#stuff about the Condor

[eclipsethevamp]

ECLIPSE! *points dramatically * What's your favorite thing about the Condor :) ?

My first question already?! And it's a good one too.

I'd say my favorite thing about the Condor is...the balcony. It's just nice to stand out there and listen to the wind or look at the clouds pass by. Looking at the stars is nice too, helps remind me why I'm here.

[mellosdrawings]

Love your wingau out of curiosity if Leona and vil was in this au what kind of wings would they have?

Vil is the Black Swan to Neige's White Swan. I know I could've gone for peacock since Pomefiore has a lot of peacock details, but I thought the Black/White Swan story was better. (Though the Black Swan would've fit Neige best for the intuitive facet of it while the White Swan would've fit Vil better for the hard working version of it, buuuuut... anyway.)

Leona is an Andean Condor. They are birds of prey with one of the biggest wingspan on earth (even bigger than Jamil's white tailed eagle by a whole meter)

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

I would like to nominate the Harpy Eagle!

Unique abilities include: Being too fuckin' big for a bird. Tobias would have a field day

If the Animorphs had infinite ability to travel on Earth and to touch anything, what’s the coolest animal superpower they could’ve acquired?

There have to be loads of non-U.S. animals with interesting abilities, especially if the kids are not constrained by having to visit zoos.

[whereserpentswalk]

There's an orc attending your college. Your city is pretty diverse, there's a lot of human cultures represented there, and even harpies and dwarves are common. But an orc is still a really rare sight. And she's not assimilated at all, she wears the symbol of the dark lord around her neak, and the strange black cloths from the wastelands she came from, and she always seems to have a gun somewhere on her. It's strange just to see an orc in person, she's not like the green skinned monsters you see in movies, her eyes are pitch black, and her skin is so pale you can see veins, she's muscular and tell but also strangely skinny, and her teeth are sharp and spiked like a sharks, this one doesn't have tusks, just these rows of serrated teeth.

Everyone avoids her at first. There's something creepy about her. She doesn't move like a human. She emotes weirdly, being stoic during conversations, but sometimes smiling or laughing at odd times. In class it becomes clear that she lacks knowledge anyone growing up in your society has, but has extensive knowledge on things most humans will never know. She also very clearly supports the dark lord and the demons who serve him, and gets mad when his narrative of conquest and strict genetic hierarchy is challenged in class.

You end up paired with her for a class project. It's weirdly awkward. But you end up spending more time with her then most. It still takes awhile to get used to her mannerisms, and you have to convince her of evolution in a long debate (but eventually you do convince her). She seems strangely naive to a lot of things. Every time she does something that she considers a failure she goes into self loathing, and she gets really afraid she's going to be punished. You have to explain to her things are going to be ok sometimes.

You try to spend time with her. She supports the dark lord but out of a strange sense of fear more than the type of ideological support humans in nations not under his control have. When she does something that she thinks is heresy agaisnt him she becomes afraid. And while she's angry at people who follow gods other than him (which is basically everyone here) she's more afraid of them than everything. When a holy symbol you own touches her she's surprised it doesn't burn her, you have to tell her it's ok.

She has a lot more freedom here than she did back in the wastelands. You slowly help her realize she doesn't have to worry about being punished for sinning agasint the dark lord. She's able to go on the internet for the first time, you help her get everything set up. You also introduce her to your freinds, only some of whom feel safe around her, but those who do seem to like her.

It's weird just hanging out in her dorm. She can be weirdly laid back and introspective at times, at least when she's not nervous or paranoid. But when she's just relaxing she'll tell you about things, about the beauty of the desert sands, about what it was like to observe the rattlesnakes and condors and wyverns of her homeland. How she likes to observe the city, the way the diffrent people flow through it, she was scared of it at first but now she likes to explore it, and the way it lacks stars at night but the lights from the buildings replace it. She says she wishes she could stay here forever, that she wishes she could be an artist but that she was sent here to learn skills useful to the dark lord's empire.

There's something nice about showing her new things. You get to take her to a musical for the first time. Get to show her neighborhoods you like. Get to explain to her what public transport is (though she got scared feeling trapped in a subway car). You get to show her stuff she never got to experience because orcs are never really children, she loves getting to hold a plush for the first time, or watching cartoons for the first time, it's like she's finally getting to live an experience she never had. Even though she's a well armed adult she really likes plushies once she finds out about them, they weren't something she was allowed to have back home.

Over time she starts meeting people and learning things that go against her worldview. As she makes more friends, understands new things, slowly learns that she shouldn't be punished for mistakes, she slowly comes around to seeing how fucked up the world the was raised in is. She tells you she doesn't want to worship the dark lord anymore, she cries just from saying it. You hug her, and realize she's never been hugged before, she seems to really like that feeling. She bathes in the waters of a healing goddess, and she worships something out of love instead of fear for the first time.

Eventually the spawning warlock who spawned her and her siblings comes to visit her. You told her to be careful but she ended up spilling that she doesn't worship the dark lord, she ends up spilling all the things a warlock like that considers a sin. When he leaves she tells you she can't go home. Not ever. Never again will she see the shifting sands, or flying condor, or flowing serpents of her homelands. She's trapped where she is now.

You know it hurts her a lot. She says she feels like she's in a small pocket of safety. Back home she'd be hurt for being an apostate. In human lands outside of the city she'd be hurt for being an orc. But she's safe here. She stays in her apartment for awhile, while you try to make things work. She's finally changing her major to art, and despite everything she's finally free, free to watch the starless sky, free to not be punished when she makes a mistake...

[hellhunde]

This was an illustration requested on my patreon for $5! This was the illustration for November!

Zoetic Kite on Patreon requested "The King becomes a prisoner instead of Lain AU". Wasn't really something I had ever considered and It was fun to think about!

a frankly absurd amount of rambling about the AU from Patreon below the cut

What I initially thought about in regards to this AU would also be a like. "Lain died instead of the King" situation. Maybe he made it to the fight between The King and Condor in time and took the blow instead of him. The King being so shocked by the event that the Flock overpowered him and took him as prisoner.

Now, I do think The King gets his claws fucked up like Lain, but after that I think it diverts pretty heavily. The Flock would say that The King had given up his crown and given it to Mariner after the war, signalling and end to the conflict and peace between everyone. The King would not object to this, instead, I think even playing along with it.

The biggest difference between Lain and The King is that, The King is a manipulator. Lain is withdrawn, cold, deeply loyal, and stubborn. While The King is charismatic, strong, can feign kindness, and strategic. The King knows how to play the game of politics that Crane is creating, and he knows that he can win if he plays his cards right. Lain is used to just being told what to do, and being punished if he doesn't. I honestly think the King would even take on a flock name as a sign of good faith in his intentions (In my heart he would be called Peacock. A fanciful bird for a fanciful trophy gesture).

The King's relationship with Mariner would also be different. Like I said, the King is charismatic. While Mariner is angry at The King for the war that lead to Canary's death, he's honestly not as mad at the King as he is at Lain in canon (A lot of his feelings are about Lain Specifically being the one that killed her). The King would be able to manipulate Mariner easily, I honestly think he would just cast him and Lain as lovers also torn apart by this war (Just like Canary and Mariner) to relate to Mariner more and to gain his trust (that he would eventually betray)

The truth about his abuse of Lain would just... never come to light, sadly. The King doesn't WANT to feel like a bad person, and honestly, with Lain gone, he doesn't have to anymore. He's definitely not going to offer up the information willingly, and if he was genuinely asked he would just go along with the Locker Room Rumors that were spread among his army about the two of them.

can't go into farther AU thoughts without spoiling act 1 stuff SO I will end the ramble there <3 <3

SO sadly, I think this AU would just end up as a "The King Wins" AU but just with more steps and a much worse outcome for Lain. The King can just play the game much better than Lain can in canon </3 Not a good time for anyone involved.

[the-east-art]

Stan’s Thoughts on Various Animal Shifts:

Bear: the perfect. The ideal. Big and brawny, a good size, the fact that bears can stand on hind legs makes it easier to reconcile is human muscle memory with the different form.

Moose: good if it wasn’t so big! The size of it wears him out easily.

(More below)

Wolf/Elk: if Bear wasn’t so perfect these would be some of his favorites.

Snake: it is VERY disconcerting to lose your legs, but once he gets there he doesn’t mind it as much. The ‘slimmest’ shift, and best for getting through tight spaces.

Cat: the smallest he can get as an animal (so no squirrels or stuff like that) and even then it has to be a pretty big cat - Maine coons or Norwegian forest cats. There’s strain from maintaining a small form, but also he loves how flexible he can be as a cat - good stretches.

Fish: fucking F tier. He hates fish form. Studied it for a long time and for what? I imagine he used it to escape from a bad situation and avoids using it at all costs. He uses his mermaid form instead (after he learns about mermaids in gf) I’ve mentioned it before but when transforming into a fish or from a fish back to human there’s a period of time when he can’t breath either way and it’s very uncomfortable/panic inducing. He usually is an arapaima - the largest freshwater fish.

Bird: similar issues as with Fish and Snake, completely changing his arms make up isn’t pleasant, however unlike the fish form it doesn’t fuck with his breathing and there isn’t a good substitute for it (working wings onto a human form is pretty close to impossible - way too much work to have to add the muscles and bones and shit). Once he’s in shift though he loves flying. It tools him a long time to figure it out tho. Again he has to stick to big birds so he’s usually an Andean Condor or a Harpy Eagle

Stan has a BUNCH of clothing stashed hidden around the forest.

Uh if there’s an animal you’re curious about that I didn’t mention here feel free to ask me!

[wavesalwayscrash]

oughh I know Frost is meant be portrayed as a coward in this specific scene, and I wouldn’t doubt that he is one, but his reaction felt like it was a mix between cowardice and a genuine panic attack. Especially when he froze up the very second he saw Condor.

this guy has ptsd me thinks,, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised considering the horrible war the King put everyone through

People who go into wars get ptsd no matter what, it's why most people see it as the "veteran mental illness." but also, Frost is a coward who loves to get on other people's asses about how to handle being a soldier/leader (Lain) but when push came to shove he wasn't able to keep it together either, and would rather leave his soldiers to die than fight along side them. If someone else pulled what he did, he would be heavily criticizing them to hell and back and calling them a coward.

The stuff with Condor knowing how king cats fight was not intentional but that is a very fun read and I like that analysis a lot! Dude really just likes to throw his bodyweight around.

He is just a silly background character who I made up on the fly to fill a specific character mold, so I didn't expect anything like this to happen lmao.

[promptsbytaurie]

anything with wing clipping. i once tried to do research on it for a fic and,, it is SO angsty

i got u fam <333 (i have way too much brainrot on this bear with me LMAO)

tips for writing ✨wingfics✨

!!please credit/tag me if you use this!! i'd love to see what you write!!

physical differences:

area where wings connect to their back is insanely sensitive!!

feathers falling e v e r y w h e r e

wings are big!! if the wearer hasn't had them for long, or is younger/inexperienced, they're gonna knock shit over

~birb noises~

they're actually really good singers with insane lung capacity, a lot of them are/could be opera singers

thin bones, so they're super light and even though most think it's embarrassing to be picked up so easily there's always One Dude who's like 'carry me everywhere'

smaller birds = smaller people. most wings correspond to a specific species, and hummingbird varieties are notoriously short (though never say that to their face, they will probably murder you <3)

unless the avian is a kind of waterbird (penguins, sometimes eagles) going into water will clog their wings and they could drown!! adding onto this i imagine that avians have special bathtubs and brushes and stuff so that they can properly clean their wings

on the flip side if an avian does NOT clean their wings they can get tangled or matted which a) is super painful b) could impact their flying and c) could cause sickness !!

dislocated wings >:(( this happens about as often as dislocated shoulders do with regular people. this can be caused by a couple things like blunt force, trying to manuever/twist wings in ways they aren't supposed to go, or flying too often/straining wings.

psychological differences:

preening!! it's intimate, but doesn't have to be romantic/sexual. obv there is room for very fluffy and romantic moments but it can be either way

flock!!! it's kinda like a family or a pack

the urge to Make a Nest and Only Let the Flock In

once the Flock is In the Nest then the Flock Will Not Leave Ever

molting!! old feathers fall out to allow new ones to grow in !

molting is basically the bird version of a period except all birds have it once or twice a year. they're more emotional, super sensitive, and extra clingy during molting!!

if an avian gives you one of their feathers it's basically a version of marriage, except it doesnt have to be romantic. its essentially a promise, like a 'we're with each other forever' kinda thing.

just as humans have discrimination, i imagine that avians have it too. more common species like songbirds, ravens, or crows are probably valued in society way less than those like eagles, doves, or parrots, and there could also be stereotypes against species like vultures or condors.

on wing clipping:

in my mind wing clipping is a lot like trimming your fingernails realllly sloppily, except the difference is that you should NEVER clip an avian's wings.

what i mean by fingernails is that the nails themselves don't hurt but if you do it sloppily there are Consequences: clipped too short -> irritated skin. clipped inconsistently -> sharp edges, snags on everything INCLUDING other feathers

huge violation of boundaries/self!! clipped wings -> can't fly. flying is integral to avian health and if they can't fly their mood and mental health will fall drastically.

clipped feathers take a long time to grow back, and therefore clipping has long-term effects. it also damages the feathers themselves (obviously) in ways that sometimes can't be healed

if an avian's wings are clipped their trust goes DOWN and their insecurity goes UP. its likely that if someone else tries to touch their wings they will freak out

clipped wings also make avians more jumpy and paranoid because they've lost their major way to escape/protect themselves: flying away.

angst potentials in wingfics (spoiler: there's a lot):

like i said, clipped wings -> can't fly. write about an avian's first time flying again. (not super angsty but still)

SUPER angsty: write about the actual act of wing clipping.

an avian is neglecting their wing care and tries to hide it.

relationship between a 'noble' avian (eagle, dove, etc) and a 'basic' avian (crow, raven, etc) and society's dislike of the relationship.

or maybe avians are a minority in a human world, and an avian has to hide their wings to be safe.

hope this helped!! <33

[keuwibloom]

Its been a while since ive posted anything Parasynth, so I thought id make these polaroid-inspired drawings to make up for it!

As an added bonus-- I have nicknames for the guys! I actually made these a while back, but I figured id post them here for organization purposes, and so its easier to differentiate when talking about Parasynth.

The nicknames + my reasons behind choosing them listed below the cut!

Blue "Polaris" - Also known as the "north star", polaris is the only stationary star in the night sky, commonly used as a compass for navigation. A star that symbolizes stability when you've lost your way.

Dream "Apollo/Pol" - Named after the Greek god of the sun, music, medicine, and archery, twin brother to Artemis. Went with this because of the twin thing and sun symbolism, plus the healer and archery association.

Ink "Opal" - Opal is a gemstone that shines with rainbow colors. A true opal gem also has a base color of white, which fits with Ink's whole thing. Ink also calls others "pal" so I thought the name would be a nice reference to that.

Axe "Condor/Kon" - A large scavenger bird, related to the vulture. One species of it is the largest flying bird in the world. A condor's head also has no feathers, which kinda reminds me of Axe's skull.

Nightmare "Artemis/Arte" - Named after the Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt, twin sister to Apollo. Chosen for the same reasoning as Dream's nickname. Artemis is also the goddess of wilderness and wild animals, which fits with the gang (in a "they're a group and they are dangerous" way).

Killer "Shrike" - A cute little passerine bird that is known to impale its prey on sharp things, usually thorns. Shrikes are also known as "butcher birds". I think it fits with his vibe, plus shrikes have these black markings over their eyes that remind me of Killer's eyes.

Dust "Owl" - A nocturnal bird that has eerily silent flight and large eyes that reflect light in the dark so it looks like its glowing. I was in between this one and "Kestrel", but I feel like Owl fits Dust's general vibe better.

Cross "Cypress/Cy" - A tree that symbolizes longevity and endurance, but also mourning. It's also associated with protection and strength. I was looking for stuff that was associated with the goddess Artemis and the cypress tree was one (also the gang as birds and Cross as the tree they rest on).

Error "Oregano" - An herb that has a very strong bitter/peppery taste and smell. It's known to have antiviral properties and other benefits, but it is best used in small amounts. I also chose this name to parallel Opal (rock VS plant).

Swap/Blue belongs to the AU Community

Dream and Nightmare belong to Jokublog

Ink belongs to Comyet

Horror/Axe belongs to Sour-Apple-Studios

Killer belongs to Rahafwabas

Dust belongs to Ask-Dusttale

Cross belongs to Jakei95

Error belongs to Loverofpiggies

[intheshadowsbehindyou]

Could you do the mercs with an s/o who is like- almost comically short?

Oh boy wouldn’t it be a shame if this anon asked me to do a size difference nsfw headcanons one next? Wink wink.

Mercs with an S/O who’s a small menace to society

WARNING: Older bigger men bullying the ever living shit out you. (kinda hot though?)

Scout:

- Scout will not hesitate to make fun of you at every given moment. He’s a decently tall dude so he’ll manhandle you a lot. Holding you in his arms like a personal teddy bear. Overall walking around with you in his arms.

- You bite his arms when you’re bored and he flinches and goes “Ow! What are you? A fuckin’ goblin?!” (Doesn’t he know? The smaller you are, the closer you are to hell.)

- “I could probably slug you into the stratosphere y’know.” He says. You don’t want to test that theory.

- When he’s upset he’ll pick you up, go into his quarters and lay there with you in his arms. Just like the aforementioned teddy bear analogy. If you’re screeching and biting like a fucked up chihuahua that doesn’t deter him.

————————————————————————

Soldier:

- Keeps giving you petnames like “Boot.” “Little one.” “Rat bastard.” (Ignore that last one.) and cheesy shit like that. Treats you how a rich middle aged white woman would treat her teacup pig. You’re being strapped to his back in a baby carrier while he rocket jumps.

- Gets incredibly rough with you on purpose. He likes seeing your squeaks and angry reactions. This guy definitely has a height difference thing. Throws you at enemy lines at like mach 20 knowing full well you’ll shred them like a fucking gremlin. Or stuffs you into his rocket launcher. Pick your evil.

- Lies about you being younger in order to pay less in restaurants. He somehow gets away with this 90 percent of the time. Spy is kind of envious that he didn’t even think of that.

- “NO! WAIT! DONT SHOOT! HANGFIRE! CHILD ON BATTLEFIELD!” He raises you above his head. You’re unbelievably pissed. You’re a grown ass adult. But the enemy lines somehow hesitate which abides him time to blow everyone up. He has no reason to be this smart about your height.

——————————————————————-

Demoman:

- The first time he saw you he burst out laughing. Really hard. Like nearly fell over and shit. He couldn’t stop laughing like actually. It took him days to even approach you properly and finally call you adorable.

- Picks you up when you can’t reach something off the top shelf and instead of helping you get it, he just sits you atop the shelf and leaves you there. They have to call either Heavy or Sniper in order to get you down.

- You take advantage of your height and perch on his shoulders like a parrot. The other mercs don’t understand why Demoman has a pet gremlin.

- “Er’ is my crotch goblin Y/N. They’re gonna bite your dick off if ye cap this point lad!” You can’t say you disagree with that.

————————————————————————

Engineer:

- A romantic partner whose tinier than him? Sign him the fuck up. Cradles you like a baby and kisses your head. Bounces you on his lap to soothe you. Expect a lot of sitting outside on the rocking chair at night while he rocks you in a blanket.

- You make grabby hands to him for uppies and he feels like he’s not allowed to say no. “Aww, sugarplum…��� He cooes, setting down whatever he was working on and lifting you up into his arms. He might tickle your tummy if you’re fine with that :)

- Picks you up by the scruff of your uniform like a mother cat when you’re misbehaving. He will stare in amusement if you struggle.

- “Careful outside on the Badlands, darlin.. Never know when one of ‘em damn condors might be circling you.” You can’t decide if you want to kiss this man or kill him.

———————————————————————-

Heavy:

- You’re literally so small he’s scared of accidentally stepping on you or something. Always has to wiggle his way around you in the base corridors and mutter what you assume to be an apology in Russian. What you don’t know is that he’s actually cursing out the Administrator for hiring such a tiny Merc. What if you get squashed by falling debris or something?

- HE PICKS YOU UP WITH ONE HAND. YOU ARE IN HIS FUCKING FIST. YOU ARE BEING HELD LIKE AN ICE CREAM CONE.

- Treats you like a fucking stress ball. scoops you up in his hands and squishes your cheeks. Lays you on his lap like a small kitten belly up. No amount of biting or awful demon noises will ever convince him to do otherwise. Chuckles lovingly at your tiny anger. “Little, little, little. Tiny like the ant.” He baby talks you.

- Due to your height it’s impossible to bother him. Unlike the others. You can gnaw at his ankles and scratch at his chest but he remains unmoved like a large boulder. Threatens to splat you against the wall like one of those rubber toys and turn you into a pancake.

——————————————————————-

Pyro:

- In his point of view you’re actually terrifying. He doesn’t know why. But you stand out from the rest in their beloved Pyroland. You’re a creature from the primordial depths of hell that has come to eat their soul. You’re uncanny as shit.

- When they meet you for the first time it takes for godamn ever for the Mercs to finally figure out why Pyro was behaving so erratically and out of character. Engineer finally convinces poor Pyro to speak to you and it doesn’t end up in vain. You’re actually a pleasant scary monster.

- Spies don’t scare them. Pyro can kill spies with no effort. But you? Holy shit. Sometimes he doesn’t hear you come up behind them and this usually leads to Pyro spontaneously crying because you startled them. (Your team’s Spy is VERY envious of this.)

- You think this is great! You decide to play a prank on them by crawling on all fours down the dark hallway. Pyro looks like a deer in headlights. All tensed up like a cat attempting to look bigger. Two seconds later the entire base is on fire. You have to explain yourself to the other Mercs how this happened and it’s embarrassing.

- Whenever you kill someone on the battlefield it’s horrific shrieking mixed in with fleshy eating sounds.

—————————————————————-

Sniper:

- Calls you stuff like “Baby bear.” Mostly because he purposely holds you like a mama koala in his camper van’s bed and in the sniper nests. You cling to his lap and listen to his heartbeat while he scopes out the window.

- Same as scout to some extent. Carries you around wherever he goes and holds you like a plush doll. “Easy there on the lil’ daggers, mate.” You keep digging into his skin to hold steady.

- Growls at you when you bite him. Something about you both is evil and animalistic. Bites you back on your “scruff” when you bother him too much. He wants to shake you around in his teeth like a fucking chewtoy but he knows full well that might accidentally kill you. Has straight up cute aggression around you.

- Sniper your furry is showing. Helen, get yo fuckin dog bitch.

——————————————————————

Medic:

- “Well it seems you stopped growing at a certain age. That typically is due to genetics and other factors.” He says after looking at X-rays of your finger bones. Tracing his finger over the image of your growth plates as he squints to see better. He fixes his glasses back up on his nose and scratches his chin.

- He gives you a mischievous side smile. It’s unsettling. He secretly finds the size difference incredibly attractive. He tells you to take the lead vest off and waves his hand dismissively when you question his creepy expression. “What?! It is just my usual smile. I always look like this.”

- You’re not convinced. You take the vest off and straighten your team uniform a bit to get yourself situated. Without warning he grabs you by the wrist as you attempt to leave. “Ah-ba-ba-ba! I didn’t say you could go yet.” He pulls you against his chest. Forcibly. His natural heat was causing your heart beat out of your chest. He kneeled down and wrapped his arms around you. Cupping a hand over your mouth. You couldn’t move.

- The way you were (in theory) powerless was exhilarating for him. He placed his free hand on your chest and marveled in your heartbeat. Really? That’s all he wanted? Medic let out a long pleasured sigh. “Oh, that’s gooood.” He feels like he could potentially hold your tiny heart in a cute little decorated specimen jar but that would kill you, sadly. Can’t have that.

———————————————————————

Spy:

- Has unimaginable amounts of trauma from his father figure and you help him cope with said trauma a lot by being small. He deeply regrets passing by the chance of raising Scout. That in-and-itself was also a traumatic experience for him. Whenever it isn’t romantic lovey dovey adult time you lay in his arms and he looks over your adorable small body with adoration in his eyes.

- He rubs your small cheek and although he’s still frowning like always — you know full well this man is losing his mind on the inside. This was oddly healing for him. He felt butterflies in his chest as he gave you the love that his family never gave him. Jesus christ, somebody get this man a silicone baby or some shit. And a therapist. Mostly a therapist.

- He has no idea how to baby you to be honest. No fucking clue and he isn’t great at this. He does what he’s seen people do before in public. Wrap you in a blanket and pats your back. He says nothing as he does this. “There’s a scared little boy behind that mask isn’t there?” You ask him lovingly.

- He avoids eye contact after you say that. Looking away shamefully. His mouth twitches. You put your head under his chin contently.

- He stalks you and monitors you on the battlefield. Ready to stab the ever living crap out of anyone who overpowers you. In a particularly rough situation with an enemy heavy he risks his own life to backstab the opponent. You batter him for being too bold and exclaim that he could’ve killed himself. But Spy side eyes you, fixing his tie and cloaking away. He was secretly proud of himself that he had finally managed to protect somebody smaller than him. To make up for all the times he wasn’t there for Scout.

[slowbison]

Heyy!! I love your writing and was wondering if I could request a Resident Evil 4, Leon S. Kennedy x male reader. Reader and Leon always had that little competition between them, always trying to be better than the other which lead to them not liking each other. They got sent to various missions together but always ended up fighting with each other on how to do things instead of focusing on the mission. It just didn’t work between them. Additionally, Reader is sarcastic and acts a bit like an a-hole sometimes, flirts with Leon in a joking way and Leon just can't stand that.

After Leon was sent to save Ashley Reader is sent to back up Leon (and Leon didn’t know that so he is kinda mad that they thought it would be a good idea to choose Reader for it) on his mission and after a long and annoying search, he ends up finding Leon in the village. At first, he thought Leon was some sort of villager and attacks him. He pins him to the ground but then realized who he is and reluctantly apologizes which just makes the situation worse between them.

When they find Ashley and then lose her later Leon gets injured badly because he just rushed in without thinking to save Ashley. But he couldn’t and they ended up fighting when the coast cleared. In reality, the reader isn’t mad about the fact that they lost Ashley again. He is mad that Leon got hurt in the process and Leon noticed that the reader was worried about him. That could lead to an angry make-out session. Enemies to lovers type thing

a/n: you plot stuff down like me (T-T)7 except yours makes more sense and less sporadic. for inspo on reader i used baptise/cassidy from overwatch (if ya know the game, i personally am a rein main, love the big guy)

Bottom! Leon S. Kennedy x Top! Male Reader

words: 3.7k

warnings: hand jobs, praising, nsfw, leon is going through it with reader

The air was moist when the car dropped you into the woods. You were assigned as a back up to an agent in ensuring the rescue of the president's daughter as the villagers proved to be much more troublesome than they thought. At first you weren’t interested in the mission, citing it as not challenging enough for your skills. But when they mentioned the agent already deployed was no other than Condor One, you agreed without any hesitation.

Condor One, or better known as Leon Kennedy, was your greatest rival yet amazing partner; if only you two could get along that is. The higher ups had always placed you and Leon as teammates due to the impressive career history. Both were top of the police academy, senses far sharper than the average agents and able to complete missions despite the numerous unknown factors. Which is why you were both often paired up. But what they didn’t know was how much fuel they fed the flames of competition between you two and how long time was spent arguing rather than maintaining focus on the task.

Leon for one, couldn’t stand your arrogance citing the times you would dismiss his suggestions with your own better option or making decisions on your own, leaving him to “pick up your mess”. Much less the many times you were more focused on teasing him or flirting in the middle of an intense situation.

On the other, you found it entertaining to annoy the blonde, enjoying the banter following after.

Worse was when you both started fighting over who gets to open the door first for the other, Chris lost brain cells hearing this story. Least to say that you both always miraculously managed to complete the mission, receiving high praise while the field agents tasked with providing information through both of the men's earpiece quietly cringed inside.

A smile grew on your lips as you made your way into the woods. “Now, where could you be, little puppy.”

The woods weren’t much of an issue to navigate as you walked up to a muddy path that led to what appears to be a desolated home. Cracks formed on the outer shell while flies circled around a heap of trash, possibly dead carcasses. You had been warned that these people didn’t treat strangers from the outside world kindly and kept your guard on as you moved closer.

With a gun in your hand, you entered the home and scanned around the dimly lit room. Blood splattered the wall, trailing to two dead bodies of what appears to be the cultists villagers mentioned from field operators' information. One appeared to be an old man whose throat was slit and the other riddled with bullet holes in the head. Picking up one of the empty shells on the ground, you found that it to be the same as your own ammo — meaning only one thing.

“Heheh, you’re still around here somewhere, huh?” You murmured, a slight grin on your face.

From the countless times you’ve spent working and being with Leon, you were rather knowledgeable with how the man shoots. Partially because you wanted to beat him at weapon handling in the academy, but from the many times your eyes lingered on every move he made.

The way his arms flexed as he held his gun, steadying it against the recoil or when he slightly pouted his lips to focus more on the target while your mind kept wondering how they’d feel if their attention was directed elsewhere…

Needless to say, you consider yourself an expert when it comes to the man and the knowledge proved useful today.

The grin dropped as soon as loud banging followed by heavy footsteps could be heard down the hall. Three rather angry looking villagers came crashing through a door, jabbing their axes and pitchforks at you before charging. You sighed, already having to deal with nuisances and shot at two of their kneecaps causing them to fall on the floor, quickly moving to punching the one still running square in the face — switching to your own combat knife, slitting the man’s throat.

The two villagers staggered their way to you, but you threw the now-dead third villager into them, crashing them both back onto the floor. You watched for a moment as they squirmed on the ground, reloading your gun before popping a bullet in between their heads, sending them to the next life. Sighing as it proved right that this mission wasn’t a match for your skills, but the thought of working with Leon lifted your spirits and made your way out of the home through the back door — marching into the forest.

Passing through the woods once more, going over a shoddy built bridge, you arrived at the main entrance of the village hidden behind a large door. Along the way you found more and more bodies, leading you closer to the man’s possible location. Hiding behind a pile of rocks, you watched as the villagers mindlessly yelled and prayed around a burning cross with a burn man tied.

Not wanting to watch for much longer, you moved further in, crouching as you rolled to hide behind a wall. Taking a moment to collect yourself, you sensed that there was a possible threat around the corner — most likely a villager.

Pausing for a moment to hear any movement made, an opportunity showed itself as the villager peeked at your corner only to be quickly pushed against the wall, gun clicking to the back of their head ready to shoot. You faltered as you realized who was at the end of the barrel, your grip on the gun easing, but a devious smile crawled on your face.

“Guess who, doll.”

The man tensed and immediately broke free from your hold, attempting to kick you at the side, one which you caught in your arm effortlessly.

“C’mon this ain’t no way to greet your partner Leon, dont’cha miss me?” You quipped, the man releasing his foot from your grasp. Leon huffed, moving back to peeking behind the wall, eyeing the villager’s for any reaction to the sudden noise.

“Just my luck I had to be paired up with you, was everyone out on break or what.” He spat, turning to finally address you.

Out of everyone they could have possibly sent out as assistance, he didn’t understand why they would send someone barely qualified to rescue the president's daughter. It just had to be a joke. You softly laughed, shaking your head at the man.

“Ouch, that hurts to hear Lee. I think we make quite the team, yeah? So long as you follow my lead, of course.”

Leon felt himself slowly losing his sanity the more he listened to you talk and moved to hide behind another home, you trailing after him. The first meeting didn’t seem to be going very well as the man decided to ignore your existence as he ran past homes, only turning to glare at you to ensure you were still real, smiling and waving as he turned.

So your brilliant mind decided that it was time to hit him with the old Y/n charm as you adjusted your clothing, wiping at the imaginary dirt. Clearing your throat and moving closer, whispering softly, “If it’s anything worth, you look great. Even if you got a little dirt on ya cheek.”

“Would you shut up for one second while I concentrate?” Leon hissed. You grinned, enjoying his reaction.

“If you’re having trouble, why don’t you leave this to me, doll? I’ll get us outta this shithole quick.”

“I don’t need your help, just shut up and stay-“

You quickly wrapped an arm around the man’s shoulder, pulling him close to your chest and fired your gun at the villager that had silently crept onto him — body falling lifelessly to the floor.

Leon snapped his head at the body before turning to meet your gaze on him, a sly smirk slowly spreading. “This is the part where you say thank you, sugar.”

The man grumbled before pushing you down, firing at the man on the floor who began convulsing, sprouting tentacles from his head. Ensuring the man was dead, Leon turned to face you with a smirk on his face.

“Guess we’re even now, huh darling?”

Your eyes slightly widened as the man referred to you with a pet name, something he never does and by the look on his face, he must’ve realized what he said. Though you could barely see it, a hit of red dusted his cheeks as he hid himself from you. You were about to tease the man some more when you heard the sound of many villagers walking in your direction, probably from the sounds of your arguing and guns.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to continue our little chat later, love. Maybe we could go out to dinner after all this.”

“I’d rather play bingo with these people than having to go on a date with you.”

“Oh?, never said it’d be a date, but if you insist.”

Leon let out an annoyed huff as he began firing at the villagers appearing, alternating between his combat knife to reserve ammunition. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount, you began busting through homes and fired at ones that broke in. The real challenge being a chainsaw wielding maniac that absorbed bullets like a sponge, barely reacting except for some staggering here and there.

Soon, the battle was over as many of the villagers lay dead at your feet as the last one standing was the chainsaw man who collapsed to the floor, blood painting the ground.

You and Leon shared a long stare as you both caught your breath from the long fight. Gaze landing on his lips while he scanned over your body before landing on your own mouth. You felt yourself pull closer to him and licked your lips while the other stayed still, eyes still focused on you. Only for the moment to be ruined, just as you were so close to him that his field operator Hunnigan, called asking for a progress report on the mission. You groaned as the blonde pulled away, speaking to the woman before turning to face you.

“Let’s go, they’ve got Ashley trapped in some big building up ahead.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get this over with. I’ve got a date to attend after this.”

Leon let out a defeated sigh and walked off, following the dirt path as you joined him at his side, chatting as you both dealt with more villagers. Though the talking stopped as you both ran into a tied up Spaniard who you later learned his name was Luis after being thrown into a wall and awakening tied up in a room.

A bit of jealousy flared within you as the man, eyes lingered far too long for your liking on Leon. Feeling dissipating once the man ran off, throwing the key which you caught and removed the chains from your hands as well as Leon’s. You couldn’t tell if you wanted to befriend that man or eliminate him as a possible contender for Leon.

Either way, it didn’t matter as you and Leon continued the search for Ashley after traversing the village, buying items from a strange hooded man, fighting an overweight mutant pet fish and finally arriving at a church where it’s believed to imprison the woman.

The first encounter, much like your own with Leon, was a short fight that ended with her screaming before calming down and thanking you both for rescuing her.

“I’m so sorry for attacking you. I-I thought you were one of them.” She said softly, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Yeah we look like decrepit old men and got the whole cultist gear going for us,” You scoffed, the woman meekly apologizing once more. Leon punched your shoulder and moved to place a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about him, he’s just an asshole. We’ll get you home, promise.”

Ashley gave a faint smile and nodded, seemingly feeling a little bit better at his words. You huffed, turning to walk out the church doors only to shut them at the sight of a large mob of villagers outside.

“If you two are done gossiping about me, we’ve got company.”

Leon rolled his eyes, warning Ashley to carefully follow them and equipped his gun. You pushed open the doors, alerting the mob that began shouting — a fight ensued.

The mob proved to be overwhelming as your group slowly backed into a corner after making it outside, forcing you all to run for cover. Ashley desperately tried to keep between you and Leon, but was caught by a few villagers that dragged her back to the crowd. A shrill scream was all you heard as they ran off with Ashley, most likely to another building to imprison her in.

“Ashley!” Leon yelled, aiming for one of the villagers that held her arms. You quickly turned to look at the man, alternating between hand-to-hand combat and firing your gun at villagers surrounding you. Your eyes widening as one of the knife wielding villagers rushed to impale the unsuspecting man.

“Fuck, Leon! Watch out!”

Leon turned to dodge and hissed as the blade struck the side of his torso, blood gushing from the wound. Swiftly roundhouse kicking the villagers around you, you went to pick up the man and ran as he fired shots at the mob chasing.

You both managed to lose the horde after hiding in a dense thicket, holding your breaths as the villagers ran over your head. Your arm wrapped around the injured man’s shoulder while the other held out a gun. Once the sounds of the horde began to die down, you directed your attention back to the man who let out soft groans of pain. A mixture of worry and anger swept over you as you helped him to his feet.

“What the hell was that Leon!” You spat at him, putting an arm around his waist, helping ease his balance. “You could’ve gotten stabbed! Use that damn head of yours smartass.”

Leon grit his teeth in anger before letting out a painful hiss. “Our mission is to save Ashley no matter the cost, you should’ve chased after them instead of being here, asshole.”

“Fat chance we’ll save her if we both get hurt and I’m not going to leave you here bleeding out.”

“Since when did you care about me?”

“I’ve always cared, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Goddamnit, you’re always so hard to tell. I can never figure-“

You crashed your mouths together, teeth clacking. Leon let out a surprised noise but he didn't let it deter him from returning the kiss — threading his fingers into your hair, licking into your mouth. The kiss turned increasingly desperate as you pulled him close, not wanting to separate from each other’s lips for even a moment. Though eventually, the lack of much needed air forced you apart, bumping your head against his as you stared into his eyes.

“Can you figure that out, puppy?” You quipped, trialing your hands over his ass, kneading the mound in your hands.

Leon pressed himself against your chest and hovered his lips over yours.

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

Not wanting to waste anymore time talking, you decided that your body could do it for you. Attacking his lips once more, tongues dancing together as you pressed him against a tree. Slotting your leg between his, feeling the blonde’s own hardness grind down on you. Leon’s soft muffled moans slipped past the gaps in the kiss, locking his arms behind your head to steady himself as he humped your leg.

The sound of the forest drowned in the background as the kiss got more heated, lips swollen, breathing heavy against each other — mind swimming in fog lustful daze. Trailing from his lips to his neck, you marked the man, leaving dark marks littered on his pale skin.

Leon clasped a hand on his mouth, hoping to suppress the drawled out moans and whining as he continued grinding on your leg.

“Shit, ah- not enough, need more please,” He whined, digging a hand into your shoulder before hissing at the pain from his side, blood still seeping into his clothes.

“Take it easy there doll. I've got you, I’ll make it quick alright?”

Leon groaned and nodded, pushing himself onto the tree — shoots of pain and pleasure coursing through him. Not wanting to prolong his suffering, you worked off his belt along with your own and brought the hard shafts together after freeing them of their confinement. Both letting out a soft groan as you started off with gentle stroking that got increasingly faster and tighter. Thumbing over the slits, letting the precum act as lube, making it

Leon threw his head back and arched his back, feeling the pleasure overwhelm the pain from the wound festering at his side.

“Yes, fuck yes, I’m close k-keep going please.. ah!”

Denying the man felt unacceptable, especially when he was begging so nice just for you. A satisfied grin emerged from your face as you continued working on bringing you both to climax.

“You look so damn pretty right now doll. Can’t wait to see what you’d look like when I fuck that tight ass of yours.” You panted into his ear, tugging at your cocks in your hand, leaving the blonde a sobbing mess in his hand.

“You’ll be good for me won’t you? I’ll make sure you can’t walk right for a week.”

A shudder traveled up Leon’s spine at the thought of returning back to the country only to be fucked into oblivion, feeling the ache of your thrusts all week. The fact it would be from his own rival no less, one that he swore up and down to never get involved with unless forced to. He didn’t know what was worse, the idea that he wanted nothing more than to submit to the same man that frustrated him to no-end or that is exactly what he felt missing in all the interactions shared with you.

Leon’s moan became louder as he started realizing the feelings he refused to acknowledge and buried his head into your neck, blush spreading across his face.

“I know you want it darling and I’ll make it a dream come true, now come for me.” You whispered into his ear, tightening your hand even more that proved to be enough for the man to spill.

The blonde concealed his broken cries into your neck as he came, coating your hand before dripping to the ground. You soon followed after and gently jerked the last few spurts of cum, stopping to wipe your hand on the tree, tucking you and him back into its restraints.

Leon panted heavily against your neck, heart rate dropping as he caught his breath. You placed soft kisses along his neck, moving your head over his.

“I’m serious when I say this Leon, let’s get that dinner and make it a date. I want us to be more than just.. rivals.”

Leon bit his lip in thought, conviction flicking between his eyes as he stared into yours. Gaze softening before speaking, “Alright then, but I’ve had enough seafood right now. I can still smell that thing’s breath.”

You laughed, bringing up a hand to rub a gentle thumb over his cheek. “I know this killer place downtown with a nice view, no seafood menu too.” You murmured, removing a strand of hair from his lips.

Leon softly smiled and leaned into your touch. “I’ll hold it to you then.”

A laugh escaped from both of you, only stopping when Leon hissed in pain, eyebrows furrowed as he bit back a groan. For a small moment, you both forgot that the man was still injured from a knife earlier and you quickly worked on fishing out some miraculous herbs. You weren’t too sure how they always helped heal such wounds, but it was the least of your concerns so long it worked. Digging out a large bandage to wrap around his torso, Leon stifled any pained noises.

You were slightly worried as the wound wasn’t anything deep, but it was a contender for possible stitches or better treatment than you could provide. Just how did the man ignore such pain during the heated moment shared between you two was beyond you. Unless..?

“Say you got a thing for pain or something?” You mused, a grin forming on your face as the man’s face flushed.

“What? No! I’m just used to getting hurt sometimes, this is nothing.” He huffed, pushing himself off the tree and adjusted his clothes, avoiding your pointed look.

“Is it also why you like it when I throw you on the ground back at the academy?”

Leon grit his teeth and shook his head, refusing to speak anymore unless he was to give away how he truly felt about being manhandled.

“Quit speculating and let’s get back to saving Ashley, again.”

You quietly laughed and made your way out of the thicket, returning back to focus on the operation. Though your mind couldn’t help wandering back to the man at times as you ran up to the new location they hid the girl in. Wanting nothing more but to end it quickly so you could spend more time with Leon than slaughtering villagers and cultists, even if you were good at it. A determined look set across your face as you watched from the door Leon helped free Ashley from her chains.

I’ll make sure we get out of here. No matter the cost.

a/n: yeah the reader is slightly psychotic when it comes to Leon at the end. i had thoughts of making a part two of this, but not all that sure. regardless of that, hope y’all liked this :]

if anyone’s interested, here’s a rough cut dialogue that i didn’t use.

“Think that merchant guy sells lube? Rather not hurt ya while we fuck doll, I can get pretty rough.” You grinned, watching the man’s cheeks burn.

“We are not fucking during a mission!”

“Damn, that was on my bucket list.”

Leon gave you a questionable stare.

“What? Why do you- forget it, I don’t want to know anymore.”

“C’mon, it’s a pretty good list and I just thought up a few more of what I could add.”

up next: reader request! Rocket x Male Reader. rocket isn’t fond of new people, more importantly a stranger that he’s to fight alongside with, but eventually comes around to you.

[dangermousie]

Do you have any recommendations of some historical/fantasy c-drama's with well fleshed out women characters? Or ones where they get to be a bit badass even if not in fighting ways?

You seem to have really good taste so wanted to ask, no worries if not though!

Awwww, thank you!!!

Imperial Doctress is an older drama but is great for that. It's a female centric story which focuses on a female physician, her cases, her involvement with two royal brothers, there is war and all sorts of awesome stuff. She's a great character.

Return of Condor Heroes is great (there are a ton of versions, my favorite is the 2006 one but everyone has their own favorites) in which the FL is ML's master and a total badass.

Singing All Along and Schemes of Beauty - Ruby Lin in female centric narratives about the power behind the throne. They are also older dramas.

A Journey to Love is recent (from 2023) and the FL is an assassin who grows as the story progresses.

The Rise of Phoenixes is a historical and Ni Ni is amazing as a smart and complex protagonist (she plays opposite Chen Kun and they equal importance in the story and are allowed to be equally complex.)

The Story of Yanxi Palace is well known and the FL is OP (but in the best way) and smart as hell.

Love In Between - relatively little known but a surprising number of interesting female characters, my favorite being FL, who is mission driven to save her shifu (who is a father figure) and is a fighter unlike ML who relies on brains.

The Ingenuous One - Set in wuxia world, a lot of complex and tough female characters, but my fave is FL who is a wonderful fighter (to say more would be spoilers.)

I have more probably but these are the first that come to mind.

[celestinedream]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (pt 2)

(this is totally not a continuation of my last post, so if it's repeated, that's why.)

Mise en Scene – The Vibes Are Dark and Serious

Okay, so mise en scene sounds super fancy, but it’s basically just a film nerd way of saying "everything you see on screen and how it’s arranged." It includes lighting, colors, camera angles, set design, costumes, literally all the visual stuff that makes a movie feel a certain way.

And this movie? It nails this. The whole film has a dark, realistic aesthetic with muted colors (lots of grays, blues, and blacks) which gives off this serious espionage-thriller vibe. The lighting is moody, the tension is high, and the whole thing screams trust no one.

The fight scenes? Insanely well-done. The elevator fight? ICONIC. The camera work is super tight and close-up. Then there’s Steve’s apartment, simple, old-fashioned, totally not fitting in with the sleek, high-tech S.H.I.E.L.D. offices. It’s a small but powerful way of showing how he still feels like a man out of time.

Mise en scene isn’t just about making things look pretty (or gritty); it’s about setting the mood and reinforcing the story without needing extra dialogue. It’s basically the movie’s vibe check.

Arrangement – How the Story Keeps You Hooked

The pacing? Perfection. Every fight scene, every emotional moment, every flashback, it all hits at just the right time. The action is fast and brutal, keeping you engaged while also reminding you that Cap isn’t just a symbol, he’s a soldier.

The flashbacks of Bucky and Steve from the 1940s? Pain. Absolute pain. They hit hard because they remind us just how much Bucky has lost, making his transformation into the Winter Soldier even more heartbreaking.

And let’s not forget how HYDRA’s infiltration is revealed gradually, it’s not just boom, bad guys are here it’s a slow burn, which makes the final reveal even scarier. The whole "who can you trust?" vibe in this movie is pulled off well.

Prominence – Who Gets the Spotlight?

Obviously, Steve is the center of everything, he’s literally framed in a way that constantly reminds us he’s the moral compass of the story.

Then there’s Bucky, aka the Winter Soldier, who doesn’t just appear, he arrives (although my boy deserves more screen time). Every scene he’s in has this dramatic, intense energy that makes him feel like an unstoppable force (which, let’s be real, he kinda is).

And HYDRA? At first, they’re just whispers and symbols, but then they’re everywhere, making you feel that same paranoia the characters do. It’s genius storytelling.

Intertextuality – MCU Connections & Spy Thriller Vibes

The movie ties into the larger MCU with direct references to The Avengers (like Steve mentioning the Battle of New York), but it also takes inspiration from 1970s political thrillers (especially Three Days of the Condor). Even Nick Fury’s fake death? Total spy movie trope. But it works.

Symbolic Analysis – some of which I've briefly mentioned...

Cap’s shield = protection, justice, Steve’s ideals. It’s not just a weapon, it’s literally a defensive tool, reinforcing that Steve’s first instinct is to protect, not attack. And when he drops it at the end? That moment is HUGE. It’s him rejecting blind loyalty to a corrupt system.

Bucky’s metal arm = loss of autonomy. It’s not just a cool-looking weapon, it represents how he was turned into something inhuman. Unlike Steve, who chose his power, Bucky was forced into becoming the Winter Soldier. The contrast between them makes the story so much deeper.

Outside the movie? The shield is classic hero symbolism (think knights, warriors, Achilles, etc.), while the metal arm fits into the whole sci-fi trope of losing humanity through technology (Darth Vader, ahem).

(I'm going to out myself really quick and say I remember my first crush was on Anakin when I was 5 and I really like Bucky now... so I think I have a type...)

Hegemony & Ideology – Challenging the System

This movie goes hard on government corruption, surveillance, and the whole "who’s really in control?" question. It challenges the idea that big organizations (like S.H.I.E.L.D.) are always the good guys. HYDRA hiding within S.H.I.E.L.D. is basically a metaphor for real-world fears about power, control, and surveillance (cough NSA cough).

Target Audience – Who’s Watching?

Superhero fans (obviously).

Action/thriller lovers

MCU fans who love Steve Rogers' Captain America, because he's iconic, and he does have America's ass.

And, of course, girlies who want to see hot, muscular men (mememe). Because let’s not pretend that’s not a bonus. (I would ask why they cast the finest men ever but it's obvious why)

Final Thoughts – Why This Movie Is a Chef's Kiss

Honestly? I love this movie for a lot of reasons. The action? Amazing. The emotional weight? Devastating (I'm not sure if I can recover). But let’s be real, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes? Absolute perfection. The pain, the trauma, the brooding eyes? Ugh, lovely. He's just such a good actor. (I have favoritism and totally didn’t fall in love with this movie when I was 12 and totallyyyyy won't show my collection off soon.)

Yours truly, a very obsessed teenage girl.

[tinylongwing]

💖, 👏, 🍎 for the art/writing ask game?

💖 Which of your fics is your pride and joy? (and which artwork?)

I have too few published fics to really feel like one is my pride and joy here - but I am instead modestly quite fond of Al mal tiempo, buena cara as a neat little pre-canon thing.

@spectromagic knows what work of writing is my pride and joy but it is unpublished, unpublishable, and half her doing anyway lmao

For fanart, my current top favorite is the one I did for Halloween a couple years ago as part of a series of three. I'm so pleased with how I pulled off all the detail and just the raw disturbing energy of Johnnie post-blackbrain in this. I think it looks great, deserves more appreciation than it ever seems to get, and also I want more horror in this fandom in general.

For non-fandom art, it's so much harder to pick a favorite! But right now I'm feeling like it might be this piece of California Condors nesting in a giant sequoia to accompany an essay published in The Wildlife Professional a few years back.

🙌What's a line or paragraph of yours that you're proud of?

(I assume this is the question you wanted - this is a different clapping emoji vs yours but it's the only thing I see on the list that's clapping? lmao)

idk how to translate this to art but for fic/writing, man, that's hard. I'm going to go with Rigo's mental description of Dale under a street light not because I think it's peak literature but because it's cute. They're cute. I'm obsessed with them. They're adorable. I have tentative fic plans. I'm annoyed by how little I like the art I did based on this moment.

“They make their way toward the apartments. Past the fenced-in basketball court, past the murals, all fire and lightning that decorate the walls facing the street which advertise to anyone who passes by just who all lives and operates from this little cluster of housing. Once government subsidized, now a ramshackle fortress with two kings. It’s a funny thought to have right as they pass a street light on the way into the parking lot. The gold halo cast around Dale’s hair looks like a crown.”

🍎What's something you learned while researching for a fic?

(cut here because this got long but please do read if you have any interest at all in the LH world and our real world and how they intersect)

Now THIS is something I will definitely stick to writing for because I have so much to say. I have learned a lot doing research for art too, but oh my god, the amount of research I have done for writing and understanding and piecing together the elements of 1) US history, especially during the 50s-60s, 2) Chicano history and culture in LA, and 3) gang and drug culture and history. I have read books, I have watched documentaries, I've dug up redlining maps from different decades. It's fascinating. And it's horrifying.

I was born in the 80s and have never lived in Southern California so I really don't have firsthand knowledge about the time period and location this is all set in. Yeah, we all know the Vietnam War happened and yeah, we also all know that California used to be part of Mexico but like, everything that happened during and in between those broad points on a timeline fascinates me. I could go on and on. But that's the stuff that informs my writing and is so fun to then twist into that subtle supernatural horror going on in the LH world. I'll take this as an example:

Mandy reaches out an arm to signal a turn, and the two World Enders sweep down off the boulevard and toward the concrete pillars that mark the failed path of the 5 over Hollenbeck Park. Johnnie had only been a kid when development started and quickly halted, a consequence of neighborhood resistance and one too many accidents on the job site, as papers had put it at the time. And yet Johnnie remembers the day that the pond rose up in one dark wave with more water than it had ever held, and swallowed the concrete whole. That scared off the city developers more than the anger from the community had ever done.

So, one of the things modern Los Angeles is known for are its freeways, right. It's the terminus of Route 66, maybe the last of the great highways before the freeway projects started. LA was kind of a backwater for a lot of history but once the population boomed they had a sudden need for roads - huge roads that could move a ton of people, trucks, supplies, oil, military stuff, etc.

LA was also monstrously redlined (as were most cities, and as are most cities even if they'd prefer not to admit to it). Entire areas were for Blacks only, or for Mexican immigrants only, etc and realtors wouldn't give loans for those areas, wouldn't let nonwhite people move to homes not in those specific areas. "East of the river," as Johnnie indicates the location of their underground clubhouse in Vide Noir, specifically signals that they're hanging out in one of these major redlined areas that is actually a thriving Hispanic community, probably somewhere vaguely Boyle Heights (as supported by the views of the specific bridges we get in the movie, and suggestions of cruising/lowrider culture like in the Long Lost teaser clip for Not Dead Yet).

(view of the LA river with multiple bridges spanning it close together, from Vide Noir as Buck walks around looking for the underground clubhouse - this appears to have been shot near 6th street, aka Whittier Boulevard, famous for lowrider cruising in Boyle Heights)

(Map of Los Angeles today, with a red X marking the approximate location of the above shot, with an arrow indicating the camera is facing south. Look directly east of the river and see how many massive freeway interchanges were put right through huge chunks of Boyle Heights.)

(Los Angeles redlining map, 1939. The large round red blob on the center right side is Boyle Heights. Red = "hazardous", high interest rates, no home loans available, etc because these were primarily nonwhite areas of the city)

LA didn't start off having freeways, and they have an enormous ground footprint. They needed to put roads in, and they needed to demolish entire swaths of existing, thriving neighborhoods in order to put those huge roads in, so they picked communities to destroy based mostly on those redlining maps. Black communities, Latino communities, were ripped apart, bulldozed, demolished in order to make way for the new roads.

Now, look up to my google maps section there. See that patch of green just left of the words "Boyle Heights" that has a freeway right on top of it? That's Hollenbeck Park, the one mentioned briefly in the fic in that paragraph I pasted.

Once described (~1890) as the most beautiful park in Los Angeles, with an idyllic, serene lagoon, they fucking... put a freeway through it in the 1950s. Because freeways gotta go somewhere! So how about right here! In this one lovely park! That'll be great, those people don't deserve nice things anyway!

Fuck, man.

So in my LH-ified version of reality, where sometimes the land itself has power from being full of its centuries of ghosts and community and hopes and dreams and death and destruction, the park consumed this construction project. The lake stands. The people fought back, they got in the way, they did their best to prevent this, and when that wasn't quite enough, the waters of the lake rose up and swallowed the scaffolding, destroyed the initial concrete pillars, probably killed a good few people in the process on either side because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The city decided at that point it probably wasn't worth it to put the freeway right there after all (so they moved it a few blocks at most).

And when I write this stuff, like, Johnnie isn't really conscious of the history or the right- and wrong-doings himself, he doesn't really have it in him to care, but the city remembers. The land cares. The history is all right there just under the surface.

Anyway that's the kind of research I do that winds up being like, tiny elements of worldbuilding in a fic about drug use and existential dread.

[hellhunde]

Been thinking about that short scene you posted yesterday and oughhh it's so fascinating. First of all I really like the origins of how Condor came to call Crane "mother", I see what you did there with "mother Goose". Second of all, with how Crane is talking about Condor in this passage, is the implication that she felt breifly attracted to him?

Sorry if I'm reading too much into it and that wasn't the intended meaning! I know he treats her like a mother but with how how twisted some of the parental relationships are in this series (King and Lain) I wouldn't be too suprised

you're not reading too much into it dw! That was the intended read. Crane and Condor's relationship is like right on the border of familial and like. if I'm being honest, sexual. They're soulmates but not in any traditional sense. These two fucked up guys were truly just made to be together.

The Mother and Son stuff is primarily a roleplay for them. They find it fun and they like making people uncomfortable with it. They both have some Issues In Their Head in regards to mother and child dynamics (Some of Crane's is explored in the little snippet) and they like slotting into the roles those titles provide (Crane likes having an authoritative control over another person, and Condor likes being told what to do). I would call it healthy if they weren't complete weirdos about all of it and they didn't add warbler into the dynamic.

[pitchburgh]

You knew I'd ask about what bands you don't like.

I'll give you one of mine: Blur. I didn't like most of Brit pop as a music movement.

I'm slapping this whole thing under a readmore but fuck it, sure, you can have a rundown. I'm hitting you with a long list at full force spiciness because you specifically asked for it. (But that said, I'm sorry if anything dear to you (or anyone reading this is on this list) and I hope yinz won't take it as judgment against you or your preferences overall. Music being entirely a matter of taste, I am surely wrong about anything on here if it brings you joy.)

Real shit, if you have rejection sensitive dysphoria or something please just keep scrolling I do NOT wanna be mean to you. This ask came about because I said I "hate a wide variety of music but generally keep my mouth shut" because being negative about it typically does nothing except insult people who don't deserve to be insulted.

So. Like. This list is arbitrary. This list is subjective. Read at your own risk and stuff, yeah?

Still with me? Okay, now it's your fault if you get mad lmao let's gooooo

SO! FIRST AND FOREMOST Steve Miller all-time least favorite. Bozz Skaggs left the group and Miller went on to do the worst drivel imaginable. If I never hear "The Joker" again I will STILL have heard it enough for a thousand lifetimes. I'm about to talk a lot of shit about a lot of artists in this post but let's be clear: if I am visiting a restaurant or a place of business and a Steve Miller Band song starts playing over the speakers, I will walk the fuck out. That's right, I will leave. I will wait outside until it is over. He's the only one on this list who is straight-up unlistenable to me under any circumstances

Next up is Eric Clapton solo work. The man's early stuff was magical and GODDAMN he can play but at some point he decided to only record boring songs about what a shithead he is. I wish Duane Allman was alive to kick his ass

Speaking of, okay, Lynard Skynard, holy fuck. Fuck those guys. Their music is fantastic actually but their attitude is absolute trash. My beloved interracial antiracist Allman Brothers invented southern rock in 1969, only for these douchebags to come along and market it exclusively to the stars-n-bars cousin fucker crowd. Now anytime I hear "southern rock" I gotta question how many of the fans are picking up their goddamn klan uniforms from dry cleaning before the show

On a semi-related note, I like a lot of their stuff but Led Zeppelin's failure to credit the black artists who wrote or arranged a lot of the stuff they "borrowed" has really soured me on them. I know, I know, separating art from the artist etc etc but like. c'mon. the Allman Brothers had no trouble with it. and they grew up in Georgia. in the fifties.

John Mellencamp mainly because his mawkish americana stylings are so painfully saccharine. I'm a Springsteen fan, y'know? Making me listen to "Jack and Diane" is like feeding an obligate carnivore tofurkey - maybe a taste is okay here and there, but it WILL kill me if I don't get real meat

The Eagles, most of whom did some decent solo work when not being in the most annoying lite country soft rock group of all time. (Although a decent amount of Don Henley's "genius" flows directly from Pino Palladino's breathtaking fretless work, admittedly.) Linda Ronstadt owes me at least fifteen American dollars for unleashing that shit into the world

Kid Rock but honestly that's like saying I hate head lice or hospitals. No shit. Hating Kid Rock is basically just a litmus test for having enough brain cells to rub together. tbh we can lump every Known Asshole into this bullet point

Okay, but speaking of "country" (although it feels wrong to call Kid Rock any genre besides perhaps "douchecore") I'm confident that my distaste for Johnny Cash can steer us back into controversial territory! Although it's unfair to say that I HATE him - his music is good and he was incredible in many ways - but the Condor thing ruined him for me on a personal level. "Ooh but his nine inch nails cover" okay yeah?? it was awright; it added some gravitas but it was no Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower"

Lol okay this one pisses a LOT of people off: Nirvana and their contemporaries made a whole career out of pissing and moaning their way through the most prosperous decade those of us born before y2k may ever see. AND in doing so they dragged the quality of alt rock down with them in ways it has yet to recover from. Borderline ruined a genre and didn't even have fun doing it

I warned you guys I was going full force with this lol

But shit, I can't just pin that attitude on nirvana or even grunge in general - soooo much '90s music was a baldfaced pity party. There's probably some deeper cultural phenomenon here that I'm not clued-in enough to understand but I'm not trying to analyze it sorry

And yes I KNOW whiny music is cathartic to a lot of people - but I'm not one of them! It pisses me off! I have enough problems, and now some loser on the radio is complaining too?? Fuck off!!!!!!

I don't specifically hate Dragonforce or their contemporaries but speed metal as a whole is kinda overrated, y'know? Yeah, it's technically impressive and it's certainly enjoyable, but are those INHERENTLY the same as being "good?"

Katy Perry is a common target for musical haterade drinkers, but while most people dislike her for valid reasons, I personally despise her for throwing a shitfit when she couldn't have half her titties out on sesame street. well, also her songs absolutely ARE annoying but they're not annoying in an annoying way. If that makes sense to you, congrats, we have similar brainrot

Metallica played a big role in DMCA and antipiracy law - but more importantly, their fanboys are STILL crying about fumbling the "best metal or hard rock performance" Grammy to Jethro fuckin' Tull in 1989. Being both a Jethro Tull fan AND 97% evil by volume, I enjoy that immensely

Jim Morrison was talented and all but he's immensely overrated and has no business overshadowing the rest of the Doors. You want a genius?? Ray Manzarek is your genius. The Doors without Jim Morrison would have been less interesting, sure. But Jim Morrison without the Doors would have been just another west coast edgelord nobody

Every single high school has one girl who wears baggy jeans and a ton of eyeliner who would personally attempt to strangle me for the above point. endearing though that is I hope she soon realizes that she can do SO much better than any brooding "tortured soul" whose idea of artistic statements include whipping his junk out onstage and singing about raping his mother

I keep thinking Jon Bon Jovi is dead and being a little disappointed when I find out he isn't

Arena rock in general pisses me off, actually. So much of it is stupid, dick-grabbin', fake-deep hack work. The critical difference between me hating or liking/tolerating groups in the genre comes down to whether they seem self-aware of how absurd it is. Like, Styx or Def Leppard? It felt like they were in on the joke, at least a bit. But Foreigner? REO Speedwagon? Journey? I dunno........

Admittedly, I have softened significantly towards "Don't Stop Believin" because it makes so goddamn many people very happy but at my core I still think it's a dumbfuck song

Actually, my main beef with Journey seems to be that their worst songs got all the airplay because oftentimes I hear a deep cut and recognize Steve Perry's voice and have to admit that the track is pretty decent

Oh, yeah, Rod Stewart. Can't even justify this one lmao I just don't like him

Blur. Actually I don't care much one way or the other but I'm ride or die babyyyy

And finally, Three Dog Night, for the crime of being mid af but somehow coming to be treated as a defining psychedelic band. There's nothing WRONG with them - although I'm sick to death of "Joy to the World" or whatever it's called - but they're such a weak example of an incredible genre and every time I hear them on the radio instead of Jefferson Airplane or Cream or Quicksilver Messenger Service or Spooky Tooth or Spirit or - well, this is supposed to be a list of stuff I don't like

Disclaimer: some of these opinions were shaped by my dad and my late uncle, both of whom hate(d) everything on here and also approximately eight million other songs/artists/genres. Most of the rest of this haterism was forged through a lifetime of classic rock stations serving up the same old uninteresting slop every goddamn day. My tolerance for almost every artist on here would be significantly higher had I not spent decades of my radio-playing life slagging through the underwhelming anthems of mediocre middle-aged white guy DJs who peaked in 1986.