#v: variant

[emeraldxphoenix]

plotted starter for @wildcxrds for Alex

It’s infuriating to travel everywhere by foot. Asgard has horses and ships, and Midgard has cars, boats and planes, but the only transport currently available to Loki is his own two feet. Any use of his magic beyond the basic signature concealment spell he uses would advertise his whereabouts to his pursuers – Heimdall, Thor, Odin – like a fucking beacon. Which would obviously be game over. Not that Loki thinks his adoptive father would kill him for what he’s done ( – though such a sentence might actually be a mercy – ) but the trickster doesn’t doubt that Odin would imprison him, leaving him a sitting duck for Thanos and the punishment sure to follow. All in all, not a viable outcome.

Which leaves him to walk across this damn realm, scurrying from bolt hole to bolt hole like a fox being hunted, or a rat that knows the palace cats are nearby. It would be humiliating, if the god weren’t so focussed on simply surviving. There is no plan this time, no scheme, merely the desperation to keep moving, and the need for his fractured mind and broken body to heal. When that finally happens, if it ever does, the trickster will make a plan.

Dried leaves crunch underfoot as the god comes to an abrupt halt. Between tree trunks, comfortably concealed some distance away, sits the outline of horizontal logs and a low hanging roof. Gaze flicks down his body, over stolen clothes and long, matted hair. Perhaps he can beg – or steal – some aid. Perhaps, out here in the middle of nowhere, his face will not be known. Cautiously, Loki bends his steps towards the cabin.

Thud. One boot makes contact with the lowest step. “Hello?” Thud. And another. “Is anyone here?”. Thud. “I am here to... I need help.” Thud. “I was… lost in the woods. And I… fell.” Slightly lame, as lies go, but hopefully it will do for now.

[emeraldxphoenix]

The girl’s silent gaze is answer enough to his question. Before him, sitting on the floor of his Essos house, in old and filthy rags, with a tiny dragon on her shoulder, is a girl of one of the most noble bloodlines in the land. His father would have a conniption if he knew. Thankfully, Loki hasn’t spoken to Odin in years, and is wise enough to know what information his mother and brother can or cannot be trusted with; an occurrence such as this is not one to be shared, even within his own household. Bea will be informed, and nothing is kept from Sigyn, but anything beyond that would compromise all their safety. The conflict that led the girl here may be over, but it would be foolish to assume that those remaining have chosen to forgive and forget it all. Best to keep her hidden until the region’s stability is certain.

“Let me guess: your parents sent you away to escape the bloodshed, and somehow you managed to make it to the continent.” It’s obvious, really, when one thinks about it. “But you lost your protectors, and were captured by slavers,” – green eyes flick down to the soiled dress – “brutes who could see neither the humanity, nor the business sense, in properly caring for you.” Lips curl in distaste at the thought. It’s hypocritical, Loki knows – after all, he put money in those slavers' pockets by purchasing her – but he has spent his life working within systems, bribing and threatening, finding loopholes to exploit. He does not have his brother’s naive hope that such systems can be overthrown. People are simply too selfish. 

“You kept this beautiful creature a secret though…” The Mage has his gaze fixed on the tiny dragon, eyes alight with wonder. “Since you wouldn’t tell me your name, will you tell me theirs? Unless, of course, you’ve changed your mind about sharing your name. Or talking to me at all.” Lips quirk in sardonic amusement, certain that such a thing is merely wishful thinking. Still, it doesn’t hurt to try. Speaking of trying, Loki slowly and carefully reaches out a hand towards the dragon, offering it to be sniffed before twisting his hand in an attempt to run a finger down the elegant scaled back. Is it unwise? Most definitely. But the Lysene can’t help his impulsivity sometimes, and the whole situation has his reckless side just itching with curiosity. Just wait until he tells Sigyn about this.

Sapphire chirps softly and nips at her cheek as if she is trying to comfort the child. They have been through so much together in the short few years they have been alive and Elaena should not feel as weary as she does at the age of eight years old. If she is to be murdered here in Essos, at least she knows her family is awaiting her when the Stranger comes to collect her soul. Mother always warned her of men and refused to send her away with the boys, because she didn't trust anyone around a little girl. Now she is trapped in the household of one and he not only knows of Sapphire, but also Elaena's heritage as it seems. It's not hard to make assumptions after seeing the dragon, because there is only one dragonseed family left in all the continents. No other house is able to claim dragons the way the Targaryens do and even the people in Essos are aware of that, given her father spent a decade living here in Pentos with his first family.

When he asks if she is a Targaryen, Ella doesn't speak but just fixes him with a weary gaze. The silver hair and lavender colored hues are all the answer he needs to that question, alongside the dragon that is currently coiling its tale around the girl's neck and scuttling down her arm to sniff at the air and breathe out a puff of smoke. Sapphire cannot produce fire yet, most dragons can't. Her brother's dragons were almost fully grown when they died and she had never seen them breathe fire. It takes time to develop such abilities and they never had time to grow old enough to learn them. All her brothers and their mounts are gone now. The war claimed them all and there are no dragons left in Westeros, she supposes. What a sad end to the house Targaryen, once mighty and proud, now reduced to a scared child in a completely different part of the world.

When the man claims that she is safe with him either way, Elaena doesn't have the energy to disagree. She was supposed to keep her identity hidden, but that is easier said than done when one sticks out like a sore thumb. The people of Essos are tan skinned, with dark hair and eyes so even on the best of days she is hard to overlook, given how fair she is. If her new master is able to figure out the truth, others will as well. And she is certain there is a formidable price on her head. Even if there isn't, she is sure that people would try to sell her out to Aegon for their own gain and her bloodthirsty uncle would kill her, she has no doubt. The way he came to their home and dragged them before his dragon to slay his own sister - she thinks him a monster. And monsters don't have mercy with children, that is one truth the war taught her.

[sami32e]

DeviantArt mirror here

Here is a project almost one year in the making: A sprite chart of Undertale AUs and Multiverses. The credits are massive, so I'll keep it brief.

The order of characters in the rows is: Ink, Error, Core, Dream, Nightmare, Fresh, Blueberror, Fatal, Dr. Sans and an extra Outcode.

Enjoy

Undertale & Deltarune by Toby Fox

Underfell by @underfell (Vic the Underfella)

Underswap by Hatsune Miku

Swapfell by Kkhoppang

Hardtale by CedDrawsNear

Fellswap Gold by @blackggggum

Underfellswap by @swapfell

Swapswap ( @swapswapofficial ) by @oranskullblade, Resurgence Swapswap by Dunkly

Dusttale by Osteophile and @ask-dusttale

Remains (Dusterror) by @flapvoir-real

Horrortale by @horrortalecomic (Sour Apple Studios)

Killertale/Something New by @rahafwabas

Paper Jam by @7goodangel

Gradient Sans & @askcomboclub by @roseworks

Quantumtale by @perfectshadow06

Superior Papyrus by Kurbo0

Index Sans & Dr. Clockworx by @tgps-crib

Mr. Paradox by @jaumj

Goth Afterdeath by @nekophy

Paper Crane by @little-noko

Goopytale by @sunnysheadraws and Arts Kislali

Xtale & Underverse ( @xtaleunderverse ) by @jakei95

A L I V E by @tatatale

Challenger Papyrus & R.E.M.N.A.N.T. by Waterfallapollo

Cutter Chara and Needle Asriel by @zaylephant

Agent Buttercup by me

Inktale by @comyet

Errortale, Aftertale and Underfresh by @loverofpiggies

Core Frisk ( @corefrisk ) by @dokudoki

Dreamtale by @jokublog

Fatal Error ( @fatal-error-blog) by @xedramon

Doctor Sans by @flapvoir-real

Honeycomb Ralsei by @laptoparmageddon

Fellink (Dye) and Fellgravity by Alter9code

Fellafter by @medioric-hyper and Ermburh

Fellerror (Flaw & Flawine), Felldream (Oneiro & Ephialtes) and Fellfatal by Mettalicc and Daviduzzzzzz

Fellcore Frisk by @inkbrucel

Fellfresh/Unfresh (Rocker) by me

Fell Dr.Sans by @tresh4kww

Swapink (Indi) by @wishingstarinajar

Swapafter & Swapfatal by ZeroCofee06/ZeroSans06

Swaperror (Fallacy & Fallrot) and Swapcore Chara by Mettalic and Daviduzzzzzz

Fallacy redesign by me

Swapdream take and Doctor Paps by @tresh4kww

Swapfresh (Zippy) by @rainbowsans

Hex Error Sans by @stankychee

Supremeverse by @flapvoir-real

The Variants by @glitchy-squidd

Airbrush (and by extension Brushwork) by @adorablemew

NO!Sansverse by @tging24

Swapfellverse by @enigmapapyrus

Hardafter by @medi0creking and @medioric-hyper

Hardink (Pastel), Harderror (Critical), Harddream (Euphoria & Misery/Nightterror), Hardfresh and Hardfatal by @medi0creking

Pastel redesign and Hardcore Frisk by me

[vertigoartgore]

2023's Detective Comics Vol.1 #1071 variant cover by artist Ivan Reis, inker Danny Miki and colourist Brad Anderson.

[viyojo]

slice

[emeraldxphoenix]

Frigga had been the bearer of the news. She – the woman he had once called mother, who now was not and yet could never be anything but mother to him – had knocked on the door with gentle surety, and then had the kindness to wait for him to open it rather than simply let herself in. Odin had always just let himself in, but not her. The compassion cut deeper than the knives Loki had concealed beneath torn curtains. He didn't deserve it, not any of this; a monster is not entitled to respect, to tenderness – and yet Frigga offered it to him anyway. He despised it. 

Still, Loki made use of that moment. A flash of green eyes cleared the floor of blood and broken glass, and a golden glamour shimmered into existence to conceal sunken eyes, matted hair, and self-inflicted wounds. Mo– Frigga will have known that he was hiding, but hopefully she believed it merely a prideful presentation choice and nothing more. Whatever she surmised from her shrewd gaze when she entered, the goddess chose not to share with him – instead she had embraced him, named him son, and told him of his fate. Marriage. Banishment, in all but name. She called it a kindness, a relief, but Loki merely wished that Odin had chosen to execute him. It’s what is supposed to happen to creatures like him, after all.

For him, however, there was no such release. There was only continued confinement to his rooms, trunks for him to pack his belongings in ( – he packed nothing, he has no right to any of it – ) and awkward, stifled visits from not-family who no longer, aside from Frigga, knew how to look him in the eye. Sigyn didn’t visit. Loki didn’t blame her. The only glimpse he received of her was as they were leaving, the Queen exchanging final words with Thor while Asgard’s guards escorted the trickster to the gathered Vanaheim delegation and gladly washed their hands of him. Loki of Asgard no more.

So now he waits, alone in the rooms he used to stay in as a prince, and methodically cuts away at illusion-flesh. No guards wait outside the door beyond what a royal family might expect for protection. No wards upon the doorway prevent his exit, or restrain his magic. But none of it matters: Loki has nowhere else to go. Instead he will remain, seated on the floor in the far corner of the room, ignoring the food left for him on the table ( – he hasn’t eaten since he failed even at dying – ) and waiting for the arbiter of his fate to pay him a visit. They were friends once. He doesn’t have the strength of mind to hope that will make her kind.

A knock on the door. How long has he been sitting here? It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Loki, it’s Sigyn. May I come in? She has Frigga’s compassion. It makes Loki want to tear his hair out. A swift twist of his hand and the bloodied knife is returned to his pocket dimension; a flash of magic and the same glamour he used earlier settles upon his skin. He looks well, healthy, Æsir. What’s one more lie to add to the many coiling around his heart?

He rises gracefully to his feet. “You may.” She enters then, the woman he loves – no: loved, because surely frost giants aren’t capable of love? – as beautiful as she ever was, wearing Queenship like she was made for it. Perhaps she was. Loki drops his gaze respectfully to the floor, falling back on long-learned lessons from the royal court. “My lady Queen. It is kind of you to visit.” A bow – because they are not equals anymore, in truth they never were – and the trickster falls silent, waiting for question, or instruction, or permission to speak. Why am I here? He wants to scream. You should have thrown me from the Bifrost. But he doesn’t. Instead he waits; waits for the Queen of Vanaheim to tell him what she wants with a mad and disgraced frost giant runt.

When word first reaches Vanaheim of the events on Asgard - Thor's interrupted coronation and banishment, Odin's incapacitation, Loki's ascension and swift descent into what the Realms are calling madness - Sigyn feels her blood run cold.

Her advisors call for her to use this unrest to their advantage, and their Queen can see their point, but she'd called Asgard home for such a long time, considered Thor to be her friend... And had been betrothed to Loki, before her life's path had diverted from the one they had planned to walk together.

It's that last fact which burns in her mind as she travels to Asgard to meet with Odin.

The two monarchs bargain and debate over Vanaheim's fealty to him as Allfather for hours, and it is clear from the off that Odin expected this to be easy. But Sigyn is not cowed by him, and she has always been a shrewd diplomat and a confident negotiator. Now that she is Queen of Vanaheim - now she has things that he needs - her confidence in facing him is a thing to behold.

In the end, terms are agreed. In exchange for the people of Vanaheim continuing to recognise the Allfather's authority over even that of their own Queen, they will receive an increased presence during inter-Realm diplomatic discussions which concern them. In exchange for their assistance in rebuilding the Bifröst, the Vanir will receive aid in defending their Realm's eastern border, which has been beset by marauders in the aftermath of the bridge's destruction.

Sigyn's final term is a personal one, but is framed as a benevolent act to relieve the Allfather of one of his more pressing issues. Odin cannot allow Loki to retain his status in Asgard after what he did, but Frigga will not condone consigning her son to a life locked away as the Æsir's shameful secret. Sigyn offers them an alternative, one hinging upon the fact that her betrothal to Loki was never formally dissolved.

And Odin accepts it.

Without the Bifröst, travel between Asgard and the other Realms is reliant upon Odin wielding old, complex magic. One of the outcomes of this is that it means that the time between the decision being made and her actually returning to Vanaheim with Loki is incredibly brief - which means she doesn't have time to speak to him, before it happens.

He is not coming with us as our prisoner, she insists to the advisors who accompanied her to Asgard, and she is thankful that none of them question her.

Not only have her advisors known her for her whole life, but she is also acutely aware that the fact that they know Loki is likely working in her favour here. They remember the young Prince who was adored by their second Princess, and Sigyn is relieved that they understand her decision now.

There are other titles which she has possessed since long before she held the title of Queen there were others she possessed, and the Goddess of Fidelity won't abandon someone she loved - someone she loves.

Rooms are prepared for Loki - the very rooms he used to stay in when he visited Queen Freyja's halls when he was younger. He is not heavily guarded, and no restrictions are placed upon his power. Sigyn trusts him, even after all this time. Even now.

And from a less sentimental perspective: he is injured and (she presumes) still mentally reeling from everything that has happened to him. He's hardly in much of a state to cause any serious trouble.

A few hours after their arrival in Vanaheim, Sigyn finally manages to extricate herself from discussions with her advisors. She needs to speak to him, alone, and it can't wait any longer. She regrets having had to make him wait at all.

When she comes to stand outside the door to the rooms he has been placed in, she hesitates. She doesn't feel like a Queen, now. She just feels like a girl who has loved somebody for almost her entire life, and is trying to find a way to help them.

Sigyn raises her hand, and knocks on the closed door. Her voice is gentle, just loud enough to be heard.

"Loki? It's Sigyn." No titles, just her name. "May I come in?"

surprise(ish) starter for @emeraldxphoenix

[xia0ming56]

Hated that last episode so i drew this to convince myself i liked it

[smashpages]

DC vs. Vampires: World War V #1 (DC, August 2024) variant cover by Homare

[loversgothic]

quick alt style sketches

[batbabydamian]

Al Ghul enjoyer PKJ as writer and Rebirth Nightwing artist Javi Fernandez for the new Batman and Robin team…fascinating…

this new run is distinctly darker in tone just based on the summary alone, but i’m so curious how “a different way to help the world begins to present itself” could mean for Damian!!

[jkparkin]

DC vs. Vampires: World War V #6 (DC, January 2025) variant cover by Mark Spears

[emeraldxphoenix]

@victoriousfidelity said “   The multiple failed assassination attempts against me have helped build both character and self esteem. ”

As the timing of entrances go, it’s pretty spectacular. The Queen’s council sits around its usual table, Sigyn herself at its head as she, typically, manages to see the good even in attempted murder ( – the same kindness and strength that meant she saw the good even in a disgraced frost giant). And then Loki enters – not a council member but permitted entrance as per the Queen’s prior instruction – the conclusion to these assassination attempts contained within the sack he has clutched in one hand.

Attention shifts to him of course, various flavours of outrage passing across old men’s faces, confusion across some, concern across his wife’s. Before she, or any of them, can speak, the trickster strides forwards, black boots marking confident steps across the polished floor. Violet blooms across his cheekbone, and he really needs to speak to a healer about the angle of one of his fingers, but delivering this information could not wait.

“Your majesty. Council.” A respectful bow to his wife, and inclination of the head to the others present. Many of them are not on the best terms, but at this moment Loki couldn’t care less about political squabbles. “It is my pleasure to inform you that the source of the assassination attempts has been discovered. He will present no further problems.”

[iliketoreadstuf]

i mean this in the nicest way possible but jegulus and solangelo are not variants of each other i’m sorry

[the-masquerade-council]

Queer-ish/Variant-ish part 2

Homo-ish(using this flag)

A term for for when someone's close to but not quite homo(sexual,romantic,ect). This can be for a variety of reasons, including being homoflexible, having a gender that doesn't have "a same/similar" gender(s), have a fluid orientation and/or gender but most commonly experiencing homo attraction, being caed or shadow orientationed, questioning one's orientation but knowing you do experience homo attraction, any other experiences of near but not exactly homo attraction and/or homo attraction with additional complexities to it.

Different specific versions of homo-ish

Lesbian-ish, and Gay-ish,

and Cenelian-ish, and Celarsian-ish

[qfzeeph]

felt like gushing about the silly blue man today so here's a rare "you get zeeph writing" moment!!

♡Kaito (Vocaloid) x Reader/Master HCs♡

♡this be fluffy, with a teeny tiny bit of spicy jokes towards as a treat. that's about it♡

♡ So, what is he exactly? You have no idea. Some sort of weird ambiguous cross between an android and just a regular ordinary human it seems? But that air of mystery is part of what makes him so charming. You wouldn't have even known he had mechanical parts somewhere within him if he hadn't spoken to you. You can definitely hear it in his voice (though sometimes when he sings it's very easy to forget!) and through some of his mannerisms, but he just seems to be a regular human guy otherwise. Don't try to ask him about it either, because he's not even quite sure himself. All he knows is he woke up one morning with the mission to make people around the world happy and that he's got some sort of internal machinery and coding within him. ♡Absolute cuddlebug. His favorite time of day is when you're snuggled together under a warm blanket. Need I say more? They don't call him "Cozy Kaito" for nothing. He's warm like a space heater, but not uncomfortably warm. ♡Cut the fancy date crap, he'd rather go out for ice cream or a romantic walk in the park. It's the little things for him, and ice cream of course. Taking him out to get ice cream means the world to him. ♡However, he isn't afraid to spoil you silly with little things either. Flowers, candies, various treats, you come home to them all the time. Any of those little things that make your day a little brighter he's gonna do for you. Your smile is incredibly important to him, and he wants to make sure you're feeling loved whenever possible. ♡He's your biggest cheerleader. He wants to see you succeed and will relentlessly hype you up for whatever you're doing. If you are to fail, he'll be there to soften the blow and get you back on your feet to try again. ♡Sometimes, you have to remind him that ice cream and cuddles isn't going to solve every problem. Since he's programmed with the task of making others happy, sometimes he forgets that and may push a little too far when you're stressed. He tries his best to catch himself, and while he is learning to combat that initial urge to cheer you up sometimes he still slips up. Just a simple "I need a little space right now" is more than enough to remind him though. It was hard for him to hear at first but he quickly understood. ♡Another "programming quirk" he has is calling you "Master." If you like that, he won't stop! But if you're like me and would rather him just call you by your name, he'll happily oblige the best he can. However, in moments of passion, he might let a "Master" or two slip out, or combine your name with the word. I'm sure it'll make for some cute pet names. ♡On the topic of pet names, he loves them. Thinks all the little nicknames you give him are super cute. He'll definitely try and find some for you too on the "cutesy-romantic" end. ♡Even Kaito gets sad. He struggles with the idea that he's a failure occasionally and that he's not doing enough. A little love from you is a quick fix, and over time with your care he may even overcome that mindset.

♡He loves to go out places with you, whether it be for errands, work, or fun. If he's not sure about where you took him though, don't be surprised if he clings to you like a lost puppy for a bit until he figures out what's going on. ♡Speaking of cling, he's a clinger. Loves to hold your hand, walk with an arm around you, carry you around the house, sit with his head on your shoulder (or your head on his shoulder!) ♡Kaito plays a lot of different roles when he performs. If there's a specific one you like, he'd be more than happy to add bits and pieces of that role to your interactions. Of course, his usual goofy self will always shine through. Though he's also willing to apply playing the role to other scenerios if you so desire (wink wink) ♡Loves to sing to you. There's songs he sings to you that'll never leave your room, both in a spicy sense and in a "I don't want anyone else to hear this because I wrote it for you and you alone" sense. He also likes to learn the words to your favorites (mainly non vocaloid, or vocaloid songs that don't feature him if applicable) and sing them to you! Expect a lot of sappy, cute song outbursts during your time at home, and occasionally when you're out too but not quite as often. Though you may catch him humming the melody to one of your favorite songs while you're out and about! He'd be incredibly happy if you sang along with him too. Even if you think you can't sing, he'll tell you you've got the voice of an angel. Author's Note: For me personally, I like to imagine he'd sing the chorus to "You Are My Sunshine" every night before bed. But that's just me :) (please click on that. I'm begging you. I have no idea why that video only has like 100 views on it as of me writing this because it's literally so good and heartwarming and it's also like the full song which is honestly pretty sad in terms of lyrics in retrospect but the chorus gets me real good real good reeeallll goooooood.) ♡Last, but not least... The scarf stays on. no exceptions. If you catch my drift ;) (okay. one exception, to throw it in the washer when it gets dirty.)

fhsdlfjsdlkfjsd hope you enjoyed me drooling all over the place with this. I'm starting to become shameless when it comes to sharing this kind of stuff in the best possible way. it's the lord's year of 2024 imma do what I want and write about all my favorite fictional men

[azovyon]

GQ taehyung commission