacle-walked over with the package, holding it up like he was a squid-shaped butler with a tray of champagne. He gave me a look as the client snatched it up eagerly. “Well, animal expert?” he asked me. “Any insights?”

I shrugged. “Sounds like rodents from Earth, though ours aren’t usually wildly colored. And I have my doubts that a product exists that makes noises to repel every kind of pest. Especially without also repelling the people who set it up.”

The client was already ripping open the box. “Gonna find out. I see a few of the fuzzy little food thieves over there.” He jerked his snout toward a cluster of bushes at the edge of the landing pad.

I’d thought the puffs of color on the ground were other plants, but now that I really looked, they were moving. All in wild pinks and blues, too. Exceptionally fluffy.

Paint came trotting up. “The captain says we should close the door as soon as possible. Apparently there’s a known pest in the spaceport. Oh, hi.” She greeted the client as an afterthought.

He mumbled something polite back, more interested in getting the gadget to work than in greeting another of his own species. He hadn’t stepped back far enough for us to shut the door yet.

Mur peered past him suspiciously. “Did those things come here by stowing away on another ship?”

“Probably,” the client said. Then something clicked. “Aha!”

There might have been a noise. I couldn’t really tell. General spaceport sounds and local breeze made a background ambiance, but I kind of felt like there was something I should have been able to hear. Almost. A glance at Paint and Mur showed similar non-reactions. The fuzzballs by the bush did nothing.

“WHAT is that SOUND?” demanded Zhee, sticking his bug eyes around the corner. He had his pinchers clenched and his posture lower than usual, like he was crouching to make the sound quieter. I still didn’t know where his ears were. “Kindly stop it!”

“Sorry.” The client produced another click, apparently turning it off. “At least I know that it came fully charged. I’ll go test it on the fuzzball invasion.”

Zhee had already picked up a foreleg to continue down the hallway, but he paused at that. “What kind of fuzzballs?”

The client launched into an explanation, but I just pointed at the bush. “Those things over there. Lots of them, apparently.”

Zhee hurried over for a look, nearly knocking Paint off her feet. He sounded absolutely delighted when he exclaimed, “This planet has Egg Day?”

Blank looks all around. I asked, “Egg Day?”

He clicked a pincher arm and spoke quickly, like he was explaining something blindingly obvious that we all should know. “Mesmer holiday. The fuzz eggs emerge all at once — the first wave, anyway — and culling the population is great sport.” He addressed the client with an intense look. “These are an invasion you’d like to be rid of, yes?”

“Yes,” the client said in surprise. “They’re—”

Zhee was already turning away from him and talking to Mur. “Tell the captain to wait a little. We’re not in a hurry.” He looked at Paint. “Don’t tell Trrili.” Then he dashed out onto the landing pad, purple exoskeleton gleaming in the sun, a spectacle of predatory joy.

I’d made a step towards the hallway at one point, with thoughts of putting the payment tablet away, and an ominous voice hissed over my shoulder. “Don’t tell Trrrrrili what?”

I flinched a little, and pretended I hadn’t. “Hi there. Something about Egg Day?”

The tilt of her antennae and the flare of glossy black mandibles looked offended. “And he wanted a head start? The cheater!” She launched herself past all of us in a whirlwind of black and red. Paint thumped against the wall and the client nearly dropped the gadget.

Outside, Zhee already had a pile of crumpled furballs at his feet, and he was excavating the bushes for more. Trrili charged past him to upend a wheeled cart and expose the cluster of rainbow fur underneath. She put her praying mantis pinchers to their intended purpose, all the while bickering with Zhee about unsporting head starts.

The rest of us stared from the doorway.

“Oh my,” said the client.

Mur picked up some stray packing foam and handed it to him to put back in the box. “Those two ought to make a dent in your infestation,” he said. “And I daresay we can pass the word on to any other Mesmers nearby to come join the fun. Depending on the scale of the problem.”

“That … might be a good idea. Thank you.”

Eggskin appeared with a medkit, looking concerned. “What’s happening? I heard something about wanton violence.”

I hurried to reassure them. “Nothing to worry about. Just pest control. And a competition, apparently.”

Eggskin peered outside, shading their pale-scaled face from the sun. “Oh, Egg Day!”

Paint demanded, “You know about that?”

“Sure, it’s a Mesmer holiday,” Eggskin said, setting down the medkit. “Looks like somebody accidentally introduced the fuzz eggs here, huh? They leave egg cases in every hiding place they can find, and you usually don’t suspect a thing until they emerge all at once like that. Good thing we brought a couple of Egg Day veterans with us.”

The client was still clutching the box of electronics, wide-eyed. “They mentioned calling in more?”

“Probably wise,” Eggskin said. “We’ll have to be on our way before too long.” They picked up the medkit again. “Speaking of which, I should make sure we have enough storage space in the refrigeration unit, since they’ll want to eat every one of those.”

I shook my head. “This is a far cry from Easter when I was a kid. Though we did get to eat the hard-boiled eggs. And the ones that had candy inside. None of those took much of a battle to open, though. Well, except for the really little kids who weren’t strong enough yet.”

Paint looked up at me in consternation. “Your species has the same violent holiday as theirs?”

“Ours isn’t violent,” I said. “Unless kids fight over who saw an egg first, I guess. And there is that one noteworthy bit of lore that features a violent death, but that’s just part of the story behind it all. The actual event is totally different from this.” I watched my coworkers seek out brightly-colored round things in every little crevice about the spaceport. “Totally different.”

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[silverwarewolf]

DUNGEON MESHI EPISODE 24 THOUGHTS

Oh, I had asked to see what the party's thoughts regarding the changeling situation were, especially when it came to their lifespans, but I didn't think it would turn out like this!

GOOD FUCKING JOB, CHILCHUCK. YOU'VE TRAUMATIZED MARCILLE EVEN FURTHER. Oh but I do so love the horrors of this situation of theirs. Marcille babygirl I would like to hug you and have a nice chat.

Anywya, on we go to think about Falin and any solutions that might help us here. Which is great! I love how much foreshadowing there is (in terms of what I've been vaguely told about the manga).

Laios Touden's problem solving skills, everyone.

That's honestly the SICKEST weapon design, I'm so on board with you Laios. This could be Kensuke's Halloween makeover. BUT DONT JUST TAKE THOSE MUSHROOMS WITH YOU OH MY GOD

... was this the opening sequence foreshadowing everyone was freaking out about? was that it? (don't actually tell me, though. if it was it, say yes. if it wasn't, don't say anything)

no comment here I just love them.

I just will never get used to elfshi's hands being Like That. But it's also kinda nice to see him and Izutsumi working along so nicely! Like, don't even get me started on how Izu is presented as the pickiest eater of the party (Marcille has been dethroned severely) and usually you'd see that presented as a Hassle, but here in DM, Senshi doesn't even bat an eye. He knows and respects Izutsumi's tastes and preferences and works his meals out around it! That's such a based thing for him to do. <3

This is a renaissance painting. (I love it when they adapt Ryoko Kui's visual gags and I LOVE when she does zoomed in faces like this. Truly one of the artists ever)

I did not have "Laios gets Pissed On" on my bingo card but every day I grow more and more convinced that the animators KNOW what they're doing and - OH MY GOD IS THAT SENSHI'S DWUSSY. ELFSHI ALTERNATIVE TO PANTY SHOT.

Ah, yes, Izutsumi sprawls all over them when sleeping, we been knew, again it's a little unexpected to see it front and center but I guess it works to demonstrate them returning to - THAT WAS LAIOS??? AND CHILCHUCK IS JUST LIFTING HIS LEG LIKE THAT?? OKAY THEN. SURE.

(and then there's a few more seconds of laiosfoot and laios bedhead)

BUT HEY THEY'RE BACK TO NORMAL

1) Yep, they're back to normal.

2) Laios I love you and I love Gothsuke but someone needs to be careful about biohazards and it's not going to be you.

3) Add this to the "Marcille Donato gets threateningly close to you in three steps" folder.

4) Truly only they can match each other's freak. When the NECROMANCER is telling you not to do something, don't do it! I know last time you smuggled a "normal" sword, it turned out to be useful, but I'm sure that's not the case here!

5) Poor Laios tho. I'll learn to blacksmith just to give you a cool sword. <3

I'm so glad they kept this. One of the silliest touden siblings moments. 10/10 no notes. Also, Falin is never beating the blunt force trauma allegations.

IS THAT CHILCHUCK'S WIFE. ARE YOU - MA'AM. HELLO?

"Why aren't you a twink like I thought you'd be?!" gets adapted! (I'm pretty sure that's the scene meant to be here, anyways)

I get it, girl.

Oh dear, they're going to eat Falin. And SENSHI was the one to suggest it! For a guy who was just fighting the doubts of accidental cannibalism a week ago, you're taking bold steps forward.

(I do love how it mirrors Laios' kindness back then, in truth. Even if it's an idea so shocking and dire at first, it comes from a place of reason and logic and love)

Marcille "I said I wanted to eat her OUT, not eat HER" Donato Izutsumi "That's going to taste gross as fuck" Izutsumi Chilchuck "If it brings her back..." Tims Laios Touden, the man with a thousand things on his head right now, two of which I reckon are "I don't want to eat my sister" and "Dragon-Chicken... what might it taste like?"

Yes, well. Valid as your concerns are, Laios, because how the fuck would five people eat THAT much meat, you can't just ramble on about what dishes you're going to make out of your sister.

(...I get it, though. I mean if you're going to eat, might as well make it good, right? I know no one wants to grill one of Faligon's ribs but I'll go ahead and say it would be worse to tell them to eat her raw)

FUCK! we DID lose those scenes about the twin bell that toshiro kept!! forever sad about that.

oh my godddd they're going back into the dungeonnn we're going to reunite with themmm

I know they're really fucking competent, I mean, Namari and Toshiro are already described as pretty formidable warriors (and we've seen it), and Kabru is... admittedly much more geared to fight humans but he's a decent fighter either way. And a good leader!

Speaking of, where the fuck is everyone else.

I know they're meant to be scary (and I suppose they are! If we have the reference that, firstly, marcille is an excellent spellcaster so these elves could be just as good in their own areas of expertise, yes?, and secondly, the canaries are Well Known)

... plus, Namari, Toshiro and Kabru are wary of them. Namari, Toshiro and Kabru are wary of them.

BUT damn it Lycion, I need to- (gets dragged off stage)

Anyway, while we wait for the next season (WHICH HAS BEEN GREENLIT! WOHOO!), have these wonderful images of chicken falin being a cathedral painting (...if cathedrals ever added dragons, i guess) and my beloveds, who have finally returned!

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

John the Apostle | Right In Front Of You | Romantic

When John catches wind of you attending a party where your former betrothed will also be one of the guests, he doesn’t hesitate to accompany you. When the man who left you for someone else mistakes your plus one for your husband, you realise something you could have seen ages ago.

Requested by Chosengirl (Patreon)

You could have just refused to attend in the first place, but when you catch wind that your supposed-to-be-betrothed Micah will be at your friend’s party, you simply cannot help yourself but be too curious to not show up. After all, you simply want to know if he made the right choice by going after your best friend at the time and marry her instead, simply because the dowry had been more interesting… Or if he is miserable about letting you go at all.

John notices you brooding one morning as you sit together on the docks, your fathers engaged in conversation that you have no choice but to sit out. “What’s that thoughtful look for?” he wonders, and gives you a soft smile in the hopes it will coax your secrets out of you. Humming a little, you consider not telling him at all, but the look he gives you instantly makes you cave. 

“Just something silly,” you admit, shrugging as you try to make it smaller than it actually is for you, “A friend of mine invited me to a party to celebrate her 25th birthday, and I caught wind that the guy I was supposed to marry will be there, too.” 

Something drops and tightens in John’s chest. He hadn’t been aware of a previous betrothal, and suddenly, a flare of jealousy grows within him. “Oh, I… I didn’t know you had been engaged before… What happened?” It must have been something bad, seeing that as of now, you are still very much unmarried.

A sudden feeling of shame creeps over your cheeks and you sigh, slightly regretting bringing up the party at all. “Well, we weren’t officially betrothed yet, but he had promised to go to my father and ask for my hand. He had been saying this for so long that I’d been truly considering him as my partner and developed some serious feelings because of it… And then, my best friend at the time had a father who thought to offer quite the  for him to marry his daughter instead. My husband-to-be agreed without a second thought. Needless to say, I didn’t want either of them in my life from that moment on. I was heartbroken.” 

John lets out a pained sound when he sees the obvious hurt that crosses your face. Even after two years, it still stings something deep within you. After all, it had made you question your own worth. By that same token, John cannot wrap his head around the fact that someone would let a beautiful woman like you go, no matter how high the concurring dowry. Even if your family had nothing to offer, he’d gladly have your hand in marriage without complaint, but he won’t say that out loud.

“Oh, (Y/n), that’s horrible…” he murmurs, putting a hand on your arm, “I’m sorry to hear that. It must have hurt a lot, seeing that you were supposed to share your life with that person.” 

You shrug and attempt to make it look indifferent, even though your eyes tell him otherwise. “It is fine, really,” you admit, “If anything, I’m glad that he showed his true colours before I got hitched to him. People are fools in the face of money, really.” 

The younger son of Zebedee scoffs. “Tell me about it. You know, if I had been him, I wouldn’t have doubted marrying you for a second.” He instantly blushes when he realises just how much he now reveals, but perhaps even more so to his dismay, you give him a kind smile and pull a face. 

“Ah, John, that is just so sweet of you to say. Thank you.” 

He clears his throat and rubs his neck. “You’re uh… You’re very welcome. Now… What about that party you mentioned? Are you attending?” 

You chew your bottom lip as you momentarily let your gaze go to your conversing abba’s, who seem to have a very animated discussion about the best type of nets to use. You’re still going to have to sit here for a while, you think to yourself. John doesn’t mind this in the slightest. 

“I’m not sure yet,” you say, even though your preference shimmers through, “I mean, I’m just very curious to see how far they’ve made it. Does that make sense? Or is it petty?” 

John hums as he mulls over your question. “I don’t know, I don’t see the harm in it. After all, it’s not like you’re going to try and win him over again, right?” 

You shudder involuntarily and it causes the younger Thunder to lightly chuckle. At the same time, something akin to a thrill goes through him when you establish that you are no longer interested in Micah. “Oh, please, no. I dodged a very unstable marriage there. But yes, I kind of want to see how they are doing. Perhaps it also helps with some kind of closure?” Suddenly, you feel a little insecure, plucking at your sleeve. “I mean… After all, I’ve doubted myself because of it. Wondered if I’d ever find myself a spouse, if I’d be worthy of marriage ever again.” 

John can barely believe his ears, nearly gawking at you as he processes your words. How can you possibly say these things about yourself, he wants to ask, but he shakes himself out of it. In spite of how bad he wants to talk some sense into you, that any man who would get a chance at marrying you should consider themselves the luckiest man alive, he holds himself back. Had he been more knowledgable about your feelings for him, if they existed in the first place… That might have been a different story. John thinks for an embarrassingly long second about a vivid image of himself kissing you senseless right here and now, but quickly clears his throat and gets himself out of it before he can blush too hard. 

“If it would be of any help to you,” John offers instead, “I’d be glad to accompany you.” 

“As like, my plus one?” 

He rubs his neck, scratching through the unruly curls at the base as he averts his gaze, suddenly abashed. A sight that makes your heart pleasantly stutter, but you don’t let it on. Sheepishly, he shrugs. “Yeah, something like that. Make that fool think that you’ve moved on. Perhaps he will see what he is missing, right?” 

You go over the suggestion inside your mind. The idea of showing up on John’s arm at your friend’s party would definitely turn a head or two. You find the younger son of Zebedee definitely not hard on the eyes. All looks aside, you’d consider yourself lucky to be seen in the proximity of a man as honourable and sweet as him. The decision is easily made. “I’d appreciate that,” you say softly, smiling when John visibly seems to be delighted at that.

“Oh, alright! When is the party?” 

“Tomorrow evening,” you say, seeing the sudden alarm in his eyes. For a second, you fear that he might not be able to attend at all, but he quickly stands and turns to you sharply. 

“In that case, I’ll need to find my best tunic.” 

You laugh softly at that. “Oh, John, it’s just a birthday party, nothing fancy about it!” 

He smirks at you softly and points a finger at you. “None of that. Only the best to make your ex jealous.” You blush at that idea and wave it off. 

“Oh, shush. You know that I am not interested in Micah anymore, nor in his affections.” 

John doesn’t hear your protests anymore, and if he does, he chooses to ignore them. He promises to show up at your house just after dinner to come and pick you up, leaving you be on the docks to wait for your father and Zebedee to finish their conversation all by yourself. With a sigh, you smile and fight the flush that threatens to find a home on your face, forcing down the intense butterflies that begin to course through your system. 

—

You are just done tucking your hair into place when John the Beloved shows up with neatly combed curls and smelling of… Pine and sandalwood. You don’t mind the way he cleans up in the slightest, even though you are trying to convince yourself that you aren’t into him that way. No, John has been your friend for a very long time and you don’t see why that would sudden change. After all, you are well aware that he sees you as a little sister of sorts. Even though he never said that out loud, you believe it anyways. 

“Wow, (Y/n), you look…” John gulps in an attempt to get rid of the sudden dryness in his throat at the sight of you, his heart beginning to hammer, “You look amazing. That colour really suits you.” 

You look down at the tunic in your favourite colour, which you had found somewhere between the others. Even though it is just an informal get-together, you have put extra effort in your appearance, perhaps more so because of the fact that John had promised you that he’d look good, too. You cannot appear like a slob next to the younger son of Zebedee, after all.

“Thank you,” you softly murmur, accepting his outstretched arm as you lead him to your friend’s house. Under your arm sits a tiny gift you purchased for her from the market the other day, a tiny block of soap that reminds you of spring rain, and the two of you fall into pleasant silence. 

“So,” John is the one to break it just a little before your arrival at your friend’s house, “Anything I should know about the friend group that is attending?” 

You hum. “Oh, honestly, I’m not sure who everyone is. There are a few women I know from my friend group when I was younger. The birthday girl is named Sarah and my ex is called Micah. And the so-called ‘friend’ he left me for is called Judith, but I doubt that she’ll be present here today.” 

John nods, taking in the names and locking them away into memory as you arrive at the party. Sarah is already waiting for you and welcomes you heartily on the threshold of her small home, that she had purchased together with her sister after the passing of their parents. She greets you with a warm embrace and you laugh, smiling as you pat her back. “Hey Sarah, happy birthday!” 

“Thank you, (Y/n). I’m so glad you could make it. I didn’t know you were seeing someone again!” 

You swallow hard and look over your shoulder at John, who inhales sharply. 

“Oh, this is John, he’s not—” 

“Hello, I’m John. I’m (Y/n)’s betrothed. Happy birthday, by the way. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Your face flames when John introduces himself that way to your friend, and now you know that there is no other choice but to roll with the punches. Not that the thought itself disgusts you… Not at all… 

Perhaps this won’t be such a bad evening.

John and you enter, accepting a drink and sitting on one of the available benches as people keep pouring in. “I hope that was alright with you,” John admits with a small smile, “I just thought it would look better if we pretended to be together, you know? Otherwise, people might talk, get the wrong idea.” 

You give him a small smile, hiding your flush behind your mug as you take a sip of cheap wine that has been out for too long. Flinching at the flavour, you gulp it down. “That was some quick thinking there. Thank you.” 

With a curious look, John glances around the room. “Any sign of Micah yet?” 

You cast a thoughtful observation into the crowd but do not find him. “Nope,” you shake your head, “Not yet…” 

The two of you sit there for a bit, eventually deciding to mingle lest you appear anti-social. You are here for Sarah first and foremost and definitely want to show off being here with John a little, although you don’t tell him that. 

—

Eventually, you nearly forget why you are here. John and you are having so much fun chatting with your newly made acquaintances that it takes you by utter surprise when you turn to face John and instead let your gaze fall onto an older-looking Micah on the threshold of the house, greeting Sarah with a curt embrace. 

John senses your sudden tension and follows your line of sight, seeing the man you’re eyeing. “Is that him?” You nod in agreement and gently, John lets his hand fall onto your shoulder, slides it down to your waist, until it rests on your lower back. The sudden, intimate touch snaps you out of it, and you look up at the younger son of Zebedee, the sight of his kind smile warming you to your toes. 

Okay, you think to yourself, perhaps you are in love with him. “Is this alright?” 

“Yes,” you breathe.

“Do you want to go and say shalom to him?” 

You don’t even need to answer that question. Micah’s eyes already go through the room and fall on you, and he gives you a small wave of his hand as familiarity crosses his features. You nod at him in greeting, already seeing him approach you. For a moment, you feel your heart pick up in speed. John gently squeezes your waist, which keeps you grounded more than it should.

“Hey, (Y/n).” 

“Shalom,” you mutter, shaking Micah’s outstretched hand. You notice that his hair is longer than usual, and his grip is not as firm. “How do you do?” 

He smiles and takes a sip of his drink, allowing himself to observe you for a moment. You swallow hard, close to telling him off for ogling you. Then, his eyes flicker over to the man next to you. John stands a little taller than him and wears a rather protective look on his features. Micah feels his cheeks pale. 

“I’m doing well,” he quips after clearing his throat. 

“How is Judith doing?” 

Micah rubs his neck, suddenly feeling a tad awkward. “I uh… I wouldn’t know. I.. I called off the wedding.” 

You blink in a few long moments of silence, attempting to make heads or tails of what he is telling you exactly. “What?” you huff, barely believing your ears. “And here I was, thinking you moved away to another city…” 

“Ah, I’ve been kind of avoiding you, honestly. Judith moved out, though. I… She was very upset with me not wanting to marry her anymore. It was because I realised that all I wanted was right in front of me all along, you know?” He gives you a sheepish smile, but doesn’t move closer. “But I figured you wouldn’t have me anymore after that stunt I pulled.” 

He was right about that, you bitterly think to yourself. Then, your train of thought goes elsewhere.

Your gaze slowly goes to John, who still has his arm around your waist. He doesn’t pull it away, quite the contrary, he tightens his grip. A soft smile tugs at your lips when you realise something. God had stepped in and prevented you from marrying Micah. He had meant you for the hand of someone else. 

“You know,” you murmur, “That makes two of us, actually.” Gently, you grab John’s hand, squeezing it. Micah’s gaze falls down to watch your interlocked hands, and sighs.

“I see. I understand, though. I wouldn’t want me back, either.” 

You let out a small noise that nearly resembles a laugh. “Want you back? Oh no, that’s not what this is about. The way I see it, Adonai stepped in at the right moment, so that I could see that my heart was with someone else, and has belonged to him all along.” 

John feels his heart soar. The declaration of your love for him is bold and courageous, and it definitely takes Micah by surprise. He goes through all five stages of grief at once, until it settles on acceptance, and he sighs deeply, giving John a look. “I’m happy for you,” he admits, “You seem like a good, Godly man. I can tell that you’re taking good care of her.” 

John nods, smiling down at you as his heart swells with love for you. “I do. And I will.” 

Micah’s eyes widen. “You aren’t married yet?” 

You shake your head, blushing a bit. “No, why? Don’t you think you’d have heard it if I got married?” 

A snort of laughter leaves your former betrothed and he hums. “I suppose so. You just… You look married, you know? The way your eyes glitter when you gaze at each other… Well, forgive me for assuming.” 

Squeezing your hand, John lets out a nervous laugh, but it is not mocking in the slightest. It seems that both you and Micah find closure today. You watch your ex walk off into the crowd with sunken shoulders. Feeling John’s eyes on you, you barely dare to look up. Once you do, he smiles gently and tucks some hair behind your ear.

“So, what do you think? Should we make this… You and I… Us… An official thing?” 

You haven’t been more certain about anything in your life, ever.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

This. Plz. I need it. It screams PTSD and comfort piece

Bro??????? I didn't expect to see you in my inbox ghsggsg I love your blog <3

I had this in my drafts for almost a year but I FINALLY got motivated to finish it. So woe Springtrap angst/comfort be upon ye

........

By day, you worked at Fazbear's Fright as its "security guard" actor, making sure everybody got to experience the attraction safely and soundly.

It was far from the dream job you've been hoping for.

The pay sucked, small children were dragged through screaming and crying their little heads off, and some teenagers even made tasteless jokes about the tragedies that happened over 30 years ago.

It wasn't any better at night, as you were legitimately a guard who had to ensure nobody broke in and stole anything, all while working in hazardous conditions with only a slight pay raise as compensation.

You were all for "authenticity", but sometimes you considered filing a complaint with the health department....and then you remembered that this was the only job that was willing to hire you on the spot.

Bills didn't pay themselves, of course.

Like it or not, you had to work here.

However, it wasn't all that boring at night...and you actually preferred being here with nobody else around.

And no, not because your only worries are some faulty cameras, shitty ventilation, creepy phantoms of past animatronics invading your mind, and the possibility of a fire breaking out...

But because of something that your "dudebro" of a manager mentioned during your second nightshift.

"We found a real one. A live one."

Ever since then, you've seen him stalking the premises a few times.

It was Bonnie, but at the same time not Bonnie.

There was a person inside that animatronic, wearing it as a suit. And he seemed to be trapped within it, likely for years and left to decay as his bones, flesh, and even some vital organs were exposed by all the rips and tears.

At first you thought it was a cool little Halloween concept, convinced that 99% of the attraction's budget went into making such realistic gory details for a costume that showed the real-life consequences of the fabled "springlock failure".

You even jokingly told the actor inside he can come out and take a break as you were the only one here, promising you won't rat him out..

But you quickly realized he wasn't acting.

All he did was stare at the cameras and through the window. And as you observed him, you can tell he was limping, hearing his jagged breaths and pained moans echoing through the halls. Like a wounded animal begging to be put down.

The few times he did speak to you....it sounded like something was strangling him, crushing his vocal cords, making him choke out his words as though he had been chain smoking for the past 30 years.

But it wasn't any drug he was on.

He was literally a dead man walking.

You had doubts he was even a man anymore.

By all accounts, he shouldn't be alive..but he was.

Something in that suit was keeping him on life support, and it wasn't batteries or servos or electricity, but something entirely paranormal.

You felt bad for the poor guy, whoever he was. Nobody deserved this kind of torturous fate...except maybe criminal scum.

The only thing you did know was that somebody used that Springbonnie suit to commit those infamous murders back in the early 80s.

The victims were children.

Literal children who died in the place where they should have felt nothing but joy and safety.

You didn't wanna believe it could be....him.

It couldn't be, right?

He was probably just a random hapless employee who got into a tragic accident with the suit, unable to move or cry out for help. Nobody likely knew he was still inside when they sealed the walls.

No way could he be that evil man.

So when you didn't see him at all tonight, that's when you became concerned and decided to seek him out. Hopefully he didn't collapse somewhere unreachable.

You weren't sure what compelled you to look for him, but....you'd hate to sit in the office all night and deal with more ghosts.

Eventually, you did find him in one of the furthest rooms, clearly writhing and tormented by something unseen to you.

Maybe those phantoms haunted him, too?

It would definitely make you feel less alone and less crazy.

You stood near one of the arcade machines, cautious as you weren't sure what to say to him.

"Are you okay" sounded stupid, as this man was literally rotting inside a tomb he could not escape from. So he was very much not okay and would never be okay.

Not as long as he was in that suit, which has apparently become infused with his flesh.

Before you could think of anything to console him or even indicate your presence...his gray optics flickered to meet your human eyes, eyelids lowering as though he was trying to mimic squinting.

"M.....Michael...?" He rasped.

Your heart leapt into your throat, feeling it pounding as you wondered if he was expecting somebody else.

But he's seen you before, hasn't he?

It's always been you here.

"It's me, the guard you've been seeing a lot.." You began awkwardly. "This is the first time we've really met each other, and not through a window."

Now the man-animatronic seemed less tense, as though disappointed. "You should...stay away. This suit..still has its kinks...ahhhghh.." He groaned in pain, his fingers curling into his fists, every breath crushing his lungs more than the last. "Hurts...so bad....."

"What does?" Kneeling down, you still minded your distance but now your concern for him only grew further.

"Everything...like...it's....happening all over again. But why...? I'm dead....unless..I-I'm not..."

By this point, he seemed to be muttering to himself, unsure of whether the pain he was feeling was even real. Given what little of his human body you could see, it's incredible he could feel anything and still have thoughts. He shouldn't be able to even speak, and if so...it should only be through those broken prerecorded voicelines given to every animatronic way back then.

But no. He himself was talking--the man who somehow still had active nerves that could feel pain.

You felt bad for him. Life in prison or death penalty would've been more merciful than this hell he went through.

You felt like there was something you could do.

It might be the most insane idea, but you were willing to take your chances if it meant distracting him from the pain even a little bit.

"May I..help you feel something different?"

"..what..? What are you...." The rabbit-man seemed bewildered as you placed your smaller hands into his now open felt green palms, interlocking fingers without any hesitation on your part.

Despite your nose being clogged up with the stench of death, and your stomach churning in kind..you refused to let him go. "What do you feel now?"

"....only my greatest pain..like I was back in that saferoom..." He coughed, his longer ear folding over one eye. "Sometimes...I think....I can just take this off...before it happens again..and again....and again. But....I can't. Why did I do that? Was I scared? Why did it fail me then? Did I deserve it for...for....."

Then he fell silent, his head drooping, and for a moment or two you were worried he somehow shutdown or actually died this time.

But just as you were about to pull your hands free, he suddenly sprung back to life, a ragged gasp escaping him as his fingers curled around yours. It was tight, making you wince a bit, although it was worth seeing the look in his robotic eyes..

Which showed less anguish than before.

"I feel...you." He muttered, almost astonished as he looked down at your hands. "Your flesh. Something I haven't felt in years. Warm, small..easy to crush-"

Before he could say anything further, he felt like he was choking again, the small steel beams and screws piercing his lungs...suffering until he slowly died in a pool of his own blood.

Every now and then, that sensation came back again.

But this time, he felt something different.

Something old, yet new.

Something foreign, yet familiar.

it didn't hurt.

You tried not to look at the piece of his lung that was visible and somehow still functioning, inflating and deflating with every unsteady breath. Instead you kept looking into his eyes, assuring him you're here and you're real.

"It's okay. Keep holding onto me if it helps. I....don't think I ever caught your name," you muttered. "I doubt you wanna be called Springbonnie."

"I've...become more like a Springtrap, " he remarked with a low chuckle. "But....my name...it's...."

"It's what?"

".....what is my name? It's become...lost to me..."

"Oh. Well, I hope it comes back to you soon."

"Hm...perhaps..it will....thank you."

"Of course." You offered him a sympathetic smile.

Maybe this job didn't completely suck after all.

You got to make a friend and help that friend.

[kiyomitakada]

L for the ask game

YAY i was hoping someone would ask me this for him ive been slowly going insane about this guy for a month now

favorite thing about them: varies by day but today his drastic mood swings captivate me.

[monotone] i was just sulking earlier

least favorite thing about them: i do not have one. i love when he cares so much he starts shaking when he tells aizawa not to go after ukita's dead body and i love when he cares so little that he suggests letting matsuda die to confirm that yotsuba is kira and i love when he is the worst person alive and the greatest detective alive also. walking contradiction of a moral code. i hate him. my actual least favorite thing about him is that i didn't get to kill him before light did

favorite line:

manga: "because the good guys always win :)" his smile here always kills me. it was the exact moment i was like ohhhh he's a LIAR

anime: "it'll be lonely, won't it"

musical: from the japanese version of the way things are: いいだろう死神認めよう　だが神が命を裁かない　生きるか死ぬかに意味を持たすのは人間だ. which going half by this translation is "fine then, i'll accept gods of death / but it's not god who judges your life / humans are the ones who give meaning to whether you live or die" i can't explain why i like this one so much. i just do. it is honestly more of a near sentiment than an L sentiment but something about the way he has to do an entire song to accept that shinigami are real delights me

brOTP: i already said L & misa in her post so i will provide another one. L & soichiro are fascinating to me. i like the bit where L suggests putting cameras in his house and soichiro responds with "if you're going to do it you'd better cover the whole house" i think the tension there is so interesting. soichiro has to live with the fact that L suspects light no matter what and yet keeps giving L the benefit of the doubt and even argues to aizawa that L Probably Isn't Financially Pressuring You, I'm Sure There's A Good Reason! and L has to live with the fact that he's made the father he's never had shoot his son in the head. which i don't think L feels bad for necessarily but the mechanics of that decision keep circling in my head like. why not get someone else? isn't light's dad objectively the least believable choice for mock execution purposes? why him, specifically? what buried violence does L see in that man that makes him think he is capable (and he's right!)

also L keeps using him as his moral compass which is hilarious

OTP: do i really have to say this

lawlight is actually so much harder to ship when you're manga-based sometimes i get jealous of how blatant the yaoi is in the anime. however i think the act of showing your face to the outside world for the first time for the sake of making your prime suspect possibly (not even definitely) slip up for once and inviting him to mind meld tennis while thinking about how perfect he is is definitely homosexual

…actually while i'm on this why not just lay out my manifesto right here. okay. i think a lot of people focus on light->L but take L->light for granted because of things like the foot scene which is [banging head on table] NOT IN THE MANGA BECAUSE THE WRITERS HATE ME but it's a fun challenge trying to reconstruct what L thinks of light anyway

this is subject to change but right now i think the appeal to L is that like. he's L. he's an anonymous letter. he lives in a padded empty room and/or everchanging hotel rooms. he almost always solves cases remotely. he doesn't trust people even when he says he does. and then here comes along a serial killer and for the first time in ages L is forced to actually talk to other people and physically inhabit the world and he keeps thinking about going back into seclusion but he keeps choosing to stay because he wants to observe light in person. light is his anchor to the world. a murderer is his anchor to humanity. and for some reason L is obsessed with him.

i think this kind of scares him, though not in a way that a normal person would recognize as fear. he's L. his entire life has been balancing human life as a numerical value and to do so he has to recognize when he has biases. he says out loud that he might just be going after light because he has no other suspects. he has to Understand Himself in order to understand the world around him, he has to know exactly how he is compromised

and for the first time he doesn't.

anyway this is why i think "i wanted you to be kira" was basically a confessi[i am dragged off stage]

nOTP: law/tsuda isn't exactly a notp because i can see the vision but the vast majority of content for them is fluff when what i really want is toxic sludge

random headcanon: he is transfem any-pronouns to meeee to meeeeee. the white shirt + jeans combination is due to the autism but also due to the gender dysphoria (the shirt is noted to be loose in movie side-material canon). he has not yet realized it is dysphoria. possibly he doesn't even realize it's autism i think watari just clocked him as having Unique L Condition and gave him everything he wanted accordingly

unpopular opinion: i'm going to just copy-paste a draft for this one

in my head L is 25 because that's the htr age and it makes sense considering how well established he is with interpol etc. in my heart L is 21 because i think that lets his personality and the dynamics he has with everyone else make vastly more sense and also it is the reasonable age for the teaching assistant you have a parasocial crush on to be. in my soul L is 19, lies about his age all the time, and never makes it to 20 #in my soul-of-souls he's one day older than light and internally holds this over light's head constantly #he says things like ''when i was 17…'' (<- is still 17) #but also L being 21 means you can make blackjack references and that is important to me #the house always wins or whatever

song i associate with them: man of stone is literally him to a T

I had to give it to you I was always acting cuckoo Thinking there was something That I'd actually be kinda scared-a But I will be a man of stone

favorite picture of them: picking one is absolutely impossible so i'll take this as "one of your favorites"

i like when he looks like a cryptid

[brooklyn-house]

true facts about octavian gallo

loosely based on part 1

the name "octavian" is more of a pejorative than anything else. he's the eighth child of his parents. they have so many bc tradition and also they actually believe (whether it's true or not? who knows) they are descendants of many of the gods/heroes, and they're trying to get the best gene combo out

his hair is a very very light blonde and very very thin and straw-like. it's like that because he's the only one of his eight brothers who was born with darker than blonde hair. his parents taught him to bleach it from a young age

his prized possession is his imperial gold dagger, which is the only gift he ever got from his father. (at least, that's what he'd tell you, anyway. it's not like his parents never gave him things – they're certainly well off, and probably got him loads of stuff – but this is the only one he considers a proper "gift")

his last name is "gallo". as in rooster. haha cock joke get it

he's rarely seen wearing anything different than a toga with fucking. beanie babies hanging from around his waist. y'know, these guys:

very prone to sunburns

gets nosebleeds often + bruises easily (he's a total drama queen about it, too)

anemic as fuck. my guy is pale, which is, if you want to get all symbolic-y, kind of indicative of the favour of his godly ancestor

him and jason were some of the kids who were in camp the longest, and before octavian started going insane, they had some sort of camaraderie. jason never really liked him much, but then again, he never really judged people that way, unless they were actively harming others.

when reyna came to camp jupiter, the three of them even went on at least one quest together

of course my guy has read all the ancient roman texts about senators and laws and everything there is, and of course he's really autistic about it

(he probably has like senator blorbos, though i doubt he'd ever admit it)

jason would use him as a consult if he was ever unsure about something official, because even though he himself was pretty knowledgable, octavian was pretty much always right

has lots of little nicks around his hands and fingers (via this post)

his favourite plushies are farm animals, and he's most partial to cows and pigs

he is a regular at build-a-bear and has their regular costumer discount

once took michael (kahale's) plush fish (it was a lion-fish) as a sacrifice, but then saw how sad michael was about it, and got him a new one. no sacrificing sea creatures after that.

chronic insomniac. maybe another one of destiny's ironic gifts for the descendant of the sun god

eyebags for days

while he is primarily a haruspex (guy who does divination from animal entrails), he is ALSO an augur (guy who reads the future from the flight of the birds). he's my little guy who amongst other things likes ornithology and can name pretty much any bird species native to california

grew up around everyone around him manipulating each other (-> thinks it's kinda the natural order, or at least the morally and intellectually superior thing to do), so while he has hardly developed as a person since being a bit younger, he is still astute in this area

make no mistake, while it was instilled in him that he should walk over bodies to achieve his goal (and that his goal is only correct if it involves seizing power), he's not, like, unaware that this is wrong, at least to an extent. he knows people have different views and probably realizes that he's wrong, TO AN EXTENT. point being, he's not innocent in any of this

uses poison to get rid of people he doesn't like. probably has one of those rings that have a secret compartment in them. only in dire situations though; he's not that successful in his schemes

[weresilver]

Sentinel AU vignette

I ended up writing a thing mostly unrelated to anything that I actually have going in order to battle writer's block. It worked. And I even picked up the secret santa fic again (sorry guys, but it's coming along!) but the now-diagnosed-yet-unmedicated ADHD is now kicking my butt with how much I actually have to do in a hurry.

For now, have this cute lil thing :)

Note: I'm a nerd, who will work with TS canon. This is 1982, however. So, y'know. No one is actually referred to as a Sentinel in this.

When her little brother started crying this evening, Stella Williams knew it would be a rough night. Call it a big sister’s intuition. Her parents told her to never doubt it. That same intuition told her that her little Danny would end up a... What was it Dad called it? A guardian?

Guardian, yes.

Stella never presented any enhanced senses during her childhood, and, at 12 — almost 13 — years old, she decided she was glad for it. Dad didn’t really talk about how his three enhanced senses came online, but she wondered. If it had been as bad as it was going for Danny lately — and he was at the age where only one sense came online — then she could easily accept she had none of it.

She found him sitting on the floor of his room, scratching rather frantically at his arm and sniffling sadly. Stella crouched in front of him, not daring to touch.

“‘Tella,” Danny called. He didn’t open his arms for a hug as he usually did, instead pulling his t-shirt away from his body. It was a sad, pathetic sight that pulled at her heartstrings.

Not that she would ever say that out loud. She actually really loved her little brother.

“Hey, Danny.” She kept her voice soft. “Mom and Dad are not back yet,” she trailed off, watching his face scrunch up again. “What if I run you a bath, huh?”

Danny nodded, still sniffling and teary eyed, but doing his best not to cry again. Stella ran out of his bedroom and into the bathroom, setting what she needed up. Watching the tub fill, she kept an ear out to her brother, though the sound of the water drowned out most of the little kid noises Danny would make.

At six years old, their parents’ only surprise — well, Dad’s only surprise — was that the first sense to come forth had been touch. It had been a few months now, but this week was the first time it really seemed to bother Danny. The fact that touch didn’t seem to be a sense that ran in the family was what surprised Dad; it was also what made Stella believe her little brother would be a guardian.

She wasn’t quite sure what that would entail. All five senses enhanced, sure. But Dad was always saying that there was more to it than just the senses. All the stories in his side of the family said so. She didn’t really understand those stories, to be honest.

She shut the water off, tested the water, and, satisfied that the temperature wouldn’t aggravate his skin, the way Mom had told her. Well, time to get her little brother all set before their parents arrived with Matty and Bri.

————

Itchy, itchy, itchy.

Danny’s clothes hadn’t bothered him before, he didn’t think, but it was really bad this week. Mom and Pops were busy with Matty and Bri, somewhere not in the house, but he knew that it was important. Stella was there with him, though, and that was fine; she was kind of boring, but for once he wasn’t in the mood to play.

His sister had left to run him a bath, since it usually helped a lot with the itchiness and the heat. He was thinking he didn't like summer much.

A clicking sort of sound came from behind him just as Stella turned on the water in the bathroom; she wouldn't hear the noise.

Danny turned around quickly, facing the big animal that was suddenly in the room with him.

————

The first thing she heard when she left the bathroom caught her off guard. Giggling was not the type of sound Stella associated with her brother struggling with his sense of touch.

Maybe it was one of those “laugh so you don't cry” things. Danny seemed to try his hardest not to cry when it came to his sense of touch being weird. Instead, he threw one heck of a temper tantrum that only Dad seemed able to get through, sometimes.

Either way, Danny's bath was ready and—

Well, shit. May her mother never hear her thoughts at the sight that greeted her.

“Hi, ‘Tella!” Danny waved from where he lay on the flank of... a really large wolf. Larger still when next to a six-year-old boy. Stella was hard pressed to admit that she was gaping. “I have a friend!”

The wolf nosed at Danny’s cheek, gently, making her little brother giggle again. It was, somewhat disturbingly, an adorable sight.

“Uh, Danny?” He made a questioning noise in return. Or, heck, that had been the wolf, she wasn't sure. But they were both looking at her with equally curious faces. “Where did it come from?”

The kid frowned, hard, looking between her and the wolf as if her question didn’t make sense at all.

“He’s my friend,” he repeated. “He came here.”

Stella nodded. It was all she could do, really; she was pretty sure that every window was closed and the doors were locked. And, well, someone would have said something if a wolf had escaped a zoo, right?

The wolf was watching her, not as though cautious of her, but just... Analyzing her? She shook her head minutely, choosing to ignore what sounded like a huff from the animal.

“He’s my family,” Danny stated, quite simply, “His name’s Fen’ee.”

It dawned on her quickly after that. Family. Familiar, the wolf was Danny’s familiar. Well, Mom was gonna love this. This Fen’ee was huge. But Danny was lying down, using its flank as a pillow and back rest, and, for the first time today, he looked downright peaceful.

The wolf nosed at Danny again, this time at his ribs, in order to get him to stand up. Her little brother scrambled upright, using his companion to balance himself.

“Ready for that bath?” Stella asked as she stood up. Danny nodded happily, eager even though he wasn’t scratching at his arms anymore. The wolf — Fen nipped gently at Danny’s t-shirt, making the boy giggle one more time, and turned his attention her. There was intelligence in the golden eyes, as well as a good dose of humor. It let its tongue loll out, gently wagging its tail. “Thanks, Fen.”

It tilted its head, looking a little confused at the nickname. Well, Stella would have to figure out what its actual name was at some other point; she had a little half fish sibling to take care of.

[fandom-susceptible]

TDP Rewatch: S1 E3, "Moonrise"

It's interesting that they zoomed on Soren's face as the procession crossed the courtyard, not Harrow's - and that he didn't look nervous, just determined. He was right, too.

God, Harrow cuddling with his bird is the cutest thing. That bird adores him. Also, (who gives the best birdie kisses) "Pip Does." was said so fiercely and then the face he made after, I just. Ah, that hit me in the chest.

How is "hard-headed" more acceptable in your vernacular than "stubborn", Viren? Or are you just the only one you want to be insulting Harrow in public?

It's interesting how Viren's smiling in the coronation portrait, but Harrow isn't. Viren says Harrow insisted on doing the portrait together, but I . . . have my doubts, now.

Yeah honestly Claudia we're on the same page about the persimmon jelly.

Something about how Ezran doesn't hesitate to trust Rayla, and when she kneels in front of the egg she looks at him so softly even though ten minutes ago she was convinced he had to die - and then Claudia, whom Ezran has known his entire life, threatens violence immediately and just keeps spouting threats while trying to get him to cooperate with her. They showed us who these girls were from the very beginning; Claudia acts sweet but in the moment of truth will turn cruel, and Rayla projects coldness but in the moment of truth will offer love instead. It's a neat mirror. And I love the way Rayla smiles at Ezran when he looks to her for reassurance in that very first moment in Viren's dungeon. That moment of yes, I'm with you.

They really sell being teenagers in this first season, and I love it. "NOT THAT WAY!" "WHY?" *runs into wall* "Is this a guessing game? Just do it!" "I'M A MAGE!" *shushes him* "Nobody likes a loud mage."

Also, can we talk about how the first time Rayla actually touched Callum was to shush him in that moment? And how she was the first person to call him a mage? And how she then proceeded to tell him something she's clearly said before, which when I first watched I assumed was just a common saying/joke in Xadia, but after finding out Ethari is a mage might be a family in-joke? Yeah I've got Rayllum feelings why

"What's in the basket? A bigger moth?" omg Soren is SUCH a sarcastic little shit around Viren and I love that for him????

Also, "When all of your swords have failed." is such a clear attempt to undermine Soren's personal confidence, and the worst part is I bet Viren didn't even do it consciously. He's just so used to tearing Soren down that he doesn't have to think about it anymore, it's become automatic. It's a really common trait of abusive parents and I hate him so much for it. (obligatory acknowledgement that I actually love it as a writing choice, it's great. He is a bad guy! I am supposed to dislike him! They did a good job!) But also, Soren responding to it with a spiteful defense of his soldiers was a good moment for him.

"We go way back! Like that one time, ten minutes ago, when you chased me through the castle trying to stab me!" Bless Jack De Sena for Callum's voice acting and also bless whoever animated his and Rayla's expressions in that exchange because I am fucking wheezing

Can we talk about how Harrow's tone was coldly neutral until Viren walked in and sat in Harrow's marriage bed, uninvited, and then the next thing he said - "Your friend?" sounded venomous? Or that fucking single eyebrow raised when Viren said "brother". Harrow is WELL aware that his best friend has a weird gay thing about him, and he regrets not nipping that in the bud before it became this unhealthy obsession.

Yeah that whole "On. Your. Knees." does not get less gay with subsequent rewatches. Like bruh. They showed this to kids. Harrow. I stg. But also, Harrow sees Viren's weird gay obsession and meets his freak by putting him down about it, in a way that they both know he wouldn't if he actually returned it with any kind of affection. Oh, I think all Harrow's dialogue about Viren's arrogance and self-importance was very much also what he meant, I don't think he was talking around anything, but yeah, that was. Wow.

Also ngl Harrow can tell me to do anything he goddamn wants if he talks in that tone, jesus

Interesting. Okay so Runaan does say that humans are liars - he doesn't say there's nothing worth sparing, as Rayla seemed to imply. He's been tricked before. That said, for all he talks a big game about his ruthlessness, he doesn't just shoot Callum outright. He warns him that he's made a mistake and he very much takes his time nocking that arrow. He doesn't want to kill this kid if he doesn't have to.

I also love that one moment where his eyes go wide after Rayla tells him again he needs to call off the mission, in the middle of "You know it doesn't work that way." He glances down at his own bindings and he looks panicked for half a second before covering it in this sudden anger that doesn't quite fit with how he reacted to the egg's appearance. He's scared. He knows she's right, but he's much older, more set in his ways, and doesn't see a way out. He's fucked up. So he just tries to fall back on what he's Supposed to do - just finish the mission, worry about the egg later, because those are the rules.

And then Rayla sends the boys away and forces him to confront those values instead of just falling back on them. Now he doesn't get to separate himself and his feelings from reality. And I don't think she actually believes he'll kill her here, even though he threatens to and she smirks and says "Probably" - if he was willing to do that, he would have done it already, and they both know it. She's just forcing him to confront the conflict between his moral values and his cultural ones.

oh, god, I forgot that Ezran brought up Callum calling him Dad in the very first episode.

I think it's interesting how Runaan accuses Rayla of being "Better than this" while very obviously holding back. He keeps pausing. Rayla's constantly in motion in this fight, whether attacking or defending or just trying to catch her breath, but he attacks once and then waits for her to recover, defends once and freezes up. He can't do this. Now he's the one hesitating and he can't stop doing it. Rayla has to know this too - that's why she sasses him when he realizes she's just stalling, because she knows she's gotten into his head. She knows he can't stop her because he can't bring himself to hurt her. So if she can just call on the fatherly part of him a little more, maybe she can get him on her side. It just doesn't quite work, because he's too set in his ways and his teenage daughter's wild idea is not enough to convince him that turning the entire world upside down is possible.

Do you think Viren had a moment of abject panic when Callum said "I know what you did!" after he came out of Harrow's chambers after switching the king's soul out with Pip's? Like HOW THE FUCK DOES THE KID KNOW, I LITERALLY JUST DID - "You stole the egg of the Dragon Pricne!" oh nvm. wait, what. why does he know that, who - what the fuck is happening right now?

Soren insisting Callum is the prince and refusing to arrest him is another good moment for him. Bless that young man for trying so hard. But also, Viren taking Callum's voice was awful on so many levels, and Soren's lack of surprise makes that one hurt??? Because. Viren had that spell just right there in his sleeve. He constantly undermines and dismisses Soren. Now he's using it so casually on the prince. Has he done this to Soren before? Is that why Soren's face just went so stony and he refused to say anything else after that? Viren is just such a fundamentally awful person and I love to hate him.

Knowing more about the assassins has me watching this scene with so much interest now. It's Runaan's arrow that hits Soren first, but Skor's the first through the door - two blades and brute strength. Ram hits the ground next, going low with no visible weapons, with Callisto and Andromeda flanking him with Callisto's glaive and Andromeda's sickles. Runaan brings up the rear with a bow, and honestly? He's walking in with his horns already at heights Ram and Andromeda leaped to get to, moving the slowest of any of them, not curling in or dodging or anything. He's just strode in leaving himself wide open because fuck you, I guess, what does this bitch have to worry about? That's terrifying.

The fucking "DA!" He does does undercut the intimidation as a viewer tho now I'm just laughing at him because his actor clearly was not out of breath or stressed when delivering that.

I've never noticed before that the elves reacted to Viren's spell releasing Callum's voice. Or that Soren moved between Viren and recovering control of the spell. Skor stepped back from a fight and glanced towards the spell, got distracted by it. Callisto ducked as if he thought it was coming towards him. Ram and Andromeda didn't twitch but Runaan bridled at it too.

Callisto was the first to reach the door but couldn't break it open and Soren went for him. The assassins converge on the door and Soren manages to hold off Callisto, Ram, and Andromeda all at once for a moment before Skor and Runaan step in. Runaan just wholly grabs a guard by the face and throws them to the ground with his bare hands (well, gloved, but weaponless). As in like. Picks them up off the floor and slams them back down one-handed by the face. I know he's an antagonist right now and like we like the guards in Katolis they're fine but also the sheer ability to do that is hot I'm so sorry.

When the elves press the door again after Callum calls for "Dad!" it's Skor to the left, Runaan, and Callisto to the right, and Runaan has zeroed in on Soren as the greatest obstacle to their goals. He's bigger than Soren, has an advantage in height, weight, strength, and experience, and he's bearing down on him but losing time, and Ram ends up lunging in to try and take Soren out while Runaan has him distracted. And it doesn't work, Soren manages to block them both at once. He's genuinely very good at his fucking job and I hate that Viren tore him down so much he doesn't see it.

Oh, fuck. Andromeda was the first elf to fall. We don't see her after the first clash at the door breaks free. Ram disappears briefly but returns at Runaan's side, everyone's converging on the door again, but she's gone.

Rayla's so quickly ride or die for these boys and this mission, and I love her so much for it. "Say the word, and I'll go back into that tower with ye." And she meant it. But she'll also guard them on their way out, when that's what they choose to do instead.

Can we also address that Soren's losing guards left and right to the clash in this tower, and Viren is RIGHT THERE, able to do random magic like stealing the voice from a kid, but he doesn't do a thing to assist in the actual battle? Absolutely nothing to help his son in their alleged shared goal of defending the king?

Runaan stumbles through clutching his side, and given the wounds we see later, I'm guessing Soren kicked him in the ribs to get out of one of their sword locks and broke them. He also can't breathe right. There's a bruise on his jaw and we saw from how Soren fought with Ram (and how he fights later) that he's willing to just punch people with his other hand while he's got them distracted with his sword. I'm betting most of his injuries are from Soren, including the broken horn. We don't see that part happen. I'm actually gonna, once this episode is over, skip ahead to the season 7 finale briefly to see Runaan's retelling of this scene, because I'm curious about those moments between that we missed here.

the binding also doesn't fall off until he reaches the balcony. Pip/Harrow wasn't killed instantly; he just succumbed quickly to what I'm betting was the poison on Runaan's arrow.

The face he gives after releasing the arrow hits, though, because he's reporting a failure. I'm also very interested in like, what he thought would happen for Rayla here. I would have guessed initially that his "Your justice will come later." was meant as him realizing if she stops them, if they fail, she'll suffer becoming a Ghost, but he's surprised by the news in season 7. Did he just assume there wouldn't be a unanimous vote to ghost her? It would sort of make sense; there's a certain amount of arrogance he clearly has regarding his own place in the Silvergrove, and a lot of it's justified by how the community treats him and Ethari. It wouldn't be unreasonable for him to guess that as his daughter and a clearly talented and relatively respectable warrior in her own right, there would be at least a few voices who were reluctant to abandon her entirely, even if she'd have to live with the same of losing her hand to her failure. That's a thing I don't think we give enough credit to, either, is the fact that Ghosting has to be a unanimous decision and therefore, not everyone in Rayla's position ends up ghosted. That's why the bindings are there. She'd have had to sacrifice her hand, but if she was respected enough to begin with to escape a ghosting, that would have been it. She'd pay her price and still get to go home.

Claudia appearing just to insist "we can find more practical uses for this one" gives me the creeps. Like "she sees Runaan and sees spell parts, not a person" kind of creeps.

I'm so very fond of this credits sketch, because it shows just how long Runaan has been in her life. Rayla was 8 when she moved in with him and Ethari - she's clearly younger than that here, and he's already there teaching her things, so clearly fond of her.

It also shows how her facial markings have changed over time; in this sketch we can see that the slash mark used to go both above her brow and below her eye, presumably unbroken (Lain's across the eye markings also cover his eyelids, so stands to reason hers would too). The curve below her eye is also different, where Runaan's remains consistent in this sketch to the show.

I could comment on her reaction to losing Harrow's binding but honestly like. That's been analyzed to death for six years straight. I don't really feel the need to go over something that's been addressed repeatedly in the show already.

Addition after checking the story in Season 7, so don't read further if you haven't seen that yet:

Runaan's horn was not broken yet when he broke into the room. Skor was the only one who made it in after him. So the other assassins may never have seen Harrow at all, and the fighting after the poisoned arrow hit Pip could have lasted for a while, justifying Runaan's ability to vault into the room initially but also barely being able to stumble out onto the balcony in the end.

So Andromeda died before they even got the door open. Skor followed Runaan through the door, but we don't see Callisto or Ram after that point, so they may or may not have made it that far. I would guess that Runaan's grievous injuries were likely due to fighting virtually on his own for an extended period of time, and the brief time he got to send off the shadowhawk was Skor's last sacrifice, keeping them busy for long enough to do that.

[harukasangel]

Haruka Sakurai headcanons (cause I'm mentally ill abt him + T3 fucked me up good)

His true opinion about children and animals

I believe that Haruka doesn't necessarily dislikes kids nor animals, rather he's scared of what he can do to them + brings back bad memories. Like in the second trial when he said he was good with Amane now + wasn't scared of little kids anymore bc he gained more confidence. Plus, you can't tell me the guy 'hates animals' and has a fucking bunny plushie -_- .So yeah, I believe with proper healing and help, Haruka would be more open about finding animals cute and playing with little kids (the latter mostly due to me also headcanoning that kids like Haruka, they're always pestering him to play with them <3). He'd honestly be the sweetest person ever to them

He went to daycare

I headcanon Haruka having autism and an intellectual disability, and those are usually diagnosed, earliest, at 18 months old. Now, there was a point in time where his mother was kind to him, since his behavior as a child was 'normal' back then, she just thought he was a shy kid due to poor communication skills. So around the ages of 3-4, she enrolled him in daycare + prek in hopes he would learn some social skills. This was proven false, as he had trouble making friends. Since Japan isn't really known for being sympathetic towards mental illness, not much help was offered towards him. His mother pulled him out quickly after believe something was wrong with him and thus, the neglect started (obligatory shoutout to my oc's in the HaruSachie verse, since *drumrolls* Haruka actually did manage to have a childhood friend, Sachiko's younger brother, but that's a whole another lore dump for another time)

Hyperempath

I've seen some posts about Haruka having hyperempathy due to him being extremely sensitive towards the other prisoners' emotions. But I also feel as if Haruka has trouble differentiating what emotions he is feeling. While most people can choose to ignore their empathy, push it aside, whenever they want, hyperempaths don't have that ability. They just...soak up other's emotions like a sponge. So it causes Haruka to become overwhelmed and anxious when someone is feeling intense emotion (as we can see from many timelines + minigrams). Also a result of blaming himself a lot + walking on eggshells in his own home + around his own family :( But I also headcanon him having low cognitive empathy (doesn't understand social cues) even though he has high emotional empathy (again, due to his autistic swag)

Romance in general

In light of the previous paragraph, I 100% think Haruka can feel romantic love (unless you hc him as aroace, but for me, I believe he's panromantic + demisexual), he can even realize it's something different than "oh, that person is like a mother to me!", he just won't fully grasp it. He does get the 'butterflies in the stomach' sorta feeling, yearning to touch and kiss them, but ultimately is just really confused by what the feeling is (mainly cause he never felt this sort of love before). Very different than what he feels with Muu (highly doubt he feels the desire to kiss her), who he def feels on a more familial level. He'd honestly be the cutest ball of anxiety towards his crush, probably have an outburst saying "I DON'T WANNA BE FRIENDS ANYMORE!", said crush going ".....oh.... :(" and Haruka grasping his hair, saying "N-No, I didn't mean it like that! I w-want to b-be more!" Muu and Mahiru giving him an awkward thumbs up in the background, woomp woomp. But yeah, it would honestly be obvious to....everyone that he's in love, and Haruka is just in the corner, trying to process why he feels the need to want to make out with tongue and everything to his crush

Also me headcanoning him to rival Mahiru in terms of being a hopeless romantic, since he liked reading fairytale books when he was younger, but that's just me :P

[stargazer-sims]

Spots

Gabe: Hey, what’s up?

Scout: Nothing much.

Gabe: Really? I don’t even remember the last time I saw you without your camouflage. Everything okay?

Scout: Just thinking.

Gabe: About what? Your appointment this morning?

Scout: Yeah.

Gabe: Are you worried the procedure isn’t going to work?

Scout: No, I’m certain it’s going to. It’s just… you know I have to be un-camouflaged for the procedure, right? I literally haven’t seen myself like this since last time I was pregnant.

Gabe: And…?

Scout: And there’s a lot of emotional baggage to unpack. For one thing, I didn’t realize I still have belly spots.

Gabe: Doesn’t everyone? Of your species, I mean. The last time I hooked up with a Sixamish guy, I noticed he had spots on his stomach too.

Scout: Then he was probably pregnant, or he gave birth recently. Or he had elevated hormone levels. That’s what Dr. Max thinks is happening with me. The spots are supposed to fade a few months after giving birth, but it seems like I’m stuck with mine.

Gabe: Does it mean anything? Like, is it bad?

Scout: No, it’s not bad. It means I’m exceptionally fertile, apparently.

Gabe: Seems kind of ideal for what you're doing.

Scout: It is. I'm just not thrilled about having more spots. I don't even like the ones I originally had.

Gabe: I know you don't like them. Nobody can force you to, but for what it's worth, I think they're beautiful. I think you're beautiful. I've never seen anyone else like you, and I forget in between times how much I like how you look without your camouflage.

Scout: That's the whole problem. I want to be beautiful without bringing my spots into it. I don't want to be judged and categorized by something superficial that I don't even have control over.

Gabe: You want to know something? Even the single-colour spots that your people think are ugly look beautiful to me. If it weren't for you explaining it, I'd have no clue which colours are supposed to mean what, or who's supposed to be more important or whatever. To me, you’re all equally worthy.

Scout: That’s one of the things I like about humans. Fewer arbitrary biases.

Gabe: Nah, we’ve got plenty of arbitrary biases. Maybe we’re a little better at being aware of them and trying to overcome them, but there are still a lot of human jerks who’ll judge people for stuff they can’t change about themselves.

Scout: Well, at least you’re not a human jerk.

Gabe: Nope. *whispering* I’m just the human who can jerk you off.

Scout: *laughing* Are you serious right now?

Gabe: Am I ever serious?

Scout: Are you trying to distract me?

Gabe: Is it working?

Scout: I’m supposed to wait for a week after the procedure, remember?

Gabe: Have you ever actually done that?

Scout: Uh… no. But, I should try to hold out longer than last time though, don’t you think? Like, maybe make an effort to follow the guidelines?

Gabe: You’ve already held out longer than last time, or did you forget about the cops knocking on the window of the van in the laundromat parking lot?

Scout: I wonder what they thought was going on in there?

Gabe: I doubt it was what they actually found when they opened the back door. I mean, you might look like a human most of the time, but you definitely don't sound like one. They probably thought I had a wild animal back there.

Scout: Well... you kinda did. Admittedly, I'm not exactly tame at the best of times.

Gabe: True.

Scout: We made some good memories with that old van. Kinda wish we still had it. We could, you know... take it for a spin.

Gabe: I'm sure we can think of ways to entertain ourselves without the old van.

Scout: Yes, I'm sure we can.

Gabe: I could count your spots.

Scout: What?

Gabe: And for every spot, I could tell you one thing that makes you awesome.

Scout: Every spot?

Gabe: Yeah.

Scout: The ones on my belly go all the way down. I'd have to get naked if you want to count them all.

Gabe: Luckily, it's a short journey from underpants to naked. I could help with that.

Scout: You've got further to go than I do. How about I help you instead?

Gabe: No arguments here.

Scout: Can you really think of one good thing to say for every spot?

Gabe: Yeah, I can. But you've got a lot of spots. It could take a while.

Scout: We've got all night.

Gabe: One good thing for each spot into the proverbial wee hours, then. By the time we're done, you're going to hear so many compliments, you might actually start believing them.

Scout: Why do I get the feeling you're on a mission?

Gabe: 'Cause I am. Some day, I hope you can see yourself the way I see you, and who better to help you learn than the person who knows you best and loves you the most?

Scout: The person I love the most too, and the person I trust the most. I'd never let anyone else count my spots, you know.

Gabe: I know. Now, where do you want me to start counting?

[redstringraven]

alright, so after a thorough replay of the space-arc and a slightly less thorough comb of the invasion-arc here're some loose observations and thoughts regarding triceraton tattoos. i'm not touching triceratons featured in fast forward because... i don't have interest in that fjkldjks. my apologies.

this is mostly for myself, but you're of course more than welcome to use it as a resource, reference, whatever tickles your fancy. if i missed something, feel free to tell me!

there does seem to be some pattern with rank, so i'm gonna start with "low-rank" and make my way up the ladder.

citizens

we don't get to see a lot of triceraton citizens, and basically all of them are background fodder save for zed and raz (the games commentators). from what i can tell, none of them have tattoos on neither their eyes nor their arms--on the ones with bare arms, anyway. it's probably safe to assume they don't have them on their chests because those seem all-star specific.

rebellion

this is where the tattoo thing gets a bit weird--as in, i don't know if they're actually facepaint that can be removed, or if these are all citizens or green soldiers who've not earned their military tattoo yet. traximus still has his tattoo, but none of his rebellion soldiers have the ones we'll later see on every soldier as well as prison guards. it's definitely possible citizens joined the rebellion, but trax had also mentioned in the arena that he still had friends in the ranks. are they not there? did they remove their tattoos? am i over-analyzing a cartoon beyond what the creators considered? (it's that one).

you can click on the screenshot to make it a little bigger but the bottom-left shot shows an actual solder beside a rebellion soldier, the former's tattoo is barely visible but there. their concept art doesn't have a tattoo, and i didn't see any in-show who had one... but, i did more skim through the invasion-arc, so it's possible i missed one. lemmie know if i'm wrong.

prison guards

all prison guards seem to have a single, thick red-line tattoo over their right eye. the ends point toward the backs of their heads. not much to talk about here. the two in the second-to-bottom-left screenshot are missing theirs, but i'm going to assume this is an animation error.

--also, sidebar, i don't think the blue ""tattoos"" prisoners have are remotely the same type of thing, so i don't think that'd apply to my confusion over none of the rebellion soldiers having tattoos.

soldiers

here's once again where the definition of 'tattoo' gets a little blurry, because if tattoos are a sign of rank and then your rank changes... what do. maybe since triceratons already have advanced technology--and tough skin--they have... a solid form of tattoo removal. again, though, i don't think their tattoos are the same as the ""tattoos"" prisoners receive, so i doubt they'd just peel off?? if that were possible, you'd also think they would have removed traximus's tattoo after he was thrown into the games as another way to shame/derank him, too.

so, your basic and most common soldier seems to have two narrow maroon lines over their right eye. the ends do not point in any direction, they're just lines. they're thin enough that they can be very hard to see if the camera's at a distance, but they're still there--just hard to capture in a screenshot partially due to the quality i'm working with.

next is an ensign soldier, which is basically a low-ranking officer. i think we only see one of these guys (he's leading the group who find the turtles as stowaways at the beginning of s2ep3, the big house). his tattoos are once again over the right eye, maroon/purple, thicker than a soldier's tattoo, and the peak of the outer-most line has a point. for a moment, i thought that maybe you'd build on the tattoo as you ranked, but traximus and mozar are gonna kind of throw that theory out the window when we get to them.

there's also this guy from s2ep5, triceraton wars. he's labeled as "strike team leader" on his concept art, and getting a visible shot of his tattoo in-show is very frustrating and not helped by the fact it looks like they goofed his color palette, too. his tattoo is over the right eye (like the previous soldiers), red, and it's a curved line with ends that hook toward the front of his face. it's the most similar to traximus's tattoo that we see.

...also, this episode eludes to the fact that "slag" is a triceraton swear word, as zanramon uses it both as an exclamation of frustration and calls the strike team "slag brains". he could also just be calling them all stony waste matter, tho, so. do with that what you will.

there's also THESE GUYS from the invasion-arc in s3, and they confuse me because the invasion-arc not only introduces this new uniform design i don't see anywhere in the concept art that i've collected, but these soldiers have like. no tattoos. and it can't be an animation error because their lack of tattoo was consistent for any wearing this suit design. monza ram steals this suit from one of the soldiers, and looted soldier who reports back to zanramon later doesn't have a tattoo.

i wonder if these guys are like... more engineers than they are soldiers. we mostly see them in the docking bay or in the control room where the boys learn don's location on the homeworld. they're just armed because they'd stand in the way of anyone attempting to infiltrate the homeworld (or escape it), but i don't think i saw any of them leave the vessel itself.

gruell

gruell is an odd one because he has the same maroon tattoos as your common soldier--two narrow lines over the right eye--but he additionally has a tattoo on his right arm. it's of course possible that other soldiers also have this tattoo and that it's just hidden by their sleeves, but if tattoos are a show of rank or status you'd think it'd be somewhere more visible? maybe arm tattoos are additional signals of status when soldiers are in their civvies or something.

regardless, gruell's arm tattoo is the only of its kind we see: it appears to be red ink: an upright triangle that breaks into two longer lines where the top line hooks up toward the triangle and the bottom line hooks down toward another triangle, albeit this one is upsidedown. i'm not sure if this is meant to be an abstract design with the usual triceraton fondness of triangles and jagged lines, or if's maybe a representation of a bi-ringed planet? homeworld before they blew it up oopsie-doopsy? who knows.

monza ram + the all-stars

okay, if there are ANY anomalies on this list, it's these guys. none of them have anything resembling the soldier nor prison guard tattoos we've previously seen.

monza ram is the most unique; he doesn't seem to have any body tattoos, but he does have two thick red tattoos (or one big tattoo?) that rises from his jaw on both sides of his face and breaks into two spikes, one ending before it reaches his eye and the other 'cutting through' the eye and peaking on his brow. it covers the back third of his face, right in front of where his frill starts.

the other three all-stars have a much more narrow tattoo on either side of their face that looks like a jagged scratch, another narrow tattoo across the backs of their necks, then an extremely long one that seems to wrap diagonally around their back and end on their pecks. this is the only instance of tattoos that aren't maroon or red, too, as one all-star has blue tattoos and another has brown.

we unfortunately don't really know anything about the all-stars, just that they seem to be separate from the gladiator slaves, are undefeated (before the turtles), and after they lost their first fight zanramon had them imprisoned, where traximus would later free and recruit them. none of them have soldier tattoos. i know the triceratons love battle, so i wonder if they're more like the career tributes in the hunger games. they volunteered to be gladiators rather than were made to be them. eh. *shrugs*

commander mozar

title revoked because i said so, mozar is frustrating because he doesn't have an eye tattoo that we can see. those marks under his eye-patch are more likely from the injury that cost him his eye since they're a darker color than his skin tone, but where shit gets tricky is that traximus was a commanding officer before he was gladiator'd. so, it's possible that mozar has a tattoo identical to trax's under that eye-patch, and we just can't see it.

important to note, however, that his right eye--the eye where all other soldiers have had a tattoo--is bare. that's where the whole... building on your tattoo as you rank up theory kind of falls to the wayside. he technically SHOULD have one, but he doesn't.

he also has an arm tattoo, but it's on his left arm. again--he might also have one on his right arm, but it's sleeved. his left arm is only visible because his prosthetics must require a shorter sleeve. the tattoo on his arm is red: the top piece is a crescent shape lying on its side so it opens upward, then a long line that dips into a crescent shape so it frames the crescent above it, and finally an upsidedown triangle under the lowest point of the middle curve. this is much more of an abstract design than gruell's, idk what this could be.

traximus

as with mozar, traximus complicates the ranking up theory because he also lacks any tattoos on his right eye; his tattoo is on his left eye, and it appears to be reddish, zig-zagging down from his horn, across his brow, down over his eye, back along his cheek and then down to the corner of his mouth.

he doesn't have an arm tattoo on his right arm like gruell does, and if he has a tattoo on his left arm like mozar, it's covered by either his commanding officer sleeve or his gladiator armor. if mozar's tattoo has any connection to his ranking as a commander, it's possible trax has it, too. we just never get the chance to see it. pity.

the council

the council is a main indication that tattoos might be less a show of social status and more military or warrior specific, because none of the council members have visible tattoos (ignore mozar, he forgot to wear pink last wednesday idk why he's sitting with us). kind of helps me lean a bit more into my engineer theory from earlier.

prime leader (zanramon)

no visible tattoos. none whatsoever. pathetic. let's be real, he'd probably start crying before the needle even grazed his skin.

if you've made it to the end: thank you ONCE AGAIN for coming along with me on one of my dives into triceraton bullshittery. i'm sorry, i will do it again.

[wulfums]

I have like. Such extensive backstory HCs for Grim and Gnarly and I just never talk about it. They just live in my head. I think abt them almost as much as I think abt Allan, I like them a Lot.

I had developed Grim's backstory pretty heavily but not Gnarly's, so I've been thinking abt his.

My take on him is that he had insanely shitty parents who did not like or care for him. He left at 16 and couch surfed. His first job was at a butcher shop. The owner, Butcher John, was very gruff, kind of rude and standoffish, but he really did take Gnarly in. This guy in the few years Gnarly worked there was more of a dad to him than his actual dad ever was. Neither of them were ever comfortable with Gnarly calling him that, and neither were ever comfortable talking about feelings, trauma etc. All Gnarly knows is that Butcher John went through something similar as a kid.

Something about Gnarly is he is genuinely smart. But no one ever expects this from him. He has dyslexia and some trouble reading and teachers and especially his parents always assumed that meant he was Stupid. He's not!! But he grew up thinking this so he never really tried, because what was the point ?? And in high school he really embraced the "Cool guy, doesnt care about anything" image. He also was really averse to doing anything seen as non-masculine. Gnarly always grew up more into boys than girls(And later figured out he didn't like girls at all, he just felt like he had to) and his parents were Not happy about that, to say the least.

But this also led to him not embracing things he liked that didn't fit that mold. Until his idol and basically adopted dad came home with a guy. Gnarly genuinely had no idea Butcher John was queer. He was the most masculine person Gnarly knew, ever. When he was told "I'm not doing any of this to be masculine. I'm just doin it because I like it." it really hit him. So he started letting himself doing things seen as nerdy, like reading. He found out he loves reading historical fiction and non-fiction, as well as fantasy. He started taking piano lessons, too, in addition to guitar lessons.

Even though he felt more self confident, he still was convinced he wouldn't be smart enough to get into college. But he did- on scholarship. This led to him feeling like he was taking it away from someone else, dealing w imposter syndrome, before John encouraged him(Along with John's now husband! Also named John. Which is why the OG John is referred to as Butcher John.)

Even though Gnarly never refers to him as his dad or anything, he keeps in close contact with him even as an adult. The only time he ever saw Butcher John cry was when Gnarly called him, after being able to escape Hell. Until Griddle happened and Gnarly introduced Griddle to the Johns- that also made Butcher John cry.

Fun fact: Nowadays, Butcher John is a vegan. He doesn't regret being a butcher, considering he always used every part of the animal (His husband is a taxidermist! Its how they met.) and always modeled and taught Gnarly respect for nature. But when he wasnt able to verify exactly where the meat was coming from anymore after farms stopped being local, he closed his shop and went vegan. Hes a little preachy about it, but Gnarly know its out of a deep respect for animals. (Though vegan, John is fine with using vintage animal product clothes such as leather.)

Gnarly still hunts, and is as far as vegan as you can get, esp since deer are insanely overpopulated near Meep City. But respect for nature is a big thing for him, which is why he loves taking camping trips with Gristle- and once Griddle and Gnasty are old enough, them too!!

He still struggles heavily with anxiety, self doubt and imposter syndrome. But he has a family now, which is more than he ever had as a kid.

Also, when he found out his dad kicked the bucket, he came home to Gristle and Grim throwing him a surprise party to celebrate, which Gnarly appreciated SO much. Fuck that guy !!

I need to design The Johns since they're important figures in Gnarly's life. They're like. The opposite of Grim's mom.

[feltnice]

Death Machine One-Shot (Jack Dante x oc Claire Bell):

Just a silly little fluff one shot fic I needed to get out of my brain.

"Scary Movie Night"

On the screen, a grainy horror film played, the kind with over-the-top gore and exaggerated jump scares. Jack had insisted it was a "classic," though Claire had her doubts.

The hum of machinery filled the lab, mingling with the soft flicker of a single overhead light. Wires were sprawled across the floor, and the faint glow of monitors cast long shadows against the walls. Jack leaned back in a creaky, repurposed office chair, his feet propped up on a nearby console, as Claire settled awkwardly on a makeshift couch he'd dragged in who-knows-when.

"Alright," Jack said, popping open a can of soda and taking a loud sip. "Prepare to witness the peak of cinematic excellence. Blood, guts, terrible decisions—all the good stuff."

Claire raised an eyebrow, pulling a blanket over her lap. "Peak cinematic excellence? Jack, this looks like it was filmed in someone’s garage."

Jack smirked, tilting his head toward her. "Exactly. That’s what makes it art. They didn’t even have a budget for fake blood. Just corn syrup and food dye. Pure genius."

Claire chuckled, "I'd call that resourceful, not necessarily...genius."

As the opening scene unfolded, Claire couldn’t help but notice how much Jack seemed to enjoy narrating the movie.

"Watch this guy," Jack said, pointing to a character who was poking around a dark basement. "Biggest moron in the whole film. He’s about to—"

The character tripped, letting out a high-pitched scream as a poorly animated bat flew at his face. Jack barked out a laugh. "—get wrecked. Classic."

Claire shook her head, fighting back a grin. "You’re ruining the movie."

"Ruining it?" Jack glanced at her with mock offense. "I’m enhancing it. Besides, you’re not really scared, are you, Claire Bear?"

Claire threw a stray piece of popcorn at him. "Don’t call me that."

Jack caught the popcorn midair, tossing it into his mouth with a cocky grin. "Oh, come on. You love it."

The movie continued, the tension building as the killer stalked their next victim. Claire found herself leaning forward, gripping the blanket a little tighter. Jack noticed and couldn’t resist.

"You’re actually nervous," he teased, leaning closer. "Admit it."

"I’m not nervous," Claire said, glancing at him. "I just don’t trust you to not pull something."

Jack’s grin widened. "Smart girl."

Right on cue, a shrill scream erupted from the speakers as the killer burst through a door. Claire flinched, her elbow knocking into Jack’s arm. He laughed, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet lab.

"Gotcha," he said, clearly pleased with himself.

Claire glared at him, though there was no real anger behind it. "You’re such a jerk."

"Hey, you’re the one who jumped," Jack countered, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "But don’t worry, Claire Bear, if the killer comes for us, I’ll let you hide behind me. I’m generous like that."

"Oh wow, how kind of you!" she remarked sarcastically, but the small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.

As the movie’s climax approached, Jack leaned back in his chair, watching her more than the screen. Claire was completely absorbed, her brow furrowed in concentration.

It was surprisingly nice, seeing someone so at ease in his chaotic world.

"Alright," he said as the credits rolled, spinning his chair to face her and clapping his hands together, "Verdict?"

Claire looked at him, the light of the monitor catching the curve of her smile. "Honestly? It was terrible."

Jack let out a sharp laugh. "Exactly! That’s the point. Terrible in the best way."

She shook her head, "You’re a goober."

"And yet, here you are," Jack replied, leaning back with a smug grin. "Guess that makes me irresistible."

[spagheddiesquash]

so today i was in the mw oc server talking abt some stuff i noticed about jawbone (+ some other theory stuff as well!!)

so first of all. two kind of obvious details:

he is green (“yeah no shit sherlock” i hear u thinking. trust me there is a reason why im pointing it out)

his pupils are triangular. nobody else in the show so far has had triangular pupils. (well. i mean commander tezzoree’s eye has a triangular pupil but she hasnt made an appearance in any episodes yet and i doubt the two characters are connected)

just making this point known for now. we will hold this thought for later in the post.

another thing: so in the ref sheet of him posted to the mw tumblr back in september i believe(?), his name is written as “jawbone (a.k.a. scythelord)”

you know where a character by the name of “scythelord” has shown up already?

on a wanted poster, thats where!! he has a bounty on his head!!!

which means that tyneen and her crew are probably after him, which probably explains why they’re at the thicc chicc casino. (how do i know jawbone is there? because ricket is there, which i know because he is shown interacting with both shrike and tyneen, who we know are both there)

now. remember that thought from earlier that i told you to hold until later? now is the time to bring it back.

ok so. we already know that colors and shapes each have their own respective significance in this show, and colors and shapes are chosen deliberately.

with that said:

correlation?? maybe???

ADDITIONALLY:

this further cements my belief that ep 4 will have a LOT in it regarding the cataclysm or some other related thing. why?

(2nd pic comes from the VA application doc. unfortunately i dont have any better quality pics of it)

despite the poor image quality in the second pic, you can still tell that both of these characters have some sort of magenta (or pink i guess?) type of theming going on in their designs.

also if we look at campions, like, the flower

you can see where im trying to go with this idea.

i did a whole bunch of examining colors today in light of this, actually!!! quick fun fact for those unaware: RGB and CMYK invert into each other.

and then after i made that image i started sorting things into what colors they are. (white and black have been omitted from the screenshots simply because there doesnt seem to be any significant things tied to them)

obviously this list is probably incomplete and i will continue to add to it, of course.

(my main inspo for even thinking about CMYK for theories in the first place was @toastedclownery btw!! GO CHECK OUT THEIR BLOG IF U HAVENT ALREADY THERES SO MANY COOL THEORY POSTS THERE!!)

one final not-as-relevant theory that’s really more of a prediction: i really think joel vargskelethor is gonna be in this upcoming episode, whether it’s in whole or in part. i mean, he already voiced the duende in ep 3, so it’s not like its impossible or anything. also “scythelord” happens to be the name of joel’s band as well (which you should DEFINITELY check out if ur into metal!!!!! absolutely amazing stuff) OH OH AAAAAAND

id like to direct your attention to the title of this update, which is “the bone zone,” which i believe to be a skeleton metal reference.

also jawbone/scythelord has the little sweden viking helmet thing on the wanted poster. AND HES GREEN! LIKE FREN!!

for those who dont know, this is fren (also known as vargfren i think)

so yeah. these evidence pieces combined with the fact that zeurel has made dozens of “vargskelethor animated” videos (which is how i got into zeurel’s animations in the first place actually!!) are what led me to make this prediction.

anyway, i hope you guys liked this theory post. it’s not an update on the web, but i figured id try doing something new. though, if youd like to see the web, here’s a view of the full thing currently:

but yea thats all i really had. ill reblog with some additions if i think of anything else. bye for now!!! :^D

[noctilin]

would you happen to have any tips for the most actual barebones beginner ever? like… everything looks like it was drawn by a child and nothing seems to look better -type beginner? it’s frustrating and I see people give advice like drawing a little guy youre obsessed with a little in order to get better but i find it so hard to draw anything that looks like it WASNT drawn by a four year old. like how do i actually get better and even sort of reach the actual beginner stage, start developing my own styles and such, and actually feel like drawing often would actually help?

hmmm, i'd say try to not overwhelm yourself. when you start out it's easy to get paralyzed by all you can and have to learn. accept the fact that you cannot learn everything and practice takes time. but time will pass anyway.

focus on what you want to achieve. start with a small, loose goal to keep you on track. what do you want to draw? is it characters? objects? animals? backgrounds? comics? why and how do you want to draw them? it doesn't have to be your end goal which is why i say loose. because at some point you might find out you don't actually like drawing animals and want to draw landscapes instead. this doesn't mean the time you spent is a waste though because you learned something about yourself.

your goal can be as shallow and silly as you want it to be as long as you have a direction to start with. when i was 14 all i ever wanted was to draw "hot people" and started from there LMAO. i knew i wanted to draw characters so i studied how to draw people. collected art that depicted my preference of what i found attractive. when i started i drew only heads. i didn't know how to draw bodies but once i found myself in a happy spot, i tried to expand by practicing anatomy. bit by bit you learn to draw everything else if you keep pushing with the drive.

this doesn't mean that this goal is the only thing you should be doing, by the way. that's one way to burn out fast. play and draw with other things as you go while keeping your goal in mind. change and adapt as you see fit. as people, we grow by experiencing different things. this is the same with art. this goal is just there to help guide you when you feel lost.

one thing i really advocate is to NOT let styles control you. it will come to you naturally because as you learn you'll figure out what you want and don't want to have in your art. like, it's fine to have an ideal style but if you focus on style before fundamentals you are easily going to crash into endless frustration because you won't understand what you're doing at all.

be kind to yourself, most of all. there'll be no doubt that you'll find yourself frustrated and miserable. that's just part of being an artist. but you should avoid calling your work mediocre and childish. you are already in the "beginner stage" so stop putting yourself lower than that. berating yourself will not do you any good. give yourself a pat on the back for each drawing you've done and reflect on what you want to improve on.

life is short and i believe that celebrating the privilege of creating can go a long way. best of luck and happy drawing :)

[serasarahhhh]

Author: Maxine Pairings: BakuDeku Rating: R Chapters: 15/? Notes: Accidental quirk shenanigans result in an unplanned pregnancy. Post-canon, no a/b/o dynamics. Summary: It's not that Katsuki didn't want kids. He figured he'd have them one day, probably. That he and Izuku would adopt or maybe figure something else out. This is NOT how it was supposed to go. ~~~~~ CHAPTER 15 “Holy shit,” Katsuki utters, walking right up to the bed and just staring. Izuku’s slack-jawed himself, but he makes sure he grips Kaminari in a tight hug before doing anything else. “Fuck, you really did it,” Kacchan continues in near-disbelief. “Yep,” Kyouka says, lips quirking. She brushes a gentle touch over her daughter’s chubby cheek. “Didn’t have much of a choice, really, once it started. She was ready.” Kaminari releases Izuku from his clutches and walks with him over to the baby. “Oh, wow,” Izuku murmurs. His eyes go wet – typical, honestly – but he beams through the tears. “Kyouka. She’s amazing.” “I know, right?” Kaminari says excitedly. “All ten fingers and toes.” He bends close to Kyouka so she can pass the baby over to him. “She’s pretty bald right now, but it looks like she’s gonna have Kyouka’s hair.” Carefully, he tugs her little beanie off so they can see the wispy purple strands covering her head. “Maybe not her Quirk, though.” True, it doesn’t seem like she has Kyouka’s earphone jacks. “Could mean she’ll have yours, though,” Izuku says, keeping his volume low as he leans in. Kanami is still sound asleep and has been since they got there, so Izuku sure doesn’t want to be the one who accidentally wakes her up. “Gosh, she looks just like you guys.” He doesn’t know how accurate that actually is right now, but he figures it’s the sort of thing people say. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches Katsuki wrinkling his nose up in a doubtful sort of way, but thank goodness he doesn’t actually voice his disagreement out loud. Instead, he says, “Not bad, Ears. Congrats.” Kyouka snorts. “Woo, I did it,” she cheers, flat but teasing. “Pushed a whole human out of my body.” “Yeah, thank fuck I don’t gotta do that.” Katsuki glances from baby Kanami to Kyouka and back again. “Like…she ain’t that big but still. How the hell.” “Oh, trust me,” Kyouka intones, barking out a quick laugh. “She FELT big.” “You want to hold her?” Kaminari asks, and whether that’s directed toward Izuku or Katsuki, he’s not sure, but Izuku instantly chirps out a, “YES!” and thrusts his arms out. Kaminari carefully hands her over, making sure Izuku’s supporting everything he’s supposed to and that his daughter is safe and secure before he backs off a tad. And that’s about when Izuku’s world finally tilts off its axis. She’s such a little thing. And she feels fragile. Not in an unusual way or anything, as far as he can tell, but just… Izuku’s so much bigger. And he’s clumsy sometimes, oh god. His hands are huge, his arms bulky with muscle, Kanami looks itty bitty nestled against him and it’s WILD. He’s suddenly so terrified something will happen to her because of him, even though there’s really not much that could happen. Because he’s being careful, SO careful, and he would never do anything stupid that would harm her, but it’s just this – this FEELING. It sweeps through him, protective and fierce and god, Kanami isn’t even his! Holy crap, what the heck. Some kind of sound escapes him – awed, scared, amazed, who knows. His voice is choked when he speaks. “Hi, Kana-chan,” he whispers. She lets out a little mewl, squirming for a few seconds in her blanket before she settles again, and Izuku melts. “Welcome to the world, baby girl.” Continue reading at AO3. Through chapter 15 now posted!