#Presentation could probably be better

[randomatt]

Hello again! Got inspired and motivated by @felinae-felidae to do this redesign of Tinya Wazzo/Phantom Girl ever since we saw the 2006 cartoon show Legion of Super Heroes. Was a fun exercise!

[introvert-time-art]

remember what they took from us......

i know realistically crowley would have to pry that waistcoat from aziraphale's cold dead hands but hey im being silly over here

ive seen so many good designs for them and im probably subconsciously stealing some of them and i apologize. and im late as hell to the party. but i bring cute poses!!! because im good at that!!

[xxplastic-cubexx]

i’m so glad you brought up that bit in excalibur where magneto’s ideal prison is him getting to be a husband and father again, because it’s so relevant to the idea that the house of m reality isn’t actually everyone’s ideal life, but just wanda’s idea of what everyone’s ideal life would be. all the time i see x-fans condemn magneto for house of m because his ideal world is him becoming exactly like his oppressors, but house of m isn’t actually the life magnus wants! any time magnus gets to become a political leader, he hates it. he hated ruling genosha. he hated ruling krakoa. deep down, he doesn’t want to be superior. he just wants to live in peace with the family he lost.

also, shoutout to magda and anya, who never get to be anything other than magneto’s women in refrigerators. i wish they got to be more important than that. i love it every time we see them in comics, but it’s so rare. and shoutout to magda in particular since she’s been almost completely erased from the narrative by the maximoff retcon. really hope we get a reveal that natalya maximoff was magda all along when we inevitably make wanda and pietro magneto’s mutant children again.

i honestly didnt know excalibur was a predecessor to HoM when i heard about both runs so when i saw that set of panels for the first time it really had me reconsider HoM and the 'ideal reality' bit, im surprised i dont see it mentioned more often

i really wish there were more appearances of mags, magda, and anya; if there are stories focused on them i barely see them talked about... ive heard magda is mags' best-written partner from some but i also very rarely see stories that feature her directly named, so i never get to see her beyond the few fleeting instances i just so happen to catch her. id very much like to see more of her and mags' domestic life....

i think if we find out that natalya was magda all along i'll howl: this family really Can get more complicated contrary to popular belief 💀

[vickyvicarious]

3. cold hands in warm hands Jonathan+Quincey

6 October, morning.

"I shall not wait for any opportunity," Quincey said fiercely. "When I see the box I shall open it and destroy the monster, though there were a thousand men looking on, and if I am to be wiped out for it the next moment!"

Almost before he had finished speaking, Harker stepped up to him and reached out to clasp his hand. His grip was strong, his eyes blazing, and in that moment a solemn promise was agreed upon between the two of them without a single word spoken. They were in agreement: neither of them would let any chance slip by. This Count would die at their hands, no matter the cost.

It was no longer any real surprise at this point, but Quincey still found himself thinking it again: there's the man who made it out of that castle.

After Van Helsing finished speaking, all the men turned to disperse. Quincey stood behind for a moment or two, lost in thought. He had less to arrange than the others. Watching over Art after his father and fiancee's death, he'd taken a notion - and then an afternoon - to update his own will. He hadn't known exactly why, then. The musing over where the blood had gone had reminded him of the Pampas, sure, but he hadn't truly expected anything like what was to come. He'd just seen all Arthur had to deal with, and thought to smooth the path back home should the unexpected come to pass.

For all that everything had changed in the past few days, not much about his affairs would stand any different now. The only exception, perhaps, was the man whose oath he now shared, and that excellent, kind lady to which he was married. Perhaps he should add a proviso for their sake as well.

Thinking of the couple got Quincey's feet moving, and he quickly moved down the hallway. He caught up just before Harker stepped back into his own room, calling out to him.

"Might I have a word before you go?"

"Of course, Mr. Morris. What can I do for you?" He turned away from the door, his hand slipping off the handle.

"Pardon me for this, but," Quincey said, reaching out to grasp that hand before it fell to the man's side, "it's more yourself."

"I... don't understand," Harker said, his tone mildly confused. He didn't pull his hand away, but Quincey noticed him sliding a foot back an inch, firming his back to the wall. He looked straight up into Quincey's eyes.

"I couldn't help but notice," Quincey said. He reached up to fold both his palms around Harker's hand, squeezing a little. Hopefully sharing a bit of warmth.

Harker's hand was ice-cold between his fingers. He knew he ran a little hotter than most, but still he'd noticed the chill the moment they'd touched. Harker's face was pale, his eyes fierce but tired, all color washed out of his hair. For the past three days, he'd been moving about as if there was lightning running down his spine; a deep well of crackling energy barely hidden within his body, and rising almost to the surface whenever talk turned to their foe. Quincey respected it like anything. And yet...

"I apologize if I'm poking my nose where it isn't wanted. But I'd like to suggest you take it easy, today. Join your wife in her rest." Quincey rubbed the hand between his a little, drawing Harker's gaze and attention down to the point of contact between them. "We'll need all our strength when the time comes."

There was a long pause before Harker spoke.

"Thank you," he said, very quietly, eyes still on Quincey's hands. He looked back up again before going on: "I will try to keep that in mind."

His eyes were cold, too. Not heartless, just the opposite - all the heart within him set so firmly on his goal that everything else froze over. A deadly storm, just waiting to break loose, an intention sharp as a knife. Quincey felt a little hint of that lightning slip between them, settling against his own spine.

He let go, confident that Harker understood. The man might need a reminder or two in the days to come, but he'd make it through without collapsing prematurely. He'd do what it took to be there at the end, and he'd be ready when it came.

"That was all," Quincey said, stepping back. He nodded with a smile, and Harker smiled back. It was a small enough one, but that it was there at all was probably enough.

He headed off further down the hall, but didn't go right to his own room. He'd add the Harkers in, sure enough, but the worst eventualities could wait a little longer. First, he'd like to do something to help them before that day. They'd be heading out in the morning; that gave him an afternoon to find what he needed.

After it was all over, Mrs. Harker would probably want to write up their stories again. He'd seen that typewriter of hers, and surely there was something in London better-suited to bring along. And her husband... well, perhaps he could use a pair of gloves.

.

5 November, evening.

Harker wasn't wearing his gloves. Quincey had seen him wearing them when he set out with Art, so he didn't know why not today. Maybe he, too, had gotten hot during the headlong chase.

He must have, Quincey decided, because his ungloved hands felt so warm. He could feel one behind his head, supporting him, and one was reaching down over his own hand, pressing hard into his side.

It hurt. It hurt like nothing he'd ever felt, but Quincey didn't mind. Because he was cold, and getting colder. It was funny how the blood against his hand felt so hot, when his hand itself was trembling from the cold. Maybe it wasn't that Harker's hand was warm, but just his own that was cold.

Mrs. Harker's hand was warm, too. So warm around his other hand, and her eyes were welling up with tears, but full of life as well, for the first time in so long. He smiled to comfort her before the end came.

But it was all right. Wracked with shivers as he was, he didn't mind. The cost was paid. They'd agreed on that, and if anyone had to pay it, better he than...

It was good Harker wasn't wearing his gloves. The fabric would be clean later, not stained with the blood leaking out around both their fingers no matter how hand they pressed on the wound. Clean like Mrs. Harker's forehead, smooth and unblemished. Thank God. Thank God, that was truly a gift to see!

"I am only too happy to have been of any service! Oh, God!" he cried, shoving himself upright, pulling his hand away from Harker's to point to her. The wind bit at his exposed fingers, and he felt so cold, but it was okay. It was worth it to show them, in his last moments, now that the end had truly come. "It was worth for this to die!"

[moe-broey]

Ehhh fuck it I'll post this one too -- I wanted to color it first, but. I'm actually split on redoing Alfonse's outfit completely, or at least making adjustments.

Like, in my head, I think I was doing two separate things between the Askr siblings and it just doesn't feel cohesive to me now.

What, you ask? Well, the first thought behind this, was this is a visit. So, Sharena is straight up wearing Moe's old clothes it never could seem to let go of. I think I got mixed up around Alfonse, though. Literally half and half. He's wearing some of Moe's clothes (esp the flannel, green, band merch), but the idea here is they did have to go out and get stuff that actually fits right.

Which... works. It does work. But I think in the back of my head I was also wanting to design an outfit that's more AU coded. Going from argyle sweater vest ass to mmmmaybe trying to develop his own sense of style. Which kind of directly clashes w the idea that he's wearing some of Moe's clothes. But also. So. SO BADLY. ESP IN THIS CONTEXT. I would LOVE for Moe to have direct influence in the process of that. Another detail you don't even get to see here is Alfonse is wearing a studded belt. Courtesy of Moe.

Lack of direction too many ideas at once. Maybe if it's an AU, the dress could have been a hand-me-down? If you like it, and it fits. You can have it. If you want... (Moe completely dodging just how deeply meaningful this gesture is when doing this). But also, could go REALLY crazy if Moe (previous life) had fashion taste that was close enough to Sharena's that, like. At different points of time, each ended up picking out the same dress. It's such a funny line to balance, actually. Because despite all the parallels I may draw between them, Moe was NEVER what Peony was, to Sharena. Not even close.

Idk idk there's a possibility that I'll get too frustrated w all the details not matching up here that I scrap it completely. Just know that the dress Sharena is wearing is pink and white. Very Princess Peach core. The style of it, though... it's pretty close to something else... a certain Something Else... just enough to scare ya. Which is ALSO WHY this might work better as a visit and unique psychological damage for Alfonse but I DIGRESS. WHAT YHE FUCK EVER. TOO MUCH GOING ON HERE JUST THROW IT ALL OUT‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[right-there-ride-on]

Gyjo in the fandom

cw: light discussion of ableism

Gyjo… what am I thinking about gyjo…

I like them. I like them a lot, actually. They have paralleled narrative arcs, they complement each other nicely, the romantic subtext is incredibly obvious to the point that even the most homophobic fan you know will admit they understand why people ship it… so why do I also have a problem with it?

There’s a lot of good fanart. Hell, I’ve reblogged plenty. Maybe it’s just something that’s more pronounced in fic.

I’m trying to word this correctly. My issue with gyjo has nothing to do with the text itself. I think my problem is just how people portray it in the fandom.

Maybe it’s because it’s so popular, or maybe it’s the sheer prominence of applying ‘Character A’ and ‘Character B’ dynamics without considerable regard for the characters involved, but I feel gyjo is very prone to flanderization. I believe the intersection with how ableist people are toward Johnny (intentionally or not, subtly or not) and the old tropes these two get shoved into makes it so I have trouble enjoying fics in the fandom.

I’m not saying it’s bad to enjoy certain tropes. I’m not saying headcanons are bad either. What I am saying is that writing is hard, but if you’re going to write fanfiction please have consideration for the characters you’re writing. The arcs of these two are complex and multilayered, which is why I think they have such staying power, but I also think they also provide a good opportunity for us as writers and artists to examine our biases when it comes to the portrayal of certain groups, personality types, mental illnesses, queerness, disability, etc. and maybe come out better people for it.

[wackywatchdotcom]

woke up like 40 mins ago at like 4:30 unable to fall back alseep so im once again thinking about ragatha and pomni as The Ocd Havers. its everything to me. oh whoops i ran out of tags on this post

[gomzdrawfr]

GOMZ

what's your favorite thing about yourself

👁️👁️

Hiiiiiiii sayang

Probably my hair :)

[ceruleansonata]

Escape

Eyes wide, Elliot looks between Gilbert and the Vessalius pair. Oscar takes a nervous step back from his nephew, a horrified look on his aged face.

"When Oscar showed up, I started to realize something was off about you," Gil growls.

Despite his predicament, though, Jack just laughs, and his warm smile chills Elliot to the core. "Impressive. Not so long ago, you wouldn't have noticed a thing," he hums.

"Cut the crap!!" Elliot yells. But before he can knock that brat to the ground, the sound of something like an explosion from above shakes the stone corridor. That disruption gives him a chance, and Jack quickly scoops up the pistol lying next to the fallen guardsman.

But as he moves to cock the weapon, his other hand stops him. The others watch as his left hand seems to try to pry the gun from his own right, and quickly everyone realizes:

Oz is fighting back.

Well. That won't do.

Jack turns suddenly, making a run for it down the labyrinthine halls. The other three immediately give chase, but it's Elliot who surges ahead of Gilbert and Oscar. Once again, all that training finally serves its purpose as he closes the gap between himself and the smaller young man.

Oscar calls out, warning him and Gilbert to be careful. This passage is created in a maze on purpose, even he could get lost--!!!

Only to round the next corner to find Jack pinned to the ground, one arm twisted behind his back by an infuriated Elliot. Oscar steps up, puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and the young lord reluctantly releases his captive.

The Duke doesn't give him another chance to run, though. He grabs Jack by his jacket and hauls him to his feet just to slam him up against the wall. And Jack still smiles.

"Oscar, why did you come down here looking for Oz?" he asks, unphased by the Duke's glower. "Did the Baskervilles tell you, or was it Zai? That it was me who killed your wife and unborn child?"

Oscar's expression falters. His jaw sets tight.

Jack smiles.

"You hate me, don't you? And Oz, as well. For living the life that belonged to your own son. You didn't come here to save Oz, you came here to kill him with your own hand. Didn't you, Uncle Osc--"

"That is ENOUGH!!!!!" Gilbert roars, with an intense rage that Elliot's never seen from his brother. "Oscar would NEVER hate Oz!! Just like I could never betray him!!! You'd better come up with a new lie, Jack! Oscar will always be on Oz's side! No matter what!!!"

There's a heavy pause when Gilbert's tirade comes to an end. Then a relieved laugh bubbles up from the Duke. With renewed conviction, he presses an elbow against Jack's throat.

"So, I hate Oz. And after exposing that, you meant to have me kill him? Sorry, but I just won't play along with that story," he insists. "I'm here to shut that damn mouth of yours, Jack."

Elliot and Gilbert stay close, watching his back as Oscar continues, laying out everything he needs to say while he has Jack pinned. He admits that his brother, Oz's father, Zai Vessalius, had told him that Jack had killed his wife and unborn child, as well as Oz's mother and the son whose place Oz had filled.

In fact, Zai had told him a lot of things.

He had told him how a young boy had showed up at the Vessalius estate one day, claiming to be the great hero Jack Vessalius, aging in reverse. He had told Zai that he had seen glimpses of the future during the Tragedy, that one day the Baskervilles would return to seize the power of B-Rabbit and drag the world into Abyss. He had convinced Zai to replace his own son with Oz, who would become the dominant soul in Jack's body once his aging began to move forward once again.

And Zai had believed him.

It was only after following Jack's instruction that Zai had begun to look further into the story of that great hero. Eventually, he had discovered the lies Jack had spun. He had sought out the Baskervilles, and he had been the one to convince them to throw Oz into Abyss during his coming of age ceremony.

Gilbert tries to interrupt, but Oscar silences him. Oz deserves to know the truth, he insists. And he should hear it from his own family.

And he does hear it.

Inside his soul, Oz hears every word. How his own father had been so corrupted by Jack's lies. How his own father had been the one to condemn him.

"I had a hard time believing it when Zai told me this story," Oscar admits. "But strangely enough, now that I'm face to face with you, I have to believe it. Someone once compared you to water--" Jack looks surprised by that statement. "--but to me you are... Nothing."

There's a heavy pause as those words sink in. But Gilbert quickly realizes that isn't the only reason the air suddenly feels thicker.

"Oscar, look out!!" he yells, throwing an elbow to shove the Duke away from the young man he has pinned.

As he does, the ground below them splits.

Elliot draws his sword as one of B-Rabbit's sharpened chains coils in the air around Jack, ready to strike again.

"You sound just like Oswald," Jack sighs, his false pleasantries finally giving way to a bitter tone. "How unpleasantly familiar."

Gilbert puts himself between Jack and the others, a storm of shadows and black feathers whipping up around him.

But.

How can he use Raven's deadly fire against Oz's body...?

That moment of hesitation is all it takes. The chain flies through the air, knocking Gilbert off his feet and into Elliot. Then it continues, piercing Oscar's shoulder with its deadly point.

But the Duke refuses to go down that easily. "My brother might have fallen for your lies," he growls as he grabs hold of that chain. "But I will not condemn the precious family I have left!!!"

Oscar pulls the point from his shoulder, tugging on the chain to propel himself forward. He throws his arms out, capturing his nephew's body in a tight embrace.

"I won't deny the dark feelings I've had come and go over the years. But Oz is the anchor that kept me from being swept away by the loss of my own child. I only wish you to be happy, Oz," he insists, pulling away to look down into those bright green eyes, widened in terror. He pats a big, strong hand on that little head. "Oz, Gilbert, Ada... You children saved me. That's why I love you. From the bottom of my heart, and no matter what. I love you "

As tears stream down his face, everyone suddenly realizes that Oz is back.

Oz, who had refused to cry for long, despite all the pain and loss he's suffered, finally sobs.

Inside their soul, Jack's form begins to crumble away.

If everything Jack said is true, if everything Oz is and owned is fake, then why do Oscar's words seem so real?

In that moment, with renewed conviction, Oz calls out to Alice.

There's a flash, the air suddenly filled with golden orbs of light. And then she comes springing forth from that light, tackling Oz to the ground as she appears.

"What took you so long, you moron!!!!" Alice cries. Big, wet tears fill her violet eyes. As Oz apologizes, Gilbert rushes over, sweeping them both up in a one-armed hug, sobbing as well.

Elliot hangs back with the Duke Vessalius, offering to check his injury as they give the trio a moment to catch up. Oscar waves him off, though. They need to keep moving.

Deep in the maze of tunnels, there's something called the Cherub Gate, Oscar explains. An enchanted door to an underground canal leading out of the city that could only be opened with one of the four households' Keys. And it isn't much further until they find it.

Oscar reaches beneath his shirt to retrieve the wedding ring he wears on a chain round his neck. He closes his hand around that ring, and it glows in his fist. As the stones in the door begin to part with great effort, a voice behind them draws everyone's attention.

"Please wait!! Echo is going with you!!"

Confusion paints Oz and Gilbert's faces as they turn to see Vincent's valet running toward them. But it's only Elliot who sees the glint of something beneath her sleeves, the tiniest abnormality to her running form.

He doesn't take a second to think about it. He rushes forward as she lunges, pulling his dueling cape around him as he throws himself between the Duke Vessalius and the deadly knife.

Just as Equius had assured, the thick frabric takes the brunt of the attack, that dangerous dagger barely scratching his arm through the heavy construction. Noise's eyes widen in surprise. She draws her second knife, but is forced to take a high, backwards leap to avoid a shot from Gilbert's pistol.

He hesitates before taking another shot at her, though. It's shocking enough, being betrayed by his brother's softspoken valet. But as Doldee's strings glisten in the air around her, he recognizes their attacker as someone else. The Baskerville who had puppeted his body, forcing him to strike Oz during his coming of age ceremony ten years before.....

Gilbert is suddenly yanked from his thoughts as Oscar grabs him by his coat with a shout for everyone else to move. As he's shoved backwards by the Duke, Elliot watches Noise spring to her feet and run towards them. But she disappears as the heavy stone door of the Cherub's gate slams shut between them.

There's a second where everything seems to stand still. A heavy, tense air between them all.

Then Oscar claps Gilbert and Elliot on the shoulder with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "That was a close one!!" he bellows.

But Oz looks concerned as his eyes fall on his uncle's bloodied shoulder, where the B-Rabbit's chain had pierced him.

"Did you... Know? About Echo...?" Gilbert finally asks his younger brother.

Elliot gives a glance at the stone door, then a long sigh. "Leo told me a little while ago," he explains. "When we were attacked back in Sablier, she. Made him shoot at me. We didn't recognize her then, but once he found out who she was, he wanted to warn me."

"Well, it's a good thing he did," Oscar sighs. He gives Elliot's head a heavy, encouraging pat, making the young lord pout and flush. "I've really done nothing but be protected by children, huh?"

[puhpandas]

as someone who isnt super excited for sotm for certain reasons I am really glad that like. it's clear that since ruin theyve been setting up for carnival and sotm IS carnival. so now that carnival is finally coming out, afterwards theyll be moving on to other plotlines since the main villain stuff is sorted out

I'm just rlly happy to finally see a clear direction for how the story is gonna be playing out with like "okay these games were leading up to this so after this will be open possibilites" instead of like. absolutely no info about each upcoming game and being left guessing before it releases and just having to wait and see what's in it and if anything you're looking forward to will be in it

it feels like they have a plan and a solid direction for what they're trying to do and after carnival releases thatll be all that buildup coming to fruition. & we already know from the Scott interview that theres another release 'beyond sotm' that's 'super exciting' so maybe thatll be focusing on another big currently untouched (which is basically all of them) plotline, or even the big campaign game that dawko has been calling security breach 2

[icewindandboringhorror]

I occasionally wish to reach out to old friends/acquaintances I haven't spoken to since high school/some other even earlier time in my life, but I have SOOO little social energy even for required tasks (like making dr phone calls or etc), I never have any leftover for extra ones, and it would be very odd to message someone I haven't spoken to in like 5 years out of the blue but then take 4 entire months to respond back lol.. My natural curiosity with nostalgia/collecting details of the past/etc. (literally if I were born a little earlier I would definitely do scrapbooking or something lol) is very strong, but, alas, not strong enough to beat out the Social Issues Demons apparently

[nyan-bynary]

Yo what the fuck????

[ghostmaggie]

it's wild because even in epic proper there is such a phenomenal and intricate labyrinth of reprises and callbacks and allusions to other songs and melodies and phrases, but there's a certain level of total brain fusion that comes from having obsessively watched and rewatched jorge's tiktoks for years where the melodic riffs and repurposing or recalling of lyrics and tunes that were cut or in cut songs or just tweaked or rewritten adds this whole other layer of meaning to where and how they're used now, intended or not

like all i hear are screams that was originally in ismarus, starting that theme even earlier in the story and it's still carrying on to wisdom saga! plus in its (apparent) first incarnation it was associated with a heart to heart with polites!

where is he, where is the man who'll have you to wife HELLO MAN OF THE HOUSE???? you are the icon you are the moment

and i'm especially struck by telemachus's tell me athena why you came to my aid it's polites's what keeps you up so late at night my friend !!!!!!!!!!!!!! the IMPLICATIONS are INCREDIBLE but they're completely external to the canon body of the official concept album!!!

the layers are so lovely and fascinating perhaps in an even greater capacity because they're inherent and immutable but also in a way absolutely false and optional! it's just awesome! duality! we exist in the context!!!

[willosword]

ugggghhhh. gleh........ ok...... so from a writing perspective. i understand what they're going for with the amber abuse plot in the comic. it is........ definitely another way to test mark's resolve as a hero and make him think about oliver's points. but i don't wanna see it in the show. for several complicated to articulate reasons

[hunsa-jars]

Dread be dreading

[miawinters]

i saw lady, so i was just reminded of this, but her character had some of the most egregiously misogynistic writing from capcom i've seen. every scene with her made me cringe how dante spoke to her, and when she fought as a boss to determine who beats her father, i was begging there to be some secret scripted scenario where she wins. the scene where her evil dad, that she came to kill, convinces her he always cared, and it was the mean teenager who manipulated him, which has her cry for him, her not having a name and not naming herself, but basically being named by dante, and what's worse is her keeping "lady"!!! her giving her personal weapon with her mom's name on it to this guy she just met, her crying alone instead of ever joining the fight. vergil gets a cool BROS moment w dante while i guess she's walking back towards them?? crazy