#el answers questions

[damsels-n-dice]

Tabletop trick or treat! (I may have already sent you one, I have completely lost track)

TREAT: Talk about a game you would like to play/read/buy.

hello! my final trick-or-treater is someone i recognize -- so let me recommend a game that you probably don't recognize, based on a film that you probably do recognize, but which doesn't actually exist!

The Greatest Mafia Move [N]ever Made is a wonderful TTRPG, a lasers and feelings hack where you play as characters from Goncharov (1973) and tell a mafia movie story. it includes a section where the GM can generate a motif for the session, and instead of the original game's laser feelings, you can "check the script" of the movie! it's an incredibly good concept and i love lasers & feelings hacks (i dug this one up while trying to write a campaign around them!) so i definitely want to get around to running or playing this at some point :)

[finehs]

It's difficult for you to say aloud, I know, so I won't ask you to. Rather, I would ask you to consider a proposal. Stay on permanently. 

[m1d-45]

will you promise that i'll see you again?

summary: your people refuse reason, and their damage refuses to heal. when it seems as if the whole world has left you, your dutiful knight still remains by your side.

word count: 2.3k

-> warnings: implied suicidal ideation (reader + unnamed side character), reader's previous deaths are mentioned in somewhat graphic detail

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @yuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

“you’re one of the only things keeping me going, you know.”

dainslef turned to you in surprise, the even neutrality to your tone a sharp contrast to the rapid pace of his heart. he wasn’t a fool, he knew that the hunt had to be taking a heavy toll on you, but this…

this was more than he expected.

he knew he was one of a pitiful few who saw through celestia’s false puppet, who knew you for you and not their mirage. he knew that the entire world was hellbent on erasing you from existence, that you’d been forced through your own death countless times as teyvat pulled you apart and pushed you back together far from the scene of your would-be murder. he saw the golden scars across your skin, the dried remains of blood lining the wounds you hadn’t been able to patch yet. he’d been the one to wash them away, not minding the refuse soaking into his gloves if it meant your hands could be clean.

he recognized the dull exhaustion in your eyes, the same as the ones he saw in the reflections of lakes. tired, worn, barely there, hanging on by one solitary string that was wound so tightly around a desperate hand.

you had always been his reason for continuing. when the traveller broke down and the ruler of the abyss hid from the sun, you were there. when the chasm’s mud clung to his boots and the memories in his head burned as nails forced between his eyes, you were there. his rosary was kept tight to his chest at all times, familiar prayers pulling him up in the morning and forcing him to sleep at night. he was alive for far, far too long, but you made it bearable. you were his duty, his promise.

he never once thought that he’d be yours. then again, he never thought that he’d have to defend you from the ones you once called friends. time never did pass how he expected it to.

“…leading light?”

you looked down, twirling blades of grass around your fingers. he had led you up to a mostly desolate area of sumeru, west of bayda harbor. it close enough to the sea, forest, and desert that you could reasonably make an escape through any of those routes if need be, while also providing a rather pleasant view. the sky was bleeding red and gold as the sun sank below the horizon, a remarkable sight that fell on blind eyes. there was no use trying to enjoy nature’s beauty when he still kept one hand on his sword and both ears pricked for the slightest sign of danger.

you shouldn’t have to worry about your safety. you shouldn’t have to prioritize based on how likely you are to get hurt, or how easily it would be to make an escape. you still flinched when the wind blew a little too quick, used to it heralding armored footsteps and battle cries. in another life, you were welcomed with open arms, able to enjoy yourself without constantly being on high alert. teyvat did what it could to adapt; the air was still, frozen in time, barely a bird chirping for miles. it was meant to be comforting, he thinks, but dead silence was more unnerving than any breeze.

“i mean it.” he could hear every shift in his cloak around your shoulders, the heavy fabric doing little to soothe your stress. it was yours more than it was his now, to the point he felt claustrophobic wearing it. how long had he been traveling with you? the days blurred.

“i don’t doubt you.” he never would. never could. he’s not sure, even if he somehow wanted to, that his body would allow him to treat your words as anything less than fact. “but i don’t understand what you mean.”

you were a god. the creator, the first, the one that shaped the sovereigns scales and laid the foundations of earth. you predated the archons, celestia, the very skies themselves…

and he, somehow, was a driving motivation for you?

his words must have been funny, a sharp laugh tumbling out of your mouth. it was bitter, humorless, and somewhat raspy. he made note to find some water for you later. “what else could i mean?” you turn to him, some of his confusion lost as your eyes found his. even this burnt out, deep bags set beneath them, you still managed to steal the very air in his lungs. “you’re the only reason i’m still here.”

he didn’t know what to say. what was there to be said, when you were you and he was him? when the world had abandoned you, it made sense you’d cling to what remained faithful. it was merely coincidence he happened to find you first, that’s all. coincidence that you trusted enough not to run from, coincidence that you allowed to care for your injuries. there was nothing to say, because you held nothing for him in particular, only leaning on him out of need. he had to believe that. what was he left with if that wasn’t true? an awkward truth hid beneath his well-known lies, too large for him to see the edges, let alone to contain.

“please… do not say such things again.” to ask of his god what he could not ask of himself was surely some form of heresy, as was willingly laying aside his guard when he was the only one who was tasked with protecting you. he pulled his attention from the tide below, from the rustling trees, holding faith that the world would not be needlessly cruel. he stepped forward, kneeling beside you. even up close, you still seemed painfully small. “it is your own resilience that has allowed you to persevere.”

it’s the earth that leads you from danger.

it’s the water that follows you wherever you go.

it’s the leylines that whisk you to safety.

it’s the wind that warns you of what’s to come.

it’s the you from the past that protects the you in the present.

it’s the you in the present that provides for the you in the future.

it’s you, from everywhere and everywhen, continuing to fight.

and yet you sigh. you look away, across the sea, tracing fontaines skyline. “it really isn’t. i was lucky to run into you when i did.”

you had just crossed the wall back into the forest, burning hot and shaking. he was the lucky one, in truth, to be able to pick your figure out from the sand below. perched on a high cliffside, even mitachurls were reduced to small brown flecks.

you had worn a cryo mage’s cloak, which was what initially drew his attention. abyss activity wasn’t uncommon in the area, but a cryo mage in the desert… that was cause for intrigue. he stepped forward and slid down the steep face in front of him, a slight puff of dust marking his landing in the desolate sand of old vanarana.

he didn’t know what to expect. you stumbled around the jagged remains of a tree, heading for the statue of the seven. he followed, only growing more confused. cryo and dendro did not react with each other, and there was no way to “slow” a statue. a scouting mission, maybe? but why a cryo mage, when pyro would have been far more advantageous in the case of an attack?

he leaned around the corner carefully, prepared for the sight of a staff or the chanting of abyssal magic filling the air. the entire world seemed to be holding its breath, frozen in place and waiting for some trigger to continue.

he saw none of that. you were collapsed at the foot of the statue, faint wheezing only making it to his ears by virtue of the standstill around him. you held no staff, commanded no magic, your chest barely moving with air.

he’d never seen a mage seek out the archons when dying. one hand squeezed the handle of his sword as he crept forward, ready to strike should the situation turn against him. the sand barely shifted beneath his feet, his own heart sounding too loud to his ears. you did not move, showing no signs that you had noticed his approach. he still didn’t trust it.

your cloak was tattered and torn, with thick gloves atypical of a mage. they reminded him more of hilichurl wraps, which was strange considering you wore no mask. your face was instead covered by what looked like eremite cloth, just as stained and dirtied as the rest of your clothes. what he could see looked almost human; in another life, he could believe you were a weary traveller, lost amidst the sand.

he was acting foolish. if the abyss had a human tool, he needed to figure out why. he reached down, undoing the sloppy knot of your veil and letting the brocade fall limply to the grass.

…grass. he blinked, eyes flickering between the ground and your face, not sure which was harder to believe. flowers had bloomed around you, protecting your body from the blazing sands, and he’d be a fool not to recognize the face plastered all over every bounty board.

he didn’t understand. if nothing else, he thought the archons would have enough respect for their creator to know when they were being lied to, yet before him was barely living proof of the inverse. sweat beaded along every inch of exposed skin, deep-set heat exhaustion burning you from the inside out. how could you be a threat? how could they be so blind?

he looked again, the shine of elemental sight straining his eyes, catching flickers of the dendro energy pouring from the statue. you were the only one the archons would feed. you were the only one to make the very earth break its own rules, allowing lotuses to bloom from barren soil. something painfully similar to rage threatened what remained of his rationality, and it took all he had to push it aside.

that didn’t matter. if he went off on some banal revenge quest, he’d be no better than them. your safety mattered more. he picked you up and set aside how calm his curse felt, beginning the trek back to his camp. behind him, the flowers already began to wither, losing their persistence without you to foster it.

perhaps that initial meeting was luck. but these was no luck involved in your trust in him. when you woke up and saw him at your side, you chose to trust him. you chose to believe that he was not like the others, that he would protect you, and he was forever grateful for that trust. nobody could fault you for being angry, for being spiteful about what you were put through and choosing to lash out. nobody would have the right to be upset if you chose to vent your wrath against those that had hurt you.

but you didn’t. you chose, again and again, to believe in the world. you chose to let them live their lives, even if it meant getting hurt again in the process. you chose a quiet life traveling with him over the comfortable life on your throne. to willingly choose to travel with a disgraced knight to spare your people guilt… he couldn’t decide if it was noble or reckless. either way, he was selfishly happy that he was the one to stay by your side.

“i won’t try to convince you. but, please.. do not give up on yourself so easily.” i know far too many who have died by the same hand. “the world and its opinion does not define you. only you get to decide where fate leads.”

you lean towards him, and he thinks you might have passed out- but no, your head lands on his shoulder with far too much precision. he stiffens, not used to existence without a constant pain beneath his skin. “how motivational. you tell all your soldiers that?”

his heart is beating too quickly, thoughts unusually hard to grasp. you’re the only one who could have this effect on him. he only wished it wasn’t now, when your belief in yourself was on the edge. “i mean it. none of this is your fault, and neither are celestial actions the people’s fault. i know that you are hurt, but i don’t want you to accept that main needlessly. you shouldn’t have to view your creation with such pain.” slowly, carefully, he raises the hand closer to you, doing his best not to disturb you as he settles it on your arm. he’s can only hope that the contact brings you as much comfort as it does him. “if nothing else, believe me. promise you’ll at least try.”

he doesn’t think you’ll agree. why would you make a promise to one who represents the heaven’s betrayal? why would you let him hold you close at all, when you can surely sense the bindings of those who tried to kill you wrapped tightly around his soul? he doesn’t know. all he can do is hope.

“…alright, dainslef. i promise.”

twilight has long since fallen, and yet he smiles for the first time in centuries.

[username0204]

"In S3 Mike was just surprised that El loved him back and kissed him!"

Yeah sure, when you have a huge crush on someone and you're not sure if they even like you back and they kiss you supposedly out of nowhere you have every right to be surprised at first, right? And a little flustered especially if that's your first kiss ever and there are people around and... oh wait... that's not Mike and El...

Ok sorry, let's try again... when your ex that you're still very close with, with whom you have already made out countless times to the point that other people said it's all you'd been doing over the course of a few months, says that they love you back after you blurted it out in front of other people and kisses you... you have every right to be totally dumbstruck and shocked to the point that you can't move or even close your eyes and reciprocate the kiss or say literally anything back and just keep standing there frozen as they leave the room, right? RIGHT???

Because it's apparently more shocking that your ex might have romantic feelings for you than your crush and it's apparently more awkward to kiss someone you've made out with countless times than your first kiss ever?? And apparently if it's your crush and a first kiss - you can actually react in any way and smile afterwards... and if it's your ex that you supposedly love - all you can do is just... freeze in shock?

Like... if you wanna see a little awkward surprised kiss where one party realizes that the other reciprocates their feelings - that's Lumax! THIS☝��� shit though?? I don't know what the hell that is (jk it's *the* gay realization) but it for sure is not "Holly shit, the girl I love loves me back!! Hell yeah!!!!"

If I wanted to shoot a "boy realizes he's gay for his bestie and is shoved back to the closet 5sec after" kind of epilogue without giving it bluntly away I don't think I would've done it much better than this... but if I wanted to shoot a "boy gets his feelings reciprocated by the girl he loves who tragically moves across the country" kind of epilogue... oh boy, I don't think there would be much left from the original script...

[fanfic-obsessed]

I have a prompt for you, in light of the recent (very entertaining) DCU aus you've posted. If you were going to do a batfam-are-cryptids-but-now-the-justice-leauge-meets-them thing, how would you do it?

Have I told you thank you yet, @somestorythoughts, your prompts and responses make me so happy. Also I almost always end up with  more to write, which is fun.

Now back to the important part.

Fair warning, I screw with ages and timelines with this one. There is no canon here

I think, as far as a cryptid status is concerned this will be a ‘Batman is a founding, and funding, member of the Justice League, but has never revealed his identity’ kind of idea (with all the precautions therein to make sure even the metas can’t guess his identity). There is some speculation throughout the Justice League that Batman does not actually have a civilian identity, that he is the spirit of justice possessing a cape and cowl (Seriously there were three attempted exorcisms).  It is known that Batman always works alone, and that no one is to set foot Gotham, a few of the youngest members disbelieve that Gotham even really exists. 

However there are always rumors that can’t quite be dispelled.  No one in the Justice League can figure out the Watchtower’s firewall (designed by Oracle). Through the years there have been half heard conversations by the JL that almost sound like a wellness check after a fight, going either direction over a com line they can’t access. Sometimes during particularly difficult fights masked strangers will appear, most of which fight with styles similar to Batman, only to vanish again without a word. A few swear they have caught code names (Robin…or maybe Red Robin…Or was it Red Hood…no it was really Black Bat…there might be a BatGirl????) but no one can confirm anything.

In addition, it is impossible to quell the rumor that entering Gotham uninvited means you will disappear.  Not every time and no one can figure out the difference between being escorted out and vanishing, but there have been several heroes from the community who vanished after entering Gotham over the years.

What’s really happening is that I love the Young Justice Team and want a way for it to work with Cryptid BatFam. 

Two of the most notable, the first but certainly not the last, were Bart Allen, Impulse, and Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl who entered the city limits together to try to prove that they too could be heroes. Both were 15 when they vanished.  Unknown to anyone else, at the same time an unnamed clone of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor was also sent into Gotham, as a test of some kind. 

All three of them, for different reasons, entered feeling abandoned or dismissed by the people around them. So when they encountered Tim Drake, as Robin, age 14; he called dibs and adopted them on the spot (Tim: These are my children Cassie, Bart, and the newly named Connor. Yes, I carried them in my very own womb and I am very proud of all of them. No, I will not accept questions. Batkids: Cool! Niblings. Batman<sighs>: At least tell me you didn’t kill someone to acquire them. Tim: I just told you, I birthed them myself).  So Cassie, Bart, and Connor are absorbed into the BatFam. Both Bart and Cassie decide against telling anyone where they are, with Connor not really having anyone to tell.  It should also be noted that the JL avoided asking Batman about the whereabouts of the kids who vanished after entering Gotham, they didn’t want to admit where the kids had gone. 

Three years later, Jason, as Red Hood (Jason did not die here, though it was close. He still took on the moniker of Red Hood after a beating by the Joker), age 19 happens upon Roy Harper, age 20 after Roy had a fight with Oliver and does the same thing. Only Jason dragged Roy home and introduced Roy home as his newest brother, giving Bruce a crazy look that said under no uncertain terms that Bruce better break out the adoption papers immediately; never mind that Roy was not underage.  

At the same time Raven, originally 26, was de aged to about 8 due to an attempted possession by her father, accidentally portals into Gotham and practically climbs Dick Grayson,age 22, in fear. The effects of the spell and the portal wiped her memories past her physical age.  So now Dick has a daughter as well, who he thinks is a Gothamite since he never saw the portal.  As far as anyone from Justice League Dark can tell there was a portal leading to Gotham where Raven disappeared but no one knows what happened (Batman and his family are looking for an adult Raven and never connected her to the 8 year old Rachel that became Dick’s daughter).

Others also disappear, having been adopted by the Waynes

What I am saying is that Gotham is considered quite a bit more dangerous to the caped community and the Batfam encompasses a few people it might not have otherwise. I think it would be funnier if Batman was not aware of his family's cryptid status (It never occurs to him that his kids have never been invited to join any of the younger generation teams).

Something sparks a partial return of Raven’s, now around 14 or 15, memory, enough for Rachel (who is the current Robin) to realize she is Raven. At her request, Batman announces this at a meeting and her intention to remain Dick’s daughter and Bruce’s granddaughter.  The JL react confusingly (they are all losing their collective minds at the thought that Batman has kids AND grandkids).  His response that one of his sons made him a grandfather when the boy was 14 does not inspire confidence.  Eventually, and I do mean this takes ages, it leads to the entire Batfam coming up to the Watchtower.  In spite of the masks Barry recognizes Bart, and after a moment the Wonder’s also recognize Cassie. Both had been desperately missed (the feelings of abandonment had been a misunderstanding).  Though the Wonder’s and the Speedsters both try to hug their missing members, it becomes clear that you can pry them from their mother, Tim, introduced as Red Robin, only when Red Robin is dead. 

The Speedsters look at each other, shrug, and immediately start lobbying Red Robin for Visitation (it does not matter that Tim’s kids are all adults with their own lives in Gotham). The Wonders do not have a chance to do the same as Connor, code name Agent C (he decided he did not want to be a field Vigilante, instead he has taken on a support role, like Alfred, where he is their Mechanic/Mechanical Engineer), drops the bomb that he is a Clone of Superman and Lex Luthor (Connor had not been told enough by the scientists at CADMUS to know what was going on, or even if Lex was aware his DNA was being used but of course the Bats did a DNA, he didn’t even know what the lab was called or where to find it).

Superman does make the connection to CADMUS labs, which he had shut down a few years earlier-though he never put those reports in the Watchtower computers as he considered it an internal matter (Batman would like it noted that all of the Batfam reports end up in the watchtower computer and is irritated that the other heroes do not do the same). 

Connor had been the only ‘viable’ clone but all the records (whether viable or not) had been stamped with ‘failure’, so Superman had not known that there should be a clone of him out there somewhere.  Also the intervening years of being able to process, ‘hey this person I knew, and was once friends with, stole my genetic material to try and create a new person without my consent or knowledge’ without having to deal with the results of said actions (Compounded by the guilt of not being able to look at this miniature version of himself without making the connection to his enemy Lex and his violation, knowing intellectually that it was not Connors fault for being created or that Connor was created specifically to be a weapon against Superman, but still not able move on emotionally, not enough to be responsible for a child) added to the fact that it is pretty clear that Superman does not need to be responsible for Connor means that superman can verify that Connor is happy where he is, which he is. Then Superman can, with a clear conscience-since Batman is undeniably paranoid enough to have a plan if Connor becomes a villain or an actual problem, offer to help with unexpected powers and have Connor meet the rest of his family. 

So Red Robin is simultaneously mediating the reunion between his three children and their other families, all the while ready to take down a Cape that breathes wrong in their direction. 

Red Hood, sans helmet but with a mask, is creatively and rhythmically cursing Green Arrow out on behalf of Roy (I want you to picture a Red Hood that practices and excels in the art of Flyting).  Green Arrow had made an immediate, and poorly phrased, inquiry into Roy sobriety.  Roy has been sober for almost 3 years. 

Damian, codename Firebird, is critiquing several of the last major fights and their fighters while having a discussion about blades and underwater fighting with the Aqua family.  He is also keeping a protective eye on Nightwing and Robin, who are facing off against JLD (who would like to see if what happened to Raven is reversible-mostly to make sure she is healthy and whatever happened is stable, Nightwing and Robin are taking it to mean they want Raven back instead of Robin). 

Steph as Spoiler, Cass as Black Bat, and Duke as Orphan are explaining to a largely horrified audience of former Titans the complicated legacy of the Batman, Robin, and Batgirl names in Gotham (The current Batgirl, Helen Wayne-12 year old daughter of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne- is standing with Bruce and Alfred-mask firmly in place. She is new to the name and this is her first mission outside of Gotham). It is at this point that the Justice League finds out that there are a number of times when the Batman they dealt with was NOT the same person. Someone also brings up the rumor that Batman is actually a haunted piece of clothing, to the entire BatFams bemusement.

At no point during this process does anyone in the Batfam reveal their civilian identities (save the ones that are now known, like Bart, Cassie, and Roy).  They also do not admit to the fact that every single one of them steals and impersonates each other frequently (Tim holds the honor of having patrolled, handled an Arkham breakout, and met with someone outside of Gotham, and handled a world wide invasion in every vigilante identity from Gotham successfully).  

It also should be noted that this does not provide clarity to the Justice League about any topic regarding Gotham or its vigilantes.

[elbdot]

I just wanted to say I adore your El and Guzma comics, their relationship, development, and all the shenanigans they get into, with Hau included. They're soooo good, and I love all of it, especially El's team with some underrated mon on it. Speaking of which, I don't think any of the pokemon she has can mega evolve, other than Latias, who is a legendary. So, I wanted to ask: if she could have any mega evolution (that's not Latias), which one would she choose? Maybe she already has the mega stone for Latias, she just doesn't use it?

Also, because Guzma could have, not one, but two potential megas: Pinsir, which he has in the games, and Scizor, which he uses in the anime. So, in your opinion, if Guzma was given the option to choose only one of them to mega evolve: Pinsir or Scizor, which one do you think he'd settle on?

Hope this ask doesn't bother you, and thanks for everything 🙏. Your art is awesome, and I love it.

👀💦 The timing of this ask oh my god

Also tHANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVELY MESSAGE ADFHGFDJHGH 🥹

[bbpuckdrop]

thoughts loading….

[radioactive-earthshine]

What are ur thoughts about a Bartkon baby?

I honestly believe that Kon and Bart would be more likely to acquire a child unexpectedly than purposefully going out to adopt or create a child. Kon also semi already has a child, though I doubt we will see her again, Lophi's Martha. I don't like the idea of her just becoming a Konbart baby though, because she has a mother and it's a dick move to erase a mother just to make a baby for a queer ship.

Honestly, I feel like they would be content being child free. Not every couple needs children, even if they would be great parents, even if they like children. They could be fantastic mentors and uncles and "our guys" like what John Henry and Jim Harper was to Kon to young folk without being parents.

However, I have played with the idea of them acquiring a teenager and at the kids request to rename them they name them "Hero" but that's just a nebulous thought that would require more effort to flesh out than I am willing to spend.

[bidisaster-peanut-romano]

Throughout the entire game, who do you think are some of the most underrated or under-appreciated characters?

stumbling into the askbox whyyy hello there!!! it had been a while!!

OKAY SO. let's start from one fact: every. single. character has something special about them. so like the easy answer is... anyone, lmao. truth be told we (the whole community) has been around for llke, 18 years (WOAH) and some sides are completely unexplored. even just from the idea that... have you guys ever noticed how little content there is around about nerds and jocks, for exmple? and i don't only mean art but also writing, analysis, metas, thoughts and such. not to mention the townies, the townies, when, having some of them been given some actually adult attributes, there would be a lot to unpack.

i feel like this is a) mostly for the nerds, that the rightful fisgust for the horrible thing they did to mandy discourages a lot from engaging with them as characters too, and b) because they are quite overshadowed by the fan favorite preps and greasers. which, i mean, very legit. but i think that they do have a lot of potential, again, in terms of characterization and themes, and i feel like we are collectively missing out on a lot.

and there's also the fact that, even with the fan-favorites, there is so little tapping into the more serious and sometimes mature aspects. i wouldn't say christy is neglected by the fandom, but it's not often that i read someone talking about her repressed anger that explodes whenever she feels too much, that heirloom of her father that of curse she doesn't have, she isn't a problem boy like her brother, what do you mean with that, i could use this tie to strangle you goddammit! or vance, that we all love as the sunshine jokester of the greaser and heartbreaker queer icon, but how come none of us ever mention him having a canonical addiction, and what if his messy dating habits have to do with that, too? what if he's running from something inside himself, rushing to next best thing just so he can feel something?

but this is just me rambling as an introduction oops. so, just trying to list a couple of my favorites:

thad carlson (& dan wilson) (putting them together bc they're intrinsecally connected and while i do stand by the fact that he's wildly underappreciated in the fandom i would hit dan in the face with a brick): i would lterally give my first born for these two. they are what they actually wanted to write when they wrote about cain and abel. i'm not sure what is the exact reason why they have different last names, and i don't wanna enter headcanon territory here. what it does unavoidably indicate, though, is that they were doomed from the start. like it was written in their names. so, picture this: they were in the nerds together. they suffered the bullying, the abuse together. the humiliation tasted like blood in their mouths and shone like the stars they'd see with their heads smashed in a locker, but at least they knew their brother would've been there to hold them. there's something very visceral about suffering together with a brother. like the blood they share creates somewhat of a shell, one that can protect them from what is outside, that can give them the comfort that they will never be alone. whether they like it or not, their brother will forever be with them; it's inside them. except that thad had the rage of a wounded animal; dan had the fear of a small prey. so, while thad kept standing tall and proud and chin high against his bullies, dan started training and morphing until he could be accepted in the jocks. dan wasn't the bullied anymore. he was the bully. while his brother was still on the other side of the war- the side of the eternal losers, that is. the side that, no matter how many battles they will win, they will always be at a disadvantage. so thad has got all the hurt of having been betrayed by a half of himself, like the phantom pain of a lost limb. and the hurt makes him angrier and angrier and when he wants to take revenge on the jocks his brother is the first target he wants, because, see, he is the victim, his brother is cain who has killed abel. but also dan has got his head on backwards to look out for enemies and for anyone who might uncover him as the fraud he is, the way he just thought- they are just bullying me for what i am, so what if i become someone different? except that it's not like he didn't feel like a loser anymore, he just feels like a loser with a football sweater. so at that point you look at the direction of that violence, at where the anger and the resentment lies, and you stop there and wonder. who's cain there? who's gonna be the victim, who the executioner? like nathaniel orion said, "i want to kill him sometimes. i think sometimes he wants to die". i love them ur honor.

otto tyler: i have no literal idea why there is so so so little about him. admittedly, content about townies is in gnereal harder to track down, since they have... no last names.... for the most part. but the otto tag is absolutely desolated. this boy is what you'd call too angry to be this young. his first response to anything is extreme violence and fantasies of it. playing his audios you will be met with die, kill, die, kill, kill, die, die. and all of his vitriol is poured on the school, like they have all come together specifically to hunt him down. and he's been canonically hospitalized, as well; when you walk in the asylum for the first time (galloway away i believe) he tells you not to "anger the watcher"- but who is this watcher? the composition of the scene seems to implies it is the statue in the courtyard; the most coherent correspondence would be the orderlies you will have to avoid as you walk past them; maybe otto himself has just been told not to anger the watcher by the people who are supposed to take care of him, but that are just playing with his mind to make him too afraid not to behave. which, incidentally, doesn't sound too different from what he might have suffered at school. otto will ask you if you have ever punched a wall. he will swear he hates everyone in the school, that everyone in the school hated him, he will threaten to destroy it. otto is a landmine, he's an unstable kid who just needed some ground to stand on, and instead they placed him all alone on a shaking earth. all is anger is desperation, it's having spent too much time without a support system, too much time bound -to a chair, in a cell, in a straitjacket- surrounded by people who couldn't understand him. who stifled his expression instead of channeling all the feelings he had all the time, exploding and intense in an overwhelming and violent way. i like to think of him as an artist. he mentions tattoos; i like to imagine he's learning to do them himself. that he's finding that as an outlet for his expression. and yeah overall. i am a lot fond of otto, and i think he would have a lot to say.

mr. wiggins: look, this guy is super unlucky. he's the only teacher with no class minigame; he's only ever walking around, and if you saw him you probably mistook him for the more familiar mr. matthews. but believe me when i tell you he's a real one. example 1: when someone snithces to him, he says something along the lines of "thank you, but i will never be able to trust you again". BRO. let me tell you, in 1968 this guy was OUT on his college campus and he was MARCHING and RIOTING with workers and students. he even mentions having spent a night or two in JAIL. he will walk into class and say the nastiest things about reagan while he keeps saying that as a teacher he will have to be politically neutral as if he didn't just have a fight with hattrick about socialism.

[noahschnappinfs]

what do you think about the idea that noah is the next in the 'tom felton variant' which is an idea in pop culture about people who dont move on from the thing that made them most famous when they were a child? as can be seen here minute 6.30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewu2a6ExM08

… who cares 🤷🏻‍♀️

he’s only 20. he’s not losing sleep over it and i’m not either

[damsels-n-dice]

tabletop trick or treat!!

TRICK: Highlight a TTRPG creator on Tumblr.

first i gave out a treat, so now a trick for you 😈 and a very easy one, too. my first shout-out's gotta be @psychhound!

funnily enough, i haven't actually gotten around to playing any of luka's original TTRPGs yet, as i have the attention span of a goldfish and the memory of a rock. but his d&d homebrews, particularly the autism & adhd mechanics and service monsters, are what got me into homebrew in the first place! and then from there i got into TTRPGs beyond D&D, and into creating my own. so really they're the one to blame for all the incoherent rambling i do in here.

(writing this also made me realise i own the narrator paradox through the accessible gaming bundle, so i'm gonna check that out! anyone reading this should have a look at it too, if you've got the bundle)

[bisupergirl]

what would you say were the most in-character cwsg kara moments? (also, do you think it was any more faithful before it moved to the cw?)

prefacing this by saying that I hardly remember like 90% of anything that happened in that show (and what I do remember is mainly from seasons 1 and 4), but off the top of my head here are some in-character (imo) cbs/cw!kara moments:

i've talked about this one a couple times, but that scene from the very first episode where Kara angrily confronts Cat after she names her SuperGIRL has a really great start:

Kara: "Supergirl"? We can't name her that! [...] It's just, uh... I don't want to minimize the importance of this. A female superhero. Shouldn't she be called "Superwoman"? [...] If we call her "Supergirl", something less than what she is, doesn't that make us guilty of being anti-feminist?

because she's right! she's literally right. and yelling at her boss (and other figures of authority) because they've done something that she strongly morally disagrees with is something that comic!Kara loves doing. this scene started out so nicely but immediately fizzles out once Kara backs down when Cat goes on her dumb "what's wrong with being a girl? i'm a girl!" speech and has to be bailed out by Jimmy so she doesn't get fired. comic!Kara would've kept the energy throughout the entire argument and either quit or gotten fired right there. and she would've told Cat to drop dead (her favorite thing to tell her bosses).

another moment I really liked is from 1x06 when she's venting to Jimmy:

Kara: Growing up on Earth, I never felt normal. And I always thought that if I started to use my powers, my life would make sense. But I'm realizing that... being myself doesn't make me feel more normal. And it never will. Because my normal life ended the second my parents put me on that ship. And that makes me so mad.

yep, that's Kara alright ! it really is so fundamental to Kara's character that she can never really be "normal" again. she can begin a new (and fulfilling!) life, but the version of her that lived on Krypton—the girl who got into trouble with her friends, who loved learning about her peoples history, who bounced her baby cousin on her knee, who shared her passions of art and science with her father and mother—is gone! she can carve out a new version of "normal" for herself on Earth, but that girl who woke up everyday and lived on Krypton is gone—and that haunts her!

and of course you have the classic and much beloved scene from 1x08 where Kara screams at her mother's hologram when she finds out Alura used her to draw her aunt Astra out of hiding and arrest her:

Kara: Could she have saved us? Alura: She was a criminal. Kara: But was she right? Alura: I am not programmed to give you that information. Kara: Tell me! [...] You let everyone that I love die! You left me! You left me alone! You sent me away! How could you do that?

and then this exchange between her and Alex:

Kara: She lied to me. Alex: Kara, that wasn't your mom. You don't know what happened then. Only what Astra is telling you now. Kara: I know that Astra and I were both given life sentences by my mother. We didn't have a choice.

Kara having a complex relationship with her mother and overall feeling deeply alone and abandoned by her parents is so important to me and very important to her character. this scene really fits in perfectly with that post I made a while ago that compiles the different instances across continuities where Kara admits to wishing she had stayed on Argo City instead of being sent to Earth alone. she's really the loneliest and most tragic character in the world !

okay and one last scene (well. multiple scenes) from season 1 that I really enjoy is from 1x16 where Kara gets infected by red kryptonite. I truly believe that the first 10-ish minutes after Kara gets infected is the closest cbs/cw supergirl ever got to capturing pre-crisis Kara's energy:

Cat: Oh, and look at that. A reward. Somebody gifted me tickets for Club Apocalypse for Friday night to see a Scandinavian DJ whose name I won't even try to pronounce. Kara: Thank you. I'll put them to good use. Siobhan: Do you even know how to dance? Kara: Don't be jealous. Or do, I don't really care.

K'hund: Your mother— Kara: Sentenced you to Fort Rozz, blah, blah, ruined your life, I've heard the story. You wanna fight about it?

Kara: Hi, Siobhan! Siobhan: What do you want? Stalker. Kara: Messenger downstairs wants you to sign for Ms. Grant's flowers. Siobhan: Okay, you do it. Kara: Well I would but Ms. Grant needs me to proof a column for her ASAP. I'm sure one day she'll give you more editorial responsibilities too.

Kara [to Siobhan after she gets fired]: Well, I guess that's your exit. [...] Well, that was awkward. But not surprising, though. She was a bad seed, it was only a matter of time.

the Kara / Siobhan catco scenes in particular really remind me of pre-crisis Linda Danvers / Nasty Luthor and the workplace feud that they had back in adventure comics. one of the biggest failings of cbs/cw Kara is that she's not enough of a dick. comic!Kara can be an asshole sometimes! she's catty! she's not above having a stupid feud with a coworker that she hates! she can be somewhat of a dick and also be kind and compassionate, they're not mutually exclusive.

moving on! (and skipping anything from seasons 2 and 3 because it's been literal years since I watched them) fast forward to season 4, I liked the scene in 4x08 where the US President fired Kara from the DEO for not revealing her secret identity:

Kara: If I did that, sir, everyone I know, everyone I love would be at risk. President Baker: My family is with the Secret Service as we speak. You think they're not in danger? No one should be above the rest of us. We need to put country first. Kara: I'm sorry, sir. I can't give you what you want. President Baker: Then, I thank you for your service, but you're dismissed, effective immediately. I hope you'll comply. The United States does not want a war with Supergirl. Kara: Then I trust you won't start one.

FINALLY Kara gets fired from one of her jobs, it's about damn time ! but seriously Kara standing her ground in this matter, especially when the President is trying to make it look as if she's selfish and thinks she's above or better than him or anyone she protects ("MY family's with the Secret Service!! NO ONE is above the rest of us!! you're putting YOURSELF before the country!!"), is VERY comic!Kara. she knows he's full of shit and she won't be guilt tripped into doing something she's not comfortable doing, even when it's a direct order from the US President. and I especially love the "then I trust you won't start one" at the end of their conversation. get his ass.

there's definitely other moments throughout the show that give comic!Kara to me, but alas, I don't remember any. I loved anytime she was onscreen with Nia though, so take that as you will.

as for the second part of your question, I don't think the show was any more or less faithful to her comics when it switched networks. however, just in terms of Kara's personality, I think she actually somewhat improved once the show moved to the CW. I just find the overly bubbly, "adorkable", "golden retriever" type of personality they gave her in the first season to be SO grating, and I felt that she mellowed out once the network switched. as the show went on Kara matured and grew more of a spine, which is more accurate to the Kara I love from the comics.

imo the first season did a good job when it came to touching on Kara's connection to Krypton and letting her feel complex emotions about her past, but I think it's disappointing in every other aspect. they majorly declawed her and they centered Superman in a really annoying way by constantly comparing her to him and just mentioning him unnecessarily (not to mention changing Kara's character to be more like him and giving Clark HER villains (yes i'm still mad about the show's version of Reactron)). make no mistake, CW Supergirl is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they let her be more of an established and confident hero. obviously that's just like. character development. but even so, when you compare season 1 to Kara's early career in the comics, it's just like. kind of insulting ! 15 year old, incredibly traumatized comic!Kara was doing a better job at being Supergirl than 24 year old show!Kara. just a shame!

[sovamurka]

my friend after seeing Ekko disliking tea:

EKKO PREFERS SOMETHING STRONGER THAN TEA - HIS OWN TEARS AND HEXTECH LIQUIDY-LIQUID OF ABSTRACTION

EKKO! YOU'RE A MEMBER OF ZAUNITE COMMUNE, FATHER AND HUSBAND, TURN ON YOUR CONSCIENCE AND RUN FROM THAT SHADY BACHELOR PARTY

[constellarcreator]

Some ppl in the notes of that one poll I reblogged earlier were pissing me off so blinding bad that I blocked em lmao. Why are we taking moral potshots at each other over *checks notes* listening to music. This site really IS a toxic waste dump for moral OCD havers huh

[thistledropkick]

I translated the first ever interview with Young Lion Mikami Kyosuke, published on New Japan’s website, from March 8, 2010.

Hit by Hansen’s bull rope and awakened to pro wrestling! A quick interview with anticipated newcomer Mikami Kyosuke

The Act Tower Tournament was held in Hamamatsu on March 7th. There, a newcomer made his long anticipated debut against Taguchi Ryusuke.

His name is Mikami Kyosuke. Influenced by pro wrestling since childhood, he joined the prestigious Senshu University’s wrestling club in order to become a professional wrestler. We managed to catch Mikami for an interview before his match! In this first-ever interview, we talked to him about his current state of mind, his passion, and information about himself.

- Your debut match was decided rather abruptly, wasn’t it?

M: Yes. I was told five days ago. And I’m still about to b*rf (from stress.) I thought “Well, I’m debuting after Fale” (laughs) (Fale Simi Taitoko = a trainee from the same class / debuted in April)

- Mikami, please tell us about your background.

M: I did judo and amateur wrestling, and then entered Senshu University on a wrestling sports recommendation from Nigata prefecture’s Maki Agricultural High school (now Maki Sougou High School)

- That’s a famous college with a prestigious connection to pro wrestling, right?

M: Our coach was Hase Hiroshi (ex pro wrestler, current Lower House member) and Nakanishi (Manabu) would watch over our training sessions as well. Hirasawa (Mitsuhide) was a third year student there when I was a first year. But, I dropped out……

- Excuse me for asking, but why did you drop out?

M: Because I didn’t go to class. I was an economics major but I don’t have any interest in economics (laughs). I originally wanted to do pro wrestling, which is why I originally started amateur wrestling in the first place.

- So, after that?

M: I tried to enroll with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but my application didn’t make it past the initial screening. My dad scolded me, saying “What’re you gonna do about your student debt, you bastard!” and I thought “This is really bad” as I moved back to my hometown. 

I owe my dad a large amount of money to pay off my student loan. So after that, I worked construction for about a year, and then for about four years I was a freeter working at restaurants, at a beach resort, a pachinko parlor, and so on. But then in May of 2009, the (New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo) admission test rules changed, and the height restriction was removed. Hirasawa said “Hey, what’re you gonna do? You gonna go for it?” and I submitted the application one more time.

- And in June 23rd of 2009, you became a student. Were you always a pro wrestling fan?

M: Yeah. Due to my dad’s influence, I always was. When I was still in preschool, I got hit by Stan Hansen’s bull rope at an All Japan show, and my pro wrestling awakening began. All Japan, New Japan, FMW, I loved ‘em all.

- Did you tell anyone about your debut?

M: My parents and my local friends. And later I told my friends on GREE [Note from me: GREE is a gaming social media ap, so this is kind of like telling your Steam friends or something] I told them, "I'm gonna be in a match." The reactions from everyone were pretty intense. Because I hadn't told anyone I was a trainee at New Japan. I only told everyone once the company officially announced it and posted my name on the website. As you might expect, my mother is worried about me. But my grandma, who loves pro wrestling, said “YEAH, GO GET EM!” (laughs)

- What is your special move?

M: I’m just debuting right now, I don’t have a special move yet (laughs) But, since I’ve been doing amateur wrestling for so long, I think I’ll concentrate on a single leg, double leg, and tackle.

- And your “sales point” is?

M: I’ve got a stocky body type, but I’m going for “chubby yet agile.”

- And your rivals are?

M: Right now, the students in the dojo are Fale and Takahashi, and classmates are perfect as rivals. And of course I’m aware of Hirasawa as well.

- What kind of wrestler do you want to be?

M: Most of all, I want to be someone that everyone wants to cheer for. Basically, it’s stupid, but I love attention (laughs) I want to be the kind of pro wrestler that makes the fans yell “DO YOUR BEST!”

- The opponent you want to fight is?

M: There are too many to even name.

- Finally, express your enthusiasm to us in one sentence.

M: Anyway, pleased to meet you all and thank you for your support, I’ll keep working hard and doing my best. Taguchi is IWGP Jr Tag Champion so, having a person like that as my debut opponent is an incredible honor. Anyway, I plan to use the things that he has taught me. Pleased to meet you all, thank you for your support.

[pocketramblr]

Could you talk MORE about ideas and thoughts of Kon and Jemahl becoming friends? What about their individual characters that makes you love them?

Yeah!!! I absolutely can keep talking about them!!!

My love of Kon started decades ago when I was a young child taken to Six Flags by my grandparents, I was too terrified to ride the Superman ride but the giant Super Family character signs around the ride enchanted me, especially the extremely cool looking Superboy. Years later when I actually read Reign of the Supermen I was like "yeah this kid rules" but also realized that John Henry was the most perfect man ever. Superboy as a clone of a dead man trying to find the role he was "supposed" to have while also discovering who he was resonated with me for. reasons. He's a good mix of relatable personally, and reminding me of some of my students- kids who want to do good but struggle with a lack of context or support. John Henry being one of his few early places of support is but one reason why he is so perfect. Anyway, then I started reading Superboy (94). I think the idea of using superhero to explore child celebrity exploitation is a good one but the execution is all over the place, so my favorite parts of the run really are the Cadmus focused segments and my top arc is always Hypertime. I love alt versions of the same character. Yes, yes, look into the mirror and confront those parts of yourself!!! I also love how Kon just does not give up, not in a fight, and not in believing in others. This is partially because he's so much like Superman because he wants to be, and partially because he's two years old. Both reasons are great.

Desiring to read more of John Henry, I then started reading Steel (94), which is, well, a comic about a Black superhero in the nineties whos execution is also a bit over the place. I think it's absolutely worth a read, but... Now, Jemahl is introduced as a 14 year old boy who's getting involved in a gang and obviously his uncle is unhappy with that. His family keeps telling him why it's a bad idea, but to no avail. Now, Jemahl isn't as relatable to me personally, but I am a Jemahl Defense Team Member. Not everyone in the Irons family is exactly the genius engineer that perfect man John Henry is, but they're all smart. Smart enough to figure out Steel's identity even when John Henry had been faking his death for five years at that point.

So, Jemahl is a smart kid who's father was killed* by a gang despite not being involved with anything*, and then his uncle and the family's main financial support was also killed* despite being wholly separated from any criminal activity*, and for the last five years has watched his mother support his great-grandparents, himself, his little sister, and younger foster siblings all on her own. Because they don't have any other family, because everyone else was killed for his grandparents being civil rights activities. So, when Jemahl's family keeps telling him to stay away from that sort of things because it'll be more dangerous... Why would he believe them? Sure, they say it, but all the evidence points to the fact that staying away just means you don't see when it's coming and have no backup when danger and death and bullets comes for you anyway, like it did his father and uncle. Jemahl loves his family and wants to help them. Jemahl is also a Black fourteen year old who is denied agency and opportunity for both his race and his age, which must be incredibly frustrating. Yeah, I really cannot blame him for not immediately jumping to obeying every thing his uncle said when he came back, because you know, this uncle has been falsely playing dead for five years. I know John Henry's a perfect man, but Jemahl's got no reason to! Especially not when more people start dying! If only John Henry returned for a time and could rebuild a relationship with his nephew by offering understanding of his motivations and actual support to act in a better way to reach his goal of protecting people and not feeling powerless. Alas, soon Steel got a new writing team and John and Natasha leave DC and Jemahl is sent away to witness protection program with his mother and great-grandfather and basically never seen again except one issue where Natasha visits for Christmas and it is... Not great. I don't know if him being forgotten at that point is a mercy because at least it means they didn't do anything worse with him, but... Anyway in 2015 DC was reshuffling the timeline again and for a brief, beautiful two issues we saw a world where John Henry took both Natasha and Jemahl with him to Metropolis when he left DC, and taught them how to repair his armor so they could feel like they were a part of helping defend others without putting them in danger themselves. Uh and then they built their own suits and immediately jumped to being heroes themselves because of course they did. Wow! It's like Jemahl flourishes when given the right tools to be the caring and protective guy he is! (This is a little weird though because these issues make him younger than Natasha instead) Tragically after the reshuffling, Jemahl Irons never existed. But they said the same thing about Kon and hey look who came back anyway!

So that's why I love those two guys individually. But I also think they could play off each other in a lot of fun ways:

As John Henry's nephew who has complicated feelings but ultimately respects and admires his uncle, especially when given the chance to follow in his shoes, and as the first kid John really got to help in this way. I mean, Kon knew John before he knew Kal. His idea of Superman is tinted by Steel's advice. I think Kon reminded John of his niblings at first, and so there's some good friendship there. (Much like how I enjoy Kon and Natasha being friends).

People have immediate assumptions when they see Kon and when they see Jemahl, in very different ways. Are they jealous of the other, or are they glad it's not what the other deals with because they at least feel familial understanding for their own problems?

When Match was introduced, the Agenda was intending on making and selling hundreds of Superboy clones to use as weapons, Kon was like, "uh??? Slavery??? Bad?!?!?" And I imagine Jemahl would have opinions on this whole thing as well. In fact, Jemahl would have opinions about a lot of things in the SB run, because part of it is Kon being a few months old at the start and having no context for anything like, you know, the colonization of Hawai'i, and part of it is because Kon's a white boy written for white boys. Not only would Jemahl have opinions, he would love to share them and educate Kon, and only somewhat because he'd get to feel like the smart one for once. (Curse of being only a mildly genius kid in a very genius family ig)

Actually they both do have shades of really needing to feel needed and become depressed, albeit in different directions, when they don't. Also, abandonment issues... So much. I'm sure that's something that would get better with their friendship. Or not. Could go either way, highly dependent on timeline lol

I think they could just also hang out. Like, I think they'd enjoy each other's company because it would come with much fewer expectations compared to basically anyone else in their home/hero communities. They can listen to music together, or play with TTK, or say things about girls that they will absolutely wish they had not said once they are no longer aged 14-16. If this is a post-rebirth friendship after they both get powergirl'd, they can hang out and either talk about the world they miss or Absolutely Not Talk About It and just soak in not being alone, at least in this way.

*yeah his dad and uncle weren't really killed and yeah they were involved but that was secret shhh this is as far as Jemahl knows