#watch me do everything in my power to not draw a background

[katsettee]

Thinking a lot about what Peng said

They’re very normal about each other

[hypewinter]

Hear me out! Danny finds his human form slowly getting more eldrich as he gets older (and more powerful) and ends up going to Gotham where people are way less likely to ask questions!

Sadly when the people of Gotham see Danny, oops my shadow has eyes now, Fenton they just assume he's gonna be a new Rouge!

Que the bat fam watching Danny waiting for him to make his move, over-analyzing everything he does. Mans can't even buy a new laptop without Bruce breathing down his neck about it

This would be an issue if Danny wasn't such a little troll, and he starts buying more obviously ominous things only to openly use them in improperly boring and normal ways. Like buys a death lazer and can be seen using it to make toast, buys a cursed box full of death themed artifacts and uses it as a coffee table, that kinda stuff.

Every time the bat's assume 'this is it!' And gets ready to take him down, only to see Danny setting up a new 'coat rack' made of kriptonite

Even better when they see him tinkering on some kind of doomsday device, the kind that looks super evil and dangerous and even has a red count down timer on the front and- it's a fucking air frier again! He already has three! Why does he keep making air friers?! Obviously this must be some kind of scheme

I raise you: Danny starts selling his things out to random citizens (they've all been intensely screened). The bats panic thinking this is an attempt to cripple Gotham in one fell swoop. Nope. Ms. Randall just really needed a new air purifier and Danny had a toxin dispenser that was just collecting dust.

I imagine though that he might start to notice that the bats are focusing on him a little too much which is a problem considering there are things going down in Gotham that actually need their attention. But at the same time, our resident ghost boy isn't ready to stop being a menace just yet. So what does he do? Kill too birds with one stone.

Whenever Danny catches wind of a new plot going down, he does something to draw the bats's attention to it. Two Face planning a robbery? Suddenly Danny is showing up to the bank everyday to work on the vault (he offered to reinforce it for free). The bats get so suspicious they focus hard on the bank and discover Two Face's plot before he can do anything.

The bats pat themselves on the back while Danny giggles in the background. Wonder how long it will take for them to figure out what's going on.

[logansobsession]

Intoxicating Desire

Pairings: Logan Howlett x fem! mutant reader

Summary: You and Logan have always been close friends, you knew everything about each other and did everything together. The only thing Logan doesn't do, is sit where your power is strongest: the greenhouse. Logan has never seen or heard about your power.

Word count: 4.8 K

Content Warnings: Explicit (18+ mdni), Smut, dirty thoughts, spitting, spicy tension, age gap, praising kink, no use of y/n, reader has ability to control plants and produce flowers from body, along with other flower related things, borderline sub!, teasing, choking.

A/N: This has been sitting in the back of my mind for the past week, I love me a weak Logan * cries out*. Something about his shell breaking and being putty in our hands makes ME turn to putty. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.

The greenhouse. The place you go to find solace. Granted, it's the only place you can go to feel your powers fully. With being "graced" with the mutation to control plants, along with sprouting whatever you decide from your body.

The silence. The pure oxygen from the plants. It's otherworldly to you, keeping you chained there for hours, sometimes days. Most of your friends at the mansion know about your mutation. But, it's never spoken per your request. Everyone has such powerful mutations, spectacles of wonder and curiosity, then there's you. The plant girl.

You used to hate the mutation when you were shipped to the mansion at 16. Suppressing it any moment given. Charles spent hours upon hours with you, slowly teaching you to love and use the mutation in beautiful ways. Hank taught you how to control your frustrations and anger, which made it more difficult to control it. Scott... Scott didn't teach anything to you, he just enjoyed watching the show when you did use the mutation.

But Logan? He became your best friend, in the aspects of being your mentor. Taught you how to fight and defend yourself during hand to hand combat. He was there to offer a silent shoulder when you cried about boys, to hanging out with you. In fact, you guys hung out everywhere. Until Charles had the greenhouse built for you shortly after turning 18.

Logan never came to visit you when you would hole yourself up for hours. Nobody did really. The only person that visited you was Hank, but he couldn't handle the humidity as well as you did.

Today was humid, but rain pouring down as if the gods were crying. Which meant you would receive no visitors. The constant assault of rain upon the see through roof provided a lulling background noise, it was almost calming enough to let you rest there.

Logan was walking around the halls, bored out of his mind, he didn't have anything to do so he decided to try and find something or someone to cure his boredom with. He turned the corner and began to approach the greenhouse.

You stood in front of a rose bush, trimming any dead or sick leaves and stems from the bush. The rain was a constant sound, almost drowning out the sound of Logan's knocking before entering the greenhouse.

He stood at the entrance to the greenhouse, peering in at you, watching you for a moment before deciding to interrupt you.

"Hey." He said in a gruff voice.

You jumped in surprise, clutching at your heart before smiling.

"Hey! You finally visiting? Or is it too hot in here for you?"

"Too hot?" He raised a questioning eyebrow and shut the door behind him, the temperature in the room didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Seems fine in here to me."

You nod and laugh "Most of them don't enjoy being in here because it gets fairly humid. I think the rain cooled it down a significant amount today." as you gesture to the roof with the plant trimmers before resuming your task.

"Eh, I've been through worse." He shrugged, slowly drawing closer to you, looking over your shoulder to see what you were doing.

You smile again, continuing your work. "I'm cutting any sick or dead stems from the bush. Keeps the plant itself from getting sick or dying."

You look over your shoulder at him. "Would you like a stool? I usually keep one nearby incase Hank or Scott come to visit."

"Nah, I'm fine." He insisted, as he leaned against the wall, he continued to watch you as you worked, he wasn't all that interested in what you were doing with the plant; he was more interested in you to be honest, he'd just never come to check on you as he usually avoided the greenhouse.

"Alright, suit yourself." You shrug your shoulders before doing a final check on the bush, ensuring you didn't leave any behind. You take a step back and smile at your work.

"Now that's a healthy rose bush if I do say so myself." You walk back to the center of the greenhouse, a midsize willow tree surrounded by stone bricks. You sit down on the stone and pat the empty spot next to you.

He watched you as you sat down and pat next to you, beckoning him to sit with you. Logan pushed himself off the wall and stalked over to you, taking a seat next to you. Even sitting down he still dwarfed you in both size and stature, he leaned against the trunk of the tree but still turned his head to look at you, with an eyebrow raised.

You stare up at the willow, and smile. As you're looking up, you say "Isn't it beautiful? Charles picked the location of the green house for the sole purpose of this willow. It's soothing in a way. Branches drooping, almost sad in a constant melancholy state."

He also looked up at the willow, and he had to agree that it was beautiful. As he watched the branches sway, he also noticed the way that they seemed to droop, as if they were sad.

"It does have a calming presence to it." He agreed as he sat by your side, watching the willow.

You break your gaze from the willow, bringing it to Logan. "So how come you never come to the greenhouse? I'm almost always in here. Granted, no one likes the plant loving mutant and her weird fascination with plants, so I don't blame any of you."

He turned his face to look at you, he thought for a moment in whether he should be fully honest with you or not. He let out a sigh before speaking.

"It's not that I have anything against you, I just ain't a big fan in spending a whole lot of time around plants, or inside for that matter."

You nod your head, listening to him as he spoke. You pat your hands against your lap before you stood in front of him "Do you actually think I'm a mutant... like you?" you say as you place your hands on your hips.

Logan raised an eyebrow curiously as you asked the question. What a strange and out of the blue question to ask, he thought to himself as he looked up at you. He also noticed a shift in your tone. So leaned back against the willow and took a moment to think about his answer, before responding, "If I had to make a guess... I'd think you're a mutant."

You nod your head and smile. "That is correct. But my mutation isn't anything special. So I never use it." You shrug before picking up the trimmers and walk over to a patch of lilacs.

He continued to watch you as you moved over to a different plant. He stood up and followed you to the patch of lilacs. " Why don't you use it? You've been here for years, and I've never seen you do anything different?"

You get down on your knees and slowly start your work on the lilacs "Well it doesn't serve any real purpose, so I don't use it. I'm not a show off like some people in the mansion." You turn your head up at Logan and smile innocently.

He chuckled at your response, "No, you're too sweet to be that kind of person." A thought suddenly crossed his mind, he looked down at the lilacs as you worked on them.

"May I ask you something?"

You smile wider at Logan's compliment and turn your head back to the lilacs "Of course, I'm an open book. You can ask me anything."

He watched you for a moment as you continued to work. He paused for a moment, he was suddenly feeling a bit nervous but he didn't show outward signs of it. "So, what exactly is your mutation then?"

You let out a small sigh and slowly stand up. You walk back to the willow, setting the trimmers down. " I'm a little rusty, it's not something I do often, so bear with me." You say, brushing your hands off on your apron. "Come here" You hold out your hand for Logan to come near.

He watched you as you finished up and put the trimmers down. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as you held out your hand and gestured for him to come closer. He hesitantly stepped closer towards you.

"Come closer...I need you closer for this." You wave him to come closer. You shake your arms and shoulders, growing nervous as to if you can even do it anymore. You smile and wink at Logan, " This is my favorite party trick. But I save it for special people."

He watched you as you stood in front of him with a nervous smile. He raised his eyebrow as you said it was a "party trick". Still, he was more than intrigued to know what exactly what your trick was. He stepped even closer to you, standing in front of you.

You place your hands softly on Logan's chest, over his heart. I looked up at him, " I need you to think about something or someone you care about or love. Whatever it may be. Okay?" You raise your eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

He took a sharp breath as you placed your hands on his chest. He felt his heart rate pick up as you did so. He looked down at you, noticing you had gotten closer to him. He nodded, he had someone in his mind.

"Alright. I got what I need in mind."

Logan watched in surprise as the green house began to change around the both of you, as vines and branches creeped up the glass walls, making it much darker inside than it was before. He looked up at the roof and saw it covered in vines and branches. He watched as vines slowly crept down, blooming into long tufts of wisteria. He looked back down at you, he was shocked to see you exerting this kind of power. He'd never expected it from someone of your nature. Still, he kept his mouth shut, eager to see what you'd do next.

You let out a ragged breath, searching for any more power you had. Slowly, hues of pinks and purples erupted from your hair. Tiny flowers blossomed, framing your face perfectly. You open your eyes, breathing hard and smiling. Your hands still resting on Logan's chest as you say "Like my party trick?" You look around at the vines and flowers covering the inside of the greenhouse.

He was speechless, he looked around in awe at the greenhouse. Covered in vines, with wisteria everywhere. His eyes fell back down to you as you spoke. He looked over your face, noticing all the tiny flowers framing your pretty face. He blinked a few times in shock, until he finally came back to his sense and spoke, his voice slightly shaky from the shock. "That's a pretty amazing party trick you have there."

You smile and gently remove your hands from Logan's chest. He remained in a daze, watching you pat his chest before removing your hands. You looked up at the ceiling, proud of the show you had put on for Logan, after not using your abilities in at least two years.

You reached up, grabbing a small tuft of wisteria, opening Logan's hand and placing the flower in his hand gently. He felt his heart skip a beat as you grabbed his hand, placing the flower there. He could feel butterflies in his stomach as you looked at him.

Your face grows warm before speaking up, " I do have one little more part of my mutation that I didn't tell you about."

Logan raise an eyebrow slightly at your words, listening intently as you spoke. You'd piqued his curiosity. A part of your mutation that you hadn't told him about? He found that interesting and honestly a bit annoying that you hadn't told him already.

"There's a part to your mutation that you haven't told me about? And what is that part, sweetheart?"

You smile, taking a step back so you could clearly see his face. "You know some flowers release a scent? An almost intoxicating scent that's alluring to the senses?"

He glanced after you as you stepped away from him, watching as you brought your hands to your sides. He nodded his head, already knowing where you're going with this. He was already realizing that you'd been holding something back from him. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about, why?"

You stay silent point to yourself, hoping he makes the connection. It took him a moment, but he soon caught on to what you were hinting at. And as soon as he had, he swore his knees almost buckled at the realization.

"You-your flowers do release a scent that's luring to the senses?"

You nod, "Some of them yes. As an extra boost. But Charles taught me to suppress my emotions and this because it acts as pheromone." You state. You take a few moments in silence. "Would you like to see what I mean?"

He didn't even have to think before nodding his head, he wanted to see un-suppress this little ability of yours, seeing the effects it'd have just out of pure curiosity. " Yeah, I'd like to see what you mean. Go on sweetheart go ahead and show me."

You sit down on the stone by the willow tree and close your eyes. You mentally unravel everything Charles had taught you. Slowly. But surely, a rainbow of colors blossomed within your hair and an intoxicating scent mixed with your pheromones.

Logan was absolutely mesmerized as he watched you sit down and close your eyes, watching in wonder as the normally subtle blossoms in your hair began to explode to an almost dazzling spectrum of colors. And as the intoxicating scent mixed your pheromones, he strange sort of need grow in his chest.

"Sweetheart... What are you doing to me..."

The scent grew stronger, becoming easily detected by the normal senses. It filled the green house, almost creating an invisible haze. The scent was slowly driving Logan crazy. His breathing was getting heavier in response to it, the smell being intoxicating like you had said. He felt something deep within him respond and almost beg for him to get physically closer to you.

"Fuck... darling...the smell... It's messing with me..."

You opened your eyes slowly while holding your breath and looked at Logan. You tilted your head in a way of saying "I told you so" before closing your eyes again and cutting off the scent from emanating any more. You stood up and walked back to Logan and smiled.

The moment you'd cut off the scent, he felt like he'd suddenly been doused in a bucket of cold water. He was suddenly able to actually get his bearings again, able to realize how strongly he'd been affected by you un-suppressing that part of your mutation.

"Jesus Christ... that scent was... something else.. I don't think I've ever felt that type of need for someone, sweetheart..."

You dramatically bow, and stand back up straight. " And that is why I spent four years training alone with Charles. All in the mind."

Logan chuckled softly, feeling amused at how dramatically you had bowed just to emphasize the effectiveness of the power you had just revealed. " Damn... I can't really blame Charles for spending that much time with you to make sure you'd be able to control it. If you could just let that loose, anytime, you'd have every single person in the mansion swooning over you in no time."

You look down at your hands momentarily, " That isn't it at the strongest, I know your heightened senses are probably raw from that little bit. I could show you, but if you need fresh air, I promise I won't be mad at you Logan."

As the scent of the flowers still lingered throughout the air, mixing with the subtle but still present smell of your pheromones. It was driving him insane, like a constant itch in the back of his mind, to just grab you and keep you close to him. "Darling I'm not going anywhere."

He hadn't completely regained control yet and he sure as hell wasn't going to leave you alone when he was still being affected by you. You look at him and nod, understanding. " I'll go somewhere where you can't hurt me and I can stop anytime that you want me to."

His breath hitched slightly at your question. His head was still clouded from the scent that had filled the green house and he couldn't think clearly enough to decide whether that would be a good idea or not. Something deep within him was still demanding and almost begging for him to get closer to you, to hold you in his arms. But he somehow managed to answer coherently

"You sure you want to do that sweetheart?"

"I want to show you what it's like if I went out on a field mission with you guys." You start speaking as you look at Logan. "I can't direct it yet at a single person, so if I use it against an enemy, it'll also affect the entire team."

Logan nodded as you spoke, listening intently. The strong scent still filled the air, his mind still in a haze. He was definitely tempted to get closer to you, but he managed to rein in his urges, barely..

"So that's why you can't actually go missions... it'll affect the team as well, not just the enemies.."

You nod your head "Yes. It's really the only useful and semi powerful thing in relation to my mutation..." You trail off, bringing your hand back to Logan's chest. "Are you sure you want to go through it again?"

He was tempted to just wrap his arms around you the second you put your hand on his chest, feeling it like a jolt to his system that just further made it hard to think. But he managed to answer you again,

"Yeah. Go ahead, sweetheart. Let's see what happens."

"Stay right there and don't move" you say with a serious tone coating your voice. You walk over to the willow tree and begin climbing in.

You reach the part of the tree that has a groove, perfect for sitting, a place you commonly rested at. You sat yourself in a way that Logan could still see you, but still in a way that would prevent you from falling in case you fainted.

"And you're positive that you want to do this?"

Logan watched as you went and climbed the tree. He was definitely having to exert every last ounce of willpower and strength he had to follow your instructions and just stay where he was and not follow you up that damn tree. "Sweetheart, I'm positive. Go ahead and show me what you got."

You close your eyes and open your arms from your body. Flowers blossoming from your head, painting your arms in hues of pinks and purples. You slowly begin to smell the familiar scent you spent hours holding deep down, radiate from your skin. As your eyes are closed and focusing on your body, you softly say "This isn't full power... Are you okay?"

The moment he felt the scent return to the air and begin to permeate throughout the greenhouse, all control Logan had was gone; the scent completely taking over his mind within moments. All he could think about was getting up to you, how perfect you would fit in his arms, and how much he just wanted to get close and touch you. But he tried to answer you in a coherent way. "Yeah... I'm fine... keeping going.."

You take a deep breath and let your mind and body begin to take over. You mentally go to a different place as the scent grows unbearably strong. Your body begins to sweat, beads of sickly sweet sweat rolling from your face down onto your cleavage. The sweat creates an even more pungent aroma that mingles with the scent within the greenhouse.

Logan's breathing was becoming shakier with every second that passed, feeling the scent grow even stronger and that mixed with the beads of sweat slowly making their way down your body was driving him absolutely insane. He was still having to exercise every ounce of self control to not follow you up the damn tree, desperately fighting against the overwhelming urge to just grab you and make you his.

"Oh...God... sweetheart you're making this so damn goddamn hard..."

It's been so long since you've let go like this, the release of pent up energy felt good, too good. You lean back hard, back connecting with the thick tree branch as the scent rolls off of you in thick, aggressive waves, as your self control whittles down to nothing.

He was at the very edge of his willpower by this point, the scent was so damn strong now and the sight of you lean back, sweat rolling down your body was taking every ounce of control he had away.

"Fuck...sweetheart you're going to send me over the edge... I swear to God I'm gonna completely lose it if you go anymore..."

Logan's voice sounding further away as you drift away from the control you had spent years precising. You knew deep down that you would have to go back to working with Charles, but in the very moment, it felt soothing to finally lose control.

Logan couldn't think clearly at all by this point, the scent that filled the air and the sight of your body, sweat beginning to soak your camisole, were driving him past the brink of sanity.

"God... Sweetheart... I can't hold back anymore.. I'm gonna do something...I'm warning you now"

You relish in the feeling of release, realizing that it needs to be done more than not doing it at all. Flowers and thin vines erupting from your hands, crawling and wrapping slowly around the tree; creating more open pockets to release the intoxicating aroma.

That was it.

You relishing in the release and the sight of the vines and flowers from your hands, wrapping around the tree was the last straw for Logan. He couldn't hold back anymore and as such, he gave in to the urge, not caring anymore.

"God DAMN it... I warned you." He let out a growl as he quickly ran towards the tree.

You laid there in uncontrolled bliss, too far off of the edge on control to reel it back in. Logan quickly jumped, using every ounce of his strength to scale the tree and get up to where you were, looking absolutely feral as he approached you, where you were sitting in the small groove of the tree.

"Oh sweetheart... look at you... you look like an absolute mess.. like a damn vision sitting up here... a vision that's mine to touch."

You barely feel Logan's body heat as your senses are far more defined than before. But all control of this has been lost and you lay there deep within your mind.

He quickly crowded towards you, leaning over you slightly as you sat there in a sort of half dazed state in the tree. He was feeling very, very possessive of you in this moment, seeing you with sweat coating your body; flowers and vines from your hands wrapping around the tree, and that scent of yours filling the air.

"God you're so damn perfect like this, so damn gorgeous.. so damn mine to touch..."

The lull of release temporarily becomes bearable and you slowly come back to your mind, scent still radiating from your body. You open your eyes and see Logan leaning over you, eyes dark and filled with desire.

He was looming over you, body almost fully caging you to the trunk of the tree. Eyes dark, nothing but lust and wild with possessiveness as he looked down on you, seeing you slowly start to come back to your senses. He couldn't help but take in the sight of you, practically drenched in sweat and flowers, sitting there in a half-dazed state of release at his touch. "There you are... look at you doll... a complete mess..."

You hazily smiled, closing your eyes once again, more vines erupting from your hands, slowly slinking around Logan, tying him in place all while pulling him closer. You whisper to him gently "I told you it's a lot."

Logan tried to bite back a moan as he was suddenly enveloped by the vines from your hands, feeling them wrap around his arms and legs, pulling him even closer until he was fully pressed against you, completely at your mercy.

"Doll... you're killing me here.. you feel so damn good..."

You look at him through half-lidded eyes, whispering "You doing okay?"

He nodded quickly at your question, feeling like his body had never been more alive and on fire than right then. Being all tied up by the vines from your hands, being held so close against you, the aroma of flowers and the sweat from your body being absolutely overpowering...

"Yeah... I'm doing more than okay sweetheart.."

A vine slowly snaked up Logan's back and around his neck, wrapping itself firmly around his neck as more flowers blossomed, releasing the aroma right underneath his nose.

He practically saw stars as the vine began to wrap around his neck, flowers releasing more of the damn intoxicating scent and completely scrambling his mind even more. He let out an almost guttural sounding moan at the intense feeling, the vines and scent making it increasingly difficult to think.

"God... sweetheart.. that feels so goooood...."

You close your eyes once more, controlling the vines wrapping Logan, pulling him face to face with me. The vine grips at Logan's neck again, you open your eyes again and smile. " Told you it's powerful.." You whisper against his lips.

Logan looked completely feral with how he practically on the verge of losing it as you pulled his face even closer, the vine around his neck tugging again, making the sensation even more intense. He let out a guttural moan again at how good it felt being wrapped up and completely within your power, being so close to your face with your lips just barely touching his.

" God sweetheart... you're insane."

You open your mouth just barely, dragging your tongue against Logan's bottom lip before bringing it into your mouth, biting and tugging at it before releasing it. "Tell me what you want to do to me Logan...please."

Logan practically whimpered at that, the feeling of your tongue against his bottom lip and you biting and tugging was more intense than he really expected it to be, driving him insane. He let out another guttural moan as you released his lip, feeling completely under your control as he managed to answer

"I want.. want to touch you.. kiss you.. feel your bare skin against mine.. just have you completely."

A low hum radiates from your throat as you bite Logan's bottom lip again, harder and drawing blood from his lip. "Tell me what you want to do to my body Logan."

He let out another moan as you bite his lip again, drawing blood. It hurt, but he couldn't focus on the pain as the feeling being tangled and held by the vines and being held so damn close you was overwhelming.

"God..I'm..I'm gonna kiss your body all over.. gonna feel your skin.. gonna devour every damn inch of you and make you mine..."

You hum again, "Tell me you're mine... tell me you'll be mine to use and play with whenever my little heart desires Logan.."

He let out a moan at the hum you gave him, feeling more and more like he was yours to use and play with. His primal side was fully taking over at this point as he answered.

" God yes... I'm yours sweetheart, I'm all yours.. I'll be yours to use and play with whenever your damn little heart pleases..."

You close your eyes, tightening the vine around Logan's neck even more "Good boy..." You whisper, praising him.

Logan let out another moan as the vine around his neck was tightened even more, his breathing becoming even more labored as it took him everything he had to answer you. His mind completely fogged over by how this felt, being so completely captured by you, completely at your mercy.

"God... yes... I'm your good boy.. please sweetheart... don't stop... keep going.. I'm all yours..."

[hexfloog]

i am sooo thematically consistent actually lmfao

My final contribution to Repostober 2024 :) Loose "redraw" of this sketch that I posted last year. Scan and words below the break.

I know the phrase "rewired my brain" gets thrown around a lot in fandom but I honest-to-God think Ghost Channel really did it. If it's not THE formative thing in my taste for horror, it imprinted pretty damn hard on my little babby brain. To this day, the memory of watching it for the first time stands out as my earliest experience where I've needed to pick my jaw off the floor and then marinate for a bit.

For those not in the know, Ghost Channel is an episode late into season one of Code: Lyoko. It is freely available to watch online, but if you're even a little interested in watching it, I highly recommend watching it in sequence, despite the episodic nature of S1.

Original scan, from 2009ish:

I'm sure I've mentioned it, but before I realized the importance of archiving my art I threw away virtually everything I had relating to CL >___< Later, I thought it might be fun to redraw some pillars from my childhood fandoms and this sketch happened. I've posted a few things for Repostober so far that were products of this same effort.

Reinterpreting this in 2024 was a challenge. My taste in horror hasn't changed much over the years, but the way I enjoy it definitely has. The 2009 scan reads as an in-your-face tribute to the episode (to me, at least), but these days I'm a much, MUCH bigger fan of subtlety and the power of implication. Redrawing it 1:1 bugged me a little since I didn't feel it'd meet my current standards or do the episode justice. I'm a firm believer in "less is more" so I spent a loootttt of time grappling with a good 'redraw' that 2024 me would accept while still passing as... well... a redraw xD I suppose it is still conceptually the same.

Jeremie is easily my favorite in the CL gang which definitely has nothing to do with the fact that I seem to have a proven history of latching onto the prodigal child with glasses and I've always found it crazy poetic that one of the only (or maybe the only?) big bad's true manifestations in the show is in his image. Something something thematic parallels, you love to see it >:) CL already has this habit of depicting shit that I would normally attribute to the modus operandi of a supernatural, demonic force so of COURSE I was gonna get in on this LMAO

Unfortunately, unless I find a hidden stash of old CL fanart somewhere... or enough time passes for me to draw this again... this is probably my last CL art for a while </3

On a more technical note for as much time as I gave myself for this I really popped off, especially on the background o___o Code Lyoko BG art goes super hard in general though, I don't think I would have settled for anything less. Had tons of fun with the VHS effects, learned lots of new little tricks to distort images for future projects.

Also this piece is called "ENDKAMPF" in my files lol

[writers-potion]

I’m not a very scheming person, but one of my stories need political intrigue to work. Do you have any advice for how to write that?

Writing Political Intrigue

Creating Shades of Gray

Unlike most plots where the protgonist("the good") and the antagonist("the bad") is more or less clearly defined, political intrigue is all about being in the middle.

Those who are self-serving but respect the law

Those who work for the public good but break the law

Those who try to stay clean but is absolutely no help

The key is to reveal both sides of holding but a certain value. This is perhaps best demonstrated through the controversal topics in today's context:

Social Aid for the Poor: (1) Of course redistribution of wealth and aiding the economically underprivilleged is a good thing (2) but if governmental aid actually encourages people to not work, should we continue?

Honesty: (1) it's good to be honest (2) but not is all situations

Sticky your character in between two or more parties, into making difficult choices. Make them break and bend their own code or values in the face of trying to chase their own agendas.

Different Perspective is Everything

As stated, everything has two sides. Each party will have different goals, different ideals, different norms of doing the work.

Bad blood, feuds, competition for resources, desire to win an ego battle. There's plenty of plot material.

The key here is to let both sides have good, understandable reasons. If one side is clearly "bad" with the other opposing them, it's no different from a hero-villain plot!

Gossip and Rumors

Gossip is one of the most powerful weapons in politics. In other words, it's reputation. Saving face. Ego.

Spreading half-truths to get a character to watch their back

Scandals and failed apologies

Gossip as an undercurrent tension within a scene where the character needs to prove themselves.

No Room for Weaklings

No one without a strong personal code or goal will get trampled in a tight, fast-paced political scene.

If your character is forced into politics, they'll need to toughen up quick or drop out.

A character may think they're strong, only to be proven wrong the minute he enters politics.

A character may find himself being divorced from his previous values as he tries to be more "tough"

Draw the Big Picture

In a particular scene, your characters aren't going to know everything, sometimes acting even blindly in pursuit of a goal. As an author, though, you should have a clear idea which piece of the puzzle you're writing.

figure out a sketch of your setting, and figure out the big issues, crises and ideologies that political divisions could stem from.

Know what your characters are into, past the main plot. Where do they want to be, even after this story is over?

You'll get a much richer story by brining in layers of characterization.

Keep lots of notes to keep track of the above.

Research, Research, Research!

The best place to get ideas for political intigue: history.

Grab a handful of texts on the historical wars, figures, and regime changes that most interest you, and after reading them you’ll likely end up with enough intrigue material to plot through a book series.

The setting and governmental structure: Political intrigue is shaped by the underlying social background and politicla system, so plan these in a way that suits your plot.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

References:

https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=150&t=63430

[danicareadssmut]

Storm Surge

The storm rolls in from the sea like a living thing, dark clouds swallowing the horizon as you make your way up the winding path to Rafayel's mansion. The wind carries salt and electricity, whipping your hair around your face as thunder growls in the distance.

It feels fitting, somehow. The last time you saw him, power had crackled through the air just like this—ancient and devastating as the Tome of the Sea God awakened something in him that had slumbered for centuries.

You still see it when you close your eyes: Rafayel's magic pushing down on you in the boat's hull, eyes blazing with godlike power as he called you traitor. The way his hand had closed around your throat, centuries of pain and betrayal burning in his gaze.

But you're not here about that. You're here to thank him for submitting those crucial findings under your name, for protecting your position at Command even after everything that happened at Jewel Reef.

He's drawing when you enter his main studio space, a news report on the TV in the background. News about what happened at Jewel Reef has circulated to the mainland, but what really went down there has been kept a secret.

…Many guests have gone missing from the island. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.

"They're in the blue hole," you murmur to yourself.

"It's possible," Rafayel replies with a dark chuckle. You didn't even know he was aware of your presence.

"They're from Ever."

"I'm aware. If their pursuit of treasure led to them receiving what they deserve, then that's between them and the sea," Rafayel says, not looking up from his sketch. His hand moves in fluid strokes across the paper, and you catch glimpses of waves and ruins before he shifts, blocking your view.

Lightning flashes outside, illuminating the studio in stark relief. "You shouldn't be here, Mikki."

"I needed to thank you. For covering for me with Command."

His laugh is bitter. "Is that what you think I did?" Finally, he looks up, and the intensity in those sea-glass eyes makes you catch your breath. "I didn't do it for you."

Thunder crashes closer now, and the rain begins in earnest, pelting against the massive windows. You take a step closer, and his power ripples through the air in warning.

"Then why?"

"Because despite everything, I'm going to keep protecting you from the people who want what's inside of you." His voice drops lower, dangerous. "The gift you were given."

"Rafayel—"

"Don't." He stands in one fluid motion, his height making you tilt your head back to maintain eye contact. "Don't say my name like that. Like you care."

"I do care."

"Now, perhaps." He moves closer, and you can feel the heat radiating off him, smell the ocean on his skin. "But you didn't then. You made a promise, Mikki. One day each year, that's all I asked for. To meet me by the sea."

"I don't remember making that promise," you whisper, and his expression tightens with pain.

"No," he says roughly. "You wouldn't. Death has a way of erasing such things, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean, 'death'? I got a fever and fell into a coma for a few days. When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything from before. I didn't die."

Rafayel shakes his head as if trying to clear something from his mind. He looks lost. Another crack of thunder, and suddenly he's too close, backing you against his drafting table. "Do you want to know what it was like?" His voice is silk over steel. "Waiting there, year after year, watching the horizon for a glimpse of you?"

Your heart pounds against your ribs. "Rafayel, please—"

"I said," his hand slides into your hair, tilting your head back sharply, "don't say my name like that."

His mouth crashes into yours before you can respond, hungry and demanding. His power wraps around you both, tasting of salt and storm surge, and when you gasp, he takes advantage, deepening the kiss until you're dizzy with need.

"This is a terrible idea," you manage when he finally pulls back.

His smile is sharp as a shark's. "Most things involving you are." His other hand finds your hip, pulling you flush against him. "But that's never stopped us before, has it?"

His lips find yours again, and this time there's no hesitation. He kisses like a drowning man finding air, like he's trying to draw out the memories the past stole from you. His power surges around you both, carrying the wild energy of the storm outside. Just like in the blue hole, glimpses of memories flash through your mind, but they're too nebulous, too ephemeral to grasp.

"Tell me to stop," he murmurs against your throat, but his hands are already sliding under your shirt, leaving trails of fire on your skin. "Tell me this isn't what you came here for."

You should. You know you should. But when his teeth graze your pulse point, all you can do is arch into him with a gasp.

"That's what I thought," he says darkly, and suddenly you're lifted onto his drafting table, his body pressing between your thighs. Papers scatter to the floor—sketches of waves and ruins and things you don't quite understand.

His mouth claims yours again as his hands make quick work of your clothes. Every touch feels charged with power, with need, with centuries of longing you don't remember but your body seems to recognize.

"Beautiful," he breathes, pulling back to look at you. Lightning flashes outside, illuminating the hunger in his sea-glass eyes. The magenta is shot through with electric blue and your heart pounds in your chest as you remember the night on the boat. "Do you have any idea how much I've missed this? How many times I've dreamed of this? Having you here, at my mercy?"

His power wraps around you like silk, like ocean currents, holding you in place as his mouth trails down your body. When he reaches your breasts, a soft whimper falls from your lips, and his answering growl vibrates through you.

"I've missed those sounds," he says against your skin. "The way you come apart for me."

"Rafayel—"

His power tightens around you in warning. "What did I say about my name?"

Thunder crashes as his mouth claims yours again, silencing whatever protest you might have made. His power coils around you like waves, pulling you under until you're drowning in sensation. The storm outside mirrors the tempest between you—wild, dangerous, impossible to resist.

"If you say my name again," he warns, voice rough with need, "I won't be gentle."

The threat sends heat pooling between your thighs. His hands slide down your sides, possessive and demanding, as his mouth follows a burning path down your throat, your chest, your stomach. Each touch feels like electricity, like the spark of memories just out of reach.

When he drops to his knees before you, looking up with those otherworldly eyes, your breath catches. The magenta and electric blue swirl together like bioluminescence in deep water, hypnotic and dangerous.

"I remember how you taste," he murmurs against your inner thigh. "How you sound when you fall apart." His power holds you open for him, and when his tongue finds your center, you cry out. "That's it, love. Let me hear you."

Your fingers tangle in his deep purple hair as pleasure builds like a tidal wave. His tongue and fingers work in perfect harmony, drawing sounds from you that echo off the studio walls. Outside, the storm rages harder, as if responding to his power, to the electricity building between you.

"So good for me," he murmurs, pulling back. His thumb finds your clit as he looks up at you, the intensity in his eyes sending a thrill of fear and anticipation down your spine. "I'm going to watch you come. I'm going to feel it on my tongue, and then I'm going to fuck you until you remember all the pain you put me through."

"I didn't—"

His power tightens, stealing the words from your throat. "You did. Now be a good girl and let me taste you."

When his mouth finds your clit again, his thumb thrusts into you and pleasure shatters through you like a gunshot. He works you through your orgasm, not stopping until you're overstimulated and your whimpers turn to cries. Only then does he stand, looking down at you.

"There she is," he murmurs. His thumb swipes his lower lip, collecting the last bit of your pleasure before he sucks it clean.

"Please," you gasp, not even sure what you're begging for.

He looks up at you through hooded eyes, and the raw hunger there makes you shiver. "Please what?"

"I need..." You can't finish the thought as his tongue flicks across his lip again, reminding you of every sinful thing his mouth is capable of. You whimper as you stare up into his rageful eyes.

"What do you need?" His voice is dark velvet, dangerous and seductive. "Tell me."

"You," you gasp. "I need you."

Something flashes in his eyes—triumph, hunger, and beneath it all, an ancient pain. He leans forward, bracing one arm against the wall behind you and caging you with his body as his presence keeps you pinned. "Look at me."

You do, and the intensity in his gaze steals your breath. The storm rages outside, lightning casting shadows across his perfect features as rain lashes against the windows.

"You had me before," he says roughly, his fingers trailing fire down your body. "You had all of me. And then you left."

Before you can respond, his teeth descend on your shoulder where it meets your neck, desperate and demanding as if he's trying to keep himself from falling off some great precipice. The rest of the clothes between you vanish with a pulse of heat, and when his skin meets yours, it feels like diving into deep water—overwhelming, all-consuming.

"But this time," he growls as his lips find yours, positioning himself at your entrance, "I'm not letting you go."

He enters you in one powerful thrust, and your cry of pleasure is swallowed by thunder. His power wraps around you both like ocean currents, drawing you deeper, making you feel things you shouldn't remember but somehow do. He fucks you like a man possessed, as if every second that passes is a second he's spent alone, waiting for you. As if the last year that you've been together hasn't even happened.

"Rafayel, please," you gasp, not even caring about his warning as pleasure builds inside of you like a gathering storm.

"Fuck," he snarls, but his pace doesn't falter, his body slamming into yours again and again. "Why do you say it like that," he moans.

"Like what," you ask breathlessly.

"Like you love me."

"Because I do, Rafayel. I do love you."

"Lies," he hisses and there's more of the blue than magenta showing in his eyes as he looks at you under his fringe of purple hair.

"Look at me," he demands, one hand cupping your face while the other grips your hip hard enough to bruise. "I want to see your eyes when you come apart."

You do, drowning in the swirling colors of his gaze. There's something devastating in the way he watches you—like he's trying to memorize every detail, like he's already mourning your inevitable loss.

"I'm here," you whisper, and his power pulses around you, heavy with emotion. "I'm right here."

A sound tears from his throat, something between a growl and a sob. His forehead presses against yours as his movements become more desperate, more primal. "For now."

Lightning flashes again, and in that brief, brilliant moment, you swear you see something else in his eyes—ancient and powerful and heartbreakingly lonely. The god he used to be, the one who waited by the sea, year after year, for a love that never returned.

"Come for me," he commands, his voice rough with need. "Let me feel you."

His power wraps around your core, and when his fingers find your clit, pleasure crashes through you with terrifying and devastating fury. You cry out his name as you shatter, and this time he doesn't punish you for it—he just captures the sound with his mouth, swallowing your moans as if they're precious.

"Beautiful," he breathes against your lips. "So fucking beautiful."

"Rafayel—"

His mouth cuts off your words, claiming yours with a kiss so hungry, so desperate, it's as if he's trying to crawl into your very soul. Pleasure still pulses through you, but the intensity of his need makes you dizzy.

"I've never loved anything," he gasps, pulling back to look at you. There are tears in his eyes and the sight nearly breaks your heart. "Never wanted anything. Until I met you."

Your fingers thread through his hair, pulling him back to you. "Then stop fighting this," you murmur.

He buries his face in the crook of your neck, his breath hot on your skin. "You were supposed to be different. You were supposed to stay."

"I'm here."

His movements are frantic, the storm raging outside reflecting his frenzied energy.

"Promise me," he snarls.

"What—"

"Promise me. That you'll stay."

"I can't—"

He pulls back, eyes flashing with hurt. His hand tightens around your throat.

"Yes, you can. And you will." His hips slam into yours, each thrust threatening to push the drafting table across the room.

"Rafayel."

"No. Don't say my name."

"Why?"

"Because I'm about to break, Mikki. Because I made a promise to the Tome and I can't take it back." His grip tightens, and the ancient, godly power radiating off him threatens to overwhelm you.

"Then break," you whisper, and something in him shatters.

His power explodes around you both, raw and ancient and devastating. The storm outside reaches a fever pitch, waves crashing against the cliffs as thunder shakes the mansion to its foundations. His thrusts become almost violent, each one driving deeper than the last, as if he's trying to carve himself into your very being.

"You don't understand what you're asking for," he growls, but his voice cracks with emotion. His breaths are shallow and pained and his eyes are clenched shut with agony and ecstasy as it rages through him with his nearing release. "What I could do to you."

You wrap your legs tighter around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer. "Show me."

His control snaps completely. The hand around your throat tightens as his other arm wraps around your waist, lifting you off the drafting table. In an instant, you're pressed against the rain-lashed windows, the storm raging behind you as he takes you with renewed desperation.

"Is this what you want?" His voice is barely human now, resonating with power that makes your bones vibrate. "To be fucked by a god?"

"I want you," you gasp. "All of you. Whatever that means."

He makes a sound like breaking glass, his power surging through you both. Images flash through your mind—memories, perhaps, or echoes of them: standing by a stormy sea, waiting; his hands on your skin under starlit waves; promises whispered in languages long forgotten.

"Mine," he snarls, and you feel his release building, his power crackling like lightning between you. "Say it. Tell me you're mine."

"I'm yours," you breathe, and the words feel like truth, like destiny. "I've always been yours."

Something ancient and powerful resonates between you, and suddenly you're drowning in sensation. His power crashes through you like a tsunami, memories flickering at the edges of your consciousness—salt-kissed skin, whispered promises, love so deep it transcends death itself.

"Mikki," he groans, and your name sounds like worship on his lips. His thrusts become erratic, desperate, a storm raging in front of you and behind you at the same time. "I can't—I need—"

"Let go," you whisper, cradling his face in your hands. "I've got you."

He comes with a roar that shakes the windows, his power exploding outward like a supernova. The force of it triggers your own release, more intense than anything you've ever felt. For a moment, you swear you see him as he truly is—beautiful and terrible, a god of storms and seas, ancient and powerful and utterly yours.

Lightning strikes somewhere close, and in its brilliant flash, you see tears on his cheeks.

"Don't cry," you whisper, brushing them away with trembling fingers. "Please don't cry."

He catches your hand, pressing a kiss to your palm that feels like goodbye. "I'm not crying for what we are," he says softly. "I'm crying for what we could have been."

The storm continues long into the night, making the roads too dangerous to navigate. At least, that's the excuse you both use when he leads you to his bedroom, when his mouth finds yours again in the darkness. You lose count of how many times he takes you, each time more desperate than the last, as if he's trying to burn the memory of you into his skin.

You fall asleep sometime in the early hours, exhausted and sated, his burning touch still ghosting across your skin.

***

Dawn hasn't yet broken when Rafayel stirs beside your sleeping form. The room is oddly cold despite his natural heat, and frost begins to creep across the windows—unnatural in the coastal summer air. He knows what it means. Who it means.

His fingers brush a strand of hair from your face, memorizing the peaceful expression you wear in sleep. The note he's written sits heavy on the bedside table, words he couldn't bring himself to say aloud:

I'm sorry. For everything I've done. Everything I'm about to do.

The temperature drops further as footsteps echo in the hallway. Rafayel rises, pulling on his clothes with practiced ease. When the bedroom door opens, he's already facing it.

"Zayne." The name comes out like a challenge.

The doctor stands in the doorway, power rolling off him in arctic waves. His usually warm green eyes are sharp with warning as they flick between Rafayel and Mikki's sleeping form.

"The Sea God's power," Zayne says quietly, deadly. "I felt it from across the city."

"She's unharmed." Rafayel's voice is low, careful not to wake you. Flames dance between his fingers—a warning of his own.

"For now." Frost spreads from where Zayne's hand rests on the doorframe. "But we both know what the Tome demands. What it will make you become."

Rafayel's jaw clenches. "You're not her keeper, Foreseer. Or is this the power of Dawnbreaker come to exact his vigilante justice on me?"

Zayne stiffens, ice crackling along the walls. "Don't speak that name."

"Hit a nerve, did I?" Rafayel's flames burn brighter, but there's understanding in his eyes. "Those nightmares getting worse?"

"You know nothing of my nightmares."

"Don't I?" Rafayel's gaze returns to your sleeping form. "We all carry our own versions of hell, doctor. At least yours hasn't come to pass. Yet."

The temperature plummets further, frost patterns spreading across the floor like fractals. "Is that what this is? Running away before you become the monster the Tome wants?"

"Better than becoming the monster you fear." Rafayel's words cut deep, and Zayne's power flares in response. "A world without her love, hunting down the corrupted, alone until the end of time. Tell me, how many times have you woken up screaming from that future?"

"Enough." Ice crystals form in the air between them, sharp as knives. "This isn't about me. The Tome is changing you. I can feel it."

On the bed, you shift again, drawing both men's attention. The raw longing on their faces mirrors each other—two immortal beings, both destined to lose you in different ways.

"Xavier's running out of time," Rafayel says quietly. "The Lightseeker's power is fading. Soon he won't be able to protect her at all."

"And Caleb?" Frost creeps across the ceiling. "That chip Ever put in him is changing him faster than the Tome is changing you."

"The Colonel." Rafayel's lip curls. "His gravity manipulation is getting stronger. More unstable. If he loses control—"

"When," Zayne corrects. "Not if. We both know what Ever's endgame is."

They share a look of grim understanding. Four immortal beings, each losing themselves in different ways, all orbiting around your sleeping form like dying stars.

"Keep her away from Skyhaven," Rafayel says. "Whatever Caleb becomes... she can't be there to witness it."

"Bold of you to assume she'll listen to any of us." The ice recedes slightly as Zayne's expression softens. "She never has before."

"Then we're all damned," Rafayel murmurs, looking one last time at your peaceful face. "Some of us just faster than others."

Dawn's first light begins to creep through the frost-covered windows. The sea calls louder now, pulling at something dark inside Rafayel's chest.

"It's time," he says.

Zayne steps aside, letting him pass. But at the doorway, he catches Rafayel's arm. "When the Tome finally takes you," his voice is quiet but firm, "I won't hesitate."

Rafayel's answering smile is sharp as broken glass. "I'm counting on it, Doctor."

The room falls silent as Rafayel disappears down the hallway, his footsteps fading like the last echoes of summer. The frost begins to thaw, water droplets sliding down the windows as the first rays of dawn reach like fingers from behind the horizon to paint the sky in shades of grief.

Zayne moves to the bedside table, picking up the note Rafayel left. His fingers trace the words, ice crystallizing along the edges of the paper before he sets it back down. He looks at your sleeping form one last time, allowing himself a moment of weakness as he brushes a strand of hair from your face.

"Sleep well, my love," he says, his deep dulcimer voice a whisper over your skin. "The monsters will wait until morning."

He's gone before the sun fully rises, leaving nothing but melting frost and the weight of unspoken warnings in his wake. On the bedside table, Rafayel's note sits innocent and devastating, waiting to break your heart when you wake.

The sea crashes against the cliffs below, calling its god home.

[dummiebrat]

𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲

Dominant!Brat! Rio Vidal x Submissive! Wanda.

Word Count: 1K

Summary: Rio wants to deepen his knowledge in Domination, his mistress allows it and invites Wanda for a session, but Natasha, the pet's owner, doesn't like to share. Rio gets frustrated.

Notes: Power Play, Rio frustrated, Mistress! Agatha Harkness, Dominant! Daddy! Natasha, Wanda being Rio's good girl, relationship established

Author's Notes: This isn't my favorite story, but it won't leave my mind, so... Enjoy!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤThe room was steeped in a warm glow, the last rays of sunlight casting an amber haze through the towering windows. Dust motes swirled lazily, softening the sharp lines of the scene unfolding within. At the center stood Rio Vidal, a natural chaos attempting to channel command, her sharp black ensemble clinging to her with effortless precision. Her dark eyes sparkled with purpose as she gently guided Wanda Maximoff into a kneeling position.

Wanda obeyed without hesitation, her delicate hands resting on her thighs as she looked up at Rio, her emerald eyes shimmering with trust and curiosity. Rio let out a soft breath, her features softening as she crouched to meet Wanda's gaze.

— Good girl, — Rio murmured, her voice steady and rich, carrying none of the usual cheek she wielded like a weapon. Her hand brushed Wanda’s hair back, the motion tender and unhurried. — Are you comfortable?

— Yes, Miss Rio, — Wanda answered, her cheeks coloring with a shy smile. Her submission was sincere, a gift Rio received with quiet reverence.

In the background, perched like queens on their respective thrones, Agatha Harkness and Natasha Romanoff observed. Agatha’s dark eyes glimmered with pride as she watched her wife work. Natasha, on the other hand, leaned forward, her sharp eyes narrowing as she watched her usually reserved pet melt under Rio’s attention. Her jaw tightened imperceptibly as Wanda responded with genuine enthusiasm, her soft smiles and occasional giggles pulling Rio deeper into the role.

— Wanda, — Rio said softly, tilting her head. —Let’s try something together. I think you’ll enjoy this.

The faintest hint of a pout crossed Natasha’s lips, quickly masked by a casual smile as she interrupted, her tone sharp despite its veneer of calm.

— Wanda, darling, do you remember our talk about focus?

Rio froze, her hand stilling mid-motion. Wanda glanced nervously between the two, her serenity fracturing under Natasha’s unyielding stare.

— I don’t believe she’s struggling with focus, Natasha, — Rio replied evenly, her gaze darting over her shoulder. — If anything, she’s flourishing.

— Flourishing, — Natasha echoed with a tight-lipped smile, leaning back with an air of feigned relaxation. — I suppose you’re the expert now.

Agatha’s soft chuckle filled the room, drawing Rio’s sharp glare. — She’s got a point, love, — Agatha quipped. — You’re handling her well, but perhaps Natasha’s just... unused to sharing.

Rio stood slowly, the authority she had carefully built beginning to unravel as her frustrations flared. — With all due respect, Mistress Agatha, perhaps if you two weren’t hovering like vultures, I’d have an easier time proving myself.

— Watch your tone, pet, — Agatha said smoothly, her voice as cold as it was sharp. — Remember who taught you everything you know.

Rio spun around, arms crossing over her chest. — And now you’re both undoing it! Did you want me to grow, or did you want a puppet to perform for your amusement?

Natasha’s brow arched, her lips curling into a dangerous smile. — Careful, Vidal. You’re treading on thin ice.

— Oh, I know, — Rio snapped, her usual cheek surfacing as she met Natasha’s glare head-on. — But you don’t scare me, Romanoff. You’re just mad because Wanda finally loosened up, and I’m the one who got her there.

Wanda’s mouth opened as if to interject, but a glance from Natasha silenced her. Agatha stood then, her imposing presence demanding Rio’s attention. She closed the distance between them, her voice low and cutting.

— You’re acting out, Rio. I’ve allowed some of this because I know your frustrations, but if you push me too far—

— Then what? — Rio interrupted, her bravado teetering on the edge of defiance. — You’ll punish me? Take away what little I’m allowed to control?

Agatha’s eyes narrowed, but her sharp retort died on her lips as she considered Rio’s words. She let the silence stretch, her gaze softening just slightly. — You feel stifled, — she said finally, her tone measured. — You’re frustrated because this was meant to be your moment, and we’re overshadowing it.

Rio faltered, her defiance wavering under Agatha’s steady gaze. — I was doing fine, — she muttered, the fire in her voice dimming.

Agatha stepped closer, placing a hand on Rio’s cheek, the gesture both grounding and disarming. — You were, — she agreed, her voice softer now. — But dominance isn’t just about control. It’s about patience, understanding, and knowing when to assert yourself. — She leaned in, her lips brushing Rio’s ear as she whispered, — And I’ll give you something better to assert yourself with.

Rio pulled back slightly, her brow furrowing. — What do you mean?

Agatha’s smile returned, sly and knowing. — You’ll see. Let’s just say... I have a little surprise for you. Something—no, someone—to channel all that fire into.

Rio’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward. — You’re not just messing with me, are you?

— Have I ever? — Agatha’s tone was dripping with mock innocence, her hand trailing to cup Rio’s chin. — Trust me, darling. You’ll love this one.

Behind them, Natasha scoffed, pulling Wanda to her feet with a gentle tug. — Come, Wanda. Let’s leave these two to their scheming. I think we’ve had enough entertainment for one evening.

Wanda hesitated, her gaze flickering to Rio, who offered her a small, reassuring smile. — You were amazing, — Rio murmured. — We’ll finish what we started soon.

Natasha led Wanda out, the tension easing as the door clicked shut behind them. Agatha turned back to Rio, her smirk firmly in place. — You’re lucky I adore you, — she said, brushing her fingers through Rio’s hair.

Rio snorted softly, the fire in her eyes dimming to a simmer. — Yeah, yeah. Let’s see what this surprise is first.

— Oh, you’ll see, — Agatha murmured, her tone dripping with promise. — And when you do, I expect to see that charm of yours put to good use.

[flammingnachos]

𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠(opla!zoro x fem!reader

𝑺𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒔; you were the girl that joined the straw hats crew after giving them a great plan to beat arlongs crew, you’ve captivated him, making him unable to get you off his mind even though you have only just met him, he can already feel a strong connection and desire to be with you

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈; best man zoro, slight cursing, protective zoro, perverted Sanji, disclaimer; this takes place after the straw hats defeat arlong and are on there way to the grand line AFTER telling each other about there goals

Everything happened so fast, you certainly didn’t think you would leave your village with your parents to join some straw hat crew that helped out your people from arlongs power

All you’ve wanted to do was help out the gang of pirates with arlong and be about your way and ignore a certain green haired pirate that wouldn’t keep there eyes off you the whole journey

Now your here leaning against the going merry, watching the sunset and the birds fly as your captain was on top of the head of the boat enjoying it too

Nami was in her usual place in the decks office drawing away her map, Usopp doing god knows what I’m the back, Sanji cooking and Zoro taking his usual nap by the railing

I’ve taken quite the liking to the swordsman as he speaks to me and Nami with a much more different approach rather than the captain and the cook

Nami would always tease me and say that he’s been giving me love eyes ever since the day I joined and that he’s more kinder to me than to her

That’s nonsense he knew her before me

We’ve had conversations here and there nothing too big as I always seem to catch him during the late nights when I couldn’t get any self

There was one moment in particular of where we’ve nearly went intimate but I had to remind myself he doesn’t see my that way but his new crewmate

It was another late night on the going merry, another day with me getting nightmare about leaving my parents behind so I came out to the deck to breathe some fresh air

Everyone is usually sleep during this time so I didn’t expect to see zoro standing by the railing look out

“Couldn’t get any sleep either” he mumbled out

“Nah mother nightmare” I confessed walking over to where he was as he turned to me

“About?” He asked furrowing his eyebrows

“I’ve been thinking that maybe joining this crew wasn’t the best thing I did” I said looking out into the sea

“Why do you think so” he asked

I looked over at him and then back at the ocean

“You guys don’t know if arlong is truly defeated he’s a fish man after all I’m…just scared that maybe I left them there and it still isn’t ..safe” I whispered out feeling a bit unsure in myself

“Are you kidding, you joining the crew was the best thing that we ever had-”

I looked over at him with awe, a smile making its way onto my face

he stopped himself slightly as he cleared his throat

“I-i mean your a really good strategiest, we needed one with all the shitty plans we’ve made in the past that couldn’t really help us” He said in a more monotone voice

Just when I thought he was expressing himself

I nodded my head sucking in a breath of air as I looked back over on to the ocean

“Your right, you guys needed a good strategist for the team and picked the person with the most fucked up life” I mumbled out

His eyes went wide to realization seeing how his words affected me

“Wait no that’s not what I-” He tried to explain

I shaked my head turning my heel to leave zoro alone since he really wasn’t helping much

Before I could fully walk away he grabbed my wrist making me freeze unable to move

“Listen.. I don’t really do these pep talks with the rest of the crew when they don’t feel value in themselves..” He then said

I turned my head looking deeply at him in the eyes

“I can see” I giggled in which he only smiled

“Luffy doesn’t pick anyone to join his crew, he picks the one’s he knows that are the best of the best no matter the background..”

“I don’t usually agree with everything he does but you joining the team was something he didn’t even have to repeat for me to be aboard with it” he finished off looking at me in the eyes and then my..lips

“Oh” I rasped out as our faces started to inch closer to one another

Our breath fanning on top one another’s face’s..

We were almost close to kissing just one more step forward and our lips would have collapsed onto each other

he shaked his head mumbling something to himself while backing away slightly

I looked at him confused

“I’m sorry..Goodnight” He then said backing away and then hurrying back down in the where everyone’s room where at leaving me there dumbfounded

And ever since that day I couldn’t help to notice zoro always avoiding me, whenever he came in the kitchen and saw Sanji flirting with me per usual he would hurry out

At nighttime when he thought I wouldn’t notice or feel a presence behind me I did and when I did turn around no one was there

That day has been stuck on my mind

“a beautiful drink for a beautiful lady” singed out Sanji as he gave me another drink he made for me and Nami

“Thank you” I smiled out in which he blushed giving the heart eyes as usual

“Anything for a beautiful woman like yourself” he expressed out

“Hey! Where’s my drink” Luffy yelled out from on top of the going merry

Sanji rolled his eyes walking away

“You’ll have to wait” He yelled back waking back into the kitchen

I only laughed while taking a sip

But from the corner of my eyes I saw Zoro get up out his sleeping spot mumbling out something as he made his made to where our rooms where at

I just shrugged it off as something else

Maybe I should talk to him after all this has been going on far too long now..some point we gotta own up to what we did

…

I tossed and turned in my bed, before finally opening my eyes and looking up at the ceilings

Another night of me getting no sleep

I sighed getting up to do what I normally do, making my way out to the deck but to my surprise zoro was there first completely unaware of my presence or so I thought

“still having nightmares” he asked out looking into the sea while leaning pressed infront of the railings of the going merry

“No..just not tired” I responded back slowly inching closer to him

“Oh..well I’ll just leave you to it” he said taking a huff of air turning around to walk away before I stopped him

“You’ve been avoiding me..”

“Why?” I asked

he stayed quiet

“If it’s about what happened with us then at some point we gotta own up to it and-” before I could even finish zoro had grabbed my face pressing our lips together as we shared a passionate kiss

Our lips roughly moved against each other as I our tongues fought for dominance over reach other’s his obviously winning

I pulled away quickly as I was starting to get out of breath

I took heavy breaths looking at him frantically

“What-” I tried asking out but he cut my off again

“The reason I’ve been avoiding you is because of my feelings towards you..I know we’ve only meet a couple of weeks now and you we haven’t fully introduced ourselves but being with you just makes me feel like…” he took a deep breath

“Like we’ve knew each other life times ago, I don’t know what keeps pulling me closer and closer to you to the point where you’ve been the only thing on my mind day and night day and night but I..”

“Guess I only avoided my feelings because I wasn’t sure if you’ve actually felt the same way, especially since the way how that dumb cook would have flirt with you” He grumbled out taking another deep breath looking down onto the floor

I was amazed

I think I felt tears start to come out my eyes

I was completely speechless I didn’t know what to say to him in this moment

He must have noticed my quietness and looked up

I pulled him into another kiss this time with more love and passion pulling away after some moments

“Yes..I-i like you too zoro” I whispered out looking at him deeply in the eyes

He smiled

That beautiful smile

“Then let’s go back to bed shall we” he asked with that beautiful smile of his

I smiled back and he gave me a peck on the lips

“Yeah..”

[asher-agere]

Nothing cool has happened to me lately. So I have no extra text to add.

Request time. Caregiver Fyodor with a little who has trouble failing asleep? I don't have anything else to add to the request. You get a simple request this time! (I find it somewhat ironic that I'm typing this late at night when the rest of my family is sleeping...)

WHOA. AN OUT OF ORDER REQUEST? THAT’S RIGHT. Sun just had a birthday! And as part of my gift to them one of their requests got priority! This is the one they chose!

Caregiver Fyodor + Insomniac Little

⋆♱✮♱⋆

† Fyodor is definitely the kind of caregiver that wants everything to be perfect for his little one. He wants to control every possible variable to make sure they’re able to enjoy themselves and fully relax. So the fact that they struggle to sleep is definitely a little bit frustrating to him… But he views it as a challenge! He’d gonna do everything in his power to help them get the rest that they need! Sleep is very important for one’s health after all, not to mention not enough sleep can lead to a very cranky baby… Gotta avoid that!

† I think the first thing to do is to get a cozy atmosphere! Lights off or dimmed, nightlights of course! Total darkness can be scary… He’ll play some quiet music in the background, usually classical. Plenty of soft blankets and plushy friends to snuggle too! He’ll find an area they feel comfortable in and just set up all comfy stuff right there! Sometimes this area is the bed of course, but sometimes a couch is preferred, or maybe even sitting in an enclosed space like a closet! Wherever the little one feels the most comfortable!

† I think baths are a huge thing for sleep! Which may sound silly but hear me out- Scented bath soaps! I think lavender helps with sleep? I’m sure you can find lavender scented bubble baths, and then also playing in the bath can help tire someone out! Sitting in warm bath water can also help soothe someone, but as if that isn’t enough he can then wrap them in a nice fluffy towel, change them into the softest of pajamas, then go cuddle in bed! Not to mention massages! So soothing, in a literal sense! Massages are to help relax muscles, and if your muscles are relaxing then in concept your body will to!

† Movies are another huge one for sleepy time! Or shows hehe. Something that the little one knows well so they don’t need to pay full attention to it. If you lay down thinking about sleep it’s gonna be tough to fall asleep! So having something that you’re ‘watching’ on in the background can be huge! It’s like a million times easier to fall asleep while you’re not thinking about it. Of course Fyodor never mentions the little one seeming tired or needing to sleep, just gently rubs their scalp and squeezes them in a hug

† Candles! This goes back to the scent thing I mentioned like with the soap, so lavender is definitely a huge one. I also think he’d like candles because they’ve been around for so long. He’d very familiar with them and he knows they’re a reliable tool. Also if he uses candles a bunch that opens up candle decorating as a fun craft for the little one! Just take a crayon and draw right onto it! It sounds so cool to light a candle and be like. Look! I made that! I made that and it’s being used! They didn’t make it of course, but they designed it and that’s the part he praises!

† The best way to help someone fall asleep, so good that even adults use it! Warm milk! For a regressor it’s even more perfect! A sippy cup filled with warm milk, maybe a bit of vanilla, no sugar though! Sugar will only keep them up even longer. But of course if the little one doesn’t like the taste of plain milk (Me hi) a tiny bit of sugar can be added. Just enough to add flavor! That’s it! Honey is also another good thing to add for flavor, it’s less sugary than just like. Pure sugar too. So even better!

† Fyodor has definitely had more than a few all nighters. With how many complex schemes and plans he has going on? He’s had nights where he works instead of sleeping. This means! He’s prepared to stay up all night long if that’s what his baby needs! He wouldn’t be able to sleep, not well at least, until he knows that they’re alright enough to properly rest, and if they aren’t able to rest, then he isn’t either. He’ll encourage naps throughout the next day though! He can always move his schedule around to have a ‘lazy day’ to just cuddle on the couch and watch some movies. Anything for his little one!

† If the little one takes any kinds of pills or medication of any kind to help with sleep, he can assist! He’s a master of deception, he’ll hide medicine in snacks all the time! He always has something ready to wash away any yucky tastes too! Something with a strong flavor, so usually a juice of some kind! Milk is good of course but it doesn’t have the strongest of flavors and I can’t imagine it being the best for washing down yucky medicine flavor. But of course if the baby would prefer that then that’s what they’ll get! Juice is the default, but he listens to requests!

⋆♱✮♱⋆

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY SUNNYYYY. I hope you enjoy ദ്ദി( •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) Also fun fact this was finished last night? Idk why I didn’t post it-

[tyrannuspitch]

okay so the thing that's making me throw up blood from my old notes

i have long maintained that loki is subtly but insidiously treated like a servant (or slave) by his family. but of course that prompts the question: what kind of servant is he? he's clearly not a domestic servant. he is a warrior, but his role as a warrior seems, at least officially, on par with his peers. and he hasn't come into his role as puppet king yet. until canon begins... his role, his service, his usefulness, seems to be defined by companionship to thor. by love.

in TDW, loki watches prisoners being brought into the dungeon and says, sarcastically, "odin continues to bring me new friends. how thoughtful."

and on one level, loki is trying to draw attention to his terrible conditions, including near-total isolation. but he's also equating himself to the other prisoners. and... he refers to friends. to a father giving his child prisoners as a gift. that's not just sarcasm. that is, in a way, what loki is to thor.

and yes. i know. i know exactly how the prisoner-companion-gift thing sounds. to be clear, i don't think there's any actual sign of thor and loki's relationship not being platonic. there is sometimes rape imagery around loki, sometimes involving members of his family, but i think what it's really meant to convey is abuse/humiliation/violation plus gendered power dynamics. basically everything but the sex itself.

but. i would argue it is no less fucked up for being platonic. perhaps, in a way, even more so. because if this were sexual abuse, loki could, potentially, draw a distinction between the physical and the emotional, and decide that it was only physical.

but there IS no physical side. there is ONLY the emotional, and loki is being manipulated and conditioned so his emotions are what his captors want them to be. he's not being forced to partake in an intimate physical act symbolic of love, he's just outright being forced to love. no symbolism, no proxy, no dissociation, no escape.

it's all-encompassing and yet far subtler for it. it's a profound and insidious form of abuse with almost nothing concrete he can point to and say: here is what they did to me.

loki is a servant who isn't allowed to act like a servant. no professional distance, nothing to shield his heart. and he is a servant who still has to fear his lord, but cannot show it too openly. because instead he has to show love. thor's imperiousness is more immediately visible than loki's deference. loki's lowliness is quiet and normalised. he fades into the background. gaslit and silenced. they own his heart!!!

and on top of that, this is a household where openly displaying love is a form of weakness and subservience too. loki is the only one who can actually bring himself to say the word love. his parents and his brother do not. they say: you are my son. you are my brother. you are mine. and they expect it to be an equal comfort.

what happens to a family when one of the children is the parents' prisoner of war? what happens to a prisoner who is raised to see their captors as their family? how can you love them - and how could you not? how can you ever learn to see love as anything but a horrifying violation on the most fundamental level? and how could you not long for it, even so?

[absolutebirth]

READ THIS POST ON NEOCITIES AT ABSOLUTEBIRTH.NEOCITIES.ORG

Absolute Destinty: Analysis is a biweekly blog analysing Revolutionary Girl Utena as a I conduct my third watch-through in summer 2024. My three priorities are to A) create a guide suitable for following along with a first watchthrough which is spoiler-free enough to not have the show spolied but which might highlight hints toward the cumulative storyline, B) knit together a full analysis of Utena which tackles the show's main themes, with an emphasis on my personal interests of surveillance, spectacle, and power, or the questions who sees? what do they see? and who decides? and C) maintain a section at the end of each blog post with the intent of pointing out, for people who are on their second or third watchthroughs, my favorite allusions to the End of the World.

Each post will be, following my favorite quote from the episode, split into 7 sections:

Episode Summary: what it says on the tin

A Wider Gaze: An attempt to put this episode into the wider view of the show as a whole, contextualizing the development of characters, themes, and relationships in Ohtori academy, and then taking that wide view of the show and applying it to the world as we live it-- the world outside of Ohtori academy.

Institutionalized: Drawing from The Shawshank Redemption (1994), here we look at how the characters in each episode have found themselves embedded in Ohtori, enacting actions against their own better interests for fear of leaving behind a comfortable confinement.

The Eye That Fucks the World: Donna Harraway describes ubiquitous surveillance as "the god-trick of seeing everywhere from nowhere" and goes on to say that "this eye fucks the world." Revolutionary Girl Utena is a story about being watched, not only by the viewer on the other side of the camera but, as we will eventually find, by another eye-- which certainly has intentions to fuck the world. Here we see how this ethos of watching and being watched plays out, episode to episode.

Who Decides Who Decides?: Ohtori is a world of power. As the student council squabbles, power shifts between them are some of the most significant developments in each episode. Here, we check in with the power balance, what changes it, and what that means for both Utena and Utena.

Saito Solace: A piece of Saito's manga art from The Gallery At Empty Movement, to finish off the spoiler-free section of the post.

(SPOILERS) The End of the World: The section for those in the know and my kicking-my-feet giggled realizations about the clues Ikuhara leaves us throughout the first 35 episodes. I don't want to say too much here, because I don't want someone who isn't looking for it to read too much, but suffice to say that Utena is certainly one of those stories where hindsight is 20-20.

In terms of my own background, Utena related and otherwise: I was born and raised in the northern Midwestern United States and moved out east for college, where I'm majoring in "data economy" (a self-made amalgamation of economics and computer science) and ethics. I was into anime in high school, mostly grew away from my obsession, but recently viscerally remembered the awe inspiring masterpiece that is Utena and decided it was probably once again time to think about Anthy at least twelve hours a day. My favorite other pieces of media are Disco Elysium, Against Me!'s album Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Don Delilio's novel White Noise, Infinite Jest, Neutral Milk Hotel's In an Aeroplane Over the Sea... in terms of other seminal pieces of lesbian liturature, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and everything by Alison Bechdel, but especially Dykes to Watch Out For.

My favorite Utena characters are and always have been Mikage, Anthy, Nanami, and Saionji (in that order) but I hold a soft spot for every single one of them and the spider-thin lines connecting them emotionally and thematically. I believe thinking about the duelists in terms of right and wrong or our id-pol concepts of oppression hinders a reading of the show, just as a flat understanding of those things hinders meaningful connections and community building across the false lines the patriarchy creates, so I generally find myself more sympathetic to Touga, Mikage, and Saionji than others may be. Finally: I suspect, although I haven't cracked their code, that the Nanami episodes are the most significant in the entire show.

The first post, for the first episode, will be posted this Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024.

[lancer-the-blue]

Going to finally watch the full Ninjago Dragon's Rising season 1 and 2 since everything's out rn and live blog throughout the experience

1.30 in and man the animation is crazy, Arin is already pretty compelling. Really good vibe so far

*"Jay the Lightning Ninja!" nooooooooo, not this foreshadowing!

Kais voice was weeeeeird there for a sec... ohhh that's Arin my bad

Oooh as someone who is obsessed over the map of ninjago ngl that's a sick map of the Merge, I need a copy as a map nerd

OMG THAT SEAGULL WAS A REFERENCE TO ZANES FALCON

Arin with Lloyd's hood is so cute! *i need to draw that*

I need those rottweiler dogs as fig accessories

"It's called having money, which isn't exactly our situation" moood Sora mooood

"Wannabe ninja go!" Damn the writing this season is snappy af

Just noticed how fucking gorgeous the backgrounds are in this season like damnnnn

"Who doesn't like pie?" Feels like a reference to Cole and cake but that might be me looking waaay to much into it

Kingdom of Imperium smashed up against Ninjago does looks snazzy I agree Arin

"And the perfect chance to meet me" dawwww that's so cute

Ooooh it's called the crossroads, nice

"My bff, my fam" ☠ never did I *ever* expect that from Ninjago

I agree having your own penthouse is pretty cool, damn Sora is so relentlessly shsmeless I fucking adore her

Noticing again how *clean* the animation looks, the inside of the room is so highly rendered wow

"Whennn we win" gods damn it Sora you fucking rock!

"And invite everyone else who lost their parents to live with us" noooo gods noo the feels, jesus these kids are putting me through it

Damn I'm sensing potential arc tension between Arin and Sora after that earthquake exchange

First time actually seeing Lord Ras on screen and not through fanart he's giving me Chima reject /lh

Golden helm horn guy with the autism yeeeees relatable

*Omg gimmie frog faced minifigure it's a whole mood will be my sigfig*

Quick serious question tho, is the frog person and Ras' spieces from Chima tho? Lord Ras is giving me Sir Fanger vibes

I LOVE LABO, will not ask about mom noted tho

OMG THAT SCENE PAYING WITH THE PIE DIDN'T HAVE TO HIT *THAT* HARD

Ngl love seeing the random Hypnobrai walk around is peak

Dawwww baby riyuuuu

"Labu avoids hazards" awwwww

Sora being peak again about money

RIYU AWWWWW

"The things they'll do to him" oh gods what does that say about jay...

"What would the ninja do?" "LET'S SAVE THAT DRAGON"

OH NO NOT LUBO GIVING A RESENTFUL MOTHER SPEECH

The scene with Riyu giving Sora powers is sick. Need to draw that

That grey haired raz goon is pretty, funny top 7 ninjago evil side bitches

Need to draw Arin doing Spinjitzu like that that was also sick

Damnnnn Raz was intense, "hunt down your entire family" I don't think ninjago ever got *that* explicitly threatening

"Runs on dragon power" ngl that's a little bit too goofy for me

Arin hyping up Sora is goals ngl

Uuuuh Sora roasting the ninja that's funny

Lloyd coming in that last second was low key kinda unexpected, was thinking it would happen in part 2 but still cool tho

Annnnnd we're done with Ep 1 S1, on to Ep 2!

Rating solid 8/10, writing and pacing was cleannnn. One of the best season openings

[othervee]

Season 3

On my rewatch though not finished yet. I had to take a break. Thoughts so far:

In the opening scene the queen doesn't even LOOK at Wilhelm as she comes in. Not a glance! Although she certainly watches Simon when he comes back after the little recess.

Boys! Why didn't you pre-warn your respective mothers about the drugs, at least? Sitting in front of August and his stepdad at a mediation is the second worst possible way for them to have found that out, and surely you would know he would bring that up because that's the only leverage he has apart from being the spare.

LOVE Wilmon boyfriends era. I love the soft little smiles and touches, the heart emojis, the way they say "puss" when they say goodbye. The fact that when they see each other for the first time they kiss in front of everyone and all the Hillerska background noise and chatter completely fades to nothing, because there's nothing else but them in the world.

Happy Wille is so adorable, decorating his bedroom with the poem and the polaroid of Simon... and then sitting down and being restless. Everything has changed and nothing has changed at the same time.

The way it cuts from the fight scene to Wilhelm and August sitting silently in Boris' office is LOL forever.

They are actually talking about the racism and classism. And again, it has to be the elites who find out it exists and what form it takes, to see that change should happen. August, who scoffed at Wille's "socialist safari" in season 1, is now angry when Vincent talks about them "sitting on the bus to the slums". Felice is not just aware of the microaggressions but actively pointing them out to the other girls. So glad that she points out the hair thing - and Stella's utterly tone-deaf reaction.

(There's at least one scene back in s2 where the housemother tells her to put her hair up and then Stella or Fredrika, I forget which, also puts hers up. Is there one in s1?)

And Felice's reaction when she hears about her father's experience at Hillerska. He started out as himself and ended up a complete cookie-cutter perfect upper-class Swede, and he thinks that's OK. And that it's important for her to do it too.

The Wilhelm/Kristina and Sara/Micke parallels they are drawing this season are really interesting. They represent potential futures for their children. Micke is Sara if she retreats from the world and from trying to form and maintain true relationships. Kristina is Wille if he retreats from himself and continues to put up a facade.

Micke has some pieces of childrens' art on his walls and a photo of a little girl... Sara as a child? Sara and Simon's artworks from their childhood? If so, that's really powerful and sad.

Wille's frog prince has the YR stylised crown:

Loved the kids all partying together. Kids are kids, whether rich or not. But oh, Fredrika, you are such a naive little nuffnuff.

Wille's SSSHHHH! to Simon in the tent is so like Kristina.

I am not surprised by the Erik thing at all. But I am curious about how that particular initiation went down, and how the homophobic taunting was stopped. Nils says, "I didn't dare to speak up". August says, "Hey, at least we put a stop to it. We kept our promise. We didn't do the same thing to our first years." Did one or both of them react? Who was it who promised to stop it, and to whom?

I have not forgotten that in s2e3, when Wille asks Boris whether Erik used to come to him, Boris says, "It can be useful to see someone like me, so that you don't feel you have to risk hurting somebody." We see that panic attacks run in the family; do violent outbursts, too?

I have so many thoughts about the royal family this season but that's going to take a longer post. "Not in my family", eh, Wille?

[funkyspacealien]

Rabbit of the Night He'll suck the orange out of your carrots (Sketches n' processes under the break! It's a REAAAAAL long one)

I've been meaning to draw a piece that actually includes a background instead of a character standing in the void. The issue that arises is that... I just didn't have any good ideas for backgrounds, lol. Partially the issue is that I tend to design the character first, which makes it challenging to draw stuff around them. Since around the time that I made this piece was October and the big holiday was Halloween, I figured I could do something within the theme. I've been meaning to draw my character, Nosferatu, again since they have always been one of my lowkey favorites of mine.

An older piece of the character, which you can see with the others here The character was quite macabre, which made it perfect for doing something slightly spooky. The cape also gave me a great idea for making something more visually striking, as well.

My first attempt. As you can see, I tried to do a thumbnail this time so I can have a better understanding of the amount of space I have to work with. I highly recommend that you do something similar if you struggle with doing backgrounds. Though, I think I ought to make it a bit more square, lol. I had to tweak some things to fit within the standard square shape since I drew everything at a wonky angle. I was inspired by Soul Eater and Majora's Mask when it comes to the background design, especially with the moon having a prominent appearance. I knew that was a consistent thing I wanted to keep throughout the iterations. The flowing cape was heavily inspired by Spawn and the artwork of Lelouch from Code Geass

I always found it to be such a striking iconography for the characters. Despite being an inanimate piece of clothing, it adds a lot to the design. Spawn was always an intimidating dude, but having that cape overwhelms the viewer and takes up so much screen space every time he wears it helps give him more of an otherworldliness. You may not truly understand who or what is he, but you may get the vibe that he's someone with great power and importance. It's befitting of someone who is viewed as the best spawn of the devil. I find it also interesting for a character like Lelouch. Now, I never watched the show he came from, only understood the basic premise from various sources throughout my life. Pardon if my read on the character is incorrect, but to me, he's quite the scrawny guy and perhaps lacks power of his own. Despite this, he runs a rebellion and goes under the alias of "Zero". He dresses up as Zero, including the cape. With it on, his form became much more imposing yet concealed. It gives him a sense of royalty, which you might attribute to the likes of Kings or Queens. Someone with power. Sorry for that brief character analysis tangent, lol. It's just something that I thought about when creating the character of Nosferatu. I find it interesting that something so simple as a cape can help give a feeling of power. It's something that I feel everyone subconsciously think of and not realize. Back on topic, the rest of the composition I wasn't super satisfied with. I sorta lean into the "Dracula" look the character had by having the castle in the background, but I think it came off as very flat. I also thought it made things visually unclear. A bunch of things off in their own corner instead of organic guiding the viewer's eyes. I scrapped the first idea and tried to go in another direction.

I had the idea of being underneath an overpass and having buildings being lit by the moon. I don't think it was too bad of an idea, but I had trouble refining it and making it more "full", if that makes sense? This had a weird sense of emptiness and dragged the composition down for me. Perhaps if I drew the character differently and played more with the perspective, it would've been better. I went back to my original idea and checked if I could improve some things on a base level.

Originally, I had the cape go off-screen but checking my original inspiration, like various art pieces of Spawn, I noticed that the cape "ends" tend to curve back into the frame. I decided to do something similar which I think helped give the piece a sense of "flow" to it. I found that it also gives a composition more layers of depth and fills in any "empty" spaces that I had worried about before. I tilted Nosf's head a bit so they weren't just standing there stiffly as well. Sometimes it's the little things that help improve the piece than having to redo it all over again.

Finally, I just decided to make the background more on the simple side. I think I had the issue of really wanting to prove myself that I could do backgrounds that I made it way more complicated than it needed to be. It gave me the chance to make the moon much bigger, which I always meant to be a striking aspect of the piece. When drawing, I decided to forgo the "ground" that the cliffs are on since I felt it cluttered up the piece with too many colors. Now, I just got to finish it!

I should be done, right? Well, not exactly. While I think it looks nice (I'm personally proud of my use of noise filters), it just still lacks the depth that I'm looking for. Something about it is too bright and clear. I went back and experimented some more until I found a solution that made me feel stupid not realizing it before, lol. So initially, I tried to use this photo editing program called "Picsart". I used to use it a lot when I was doing digital art since I like the added filters. I eventually stopped because it would ruin the image quality. I thought they fixed that issue, but it's still the same.

It's a bit subtle in this picture, but I like to use the "vintage" filter since I like the added shadows on the sides of the images. The problem is that the quality got ruined and I'm very stubborn about keeping it in the nicest resolution possible. I decided to see if I could replicate it in my own art program. What I discovered is that I can and the solution was very simple, lol. First I drew a square with a solid color on a new layer-

Then I used the "Gaussian Blur" Filter-

I turned down the opacity, set the blending to "burn" and overlaid it on the artwork, which gave the depth I was looking for!

I gave the head some slight shading too since the filter unintentionally gave it to their ears. Good call since I think that helped with the Halloween atmosphere I was intending.

[flyingwargle]

everything is the same as before, but also not. his futon is still on the floor, blanket crumpled as if he had just climbed out of it yesterday. the note left for the others remains on the desk, memory of frantically writing it still fresh in his mind. the books that he was reading before warping to the luofu remain behind his crooked pillow. the tea set is untouched. the machines hum softly in the background.

everything is the same as before, except for him.

dan heng touches the base of his horns with lithe fingers. his ears are more sensitive, and his senses are sharper. he can hear the engine's quiet hum, doors sliding open and shut, muffled voices and footsteps. power swirls within him, ancient and unfamiliar, yet also recognizable by the way his fingers move through the air, coalescing water instead of wind.

now that he has embraced his previous incarnation, he no longer follows the path of the hunt but treads along destruction, similar to caelus when he first awakened the stellaron in his body. he sits on his bed, manifesting cloud piercer on his lap. his old friend will be able to rest, for now, until he wields it, once more.

knocks sound on his closed door. he looks up and calls, "come in." it slides open, and caelus steps inside.

"hey. i'm not bothering you, am i?"

"no."

silence dances between them, similar to when they stood in front of the high elder's statue, their first reunion after being separated, the first time anyone on the express saw his transformation. dan heng lowers his eyes. "do you want some tea?"

he doesn't see the nod, only hears footsteps across the floor and a swish of jacket as caelus sits on the steps. dan heng prepares his tea set, takes out a bag of tea leaves, and plugs in the electric kettle. he works in silence. caelus watches in silence.

dan heng draws in a breath. he has to start the conversation somehow. "speak your mind. i know you have something to say."

nothing. he looks up. caelus stares at the bookshelf, lips pressed together. "words are free," dan heng says. "use them how you'd like to express yourself."

"is that dan heng saying that, or the high elder?"

ah. dan heng lowers his eyes. "i am not my previous incarnation. we share a similar appearance and abilities, but that's all. i am dan heng; dan feng was forcibly molted for his crimes."

"i don't know what kind of dynamic we have now." caelus's tone is quiet, melancholic. "it was easy, before, but now...you're a thousand years old yet you're not. you have cool powers. you have a duty to an ancient race of dragons-"

"my duty to the xianzhou is fulfilled, but my duty to the nameless is not. i'm here now, aren't i?"

"but for how long?"

"until we've traveled the path carved for us in the stars." the kettle whistles. dan heng pours a thin trail of steaming liquid into the pot. "there is...much history that has been lost because of what dan feng did, but that responsibility does not fall to me. i am the astral express's guard and administrator of the data bank. that won't change."

he offers caelus a cup. the trailblazer doesn't move, so he leaves it in the space between them. dan heng releases a breath. "i am sorry i didn't say anything about it. i had no intention of revealing it until i had to. and now..."

"and now...the horns stay?"

"...yes."

"and the tail?"

"that, too."

caelus looks at him through narrowed eyes over his shoulder. "lucky for you that you can hide it whenever you want."

"consider it a perk of being a reincarnation of the high elder." dan heng nudges the tea closer to him. caelus hesitates before taking a sip. he makes a face.

"bitter. it's march who has the sugar cubes with her." his hand falls on his lap. "she hasn't talked to you yet, has she?"

"no."

"i'll get her to come at some point. for now..." their eyes meet. caelus keeps his tone steady. "you'll keep traveling on this path with us?"

"yes."

"no matter what happens?"

"i travel with the nameless as dan heng. there is nothing more or less about it." his fingers drift over the express's emblem on his shirt.

"okay. thanks." caelus is still, hesitant. he offers a hand. dan heng blinks at it. "welcome back, dan heng."

"thanks." his hand fits in his, a familiar shape and warmth over his.

nothing has changed, yet everything has. regardless of what will come next, dan heng remains sure of his own identity.

[noctomania]

I just realized that Bette Davis is my longest standing fascination. I was perhaps about 8 years old when I first read about her. We were all part of a program, I believe it was called "accelerated readers" intended to increase literacy rates. I guess it is still in practice, but I'm unsure. In any case, I was among the earlier cohorts to be partaking in it. And I was terrible.

I never liked reading, and worse, my sister loved reading, which only made me hate it more. I tried to make it easier on myself when I had to read a book by picking something short. So one time I found this nice thin book that happened to be a small biography on Bette Davis. It also happened to be a grade above mine, whereas my reading skills were closer to the grade below. I failed the computer quiz terribly, but Bette has stuck with me ever since.

I remember the book talked about how she had been rejected in Hollywood due to her supposed lack of beauty. More specifically, I recall it talking about someone saying she looked like her face had been melted by acid. Well, as a child who was also enamored by and sympathized with the character of Grizabella in the musical Cats because of how she was rejected by the other cats as a hasbeen beauty, I immediately was on Bette's side. Even at that age, I understood that such a subjective matter shouldn't be the metric for what makes an artist profound or worthy of a role, or the basis on which you determine your respect for someone. I may not have fully understood the complexities of misogyny at the time, but being raised by a single mother of two children, I'm sure I had some foundational understanding of how to respect women properly.

Bette is responsible for drawing my interest into old hollywood films and stars. I started watching TCM at my dad's house when I was in my preteens, seeking out old black and white movies. This introduced me to Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn. I learned about Mary Pickford this way as well in the wee hours of the morning when they would put on less popular silent films. Entirely fascinated me, and I could never understand people who felt they were boring to watch. While Bette was in the world of talkies, her style was from theater, which was what informed silent film actors to begin with. With a lack of thorough dialogue, they had to impress upon the audience through physicality alone. Some of the most well renowned silent actors were absolute professionals at physical comedy - like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

I credit Bette Davis entirely for being a guide to helping me understand and respect the artists in front of the camera. She didn't act dramatically for the sake of being dramatic. She understood the undulations of a moment, taking the scene and ramping it because what else are you doing if not entertaining as an actor?

Though the rejection of Bette drew me to her, it was her no-nonsense attitude and her assertiveness that kept me around. To be so bold as to push back against the system she was trying to break into. Not without sense, though, always moderating herself but never leaving her spine behind. She made herself a queen by doing what those who were too timid to do refused. Even if she lost battles here or there, she won the war in my eyes. She wasn't one to back down because she picked her fights deliberately. She didn't assimilate. She overcame.

There will never be another of her caliber. No, not Streep nor Surrandon. Everything about her is individually iconic on its own, from her style to her acting, her voice, mannerisms. All of it. I could never imagine my life without Bette Davis in the background. I thank her for being the woman she was so I could be the woman I was and the man I am now. What is even funnier is that I'm not sure I even saw any of her movies until I was well into my teen years! I didn't even need to. Her legacy is that powerful.

God, i love Bette Davis. Thank you for existing. I wish you had been given the respect you deserved.