#weapons as bling

[jackpotpie]

I was going for "cunty dark elf with a bleach job" but she kinda looks like Granny Deathknight

[homunculus-argument]

Random worldbuilding idea: a culture where everyone is a goth, but for perfectly sensible environmental ressons.

Wearing mainly/almost exclusively black clothing because either the dye protects them/the fabric from something in the environment, black clothes are the most convenient ones to maintain, or then a century ago black dye was extremely difficult and/or expensive to produce and only the wealthiest of society could afford it, but now a cheaper dye method has been invented and after a huge trend of Now Everybody Can Wear Black, it just stuck and nobody even remembers why all clothes are dyed black. It's just tradition.

Everyone wears demonia-style platform shoes because the climate is wet and cold, and for most of the year the ground is either muddy or covered in icy slush, so knee-high tall boots are simply the most pragmatic way to keep the rest of your clothes reasonably dry and clean.

Silver and leather jewellery is widespread because the land is rich in metal ore - while the rich can afford to buy/commission delicate silver threads, even the peasants can afford some sort of rough iron chains and studs on their wristbands. Studded leather is more sensible than having metal rings touching skin directly, due to the cold weather. Studs and chains also double as armour and weapons which technically speaking don't count as such, allowing people to circumvent any "can't openly carry weapons during peace time"-laws. Law enforcement could not confiscate someone's bling without causing public riots.

Everyone is about as pale as their natural complexion allows since the climate is cold and dark and the sun does not rise much during the winter. Cold dark winters are also the reason why the culture is so morbid in general - in the heart of the darkest months there's fuck all else to do than write poetry about the moon's silver light and the howls of wolves and the beauty of death, while polishing your iron chains until they shine like silver.

Domesticated ravens are more covenient for messenger birds than doves are, as they're hardier and can manage the climate better. Even if more modern messaging technology has been invented, people prefer sending letters by bird because it's more romantic and poetic. Sending someone a raven message poem about how you'd like to be buried in the same grave together one day is a very standard way of flirting.

[zhelin-thames]

Danny meets JL members #8

[Danny floating around a space station, inspecting glowing tech. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) appears, constructing a giant glowing boxing glove with his ring.]

Green Lantern: [grinning] Who are you, Casper? And why are you messing with that? Danny: [turning around] First of all, rude. Second, it’s Danny, not Casper. Third… this thing was glowing. I’m like a moth to a flame.

Danny: [looking at Hal’s ring] Cool toy. Green Lantern: [smirking] It’s not a toy. It’s a highly advanced weapon powered by willpower. Danny: Uh-huh. So, like… can I try it? Green Lantern: [laughs] No way, kid. Danny: [phases through Hal and tries to grab the ring] Come on, share the cool space bling! Green Lantern: [yanks his hand away] Okay, definitely no.

[Danny watching Hal make constructs]

Danny: You���re telling me that thing can make anything? Green Lantern: Yep. As long as I can imagine it and have the will to sustain it. Danny: [grinning] So, like, a giant pizza? Green Lantern: [sighs, makes a glowing green pizza] There. Happy? Danny: [pretending to eat it] Meh, needs ectoplasm.

[Hal sees Danny go intangible to dodge lasers during a fight.]

Green Lantern: Okay, not bad, Ghost Boy. Danny: Thanks. You’re doing great too—for someone using a glowing green mood ring. Green Lantern: [narrowing eyes] It’s not a mood ring. Danny: [grinning] You sure? It kinda screams “emotional support jewelry.”

[Danny tries to prank Hal mid-mission.]

Danny: [phasing into the cockpit of Hal’s spaceship] Boo! Green Lantern: [not even looking] Saw your glowing trail. Nice try. Danny: Dang it! Why do you space people keep catching me? Green Lantern: Kid, you literally glow. Stealth is not your strong suit.

[Green Lantern tests Danny’s creativity with constructs.]

Green Lantern: If you had a ring, what would you make? Danny: [grinning] A giant thermos to trap bad guys. Green Lantern: …Why a thermos? Danny: Because ghosts. Duh. Green Lantern: [muttering] This is why I don’t work with teenagers.

[Green Lantern complains to the Justice League group chat.]

Green Lantern: Why is the ghost kid my problem today? The Flash: He’s everyone’s problem, Hal. Welcome to the club. Wonder Woman: Perhaps he’s a test of patience. Batman: He’s surprisingly effective. Danny: [joins the chat] Aw, Bats thinks I’m useful. Green Lantern: Who gave him access to this chat?!

[Later, Danny with Sam and Tucker]

Danny: So, I met Green Lantern today. Cool guy, bit of a control freak. Tucker: Dude, his ring can do anything! Did you try it? Danny: No, but I did call it a mood ring. Pretty sure he hates me now. Sam: Sounds about right.

Masterpost

[justgarb]

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Its armor and weapons or massive bling - there's no in between with this kid. She finally approves of the dress.

Tunic is linen from armstreet. Dress is made from bargain bin knit fabic with a fulled appearance to conceal the weave. Panel is cotton with brocaded trim, and beads are plastic so I won't regret if they break. Is it a bit overboard? Yeah, but if it gets her to play then cool beans. Now I need to make something for the wife to complete a full family outfit in norse theme. I look forward to being finished so we can maybe pay a visit to to the land of liripipes next

[tmntism]

*kicks down door* HUMAN DESIGN REF SHEET NOBODY ASKED FOR

gonna explain some of the little details here for funsies💃

so, all of their designs reflect a bit of their personality while also having a functional use!!

leonardo's big blue scrunchie, aside from keeping his hair out of his eyes, has a pocket where he can hide secret emergency weapons if he's ever disarmed. (based on the fact that he canonically hides a tiny knife in his wristband)

donatello's various pockets and big chunky messenger bag is where he keeps whatever macguffin is relevant, and all of his colorful bandaids are from raphael's medic pouch.

michelangelo and raphael are both wearing braces for hypermobility (that's what raphael's rings are, aside from being some cool lookin bling they're finger splints!!) and michelangelo is wearing compression socks + gloves for POTs.

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

Cuz I'm reading the ballad of songbirds and snakes, I have a question for you maggie boo:

All the hotd characters in the arena.

What district would they be from? And what would be the summary of how the game plays out?

Oh this is a great question! 😂😂 I just got Sunrise on the Reaping on my Kindle and am super excited to read it, so I am in my Hunger Games feels at the moment 🤩

Aemond: District 2 (masonry/weapons), he volunteers as a Career and is so excited to prove he's the best!!! (He immediately dies of a snakebite.)

Aegon: District 3 (electronics), he is super bummed about being a tribute because he has no skills except playing video games. He uses equipment he finds in the arena to try to build a Nintendo 64 so he can spend his final hours doing what he loves most.

Helaena: District 7 (lumber), girlie is always up in the trees talking to bugs or whatever. She dies when Aegon sets the forest on fire with his faulty wiring. This same fire also kills Aegon, Jace, and Rhaena.

Daeron: District 4 (fishing), he's a lil Finnick! He hides in a lake to avoid the fire. He ends up winning because everyone forgets he exists so no one tries to kill him.

Jace: District 1 (luxury goods), lil homie loves wearing lots of bling to distract from his dubious parentage! He is a Career and volunteers but sadly he is over-confident and doomed by the narrative.

Baela: District 6 (transportation), back home she raced motorcycles and built custom sports cars. To spice things up the Gamemakers send her a Ferrari and she speeds around the arena running over tributes.

Luke: District 10 (livestock), he is a friend to the farm animals! In the arena he is very scared and alone until he finds a huge wild pig and they become besties. He rides his pig around until Baela rounds a blind curve in her Ferrari and collides with them. Everyone involved perishes, including the pig.

Rhaena: District 8 (textiles), she is actually very clever and capable but sadly the only hobby/skill/job she's allowed to have is knitting. Nonetheless she tries her best in the arena and devises a Quilt of Destruction which she uses to trap and kill several tributes before she dies in the Great Nintendo Fire of 2025.

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

Propaganda under the cut because it's long:

Alexander I Pavlovich

a. “Maybe not the most handsome or charismatic man in this tournament, but he has ample chaotic neutral energy that both baffles and fascinates contemporaries. In short, if you're into mysterious men, you won't find a sexier enigma than our imperator.”

b. “Look. Is this or is this not the monsterfucking website.”

c. There are lots of monuments dedicated to him. There's one in Moscow in the Alexander Garden right by the Red Square. While nowhere near as grand as the Alexander Column, I think it's still worth showcasing!

The monument is meant to celebrate his victory in the 1812 Russian invasion. He's holding a sword, proudly standing on top of his enemies' weapon.

The sculptors, however, have never seen the man in their life - all the people involved in the making are still alive and well (i think), so that should tell how new it is. The monument was opened for the public just a decade ago in 2014.

d. quote about this bust from the memoirs of Sophie de Choiseul-Gouffier: “No painter was able to properly capture the features of his face and especially his soft expression. Alexander didn’t like to pose for portraits and they were mostly done with some stealth. In this case sculpture have produced a better likeness. The famed Thorvaldsen made a bust of this sovereign worthy of a hand of such a remarkable artist.”

e. His family nickname might have been ‘our angel’ and the medal commemorating his death bears the inscription “Our angel is in heaven”, but did you know that to this day Alexander looks down on Sankt Petersburg as an actual angel, wings, cross, trampled snake and all? Alas, you cannot see it from the ground, the Alexander Column being so very tall, but the statue of the angel on top certainly seems to take after our sexy thrice-angel Emperor.

f. Apotheosis of Alexander! An eminently universal image, perfectly serviceable for his rise to the throne… of Napoleonic Sexyman Tournament.

It really looks like Peter and Catherine are instructing the Electorate. Gentlevoters, surely you wouldn’t dream of disappointing Sasha’s Grandmother and his scantily clothed giant of a Great-great-grandfather?

g. What is sexier than a man in a dress???

Mikhail Miloradovich:

Miloradovich had a short episode as Catherine the Great's favourite at just eighteen. Alas, usually he's not included on the official list except by Barskov. That is because he was one of several concurrent boytoys candidates in 1789, before Zubov won the contest. But I believe that being to Catherine's taste adds to M's sexyman cred.

He never married, but according to his legend, he kept an entire trunk of love letters (from many, many ladies) in his palace, which was discovered after his death.

Miloradovich possessed the kind of cavalier fantasy that made him a hero among soldiers (and one of Suvorov's favourites). Hence these three popular stories:

Once, while on campaign, his soldiers decided to give M their best wishes on his name day. He was very gracious about it and told them with his best roguish smile that in thanks for their wishes he'd give them a present... that present being the nearest pretty-as-a-picture enemy column (French).

On one occasion Joachim Murat came out, sat down and demonstratively drank coffee during an active fire exchange. Miloradovich naturally couldn't be worse and asked for a table to be set for him. Also under the fire, because where else. "He's drinking coffee? I'm eating dinner here!" And it wasn't a singular event: more than once he and Murat conducted a peculiar gallant flirtation on the field. And yes, Miloradovich also had a weakness for very blingy bling.

Alas, M didn't get to carry a ladder (that we know of), but he didn't shy motivating his soldiers in similar ways. It just so happened that his scouting party came to a stop at a steep slope and froze. Miloradovich came forward, got on the ground and slid down the slope on his spine, laughing and generally having (or pretending to have) lots of fun.

[unicorn-virus-syndrome]

Felt a little bored so here are some incorrect quotes! (Mostly about the Jury of Nine because I’m going insane about them lately. Could take place either in Mystreet or Minecraft Diaries.)

———————————

Zane: Time for plan G. Jeffory: Don’t you mean plan B? Zane: No, we tried plan B a long time ago. I had to skip over plan C due to technical difficulties. Ivan: What about plan D? Zane: Plan D was that desperate disguise attempt half an hour ago. Janus: What about plan E? Zane: I’m hoping not to use it. Katelyn dies in plan E. Ivy: I like plan E. Katelyn: >:/

——— Zane: Posts a super low-quality image to the group chat Janus: If I had a dollar for every pixel in this image, I’d have 15 cents Zane: If I had a dollar for every ounce of rage I felt in my body after I read this text, I would have enough money to buy a cannon to fire at you! :] Lillian: Actually I did the math, Janus would have $225, not $0.15. Janus: Fam I’m right here…. Katelyn: If I had a dollar I would buy a can of soda. Jeffory: while you’re there could you buy me an apply juice please? Katelyn: Sorry I only have a dollar. Jeffory: :[ Iavn: Hey I just realized Lillian is right, Janus would have $22,500 because it's a dollar for every pixel, not a cent. Katelyn: If I had $22,500 I would buy a can of soda and an apply juice. Ivy: You can buy anything you want with $22,500? Ivan: Yeah and they want soda and apply juice. Ivy: Apply juice to what??? Katelyn: Directly to the forehead Zane: Great chat everyone.

———

Jeffory: I've got a weapon, and I'm… admittedly VERY afraid to use it!

——— Ivan: eh, I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me first.

———

Jeffory, skipping rocks on a lake with Katelyn: It’s such a beautiful evening. Katelyn: Yeah, it is. Katelyn: whispering Take that you fucking lake.

———

Ivy: Okay, can we all stop saying stupid shit for a moment, please?! Zane: Alright. Ivan: Hey, I- Ivy: SHUT UP! Ivan: I HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED MY SENTENCE!! Zane: It was bound to be stupid.

———

While planning to break in somewhere Janus: Hey, let's do "Get Help!" Zane: What? Janus: "Get Help." Zane: No. Janus: C'mon, you love it! Zane: I hate it. Janus: It's great! It works every time! Zane: It's humiliating. Janus: Do you have a better plan? Zane: No. Janus: We're doing it! Zane: We are not doing "Get Help!" A Minute Later Janus, carrying Zane: Get help! Please! He’s dying! Help him! throws Zane at guards, knocking them out Janus: Ahh, classic! Zane: gets up I still hate it. It's humiliating. Janus, laughing: Not for me, it's not.

———

Jeffory; Isn’t it a bit dangerous? Ivy: Jeffory, please. We’ve in a lot of unexpected predicaments before and we always escape unhurt. Jeffory: … Ivy: Okay, we sometimes escape unhurt. Jeffory: … Ivy: Alright, we escaped unhurt once… Then we hurt ourselves on the way home.

——— Katelyn: I wouldn’t wish that upon my worse enemy! Katelyn: Unless of course. . We’re talking about my enemy, Ivy. Fuck you Ivy, you know what you did!

———

Zenix: Hey, check out my Spongebob umbrella! Zenix opens his umbrella while indoors Sasha: Zenix, that’s bad luck… Jeffory: Chill out, dude!- Ghost Janus, kicking down the door: WHO SUMMONED ME?!?! Zenix, Sasha, and Gene: SCREAMS

———

Lillian: What's with the new hat? Ivy: Oh, this? It's nothing. Janus: It's the loudest nothing I ever saw. Katelyn: Ivy, you just can't mosey in here with a brand-new hat and act like you're not wearing a brand-new hat. Ivy: Look, I'm trying something new, okay? Just take it easy. Ivan: She’s right, guys. Come on, let's not go down this path. It's ugly… Kinda like that hat– Ivy: I got this from a nice store! Ivan: What store? The one before you exit the Al Capone Museum? Zane, entering the room: Good Evening— Ivy? Did you just finish Bling Ring-ing Bruno Mars' closet? Ivy: I'm being brave, okay? You guys are sheep. You may want to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Katelyn: Better us than you. You look like a park ranger from a cartoon. Ivy: Jeffory, do you think the hat looks bad? Jeffory: Oh, uh, me? Um, I… I wouldn't say it was bad. Like, I think it's just different, like something you would wear in Indiana… Jones and the Temple of Bad Hats.

———

Janus: Dude, we can get mythical animals! Maybe I’ll get a penguin! Lillian: Penguins are real. Janus: That’s the spirit, Lillian! They’re real to me too!

——— Ivy: I feel awful about killing you. Katelyn: … Ivy: Even though technically you never even died, so I don’t know what you’re bitching about.

——— Jeffory: You know you can die from that, right? <:[ Ivan: smoking a cigarette. That’s the point. Katelyn: drinking alcohol. We’re trying to speed this up. Lillian: Eating raw cookie dough and nodding.

———

Zane: So uh, for this party and everything, do you, uh… Lillian, sighing: You don't know how to dress for this, do you? Zane, panicked: WHAT IS CLOTHES??? Ó_Ò

———

Katelyn: Respect my trans homies or I’m gonna identify as a fucking problem. Janus: :] Ivan: >:D Lillaim: ….Slowly gives a thumbs up.

———

Ivan; Lucinda has no idea I’m high. Lucinda: ..You’re high? Ivan: Oh, I’m sorry. Ivan, leaning over to Lillian: Lucinda has no idea I’m high.

———

Zane: What’s your greatest weakness? Lillian: Interpreting the semantics of a question, but ignoring the pragmatics. Zane: Could you give an example? Lillian: Yes, I could.

———

In the Early Days of The Jury of Nine Katelyn: Fight me! Ivy: gets on one knee and pulls out a ring Ivy: Fight me for the rest of our lives? Katelyn: 0///0 Jeffory: …Well this can’t be healthy. Ivan: Oh absolutely not this can only go down in flames.

———

Ivy: Tell them to eat shit, Lillian. Lillian: Tell them yourself. Ivy: Eat shit, asshole. Fall off your horse.

———

Ivan, handing a balloon to Lillian: I have no soul. Have a good day! Lillian, walking off: I don't have one either.

———

Lillian: What's wrong with you? Ivan: Off the top of my head, I'd say low self-esteem, a lack of paternal affection, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression.

———

Zane: My favorite thing about big dogs is that when you push them over, they're all like "Oh, I'm lying down now! Someone might scratch my stomach! I might nap! Endless possibilities!" Zane: …whereas, when you push little dogs over, they're all like, "Vengeance! Death before dishonor!" Lillian: Is this just your way of describing Janus, the tallest in our friend group, and Ivan, the shortest in our friend group? Zane: Yes.

———

Ivy: Aww, what's your dog's name? Aph: Celestia! ^^ Ivy, yelling to Lillian: TRY CELESTIA! Lillian, on the computer: DIDN'T WORK! Ivy: … Ivy: What's your favorite number?

———

Jeffory; Uhh.. Zane just asked if we want to… Jeffory: ”Fell the mighty before their time and display their carcasses in our homes?” Lillian, not even looking up from her phone: He’s asking if you wanna cut down Christmas Trees. Jeffory: Oh, that makes more sense.

———

Jeffory; I have a problem. Katelyn: Kill it. Ivy: Kill it. Janus: Kill it. Ivan: Kill it. Zane: Kill it. Lillian: Kill it. Jeffory: …Can you all chill for like, two seconds?

———

Zane: Where's Janus? Ivy: Don't worry, I'll find them. Ivy, shouting: Zane sucks! Janus, distantly: Zane is the best man to ever live! Fuck you!! Ivy: Found them.

———

Zane: The ritual. To preform it requires a sacrifice… Lillian: Sacrifice? I nominate Ivan. Ivan: Wait, what?! Janus: Because you're little, you'll fit on a pentagram. Ivan: I'm 5'9, that’s like the average height in Ru’an! Zane: Its not that kind of sacrifice guys!!!

———

Ivy: Janus learned how to fold origami penguins from Lillian the other day. I told them, “I feel a little bad for the penguins, it’s hot here”, and the next day he put the penguins in the fridge.

———

Katelyn: Look, Zane, it's the third time this week you had a mental breakdown and its Monday.

[christabelq]

I was going to post a cosplay photo today, but decided to do another of my tutorial type things instead👩‍🏫. This time it’s for the steampunk handgun I used in my recent Typhoid Mary shoot and also seen in a few of my earlier pics. I’ve found it super useful to have, as it suits a bunch of different characters. If you want to rustle one up yourself, you’ll need these ingredients…

1 x Nerf gun or similar – Choose your gun carefully, as it will dictate what your finished weapon looks like. I went for something small, but chunky, which I picked up cheap in a thrift store (💜 my bargains).

Sandpaper for prepping the gun.

1 x can of black spray paint (or possibly more depending on the size of your gun – tbh I regularly misjudge how much paint I’ll need for stuff and end up having to make extra trips to the craft store to stock up 🚶‍♀️😩

Silver acrylic paint and 🖌️🖌️ to give the gun a metallic look (or gold if you want to bling out).

Assorted fixtures for decorations – I used some gears left over from another project, a bit of an old speaker and some circuitry from a broken tablet, but loads of other stuff will work. Btw, if you haven’t tried it, it’s super therapeutic pulling bits out of an old tablet, especially if it’s one that used to crash on you a lot like mine😈😈😈 

 Plastic knob – Replacement for the cocking thingy at the back of the Nerf gun, as this totally gave away that it was a toy. My piece was stripped off a toy gun I used in another project, but you can use whatever’s available.

A piece of leather – Trim for the barrel to add to the steampunk vibe and (hopefully) make the gun look a bit more realistic.

Needle and thread 🪡 – Most of my projects involve sewing in some way, as it’s something I like doing. Here it was used for finishing the edges of the piece of leather.

Fixative spray – Used to try and ensure I don’t accidentally scratch off any paint when I’m using the gun in a typical display of klutziness 🥴

Normally when I do these tutorials, I start rambling on at this point about whatever bits of the project pop into my head, but this time, I’m totally going to be structured about it, so here’s a step-by-step guide…

Sand off any logos and stuff on your gun, as these always make them look toy like. If the gun you’ve chosen has any smooth surfaces, you might want to sand these as well, as the paint will go on better that way. Top tip here is not to use really rough sandpiper or you’ll end up with nasty scratches.

Strip off any fittings on the gun which don’t look realistic and replace if necessary. In my case, this included replacing the thing for getting the gun ready to fire (I’m sure there’s a technical term for this, but it beats me what it is). I screwed the new bit into the end of the mechanism, so it still works, which is pretty cool.

⛫💨 Spray the gun matt black to prime it, plus any of your fittings which need to match. Usually this has to be done in a couple of stages, as if you’re working on a table or something you won’t be able to turn anything over until it’s dry. Also, no matter how good a surface looks at the time, you often come back to find the paint hasn’t covered something properly 😠😠. Here’s another tip… go off and do something else between coats rather than waiting around for however many hours it takes the paint to dry 💡

🎨 Add the metallic distressed look with the arcylic paint. For this to work, you need to dust the paint on super lightly. I usually wipe my brush on a bit of paper each time I dip it in the paint to get rid of the excess.

Once the paint is dry, attach your fittings. The trick here is to try to make them look like they have some kind of purpose and aren’t just window-dressing. Glue is the easiest way to stick things on, but I use bolts and screws when possible 🪛🔧, as these are more secure and allow gears and stuff to spin around if you want them to. If you’re using leather like me (or any other material), you’ll probably want to sew in a folded overedge before attaching it to stop it fraying 🪡.   

Touch up any damage you did to your paintwork when working on step 5. Maybe you’ll be luckier than me, but no matter how careful I am, there always seems to be some.

⛫💨 Spray on your fixative for protection. This should be done in steady lines with the can about 30 cms away from the gun. It’s best to do a few coats, sometimes working from side to side and sometimes from top to bottom, so you get good coverage. My tip for this stage is to shake the can well before use and do a quick test spray first to make sure the fixative is coming out evenly.

Pick up the finished gun and start rocking it /̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿💥

So there you have it. Hopefully if you’re new to projects like this, it will give you a good starting point. I think you get good results for some pretty easy steps. Let me know if you found it useful or if you have any questions 💬, and stay tuned for more cosplay stuff.

Luv your friendly neighborhood  cosplayer, Christabel ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

ko-fi.com/christabelq instagram.com/christabel.simpson/ deviantart.com/christabelq

[kieran-granola]

Material Boy

(This one is available on AO3)

When he’s not busy being a vigilante, Tim likes to think that he’s a pretty simple guy. He has normal, civilian friends. He's awkward when he talks to people he wants to bang. He likes skateboarding and playing Warlocks & Warriors. He dropped out of high school.

He also, like many kids of his generation, grew up collecting superhero merchandise and memorabilia.

And yes, maybe he never got out of the habit of collecting super-trinkets even after joining the vigilante game — a fact he keeps between himself and God, he can only imagine how much shit Steph and the others would give him if they knew — but it's not like he steals stuff from the heroes he knows. He just... buys things. A lot of things.

Which brings him to his current problem: the amount of merchandise created depends a lot on a hero's popularity. This means that Superman has insane amounts of merch. Wonder Woman and Batman too, to a lesser extent. In Gotham, Robin does pretty well for kids' stuff, and Nightwing has inspired more than one, uh, adult line of toys.

…But Red Hood? As tacky as brands can get with their products, they know better than to create merch of mass murdering rogues and villains, and unfortunately people aren't sure whether Red Hood qualifies a good guy. This means that Tim's haul is Very Poor when it comes to Hood. Which is an issue on account of Tim's massive crush on Jason.

How is a man supposed to pine in dignity when he can't even find a decent body pillow to warm his lonely bed? How?!

Tim obviously has to fix this problem. He has to rehabilitate Red Hood and ensure a steady supply of bling for his display cases. And shelves. And furniture. And possibly wardrobe, he's not picky.

He has to.

Which is why he ends up raving about Red Hood, his crime-fighting exploits, and his charity work on social media. He uses all of his covers' accounts and even creates a few more, enthusing people and posting praise until, finally, his amateur PR campaign snowballs.

He knows his job is done when his hashtags start trending outside of the Gotham metro area, and the first Red Hood plushie comes out of Build-A-Bear.

___________________________

Jason is bemused when he first gets wind of his rising popularity. Sure, it's nice to be appreciated and the genuine testimonials from Gothamites warm the cockles of his dead, dead heart, but where did the hype come from? And why are people trying to ask him for autographs? He's a crime lord! He's dangerous and scary, and people should definitely not feel comfortable enough to ask him for selfies!

…Oh fuck, is that it? Is someone trying to sabotage his reputation?

Disturbed, Jason reaches out to Oracle for some help with finding the person behind this heinous plan. He's not entirely sure why Babs laughs for five minutes straight after hearing his question, but she eventually tells him that the original accounts extolling his virtues belong to Red Robin's covers.

Shrugging to himself, he suits up and heads to Tim's nest. He busts in, ready to deliver the wrath of the Hood on Tim for making him look like a hero when he's a Very Mean, Very Dangerous Badass… only to find Tim eating Froot Loops out of some violently lime liquid, while wearing what looks like chibi Red Hood pajamas, complete with little cat ears over the stylized helmet.

Suffice to say, that display takes the wind out of Jason's sails. He holsters his weapons back and takes off his helmet so Tim can properly appreciate how appalled he is before speaking.

"Okay, what the fuck, Timbo?"

Tim blinks. "You wanna be a bit more specific there?"

"I wouldn't even know where to start. Just. What the fuck."

"Well, I'm having dinner?" Tim tries, shoving a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

"Froot Loops in, what is that, cucumber juice? That's dinner?" Jason stares harder.

Tim swallows his spoonful thickly. "It's Mountain Dew, actually."

"Okay but that's worse. You get how that's worse, right?"

"Did you seriously come here to talk about my meal plans?"

"I came here to ask why you decided to ruin my street cred, and to kick your ass—" Jason winces as Tim eats another mouthful, "—but apparently you're doing a great job at hurting yourself on your own."

Tim gives him a blank look. "I ruined your street cred? How?"

"You told people I'm a hero," Jason says accusingly.

"Ah, I see what the problem is. Look, Jason, this might come as a shock to you and I understand if you need to take a minute to process this very new piece of information but… you are a hero, dumbass."

Jason seriously considers throwing his helmet at Tim but, with the state Tim is in, he's pretty sure it would feel like pouring water on a drowning man.

"I'm not the kind of hero they make jammies of! I mean, what the fuck are you even wearing?"

Tim pulls on his shirt to show off the design, perking up. "These? They're Red Catting Hood limited edition PJs. They're cute, right?"

You're cute, Jason mutters under his breath, before taking a few menacing steps forward. "They're ridiculous. I'm not a cat. And I'm definitely not cute."

"We're going to have to agree to disagree there."

Jason stares at him. "You think I'm cute?"

"No, I think you're a cat," Tim deadpans, still eating his disgusting mixture.

"I… I tried to kill you, remember?!"

"Yeah, you did. And now I have little cartoon kitties of you on my jim-jams. Life's full of curveballs, isn't it?"

Jason is pretty sure he's having a minor breakdown in Tim's kitchen. He opens and closes his mouth silently several times, confusion robbing him of his words. Tim watches him for a couple of minutes, then he stands up and shuffles closer to pat him on the back.

Jason lets out a very unmanly squeak of horror when he spots matching Red Catting Hood slippers on Tim's feet.

Tim shushes him. "Hey, it's okay, dude. I understand that you don't know how to deal with people expressing positive emotions in your direction after getting the Bruce special growing up, but it's gonna be fine. Just breathe. You'll get used to it."

Jason stares at Tim with wide eyes. Then he gently takes him by the shoulders.

"Timmers. Tim. You crazy little birdie. Telling me I'm cute, talking about emotions... Are you okay? Is this a cry for help? Talk to me."

"You ask me that now?" Tim gives him a judgmental look. "I can't believe that's where you draw the line. I mean, where's your 'Be my Robin' enthusiasm?"

"It drowned in your bowl of Mountain Dew next to the Froot Loops. No, but seriously. If I'm your last resort, then you can tell me what's wrong. No need for tacky PJs, I'll listen."

Tim's eyes narrow. "Okay, then listen to this. First of all, my PJs aren't tacky. Second, I like you, dumbass, and yeah, I think you're cute. And third, I hyped you up on social media because I wanted Red Hood merch for my collection."

Jason takes a second to let that confession wash over him. He regrets removing his helmet. He's blushing, he knows he's blushing. In fact he must have been a redhead in another life, because he must be reminiscent of a tomato at this point, and oh no. He's a grown-ass man, why is he blushing like a nerd for this incredibly sleep-deprived, adorable maniac?

"You have a collection?" he squeaks.

"Uh, yeah. I started it when I was 4." Tim raises his eyebrows. "But nevermind that, are you seriously going to leave me hanging? I just told you I like you, man."

"I don't know what to say," Jason chokes out. "This... You're—I'm not good for you."

"Sorry but the entire internet would disagree. You're a hero, remember? And I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I don't need to be patronized."

Jason gestures at Tim's dinner. "That is demonstrably false."

Tim pouts. "Well. If you were my boyfriend, you could make sure I eat properly."

"Is that what you want? To be my b—" Jason's voice breaks. He swallows before trying again. "To be my boyfriend?"

"I mean, yeah?" Tim shrugs. "That's not why I hyped you up, I'm not kidding about the merch thing. But. Yeah. That would be… Good. Nice."

"Oh."

"Is that something you'd like too?"

Jason licks his lips. "Yeah, I—I think so. Yeah. There's just one thing though..."

Hope sparkles in Tim's eyes. "What?"

"It's just... I can't let people think you like me more than I like you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means—" Jason tugs on the fabric of Tim's PJs, "—that for every Red Hood item you own, you have to get me some matching Red Robin merch."

Tim grins a wide, bright, genuine smile that almost offsets the deep purple bruising under his tired eyes. "It's a deal."

___________________________

(They show up to the Manor together two months later to announce their relationship. They walk in hand-in-hand, Jason wearing a Red Robin hoodie, Tim in a Red Hood henley. Damian doesn't even have to pretend to gag at the sight.)

[microwave-kid]

I wish I were a better artist because I would lovingly render Jimmy Mouthwashing in Fortnite. 99.9% weapon wrap. Crashing ship glider. Curly back bling.

[arteriasalad]

The Dreambound Butcher

Bling: thiollier’s mask, royal knight armor, gelmir knight gauntlets, beast champion greaves

Weapon: veteran’s prosthesis

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

🤖 Anatomy of a Cyberman

Cybermen are humanoids 'upgraded' through cybernetic conversion, stripping away organic weakness to create efficient, nearly emotionless beings.

🧬 Cyber-Conversion

Lacking any natural means of reproduction, Cybermen rely on "Cyber-conversion" to, uh, recruit volunteers (okay, not always volunteers). Organic bodies are overhauled, trading flesh for metal, inhibiting emotions, and installing pure logic processing for survival, with unquestioning loyalty to the Cyber cause. And there's no going back.

🎩 Varied Cyber-Bodies

There's no one-size-fits-all in Cybermen fashion, but they do keep a few classics in rotation:

The Classic Metallic Look: Shiny and silver. Most Cybermen follow this silver theme, but they've had other styles—black Cyber-Scouts, and even one in wood.

Mondasian Legacy: The early CyberMondans from Mondas had visible circuitry and gauze-covered faces; they were a little more DIY. Later versions from the Mondasian colony ship still retained parts of their human body like hands, and had an eerie, sing-song voice.

🛠️ Features

💔 Emotional Inhibitors: For Cybermen, emotions are nothing more than a liability. So they simply switch them off. Each Cyberman is fitted with an "emotional inhibitor" to keep pesky human feelings—like regret, fear, or the utter horror of their situation—at bay.

🔫 Weapons and Adaptation: Laser-firing helmets, chest-mounted blasters, and adaptive armour make Cybermen formidable. They're also masters at adapting to new threats and sharing it with the hive mind. Speaking of ...

👥 Hive Mentality: Cybermen pride themselves on efficiency, and what's more efficient than a hive mind? Linked by an extensive network, each Cyberman can share information, adapt to threats, and communicate without those bothersome MS Teams meetings.

🔧Self-Healing Powers: The later models could heal almost instantly, and detach body parts entirely. Resistance, honestly, is futile.

⏳Primitive Time Travel: Yes, Cybermen have tried time travel, and while it's more of a space hopper than a sports car, it does mean they'll show up at the most inconvenient times.

⚠️ Weaknesses

Though resilient, Cybermen have notable weaknesses:

Gold Sensitivity: Cybermen have an allergy to bling. Gold clogs their respiratory systems, making it highly effective against them. Mr. T is practically untouchable.

Weak Against EMPs: A strong EMP will disrupt their circuitry, temporarily putting them out of commission.

Explosive Fragility: Although tough, Cybermen are not invulnerable—some well-placed explosives, a bazooka, or a Raston Warrior Robot can bring them down.

Emotional Overload: Either by the Cerebration Mentor, or breaking the emotional inhibitor. If the inhibitor were to break it would be messy, painful, and involve more existential angst than Proust, so it's best not to dwell on it, unlike Proust.

Hive Hacking: Their hive mind is both an asset and a vulnerability. A skilled hacker—or a particularly clever Time Lord—can exploit it to turn their collective mind against them.

Other Lesser Known Methods: Cybermen can also be disabled or weakened by a chemical mixture known as Polly Cocktail, high radiation levels, and the scent of a particular flower from a particular planet (though we have no idea what flower on what planet).

🌌 Eternal Threat

The Cybermen genuinely believe they're doing the universe a favour by spreading the 'gift' of conversion. After all, who wouldn't want to live forever in a buff metal suit? The Cybermen may not have feelings, but they sure have ambition. And with each new upgrade, they're getting closer to making sure that everyone joins the Cyber club.

Gallifreyan Cyberman Biology for Tuesday by GIL

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[superiorsturgeon]

Scenes from Jaune’s bachelor party, pt 2

Continuing from here!

Sun: *playing accordion*

Jaune: *drunk and standing on a table in a Faunus beer garden* Okay…! Here’s my favorite part…!

White Fang soldiers: *singing along and lifting beer steins as Jaune leads them in an Atlas drinking song* Jaaaa…jaaaa…jaaaa…jaaaa! 🎶

———————————————————————

Raven: *struggling under dashboard* Shit…almost…!

Neptune: Okay, I think…There it is! *discharges his weapon, causing bright red sports car to roar to life*

Raven: WE GOT IT! Time to go!!

Sun/Qrow/Tai/Ren/Jaune: *all pile into hot wired vehicle as Vacuan cartel enforcers open fire*

———————————————————————

Ren: *reclining outside five-star hotel room with Qrow*

Ren: *passes a cigar*

Qrow: Thanks, kid. Need a light?

Ren: Please…! *leans forward and puffs gently as Qrow lights his cigar*

Qrow/Ren: *smoke in silence*

Qrow: …cigars are really bad for you, aren’t they?

Ren: *throws up*

———————————————————————

Taiyang: *tied to a stake* …so, what? You like redheads, but you don’t like my daughter…?!

Jaune: *tied to the other side of the stake* It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Ruby, it’s just that I really love Pyrrha! The heart wants what it wants, you know…?

Taiyang: Good answer, kid…! Ruby deserves someone who really loves her, you know? This Pyrrha sounds like a lucky girl!

Junior: *turns to henchmen* Tase them again.

———————————————————————

Sun: *signing into a microphone* Iiiiiiii….Am a maaaaan…of constant sorrooooww….!

Sun: I am a maaaaaan of constant pain…!

Sun: Iiiiiiiiiiiii….bid fareweeeeelll to old Kentuckyyyyyyy…the place where Iiiiiiii was born and raised…!

Jaune/Neptune: ….the place where heeeeeeeee was born and raised….!

Ren: *strumming blues guitar* 🎸🎶

Neon: *adjusting recording equipment* These guys could be the next big thing!

———————————————————————

Qrow/Raven: *dancing erotically on the bar* SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS-SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS-SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS-SHOTS!

Taiyang/Sun/Neptune/Ren/Jaune: *raising shot glasses* EVERYBODY!!!!

———————————————————————

Announcer: Here we are, at the final table of the Schnee Dust Casino (SDC) poker tournament! The final two players are the feared Sienna Khan and the young first-timer from Vale!

Taiyang: Holy cow, the kid’s killing it out there!

Raven: He must be some kind of gambling savant!

Sienna: *pushes chips forward* All. In. 😠

Jaune: *drunk and wearing a ridiculous amount of bling/sunglasses, pushes chips forward to call Sienna’s bet* 😎

Neptune: Look at him! He’s so calm! The pressure isn’t getting to him at all!

Sun: He’s got ice in his veins!

Ren: *drunkenly holds up a shot glass in salute* WHOOOO!!!!! Go, brotha, go…! 😆

Jaune: *looks at his cards*

Jaune: …I can’t see the cards with these glasses…I hope I have something good…!

[ryin-silverfish]

So I shared your translations on Twitter, and very funnily, someone pointed out that in one of the legends, the Second Prince of the East Sea got married to the princess of the South Sea. Recently, the fandom also discovered a legend where Ao Run tells Ao Bing, "Come with me to the West Sea, I have a princess awaiting marriage, you could live with us in the loong palace as princess consort.”

Basically, the gag is the dragons are being made to marry their cousins. But it also got me wondering—were all the Dragon Kings actually siblings to begin with? Or was that only the case in Nezha 2019/25?

Well, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas being brothers is certainly true for JTTW.

In Chapter 3, when SWK is demanding a set of blings to go with his new weapons, Ao Guang summons the other 3 dragon kings in response.

He refers to all of them as 舍弟, which suggests that he is the eldest of the four, because there's an unspoken convention in traditional works that 舍 is only used for relatives younger than the speaker.

And indeed, Ao Qin (Dragon King of the South) calls him "Elder Brother", while Ao Run (Dragon King of the West) calls Ao Qin "Second Brother", suggesting that their order of age goes like this (from oldest to youngest):

Ao Guang - Ao Qin - Ao Run - Ao Shun

As for FSYY: unlike in JTTW, the original novel doesn't have them refer to each other as brothers, or say in the narration that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas are brothers.

However, they do share the same surname of Ao, which seems to point towards blood relations between the four. The names given in FSYY are also different——Ao Guang, Ao Shun, Ao Min and Ao Ji.

[tegu-the-tegu]

Flavoured Artificer Concepts

Artificer is by FAR my favourite class in Dungeons and Dragons, primarily for how customisable they can be with regards to their flavour; because of the ability to cast through any tools you are proficient in, it gives a LOT of range to how your magic works. As such, I will put some ideas I have had to build unique Artificers.

An Artillerist that uses woodworking to carve totems; they are flavoured as a tribal shaman that summons the spirits of magical creatures to aid in battle. Their flamethrower turret conjures a dragon spirit to burn their foes, their protector turret calls the spirit of a unicorn to protect the virtuous, and their ballista invokes a manticore spirit to pepper distant foes with spikes. Their other spells can also be flavoured this way, such as Thunderwave being flavoured as an Aerosaur spirit emerging from a totem and flapping its wings to blow enemies away!

A Battlesmith that uses leatherworking to create a horrific stitched Frankenstein's monster for their steel defender. Every time they kill things, they skin the corpses to repair their hideous flesh monster. Or, if you prefer, you could stick with the shamanistic theme from the Artillerist entry, and use leatherworking to maintain the pelt of the first wolf you killed; its spirit inhabits that pelt, and defends you to this day!

An Alchemist that uses chef's tools to create supernaturally delicious food that cures illnesses and grants supernatural abilities. I have actually played this, he used brewers supplies to create caustic acidic drinks, had peppers so hot that it made your breath ignite to cast fire spells, and he would spray sticky toffee over the area for web. He would make food puns, and was named Guido Fiero.

An Armorer that uses jeweller's tools to create bling that imbues them with magical powers. A circlet that grants a force field, a ring that shoots lightning, a pair of bracelets that create thunderous shockwaves when brought together. Then, when you hit level 9, you can have distinct infusion tied to each one! A circlet or diadem or whatever for head armour, necklace for chest armour, anklets for boots, and bracelets or rings for the weapon! Perfect for a wealthy nobleman artificer who wants to broadcast their glamorous lifestyle.

There are loads of other things you can do with each tool proficiency, and it's a shame that the class is so easily pigeonholed into "The Tech Class". Not to say I don't like the gnomish tinker that creates fantastical and crazy gizmos to mimic magical effects. Hell, my character in the campaign I'm not DMing is exactly that, an autognome (Flavoured to look like a normal gnome in the face, so they appear normal when wearing their clothes) that woke up one day in a tinker's lab next to his deceased creator, and then left to try and find a purpose in the world. He has an insect motif, so all of his spells and things are flavoured as small clockwork insects he makes.

But the point is, while that's a staple of the Artificer class fantasy, there are loads of other ideas to flavour it! A calligrapher that writes arcane runes in the air, a potter with a terracotta soldier for a steel defender, a weaver that knits arcane circles, a painter whose drawings become magical effects, a glassblower whose glass figurines come to life, I can't think of one for cartographer's tools, but I bet there is a dope idea in there somewhere!

Even as I mentioned before with leatherworking, you can have the exact same class, the exact same subclass, and the exact same tool, and STILL have wildly different flavour! One is Doctor Frankenstein, the other is a mystical shaman with a spirit guide!

Anyway, that's today's rambling. I would also do a thing on subclasses the Artificer could have, given they only have four, but that's a whole other rant. Besides, this is already a thesis.