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zahri-melitor · 1 year ago
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hi hello if it's not too much trouble, what comics would you recommend for someone trying to study the batfamily characters and dynamics for a project? I don't know which writers to avoid or which runs are considered bad characterization. I know this varies with opinion but you seem super familiar with the differences between fanon and canon stuff. don't worry about keeping the list short or anything, I don't have a problem with reading a lot
Honestly, this is a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question, but I can give you some pointers.
Which 'family' characters are you looking at, and which dynamics do you want? Because the thing is, this varies significantly over time. What I can do for you is roughly discuss a bunch of different eras, and what's good content to look at in each of them.
A shortcut - you're often well served by looking at a Gotham-wide Event during the period you're interested in. Sure, people often have some objections to some of the characterisation, but if you're looking at how characters interact, they're the best place to see lots of variations.
In addition 'bad characterisation' is largely in the eye of the beholder. There's actually less agreement on what is and isn't 'bad characterisation' than you might think - it depends on who you're talking to and what stories they like. Characterisation with comics characters is best thought of as a sliding spectrum - there's a range that most people will accept, and when characters go outside it people start getting unhappy. I'll try to note major shifts or universe resets or retcons along the way though.
Pre-Crisis:
Look there is very little in pre-crisis you need to look at for this. Sometimes people will pull stuff forward for Dick and Jason as Robin or Barbara as Batgirl, but largely things stand without this.
Post-Crisis:
I'm happy to walk you through post-crisis up to 2011. I'm still getting a handle on 2011 to present myself.
The Early Days: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Robin, Barbara as Batgirl
In the beginning, there was Batman. One day he went to Haly's Circus where he saw two acrobats falling and their devastated son...you know how this one goes.
Pretty much everything set in this period is flashback stories, so they frequently retread the same ground over and over. Want to see the Graysons fall? You're in luck! Choose one of the more than a dozen versions! (I'm not going to list them all even though I like many)
Quality stories looking at this period include:-
Batman Year One (1986) - Batman #404-407. I am recommending this, yes, even though it's Frank Miller, because it gets referenced a lot. It's a decent retelling and the best work Miller's ever done for the Bat books by a long shot. Bruce's origin story.
Robin: Year One (2000) - Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty. This is probably my preferred version of early Bruce and Dick stories, and it's conveniently got a sequel in...
Batgirl: Year One (2003) - Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty. Barbara's origin as Batgirl and the only one worth reading. These two update the Dick and Barbara as Robin and Batgirl dynamics into post-Crisis.
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet (1997) - Bruce Canwell. This is a single issue about the 'final exam' test Dick took to become Robin. I really enjoy it.
Robin & Batman (2021) - Jeff Lemire. A very recent update of early Dick as Robin. If you want something recent and quick, this is the pick. The characterisation is good but I have a bunch of quibbles with the details.
World's Finest: Batman/Superman (2022) - Mark Waid & Dan Mora. Here's a current ongoing for you! A rarity in that is set reasonably late Dick's time as Robin, and it also doesn't repeat identical beats to those above. Lots of Bruce and Dick, strong Silver Age vibes in relationships, and a lot of fun. A great intro to the wider DC simultaneously too.
Robin II: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Nightwing, Jason as Robin, Barbara as...around
Honestly this is a period I'm weaker on. Jason's post-crisis run as Robin is pretty compact: Batman #401-428 and 'Tec #568-582. Jim Starlin's the writer who wanted to kill Jason off.
Batman #408-411 (1987) - Max Collins. The original post-Crisis 'Dick Becomes Nightwing' and 'Jason becomes Robin' story.
The Diplomat's Son - Batman #424 (1988) - Jim Starlin. This is the issue everyone talks about, where Felipe Garzonas dies. You should read it just to understand the debate, if nothing else.
A Death in the Family - Batman #426-428 (1988) - Jim Starlin. Jason's death.You should read this if you want to understand the dynamics surrounding these events and what actually happened.
The New Teen Titans - look I can't get my head around the numbering of NTT, but if you want to go into this there are eleventy million guides. NTT is very popular. This is Dick as Nightwing during this period, Marv Wolfman and George Perez working together, and considered by people who like Nightwing during this period as the definitive version. Jason appears in a few issues.
Nightwing Year One (2005) - Nightwing #101-106, Chuck Dixon. Now this is going to be extremely controversial, but I do actually recommend people read Nightwing Year One. It's a retcon, but it's an important retcon because it lays out the dynamics of Jason's time as Robin as comics writers have changed them to be following his death. If you want to see how comics writes Jason as the 'angry' and 'risky' Robin following his death, this is the most compact way to see how the narrative changed.
Batgirl Special #1 (1988) - Barbara Randall. Barbara's last appearance as Batgirl. Randall is Barbara's best contemporary Batgirl writer, and this is a loving sendoff for a character who was about to get shredded.
The Killing Joke (1988) - Alan Moore. You should probably read it. Barbara is shot in the spine. However if you want to skip it that's completely fine as the relevant beats have been retold almost as many times as the Graysons have fallen.
Gotham Knights #43-45 (2003) - Scott Beatty. This is probably the best telling of the fallout of Jason's death on the family, particularly Barbara's reaction. If you want Batfam dynamics this is what you should look at.
New Beginnings: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Nightwing, Tim as Robin, Barbara as Oracle, Helena as Huntress, Steph as Spoiler
This is an interesting period in that it's the first threads of what we now call the Batfamily, but they're only just starting to come together as Tim picks each one up. (No, seriously. This era is 'Tim meets people and works with them')
Also as will be the case for a while from here on, at least 50% of all content is written by Chuck Dixon. Now Dixon has his downsides - he's notoriously a conservative homophobe and his views can be seen in the text quite frequently, but he is really good at writing relationships between characters, and he loves a crossover. If you love the modern Batfam, you do have to acknowledge Dixon for his work.
A Lonely Place of Dying (1989) Batman #440-442, New Titans #60-61 - Marv Wolfman & George Perez. Tim's origin story. Very clear on the outset dynamics between Bruce and Dick.
Identity Crisis (1990) Batman #455-457 - Alan Grant. Tim's first night out as Robin in his own costume, plus early dynamics between Bruce & Tim. A tear jerker.
To the Father I Never Knew (1992) Batman #480 - Alan Grant. If you want to actually understand the foundation of Jack and Tim's relationship and how he contrasts it with his relationship with Bruce - look no further.
Robin III (1992) - Chuck Dixon. A very early Tim team-up with Huntress. This is a good place to start for how her relationship with the other Bats evolves in Gotham.
'Tec #647-649 (1992) - Chuck Dixon. Steph's original time out as Spoiler. Again foundational dynamics.
Oracle Year One (1996) Batman Chronicles #5, John Ostrander and Kim Yale. The story of how Barbara became Oracle. Stunning. Essential.
Knightfall: Bruce as Batman, JPV as Azrael and Batman, Dick as Nightwing and Batman, Tim as Robin, everyone else keeping out the way
Knightfall is huge and messy and all over the place but there is magic in here. You just have to dig. Parts I particularly like for family dynamics:-
Batman: Sword of Azrael (1992) - Dennis O'Neil. This is an excellent intro to John-Paul Valley, and get comfortable, because this is what Denny's going to write for the next 10 years.
Batman #488 (1993) - Doug Moench. JPV starts working at Wayne Corp. Tim is assigned to teach him the ropes as a crimefighter in Gotham.
Batman #500 (1993) - Doug Moench. JPV becomes Batman. Dick turns up to complain to Tim about Bruce being insufferable. It's all here.
Bloodbath #1 (1993) - Dan Raspler. This is a terrible comic BUT it also contains some gold dynamics between JPV, Dick and Tim.
Knightsend (1994) - team written. Bruce, Dick and Tim work together to help Bruce rehab from his injury and take down JPV. Legends of the Dark Knight #63 in particular is stunning.
Prodigal (1994) - team written. Dick as Batman and Tim as his Robin. The final issue, Robin #13, has Bruce and Dick's reconciliation over both the fight when Dick became Nightwing AND their fight after Jason died. Essential.
Welcome to the Family: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Nightwing, Tim as Robin, JPV as Azrael, Barbara as Oracle, Helena as Huntress, Steph as Spoiler
I will fight to convince you that this is the first true 'Batfam'. Everything prior to this is Bruce and his Robin, with occasional associates. This is where it goes from the Dynamic Duo to a network who intersect constantly.
Writers: It's a lot of Doug Moench and Chuck Dixon still.
Nightwing: Alfred's Return and Batman #521 (1995) - Alan Grant & Doug Moench. Alfred quit during Knightfall due to what Bruce was doing to himself. This is how Dick got him to come home, and the reunion.
Contagion (1996) - team written. The Event where Gotham gets the Clench (aka Ebola). Massive teamup storyline featuring Bruce, Dick, Tim, JPV, Helena, Selina, and Barbara.
Legacy (1997) - team written. Oh no, it's the Clench Round Two. Here we go again. Basically the same team, but JPV doesn't get invited after he proved he'd forgotten was a fax machine was last event, and Helena gets a more significant role.
Robin important family issues during this period: #17 (with Helena), #29-30 (with Barbara), #34 (with Helena), #35 (with Steph), #45 (with Jack Drake), #47 (with Dick)
Nightwing important family issues during this period: #6 (with Tim), #7 (with Babs), #13-14 (with Bruce), #16 (with Babs)
Birds of Prey important family issues during this period: Birds of Prey Manhunt, as it sets the tone for Barbara and Helena's relationship for a WHILE.
No Man's Land: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Nightwing, Tim as Robin, JPV as Azrael, Helena as Huntress and the Bat, Barbara as Oracle, Steph as Spoiler, Cass as Batgirl
The earthquake where everything goes wrong. The most notable addition to the writing pool is Greg Rucka. Honestly this is a 'so many parts of this are worthwhile, read it all' sort of period, but to help navigate there's a handful of really important points:-
Nightwing #20 (1998) - Chuck Dixon. The Dick, Babs and Tim reunion issue during Cataclysm. The world's fallen apart but they're back together.
Nightwing #25 (1998) - Chuck Dixon. Dick takes Tim trainsurfing
Brotherhood of the Fist (1998) - Chuck Dixon. This is a teamup with Connor Hawke involving Bruce, Dick and Tim. I love the dynamics here.
Huntress/Spoiler Special - Blunt Trauma (1998) - Chuck Dixon. The one Helena and Steph team up during Cataclysm. Get a dynamic you won't see anywhere else.
'Tec #725 (1998) - Chuck Dixon. Dick tells Bruce that he's going to become a cop.
'Tec #727 (1998) - Chuck Dixon. Another Dick, Babs and Tim teamup to take on Firefly.
Mark of Cain (1999) - Kelley Puckett. Cass's intro story.
Birds of Prey #8 (1999) - Chuck Dixon. Dick and Babs visit Haly's Circus
Robin #67 (1999) - Chuck Dixon. Tim and Dick break into No Man's Land.
Legends of the Dark Knight #120 (1999) - Greg Rucka. Team reunion in NML at the Clocktower.
Nightwing #38-39 (1999) - Chuck Dixon - Babs looks after an injured Dick in the Clocktower.
Legends of the Dark Knight #125 (1999) - Greg Rucka. Bruce and Jim finally discuss their issues. Barbara and Tim wait upstairs.
Endgame (1999) - various. Whole team works to track down Joker and some kidnapped babies on Christmas Eve.
A New City, A New Team: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Nightwing, Tim as Robin, JPV as Azrael, Barbara as Oracle, Helena as Huntress, Cass as Batgirl, Steph as Spoiler
This is the final Chuck Dixon era, the Rucka & Brubaker run on Batman and 'Tec, Devin Grayson on Gotham Knights, and probably my favourite era of comics ever. It's hit after hit after hit. Pick up any comic here. You won't be disappointed.
Major highlights not to miss:
Gotham Knights #1-12 (2000) - Devin Grayson. GK is my favourite Bat anthology book ever, but this run includes Transference. The overarching plot is Bruce analysing his team in a series of case notes. Unmissable.
Hunt for Oracle (2000) - Chuck Dixon. The US government tries to track Oracle down. Babs, Dick and Dinah make sure they fail.
Officer Down (2001) - various. Jim Gordon is shot. This is the consequences as people search for his attacker.
Joker Last Laugh (2001) - various. Joker thinks he is about to die and breaks out of the Slab. Chaos ensues. This is the one where everyone thinks Croc kills Tim, and reacts accordingly.
Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive (2002) - various. Bruce has been pushing everyone away for a while, so when he's accused of murder, they must ask the question, did he do it? Everyone tries to solve the mystery of who killed Vesper Fairchild, and Bruce goes through one of his 'am I Bruce or am I Batman' periods.
Batgirl #18 & #20 (2001) - Kelley Puckett. Cass' first team ups with Tim and Steph respectively.
Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood (2000) - Greg Rucka. THE definitive Batfam Huntress book.
Hush It Looks Like War: Bruce as Batman, Dick as Nightwing, Tim as Robin, Barbara as Oracle, Helena as Huntress, Cass as Batgirl, Steph as Spoiler and Robin
Among the drama of Murderer/Fugitive, almost every single book gets a new writer. Jon Lewis takes Robin followed by Bill Willingham, Devin Grayson takes Nightwing, Birds of Prey gets fills until Gail Simone picks it up, Dylan Horrocks takes over Batgirl, Jeph Loeb writes Hush on Batman, Scott Beatty takes Gotham Knights. Personally I endorse basically all these runs but Grayson on Nightwing is controversial.
Hush (2003) Batman #608-619 - Jeph Loeb. Famous for a reason, this is a Bruce story that touches on his relationships with almost EVERY major character in his life (Cass and Steph miss out).
Gotham Knights - Scott Beatty. I don't know what to pick here but #47-49 is a team story of Bruce, Dick, Tim and Cass following Bane to a Kobra stronghold which shows off the developed family-like relationship between the 4 at this point.
Robin - Jon Lewis. Your highlights here are Tim and Steph on a date together (#111), and the 16th Birthday Story (#116-120) because it's essential to understanding where Tim and Bruce are at.
Robin - Bill Willingham. Jack finds out Tim is Robin. Tim quits. Steph becomes Robin. It's an essential arc.
Nightwing - Grayson. This is widely disliked but #81 is a great Dick, Bruce and Cass issue.
Birds of Prey - Simone. Helena joins Barbara on the Birds of Prey. They very, very slowly work through their issues with each other.
Batgirl - Horrocks. #38, Steph and Cass play tag. #45, Cass tries on Barbara's old costume. #50, Bruce drugs himself and Cass with Soul and they fight. #54, Barbara and Cass argue over her reading ability.
And then lurking in the background...War Games hits and tears the Batfam apart, with a doubletap from Identity Crisis.
Leaving Gotham: Bruce as Batman, Dick out of costume, Tim as Robin, Cass as Batgirl, Barbara as Oracle, Helena as Huntress annnnd Jason as Red Hood
Steph is dead. Barbara and Helena leave Gotham for Metropolis. Tim and Cass move to Bludhaven. Dick runs off to join the mob. And in Gotham, Red Hood appears.
Writers: Well we've added Judd Winick on Batman, and now have Andersen Gabrynch on Batgirl. Gotham Knights is now mostly A.J. Lieberman and no longer a good Batfam book (it's now a Hush book). 'Tec honestly isn't worth it during this period. Willingham on Robin has a handful of decent issues to start out then increasingly gets weirdly conservative with some very odd plotlines.
Fresh Blood (2005) Robin #132-133, Batgirl #58-59 - Willingham & Gabrynch. This is a Tim and Cass team up as they move to Bludhaven and mourn together.
Under the Red Hood (2005) - Batman #635-650. You know what this is. It's the Jason returns story.
Nightwing - Grayson. #100 - a strong reflection on Dick's past plus the most heartbreaking part of the Dick/Babs breakup as Dick just runs from all his problems. #110. Tim and Dick meet in Bludhaven and fail to tell each other all the bad things happening in their lives. #112. Dick and Helena run into each other both undercover in the mob. #117. Dick finally talks to Bruce about Blockbuster, and proposes to Babs.
Robin - Willingham. #134 is the pick of the bunch - Bruce offers to adopt Tim and Tim reflects on his time as Robin, though it's a solid little story out to #138 as the truth about Uncle Eddie comes out.
Birds of Prey - Simone. #76, the Babs side of the breakup. #83-84, Helena with the mob and encountering Dick. #90, Helena gives Bruce the new compiled mob data handbook and Bruce compliments her.
Batgirl - Gabrynch. This is a strong well loved run for the build up to Cass' final fight with Shiva, but for Batfam you can't go past #67, when Cass reunites with Babs. Also Cass hallucinates Steph twice in this run (#61 & #72).
Then Infinite Crisis arrives and we all move a year into the future.
One Year Later: Bruce is Batman, Dick is Nightwing, Tim is Robin, Jason is Red Hood, Damian arrives, Cass eventually returns to Batgirl
At this point Barbara and Helena are largely doing their own thing with the Birds of Prey and won't return to the Batfam until Reborn.
New writers all around! Adam Beechen and Fabian Nicieza on Robin, Marv Wolfman and Peter Tomasi on Nightwing, Adam Beechen on Batgirl, Grant Morrison on Batman and Paul Dini on Detective Comics.
Face the Face (2006) Batman #651-654, 'Tec #817-820 - James Robinson. The Bruce and Tim story that set up Tim's adoption.
Batman and Son (2006) Batman #655-658 - Grant Morrison. Damian's introduction to the family.
Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul (2008) - various. Ra's tries to kidnap Damian to steal his body. Bruce, Dick and Tim go to rescue him. Dick and Tim's subplot involves the highest point of their brotherhood as Dick talks Tim out of trying resurrect his lost dead.
Robin - Beechen. #156, the suicide prevention issue, for Tim and Dick. #163, Tim and Bruce on their first Father's Day. #165, Tim and Bruce working on a car together.
Robin - Nicieza. Steph's return as Spoiler. #177, where Jason thinks he can recruit Tim (and fails miserably).
Nightwing - Wolfman. You know what? #117-122, the 'Jason dresses as Nightwing and harasses Dick and turns into a tentacle monster' saga. Does everyone like to say it's out of character? Yes. Is it Jason being just as annoying as he will proceed to be all the way to 2011? Also yes. That's Jason's post-Crisis character.
Nightwing - Tomasi. Freefall, #140-146. This is just a beautiful encapsulation of Dick's many connections, of his teamwork with Bruce and Tim, and of what makes him tick.
Heart of Hush (2008) 'Tec #846-850 - Paul Dini. The premise is ridiculous, but it's about Bruce and Selina, and about Dick and Tim helping track down Hush.
Batgirl (2008) - Adam Beechen. Beechen after squiffing it with the Evil Cass saga, gets to undo the damage to Cass's character and return her to the family. I think it's a pretty successful job, despite Dick spending the entire book holding the idiot ball so someone can be unsupportive. Cass gets adopted. Tim and Barbara never lose their faith in her.
Battle for the Cowl: EVERYONE IS FREEFORM
Everyone will tell you this is all horribly out of character. They're wrong. Come for Fabian Nicieza doing hard work to actually set up characters in the places they need to be for Reborn.
Battle for the Cowl: the Network (2009) - Fabian Nicieza. Oracle and the Birds of Prey have returned to Gotham but for reasons they're not calling themselves the Birds of Prey, so it's the Network.
Oracle The Cure (2009) - Kevin VanHook. Early set up for Wendy Harris' future plot. Babs gets the mentoring itch again.
Azrael: Death's Dark Knight (2009) - Fabian Nicieza. A new Azrael for a splinter faction of the Order of St Dumas appears. Dick and Babs are immediately suspicious (and Dick has to be talked out of immediately kicking the Azrael's butt just on the SUSPICION it might be JPV).
Also the main event books happen and everyone yells at each other a lot about who should be Batman.
Batman Reborn: Bruce is missing, Dick is Batman, Tim is Red Robin, Damian is Robin, Jason is Red Hood, Barbara is Oracle, Steph is Batgirl, Cass is Black Bat
New titles! New writers! Things all over the place! People who like Jason are going to claim all of Jason's appearances are once again out of character, but Jason fans claim that about every time Jason breathes outside of UTRH, Lost Days and a small handful of very select stories after Flashpoint. I'm just saying, villain Jason is pretty consistently irritating between 2007 and 2011.
Red Robin #1-12 (2009) - Chris Yost. Not only Tim's new costume arc, but a great look at Tim's centrality as a character to the Batfam in the number of contacts he calls in at the end of the run.
Red Robin #17 & #25 (2010) - Fabian Nicieza. Tim and Cass working together as siblings and backing each other up.
Batman & Robin #20-22 (2011) - Peter Tomasi. I would strongly argue this is the best arc in B&R with the best characterisation.
Batman & Robin (2009) - Grant Morrison. Look, a lot of people like the foundation of Dick and Damian's relationship found here. Also Jason shows up to be a pain.
Streets of Gotham (2009) - Paul Dini. There's a bunch of good storylines in this anthology book, but #5-6 with Dick, Helena and Kirk Langstrom is one I particularly like.
Batman #703 (2010) - Fabian Nicieza. The best Dick, Damian and Tim team-up issue of Reborn.
Gates of Gotham (2011) - Scott Snyder. The masterpiece of Batfamily content. Dick, Tick, Damian and Cass all feature in this and all 6 possible relationships are shown in different parts.
Batgirl #3-5, #17 (2009) - Bryan Q. Miller. Damian and Steph team ups, plus a look into the tension in the Dick and Barbara relationship at the time.
Birds of Prey #10 (2011) - Gail Simone. Barbara discusses her new realignment of how she's working as Oracle and focusing on the Bats.
The Black Mirror (2010) 'Tec #871-881 - Scott Snyder. Some of the best writing of Dick as Batman during this period, and a look into his relationships with Jim Gordon, Barbara, and Tim particularly.
The Return Home (2010) - various. Bruce comes back to Gotham after his 'death' and checks in on everyone.
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ashes-in-a-jar · 1 year ago
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After 3 months of trials and tribulations, in honor of the new year, I finally received my tma kickstarter t-shirt in the mail today
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eirenical · 1 year ago
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twenty questions for fic writers
Was tagged by @elenothar, @kholran, AND @fixaidea to do this meme, so I guess I should do this meme? XD
Where possible when linking fic, I've linked to my tumblr post and not the fic itself, so if you'd like to read the tags/further notes before jumping into the fic, you can. Also because all my fic are locked to users-only on AO3 these days because of AI nonsense. :P
Tagging: @laireshi, @enechelon, @difeisheng, @lizardrosen, @slangerogkatter, @kalypartemis, @dreamer-wisher-liar, @humanlighthouse, @shaish and as always, anyone who sees this and wants to do it. No obligations to participate, just an invitation to join in the fun. ^_^
How many works do you have on AO3?
171 works. And I have some from ff.net that I still haven't migrated over yet.
2. What's your total AO3 word count?
1,415,465
...holy fuck, you guys. O_O
3. What fandoms do you write for?
*sobs in 'i've barely written anything this year'*
Actively (and I use the word loosely) I write for Mysterious Lotus Casebook, DMBJ, Granting You a Dreamlike Life, Guardian, and I'm dabbling around in South Wind Knows at the moment.
The rest of my responses behind a cut. ^_^
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
The Center Cannot Hold… But It Can Change (Rise of the Guardians (2012)) (3,649 words)
beyond the end of the story (镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)) (5,988 words) -- this story has a lovely podfic by @flamingwell, too, that I would heartily recommend.
Legacies Lost (陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)) (41,962 words)
When Is a Curse Not a Curse? When It Becomes a Gift. (盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV)) (16,289 words) -- this story also has an incredible podfic, this time by @thelaithlyworm.
All of the Above and Much More Besides (Les Misérables - All Media Types) (12,007 words)
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I used to respond to every single comment. Then I had a bad exchange where I just did NOT get to respond to comments because my life kind of... exploded. And then I felt so guilty for not responding to those amazing comments, that it built a giant wall of awful for me in front of "responding to comments." So now I really, really do my best, but sometimes I just can't. And it bothers me kind of a lot. *sigh*
6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I think that honor goes to I Have Come To Sleep With You (warning: MCD) -- a fic that should have been a Barricade Day fic but somehow wasn't... which probably explains why it's the fic with the angstiest ending XD
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Four blocks from the barricade, Feuilly finally stopped his headlong flight, arrested by a shortness of breath from a wound left behind by a bullet that had had his own name written upon it… and by a query so softly voiced that he almost believed he had imagined it until he heard it again.
"You are bleeding." A short pause. "I believe you are wounded, my friend." Another pause. A wet laugh. "You and I are a matched set, I fear. Come. Sit with me, awhile. Rest. You are always racing about. A force not to be--" A harsh cough. "--stopped. It is why Enjolras admires you so."
I think most of my fic have happy endings? It's rare that I truly leave one sad. And I'm not sure how to judge which one is the happiest.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Thank goodness, no. Not usually. Though I have gotten a few insensitive comments or comments that made me uncomfortable before.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
^________^
Boy, do I. ;D
Of my 171 fic posted on AO3, 44 of them are rated M or E. And I'm not sure how to discuss what kind, but it's mostly M/M and a not insignificant number of them are tagged noncon and dead dove, so, that probably means something. ^_~
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
I have written both crossovers and fusions. But if we're going with the classic definition of crossover (as in a story where characters from both canons interact), then probably my "craziest" one would be this one:
Five Times That Berger Saw Him, which is a Hair - MacDermot/Rado/Ragni x Eloise at the Plaza (Movies) crossover that grew out of the fact that Gavin Creel played both Claude in the 2009 Broadway Revival of Hair and Bill in the Eloise movies.
Major Character Death, Homelessness, Mistaken Identity, Romance, Grief
The first time Berger saw him it was Spring, and he was certain that he was having a flashback.
Only because tonally the canons are VERY different.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
To the best of my knowledge, no?
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Yes! A few of my Hair fic were translated, and I think one or two others, but I'm blanking on which.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Twice, both of which are unfinished and one of which was not published. One was from way back in my Sailor Moon days in college and was written with one of my college roommates. It's still up on my website, if you go look. ;D The other is a Guardian fic that I was co-writing with @elenothar, but we've both kind of wandered out of Guardian fandom for now. I have hopes that someday we'll come back to it because I really like the idea, still, but only time will tell. ^_^
14. What's your all-time favorite ship?
I honestly don't think I could pick a favorite. O_o;;; Especially as almost every single ship I've loved has been one I've eventually grown tired of. My current favorite is definitely Di Feisheng/Li Lianhua, but I don't think I have an all-time favorite.
15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?
...................TNTC. But I never say never on a WiP, so who knows? ^_^
16. What are your writing strengths?
I've been told that I'm good at getting character voices down in narratives? Like, that when I write a character it sounds like them? I hope that's true. ^_^
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
Action/fight scenes. OTZ I've been working at them, but they're still hard for me.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
It was ALL THE RAGE in anime fandom when I came up through it like... 25 years ago. Fanon Japanese was EVERYWHERE. And then it became very cringe to do that. Now... I don't know. There are some words/concepts that REALLY don't translate without a full author's note. And there are modes of address that don't translate and thus I prefer to see in their original language. But full dialogue in another language without a translation available can be an accessibility issue? So if you're going to do it, I think a translation should be provided somewhere, like in hover notes or a glossary or a parenthetical or something? IDK. I still don't really have a clear opinion on it, tbh.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
The first fandom I wrote for that I KNEW I was writing for was Sailor Moon. But I was making up stories for characters in shows I loved (and often acting them out, either alone or with friends) since I was VERY young. If that counts, then it was probably Smurfs? XD
20. Favorite fic you've written?
I was going to say I don't know, but I just realized I DO know.
It's Composite Events, hands down. ^_^
It's almost 60,000 words worth of DMBJ x Dollhouse fusion fic and to this day is one of the only fic that I had mostly outlined before I wrote it, even though I VASTLY underestimated how many words it would take to write. XD Please heed the tags on that one if you're going to go down that road, though. It's fairly dark and consent issues are a running thread throughout.
Once upon a time, Wu Xie fell in love with a man who wasn’t real. The man who wasn’t real loved Wu Xie in return, and in so doing, became just as real as he was. But being real comes with dangers of its own, and those dangers could destroy everything they both hold dear.
Special mentions go to:
Muet, Les Miserables, modern AU -- this is definitely another 'heed the tags' situation... for pretty much the same reasons. XD
In a world where the government controls even thoughts, free speech is a luxury few can afford. Les Amis de l'ABC believe it should not be a luxury so much as a right, and those in power will do whatever they must – will destroy whoever they must – to silence them for good. When Enjolras is the one to fall prey to their machinations, Les Amis are left reeling and without a leader. R couldn’t care less about that. He just wants his partner back.
Legacies Lost, The Untamed, canon divergence AU
Sixteen years ago, the Yiling Patriarch died, a victim to his own hubris and the Yin Tiger Seal. Hundreds of cultivators from many different sects died with him that day, their souls forever doomed to find no rest, even in death. On this, the 16th anniversary of the battle of Qiongqi Pass, Jin Ling is determined to make pilgrimage, to try to put the spirit of his long-lost father to rest. He finds much more than he bargained for, and what he finds… will change everything.
Lightning in a Bottle, Mysterious Lotus Casebook, pre-canon
You’re 15 years old and you hear his name for the first time. He defeated the demon of the Blood Realm, they say. A prodigy. The fastest sword in the jianghu. The promise of your generation fulfilled. A hero.You have no use for heroes.
When Is a Curse Not a Curse? When It Becomes a Gift.; The Lost Tomb Reboot, post-canon
...and I'm sure I'll think of a million others that I should have mentioned, too, as soon as I post this. OTZ
It started, for once, with Wu Xie being just a hair faster to react than anyone else.Wu Xie had seen Xiaoge across the room, eyes wide, breath catching, pulling his fingers from the delicate door mechanism they’d been exploring, gathering himself to run, to intercede, to take on the consequences of Wu Xie’s actions, like he always did…  Maybe it was the lingering effects of the golden water.  Maybe it was pure dumb luck.  Whatever it was, Wu Xie beat Xiaoge to it, blocking everyone else from the puff of some ancient dust trap which then hit him full in the face.Dimly, somewhere beyond his struggling lungs, Wu Xie could hear people calling his name, voices raised in desperation and fear.
Wu Xie has often wondered what goes on in the mind of their Menyouping.  Thanks to an accident in a tomb, he’s about to find out… and get a lot more than he bargained for.
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spearxwind · 1 year ago
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I think it's sad that most people always think of bottlenoses as the "classic dolphin" since its the one that's always used for shows, and always think of dolphins as just straight grey when in reality there's so many varieties with so many different amazing patterns
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Look at the common dolphin! They have a gorgeous X pattern and even some dull yellow/gold!!
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Hourglass dolphins have gorgeous white streaks
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Spinner dolphins have really pretty banding as well, AND they have a really sleek cute silhouette!
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The atlantic spotted dolphin!!! Theyre spotted!!!!!!
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and the pantropical spotted too!!
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Dusky dolphins have a gorgeous airbrush look going on like straight out of a 2000s fantasy illustration
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Striped dolphins sure have stripes!! How cool!!
And these I've shown you aren't even all of them at all, there are so many of them:
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There's so so so many different types of dolphins people dont know about this isnt even all of them and some are SO gorgeous and underrated because people just dont know they exist so I'm here to fix that
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remxedmoon · 5 months ago
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this was. supposed to be a warmup. i don’t know what happened. help.
(greyscale version + sketch below!!)
this drawing spiralled WILDLY out of control but i think it turned out sick so :3. also!!! i figured out a way to prevent tumblr from crunching up my art!!! tumblr won’t compress images if they have any amount of transparency in them, so i added two very thin (like. 1 pixel wide) lines of transparency on the top and bottom of these pics. they’re basically unnoticeable and they keep my image quality nice and hd!!! yipeee!!!!
anyways!! don’t mind how janky the sketch is. it sure is Something.
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acrobattack · 7 months ago
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small addition to my dad swap AU based off that one movie clip of the girls getting their names for the first time
lots of panels were traced directly from frames of the clip itself (and obviously, the final pic is drawn over this classic piece of official art) because I was probably never going to finish this otherwise
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unproduciblesmackdown · 2 years ago
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Lackadaisy Enrichment
#in our enclosures!!#video linked as source; which i'm glad to see already has a million views and is trending. That's Right#lackadaisy#WHICH i have been reading since at least '07 when i was thirteen my god b/c this animation is based on the ongoing webcomic#like does its influence show up Directly in some Discrete way i can point to in my art? not very easily probably. And Yet.#the inspiration....i wasn't able to be Regularly Only for at least another year / art done Nonprofessionally Online was novel to me#like wow ppl can make & post fanart of w/e they love huh....didn't know webcomics were a thing & i never really read that many since but.#good god the quality of Lackadaisy at its onset is like this is superb?? this person putting in all their talent and effort???#and Then you get years & years more art and i don't even know what superlatives to throw out abt its quality as it evolves. obsessed w/it..#if i see a new lackadaisy comic page i Will be acting out. obviously this animation is a delight & also stunning. and fascinating to also#juxtapose as a Translation / Interpretation of the comic in a different medium & standalone snippet of Story#and that we're not even quite there in the comic timeline; Taking Notes abt character info we get distilledly here....genuinely love like#take it back to '07 i'm like oh boy can't wait for the dream team to assemble. then a decade later when it did? Oh Boy. that is payoff lol#namely hooray for stitches and mudbug at the field office for every passing gangster. killing one marigold associate but not the other#which seems like a promising start to shootouts w/the other dream team triumvirate. i adore that in canon so far mordecai freckle & rocky#have met but only over a nice brunch. re: all intentions anyways. anyways i'm like Gifs Must Be Made while i'm also so riled afresh abt the#comic that i've been sooo hype for for over fifteen yrs now babeyyy Deservedly. i've done a couple of rereads & ought to do another....#For Interest it'd probably take a few sittings to catch up from the start but there is much to be engaged over....this ongoing story that's#historical fiction prohibition bootlegging cats with plenty of focus on characters & several Mysteries. which i'm better at parsing now lol#like one of the more recent rereads like Oh Of Course x (probably) accidentally killed his y & z took the fall & that's a binding secret...#Not [oh of course] abt the circumstances surrounding a's death & how b & c were involved. nor the ''what's marigold's damage'' mystery#which is great. love to not know things. love that we can readily follow all the emergent drama everyone's wading in nowadays. hell yeah#anyways admire my organized approach to gifs here. four shots each Expressions Atmosphere Action Groupshots#sure might've muddled through gifmaking for this anyways but fr being a huge lackadaisy comic enjoyer for now most of my life helps#and its very Overall Inspiration like. just really getting the [you can really just draw stuff out here] going. fr the art's detail & skill#and that enrichment like i'm gonna have a great time following this. And I Have#you don't expect a crowdfunded indie animation in the mix back then but hell yeah fellas#SIGH ok removing a 4th gif that's broken / not displayed despite reuploading then entirely remaking it. if it's a bug i'll try again later
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virtualdespairr · 1 year ago
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if go3 doesn’t end w/ the husbands finally honeymooning at alpha centuri and they drive past bee and gabriel sippin on celestial cocktails i might actually go insane
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impsandstars · 2 months ago
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What’s in a name?
I have compiled a screenshot of all of Blitz’s name credits at the end of every episode he’s in.
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There is a change at the end of season 1 episode 8 (Queen Bee) where we get a single line through the O in his name. In this episode we get Blitz dealing with the aftermath of seeing Fizzarolli for the first time in 15 years.
Seeing Fizz after that many years has probably brought up quite a bit of emotional pain (his response upon seeing him at Ozzie's was to hide behind his menu and say "not him") for Blitz who we know cares very deeply for Fizz. At no point during Fizz's public humiliation of him during the episode Ozzie's does Blitz react or say anything in retaliation. He doesn't fight back. He still cares what Fizz thinks about him and having his once best friend treat him like that must have been quite a punch to the heart. Blitz accepts it all as it reinforces his own narrative that he is not deserving of the love of the people whose lives he ruined. All the emotional turmoil comes to a head at the end of episode 8 when he remarks how Fizz was right and he is going to die alone, coming to the conclusion that he and Fizz will never reconcile their relationship because Blitz believes he cannot be forgiven; that the damage he caused was unforgivable.
The second change is at the end of season 2 episode 5 (Unhappy Campers) where we get a second line through the O in his name. In this episode we get to see Blitz interact with his sister Barbie for the first time in presumably a while.
The relationship between Blitz and Barbie pre-fire is not really shown a lot in cannon (yet?). We know they did some sort of solo show together so presumably they were close siblings. Blitz cares enough about her to look in on her at rehab so we know, at least from his point of view, that Barbie is still an important person in his life. In this episode we get to see that relationship from Barbie's perspective. She clearly feels a lot of animosity toward Blitz ("haven't you ruined my life enough?"). She didn't let him know she had left rehab or that she had gotten a job and is apparently doing okay for herself. Blitz is no longer a part of her life. Blitz's reaction to seeing her in this episode is so sincere and very vulnerable for him. The desperation in his voice when he tried to get her to meet up with him to talk and she threw it back in his face? Ouch. Her comments about him ruining her life and her wanting him to stop trying? Double ouch. Much like with Fizz, Blitz is left with the understanding that forgiveness from her is something that he will never get as the damage has been done
The name Blitzo is a representation of his past (notice how the only people he doesn't correct about how to say his name are Barbie and Fizz). It is from a time when he had the love and connection of those in his family. After these two episodes it's almost as if that was the final reminder to Blitz that he longer has either of them. That that version of himself is gone.
By crossing out the O to change his name to just "Blitz" in the credits it's as if to say he has closed that chapter from his past. It shows that he feels, after these interactions, that it is no longer possible to be that person from his past, to be the person that was loved and cared for by Fizz and Barbie. He is no longer worthy of having that name and everything good that is associated with it because it's his fault he lost them.
Although, with the change of his name, it could potentially be a fresh start. A chance for him to build a new version of himself. A person worthy of the two most important people in his life and by extension the other people in his life he cares about too. ("I don't want to be this way, not forever").
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starflungwaddledee · 1 year ago
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some rather strong first impressions were made.
required reading for the magical "voice" headcanon and another for starstruck's signature in particular. asked by @trainerbob23 !
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tomwambsgays · 11 months ago
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it's never too late to confess to your crush that you're crazy for him (unless he's about to die in like 5 minutes, you should hurry the fuck up)
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danny-chase · 2 years ago
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I feel like people understand that Dick changed while Jason was gone, but where it goes wrong half the time is people assume that Dick "growing up" meant that Dick was irresponsible around the time he and Jason interacted/was mean and unable to conceal his jealousy well, which he then evolved from due to Jason's death and was able to build a loving big brother relationship with Tim and Damian and fix his relationship with Bruce.
Meanwhile canon is like:
>Be me, Dick Grayson, esteemed and respected leader of the Teen Titans
> Your younger brother dies
> Fire the youngest member of the Titans because it happened because you had a crisis of responsibility about child vigilantism
> Get punched by your not-official dad
> Help mentor new younger brother because you can't stop him and Bruce from the path they're on, and like hell is another kid going to die
> Kid dies. Not that one. The ex-member of the Titans died disobeying your orders and saving the world in a heroic sacrifice you didn't want him to make, this is exactly what you tried to avoid
> So did two of your friends and one of their moms
> Failed marriage, and a whole lot of relationship stuff you don't want to talk about
> Dad didn't ask you to surpass him in the roll he trained you for since you were 8, gives it to a guy who goes of the rails and starts trying to kill ppl
> Dad asks you to take the roll because he literally has 0 other options and wants to take a vacation
> Bond with younger brother II more, will kill everyone in this room and yourself if anything happens to him
> Move to a new awful city that's often compared to hell
> Having nothing to lose makes it kind of nice here
> Younger brother II gets killed by the same guy who killed younger brother I
> Kill the guy
> Younger brother II wasn't actually dead
> Dad used CPR, so neither is the guy who killed them
> Angst over not being a good enough person not to kill your brother's murderer
> Things start to become okay again
> Best friend dies
> Get shot in the shoulder and fired from your job
> Childhood home gets burned down, 20+ people die
> Apartment building blows up, 22 of your friends and acquaintances die
> Find out it's because someone was specifically targeting you
> Person dies for talking to you
> Choose to step aside and let the guy targetting you die
> Run home because dad needs help
> Get shot in the leg, while passed out another kid hero dies
> Quit being a hero
> Join the mob
> Things start to get better
> Help dad out with some case about this guy named the Red Hood
> City gets nuked because you live there
> Get radiation burns and pass out while saving people, content that you died doing something good
> Dad saved you
> You're still alive :/
> Propose to your ex-girlfriend (not the one from the last marriage)
> Crisis event happens, take a laser beam meant for your father
> Coma for 3 weeks
> She says no (for good reasons)
> You're still alive :/
~and around here is where Dick finds out Jason's alive~
Anyways Dick was not more well adjusted by the time Jason came back from the dead, his life was a constant series of L's, and he got worse 😎
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crybaby-bkg · 7 months ago
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“I thought I was supposed to be the old person in this relationship,” Toji’s voice rings out in the previously quiet atmosphere, makes your head whip up in surprise. your concentration is broken from your prior engagement, hands slowing as you can’t help the smile that grows on your face at his teasing.
“Crocheting is for any and all ages,” you snark back at him, taking in how he watches the way your hands still move rhythmically—yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through the last two, chain four, repeat. “You weren’t talking shit when I made you that sweater for your birthday.”
“Yeah I did, cause it itched like all hell.” He teases, makes you stick your tongue out at him playfully. he wore that sweater everywhere, to the point you damn near had to rip it off of him to put it in the wash. (the only times he didn’t wear it was when he knew he’d get it dirty while doing his…business ventures, which you didn’t mind. you’d rather he go a day without wearing it than googling how to wash blood out of a crocheted sweater that took you weeks to make.)
by the time you snap back to reality, Toji has already crossed the room, standing in front of where you sit cross legged in the comfy recliner he brought just for when you crocheted. it takes you aback by how quickly he moved, so silently, face suddenly warm as you look up at him from under your lashes. his eyes are dark, shadowed by his fringe, his hands in his pockets, his head cocked to the side. he looks devious.
“What are you cooking up in that pretty little head of yours?” you ask him, finally pausing your hands as you rest them in your lap. but Toji doesn’t let you, no. instead, he holds them back up in front of your face as he sinks to his knees in front of you, his smile wide and evil, pulling your legs from under you as he settles them on his shoulders.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” he croons to you, kissing the inner part of your knee, eyes still glued to your burning face. “Just keep doing your little old lady hobby while I busy myself.” without warning, he pulls your sleep shorts to the side, grinning when he’s met with the bare beauty that is your pussy. you shudder at the air that breezes past you, try to focus on chaining when he squeezes at your thighs with warm, veiny hands.
“But I can’t focus on counting my stitches when your face is between my legs.” you pout to him, hoping it’ll sway him to eat you out and then let you continue your project. but he doesn’t put his mouth on you until you start again, rewards you with a single wet, smacking kiss where you need it most.
“Guess you’re gonna have to learn how to multitask, sweetheart.” Toji grins before he licks a long stripe from taint to clit, your hands hiccuping in their movements. you can feel his smile more than see it, and come to the realization that he’s an evil, evil man. (you have to recount your stitches more than once, and even after you’re fucked out from euphoria and bliss, you still think you’re missing a few.)
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rubyroboticalt · 10 months ago
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gem said "stop drawing me cottagecore" and i said yes ma'am right away ma'am. 22.02.2024
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rockethorse · 3 months ago
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The basegame wedding dress has a pregnancy morph??
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#I can never be positive if something in my game is like. a third-party launcher addition#but this is so funny and I had such a strong hunch#because rushing to have your Sim get married before they give birth is such a thing so many players would do!!#and it would be so funny to pay attention to that detail by having the wedding dress show the bump!!!!#all your sim's wedding photos very obviously giving away the reason for the rushed date HAHA#the dress with the pendant at the back that everyone default replaces off (the one with the knife texture) also has a preg morph#which I know because it's the one your Sims get forced into if they attend a wedding#but it's kind of unusual because pregnant Sims don't have the opportunity to change into formal wear?#like pregnant Sims get new undies pyjamas and swimwear in addition to their maternity outfit#and if you direct a pregnant Sim to change into one of them then it changes them into the appropriate maternity fit instead of their usual#but you can't direct them to change into formal and if you use a hacked option like the shop any-wear rack it uses their usual non morph fi#so it has to be something external like a wedding that triggers them to change into formal. and I have no idea why#does this mean there's a BG suit with a preg morph for men??#or did maxis not think that pregnant male Sims would be quite so desperate to get married#anyway I'm probably the last person to know about this LMAO and I'm sure no one cares bc everyone uses wear-anything mods#but I'm a scrub who still prefers to use the default maternity meshes so this is yuge to me#also if you've never seen this dress b4: in the early game all Sims getting married under an arch used to be forced into the same outfits#actually I can't remember if the men got forced into the same suit or if they just used their regular formal#because most BG formal outfits for men were mostly wedding-appropriate#but at any rate. all women wore the same wedding dress. and it was this .... beauty#and I don't remember with which EP it changed but probably pretty early on they just let Sims use their regular formal wear for weddings#so you could pick their wedding dress yourself#but this dress remained hidden by default (I think?) so ironically it meant you COULDN'T use the wedding dress even if you wanted to#also this is completely off topic but you would also go away for your honeymoon#which meant the Sims getting married would literally get driven away in a limousine and stay off-world for a while#it was kind of cute because it really was like they took a vacation from the player too. got up to their own mischief away from your contro#then with bon voyage they introduced ACTUAL vacations and they turned honeymoons into an actual game mechanic#but again these offworld honeymoons are no longer a possibility#kind of like teens 'going out' with permission got replaced by going out on actual outings/dates even though it was a cute event#wow this note section is long and irrelevant. anyway enjoy picking up your wedding dress from a store called 'It's Not Too Late'
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anbaisai · 2 months ago
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Seeing that Mayu also likes origami
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NOT THE PUMPKIN ORIGAMI HELP- Jamil is being tormented nonstop for the one time he does something weird and it was (unfortunately) captured in 4K 😭😭
I didn't know Astrid liked origami too omg that's so cute ❤️ I love the idea of them just chilling and quietly making stuff together at the same desk, it's always fun getting to do arts & crafts activities with someone ww ⬇
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Also the penguin??? I swear to god I have never mentioned this on my blog (I even searched the word on my blog to double check) but some of my friends call me "penguin-coded" and I never understood why, but you're telling me even Mayu-chan gives penguin vibes? 😭😭 This can't be a coincidence I need answers- is it the black and white palette or what hELP-
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