#AND THEN U READ THEM TOGETHER AND IGNORE THE FACT THAT THOSE COMICS R NOT GONNA BE IN READABLE CONDITION MUCH LONGER LOL

[cantdanceflynn]

KIND OF IRONIC THAT I DID THIS FOR THE COMICBOOK PROMPT CONSIDERING THE NEXT(AND LAST) TWO PROMPTS R BOTH GONNA BE ACTUAL COMICS BUT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[izukyu]

𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬 - keigo takami x reader

this is a birthday gift for my crackhead wine aunt, @waddle-yee​. katie i love u so much it’s unreal! i hope you enjoy the crumbs m’lady!

reblogs are appreciated bc i worked really hard on this, heart eyes.

pairing - keigo takami (hawks) x reader.

word count - 2.3k.

warnings - very vague manga spoilers for pro hero arc, possibly ooc hawks, swearing, and just. a lot of fluff.

summary - hawks needed to gain the public’s hearts once again, and attending a charity event seemed like the way to go, but falling for the cute artist in charge of him wasn’t something he planned on. 

★ - requests are open

“your ratings are falling, hawks”

being bothered during his lunch break wasn’t something keigo was particularly fond of. the one time of the day he could let loose in his office, ruined.

“is that so?” he could only hope his agent would understand his words in the midst of his chewing, making a point he was only half-interested in the newsletter.

“the hero public safety commission reached out, you need to get your approval up again before they intervene.”

keigo gulped.

what a mouthful. they were never good news - the last time keigo met with them he was deployed as a spy, for crying out loud. needless to say, he was still their subordinate, and rejecting their demands was nothing more than a heavenly reverie.

“so, got any ideas?” keigo put down his plastic plate, lamenting the unfinished state of lunch.

“well, there’s this charity event coming up, and they’re calling for - ”

“i’m in! send me the time and place and i’ll be there,” sadly. it’s not like he had any personal vendettas with charity events or the public per se, but the simple fact he had to be shoved into one to please his superiors was enough to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

next time he’d attend to one of his own accords.

“i’ll send it to you by email.”

keigo gave the poor intern a frown, his eyebrows drawn. “just send me a text, sheesh.”

-

maybe if he had paid more attention to the text then maybe he wouldn’t be stuck in this quandary of graphite and stillness

“you do this to every guy you meet?”

you scoffed, eyes never once leaving the canvas before you. “yes, every model i work with is required to stand still, if that’s what you were wondering.”

keigo was glad he put on a smile from the start, or else you would’ve chewed him out for moving too much.

the event was still a couple weeks away, but portraits don’t grow on trees. in all fairness, keigo was a killer model - every magazine featuring him sells out within the hour, and the photographers he’s worked with never fail to shower him in compliments and praise.

his charm didn’t seem to carry on to drawings, apparently. as you’d put it before, he was but ‘an over-energetic city pigeon that would chase around little kids for fun at every given opportunity’.

oddly specific, but it got a chuckle out of him.

“i’m almost done, so just stand still for a little longer.”

“won’t be a problem, dove, i’m already a pro,” keigo had to suppress another snicker as you hid behind the canvas, your face growing warm at the dumb pet name. another tally for hawks in his imaginary scoreboard. although standing still for longer than ten minutes wasn’t something he could see himself doing ever again, teasing you would definitely be a must in the near future.

anything for your flushed, annoyed expression.

“your wing did the thing again.”

of course it did. keigo wailed silently, dreading the sound of your pencil meeting the cotton before you, scratching and imposing.

the passing of time seemed like a foreign concept the longer he posed in front of you, amber eyes preying on you. every movement, every speck of graphite staining your hands, forever engraved in his mind. you didn’t question his sudden quietness, too engrossed in finishing the first of many portraits you’d have to make for the event.

would every other hero be as jittery and energetic as the man standing before you? 

would every other hero grow uneasy at the idea of standing still for no longer than fifty minutes?

“alright, you’re good to go.”

startled, keigo nearly fell off the small stool. “oh, was that all?”

you felt your eye twitch, choosing to ignore his wit, “it’s weird to think your portrait will probably go beyond five digits, someone’s gonna willingly pay to have those bushy eyebrows in their living room.”

keigo choked on his spit, coughs laced with laughter overruling the silence of the studio. “where did that come from?”

with a shrug and a triumphant smirk, you start to usher him out of your studio, “it had to be said, but you’re still cute, so i wouldn’t count it as a loss!” there were projects that needed your undivided attention and care, some with scary deadlines, and a birdman wasn’t exactly someone you needed to prioritize now. “see you at the event, yeah?”

“wait, hey, i wanna see what it looks like - ”

“no can do, have a great afternoon!”

before he could protest, he was already out and gone from your studio, the door nearly slamming on his wings. without much thinking, he turned around, his knuckles grazing against the door repeatedly. “c’mon, not even a sneak peak? i promise i won’t tell!”

someone clearing their throat behind him tore keigo away from the piece of wood in a heartbeat.

“endeavor-san, nice meeting you here! y’see, i left something inside, and i was just knocking so - “

“i don’t want to know.”

what was it with today and everyone interrupting him?

keigo snapped his fingers, “copy that.” from the corner of his eyes he spotted a neat pile of presentation cards, almost begging to be noticed and put to use.

fine, if you didn’t feel like letting him into your heart he’d just have to irk you over text.

knowing better than to bother endeavor again, keigo simply stepped out of the room, his fingers eagerly keying in the digits into his cellphone.

spoiler alert, it wasn’t you who texted him back, but your assistant was a delight, and set him up for another session after the event.

-

keigo has a strong, abhorrent opinion on wearing suits. they’re stuffy, constricting, and make his wings itch more than normal. despite having a custom-made, tailored suit, the sentiment of being under lock and key only ever went away as soon as he lost the jacket and shirt. something he couldn’t quite do in an event like this.

“what do you mean they’re running late?”

your second in command sighed, eyes still glued on their phone. from the brief texts they had shared, keigo would be proud to admit they’d found a friend in your friend, if that made any sense. “there were some supplies left in the studio, had to run back to get ‘em.”

keigo sighed. just what he needed in this trying time.

“but the portraits are already up if you want to check them out.”

oh.

among the sea of bidders inspecting the canvases on display, keigo’s feeble attempts to get a closer look were fruitless. his wings usually gave leverage when his height failed to do so, but flapping in such a close environment would bring more trouble than it’s worth.

with a defeated sigh (admitting to lacking in height was… disheartening) two of his feathers flew down to his feet, giving him the small boost he needed.

he most certainly didn’t expect to come face-to-face with himself.

minutes passed, and keigo remained under a trance. it was simplistic, the graphite morphing to cast an umbra on portrait-hawks. he could picture almost perfectly the light and shadow dancing together in both the canvas up for bidding and your skilled hands, the same ones that had left a nasty smudge on the back of his coat.

lo and behold, you were right, his unruly eyebrows were rather prominent.

“sorry for the delay, the traffic was horrible and the cab - don’t get me started on the cab,” you ranted as you walked through the busy hall, chanting apologies left and right. “the auction hasn’t started yet, right?”

“no, but there’s someone waiting for you.”

you furrowed your eyebrows. the people attending were either eager to see their favorite heroes in ritzy clothing or aching to take one of them home - in a canvas, of course. “don’t get me wrong, i love getting the work going, but i swear these deadlines are gonna be the death of me.”

“no need to fret,” keigo stepped down from his feathers, and you couldn’t quite read the expression on his face. happy? tired? finally becoming the paragon of tenderhearted? “i’m part of your schedule already, booked a sesh and all.”

“... you mean the one I just cancelled?”

his wings drooped almost comically, “the one you just what?”

teasingly, you pushed him back, consequently making him bump into someone else. “i’m just messing around, i’m actually looking forward to it.” you could only watch as he gave the person a brief apology, posing for a selfie milliseconds after. heroes.

“is that so? i thought i was a bad subject,” keigo tugged at his collar, making a mental note to burn the shit out of the suit once home.

“the worst, actually,” more people began migrating to the opposite side of the room before the auction started. “but you’re fun to be around, so i’ll manage.”

keigo couldn’t contain his smile this time. it wasn’t his signature snigger you’d have flooding your timeline after his photo sessions, rather just a simple, genuine tug of his lips.

“and maybe you’re kinda pretty, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

and just like that, the warm smile contorted into a smug smirk. “you got me there, dove! wasn’t expecting that to come out of your pretty mouth.”

you huffed, diving to give his cheek a good pinch before dragging him to follow the rest of the guests. “that’s one creepy way to phrase it. now take a seat, i’ve got to hand out a couple of endeavors and edgeshots.”

keigo, still savoring the compliment like a kid would with a sweet, took an extra second to process those words. “they got more than one?”

-

cut to his second private session. five minutes after your scheduled lunch break, some leftover fries and ice cream exiled to your desk.

“alright, something’s on your mind.”

keigo remained stationary. this time it was just a mere pencil in your hand, waltzing on the canvas without a worry on its nonexistent mind. calculated. precise. free. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

you sighed, tucking the pencil behind your ear, sparing the finished sketch a last glance before walking to the brooding bird before you. “your wings, they’re not doing the thing.”

“and what about it?”

“well, for one, it was much easier to jot them down, i can assure you they’ll look great once i paint them,” keigo shuddered as you stood closer, how did you even get a lead stain on your cheek? “but i think i know you well enough to deduce something’s up. you’re not even being a cocky cockatiel.”

keigo let out a long, long sigh. “i’m not a cockatiel.”

“and you’re not being yourself. c’mon, why’d you even come here if you’re just gonna be grumpy?”

a brief flash of cold, burning blue clouded his mind. “work’s getting to me, i guess.”

you weren’t a pro hero of any sorts, the only context you had regarding that chaotic world would come from whatever hashtag was trending, and the occasional hero dropping by your studio to talk business. nevertheless, you knew how to spot and comfort a gloomy friend.

“you wanna paint yourself?”

“what?”

that seemed to get his attention, and it brought a smile to your face. you bit your lip eagerly, “i need to go get some paints, but you look like you need some cheering up, so you’re not leaving this room without painting your own portrait”

keigo’s lip trembled involuntarily, your words tugging at his already-soft heart. “i’ve never - i’ve never touched a paintbrush in my life.”

“woah, not even at school?”

“homeschooled.”

your hand moved on its own, ruffling his naturally messy hair. “i’ll get you acrylic paint.”

he could only tap his foot anxiously in your absence, running a hand across his face. the commission, as per usual, found great joy to bother him through day and night, almost as if his suffering tickled their ribs. keigo wouldn’t mind playing the part of the asshole kid who took tickling way too far when it came to them, hero regulations and spy work be damned.

not to mention the dust-up he had with a certain cremated acquaintance a couple days back, leaving him featherless and vulnerable for a whole day.

but as you approached him once again, a number of paints cradled in your arms and pockets, keigo could feel the weight in his shoulders slowly mitigating.

“okay, what do you think feels like the way to go?”

thankfully, his wings could twitch to their content while wearing your apron. he would’ve been just fine painting without any safety measures, but your flabbergasted expression urged him to realize clothes are expensive.

keigo gripped the paintbrush with one hand, the other holding a red paint tube, “this can’t be rocket science, i got this.”

your boisterous laughter as he squeezed some paint straight into the paintbrush told him that maybe it was rocket science after all.

“it’s not a toothbrush, keigo!” god, he loved his name rolling off your tongue.

“oh my god, next time try cleaning the paintbrush before you start to paint with another color.” he was certain your giggles could keep him going through endless crimes and stacks of paperwork.

“hey, that’s cute, you’re using different colors for your suit.”

keigo chuckled, “can’t have the piss color scheme spicing up my living room.”

that was the final straw, and you both rightfully lost it. leaning into each other to prevent falling to the floor as a result of raw elation. even your snorts were adorable, your babbling a melody to his ears, and shrieks of amusement making his heart thump faster.

at the end of the day, keigo left the studio with a gorgeous painting, as you’d generously put it. the first time he’d truly felt unbound to everything to be forever remembered with a mess of colors and sloppy strokes hanging proudly atop his bed.

the first time keigo ever felt truly free on canvas.

★ - check out the rest of my works!

★ - wanna get tagged in my stuff?

general: @brattyquirks​ @quirkless-fics​ @tooloudarts​ @bringingpinkbac-k​ @thewaterlily​ @kittyatemytaco​ @nyantodamax145​ @iachan03​ @imconfusedanditsok​ @nishigo​ @torrpe​ @bakugo-baby​ @lovingshoto​ @yuueimagines​ @shigarakis-fifth-hand​ @uwus-for-bnha​

hawks: @witchy-anna​

[hbostolemysoul]

Band of Brothers fluff alphabet: Buck Compton

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

The moment Compton walked through the doors he had caught your eye. The men had been joking that someone named ‘Lynn’ would be leading them, one look from you silenced their chatter. They had learned that feminine did not mean weak, having trained with you for those two years reaffirmed that fact. But seeing Lynn (Buck) Compton in person really drove home that he was anything but feminine. You went out of your way to hide the flush in your cheeks from the men around you.

(he also has a nice ass…not that you would ever admit to anyone that you noticed that)

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Buck definitely wants a family. During the beginnings of the war Buck would sometimes talk about his girl back home, boasting about how they were going to get married, and that their children would be absolute knock outs. Hearing this always made your heart hurt but seeing the photo he had of the two of them together you had to agree, their children would be absolutely beautiful.

Near the end of ‘Bucks’ war he changed. It was on Christmas when Buck joined you and Guarnere that he pulled out the photo again and gave it to Bill. “She’s finished with me” he said hollowly. Buck had changed so much since that first day you met him. It wasn’t long after Guarnere and Toye were hit that Buck was sent off the line.

He kept in touch with you and Malarkey through letters. It was through those letters that your dynamic with each other shifted a bit. He opened up more in your letters than he did in Malarkeys. A fact that you didn’t mention as Don was already having a hard-enough time.

A few months later you were hit. A sniper bullet through your lower abdomen had ended your war. You don’t remember much after being hit. Doc over you, mouth moving silently as if asking you something.

You woke up in some form of hospital a few days later. Buck at your side.

You two stayed close to each other after that, sleeping in neighboring cots, before he somehow, eventually, found his way into yours.

When the war ended he asked you to come home with him. So to Los Angeles, you went.

Buck would bring up the topic of children sometimes, but it was always hard for you. The surgeon had mentioned that due to the location of your bullet wound it could be difficult, if not impossible to ever get pregnant. Buck assured you that biological children or not, all he really needed was you.  

Eventually, you two filed for adoption, bringing your little boy home had been one of the happiest moments for the both of you. It was about 2 years after you brought him home that you found out you were pregnant. Buck had been ecstatic, you had been terrified. The pregnancy had been rough, you ended up going into labor prematurely, and while that had been terrifying your little girl came into the word healthy, and with a strong set of ‘fuck you’ lungs. 

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

The man is like an octopus. Every limb he can have wrapped around you he will. Not that you mind though.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

During your time in the hospital, ‘dates’ consisted of card games and stolen cigarettes. Once home he took you to all of his favorite places.

E = Everything (You are my __ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“You were the angel I never knew I needed’

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

It happened sometime between the 3rd and 7th letter he had received from you since he left the line. When the newest batch of mail came in and he only received one from Malarkey he got worried. Reading that you had been hit had sent him into a near frenzy. He pulled some strings and managed to get himself transferred. Sitting at your bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of your labored breaths broke something in him. He knew he loved you then, because the idea of losing you had become the most terrifying one he has had this entire war.  

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Buck is a gentle, teasing, asshole of a giant. The frustrating thing is he doesn’t even realize it most of the time. The way his hands gently brush the hair off the back of your neck drives your absolutely mental.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

He prefers to have his arm around your waist, hand resting on your hip. He likes the closeness.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

Buck came into Easy knowing that one of the few females allowed into the Airborne had been assigned to Easy. He expected some…well to be completely honest he didn’t really know what he was expecting. But it certainly wasn’t you, with your shy smiles towards him, yet you turned around and joked and brawled with the rest of the men. You were certainly an anomaly.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Buck is a pretty charismatic and confident guy. He also knows that you are one tough gal that will put a man in his place should he chose to ignore the word no. He has virtually no fears when it comes to other men and you. Granted he has no problem coming to back you up should you look over at him with your exasperated “Get this fucker away from me before I am charged with assault” face.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

He did. It happened when you first woke up after being shot. He looked exhausted, but the smile that broke across his face when your eyes met made him almost look like a new man. His lips met yours gently, his forehead coming to rest against yours soon after.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

You and Buck had managed to rig up some form of dartboard after your recovery. As per-usual he was shooting lefty most of the game, changing to his right-hand last minute to win. With a roll of your eyes you muttered “I can’t believe I am in love with a cheater” under your breath. It was a joke (only partially though), but the way his eyes met yours after that was almost electric. Buck kicked himself a bit for not saying it first, but he found creative and teasing ways to say and show you how much he loved you after that.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

Buck has lots of ‘favorite’ memories of the two of you. But the one he probably treasures the most is the day you two brought your baby girl home and she got to meet her brother for the first time. The look on your face, and your sons could have lit up every dark and gloomy place on the planet.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Buck has always had good job. Be it the police force, or when he became a district attorney you two were never hurting for money. He made a habit of not spoiling your children though, as you both wanted them to be raised knowing the importance and value of things in life.

That doesn’t always translate over to you though. As the mother of his children, and the love of his life he doesn’t mind the exasperated sigh you will sometimes give him before opening one of his newest ‘just because’ gifts.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

He has a hard time thinking of one specific colour that defines you. You are a powerhouse of kindness and love. You brighten everything you touch. So the only word he can really think of is “light”. You are his light.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

While you were both serving he would come up and ask “How is our girl doing?”.

While in the hospital together it changed to “How is my girl doing?”

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

While this is not exactly un-modern, he still has the first baseball he ever caught as a child. Its old, and the wear and tear is more than evident, but the sentimental value outweighs its less than appealing appearance.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Tea parties with the kids. Its almost comical to see such a giant of a man sitting at a kiddy table playing super hero princess tea party (Your son and daughter had already negotiated the guest list). He is nothing if not a good father.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

While in the hospital Buck was still in a dark place, so you two would just squeeze onto the same cot and hold each other. You still do that now, even though two smaller bodies always seem to find their way between the two of you.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Buck is charismatic and can string words together beautifully. But mostly he just loves talking with your children, listening to them string tiny sentences together that, sometimes, make sense. Your family brings him so much joy.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

His family. While it can sometimes be chaos (especially now that your daughter has learned to climb), being around the three of you has always made me feel better.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Photos. Of. His. Kids.

Yes, he is ‘that’ dad.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

He would propose on the ship back home. The coastline of home in the distance he would pull out a ring and give you the most beautiful speech you will probably ever hear.

Your wedding will be a bigger affair. Both of your families, Bucks friends from work and school, as many of your Easy company brothers as possible. It is beautiful, and so terribly exhausting but more than worth it.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

When the parties over – Billie Eilish (covered by Garret Garfield) -please listen to his version- PLEASE-

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Yes. He didn’t even wait until stepping foot on American soil before asking you to be his.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

You get a dog. It’s a bigger dog, one with an extreme amount of patience considering your children often try to ride it like a horse.

(I am not used to writing for Buck, and I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to provide enough content…I am almost embarrassed about how long this one turned out to be lol. I hope I gave him the love he deserves!)

[gffa]

Scattered Star Wars comics thoughts:  I’m trying to clean out my backlog of things to read and so I picked up two mini-series that I’ve been intending to get to for awhile, that hopefully I won’t need Deep Thoughts on, since so much of my brainspace is still taken up by Darth Vader of all things. So, I’m reading Han Solo and Shattered Empire, both of which take in and around the original trilogy and my interest levels in them are much higher than they are when I originally tried to read them about a year ago.  I think a lot of that has to do with the nature of Star Wars canon and the sense of the world they’re building here, which is one of my favorite things about it. I have a lot of thoughts about Canon vs Legends and a lot of thoughts about a multimedia franchise, it can be something of a sticky situation to navigate through all of one person’s feelings on that, never mind what we feel other fans are/aren’t obligated to acknowledge about the set-up (basically what I mean is: Star Wars just is a multimedia franchise, that every fan is perfectly free to just watch the movies if they want to, they’re perfectly free to just watch Rebels if they want to, they’re perfectly free to ignore large swathes of canon, but the fact still remains that canon is this big, sprawling thing, that Star Wars just is set up as a multi-media franchise, and only reading part of it is a bit like fast-forwarding over your least favorite characters’ scenes in that TV show you watch--TOTALLY DOABLE and JUST FINE, but you’re still not experiencing the full story, of course with the added bonus that a TV show has a momentum because it’s a singular medium, while comics and movies and games and books and tv shows are a lot more difficult to have momentum with and, frankly, get to be really expensive, ULTIMATE CONCLUSION: it’s complicated!!!)-- What was my point again?  Ah, yes, despite the complicated set-up, one of my very favorite things about that set-up is the sense of a bigger world that has been slowly drawing me in to the parts I never thought I’d care much about.  I’m reading Han Solo (the 2015 comic) and I’m struck all over again that this is just not my area of intense care or feelings, I don’t get excited about glimpses into Han’s journey, I don’t pick up on the small things that he reveals here.  But I am picking up on the bits of worldbuilding, I’m picking up on Chewbacca’s part of the story, I’m picking up on the Leia moments in the story. I’m reading Shattered Empire and reading about Shara Bey in the aftermath of the second Death Star’s defeat, I’m feeling connected to this story because, oh, hey, I know her!  That’s Poe’s mom!  And, oh, hey, there’s Luke Skywalker showing up!  And, oh, hey, there’s some cool Jedi stuff! This is where the Aftermath books really got me--they were so hard for me to get into in the first place (once again: if you want to try them, I would intensely suggest them as audiobooks instead of reading them, that first book especially works so much better that way), because I came to care about those nerds on Norra’s team, I got invested in them.  And I got invested in what was happening around them--every scene with Leia dealing with the aftermath of the Empire’s fall and her pregnancy and her growing frustration with the New Republic fed into my growing care for this era of storytelling.  Every scene with Mon Mothma or with Mas Amedda surrendering or Rae Sloane trying to navigate all the shit she’s going through and me knowing the remnants of the Empire will eventually become the First Order.  Putting all of that together with Iden Versio’s story happening at the same time. Even if I don’t necessarily want to make a home of any one part of this era (like I do with my other beloved parts of Star Wars), what really gets to me about the multimedia nature of the franchise is that it forms a bigger tapestry that I can’t help but get drawn into.  Do I care that much about the Dragon Void race that Han is participating in?  Not really.  Do I care that much about the X-Wing pilots celebrating after the second Death Star goes down?  Not really. But I care about knowing that Iden is out there about to deal with so much shit, I care that this is Poe’s mom and dad and I’m starting to like them for themselves, I care about getting to see Luke in these moments, I care about filling in the world around the big, epic stuff that I do care about.  (And I care about how the art in both series is G O R G E O U S.)  I care about how the Empire’s fall wasn’t that easy, it wasn’t just blowing up the Death Star or Palpatine’s death, that there were a lot more people involved than that, which is being explored through these stories. I shouldn’t even care about the Empire!  But the books and the comics and the games and the TV shows (and, frankly, our own political landscape these days) have made a compelling enough story on a larger level that I’m just Really Into It.  Star Wars has really been doing great at giving me characters to care about (like Shara, like Jas and Sinjir and Norra, like Iden, like Rae, like Ciena, like Hera and Sabine and Ursa and Ketsu, or filling in the details of old favorites like Leia and Han and Lando) and giving them connections to each other, giving them connective tissue so that this feels like part of a bigger story, not just isolated stories that have nothing to do with each other.  It took awhile, it was a lot of stories to consume, and there are still major empty spots for more stories, and I hardly expect anyone else to be obligated to put in that much time/money into reading all of it. But for me? Yeah, it’s a really satisfying ride.  I’m getting an entire world to play in and one that--so far, we’ll see how things go when we start getting more prequels content--feels coherent to me.  Maybe not always what I wanted, but it makes sense to me and keeps me coming back and has given me a lot of really cool stuff.

[franeridart]

would it be possible for you to draw the three bakusquad couples hanging out together? (bakushima, kamijirou, and seromina)

Anon said:could you maybe draw some seromina? i feel like the ship doesn’t get enough love and they’re really cute together

I’ve had a comic about all three ships drafted for an age, maybe I’ll finally finish it later today!! :0

Anon said:Love your Bakushima stuff! It keeps me going through the hell I am in ;w;

Thank you!!! I’m sorry you’re not currently in a good place tho, anon ;^; I hope all the best will come your way soon!

Anon said:so i checked your FAQ and it doesn't mention anything about commissions, which i suppose maybe links in with the whole no requests thing? anyway, feel free to ignore this ask if you don't and never will do commissions but know that i'm here with my wallet open if you ever do lololol

Thank you so much for the interest??? Commissions are an idea that I’ve been tossing around in my head for the past month or so, actually - I’m not promising anything, but I might actually open them soon enough!

Anon said:Who is bottom, Bakugou or kirishima

This isn’t that sort of blog anon!!! No n//sfw talks around here

Anon said:You got any kaminai angst hc?

This is also not that sort of blog!!! No angst talks around here either! sorry to disappoint both of you, tho I would have assumed that was actually pretty obvious from the blog itself hahaha

Anon said:i love your art so much but there's something about the little chibi extras that make me want to squee and cry at the same time, they're sO CUTE

THANK YOU!!!!! Drawinf chibis has always been one of the most relaxing things for me, those extras are always 100% self-indulgence so knowing you like them makes me really happy!!! :D

Anon said:I just want to tattoo one of your kiribakus drawing on my back, can i?

I don’t know why you’d want to do that tbh hahaha

Anon said:Idk if you're into greek mythology but if kiribaku were put into the eros and psyche myth who do you think each one would be?

Hmmm to be honest I can’t say I feel like they fit either particularly well, but if I had to pick Baku would be Psyche and Kiri Eros, I feel :0

Anon said:Hi!!! I love your art sooo much!! Especially those comics where the bakusquad are turned into babies! SO CUTE I WAS DYING. Do you think you’ll ever do it again?

Ahhhhhhhh thank you so much for liking those, anon!! I don’t think I’ll ever pick up te exact same idea again, tho ;^; sorry, maybe a variation of it but not that same one

Anon said:I miss your Haikyuu fanart, particularly your BoKuroo stuff. The next season needs to happen.

!! well, I can’t say a new season is gonna change much as far as my content output is concerned, sadly - I’m also following the manga, after all haha

Anon said:I shall always reblog everything you create. They are all masterpieces.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!

Anon said:What post was it please share im in need

I’m sORRY it was a long long time ago and I never properly tagged it orz

Anon said:The poke thing.... OMG YOU KILL ME WTFFFF. So fucking cute, blasty baby. Your art make me so happy u dont have an idea! (In a manly way obvly haha) Thank u so much♡

!!!! thank you for liking it, anon!!!!!

Anon said:Okay last night at like 4am I looked at one of your fluffy kiribaku comics, and I don't even remember which one, but I saw it and began c r y i n g and I only remembered now

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh man I didn’t mean to make you cry??? Thank you for liking my stuff that much, tho!!

Anon said:Do you have any tips on how to draw hands and feet? I'm tired of drawing people with what look like claws and hooves

Somewhere in my #tutorials or #art tips tag there should be something about hands I did a while ago? But honestly anon the only real tip I can give you is to use a lot of references and draw them a lot, which sounds useless but it’s really how I’m learning how to draw them orz 

Anon said: your art is so absolutely phenomenally unique and just, GORGEOUS. it makes me so happy and it makes me smile and just. i love it so much, thank you for sharing it with us

SOB thank you SO MUCH seriously oh my g o d ;O;

Anon said:lol anon from a previous ask about the lack of noses, I appreciate the detailed explanation. I thought I was going to get a simple "because I don't feel like it" which is cool too, I still appreciate the time you took to answer me

It’s okay! I have reasons for everything I do with my style (tho most of it boils down to I’m a very lazy person haha) so I don’t really mind that sorta questions! :D

Anon said:Did I ever tell you how much I fucking love you, and your art ❤️❤️❤️💗💖💓💞💘💕💝💗💓💖❣️💕💘💓💞💝💓💖💘💓💘💘💕

AAAHHHH THANK YOU!!!!

Anon said:You are honestly one of my favorite artists ever just because of your art style and because you're pretty much exclusively a kiribaku and bakysquad artist!

I do tend to draw a ton for that specific group right now, don’t I hahaha I’m glad you’re enjoying it!!!

Anon said:Consider this: Bakugou with glasses

oHO but I already did consider that :D

Anon said:I just wanna say thanks love for providing me with bakushima fluff it’s quite rare to see art of it so your my Bakushima fluff supply love ya!

I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Is it really rare tho? I feel like all the krbk I see around is fluff hahaha

Anon said:Dude, dude, DUDE, I LOVE YOUR ART SO MUCH AND I LOVE YOU AND YOU'RE AMAZING AND I'M NOT EVEN IN THE BNHA FANDOM ANYMORE (I wasn't a big fan of the protagonist) BUT I ALWAYS COME BACK TO YOUR BLOG!

HOLY HECK THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:I really hope that season 3 means we'll see hardened!kiri and the third years being animated.

Awww I really don’t think so, anon ;^; my guess is that Eri’s arc and the Big Three will be the beginning of s4 :(

Anon said:wait pls list some amazing blogs that you like im so curious to know where you draw inspiration from also I LOVE YOU

Ahhhh I love you too!!!! And if we’re talking about blogs that inspire me then !!! taro-k,  motekill,  sunflower-squad,  itsdanfango,  oikws,  jeanrydeart,  syblatortue (blog’s n//sfw, blah blah, you know the drill) camilleto, kimoidane, naeuri, l1ng, seventypercentethanol, natroze, andatsea, and that’s, just, the first I could come up with and only a minimal part of them seriously there’s so many great artists on this site orz

Anon said:Hey there! Firstly, I love your art it's stunning. Secondly, what are your fav ships from bnha aside from kamijiro and kiribaku? personay I enjoy todomomo and dekuraraka :))

OH thank you!!!!! And I’d say erasermic and most of any combination between the squad kids, really hahaha

Anon said:I have never even though about the noselessness (what is english language) of your art :D My brain has just slide aside that fact and after reading the anon's ask I went: What? They don't? Oh, they don't :D Your style is so expressive :D I love it

HECK thank you SO MUCH !!!!!!

Anon said:hey fran I would DIE for u

pLEASE DON’T DIE

Anon said:Would you draw Erasermic?

Hell yeah I would, after all I already have in the past hahaha

[faceofmalawi]

Chilima Reports APM, Police IG to ICC

The country’s estranged Vice-President Saulos Chilima has reported President Peter Mutharika and Acting Inspector General of Police Duncan Mwapasa to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes against humanity allegedly committed between 2018 and 2020. In his letter to the ICC dated June 11 2020 which his lawyer Chikosa Silungwe yesterday confirmed sending to the ICC, Chilima—who states that he has submitted the report in his personal capacity—cites the crimes as murder under Article 7(1) (a), rape and other forms of sexual violence under Article 7(1), causing severe injury under Article 7(1) (k) and persecution based on political affiliation under Article 7 (1) (h) of the Rome Statute. Top among the issues are the petrol-bombing of the UTM Party office which housed the Tambala family in Area 24 and rape of women and girls at Msundwe, M’bwatalika and Mpingu in Lilongwe by some alleged police officers in Lilongwe. While Mwapasa has chosen to remain silent on the matter, Mutharika— s p e a k i n g t h r o u g h presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani—argues that Chilima himself in collaboration with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera started the said political violence in the country. In his three-page statement, Chilima submits: “There is an Election Campaign Strategy of the Democratic Progressive Party — whose president is Arthur Peter Mutharika—by which the civilian population is systematically attacked, principally based on the use of DPP youth cadets, political allies, law enforcement agents on instructions of Arthur Peter Mutharika and Duncan Mwapasa. “These attacks have translated into the systematic commission of crimes against humanity. Until now, those most responsible, those that promoted, encouraged and cooperated in the implementation of these attacks have not been investigated, prosecuted, or punished by the Malawi criminal justice system.” He claims public officials have consistently denied, trivialised or out rightly ignored existence of crimes committed against the civilian population by DPP youth cadets and police officers as “agents of Mutharika and Mwapasa”. Chilima, who fell out with Mutharika and DPP in June 2018, wants the prosecutor at ICC to, among others, conduct an analysis of the information provided, in light of the requirements of the Rome Statute, regarding crimes committed by the DPP youth cadets and their allies but also failure to arrest, investigate, prosecute perpetrators by police officers. Reads in part the relief he is seeking: “Determine whether there exists reasonable basis to initiate an investigation regarding the commission of crimes against humanity in Malawi when all the facts, as provided in the communication, are considered.” Chilima says he has resorted to referring the matter to ICC because domestic criminal investigations or prosecutions have failed to act; hence, the ICC should exercise its jurisdiction as required by Article 17 of the Rome Statute. In a brief interview on Sunday, Mwapasa said he was not aware of the said report and would, therefore, not comment. But Kalilani said Chilima’s action is very comical of him, saying: “It is a known fact that the political violence Malawi is experiencing was started by himself in collaboration with the MCP president Reverend Lazarus Chakwera and the HRDC in reaction to their loss in May 2019 presidential polls. “Together, they have been planning, funding and perpetuating the violence across the country on innocent people in the guise of peaceful demonstrations since May 2019. They can’t fool any reasonable court about their involvement. He is probably misleading himself to believing that he can also manipulate the ICC and use it as political tool.” But in a separate interview, Garton Kamchedzera, professor of law at Chancellor College—a constituent college of the University of Malawi—said normally,the ICC will assess such complaints and check whether the local remedies have failed or not. He said: “I think the thinking in Chilima is that the people that have the power, the authority to pursue the cases, arrest and bring these matters to court are the police not him as the Vice- President because he can’t say I will arrest or prosecute them.” In December 2019 , Ombudsman Martha Chizuma and Law Commissioner Rosemary Kanyuka released a report on an investigation conducted as part of Malawi Human Right Commission (MHRC) work which confirmed that some police officers allegedly raped women and girls. HRCC, a network of 97 human rights organisations, also asked Mutharika to intervene. The Women L awyer s Association (WLA)) also filed with the High Court in Lilongwe an application for judicial review in the case in which 17 women from Msundwe are accusing police officers of sexual assault. In the application, WLA accuses Inspector General of Police, Clerk of Parliament and Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development of having failed to fulfil their duties in protecting citizens of the country, in particular the 17 women and girls who were reportedly raped, defiled and sexually assaulted by some police officers on duty in Msundwe, Mpingu and Mbwatalika on the outskirts of Lilongwe City in October 2019. The ICC’s founding treaty, Rome Statute, grants the ICC jurisdiction over four main offences—crimes against humanity, which are serious violations committed as part of a large-scale attack against any civilian population; genocide; war crimes and crime of aggression. Source: Nation Online Read the full article

[rebelthroughreading-blog]

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

A man takes a long look back at high school, a true time when he knew and was friends with a teenage Jeffery Dahmer.

Quick Information

price: $19.99

number of pages: 224

ISBN:  978-1419702174

publisher and date: Harry N. Abrams, 2012

author’s website: http://www.derfcity.com/

genre: juvenile graphic novel, non-fiction, autobiography

main subjects: comic, graphic novel, serial killer, high school students

Plot

Derf Backderf, then John Backderf, writes of a time when he was in high school and knew Jeffery Dahmer, before he was a famous serial killer. He takes his readers back to those days in hopes of seeing the disturbed teenager and the context of his life and perhaps of finding an explanation for the terrible deeds Dahmer would commit in the future.

Who’s reading it?

Written on a much lower level than those who may be interested, teenagers in later high school (grades 10-12) may find this intriguing and somewhat disturbing tale more appealing than those younger (grades 7-10).

Why did I read it?

Graphic novels are rising as a more prominent medium for reading for young adults, especially for those who are afraid of the “bigger books” with many pages and chapters. The idea of looking at pictures and reading dialogue can be less threatening. However, those pictures and dialogue can have just as much depth and story than any chapter book. Sometimes, the graphic novel can explain more than a book full of only words, often because of the addition of pictures and visuals.

As someone who was not alive during Dahmer’s killings, learning about something so gruesome and terrible is easier through a less serious medium. By that, I mean cartoon like illustrations and the safety of fiction between me, the reader, and reality, the fact that this all actually happened. On top of that, we do not often see the perspective of the serial killer when discussing things that actually happened. Backderf created a graphic novel to show what he saw as a high school student going to classes with a weird boy who would eventually become a monster. I wanted to know if readers were going to see a novel about a man who regretted not putting together clues in time to save people. I wanted to know why Dahmer’s high school years were important enough for someone to write about them.

Evaluation

Jeffery Dahmer, like all men who choose to murder, has become a terrifying monster in the heads of many people. He committed irreprehensible acts, ones that could never be forgiven, so the idea that a man would write about a time before the murder and necrophilia in a way that almost takes Dahmer’s side is almost unbelievable. But, hold up a second, that’s not exactly what that is. Sure, Backderf shows a sympathetic side of Dahmer’s story, however, he makes it clear that he has his reasons.

Backderf wanted to give some backstory and provide what he sees a bit of reasoning behind the monstrous reality of the serial killer. He does not necessarily want to take all blame away from him nor does he want to reason away what Dahmer did, but he finds it important to explain what he saw and knew about Dahmer’s life previously to show that there was a before, and certain events may have made a difference in the way that Dahmer would later live his life.

Through several instances of weirdness and almost comedic behavior, Dahmer is portrayed as a strange teenager with serious problems that everyone avoided instead of attempting to remedy. He makes weird sounds, acts comically weird for his friends’ enjoyment, and continues to be just a weird guy at all times.

Graphic novels are some of the most appealing forms of literature, especially for younger audiences, such as those in high school. Like I said earlier, I read this because of the scary story told in a less scary medium. Graphic novels are a wonderful medium to get someone like a high schooler to read something like this. Backderf’s choice to use his artistic abilities in this way give his readers a more complete view of Backderf’s own memories of the world at the time. He draws in a cartoon like style, which is important, because that is how he remembers Dahmer. He remembers the weird guy who was like a cartoon all of the time. If he drew any more realistically, the effect would not have been as great in the end when the author realizes that Dahmer was not a joke but very real.

Backderf poses some interesting questions that could potentially create huge problems. Is this Dahmer’s fault? Could anyone have stopped him? Could anyone have acted differently and changed the course of Dahmer’s life? Were there enough signs for people to have noticed before? He answers known of them, because that is not the purpose of this story. This autobiography is more like a case study of a strange boy with a difficult childhood who grew to be a monstrous adult. The author’s questions are for the readers to consider for the rest of life, not necessarily for this one. We cannot change the past, so look at the present and see if we can use this information to change the future.

The issues

The issues with My Friend Dahmer are far more complicated than a list of the generic ones (i.e. bullying, inappropriate language, sexual content, etc.). Instead, we see a story that almost forgives a serial killer of his terrible acts because of his difficult childhood and lack of help when he so desperately needed it. 

Backderf portrays himself as kind of mean along with his other friends. They thought teenage Jeffery Dahmer was strange and sad and only acted like his friend when they wanted something from him like when they thought it would be hilarious for Dahmer to act out at a mall and scare everyone. They used him.

The author is sympathetic to Dahmer, a troubled kid with a troubled upbringing. He blames everyone else for what is happening to Dahmer. The parents’ messy break-up and then blatant ignoring him, teachers and workers at the school not noticing his behavior or the fact that he not only drank but came in with such great stench that people anywhere near him were put off. Backderf even asks the question “Where were the adults?” (p. 66-67) effectively blaming them for not taking the time to notice something that could have saved lives later. The audience feels as though they have to be on Dahmer’s side despite knowing the outcome of the story before it begins.  

So why should be read it?

Backderf is not telling the audience to feel sorry for Dahmer and forgive him of his sins, because no one noticed that he was acting strangely. He is not saying that the adults are completely at fault, because they did not notice that he skipped class and came in inebriated and smelling like he was made of alcohol. He is suggesting that the events of his past contributed to what Dahmer would become, and that looking back, readers can see those things that suggested that something was wrong - the drinking, the divorce, the odd behavior, the vibe - and consider that for other situations as well. 

How can we use it?

Other than using it as a case study to use in the future when look at other kids who may have troubled backgrounds and need help, it is good for everyone to see that things do happen, and sometimes that is because they have had many other challenges lead up to a breaking point. Dahmer always had that daydream of corpses he mutilated, but with help, his victims could have been saved. Children do not always know how to handle their inner conflicts nor do they know how to ask for help. As long as we try to notice, it is better than ignoring things that we have seen.

The book is also a great representation of the autobiographical graphic novel. Biographies and autobiographies, like all nonfiction, are not as popular with young adults. They view the genres as boring and even tedious. Backderf writes a true story in an interesting way that makes it feel more like fiction, which appeals to more people. Even if the story is not favored among teens, it is a good introduction to the genre and suggests that readers try other stories like it. 

Booktalk Ideas

The narrator shows a more understanding perspective to the Jeffrey Dahmer story. Having seen some of the background, is Dahmer a character for which someone should feel sorry? Does Backderf give Dahmer too much sympathy?

Backderf discusses the question people ask about why he and his friends never spoke up, and instead, he deflects the question with generalities of being unaware kids and then immediately begging what he thinks was the more important question: Where were the adults (Backderf 66 and 67)? He goes on to mention everything that adults did or did not do such as his parents not noticing his problems, no adult at the school noticing his drinking problems or his weird behavior, the adults at the mall not stopping him. Is Backderf deflecting the blame or is he simply trying to find a reason that no one noticed before?

What else can I read?

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Awards and Lists

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

2013 ALA/YALSA Alex Award

2014 Revelation Award at Angoulême

2015 ALA/YALSA Alex Award (Excellence in Narrative Nonfiction)

BEST OF 2012 by Time, The Village Voice, A.V. Club, comiXology, Boing Boing, Publishers Weekly, and MTV Geek

Professional Reviews

Martha Cornog (2012), Library Journal - http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=d6633867-86f9-4d8b-8d45-1ddb488259b4%40sdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=75327065&db=a9h

No author (2012), Publishers Weekly - http://go.galegroup.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ps/i.do?&id=GALE|A276437030&v=2.1&u=csusj&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w