#INFINITELY CHARMING COMIC

[moe-broey]

Actually I have a deep need to repost this entire FEH comic right fucking now

[spookberry]

The new MH Pride comics are SO cute, I especially love how they reference Toralei's original diary with Teala making her first visual appearance. And how Animated Spelldon and Kieran feel!!

[thenixkat]

Countdown to Infinite Crisis: Ted could never compete with Dick for Barbra's affection

Birds of Prey: Ted and Barb were totally sexting, man was all up in those DMs. He was spending the night, she was laughing at his jokes. He turned her down and wanted to be just friends.

Robin 1996: Not only that, Ted charmed and scored a date with Dick's civilian love interest too

Me @ Countdown: Why you out here lying on my guy?

[bats-and-the-birds]

There is a sort of trope that I've noticed in DC media where Batman is infinitely stranger from anyone else's perspective than his own. In his own comics and movies and such his motives are explained to you, you have his inner monologue, but the moment you put him in someone else's story, you're met with a general vibe of 'what the fuck is wrong with that man? is that a man? might be a demon.'

And this 100% extends to the batkids.

Dick? The man has no bones. From an outside perspective, he leaps before he looks, grinning and laughing as be backflips off buildings with seemingly no plan, only to catch himself with a grapple at the last minute. He's charming and warm until he can't be, and then he's terrifying, with a glare and temper that rivals the Bat's.

Jason? He has deadly aim and a steady hand. He's hulking and strong, but he's also silent. He still moves like a bat, like he was taught to in his Robin days, despite the fact that he's taller and broader than Bruce now. The Red Hood could appear out of the shadows behind you, no matter how safe you are, and you wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.

Tim? He's smart. They're all smart, but he's smart smart. And his ethics and intelligence don't always mesh. He could tear down any security system with frightening efficiency, then rebuild it better. Logically, he's always five steps ahead.

Damian? He's the most obviously terrifying. He's small, and angry, and he has a sword that he knows how to use with frightening efficiency. He's as viscous as his father can be, but with a temper that more unchecked. He learned how to kill before he learned how to protect.

Duke, Cass, and Steph also fall under this, but I don't know enough about them to make accurate judgements.

Anyway, what I'm saying is the rogues and the Justice League alike fear the Bats, and for good reason.

[formylovetodaryldixon]

"His only one." Daryl Dixon Imagine.

You are his only one, Daryl told you that the day you got married, that's why you don't mind the neighbors' blatant flirting with your husband, but the third time's the charm, and at that moment, you make clear to that woman that his ass belongs to you (literally)

A/N: Someone here asks for someone to write about Daryl and the flirty neighbors making him feel uncomfortable haha ​​so this is my failed attempt, although it made me smile a little so I hope you like it at least a little, too. Thanks!

The first time it happens, you let it go.

It's not that you don’t care, but you know that a relationship is built on trust, and if there is one person you trust even after someone had put a blindfold on you, that’s Daryl. Daryl was quiet most of the time, but his personality was actually very funny after you saw who he really was when you two were alone, when you saw his true self behind his crossbow and the way he used to push others away for fear of getting too attached. But when Daryl became open about showing his own vulnerabilities, only with you, it was so easy to fall for him, plus, the love and shyness in his gaze every time he saw you coming was sweet—a love only reserved for you.

After Daryl let you in, you realized he had a lot to offer as a person with a good and brave heart, so willing to protect others even if it put his own life at risk. Daryl was always a good company: he spoke little but paid attention, remembering even the smallest detail that you swore was unimportant, just because to him, everything related to you was important. But when he asked you to marry him along the way, that was a big surprise. However, you found a shelter in his arms, a real home with him: and maybe because his gaze always made you trust that there would be no one else, you never doubted him even after you saw how the neighbors turned to look at him. Maybe it was also because everyone was focused on his exterior, on that almost pornographic image that Daryl was, (with his broad shoulders, his arms in that sassy sleeveless shirt, and that face that seemed carved by God when HE was in a VERY good mood) but no one paid attention beyond the obvious, so you never felt threatened.

Now, slowly, like a pretty moving photograph, the sun starts to hide away in the infinite horizon, painting the calm sky of that new world with beautiful shades of orange. The end of the day is quiet on your home, with your husband sitting on the porch steps, carving an arrow because several are never enough, Carol on the wooden floor close to you while she solves another crossword puzzle, and you, rocking lazily in the rocking chair, eyes and mind on the book you managed to find in the last search for supplies.

A comfortable silence abounds in the air, until Miss Ellie walks by on her way to her own home.

"Hi, neighbor." She practically purrs, with a bright smile and the way the corner of her lip curls like a kitten's.

Like meerkats when danger is latent, the three of you raise your heads (almost in a comical way) to see her walking away, watching her lowering the hand with which she had just greeted Daryl, and only Daryl: although his first reaction is to look in your direction, like he’s asking for help to understand what the hell was that. You know Daryl has a tough exterior, but his personality, when it came to accepting flirtations, almost reached the point of stuttering.

“Wait a sec, weren't there three of us here?” Carol asks, frowning playfully.

“Yeah… did we suddenly become Casper the damn Friendly Ghost or what?” You chuckle, turning your attention back to the book. “Not to state the obvious, but I think the neighbor has a crush on you, love.”

Carol chuckles too, but your disinterest in the matter and his best friend's mockery makes Daryl frown even harder.

“Whatcha waitin' for, woman? Go over there an' defend yer husband’s honor.” He says with a swing of his hand.

Carol shrugs, agreeing with him.

“Well, she just looked at Daryl like he was a piece of meat, (Y/N).”

You nod, but you don’t even bother to look up.

“I know. But going there would only prove Daryl has some interest in her, and since I know he doesn’t, I don’t see why I should bother.”

Daryl scoffs, but he knows you are absolutely right, so he returns his attention back to the arrow.

“I see yer not even the slightest bit afraid of losin’ me, woman.”

Carol chuckles at your silence.

"Yeah, (Y/N), I mean, Daryl's such a great catch, especially with his gruff personality."

You chuckle.

“I know. I know the neighbors have been staring at him ever since we arrived in the community, but I don't blame them because, look at him..." From top to bottom, you point at him with one hand, still paying attention to the words in the book. "Daryl is like walking porn."

Carol laughs, longer this time, but your unfiltered words make Daryl blush under the sunset as he keeps his eyes down, still carving the same arrow.

The second time it happens, you are a little far to say something.

At the end of the day, you arrive last to the community meeting after your rotating job at the infirmary, taking your place against the concrete wall in Deanna’s backyard. Alexandria’s head keeps talking, directing people and you pay attention for a moment, until your sight catches the image of Mary several steps away from you, who is probably one of the most striking neighbors, and the way her mischievous fingers try to touch the exposed skin of Daryl’s bare arm as she keeps trying to make a conversation with him, who looks like a kitten cornered in an alley by a pack of dogs, while giving her weird looks that she doesn't seem to notice.

The comparison makes you laugh, but you stifle the laughter with a gentle smile when some of the neighbors in front of you turn around. Waving back, they turn their attention to the front, and you keep your eyes ahead too even after you feel your husband’s presence next to you, after a very short while.

“What did I miss?”

Daryl shrugs.

“The same shit as always. How was work?”

“Quiet, just two people with a cold and a baby who came for his second vaccine.” You try to keep a calm expression as you speak your next words through a softer voice. “You are a grown ass man, Daryl Dixon, and yet you looked terrified of a small woman.”

Embarrassed, he grunts.

“Whatcha want me to do? Fight her? That’s yer job n' ya ain’t doin’ it.”

You chuckle.

“I don’t fight over a man, love, never did, never will.”

Daryl crosses his arms over his chest, eyes still ahead.

“I forgot ma wife is the most unbothered person in this damn world.”

You chuckle again.

“There are priorities even in this life, my dear husband, but if you want, next time we go on a supply run we can take her with us, and something mysterious can happen to her. We can make it look like an accident.”

You’re joking and Daryl knows it, so he chuckles, the corner of his lips curling adorably.

When the meeting is over and everyone returns to the safety of their homes, you and Daryl are one of the first to leave, walking side by side to your house that is almost on the other side of the community. The weather is warm during that season, and for the first time in a long time, the night doesn't grow deeper, darker or scarier. However, your gaze travels from the moon to your hand when you feel your husband's on yours.

You frown, making an amused expression.

"What are you doing?"

Daryl mimics the look on your face.

"What? I can't take ma wife's hand?"

He scoffs, making you shrug while looking ahead again, but you know that some neighbors are behind you two, with Mary between them since her house is close to yours.

You know why he's doing that like never before. Daryl is reserved with his married life, always keeping his displays of affection within four walls or while being alone with you, too shy and slightly awkward to let other people see how needy for your love he became sometimes.

"But… uh, ain’t yer job to mark yer territory or some shit like that? Like, make it clear to her that m’ yer husband?"

You frown playfully, looking back at him.

“I'm not a damn dog, Daryl. Or do you want me to pee on your leg?"

A little surprised, Daryl chuckles.

"Yer really not worried? Or slightly jealous?"

You shrug again.

“No. I mean, I trust you, but if you start bringing squirrels just for her, that’s when I will get worried. You are like those cute penguins who bring the most beautiful stone to the love of their life: believe me, the squirrels are your stones.”

Daryl chuckles again, letting go of your hand only to slide it over your shoulders and pull you into him, doing it because he wants to.

The third time it happens, you intervene.

A few minutes earlier, you walked out of your house to sit on the rocking chair with a sandwich on a plate, eager to continue with your book after a successful supply run. Daryl and Rick took the lead to leave the things found in the community warehouse, walking down the street towards your house about half an hour later. But too engrossed in old poems from the last century, you miss the way Daryl is intercepted by Ellie two houses away, until the voice of one of your family members catches your attention.

"Aren't you going to save your husband, (Y/N)?" Rick chuckles, standing near the porch steps. You follow his gaze, lingering on the way that every time the female neighbor tries to make a subtle step, Daryl takes one back. “Please, do, this went from being funny to being sad.”

You roll your eyes, leaving the book aside.

“Fine.”

“Wait... are you going to fight her?” With his gaze slightly more open, Rick stands there as you walk past him. “Because I've seen you take out walkers for less.”

“Goodnight, Rick.”

He chuckles, walking towards his own home.

Maybe it's your height, maybe it's the way your gaze turned serious, with a quiet but menacing personality when the occasion called for it, but there's something about you that makes the neighbor take a step back when you stop next to them, slapping your husband’s butt playfully but shamelessly, almost making him jump in place.

“Whatcha doing, buttercup?” You smile at him, with his surprised look on you, even after you turn your attention to Ellie. “Hi, neighbor, I didn’t see you there like you didn't notice me last week when you greeted my husband. Ellie, right?”

She nods, surprised by your calm outburst.

“Don’t be scared please, I’m not going to hurt you, although, I could, you know? But I just wanted to ask you nicely not to try to suck all the air out of my husband’s face because you make him uncomfortable, and he’s not going to do anything about it, but I will: trust me, I’ve killed people for less, so imagine what I’d do for his ass, which is mine, so… yep, I guess that’s it.” Keeping the cutest smile you can muster, you take Daryl’s hand to make him walk with you. “Say goodbye to the neighbor, sweetheart.”

As all words have left Daryl’s mind, he simply waves goodbye once. And he lets himself be guided in silence until you’re within the four walls of your home, but once the door lock has clicked and a second after you let go of his hand, he catches it again to pull you towards him, lifting you up in those strong arms of his until you have no choice but to tighten your legs around his waist.

Daryl is smiling, in the way he only does with you.

"Fuck, woman, I dunno if m’ scared of ya, impressed, or turned on."

You chuckle, holding his face in your hands.

"Your ass is mine, Dixon, why do you think I married you?"

He chuckles along with you, before pressing his lips to yours.

@fluffy-dixon

[r3starttt]

okay okay!! how about reader gets back late from patrol (so tlou au) and ellie was all worried and it’s super cute and fluffy?? (change it to your preferences if you like :)

THESE WALLS

PAIRING: Jackson! Ellie x reader

CW: fluff. outbreak|tlou universe. brief-non detailed mention of overwhelming thoughts such as fear of loosing loved ones and stress.

DON'T BUY TLOU | PALESTINE MP PALESTINE LINKS | DAILY CLICK

TAGLIST

The night lay thick with a stillness so profound that even the faintest sound seemed to echo with unsettling clarity. Ellie, trapped in the small sanctuary she had carefully curated, paced restlessly. Her gaze was perpetually drawn to the door, its unyielding silence a stark contrast to the usual rhythm of your return. Each passing moment stretched infinitely, laden with a tension that seemed to deepen with every tick of the clock.

The dim glow of a solitary lamp cast a soft, golden haze over the room. Walls adorned with wooden murals and comic book covers. Delicate strands of Christmas lights wove their way across the space, their faint twinkle casting a gentle, warm light. Yet, despite the serene ambiance, Ellie’s heart was a storm of unease.

She attempted to distract herself, but the mundane details of her surroundings blurred into an indistinguishable haze. Every action seemed to drift by in slow motion, her frustration mounting with each fruitless effort to quell her growing anxiety. She knew in her rational mind that the patrol was fraught with danger, but her deep-seated fear of losing those she loved clung stubbornly to her thoughts.

The creak of the door shattered the quiet, sending Ellie’s heart leaping to her throat. She dashed to the entrance, the door swinging open to reveal you, looking slightly disheveled but otherwise unharmed. Relief surged through her, though it was quickly overwhelmed by a tidal wave of emotions.

As you stepped into the room, the scene before you was both touching and a little comical. Ellie’s usual dorky charm had been replaced by a palpable anxiety. The carefully decorated room, filled with her beloved nerdy trinkets, faded into the background as your focus honed in on her distressed face.

“Hey, sorry,” you said, offering a weary smile. The concern in her eyes was evident, and you could tell she had been struggling.

“We ran into a few more infected than we expected. It took longer to clear them out,” you explained, trying to reassure her.

Ellie’s response was sharp, but it was laced with an undertone of deep-seated worry. “I was starting to think… I don’t know, shit had happened.” Her eyes, usually so full of mischief and laughter, were now wide and brimming with concern.

You stepped closer, the old floorboards creaking softly beneath your feet. Her fingers drummed impatiently against her thighs, her gaze darting over you in a frantic search for any signs of injury.

Ellie let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples as though trying to ward off a headache. “It’s not just about being late. It’s about you being safe.” Her voice faltered, and she turned away momentarily, struggling to regain her composure.

You reached for her hand, gently enveloping it in your own. “I’m here, Ellie. Safe and sound. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

Her eyes met yours once more, shimmering with a blend of relief and lingering anxiety. “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier—never mind,” she murmured, her words softening as the harsh edge gave way to a tender vulnerability. Her usual playful demeanor was momentarily eclipsed by her raw, heartfelt fear.

Drawing her into a tight embrace, you felt her tense muscles slowly unwind against you. “I’m here,” you whispered into her ear, your voice a soothing balm to her frayed nerves. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

You gently cupped her face in your hands, pressing a soft, loving kiss to her lips. When you finally pulled away, a small, contented smile graced her face, her eyes reflecting the warmth of your affection.

“Hey…” you murmured, leaning in closer. “How bad do I smell?” You playfully nuzzled against her, inhaling her comforting scent, the familiar fragrance and the fabric of her hoodie enveloping you in warmth.

Ellie chuckled, a soft hum escaping her as she considered your question. “Baby diapers," your quiet laughs mingling.

Your lips beushed over hers, one last tender kiss on her lips, savoring the moment. “I love you."

“I love you too,” you replied, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “And I’ll always come back to you.”

[anonymous-existences]

Reading your Hamilton-inspired DPxDC posts gave me a wild thought to the tunes of "The Schuyler Sisters":

Redeemed Vlad being the Regent for Danny, and it's Jazz, Danny and Ellie out in town (Dan is the Army General and on duty today). Jazz looking incredibly bored, Ellie the bratty little sister with the zoomies, and Danny, the one who doesn't even bother looking the least bit regal. Like, Jazz and Ellie both look like princesses, and Danny is their commoner cousin or something.

It's important to me that you know I picture Danny, in Infinite Realms high society, as a sort of barbarian prince that walked into the court, refused to leave, and got adopted by the elderly Advisor (Clockwork) who's ruled in the lost king's stead with a sharp gaze and balanced hand.

Young people love him, because he's just as likely to watch you brawl it out on the streets, as he is to take off the cape and breastplate, roll up his sleeves, and immediately come in swinging.

That's how they bond, and why most of the Ghosts that came through the Fenton Portal were so eager to throw hands.

And here's the scene that my mind is very visibly picturing:

Jazz and Ellie in a Library, Jazz looking for books for her thesis in the Living World and Ellie picking up more comics. Danny's outside enjoying the nice spring-like breeze, and then Johnny 13 leans against the wall to flirt with him (I headcanon Danny as, in his 20's-30's having A Thing with Johnny and Kitty).

Full on, leaning against the wall, smirk and thumb on the chin flirting, while Danny barely looks like he's paying attention, just rolling his eyes and snorting at something Johnny says to him.

Probably asks him if Kitty even knows he's here...and she's right across the street, watching her idiot absolutely fail to rizz up the other idiot.

Now this is just me building up extra scenes from the previous bit:

Johnny getting the kicked puppy look when Danny slips away from him to go chat up Kitty instead. Like, absolute disaster of a man, his bad girl vibes girlfriend, and the twink who's known them for too long to fall for his charms. Like, to Danny, Johnny is just a little pathetic, and while he might eventually take pity on the guy and flirt back, the game is seeing how much of a fool Johnny likes to make of himself to make him snort and laugh.

To the townsfolk, their soap opera is watching their Darling Prince and how, unlike the stuffy Castle Town manners and double-speak, him and his Badlands friends tend to be very...physically intense and direct in their affections and romantic pursuits. Don't expect to see him receiving any poems or expensive gifts in the mail. No, you're more likely to find him out in town, probably at a bar he SHOULDN'T be in, acting all friendly with the more rough-and-tumble types, taking the friendly insults and answering in kind with the best of them.

Maybe getting handsy with the biker couple, and coming back all ruffled and smiling.

And it sends every court lady all abuzz with gossip and scandalized whispering. Until "Uncle Vlad" proves that this is just how they do things where they come from, by initiating the most cursed and mildly toxic situationship with Spectra. No one can stand seeing these two together. At least the Princeling looks fondly annoyed by the constant flirting of Johnny and Kitty, compared to the sleazy smirking his Regent and his intended always have for each other. Very Cruella de Vil x Lex Luthor vibes, while Danny has Aristocats vibes, Johnny and Kitty both playing Thomas O'Malley in turn.

This is where we could throw in DC.

By which, I mean Tim's Young Justice team find an old tome with a green sticky note shaped like a cog on it. And then you have Bart, Zoomies Personified, Conner yes-and'ing his bad choices, Cassie leaning back to watch this, and Tim pinching his nose, saying fuck it, and joining his friends in summoning a possibly-demon, but damn if the depictions in the book look handsome as fuck.

Plus, you know, he's titled as The Benevolent and Beloved Prince of the Realms. Skating right past the Dethroner of Tyrants and Champion of the Badlands titles. Those sound pretty heroic, right?

Right?

What Danny do they get?

Shirt ripped open, attractively battle-damaged Danny with a glass of ale in hand after yet another friendly brawl?

Decadent beauty dressed for a day out in town?

Danny mid-makeout oth Kitty and/or Johnny?

Personally, I wanna say this is a Danny who looks like he's maybe 28-29, using one of Kitty's tips he stole and Johnny's coat, lounging in fuzzy pyjama pants, being summoned while stressing about what his Thing will be whe he takes the throne.

Every King before had A Thing they did. The first King was a farmer, his successor was a hunter. Pariah, before his madness set in, raised horses (maybe Fright Knight's current horse was raised by Pariah as a gift for his friend).

As Regent, Vlad doesn't need to have A Thing of his own, but the old man became an art connoisseur during his time ruling in Danny's name.

Danny has zero clue what he wants to do, and he should probably be asleep, but he's stressing.

He's been getting questions on what he likes to do, and the rest of his Court like to remind him that, while he's fought all of them, and won against most of them, they've also seen him grow, and saw his embarrassing years, so they're essentially like when your well-meaning grandma asks you if you've already figured out what you wanna study in university.

And now, just as he's about to start pulling his hair out, dressed in stolen boyfriend and girlfriend clothes and his fuzziest pants, these...children summon him.

Well, Danny's always been good at bullshitting his way through Situations. And someone throws out the idea of asking him for knowledge.

"About what?" asks Danny, stealing a pack of the lemon oreos Martian Manhunter keeps in Mount Justice for when it's his turn supervising the Junior team.

And that's how Jazz has to come rescue her brother from a summons he never came back from, and finds him lounging on a beach chair, breathing stars made of ice and snow into existence to teach actual teenagers about Space and physics.

But the time he floats over to her side, Danny has found his Thing. He wants to teach. He's going to be for other kids the kind of teacher he wished he'd always had, and what Mr. Lancer tried to be, for all that the man noticed things a little late.

Maybe he gets summoned more regularly for practice teaching Young Justice? They schedule the summons around Justice League schedules so they don't have to share their new mentor. Sure Martian Manhunter gets brought in in the secret because Danny keeps stealing his lemon oreos when he's there, but he enjoys watching the young man learn and grow more confident in his role as a teacher, so he's got his support.

And then the Justice League main team, while meeting with their children in Young Justice, all get booted into the middle of the Commercial District of Pariah's old Lair, which became Danny's after the succession was established. At which point they have to make nice with the locals and get their bearings.

Only, who comes out of a bar, launched into the ground outside?

Why, Danny, his shirt torn, sleeves rolled up past his elbows. His knuckles are a bit bruised, and his forearms are scratched up.

He's smiling, though, and taunting whatever opponent he's picked a fight with. And out comes Skulker in the newest iteration of his armor.

Now, from the stories Danny tells, Young Justice know their favorite teacher has an interesting past, involving a lot of fighting.

They just weren't ready to see Teach throw down with a man made of metal.

Danny turns to see his little ghostlings, his smile grows wider, sharp teeth on display, and tells them "Sit tight, kiddos. Wanna watch something fun? This is how we do it where I come from!"

Skulker is basically a weapons platform shaped like a man, but Danny has been fighting him bare-handed for years now. In three quick moves, the head pops clean off with a hiss of steam, lands in Danny's hand, and he fishes out Skulker-blob to congratulate him on a good fight.

If you wanna throw in Red Hood too, this is where "Helpless" would kick in, as Jazz comes in to scold Danny for ruining his outfit again. Nit for fighting, Jazz is just as ready to throw down as her siblings, but she always leaves her fights with a pristine outfit, somehow.

And Jason is staring hard.

That's one woman worthy of the title of Goddess, in his opinion, and he's just become a religious man.

Batman is...impressed that the kids managed to hide an entire extra-dimensional entity being summoned regularly and kept it from even him. He's a little uncomfortable with Danny's willingness to just fight for the sake of fighting and calling it bonding, but now that they've been brought to a sitting room in the castle, in a more private setting with Danny, his siblings, and his friends, he can see that they're all just Like That.

I have nothing to add to this other than, this is PERFECT!! EXQUISITE! BEAUTIFUL, ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS TO READ THROUGH. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND FUNNY AND EVERYTHING. ♥️♥️

I love the Johnny/Danny/Kitty because it's two idiots and one Bad Bitch.

[kakeashi]

of all dreams: you ─ songs of love & devotion. ⠀⠀⠀⠀pre-boyfriend!shisui, the laughter of promises.

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who loves to hear your voice. whether in the first rays of the day or in the last stars of the night, shisui was enchanted by your voice like a child is with the first snow. with sparkling eyes, attentively capturing all your pronunciation and all your intonations, shisui could only be amazed by you. with what nectar were you planted? with what tears were you watered? with what excellence were you harvested? your words seemed like a lake of serenity covered with water lilies so docile that they sheltered shisui in the creation of a new religion. each word of yours was blessed by the gods and all the stars made sure to guide your thoughts without any rush. and no matter what you said, no matter how you said it, the truth is that shisui would always fall asleep in your charm whenever he heard your sweet, gentle voice. ‘tell me that story about your teacher again and how she locked you out of the room. oh! don’t forget to tell me what you want for your birthday. and when you can come over for dinner!’

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who guarantees your safety in the strongest storms. when the wind roared loudly and voices scolded incessantly; when the rain attacked without mercy and memories lashed your ears; when the thunder mixed with lies and the storm on the street found its way to your heart, shisui was there for you. with his hands on your face, in your ears, in your own hands, shisui tried his best to calm you down. gifted with intense patience and cosmic calm, shisui silenced all the friction that left you defeated, managing to silence the screams in your mind with small improvised melodies and making the bright lightning the light that guided you. ‘i know, i know. look at me. you’re fine. breathe in… it’s okay, i’m here with you. exhale… i won’t let anything happen to you. just close your eyes and remember that you’re here in this moment. everything’s okay.’

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who invites you to watch the sunrise on the summer solstices. neither of you remember how this tradition started, but it hardly mattered. every year, almost at the end of june, shisui blushed slightly when he said goodbye to you with the promise to see you in a few hours. he didn’t know why his cheeks got hot, he also didn’t know why his heart was fluttering every time he heard your confirmation — but there was something in that custom of yours that made shisui shrink in an attempt to contain his happiness. although for many that day was something quite normal, shisui saw it as a refuge from the world. just you, him and the beginning of a new cycle, the beginning of a new promise of eternity. ‘i just arrived at the village and remembered what day it will be tomorrow and… do you want to go to the viewpoint? watch the sunrise? just me and you and all the hope that is yet to be born.’

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who gets confused when he feels your touch. he knew it was childish. he knew perfectly well that his reaction was only comical for onlookers and totally embarrassing for himself. but he couldn’t help it. every time you touched him, even if it wasn’t intentional, you managed to transmit a bit of your warmth to shisui, warming him up inside, comforting him with a small fire of your essence. star particles from your soul were trapped in shisui whenever you touched him, and in those particles shisui could hear chanting, prayers, infinite voices that repeated the same words in a cycle of eternal devotion. 'i’m yours. i’m waiting for you. i won’t move on without you. you and me.’

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who is constantly looking for a place just for you. we could say that shisui was looking for privacy. in such a small village, with so many people enjoying its beauty, it was rare to find a more isolated, unknown, forgotten place. in all the parks where shisui almost said the difficult words, there were traces of copied promises. in the various alleys that held your laughter, there was a wide variety of accumulated secrets. in every place, there was always something that turned your special moments into something extremely vulgar, as banal as a dog chasing its tail. that’s why shisui wanted a place just for you. a place that was devoid of memories and stories. a place that gave itself to you, ready to be welcomed into your complicity. ‘i discovered a new park nearby. it’s small, but it’s so cozy. it has a little greenhouse next to it and they let you go pick strawberries there. and a lake! it also has a little lake and i thought of you right away. do you want to go there with me tomorrow? just the two of us?’

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who feels safe in your smiles. it was funny the way shisui loved you and didn’t even realize it. in your smiles, shisui saw constellations, eternal promises of a cosmic devotion, dozens of fairy tales that used you and him as models for happiness. when you spoke, when you liked what you were saying or hearing, shisui could perfectly distinguish what made him fall in love with you: it was your easy smile, the little lines you created on your face because you couldn’t contain your joy. your natural beauty, blessed by all the stardust and drawn with the most divine features, was what held shisui captive — and it was what left him at peace. with you, with your happiness and kindness, shisui felt good, safe, knowing perfectly well that nothing in this world could take him away from you. ‘i think you have no idea of your impact on my life. you’re not only my closest friend, you’re also the only friendship i truly want to keep. i don’t mind losing everyone, but if i lose you… i wouldn’t be the man i am anymore.’

PRE-BOYFRIEND!SHISUI who doesn’t want to scare you, but he really likes you a lot. inhale… shisui had known you for more years than he could count and with each year shisui could name all the times he had fallen in love with you. exhale… shisui knew it was love almost immediately — it was a want, an attachment, a need that he had never felt before and that he knew perfectly well he would never feel again, not for anyone else. inhale… shisui had all your stories running in a cinematic marathon in his heart, highlighting every shared laugh and invoking every exchange of glances. exhale… shisui couldn’t tell if it was mutual, or if you already knew his feelings, but none of that mattered at that moment. shisui was now decided. shisui was going to confess to you. ‘i have something to tell you, but i want you to promise me one thing. please, listen to me until the end. i like you, a lot. i know we have a very strong friendship and that i’m probably ruining it right now, but i want you to know this. i like you. that’s it. please, don’t leave.’

[kefiteria]

Wrapped in Silk, Signed: Yours.

pairing: Jinu x Rumi (Kpop Demon Hunter 2025)

summary: COPE WITH ME EVERYONE 😭☝🏻Post-movie canon divergence: Jinu lives🗣️The demons are gone. The feelings, unfortunately, are not. On a rooftop where the wind won't mind its business, Rumi drinks tea. Jinu shows up with a wooden goose, a constellation that doesn’t exist, and the audacity to mean something. Somewhere between sabotage and sincerity, a very inconvenient tenderness lingers.

Gwi Ma had been sealed away for good — not destroyed, but exiled beyond the world, like a nightmare denied dawn. It had taken precision, recklessness, and two people who knew each other too well to miss. The plan had worked: her strike, his seal, a shared heartbeat where there should’ve been none.

The wind on the rooftop was not so much a breeze as it was a personality: intrusive, persistent, and vaguely sentient in its whims. It worried at Rumi’s hair like a cat pawing at curtains, always pushing strands into her line of sight as if to provoke her into blinking first. She didn’t. She sat with all the composure of someone who had once been mistaken for a myth — ankle over ankle, teacup perfectly cradled, the very portrait of a woman for whom nonsense had long since lost its novelty.

But nonsense had a name. And it was Jinu.

He had been there before her, of course. He was always — whether by habit, by mischief, or because time, in its infinite fatigue, seemed to bend slightly around his arrival, as though reluctant to delay him. Not only that, but he lounged now across a café stool not built for lounging, draped like a fallen prince who had kept the throne but misplaced the crown. A shadow grinning in the sunlight.

“You’re late.” he murmured, without once lifting his eyes — as though the clouds had tattled on her.

Rumi exhaled through her nose. “You’re dressed like a sock that lost its pair.”

“You wore makeup. For me?” Jinu smiled then, slowly, like a knife sliding from its sheath.

“I wore SPF. For my future.”

His laughter — light and laced with something dangerously unrepentant — skated across the rooftop and annoyed her only in theory. In truth, it settled too easily into the bones of silence they had built together. Silence, not like distance, but like shared aftermath. Old soldiers, the both of them, trying their best to wear civilian skins.

From the folds of his oversized coat, he produced something: not a weapon, but it felt like one. A bundle, swaddled in silk, dyed the precise hue of pre-dusk — that not-quite-blue where the day loses its pride. The cloth was embroidered with a constellation that hadn’t the courtesy to exist in any known sky.

Jinu placed it on the table with a theatrical reverence that managed to insult and charm her all at once.

“Peace offering?” she asked, sipping her tea.

“Tribute.” he corrected, with the kind of gravity usually reserved for confessions or courtship.

She unwrapped the bundle and found herself staring.

A wooden goose. Slightly misshapen, comically earnest. Its wings uneven, its gaze lopsided. And carved into its belly — not with elegance, but with anxious precision — was her name.

“Rumi.. ” she read aloud, eyebrows lifting like tides. “Is this meant to be a metaphor?”

“It’s an old thing…” he muttered, suddenly shy in that way he never let himself be. “We gave wood goose to women we… respected. As a kind of promise.”

“To not cheat?” Rumi asked, brows arching with slow, surgical precision. “Or to ward off your ghost in the shape of emotionally repressed poultry?”

“Excuse me— what kind of haunted-goose slander—?! No, it meant loyalty, okay? Like… staying true. Even if you're emotionally constipated and allergic to feelings. Historically speaking.” Jinu cleared his throat, a noise caught between indignation and panic.

Her scoff was habitual, but her fingers had already begun tracing the uneven grain of the wood, the way one might smooth over old wounds. Unthinking. Too careful.

“This wing is shorter than the other.”

“Art imitates the artist.”

She had a retort ready — dry and distance-restoring — when something sharp glinted in her peripheral vision. Not sunlight. Glass. Surveillance.

“Roof opposite. Lens.” she said, quietly, without moving.

Jinu followed her gaze. His expression, once vague and irreverent, sharpened — first into alertness, then something far more dangerous: delight.

“Dispatch…” he breathed, as if naming a beloved exasperation. “Our eternal curse.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

He rose anyway, slow and liquid, the way old gods must have risen from altars no longer worshipped. Theatrics came naturally to him — as did war. Even when it looked like play.

“But I must defend my lady’s honour.” he snarked, grave as moonlight.

“If you call me that again, I’ll drop-kick you.” But she didn’t move when he stepped closer.

He reached for her braid — that sable length woven from defiance and forgotten tenderness — coiling it once around his fingers, reverent as a monk handling relics. His head inclined, not in performance but in quiet disclosure, and he brought the braid to his lips.

The kiss was neither rushed nor hesitant, but precise, almost studied — the kind of gesture meant less for her and more for the watching world, as though he were demonstrating the anatomy of devotion.

Even the wind held its breath.

“They already think what they want…” he murmured.

“You’re going to start a rumour mill.”

“Let them churn.”

Perhaps it was the hour, or the skyline, or the echo of a battle they had both survived — but she blushed. The betrayal bloomed, quiet and unmistakable, across the tips of her ears. He saw it. Of course, he did. And he did not mock her for it.

That, somehow, made it worse.

In flagrant disregard for reason, he pivoted toward the hidden camera — met its unblinking gaze head-on, the way one might greet a rival across a dueling field. His smile unfurled: unrepentant, insufferable, the expression of a man unfamiliar with the weight of consequence. A wink followed, then a kiss tossed into the ether, and finally, a lazy flick of his wrist.

A spark arced cleanly through the air — surgical, unnatural — bridging the rooftops in a snap of light. The lens gave a brief, indignant sizzle before vanishing into a soft cough of smoke.

“Subtle.” Rumi observed, teacup still poised between her fingers.

“Effective.” he smirked, already lowering himself back into his seat with the unhurried grace of someone who'd just swatted a fly.

Jinu took another sip — hers, now indisputably his — and smacked his lips like a food critic with no credentials. “Still into this tea?”

“You remember things that matter?”

“Like how to be a menace. Like how to find you, even after the world ends.” He tilted his head, wearing that maddeningly soft expression that made her want to throw him off the roof and catch him halfway down.

The words dropped between them like a mic tossed into a velvet void. Her lips parted, a retort sharpening on her tongue — something sharp, possibly illegal — but it slipped somewhere between her pride and her cardiovascular system.

She averted her gaze, muttering, “You’re still annoying.”

“And yet,” he said, placing the cup down with delicate finality, “you let me steal your tea and emotional stability.”

The silence between them felt different this time — not like a trench, but like a held breath, a ribbon of air stretched golden between two people afraid to name it.

“You don’t have to say anything…” he added. “You’re already here. That’s enough.”

He stood without warning, like a dramatic cat deciding he was done with the room. For a split second, she thought—just maybe—he’d leave without turning it into a scene.

Ridiculous hope.

He pivoted on his heel, grin already cocked and loaded. The kind of grin that has probably been banned in three dimensions for public safety.

“If you ever want another goose,” he called, hands in his pockets like some kind of smug folklore spirit, “just let me know what colour matches your aesthetic.”

She didn’t even look up. “Black. For mourning the life, I had before you.”

“Adorable. I’ll start carving a set.”

He vanished down the stairwell with all the subtlety of a man dragging glitter and mischief behind him like a cape. Somewhere in the distance, a car alarm went off. Probably his fault.

Rumi remained.

The goose stared up at her from the table — lopsided, ridiculous, endearingly sincere — her name scratched into its belly like a confession he didn’t trust his mouth to carry.

Above, the sky bled violet into soot, that rare bruised hue that only visits rooftops when the world remembers to be quiet.

She didn’t rush.

At some point — when the wind shifted or her tea cooled, or her heart stopped doing that inconvenient thing — she reached for the silk cloth. Dusk-blue, embroidered with a constellation that didn’t quite exist.

As she began to wrap the goose, something caught her eye. Near the edge of the fabric, stitched in thread barely darker than the silk — as if he hadn’t meant her to find it, or had very much meant her to — a single word.

Yours.

She stared at it like it might vanish. Like it should vanish.

“That idiot…” she muttered, very softly. But her fingers folded the cloth more carefully than before.

Very, very carefully.

[angel-gidget]

Gidge's Guide to Amethyst

I did one of these a while back, but with reeaallly low-quality images. These days, there’s more Amethyst stuff out there, and that’s worth an update in its own right.

Amy’s first appearance was technically in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 which featured a “pull-out preview comic” to entice people into picking up the maxi-series. I’ve yet to get my mitts on it to confirm if it’s just sample art from the maxi-series, or has dialogue/art never seen anywhere else. Regardless, your best starting point is probably gonna be…

I. 1980’s 12-issue Maxi-Series (+ follow-up Annual)

High jump-through-portal fantasy. Fantastic creatures, creepy villains, magical royalty, intricate world building that explains some things and lets your brain fill in the gaps for others, and consistently gorgeous art. Can’t recommend enough.

The annual shown takes place after the maxi-series and sets the stage for the ongoing series that follows.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page DC’s Showcase via Amazon or Abe Books (Note: no color art for showcase, only black & white)

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 💎

II. 1980’s 16-issue Ongoing Series (+ follow-up Annual)

While there is a lot of fantastic stuff going on with the ongoing series, it is more of a mixed bag.

While I am forever in love with cover of issue #11, I remember turning to page 1 and wondering what the heck happened to the inside art. It’s not bad, really. It just doesn’t meet the high bar of the covers (or earlier interiors). Looking back, I realized the art was getting less detailed well before that, but my reading was all over the place as a kid bc I’d just read whatever issues I could find.

This here, at issue #12, is actually a good place to stop. By which I mean, the next 4 issues + special reek of grimdark edge-lord bs that doesn’t even make sense without reading Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, if you wish to proceed…

The final issue of the ongoing is technically a cliffhanger, and the Special grants the writers the extra pages they need to finish wrapping up their whole Lords of Order & Chaos/Dr. Fate tie-in.

After this, someone in DC editorial raised their pencil and went “Hey! What if we made the Gemworld the origin for one of our Legion of Super-Heroes villains?” And thus…

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page DC’s Showcase via Amazon or Abe Books (Note: no color art for showcase, only black & white) (Also note: Showcase contains both Maxi and Ongoing series)

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. ⚔️

III. 1980’s 4-issue Mini-Series

This thing is all kinds of whack, but it is gorgeous. I get the impression that when Kieth Giffen and Mindy Newell were assigned this sucker, they just read a summary of the OG series and winged it.

Probably not, since they technically wrote those final issues of the ongoing, but that’s how it feels. Despite this, it’s grown on me like a fungus, and the mind-blowing art by Esteban Moroto is, like, 98% of the reason why.

Amethyst is always at her weirdest when Dc is trying to tie her in with the rest of the DCU. In this case, the mini is supposed to explain how a Legion of Super-Heroes villain has origins that go back to the Gemworld. Why? Idk. But if I remember correctly, it was even part of the advertising for this series.

Get it by Patron methods: … you can’t. There are no re-prints of any kind and it’s tough to track down. If ye crave this treasure, best ye look to piracy, matey.

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 🔮

IV. 2012’s DC Nation Amethyst Cartoon Shorts

In hindsight, these may have been made as the advent of the Sword of Sorcery series, but they really were a charming sip of water after two decades of nothin’. A cute lil’ standalone series that turns the Gemworld into a video game. Amy is then, of course, sucked into it.

Fun fact: the producer, @briannedrouhard is on tumblr, and often posts art and further ideas she had for the series.

Watch it: Full Series is officially free on Youtube. 👸🏼

IV. 2013’s Sword of Sorcery: Amethyst

This New 52 eight-issue (9 included the ‘0’ issue, oy) series got my hopes up after all those years, but I gotta admit I was a bit disappointed by the completely new supporting cast. Apart from Amy herself, none of the original characters made it into the series.

It feels likely a completely different fantasy series with an “Amethyst” label slapped on it. That said, Aaron Lopresti’s art is beautiful, and this version of Amy—Amaya—eventually joined the New 52’s Justice League Dark and picked up a bit of a cult appreciation over there.

That said, I’ve had some spoilers for her time on JLDark, and the storyline is just a bit… too… dark for my tastes. So I’m quite content to see her nu52 series retconed, even though I did nearly collect all 9 issues.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 💜

V. 2019’s Wonder Comics - Young Justice: Gemworld

Remember how I said Amethyst always gets weird when she collides with the greater DCU? Yeah, forget I said that. Never mind. Most brilliant combo idea since peanut butter and jelly.

No, I’m not biased not at all bc I’m a big Young Justice fan. Nope. Ok. Maybe a lil’ bit. While the continuity here is it’s own thing, there are a lot of nods to the original Gemworld in the world-building.

Does this series fully explore the potential of all the ideas in it? Frankly, no. YJ fans complained a lot about the lack of breathing space in this series for a reason. But I’m still happy with it and happily re-reading it for the fun ideas it slaps together.

If you are reading this for the Amethyst, however, there isn’t much point in reading past issue 6, aka volume 1 of the trade. After that point, Amy stops getting much spotlight, though she remains on the team’s roster until the series’ end.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. ✨

VI. 2020’s Wonder Comics - Amethyst Miniseries

The fact that both this series and the YJ one appear under the “Wonder Comics” label is a bit misleading. They do not share any continuity at all. However, the opening splash page of the first issue references multiple events from original Amethyst continuity!

Later world-building details make it clear that this is a different version of Amy and the Gemworld, but Amy Reeder’s affection for the original series remains apparent.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 👑

VII. 2021’s Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld by Shannon & Dean Hale

This one is actually a kid-oriented graphic novel. Again, with its own continuity and world-building. I think the thing that stands out to me the most about this take is that the Hales give Amy a kid brother and make him quite relevant to the plot.

It’s pretty stand-alone and not really marketed as a comic book per se, but it is charming and the art is quite cute.

Get it by Patron methods: Graphic novel via Amazon or B&N Get it by Peasant methods: Over here.

🏰

In Summary:

“Original” Amethyst Continuity (by Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn and later Kieth Giffen & Mindy Newell ) is contained in Volumes 1-3. This is made of up the Maxi-series, Ongoing, and Mini-series from the 80's.

New52 Sword of Sorcery Continuity (by Christy Marx) is completely separate and self-contained.

Wonder Comics: Young Justice continuity (by Brian Michael-Bendis) is separate and self-contained, but has many nods to original continuity in it.

Wonder Comics: Amethyst mini-series continuity (by Amy Reeder) is mostly separate and self-contained, but implies that it shares events with the Volume 1 maxi-series.

Kid-friendly properties like Brianne Drouhard’s DC Nation shorts or Shannon and Dean Hale’s graphic novel make for fun additions, though they were not marketed as though they might tie in with any comics.

[canmom]

Comics mini-Comints: Dungeon Meshi

reread dungeon meshi through to the end. still such a great manga. here are immediate thoughts - if I end up having time and energy I hope I can write something that goes deeper!

ironically i was only a few chapters from the end when I stopped keeping up, but I was struggling to remember all the characters and context, so reading it through in one go was definitely an ideal way to achieve maximum impact there.

ryoko kui does a very elegant job of handling a transition from 'silly antics' to 'big dramatic fantasy' while still keeping the central thematic throughline - eating and being eaten, belonging to an ecosystem, the significance of sacrificing others to achieve your own desires. a lot of setups pay off in a way that feels meticulously planned - and of course the crux of the final showdown revolves around characters attempting to eat each other, of course the big payoff is a huge feast that symbolically unites all the conflicting factions. it is maybe a bit too neat and happy for my taste, but it's undeniably tightly executed - it never loses sight of what it's about. especially compared to something like Frieren, it's an incredibly coherent serialisation, up there with e.g. Fullmetal Alchemist.

kui's art style deserves all kinds of praise - it feels effortlessly simple, but it clearly communicates all sorts of different shapes and body types and it's really fun to see her play around with remixing the different visual elements when she switches the races around. in general Laius's autistic monster loving ways clearly reflect kui's own deeply felt appreciation for all the ways people and animals live (accentuated further by all the extra sketches the scanlators tuck in). in a way you could kinda call it like Parts Unknown the fantasy manga.

the stakes of the final conflict are interesting - there is much to be said about the framing of 'desire' and its fulfilment, of this occult idea of 'the infinite'. lots you could put in relation to other manga, and also buddhism. (in particular I really want to develop a comparison to Made In Abyss, there are so many parallels, it just might be too spicy for tumblr lmao).

one thing I really like about it is how much its fantasy dungeon-exploring setting owes to D&D and other TTRPGs, rather than videogames. monster ecology has been a fascination of that game since the early days of Dragon magazine, and Kui sharply zeroes in on some of the intrinsic conflicts baked in to that fantasy milieu, notably the lifespan thing, while smartly avoiding the traps of 'evil races'. there's some really fun nods to the weirder monster manual entries. and in a story with so many characters and factions, it does a genuinely incredible job of furnishing everyone with understandable, reasonable motivations, conflicts drawn from their context just like the monsters are explained by their ecology.

and one thing that I particularly appreciate is like... how much it is able to simultaneously understand and sympathise with a character and also show us how and why they'd rub others the wrong way. it's impossible not to like our main group, they're all such charming dorks and the manga leads you along with all the crazy rpg party shit they do, but at the same time you definitely find yourself thinking 'guy's got a point' in the kabru chapters lmao. I'm projecting hard bc i don't really know a thing about ryōko kui but laius def feels like the sort of depiction of having an autism that you can only do if you've lived it.

but yeah, it's a fuzzy ending where it all turns out well. but what's the deeper thrust of it all? there's a funny moment where marcille is like 'maybe in the end our journey is about learning to accept death' and the grouchy old gnome guy completely laughs this off as naive, because death doesn't mean anything. and indeed their big plan pays off, and falin does indeed come back just fine. but still, through all of this it asks you to bite the bullet that being a living creature means eating to survive, at the cost of other creatures, with the other side being that one day you too will be eaten. in contrast to this honest way of being is the beguiling fantasy of infinity, where all your desires are immediately fulfilled - this is shown as a dangerous path of corruption that produces madness and manipulability. having limits and rubbing up against the wishes of others, or 'doing things you don't want to do' as izutsumi's arc puts it, becomes necessary for having some kind of definition as a subject. the thing that makes the demon concrete as an entity is a desire, or appetite, that can't immediately be fulfilled.

of course we can connect this to the idea of narrative conflict. a standard advice for putting together a plot is to ask what each character wants and why they can't get it. wanting something implies movement. and indeed over the course of this story, we see that while having too many desires fulfilled too readily leads to incoherence and callousness, equally a character who is left catatonic as their desires have been eaten by the demon must be reawakened to activity by finding a new desire.

it's kinda Buddhist innit. neither the opulence of the palace nor asceticism. desires are what tie you to the world. but mixed with ecology: what a creature does to find the energy to live is what defines its lifestyle, its form.

this is probably where I'd start talking about entropy gradients and shit if i wasn't typing this on a phone at 1:30am lmao.

but yeah - it's a powerful move to go from 'D&D monster recipe show sendup' to 'living with the inherently violent nature of being an organism fated to live in a finite sum game' and yet Dungeon Meshi makes it feel natural and convincing, while remaining tremendously charming and funny throughout. ryōko kui is definitely some kind of genius, and I can't wait to see what her next act is gonna be. it's all definitely making me appreciate the act of eating a lot more.

next story on my plate is probably The Flower That Bloomed Nowhere, which sounds like it will present a very gnarly thematic contrast.

[moe-broey]

Moefonse dynamic so powerful. Under VERY specific conditions. He would say that. For the sole purpose of pissing Moe thefuck off

[stormdash2]

Some Archie Character Reboot Ideas.

I've been thinking more about the return of Sally and The Freedom Fighters. Be it another reboot, a revival, a new show, IDW or even the games.

These are some ideas that have come to mind for me on any possibility.

First there's Nicole.

If Nicole got rebooted in any shape or form, I can see her as a hacker who assists Sally against Eggman in many ways. I also see her as a bit of a shut-in, due to her past prior to being adopted by Sally's family.

She strikes me as someone who could be socially awkward, and I imagine that in this timeline, she'd be an adopted sister for Sally, and fully Mobian rather than a computer.

I can imagine Sally being the only person she's comfortable talking to, but anyone else would be met with hesitation. As an homage to her shut in nature, I could see her using holograms or radios to speak with others, akin to how she first appeared.

If anyone could get Nicole to open up, it would be Sonic himself. He's very good at talking to others, when he wants to be. He's not the best for conversation himself, but his kind nature would be alluring for someone like Nicole who could just use some comforting words.

Nicole's backstory of being a shut-in hacker is partially inspired by a Persona 5 character by the name of Futaba Sakura.

A good friend could go a long way. I wouldn't mind if Sonic played the role that Ren Amamiya/Joker played in getting the shy girl to open up. Soon Nicole could have friends like Tails and Amy, just like Futaba eventually had friends in The Phantom Thieves.

I do feel like Bunnie's cybernetics would be Wispons this time around rather than actual cybernetics. It would fit the current direction that Sega is going. Just keep her southern charm, and you have potential for something good.

I can't see Antoine ever using a laser sword, even in a reboot he will stick with a classic sword. He believed his sword to be superior to the Z-Saber that Zero uses, and Zero is an iconic Mega Man character who's strong enough in his own right. That speaks volumes of Antoine's confidence in a sword.

I also believe that Monkey Khan should return somehow. Given that Chun-Nan exists, he could easily come back as a resident of that country, or even the Ruler of Land here. He has a lot of potential as a character.

Give him his own Freedom Fighters too, like the ones from the Archie Reboot.

If anything, they could borrow much more from Sun Wukong, the very character he's based off of. Imagine him going against Gaia the way Sun Wukong would against any deity that defied him.

Of course the Freedom Fighter story would just be an origin of them wanting to keep their town safe during the Phantom Ruby Incident. I imagine Sally has seen Infinite on multiple occasions.

Sonic Forces was just made for the Freedom Fighters' potential return. The fact that Sally and Bunnie cameoed in one of the comics is proof of that. Pictures only, but still worth mentioning.

And of course The Freedom Fighters would be allies with The Diamond Cutters should they appear in IDW. I can even imagine Sally as a mentor figure to Lanolin. Though I imagine it would be predated by a lot of bickering. Lanolin is stubborn and doesn't always listen to others, but may come to respect Sally while Tangle just admires her and Whisper respects her.

Then there's Mina Mongoose and Fiona Fox. I imagine their stories would cross paths with one another. Mina's good nature could balance out Fiona's cynicism, while Fiona is tough enough to watch out for Mina should she be too naive.

Mina's personality would be her cheerful and loving nature, while Fiona would be a nihilist due to old traumas, but not too anti-social. She just keeps a distance from everyone, except her best friend Mina.

I can't see any romance between either of them or Sonic, and that's fine. Last time there was, both girls ended up getting screwed over somehow and mistreated.

Mina would not be a pop idol per say, but it's a dream she's working toward while Fiona is still a medic.

I can see Mina at least admiring Sonic for his free will, while Fiona may find him a bit irritating.

Out of the Diamond Cutters, I can see Mina being best friends with Tangle and the two would interact a lot. All the while, Fiona may mess with Whisper a bit, but the two may find time to bond later.

They would also befriend The Freedom Fighters and be official members. Fiona's medical skills would come in handy more but Mina has plenty to offer.

Surge and Kit would be a fun interaction. Fiona might find the duo unsettling, and a look into what life she could have had if she had not befriended Mina.

Surge's personality around Fiona could mirror Scourge. Difference is that it's less likely to be romantic, and more that Surge wants to befriend Fiona, but their friendship is very toxic.

Surge could end up jealous of the bond that Fiona and Mina have with the other Freedom Fighters, The Restoration, and Sonic's friends.

When it comes to Tails, I can see Mina really admiring his intelligence, and wanting to be his friend. She may also find him really small and cute and dote over him.

Fiona may like Tails too, but that may take time. I can see her being annoyed by him at first, likely to call him childish insults (i.e. Twerp), and just mildly bullying him. She still has a soft spot for Tails though.

Lastly when it comes to Sally herself, she is the leader of her Freedom Fighter friends in their village of Knothole. They protected their town from Infinite and Eggman to the best of their abilities.

As mentioned prior, Sally could form a bond with Lanolin and in time be one of her dearest friends.

As also mentioned before, she'd have her big sister/little sister bond with Nicole. and always be ready to protect her.

She'd be a brave girl that goes after badniks, be it with Whispons or just on her own. She might even have an intensity that rivals Princess Peach in the old comics.

Like seriously, it's easy to forget how intense Princess Peach was in the old Mario comics (Or Toadstool as she was called at the time). Imagine Sally having this type of drive. Or maybe it might be too much.

I can also imagine Sally being in the movies as a girl who met Sonic once upon a time. Maybe they were childhood friends, maybe they knew each other in passing, but should Sally ever appear in the movies, there's plenty of story to be told.

I can imagine a situation similar to the anime Zatch Bell, where Sally is the one telling Tom and the others what Sonic was like back home, as she would be the only one from Mobius to know anything about him, even if it's something minuscule, like Tia having to explain Zatch's home life to Kiyo. She didn't know everything, but she knew enough.

I don't know what will happen regarding romance. In a perfect world, Sally is with Sonic. They are, for me at least, the definitive Sonic pairing in Sonic media. Like Superman and Lois Lane. Like Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson. Granted I prefer someone like Kitty Pride for Peter Parker, but you get my point.

Sonic and Sally are just it for me. But I know that Sega may believe differently. Be it the games, the comics, or the movies, Sonally just may never happen. That doesn't mean fans can't have some sliver of hope. Optimism is good, but be ready to accept reality.

I can see three potential replacements for Sonic if romance doesn't work out between them. Note, this is not mandatory for Sally, she doesn't need to be romantically paired off. But if they feel the need to, there are options.

First option, Monkey Khan. Back in Archie, I did not like the pairing between Sally and Ken. It was typical love triangle drama that did not need to be there.

This time around, there is no worry of that. Ken is there with his own story, and the romance thing could just be on the side or merely hinted at. If they want to go all in, they can do so without Sonic being pulled into that drama.

Option two is Mighty the Armadillo. The relationship between Sally and Mighty could mirror SatAM Sonally, without it being a complete copy. Maybe Sally's more chill, or Mighty is just a less hyper version of SatAM Sonic. Point is, there's potential.

Option three, one of my favorites, is Sally with Ray the Flying Squirrel. I feel like he'd know how to be that perfect mix of Adventurer and Freedom Fighter. He loves thrills, but shows some caution in doing so. I think Sally and Ray have potential for a good bond.

We could just skip the romance, or have Sally with a one-sided crush on Sonic. Sonic may never end up with her, but I can see something similar to Final Fantasy 7 with Cloud, Aerith and Tifa.

There was no major love triangle drama with them. Tifa and Aerith were good friends, and Cloud just have to make a choice eventually. It can be a nice running gag in the games and the comics.

None of this is fool proof, but it's better than nothing. Sometimes you just gotta take a chance, just be wise about it.

This is just more of my head canons on how to use the Freedom Fighters in the games, comics or movies. Or any other media. Perhaps one day, they truly can return.

[dol-dee]

So... you imagine DoL set in the early 2000s? ME TOO. Tell me more about that!

aaaaaaa yes I do!!!! (Sorry for the late reply haha. I kept forgetting to come back to this ask) I think I started to feel that way pretty early on, since there's hardly any electronics around in game.

You don't have access to a phone yourself (which, admittedly makes sense as an orphan) but electronics get barely mentioned in general. (I'm guessing the true reason for it, is that it would be too much of a hassle to implement electronics as a mechanic in game. bc arguably you should easily be able to buy a phone or w/e later on, if dol actually took place in our time) Named npcs often have phones to record you with (which I kinda forgot about tbh lmao) but unless in that context, phones don't get brought up at all iirc. None of the named npcs ever ask you for your phone number and Social media isn't really a topic of conversation either.

The only Computers that I remember mentioned in game are Leightons, Mickey's, Kylars and the one you can check in the police station. (I don't remember if Bailey even has one or not.) They are far and few between. They also all read as desktop computers to me and not laptops. Hell, the only gaming Console to ever be a topic of interest, is Robins. I don't think we hear of/see any handheld conosles at all. Even TV's rarely get mentioned.

Pop Culture, like manga, anime and games doesn't seem to be a big thing yet either.

All of that gives me the impression that most electronic is still pretty sparse and hard to come around and kinda reminds me of my childhood when those interests where still conisdered niche/nerdy and weird. The few characters that have desktop pc's seem to be ones that had/have enough money (like Kylar, maybe Bailey?) to foot the bill, are either in a high enough position of power to own one (like leighton) or they're involved enough in shady business that they might have the resources to have their own equipment (Mickey).

tbf a lot of my reasoning can be argued against or easily explained away, but I think dol is infinitely more interesting as a game/story when it's set during the early/mid 2000s, where most electronics were still hard to come by.

Oh and last but not least: it simply makes for easier story telling haha. I think there would be way more ""plot holes"" you'd have trouble explaining away if it was set during modern times. considering how much digital surveilance we have nowadays.

Aside from all the examples I just brought up, dol just has that 2000s grime to me. It's so grungy and dank in it's vibes that it always reminds me of that timeframe. Just has that kinda clunky/kitschy charm to it. (a more eclectic personal explanation is that the seasons in game still feel the way I remember them for my childhood. nowadays everything feels really out of wack thanks to global warming. Although I'm sure that people who are older than me would say the same haha)

to keep this already long post short(er lmao) I'm gonna go into some headcanons under the cut; Basically which Characters have electronics and why:

Avery: has an expensive af and extremely clunky looking (by todays standards) work laptop, that she sometimes lugs around. Also owned one of the first mobile phones. Those really big and blocky ones. Maybe even had one of those phones that were built into cars. However, I think shed be kinda annoyed by mobile phones*, even if she's extremely diligent in answering her calls. (the grind never stops) *based on this comic from 1919 about pocketphones: Mostly because she strikes me as someone who doesn't care to be overly accessible and also hates it when whatever shes doing at the moment gets disrupted by something else.

Alex: Canonically has a phone in game. To me it's a landline phone. They don't own much electronics beside it. They have no desktop pc and no mobile phone. (canonically the own a tv and I feel like they'd have a radio, maybe even an old record player) Bailey: It would make sense for them to have a desktop computer but I can't remember if they canonically (and with that I mean in game) do have one or not. I could see it either way tbh. As they strike me as a stubborn hard ass whos paranoid about electronics and quickly gets annoyed by it) They only own burner phones aside from the official landline phone thats designated for "over the counter" orphanage business. Eden: Has an old ass radio and an extremely dusty burner phone that bailey gave them once. They don't own anything else

Harper: has a mobile phone they got from Remy, it's purely for business. I don't think they have one for personal business. They own a pager though bc of the hospital. They probably have a desktop pc too if only for hospital stuff.

Kylar: Has a Desktop pc, their parents footed the bill for that many screened monstrosity (tbf i dont know enough to remember if old pcs are even able to have several monitors connected to them or not). Probably had a mobile phone once. Whitney stole it. They own a few consoles but they prefer pc gaming (pc master race /j) Some 2000s era games (with no consideration for an exact timeframe) that I think Kylar would be into are : Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines American McGee's Alice Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 / Persona 3 Portable The Urbz: Sims in the City The Sims 2 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Robin: No mobile phone, the only electronics they keep around (until they inevitably need to sell them for emergency money) are an old tv and a gaming console. I have no concrete headcanons regarding the exact console and games unfortunately. (They seem to like superhero related stuff and I don't remember enough games that I associate with that direction of the top of my head)

Sydney: Has access to a landline phone but thats it. they don't have a mobile phone. Maybe they got to look at/ try out a pc at Kylars house once upon a time, but I don't think Sirris has one themself. I might be off with this but I could see Sirris being the one who bought a few early nintendo consoles like the SNES and Game Cube. Maybe even a gameboy.

Whitney: I don't think Whitney or their family is particularly wealthy so all of the access to electronics that they got, is either through wealthier friends, bullying or stealing. They have a mobile phone and probably a few handheld consoles they nabbed off their victims (in secret).

[wanderingmind867]

If only Bob Haney and Stan Lee worked for the same company... Stan Lee has a very bombastic writing style, full of nicknames and catchphrases and sly footnotes full of jokes. But Bob Haney really gives him a run for his money. Just reading his Teen Titans stuff alone, I get to see Twinkletoes and Flasheroo (a constant set of nicknames for Kid Flash), Robin-Bobbin, Wonder Chick, Gil-Head, Fish-Face, and an infinite string of other nicknames. Plus, Bob Haney pulls out the best Robin catchphrases this side of Burt Ward. Holy _____! is practically a series of lines in these comics, and I love it.

So yeah, it's a shame these two pinnacles of print, wizards of words, leaders of linguistics couldn't get together to write stuff together. Their writing styles combined could only have brought pure, unadulterated charm and humour to comics. They have the same gift for overly exuberant writing, although Stan was certianly far better at making jokes about Marvel as a whole, while Bob Haney mostly sticks to putting jokes in his own scripts.

[lemonxdaisybby]

Hello! The lingerie headcanons for the judgment bois was so good. Can I maybe ask for lingerie headcanons for Ichiban, Zhao, Sawashiro, Yamai and Eiji? hope that’s not too many to ask for!

Helloooo! Ofc you can! Also there’s no limit either to how many people you wanna add to a request 💕 Altho if I did get an ask for say, 20 characters or so in one go, I may cry a little

I can do Yamai as I’ve progressed enough with Infinite Wealth to feel comfortable writing for him. However, I have left Eiji out for now, only becauseeee I’m just over halfway through the game (I keep getting distracted by Dondoko Island because I love it) so I’m not 100% confident or sure on how to write his character yet. I’m so sorry.

I’ll probs make a post once I’ve finished IW so people can request for any of those characters going forward. 💕

Also thank you for the request, and I hope you like!

S/O surprising them w lingerie ✨

Ichiban:

Ichi’s brain is going to straight up stop working, and his face would just heat up immediately. He would momentarily be broken.

As soon as he comes home and sees you dressed in pretty lingerie for him, he is gonna freeze. His eyes would be comically wide, and his mouth would be opening and closing as if he’s trying to say something, but no noise would be coming out. You’d probably have to approach him and ask him if he likes it, to break him out of his daze.

He’d just become putty in your hands, nodding yes to your question, not quite trusting himself to speak, because honestly? He has no idea what is going to come blurting out his mouth.

It would probably be best if you just lead him to the bedroom at this point. Grab his hand, and he’ll eagerly follow you.

Ichi is a bottom anyways, but somehow this will be amplified when you wear lingerie. He will just be in awe of you, his gaze locked on to your body, and his hands roaming every inch of you.

He doesn’t really have a preference for lingerie, and thinks all of it is pretty. He might prefer cuter lingerie, so babydolls with pretty, floaty, sheer material, and would also appreciate cute lil bow or flower charms/decor. Pretty, sexy, fairy vibes almost. He is also a boob man, so would appreciate an outfit that really gives him a good view of your tits.

Zhao:

Zhao would be so turned on, and would be internally wondering what he did to deserve such an amazing partner.

As soon as he spots you in your lingerie, it’s game on. He’d get that sly glint in his eyes, and would be looking at you as though he’s about to eat you up. He’d try and play coy, asking ‘Is this for me? You shouldn’t have’, except he is already circling you, taking a good look at every inch of your body in your little outfit. He would stop behind you, hands gripping your hips and pulling you back towards him, so that your back is pressed tightly against his chest. He’d be leaving a trail of kisses down your neck and….how is he suddenly the one seducing you!?

Lingerie would definitely release some sort of animalistic urge in him, and Zhao will not stop fucking you until you’re screaming his name.

He is an ass man, so would appreciate a lacy thong, paired with a skimpy matching bra, suspender belt, and strappy little garters, as opposed to stockings. The bra would definitely be coming off, but bonus points if the thong is crotchless, so that he can leave it on whilst he fucks you, along with your other accessories.

Sawashiro:

Loooord, this is gonna drive him crazy.

As soon as Jo comes home and spots you waiting for him, all dressed up in lingerie, he will fall deadly silent. At first, you might get the impression you’ve done something wrong, as his face would be expressionless, and he wouldn’t utter a single noise. However, his gaze will start trailing up and down your body, his eyes darkening, and he’ll be giving you the most intense eye fucking you have ever received. His gaze would be so heated.

He’d take his time as he walks on over to you, his eyes never once leaving you. He’d call you a dirty little tease, shrugging off his suit jacket, unbuttoning his shirt sleeves so he can roll them up his forearms.

He’s gonna take you there and then. If you’re in the hallway of your home, he’s gonna turn you around, and press your front to the wall as he slams in to you from behind. If you’re in the lounge/living room, you’re getting dicked down on the sofa. Waiting for him in the bedroom? You’re getting shoved down on to the bed and he will be on you in an instant. Lingerie would rile this man up so much, and the fact you’ve been patiently waiting for him to return home? He’s not gonna disappoint.

Jo would usually prefer you completely naked, but the sight of you topless, in nothing but a lacy thong and some thigh-high tights/stockings? Man will go feral.

Yamai:

Yamai and his goddamn poker face. He is gonna walk in, catch sight of you waiting for him, looking all seductive, and he will just pause, his eyes raking over you. In that slow, lazy drawl of his, he’s gonna say something along the lines of ‘well shit, if I’d known this was waiting for me, I would’ve come home earlier’. His eyes would just be glowering at you, and he’d look as though he’s about ready to devour you.

Always the one in control of situations, even surprises. He’d go and sit himself down on the sofa, patting his thigh expectantly, a clear sign that he wants you to go and straddle him. His hands would be on you in an instant, once you’re sat astride him, his fingers digging in to your hips tightly. He would try to be gentle because he loves you and is secretly a softie for you, but he definitely can get a bit rough with you, and lingerie would only spur him on. He’d have you ride him, but he would still be in control, his grip never loosening. He’s got a sharp tongue too, and will call you a good little whore, for dressing up for him and waiting so patiently for him to return home.

Yamai would likely appreciate corsets, and the way they accentuate your curves and push up your breasts would drive him insane. He’d also find a lacy, tight basque sexy, along with matching stockings. Anything tight fitting is a yes from him.