#Because I had to teach myself to draw a ship

[julfr]

It started out as a ship, how did it end up like this.

A scene I drew and am very happy with how it turned out.

[thatoneguydownthestreet]

Yo! I really love your apocalypse yuu writings I keep coming back to see if it has updated.

I read the Lilia finds out part and when I read the "Epel gave Yuu an apple and he didn't know what it was" it got me thinking about it all night.

How would the first years react to Yuu not eating anything at all(probably other than bread) because he doesn't know what those foods are?

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FEM ALIGNED DNI

Yuus pronouns are he/him, although they're mentioned briefly

This is barely proofread so please excuse the grammar mistakes.

Featuring: Epel, Ace, Duece, Jack, and sebek (there is implied lilia at the very end but it is literally one sentence)

Warnings: Talks of starvation, Yuu's illness, and survivers guilt, so skip this if you're uncomfortable with any of that.

Also I know it's been over a month. I have no excuse. I just didn't feel like it. But I have been teaching myself how to draw so I can be a bigger simp to Jamil so that's fun ig.

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Damn bro, you really don't know shit huh?

Epel was excited, to say the least.

I mean, could you really blame him? It's not everyday that you get a big ol' crate full of the apples that you were raised with.

By all means, epel should've been long sick of eating apples. Having them almost everyday for majority of his life, dried and dehydrated in the winter, and fresh and juicy in the spring and summer.

But no, no epel felmeir loves those apples. Every single one he ate seemed to effortlessly send him back to the simpler times of his childhood. Where he would send hours upon hours avoiding his siblings and playing games with his cousins in the orchards and taking naps in the sun while he waited for his meemaws infamous apple pies to finish baking. And meemaw would almost always let him have the first slice! Of the ones she wasn't going to sell at least.

He really missed her...

He'd have to ask her to bake him another one this winter.

But just getting to read the letter she had wrote, along with his parents and one of the towns kids that always followed him around like a lost baby duck, put a smile on his face.

Yeah. He'd get to see them soon, and once he graduates, he can get them more money, and be strong enough to protect them if it ever came to that.

Unfortunately, as great as his parents apples were, they couldn't fight the natural forces of time.

Dear sevens- they'd sent him nearly three dozen apples! All high quality too... it shouldn't effect sales too much. The orchards were big, and his parents would rather give up that expensive family heir loom necklace that his mother always wore than start selling spoiled apples.

But still, epel couldn't possibly eat thirty-six apples before they all started to rot. Plus, he didn't know how long they took to ship to the isle of sages, so that cut the time frame even shorter.

.....Does Jack like apples?

Should he even be considering giving Jack an apple to begin with? Their relationship was pretty vague. We're they actually friends or just study buddies?

Study buddies can give eachother gifts too right? And plus, it's food, not a 24 carrot gold ring or something crazy like that.

It should be fine. Maybe he'll give one to ace too. They were friends. Surely.

.

.

.

Ace trappola would say he was a good friend. I mean, he wasn't the best by any means, but he was decent.

Yeah, he could be kind of a dick. But who isn't at this point, honestly, even deuce, even cater had their moments.

But he was still someone the people in his life could go to for things, usually physically, tangible this like food or an extra ball or something, but he wasn't completely useless when it came to emotions either.

You could come to him if something was bothering you. He probably won't help you actually fix it but he can at least make you laugh.

So why didn't you want to laugh?

You had taken your mask off a few weeks ago. And like a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped on him he realized it was the first time he ever saw you eat any food here at all.

Were you eating at all before then? What about water?

Thank the seven you were only here for around a week. But surely, you were dehydrated.

(You were definitely dehydrated. Deuce gave you a water bottle and you chugged it like it was your only chance at life. Which, to be fair, it probably was your only chance at life.)

Ace didn't know what your life was like before.

Ace didn't want to know either.

He didn't do well with heavy topics, always changing the subject when one came up unless he was personally involved in some way.

Other people life didn't concern him, and that was something he lived by.

...but still.

This was going a bit too far, don't you think?

Ace shot a look to deuce, clear concern instead of the regular teasing, which caught his roomates attention faster than he thought it would.

Ok. So deuce had noticed too.

Just goes to show how obvious it was that something is very wrong here.

Now, because ace had never asked, and he probably never will, he didn't know what your relationship with food was like before you came here. But. It couldn't have been this right?

A person couldn't only survive on some bread and room temperature water, right?

You sat across from him at your guy's unofficial table in the cafeteria, drinking the water at a moderate pace, as you didn't want to deal with another scolding from a certain housewarden, doing your best to keep a careful eye on grim as he went to go get his food from the lunch line.

And thank the seven for that, really. If grim turned back and saw that you weren't watching him for even a second, who knows that kind of ruckus would result?

But all that aside, you were still scarily underweight. Seriously perfect, how were you even alive?

Ace looked at deuce again. Deuce looked back.

He sighed.

Ace never, ever thought he would do something like this.

But for sevens sake, you were one of his best friends. And Ace will be damned if he just let you do this to yourself.

So with a deep breathe, he looked at you, and then turned back to what he was pretty sure was an ex-gang member, and nodded.

And for once, deuce understood.

They had to do something.

.

.

.

You reminded Deuce Spade of that stray cat that his mother would always feed when he was a child.

Underweight, scared, scarred, and confused.

Always having an air if caution and paranoia, ready to react, as if anything could just jump out and grab you at any time.

But you weren't a cat, were you?

No. You were a person. Someone his age, maybe younger, that had obviously seen horrors he couldn't even understand. Which just made this whole situation even sadder.

Because if you lived like this, then what the hell was stopping him? What about his mother? What was stopping her from having the same fate?

Duece ignored the memories of his mother giving him food and taking none for herself, saying she wasn't hungry.

But he couldn't quite ignore them, nor could he ignore the pit in his stomach whenever he looked at you.

...Listen perfect, he doesn't know what you went through to be like this, but he knows damn well this isn't normal.

It can't be normal. Hiding this much food underneath your floorboards couldn't ever be normal.

The two of you were just hanging out in your room in Ramshakle. Grim was in the lounge, he was sure, and you had stared off into space before asking the date.

When he told you, you had a look of slight panic as you ripped the rug off from its place on the floor, and started pulling apart the boards.

And what for?

The reveal of a large stash of food, mostly non-perishables, but a few snacks here and there too.

Snacks that were about to expire, apparently.

You turned to look back at him, a sheepish look on your face, and what looked like a bag if chips in your hand.

Deuce didn't know what face he was making.

He just knew it wasn't one he'd want you to see

.

.

.

If someone were to ask Jack howl if he was your friend. He wouldn't know to to say.

I mean yeah, you helped save his entire dorms ass way back when, yeah, you and him absolutely went throught it during azuls little "episode", and yeah, the two of you had plenty of mutual friends.

But we're the two of you friends?

Jack wasn't sure.

Because by all accounts, you should be.

It didn't change the fact that you weren't. Not really. Not by his definition and not by yours.

So what were you?

Well, you weren't friends. That was already established. And you were too close to be acquaintances (he didn't think acquaintance fell asleep on each other in the botanical gardens, only to wake up five minutes till curfew and just haul ass back to their respective dorms with smiles on their faces), so...what did that leave?

Well... I guess it left this.

"Eat it"

"....huh?"

Jack didn't know you that well. But that didn't mean he couldn't see..this happening. And it definitely didn't mean he didn't care.

So here he was. Holding a pastrami sandwich about an inch away from your face, silently begging you to just shut up and eat it.

Come on perfect, he bought this with his own money. Just humor him, please.

You eyed the sandwich like it was the most untrustworthy thing you'd ever seen. Jack's not going to lie, it kind of hurt.

But it wouldn't matter if you ate it, so he sucked it up.

...at least he would if you'd actually take the fucking sandwich.

Seriously, it was starting to tick him off.

Jack briefly considered just varying off and giving the sandwich to ruggie or something, or just eating it himself. He wasn't the biggest fan of pastrami but who knows, maybe the school made it better.

Honestly, he probably would have done just that if the image if you leaning against the wall looking ready to pass out from, what he knew, was malnutrition.

The event itself actually happened around two weeks ago, give or take. Jack thinks the only real reason he remembers it so well is because, well, it was the moment.

The defining moment, the moment where it just clicked that something was very wrong here.

He already knew that of course, I mean, look at you.

But as it turns out, watching someone actively starve to death in front of you will keep you up at night.

His mind turned to ruggie for a split second, before forcibly shoving that thought down where all the other thoughts he didn't want to think about were.

Like that time when he was a kid with a crush on Vil....yeah, Jack's happy he got o er that one to say the least. Nothing against Vil, he's a great friend and all (they were friends right?), but them in a relationship? Yeah. No. Not happening. No thankyou.

...yeah.

Jack mentally slapped hi.self and proceeded to shove his weird thoughts down yet again and refocus on getting his not-quite-friend to eat.

You were leaning back a lot farther than you were a second ago, if you did that anymore you'd probably just end up on the ground.

...jack sighed. This was going to take a while wasn't it?

By the end of the lunch period, you had come to a compromise, jack you slip the sandwich with you and take the other half for himself.

You ended up splitting your half with grim, who reluctantly took it. You had actually eaten yours too!...after you took the while thing apart and inspected and obsessed over it like how he'd seen Rook do to his housewardens that one time!

But still, it was something.

It was a start. And that's really all he could ask for at this point.

.

.

.

Sebek didn't notice anything about you at first. And he didn't particularly care much either. He was a guard for sevens sake! He had a deep responsibility!

He had a crown prince, that he oh so admired, to protect! Not to mention silver, who he had to wake up at every given turn, and not to mention Lilia, who had recently been going harder on their training sessions.

So to waste his time with a human? With a weak little human that didn't even come close to his current list if priorities?

That's time he simply did not have!

...So why was he here?

He was supposed to be looking for his charge. His charge, who always seemed to wind up around the old, abandoned Ramshakle building and just dissappear in the nick of time.

It had been happening more and more lately, especially since that new perfect moved in.

He would be lying if he said he cared too much about him. Again, he didn't have time to be curious about some strange human boy with some strange past.

But still, he couldn't quite contain the way he jumped back when he'd first seen them.

Whoever he was, he looked so...sick.

...he didn't have time for this.

Turning back on his heel, he refocused his mind on finding his lord again, and quickl- wait- silver. Oh great sevens. Silver wake up!

Ok. Sebek really didn't have time for this.

...and yet.

Here he was, standing next to you, arms out ready to catch you at a moments notice if you really were going to collapse like he thought you were.

He hadn't been this close to you before.

And now he could see that you weren't just sick.

Great seven, you looked like you were dying...

Sebek zigbolt had always known humans were weak, fragile creatures. Never able to even light a candle next to faeries. Never able to light a candle next to him, and certainly not his young master.

But this was just pushing it.

Sebek was stronger than his human counterparts. He would long outlive them. He thought of silver for the shortest second and then quickly pushed that thought to the side. This was not the time. Buteven with those facts, sebek still knew that humans weren't made of fine glass. Even if the people in his homeland liked to act like it, Sebek still knew that humanity wasn't completely hopeless.

One strong gust of wind wouldn't knock them over.

One missed meal wasn't enough to do detrimental damage to their health.

Pulling one all nighter would barely put a dent in their day to day lives, aside from the obvious fatigue and.

But with you?

With you? Alwats looking like you could kneel over and die then and there on the classroom floor?

...

Sebek want so sure anymore.

.

.

.

Epel had eaten more apples than any normal person should ever be able to eat.

Sevens help him, his stomach.

Despite the waves of pain that shit through him every now and then, epel wasn't mad.

Yeah, maybe eating a whole eight apples in the span of two hours wasn't his smartest idea, but the sweet nostalgia that seemed to wash over him and warm his very soul? Yeah no, it was worth it.

So no. Epel felmeir wasn't mad.

And laying in a bed that was much too soft for his taste, a direct contrast from the slightly itchy blankets and the hard mattresses back home, epel glance over to the almost empty crate of apples that were sitting just under his work desk.

...As much as Epel wanted to eat them, he wanted to do this even more.

Epel sat up, ignoring his stomach pain the best he could, and began a mental list of all the people he knew. And then a silent debate over who deserved his families apples in the first place.

Ok. First up Ace.

Epel would say they were friends. Not close friends by any means, but friends nonetheless.

Epel could give him one.

Next was Jack.

...In all honesty, epel didn't know. We're they friends, or just simply homework buddies that occasionally hung out?

...he could spare one for Jack, maybe they'd be friends then if they weren't already.

Duece.

Yes. Just- just yes. That day on the beach had changed their relationship forever. Duece was like a brother to him at this point.

He was goddamn getting an apple.

Epel chuckled a little at the realization that he was treating this like one of those elimination gameshows his meemaw liked.

Ok...he had two apples left after that.

Sebek wasn't really his friend was he? He certainly didn't make it seem like he was. If anything, Sebek was trying his damnedest to make them all belive the exact opposite, really.

....maybe he should just give the apple to Rook.

Or Vil.

Maybe.

Ok. He has one apple left.

The two of you weren't really friends. But you were friendly. If nothing else, you had been nothing but kind to him so far.

And plus, you looked uh. Half dead. To put it nicely.

And so, with a smile on his face, epel took out the crate of apples and began placing them on a bag that would make them easier to carry around tomorrow.

He couldn't wait.

.

.

.

It's funny how your whole life can change in a single moment, especially when you don't even know what that moment was.

Why were you here? Where is here anyway? Surely, magic didn't exist right?

The air wasn't always this clean right?

Water wasn't readily available at the turn of a handle right?

People didnt...people werent...weren't....

Heh. Heheha.

Why.

Why were you here?

Why were you here?

Why you and not one of the kids? What the hell have you ever done but use up medical supplies in a fruitless effort to keep you alive.

Why was this world so...pretty. happy. Clean.

Why this world and not your own? What had this world ever done to deserve this luxury of life.

...What had yours?

What had you?

Out of all the base commanders, the medics, the farmers, or children, or any of the other apprentice kids that you sometimes had to work with.

You were here. And they were still trapped inside of that hell.

...You didn't deserve this.

You died. You were on that beach and you died.

You woke up in a coffin, but something told you this wasn't the afterlife.

That something being the blood that you coughed up the other day.

It wasn't from internal bleeding, you k ew that much. Rather, it was from you coughing so hard that something in your throat had ripped.

It really didn't matter. You had spent nearly half an hour in a panic, choking and trying to unclog your airways, while grim and the ghosts you had come to somewhat love, stood behind you, offering what little comfort they could.

It wasn't the first time this happened after all.

You were still bedridden for a good two days after that. Thank God for the weekend.

Time passed in a blur while you were like that. It always did, mostly because you were asleep ninety percent of the time. The other twn being dedicated to medicine and a vain attempt to get food you knew you couldn't stomach to stay down.

So no. This wasn't the afterlife.

It was just a beautiful second chance that you didn't deserve.

It was so confusing.

And this was so confusing.

What..is this weird red thing being handed to you?

Epel looked at you with a hopeful expression on his face. It reminded you of the little girl you used to look after...

You take the..thing.

Glancing over to your right, you watch Ace take a large bite out of it with a smile on his face.

Ok. So not poisonous. Good to know.

You saw Duece do the same thing.

You felt Jack staring at you, but you didn't dare look at him.

[etincelleart]

The more I'm on internet and the more I see harassment and call out posts every single day on various fandoms/artists spaces for all possible reasons and honestly I don't even know what to say outside of the fact that this is so freaking dangerous and wild to put labels and accusations on people you don't even know, or to not even try to understand and seek knownledge about the situation outside of what you want to see and understand. There are real predators doing illegal stuff who need to be stopped and yet people having fun and imagining things for ocs, various characters and ships are being accused of the worst things ever and it follows them everywhere. Tiny things are took as obvious signs of predatory behavior or racism or whatever and this is supposed to be fine.

I don't even mean to bring back the topic of my own story but experiencing dog piling and rumors and serious accusations for months because of a follow is just completely wild when I think about it. With some distance, I think I could have handled everything better when I spoke about it publicly. But I never should have wrote this post in the first place.

Block button exist and report button exist as well for serious problematic elements. My take is that no one deserves harassment and cruelty. But when you say "I'm against harassment and I don't want this person to be harassed", people take it as you defending "problematic" elements and completely distort it anyway. It's honestly exhausting and stupid.

Everyone has something that make them uncomfortable or that triggers them and I have my own standards as well. There are things I consider seriously weird but we don't know people and we don't know any of the intention behind the art. The way you explore something, how you do it, for what reason is what should matter. There are so much things you don't know. Nothing is black and white. I honestly think that as an artist, your art is connected to you, but the themes you work on are NOT reality. Again it's about the intention and how you go about something. I just think media literacy should really be teached at school because wow.

I just thought about expressing myself on this because it's just too serious and harming a lot of people who did nothing. I got attacked over a FOLLOW for someone who did nothing but imagine a future AU for characters and I think that's insane. Everything should be analyzed case by case. There are a real dangers who need to be exposed but this is never a reason or a justification to become cruel or to wish harm to anyone and assume the worst on people you never met. Just take a breath, go outside and learn how to block people, because that's insane the amount of people I had to block because they were being shitty but didn't block me or were still even following me.

I'm trying to not let my emotions get the better of me but that's honestly insane many others and myself got caught into this. The only thing I always did is drawing Nuts and Dolts because that's the only ship I could ever care about in RWBY. Being against harassment is not about defending "bad" people. It's so easy to judge people and make your little assumptions harming REAL people like that.

[handfuloftime]

I know you've read a lot of personal narratives from people involved in the Ross Antarctic Expedition. Are there any passages you can recall that either made you laugh out loud or yell "No you fool!!" at a long-deceased man?

This is such a fun question, thank you!

Maybe less "No you fool!!" and more "Get some sleep you fool!!" but this passage from Ross's narrative stuck out to me recently:

Soon after 6 A. M., when within half a mile of this chain of bergs, the weather came so thick, with heavy snow, and the wind failing us, Lieutenant Bird, whom I had left in charge of the conduct of the ship, being myself unable to remain on deck any longer from excessive fatigue, very judiciously recommended that we should stand off again until more favourable weather for our purpose should arrive.

Not strictly a narrative, but a while ago I had the opportunity to read some of the letters sent to Joseph Dalton Hooker in the archives of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, including some notes that people sent back and forth between the ships while they were in the Antarctic. J.E. Davis's notes, in particular, were full of banter, and this passage (dated December 1842) always makes me laugh:

You make some vile unladylike allusions in your note about my writing badly and wanting stops &c together with a base insinuation about a vulgar pipe and taking a draw at it - Because you have been to a Sunday School it is no reason you should upbraid me and bring me into a vile comparison with your truly disgusting-and-ever-to-be-despised self - I own I do not write well and do not disguise my ignorance under the guise of fashion like yourself Oh! the ingratitude of the world after teaching you every accomplishment and trying (against your nature) to make you a gentleman to turn like a snake or a vile "surpint" and bite with pisoned [sic] fangs the breast that nourished and brought you to life Oh! it is too much Gas.

And though I've posted about them before, I have to mention John Robertson's description of Ross and Crozier landing on Franklin Island, and Hooker grousing about how St. Helena is a Napoleonic tourist trap, both of which are comedy gold.

[mdhwrites]

Since you mentioned it in a recent post, what do you think about TOH having a sympathetic main cast of mostly conventionally beautiful, humanoid characters while still preaching about how 'weirdos have to stick together'? Do you think there's some hypocrisy in how the show handles its less 'cute' characters?

I do think it's hypocritical and that in and of itself is a problem. It's also just really fucking boring and contributes to the problem of it feeding into the fantasy problem of "Our world but with more teeth."

So since I'm going to rip into this creative choice for the rest of this blog, let's first talk about the positives of having a cast that is effectively all humans, especially all good looking ones, instead of demons, monsters, etc. After all, we need to be fair. There's a lot that goes behind these choices and while the Isles has a lot of bizarre designs in the backgrounds, there had to be a point to all of the denizens we commonly interact with looking like generic elves. *flips through notes* *checks some papers* *flips through more notes* It makes fanart easy.

...OKAY FINE! That's only SOMEWHAT hyperbolic. The reason it makes fanart easier is also why it's really easy to just go with a cast of humans. We as a SPECIES inherently trust and connect better with those who look like ourselves, for better and mostly worse. This can be as specific as skin color and as abstract as simply the human form. Yes, for people like me who are proud monster fuckers, this line blurs but for common Joe Shmoe, they're going to want someone who looks fairly normal if they're going to get really invested.

Worse yet is if you look at modern cartoons. Bare minimum, Molly McGee and Amphibia. Yes, SOME people in those fandoms will draw the frogs and Scratch... But they ALL draw the trios of human characters. And yes, shipping matters here but I've also seen a good number of Amphibia artists just admit to spending way too much figuring out how to draw Sprig because the anatomy is wonky enough to make you question yourself. If they're all humans, you can still get by just fine with your normal style and lessons that most art books are going to teach you.

This isn't even untrue from a writing perspective. Just a cultural shift (and yes I'm calling myself out on this) can be enough to throw you WAY out of your comfort zone for how to write a character besides token elements like food. Throw in entirely different anatomy, skill sets inherent to biology, weaknesses similarly inherent to that biology, and you start to have a lot more questions you need to ask for a very basic level understanding of a character. Which seems like a good transition point to talking about the monstrous denizens of TOH. Specifically that there is ONE 'monster' in The Owl House main cast and that is King.

...

Can you tell me what the fuck is special about King? Besides being short and fluffy, his differing anatomy effectively NEVER comes into play. His magical blasts are practically replicated by Raine whistling. Make him an 8 year old elf child and the only thing you lose is his ancestry. Not his heritage, his ANCESTRY. That's pretty fucking weak.

Edit: Someone on Twitter pointed out to me that King's design is effectively just a furred Cubone and I hate knowing this.

Otherwise, the only inhumane thing about him is that they make him a dog. Which, you know... isn't exactly going very far down on the spectrum of likability for most people. In fact, this technique isn't anywhere near new. Toothless is just a giant cat and I love him for it but I wouldn't blame anyone who looked at the How to Train Your Dragon Dragons and went "I wish they acted like dragons." Because... They don't? They have the designs and move sets of dragons but most of their temperament is far more cat like, down to having dragon nip and being distracted by reflected light.

King is also the only foreground deviation for the protagonists. As I said when I first mentioned this, you can't even really go with Willow being heavier set. She is pretty much the textbook definition of "More to love" seeing as her being slightly heavier just gives her a softer design than the rest of the characters instead of being anywhere close to unappealing like one of Mabel's friends in Gravity Falls is. You're supposed to look at Willow and go "I bet she gives really good hugs" and that's about it. Her weight, much like her ethnicity frankly, is hardly what you're supposed to think about with her design besides basic contrast.

And she's still better than the rest of the cast who are models. Including Luz for that matter. Now the show's style doesn't lend itself well to distinguishing how pretty a character is besides their reactions from a different character... But it can also absolutely do ugly. And no one in this main cast is ugly. You want a NASTY scar, you're gonna have to look elsewhere than the tatted up teenage boy and the girl who has a little flair on one of her eyebrows. One is meant to look cool, the other is still the same job while also being slight enough not to embellish the main face too much.

Amity and Eda though are explicitly in text stated as REALLY PRETTY. Like model pretty from how people react to them. Yes, one of these people is Luz's girlfriend but literally any acknowledgement of her looks is more than Gus, Willow or any of the villains (especially positively) are given. Not even Odalia who is the best case against this argument. But, you know, those are Amity's genes running through Odalia. She's not gonna be ugly because then how are all of the Blight Children ready for a Vogue cover shoot?

And here's the thing: In most media, this isn't really a problem. People like attractive people and there's nothing wrong with that. I know people want more representation and they are right to want that but also most media is a fantasy of some sort. Especially for a basic wish fulfillment isekai like TOH, a really pretty harem is packaged explicitly into the fantasy because who doesn't want hot magical beings saying they're the best?

Except then there's the line of "Us Weirdos Gotta Stick Together," or the fact that Luz is stated to be bullied (but didn't actually look out of place amongst the cheerleaders or drama kids), or the fact that TOH theoretically peddled early on a Fantasy vs. Reality theme. It is a show that is meant to CELEBRATE the Other and be challenging to those who are commonly seen as better... But the Other isn't present. When they are... They're villains. Belos is the only character with a curse that doesn't make them pretty. It's really gruesome what the curse does to him, even before he becomes a full monster. Contrast that with Eda who sprouts feathers and that's really it? Then you have Tibbles, who is a literal pig, the evil publisher who is a lizard, the monster hunters who are orcs effectively, Warden Wrath who is a homunculus? There isn't actually a clear inspiration directly for him besides 'monster' which is part of why he's one of the best one off villains of the series. The closest to a protagonist monster is Hooty which the series goes out of its way to make most people mock, outright hate and/or be actively repulsed by him, especially if it's a character we're supposed to care about.

When it comes to the villains, there are two who stand out as prettier than the rest and they both have direct connections to the main cast. In fact, to Amity. Odalia who I talked about earlier and Boscha. I guess Matt if you want to count him but as far as looking like a basic ass bitch goes, you don't get much more basic than Matt without bleaching his skin. Boscha on the other hand's prettiness is pretty much the best argument we had before she was given a half assed redemption that she was going to be redeemed. Why else make her so much prettier than everyone else? Unless it was just fueled by "She is going to be next to Amity a few times and a Blight wouldn't interact with anyone too... alternative." None of Amity's friends are more monstrous than a third eye after all and that doesn't really hold Boscha back all that much. Frankly, it probably saved her from large forehead jokes akin to what Amity gets since they both have hairstyles that pull their hair back and that's a problem for the show's style.

What does all of this mean? Well, it means in a show that is trying to lift up those who feel like they don't belong, it's still reinforcing standard beauty ideals of society. Worse yet, it just kind of discredits that Luz meets ANY outcast. I wouldn't have called my friends in High School ugly of course but were any of us ready for the runway? Of course not. We didn't take care of ourselves right for that or just didn't have the right genes for it.

Because let's face it: The eyeball head girl was NEVER going to be a main character. And that's... also really boring. The fact that witches are just elves but without any of the culture, long lifespans (as far as we know) etc. like that is also just really boring. And for a fantasy show, especially one that pitches in the first episode that ANY folk tale we have originated here, that's not good. Especially since even if they look like elves, you could have still at least TRIED to make them interesting with things like the bile sac but that's a throwaway joke to the writers. And the saddest thing is... If you're a person who LIKES weird characters, or actually embraces their weirdness and so doesn't need to be told they'll have a Victoria Secrets model as a wife... What is TOH gonna do for you? Or for anyone who doesn't want designs that are less interesting and less unique than even Danny Phantom's. And that's from fucking Butch Hartman who is not exactly known for being a top tier artist. Like SAM as a goth is more alternative (especially for when the show first aired) than fucking ANYONE in the main cast of TOH. And that show debuted ALMOST TWENTY YEARS AGO. And Valerie even had a similar bodytype to Willow but with WAY more personality!

Now I'm just thinking about all the shows I grew up with like Total Drama Island that had so much fun with even their pretty boy designs. That's frankly my biggest issue. The pretty problem in TOH IS bad thematically. Above all else though... it's just boring. Boring and lazy. How these characters look don't mean ANYTHING to them. It doesn't say much about them, the show or anything else.

They're pretty just because the creator probably likes making pretty people and I can usually support. I support Yoko Taro after all. But Yoko Taro makes people (or androids which are based off humans). This is fantasy. You can do whatever you want and the TOH crew couldn't be assed enough to even do a demon.

In a world called the DEMON REALM! I think at that point, you need to ask why the fuck they're bothering with it being a fantasy show in the first place, let alone one trying to pitch itself as anything other than basic wish fulfillment.

=======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[booasaur]

Booasaur, I've finally burnt myself out with the Cruz x Aaliyah hotness. Fan fics are picking up, good to see. But I feel like we need some levity from the heavier themes from the show. Like one shots of Cruz and Aaliyah just dancing to a Whitney song or something. Karaoke? Cruz never had the chance to really just enjoy lighter things in life. The magic happens in these small moments. Aaliyah being a socialite, does she even know how to boil an egg :D

Aww, it's still so soon after the finale, where things were left in such an angsty place! I totally get if people want to explore that more, and even wanting to fix it requires first getting into the muck.

You know, I actually expected people to go for more AUs, partly because they ALREADY seem like the end result of someone taking a more mundane ship and trying out a tropey spy/target angsty messy smutty feelingsy kinda AU. So like, Glee fics got this kind of AU, Clexa got high school AUs, so here, you'd get to see these two falling in love without all the possible death around every corner.

Buuuut, even when it comes to that, angst is baked into their backgrounds? In the same way that even high school/college Clexa fics would have Clarke's dad be dead and Lexa an orphan, you can't get away from the circumstances that create the characters, and what created them being what now draws them together. Cruz is still gonna be tough, Aaliyah's still gonna be trapped, both still so lonely.

To go back to your point, though, for sure, the lighter one shots have their place! Not just Aaliyah learning how to boil an egg, Cruz could teach her how to drive, as the show mentioned, or perhaps self defense, given her fears of being kidnapped and of course all the other benefits. It's actually just another tragedy in a whole list that it's so difficult to imagine a scenario where they're light-heartedly enjoying themselves, when that's actually a big part of their relationship, just chatting and joking around on the beach, for example, or watching movies during the sleepover.

I have confidence that we'll see more like that, though! People just gotta work out their feelings first. :o

[pseudonymphomania]

This is the first time I've made something for my own MC. "Dear Love" refers to my IRL partner, whom I pretend to write to about my adventures in the Devildom.

I play the game as everyone's platonic friend. I am asexual and enjoy Queer Platonic Relationships for myself. I also play matchmaker in my own Devildom universe.

My attributes: average height. Black hair styled with a medium hold matte pomade. Brown eyes. Beauty mark under my nose. Dimple on one side of my face.

Clothing: Prefer formal wear over casual. Suspenders over belts. Monochromatic colours or loud ostentatious patterns, no in-between. Comfy dress shoes in black or brown but open to other colours to match outfits; I'm wearing leather monkstrap shoes in the picture. Metal accents like tie clips are crucial. Got laser eye surgery but sometimes wears fake glasses to feel something on my face. Satchel contains good pens, quality paper, and workstation. Fitbit on my wrist to count every step I take to solve the problems of the day.

Personality: wry and dry humour. Workaholic. Lifelong learner. The Parent Friend. Always happy to help. Frontline tendencies.

Skills: technical writing, sewing and clothing construction, trades and mechanics, hair cutting, musician (piano and guitar), singer and actor (theatre), novelist, artist

Likes: obtaining new skills and making new friends. Justice. Equity.

Dislikes: misunderstandings, situations that could have been handled effectively but weren't. Unclear communication.

Occupation before I got Isekai'd: Director of Operations

Character I relate to the most: Lucifer

Character I would date if I was inclined: Diavolo, because he reminds me of my actual partner.

The reason I ship DiaLuci so hard: I love my partner the most and this is a mirror to that, right down to situations and actual conversations we have had in real life. The narrative potential. Other reasons.

My MC and OM Characters in my Devildom:

Lucifer: would smugly tell me that I've used a comma splice and I'd tell him to "shove a semi-colon in it". He's my bestest friend in the entire Devildom. We go to cafes and bookstores and go shopping for office supplies. I tell him to stop working so hard and he stares at me like "You're the one telling me this? The audacity." I needle him about his crush and he tells me to fuck off but his face is red.

Mammon: my other bestie but in a wildly different way. He brings out the shit-disturber in me. We play billiards together and play for treats. I disapprove of his gambling but am all-in on the shopping. He takes me out to all the best food places. "Try this, Beckett, you'll really love it." Meanwhile it's some sort of Devildom Atrocity, but somehow it's still good.

Levi: my nerd friend. I bring him offerings and leave them outside his door. We play games often with Mammon and I kick their butts at fighting games, but get wrecked when I have to make choices. We stay up hellishly late and I wake up with chocolate on my face. "Lets do this again: ive got the hottest new dating sim to try!" We are both groggy and destroyed and i have to go to work, but I agree to come back tonight.

Asmo: my favourite boy toy. He's stylish as hell and knows what looks good on anybody. Hes my personal stylist. I cut his hair in exchange. Just like with Mammon I go shopping with Asmo, except he knows all the good places for clothing and knows where all the thrift stores are. "It doesnt have to be new and expensive to look good honey!" I agree. I cuddle with Asmo the most because he loves touch.

Satan: my boy thirsts for knowledge and I do too. We skill-trade and fan over cats. Unfortunately I'm very allergic, but I appreciate them from afar and draw cats for him to hang in his book-filled room. "Do you want to come to the cat Cafe with me?" Oh Satan. He's his father's son alright, but he's just as much of a shit disturber as Mammon. He teaches me fun curses to use on people but I'm content with just knowing it.

Beel: when I'm tired Beel carries me back home and talks about the science behind calories and energy retention in relation to demonic body types. He enjoys cooking and I love testing recipes on him, but I have to swat him away from eating it before it's done. We do exercises together and buff up together. "I can almost see your six pack, haha".

Belphie: he's my sleepy boy. He can be irrational sometimes but I put a blanket over his head to shake him out of it and he snuggles closer. I play him songs on piano and guitar and sing him to sleep, but then I also end up quite sleepy. He's like a son to me and I lecture him often. I try to keep him and Satan from screwing with Lucifer too much. I'm a double agent in the anti Lucifer league lol

Diavolo: i enjoy it when he regales me with Devildom laws, traditions and customs. He speaks of how the executive branch and legislative branch operates in the context of his kingdom and I suggest to strengthen certain areas of his constitution to bring his vision of equity and interrealm relations to the forefront. I am also a shit disturber and needle him about his crush. "You are asking beyond your means, Beckett. Forgive me if I don't answer." Hm... yes, of course. Sorry.

Barbatos: I learn how to be the most efficient I can be from someone who is the most efficient. He is skilled in everything and I must learn from the best. I'm his best student and I'm a teachers pet so i love to hear it. He's been and seen everything and he is an excellent linguist. He is poetry personified in the every day. "Don't let Solomon ruin you too much." I won't!

Solomon: I use my knowledge of mechanics and trades and recontextualise it to be an artificier and create magical items. He is also one to bring out the shit disturber in me and I have almost become Thirteen just from the incidentally nonsense stuff I make. "Oh that's an interesting effect. I wonder what will happen if I give this to Barbatos". Solomon, dude. Do you want to get murdered. Is that what you're into.

Simeon: he is my sweetest and chillest boy. My bestie to talk about justice and relationality with. When I'm insecure and feel like people don't like me as much as they do, he reassures me and tells me stories of his own relationships. "There is nothing wrong with stepping back. Once you've regained your sense of self, you'll be able to pursue the path of friendship again and people will be ready to receive you."

Luke: he is like my son. I make sure he doesn't get nightmares because he seems to have a hard time acclimating to his demonic environment. He teaches me how to bake so that I can make some cakes that look like real inanimate objects and eat them in front of people, to their shock.

Mephisto: I am like Lucifer 2.0. He doesn't really like me but I have no hard feelings toward him.

Thirteen: my Bae. She's a delight but I have to make sure her shenanigans don't cause too much damage in the area or accidentally kill me. I would date her after Diavolo if I was inclined to do that.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my experience and interpretation of the game from my point of view. Everyone's MC journey is very personal to them and I do not believe there is a wrong way to enjoy the game. Thank you for reading. :)

[kandismon]

Do you have any tips for those who wish to create a webcomic?

I do apologize if this has been asked before!

this is a pretty big question that would probably be easier to answer if you had any specific things you'd like to know about!

but i can give you a summary of general things i've learned over the years!

disclaimer: these are my personal experiences, if any of this sounds like something that doesn't fit your workflow or preferences, please disregard!

if you've never made a webcomic before, i would personally recommend starting small. do a short oneshot first to see how it feels instead of diving right into your multi-season 2000 pages big epic story, because i feel like the workload can get really overwhelming really fast if you go from 0 to 100 right away. some creators thrive on that but it was definitely not for me. i have a lot of failed and unfinished projects sitting around because i was too ambitious and didn't know what i was getting myself into. later on i started drawing short comics for various fandoms & ships i was invested in deeply, and those got progressively longer until i suddenly felt ready to seriously tackle one of my original stories again. which was when i finally started working on #MUTED!

don't worry about sticking to the strict 60+ panels weekly schedule that you see a lot on platforms like webtoon for example. unless you've signed a contract, you make the rules and decide how much and how often you post. i've seen a lot of creators burn themselves out over that when there really wasn't any need because no one was forcing or paying them to churn out so much all the time T -T) you can still find an audience and success with a slower pace (for example #MUTED was released with 2 episodes a month, 1 ep usually had around 20ish panels iirc)

finished is better than perfect. if you're a perfectionist this can be difficult to accept, but i promise most people won't look at your panels for longer than 1.5 seconds. some wonky lines here and there don't matter much, it's more important to get the feelings across imho.

vector layers (for inking) are your best friend \o/

imho having a pretty clear outline for your story can be really helpful and take away some stress, knowing where the story is going without having to constantly sit down inbetween chapters to come up with more plot is a blessing and i wish i had been better about doing that with #MUTED. i did have a rough outline but a lot of holes in between chapters and in the end some things i would have liked to explore more never got touched on because my planning was bad and i wasn't able to find the room in the story (like some emma back story, more about jasper's family dynamics, also a bit more of a deep dive into kai's relationship with his family) (also towards the end i felt pretty burned out and just wanted to move on haha) [i'm not saying to plan every scene right from the get go, there's always room to adjust and remove or add stuff while you're working on the project, but a few important anker points here and there are important, at least for me!]

shortcuts are also your best friend, use all of them. 3d models too!

when you start publishing, don't get discouraged by algorithms and statistics and numbers (i say as that's something i still struggle with daily LOL), agonising over these things is pointless because they're mostly out of your control, focus on things you can actively do to be proud of your work. also instead of comparing yourself to others, instead compare yourself to past you! look how far you've come compared to the you from last year :>

i hope any of this helps, sorry for rambling lol if there's ever any specific questions, my asks are always open and i'll do my best to try and help out!! i'm also still learning and don't consider myself to be a person who really has anything to teach to anyone, but i can share my progress and experiences and hype you up if needed, hehe

good luck with your comic!!

[happy-mokka]

Tag game!

I was tagged by @santacoppelia . Muchas gracias!

So, here we go...

1. Were you named after anyone? My grandpa on my mother's side. Died far too early. Sadly I never got to meet him.

2. When was the last time you cried? I tear up A LOT. Sad things. Beautiful things. A sunset. It's pathetic but I wouldn't count that as crying. Last time I really cried, was 9 years ago, when my Dad died.

3. Do you have kids? Nope. I guess that ship's sailed. I'm a passionate uncle of 5 and for some reason kids adore me. Guess it's because I turn full out into Goofy mode once some are around...

4. What sports do you play / have you played? Played table tennis for 15 years in a team on low regional level. But stopped long ago, when I moved away and started to work. Never picked it up again. Now I just watch Soccer from time to time.

5. Do you use sarcasm? Sometimes more often than I'd like. Can irritate people that don't know me well enough. That's why I try to be more careful with it.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people? I think I have pretty good antennas for general moods and micro gestures. Generally I m always first drawn to the eyes...windows to the soul. Always trying to read people...it's a gift and a curse sometimes.

7. What's your eye color? Variations of blue, depending on my mood. Ranges from more greyish blue to deep dark blue.

8. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings. I watch scary movies mostly in company, almost never on my own.

9. Any talents? Don't know. Not really. Others should answer that. My self esteem is not too high when it comes to such a question. When the situation allows it, I make a pretty good clown. Not to put myself in the center of things. More when I feel a party needs some loosening up or someone needs desperately to be cheered up.

10. Where were you born? Southwest part of Germany, near the border to Switzerland and the Black Forest. 

11. What are your hobbies? Reading. Going to the movies old school in a theater. Taking pictures on long walks of everything that catches my eye. Have a thing for sunsets.

12. Do you have any pets? No. Had birds for quite some time. Now I'm just part-time Dad to my Mom's dachshund and spoiling the cats in my neighborhood.

13. How tall are you? 1.78m or 5'10

14. Favorite subject in school? Arts (drawing), English and History.

15. Dream job? Always wanted to teach. Became a software developer though. However, in the meantime I'm responsible for our apprentice program, so made it to teaching after all, to a certain degree at least.

Tagging with no pressure whatsoever

@uncleadelheid-will-eat-your-soul @sublimeobjectenthusiast @amagnificentobsession @simonezitrone79 @cryptic-queer-cryptid @eugenoid @joycrispy @kaiannanthi @notalostcausejustyet @paperclipbean @queerfables @reloha @shaggydogstail @yowlthinks

[rottmntsimp]

hello!! i was wondering if i could get a ROTTMNT character match up (when ur free and got the time!!)??

i go by many many online names, but usually i stick with sandra! i'm southeast asian, 5'2, and gender non conforming. i got black hair that's in a medium-length butterfly haircut and i usually dress up in a soft-grunge style (i don't have a specific style in reality, too indecisive for that rip).

i have audhd, and find it hard to open up to people. when i have an interest, it's usually really intense! marine biology, certain video game franchises, tv shows, music, the arts—i'm super passionate about all of them and find myself infodumping if i dont catch myself. i keep to myself the majority of the time, but when i open up to people that i believe i can trust, i'm usually described as energetic and very active!

dancing, singing, playing music, and drawing are my main go-to hobbies. especially music—i know how to play the piano, violin, cello, bass, and guitar! the last two are self-taught, but i got a few years under my belt :D

i'm an esfp, and i love listening to people talk about their passions and their love for whatever it is. i'm dramatic and love doing things for shits and giggles (for the plot yk), but i'm bad at recognising and understanding other people's feelings at times. i'm horrendous at comforting others and i can not read between the lines for the life of me.

so sorry for typing so much!! i wanted to make sure u had good material to work with 🤲

i hope you have a wonderful day evening or night !!!

—🌷 anon <33

Hey Sandra! As you didn't state a preference for your partner, I'm going to assume that either any is fine!

Also genuine question, should I add my taglist on these?

Don't ask how but I can see myself shipping you with April!

💚 - When it comes to dressing up, let's be honest, April could probably rock anything [much like I bet you do!]

💚 - So please for the love of god, let her borrow your clothes. She may not ask for it much, but if you're cool with it she is burrowing herself into your clothes-

💚 - Height-wise, I'd say 5'2" is pretty average, but compared to April, oh boy-

💚 - Her canonical height is 4'8", but let's give her a few inches out of pity, and make her around 5'0"...yeah no she's still short.

💚 - If it takes time for you to open up to people, don't worry! She'll be there, waiting and by your side the whole time.

💚 - As for special interests, if you happen to like a video game she has, she'll definitely let you borrow it. Hell, you guys can play together, maybe even infodump!

💚 - ^^ She'll probably sit there, head propped up in her hand, smiling at you softly.

💚 - Now, as for music, I'm sorry if this is just me projecting, but music players,,,

💚 - Would probably swoon if you ever wrote her a song, or even played for her.

💚 - Would probably ask you to teach her a few things, even if it's just the basics.

💚 - You're both extroverted so expect more outdoorsy dates! Amusement parks, bowling, arcades, whatever your heart desires, it shall get!

💚 - Now, as a fellow ✨THEATER KID✨ if you're demiromantic, aro-spec, or just more of a friends to lovers kinda person, depending on how long you've known each other, and if she can trust you to keep a secret, she might introduce you to Donnie, and maybe even the other turtles.

💚 - Pass the vibe check, please, because if her brothers friends don't like you, I'm sorry but you're gonna have to go-

💚 - Now, if you do vibe with them, especially Donnie, maybe, just maybe, you might get an invite to become an official member of the DPFL [Dorky Pals For Life] club.

💚 - Being unable to comfort April on a bad day might lead to an awkward gap between you two at times, but if you two can talk it out, you'll be just fine!

💚 - As for reading between the lines, if you're unable to read a room, or understand a joke, or just something someone said, she'd got you covered <3

I hope you liked it! <33

[zer0expektation]

sometimes i think of an interesting fic concept for a fandom other than this one and think to myself, “gee, this is such a good and obvious concept, surely theres fics like this out there” or “ooh, this piece of media had enough dark elements, surely there has to be some good grimdark aus somewhere” and then i open ao3 and am forcibly reminded of the fact that the dream smp is the only fandom that isn’t obsessed with slash fics and i just have to wallow in the lack of nice content and my own inability to write (and, lets be honest here, commitment to most fandoms outside of the dsmp atm) 

like genuinely, i dont think i can name a single fandom outside of the dream smp that has such a wide array of found family/friendship centered fics

stranger things? its all steddie or byler (as much as i love the both), etc.

my hero? its all bakudeku or tododeku or shindeku or literally everyone with deku.

detroit become human? its all hank and connor or connor and gavin or gavin and nines or markus and simon, etc.

our flag means death? its all co-captains (as much as i adore them as well) or steddy hands, etc.

the mcu? its all stucky or stony (or incest or selfcest lmao), etc.

sander sides? its all prinxiety or analogical or moralogical or lamp or lampd or whatever the new lamp plus janus and remus ship name is (yes more selfcest), etc.

gotham tv? its all nygmobblepot or jim and oswald or bruce and jeremiah (which i have so many questions about, but that is not the point of this post lmao)

etc etc

and i genuinely think its to a lot of these fandom’s detriments that everything has to be centered around a ship no matter what (esp mcu spiderman, pleASE GOD JUST GIVE ME GOOD POST NWH PETER PARKER ANGST THE CLOSEST THING IVE GOTTEN IS FUCKING SPIDERMAN!TOMMYINNIT AUS DO YOU SEE MY PROBLEM) because it really stops fandoms and fan-creators from really exploring the platonic and familial relationships between these characters and that exploration being in the main spotlight. 

like sure, steddie is great, but i would love to read a big fic that is all about Steve and Robin moving away from hawkins together and navigating the city and sharing an apartment together and losing their shared jobs every week and continue to explore and establish new boundries and systems with each other and learning things the other never thought were important but brings such important insight into the other that they need to understand each other even better. 

bylers cool, but i also want to read about will and el finally getting to meet each other and know each other and realise theyre so much more alike than they originally thought, never quite being seen as people, as the kids they are, but instead as these cool beacons of their friends’ efforts against the upside down and the government, and them becoming siblings, becoming the wonder twins, i want to see will trying to teach el how to draw, and el showing will all of her favorite tv shows, and the two becoming so intertwined that they know every preference the other has and how they can support each other through public school of a foreign town.

sure, bakudeku or tododeku’s okay, but i want to read a fic all about izuku growing up quirkless and what that means for his relationships and how much closer he is with his mom than other kids his age and how deep his mistrust of any other adults runs and what that means for how he acts once he finally gets to ua and how he sees all might as a surrogate father in place of the man that left him and his mother for the states and how that and his god worship of the man affects how he treats one for all and how he makes his decisions and how he prioritizes what all might tells him over what is actually good for him.

hank and connor is.. something, but why cant we read about how hank sees his son in connor and how it affects him to watch connor make these self destructive decisions in order to prioritize human life and his instructions over himself, and maybe about hank attempting to scare connor into deviancy, into some kind of self preservation, so that the poor thing can at least make a decision for himself and prioritize himself, and not die.

i love the co-captains as much as the next guy, but i want to read about how stede came across his crew, how he came to find out they like the children’s stories that he only held onto to remind him of his children, how he looked at lucius and saw himself in him, how lucius somehow managed to grab hold of every trait stede was bullied for, that was trained out of him, and emphases them and make them into a special kind of armor, and how stede takes lucius under his wing just to watch over him so that the boy will have someone on his side when he inevitably trips in his dance past (lets face it flirts and insults through) every hurtle that caught the heel of young stede’s shoe. how stede now will look up at that painting of a lighthouse and wonder if the problem wasnt that he wasnt a lighthouse, just that he hadn’t found the shore yet, and now maybe he has.

Do you see what I mean? How many fics are there that are like this that you can name off the top of your head? very few i imagine.

on top of this a lot of fandoms, because of their lack of exploration of non romantic relationships within their media dont only miss out on the sweet or bittersweet but the all fascinating grimdark aus that may spawn out of taking an absolute ship-less lens on the media you consume, i mean, the only fandom i can find any good or nuanced grimdark forced family fics in is, again, the dream smp.

and this has happened multiple times, where im watching something and i cant help but imagine how good a ctrinity style grimdark forced family au fic would be with these characters with these dynamics, btw.

(cw for all of the fun stuff that comes with forced family like kidnapping and implied abuse and characters overall being miserable lol - its not important to read, its just examples of dark aus im talking ab, just scroll to “etcetcetc” to skip past all that stuffs)

multiverse of madness, where instead of wanda trying to get to america and killing her in an attempt of getting her to make a portal to a universe where wanda’s boys exist going as far as it does, america offers herself up as her surrogate daughter and bringing the both of them through to them and living a normal life as a family in exchange for wanda to stop tearing places and people apart in this universe and others and for America’s life to be spared. and so she brings them both to a world with wanda’s boys, and wanda is just so so blinded by her own excitement and joy. she discards of that world’s wanda quickly, careful to ensure the boys were still asleep. then weeks, months maybe, go by and the boys start having nightmares but wont tell her why, what the nightmares are about, instead they wait until the door is closed and wanda’s down the hall to murmur in hushed tones about what they saw. (”shes not mommy, is she? mommy doesnt act like that. where did mommy go?”). america tries to pretend everythings fine and that theres nothing wrong with this twisted family dynamic wanda’s built up, but she cant truly hide its affect on her, the bags under her eyes are heavy and her fingers are always twitching, she flinches when wanda gestures with her arms to wildly and freezes when one of the boys accidentally breaks a glass. wanda doesnt stop using the darkhold. she could stop using whenever she wanted to, is what she tells herself, but she just needs to ensure no one is going to show up and take her boys away from her, she has to make sure america remains by her side, she has to make sure nothing goes wrong again. she can stop whenever she wants to, the thing is, she doesnt want to stop.

gotham tv (s4), where ra’s successfully kidnapps bruce and takes him and jeremiah under his wing, trying to raise them both to be like him, maybe barbra gets kidnapped aswell. ra’s wants them to act like a family, him as the father, barbra as the mom, and bruce, jeremiah, and talia as their children. at first this is all jeremiah could ask for. hes close with bruce, his need for simultaneous creation and destruction. a brother he didnt hate, and a present father. at first bruce is all angered yelling and venomous insults and scathing sarcasm. he comments on wanting to go home at every opportunity that presents itself, how he preferred alfreds cooking, he liked jim’s stories better, selina taught him cooler things, some days hed even complain about missing the criminals of gotham in an attempt to emphasis just how much he does not want to be here, no matter how cushy the bedding is or how nice the locals. at first all barbra does is attempt to kill, or at the very least injure, ra’s. some days its a steak knife to the gut, some a fountain pen to the face. ra’s is fine every time. hammer to temple. she doesnt buy time for herself, nor bruce. rope around the neck. she cant even injure him in any long term way. boiled water down the front. for a long time talia is jealous of the attention her father gives bruce and jeremiah. he spends long days trying to train the two in tandem, showing them how to protect themselves and how to injure others, how to tell the differences between the dead languages and how to read the basics, how to earn the trust of others and force them to fall into the trap of owing you favors. that is until she discovers how they all ended up here. shes left wondering if her father truly has the right of the world at heart, if she has to respect him and his decisions just because she is his only true daughter. jeremiah isnt having fun anymore. bruce has gone completely silent now. barbra has long since been subdued and doesnt even try to fight anymore. but talia stays quiet, even as the first time she hears bruces voice in months is when he yelps and tries to cover his face from being struck again, even as jeremiah mumbles to himself about someone named jerome, even as barbra spends her time staring whistfully into a bird bath when shes not cleaning or sitting pretty. (she tells talia, one quiet evening - a break from ra’s training bruce and jeremiah until they break, instead they’re allowed to curl up in a corner together and try to decipher books written in hundreds of dead languages - how she’d been engaged once. she wasnt happy, but she loved him nonetheless. she told her that she wondered sometimes how she would have turned out if she hadn’t left, if they got married. would’ve one of them left the other eventually anyways? would she have still ended up here? talia wishes she didnt talk to her, if only because it made staying quiet and continuing to live her life as a bystander harder.)

etcetcetc

unfortunately though, the dream smp (as far as ive seen) is the only fandom that explores family relationships and friendships so thoroughly and then delves deeper into more dark and upsetting aus (ive already said it once, but c!trinity!!) without there being a worry about weird romantic or sexual implications or plot points (which i partially blame killing stalking for the existence of - kidnappers arent hot pleeaaase) 

some dsmp fics that i cant imagine being nearly as well done - or created at all - if they were written for different fandoms (all on ao3):

the dead dont dream by penink - ctommy dies during exile, multiple times actually, and dream thinks this is the perfect opportunity to test out the revive book

withered by ThatWeirdGuyInTheBush - Manburg is a real country in a world based on the 1940s, and ctubbo decides hes willing to do something drastic for the good of his country

guided evolution by fathermooshroom - ctommyinnit becomes spiderman, unfortunately being spiderman comes with all of the issues of being spiderman and having a secret identity (i cried uncontrollably multiple times dont let the beginning trick you)

If You Need Somewhere Safe by random_on_main - when ctommy finally escapes logstedshire he takes sam up on his offer of giving him a place to stay rather than hiding in techno’s basement

passerine by thcscus (blujamas) - everyones favorite legendary ctechnoblade gives a visit to an old friend and comes to find out hes a king and has two sons

tommyinnit’s clinic for supervillains by bonesandthebees (bonesandcacti) - tommyinnit is seriously just trying to get through life and happens upon a supervillain passed out and bleeding out in an alleyway on his way home from work one night

cataclysm by thanotaphobia - phil and techno finally conquer the country they’d been at war with for the past several years, but when they discover the lone king to the country is a teenage boy they take him as prisoner rather than killing him

the world forgetting by the world forgot by bonesandthebees (bonesandthecacti) - ctommy has forgotten his entire life, all he knows is that villains kiddnapped and used him for his healing powers, and the superhero dream took him in after rescuing him and allowed him to become his sidekick

its now 5 am, i only made this because i was thinking about that one video of someone talking about how weird it was that the top two relationship tags according to the stats ao3 released where gen (wilbur&tommy and wilbur&techno&tommy) and basically making it obvious they only thought the only reason you would write or read fanfiction would be for ships and slash fics and just,, how sad that is, because this fandom has some of the best fics ive read without even considering putting any romance in the spotlight and i think its far more fulfilling to be able to read fanfiction for the sake of a good story rather than getting to see two characters kiss (which is not to say reading fanfiction to see two character kiss isnt exactly what you need sometimes, im just saying theres more out there to love), and also because i was frustrated by the fact that nothing interesting looking came up when i looked up the tags ‘post series: no way home’ and ‘homeless peter parker’ lmao. if yall have any good post nwh angst pls pls pls send it my way, i need desperately to cry over a character that is not tommyinnit please. im gonna crash now, sorry if this long this is shit - its wayy too fucking early.

[dyrewrites]

Before Deluca -- man is sorry, but not

Here is where you look at the page number and say, “What the hell, Deluca, I thought this book covered two centuries?”

Well, maybe you don’t say it that way, but the sentiment is there I’m sure. And the answer is, “I did say that, and it does, but perhaps not in the way you expected.”

I will discuss the centuries we spent in hiding or running, the other creatures we met along the way—be they friend or foe—when and where we finally found peace and what event ultimately led to me writing this book in the first place.

But most of that can honestly be summarized, focusing only on the major events and a few comfortable—but meaningful—moments. Whereas the first year required more detail, as it is paramount to giving context and facilitating the summaries of what is to come. I met and fell in love with a ‘monster’, became one myself, learned to accept it and made choices with him that would haunt us for the following two centuries in that first year—all the while learning of a world outside my own and my place in it.

It needed the space because it was a very big year.

A year we would spend the rest of out at sea, docking only to resupply and quite literally grab a bite. Speed and strength what they were, it took little effort to zip into a town or city and snatch a few people. If we were careful to keep to those no one would miss—vagrants, criminals, the elderly on occasion—we could get in and out without alarming the authorities. Or, more importantly, drawing the eyes of any of our kind that answered to Jacques—turned out most of them remained in France, allowing us the rest of the world to hide in.

If we couldn’t find a port safe enough, we’d fish, for ourselves and the crew. Notably, however, not sharks—though Lucient did punish me for regaling the crew with that tale, as it kept attention on me longer than he cared for.

There were also a few naval battles occurring in open waters, being as there were wars brewing and midway and ending off nearly every shore—we did our best to ignore them but were fired on once or twice in the confusion—which meant shipwrecks...and survivors.

It was a rare treat for a ship full of soldiers to hail us, board us, and demand we aid their efforts. A delicious treat of self-righteous blood that yearned for touch with a depth unknown to simple fish. Guns were a treat as well, and we made certain to keep at least one of the uniformed young men we ‘rescued’—too young, Lucient and I were in agreement on—alive to teach our crew how to use them. He was Greek, which delighted our crew, and we delivered him to a port of his choosing unharmed—again, too young.

But we were stuck at sea, avoidant of towns and cities, even small villages couldn’t be trusted—especially if they had a church, as all maintained connections to the Council. No more dates, no holidays, no spending any time more than necessary on land. Our faces and names had become known, as our fears of that first Hunter’s portraits proved well-founded—and Jacques managed to get more out.

By winter’s first chill, posters of us were up at every port.

We had to wait until night to dock, to hunt, after the crew finished resupplying so we could set sail as soon as we returned—the crew’s faces had fortunately not been shared, nor had the new look of our ship.

La Luna et Soleil—The Moon and Sun; half in Italian, half in French—was what Lucient christened our new ship. It was, of course, not new but it had changed—another gift worked on while we holidayed in Paris. Our favored colors were showcased in every detail, complimented by moon and sun motifs in silver and gold. The outfits we’d all but destroyed—I was able to repair them to a wearable degree—were as a blueprint, but Lucient insisted he hadn’t planned it, or the crew uniforms that matched.

Our bedroom was furnished, rivaling the one we stayed in at the townhouse, and those rooms reeking of peculiar sour scents were refitted for the crew, their scent lost with whatever had been in them—I was never informed. A true galley replaced the storeroom it was before and that monstrous studio was gutted and transformed into a dining hall—all of it’s ‘art’ destroyed.

My favorite addition was attached to the Captain’s cabin, made for me and Lucient to share in our hobbies; A new studio, with a wide window—and thick curtains—and plenty of space to hang sketches and store supplies. Along with my easel and stool were a comfortable chair, a music stand, and Lucient’s violin in a lovely glass case.

We would make use of it often in the coming years...him playing, my sketching—him scolding me for sketching him playing.

La Luna et Soleil became home and haven. To us and our crew, all of whom understood what we were at the end of that last day in Paris. If the sight of mists and eyes weren’t enough, seeing Jacques up close and personal, referring to us in a familiar manner certainly hammered it in.

They didn’t mind much, however they would worry, every now and then, of the sounds they heard and how Lucient glared if they spoke to me too long. An event occurring often as summer cooled into glorious autumn and the crew and I began work trying to learn each other’s languages.

[bard-llama]

WiP Wednesday: The Seduction of the Innocent

Okay, firstly, this entire idea is really the brainchild of myself and steveelotaku and we’ve had fun coming up with stuff for it. The title is his suggestion - based on that crackpot book written about Batman and Robin being gay and corrupting the youth of America. It’s PERFECT for a fic that is all about Zuko writing a comic strip to help support his thesis as he goes to Ba Sing Se University lol

Premise: Zuko needs a hobby to keep himself occupied during the idle times of teaserving/vigilantism - and ends up writing. His new BFF Jin also suggests that he apply for Ba Sing Se University when his history of researching the Avatar and their cultures comes out. So Zuko ends up writing a thesis that studying ancient/declining cultures (Air Nomads and the Water Tribes) is worthwhile in the world today (bc the Water Tribes still exist and there’s 1 living Air Nomad). To help make his point/spread knowledge about the different cultures, he and Jin end up creating a comic series about The Adventures of the Blue Spirit and the Avatar (and co). Through the hijinks of the Blue Spirit and the Avatar traveling around the world (remember, there’s no war in Ba Sing Se), they fight crime and evildoers and teach each other about their cultures.

So, right now I’m thinking this is actually 2 fics: a prequel and a sequel. The prequel will be all about establishing Zuko going to Uni and creating the comic and some of its effects (it’s REALLY popular with kids!). The sequel is when the Gaang (Zuko coined the name) finds out about the comics and read them - and then Aang, who KNOWS who the Blue Spirit is, goes looking for the author to confront them. He suspects it’s Zuko, but he doesn’t actually BELIEVE that it’s really Zuko. After all, how could ZUKO get into Ba Sing Se and why would he write comics explaining how the Air Nomads believed in peace?

(For those that dislike shipping in atla, the sequel will have some Zuko/Aang, but probably T-rated teens dating. Not wholly sure yet, but I think the whole series will be T)

So far, I have a few random scenes written, so I’ll share some snippets here, but also, I HAVE to tell you about what steveelotaku came up with for the comic!!!

The Comics

So like I said, the premise of the comics is: the adventures the Gaang + the Blue Spirit get up to, while fighting off their standard array of villains. (Credit for these goes to steveelotaku, who is incredible and came up with GREAT villains!)

The Big Bad: Fire Lord Ozai

But, I hear you say, there’s no war in Ba Sing Se! So how-? Well, the answer is - Zuko REALLY wanted to draw his dad receiving a pie to the face (look, he’s upset about the whole traitor thing and he needs an outlet) from Aang, so he invented a silly Silver Age Comics campy reason for why the Fire Lord hates the Avatar: the Avatar blew storm clouds over his parade and RUINED his hair! (Ozai hates getting wet 😂)

Other Recurring Villains:

Sparkler, the Princess of Pyromania: Fire-themed villain with a mysterious connection to the Blue Spirit and a grudge against them

The Koan: Basically Buddhist Riddler. "What is the sound of one hand picking your pocket?"  "If a building blows up, and no one is around to see it, did I commit a crime?"

The Cabbage Merchant of Death: Literally just the cabbage merchant, but breeding his cabbages to attack humanity as vengeance for overturning his cart. (The Cabbage Merchant actually loves the comics and his portrayal. Someone recognized his plight! So he taped one of the panels to his cart.)

The Tapestry: Literally a guy dressed in a tapestry who makes horrible weaving jokes and uses sharp threads. "Knit one, purl-oin two gold bars!"

The Ember Island Jester: The only actor to be fired from the Ember Island Players, because his jokes were terrible. His crimes are all theater-themed and he wears a comedy mask. "Four nations, all alike in dignity, all ripe for the plundering!" "It's curtains for you, Blue Spirit! -drops a heavy curtain on him-"

The Nightingale: Basically the Penguin, but with an army of robot nightingales, like in the old Chinese fable about the Emperor who forgot how a nightingale had brought him joy when a mechanical one is given to him, only for it to save him later. Only this time, the Nightingale is some minor noble who got fired and now keeps pestering Ozai with his robot nightingales and Ozai has to call for the Blue Spirit, much to his frustration. "The Nightingale sings the song of your doom!" Aang: "How does that go?" "Uh...doom! DOOM DOOM DOOM! DOOM doom DOOOOOM!"

Okay, so those are our Villains. Now what about our heroes? Remember, the Gaang is being written by Zuko - who may do lots and lots of research and maybe has stalked them on occasion, but still doesn’t really KNOW them.

The Blue Spirit - Zuko goes in hard on the tropes, so the Blue Spirit is totally the broody badboy. He has a secret identity that no one knows. Also, he tells tea jokes and makes tea puns. Iroh is very proud.

Aang, The Avatar - Aang is the epitome of “peace, love, and happiness make the world go round” (real Aang finds this hilarious) but he’s also an incurable prankster

Toph, The Avatar’s Earthbending Teacher - Toph is the buffest, littlest character there is and it is unclear whether she beats villains with her bending or her fists or if the two are one and the same.

Katara, The Avatar’s Waterbending Teacher - Katara is the scariest motherfucker on the team and Zuko stands by that. She has some of the corny “hope” lines, complementing Aang, but mostly, it’s her determination that makes her scary. When she decides something, it happens. (Zuko might be projecting a bit, but he’s not wrong.)

Sokka, The Avatar’s Jester/Strategist - Sokka is the straight forward comic relief and is a walking joke, but he does tend to suggest the plans that work... they’re just very, very ridiculous, in line with Silver Age comics ridiculousness.

And some choice lines by steveelotaku:

"Holy cumulus, Blue Spirit! The Fire Nation's set fire to the tea tree grove!" "The fiends! It's not enough for them to boil it too long--now they're roasting it to ashes!" "Halt, Blue Spirit! Your pathetic crusade of justice stops here!" "It's that suspicious sous-chef of sabotage, Serial Griller! Fire Lord Ozai's right hand cook!" "That's right, Blue Blunder! And today's special is deep fried masked man with a side of Avatar fries!"

"Blue Spirit! Help!" "By the subtle tang of oolong tea! Avatar, you're turning into a were-bison!" Not a trick! Not an imaginary story! The Avatar's best friend might just be his doom! Can Aang and the Blue Spirit survive...THE NIGHT OF THE APPA-LLING WERE-BISON?!

AND NOW, THE SECRET ORIGIN OF THE BLUE SPIRIT: A nameless warrior stands on the battlefield in the pouring rain. Another village massacred, the survivors left for dead. He alone had dared to speak against this heinous crime, and for that he was cast out from the only family he had. Hiding within a teahouse, he took with him the one souvenir of that battle he dared to claim--the mask of the Blue Spirit, a warrior who had fought for justice against his cruel oppressors. Now, the warrior takes the mantle for himself--to find redemption, or die trying!

Snippets:

The Beginning

Zuko needed a hobby, was the thing. He was really, really busy in Ba Sing Se, between being a tea server and being the Blue Spirit. But there was a lot of idle time in both roles and Zuko just needed something to keep him occupied. It wasn’t supposed to turn into a big thing.

Only one day, Jin had caught him writing at the teashop and demanded to read it and… look. It was just a lark. It was just a funny little idea that he was toying with. It didn’t mean anything.

It was in the afternoon lull and Uncle was, fortunately, in the backroom, doing tea things. Meanwhile, Zuko’s only other customer was an old accountant who was always buried in their books and never registered anything going on around them. They liked Pao’s strongest tea.

This meant that there was no one else around to see the look on Jin’s face when she read through his scrawled handwriting – he was much better at writing with a calligraphy brush, but these days, charcoal was as good as it got – depicting a silly dialogue exchange between the Blue Spirt and the Avatar. It was just one of the questions he’d always wanted to ask the Avatar, one that wasn’t really important, but that had bothered him until he’d researched it anyway.

“Li,” she said slowly.

Zuko gulped. “Yeah?”

“This… this is good,” she said with a tone of wonder. “Seriously, I really like this!”

“You… do?” Zuko blinked, not sure what to do with that. “But it’s – it’s–”

“Funny? Enjoyable? Cute?”

“Dumb.”

“Bullshit,” Jin said bluntly. “You’re allowed to enjoy dumb things, Li. As long as it’s fun, what else matters?”

Zuko frowned. That was not a philosophy about life that he was familiar with.

“Do you think the Avatar really throws pies in people’s faces?” Jin asked with a laugh.

“Oh, that bit I can confirm,” Zuko flashed a brief grin. “I found a letter from the King of Omashu to the Southern Air Temple that very specifically said Aang and his friends had pie’d the King’s Guard.”

Jin blinked. “What do you mean, you found a letter?”

“Oh,” Zuko bit his lip, realizing he really shouldn’t have said that. “I, um. I… studied the Avatar. For a long time. And the Air Nomads and the Water Tribes, a little bit.”

“Really?” Jin looked excited, of all things. “That’s so cool! So you were a mini scholar before tragedy struck, huh? Are you gonna try to apply for Ba Sing Se University? You should!”

“I… what?”

“It’s not often someone from the Lower Ring gets accepted,” Jin said, “but it does happen! And I know you’d study really hard and there are scholarships and things to help pay for it. You should try!”

“I’ll… think about it?” Zuko said, taken entirely off guard.

“You should write more, too,” Jin encouraged. “Honestly, it’s a really fun scene. I kinda wanna draw it.”

Jin’s family ran what was probably one of the best places in town to get writing and illustration done on a budget. This meant that Jin spent a lot of time drawing what she called ‘very boring adverts’. He wouldn’t think his scene was that interesting either, but Jin’s face was genuine and she smiled at him.

“Really?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Jin grinned, “just the visual of the Fire Lord getting a pie in the face–” she broke down laughing.

Zuko flushed. It was possible he was a bit upset with his father for marking him as a traitor and sending his sister to bring him home in chains. And it wasn’t like a little pie had ever hurt anyone…

During Zuko’s Tour of Ba Sing Se University (from the POV of the admissions tour guide)

“As part of your curriculum. You don’t study other cultures, like the Water Tribes and the Air Nomads?”

There was a loud scoff from behind Min and she turned to see Professor Lang sneering down his nose at the kid. 

“Of course not,” he said. “What use is there in studying ancient civilizations?”

The kid looked confused for a brief moment… and then he got mad, and wow, he was actually kind of scary underneath that scruffy unkemptness. 

“The Water Tribes aren’t dead! And even if the Air Nomads are, there’s still reason to learn about them!”

“And what, pray tell, would that be?”

The kid had a pretty impressive snarl. “The Earth Kingdom has trade contracts relating to the Water Tribes, who are still alive. And there’s one living Air Nomad now, too!”

Min blinked. What did that mean?

“Pah,” Professor Lang spat. “The Avatar is not part of any culture.”

The what? 

“The Avatar isn’t told until they turn sixteen. Until that age, Avatar Aang was and still is an Air Nomad.”

What!?

“The… Avatar?” Min said vaguely. How had she not heard about this? “The Avatar is back? And they’re an Air Nomad!?”

The kid looked scared for a moment. Perhaps he could sense how closely they danced to the dangerous territory of current events. 

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “We, um. We heard before coming to Ba Sing Se that the Avatar is back. And – and he’s an Air Nomad. So there’s relevance in understanding the Air Nomad culture! Because, like…” he visibly flailed for an example that would be acceptable, “like family!” He held up his finger triumphantly. “Culture affects what words mean. In the Earth Kingdom, family is defined as your clan, tied to you through blood, marriage, or contract. In the Water Tribes, the whole tribe is family and everything is done in service to that family. But to the Air Nomads? They defined family as people chosen based on who you wanted in your life. They did not recognize blood ties.”

Min and Professor Lang both stared at the kid. 

“How – how do you know that?” Professor Lang asked eventually.

The kid froze. “I, um. I did a lot of research on – on the Avatar and, and their cultures. I’m not making it up! One of their core tenets was that the blood of the covenant was thicker than water of the womb, meaning those who share their vows are more kin than those who share their blood. They were more concerned with spirituality and behavior.” The kid sighed heavily. “I wish my old library hadn’t burned. I had some amazing finds.”

Min’s eyebrow arched. That almost made it sound like, despite the current state of things, this kid had some noble background. Well, well. That changed things.

She clapped her hands together. “This sounds like an excellent topic for a thesis, don’t you agree, Professor Lang?”

“A – what?”

“A thesis, of course. You have an argument to make – that ancient/declining cultures still have a role in our society. Through your course of study here at Ba Sing Se, you will learn how to draft an effective argument, backed by primary sources.”

“I had primary sources!” the kid said, sounding strangely offended.

“Of course,” Min allowed.

“You want this disrespectful brat to write a thesis on such an absurd topic!?” Professor Lang burst out.

“He argued his point well, did he not?” Min shrugged, smiling pleasantly. 

“I have another one,” the kid – Li, according to her file – said. “The Air Nomads were pacifists. They didn’t believe in consuming the flesh of any creature, because in their view, violence was abhorrent in any form. So think about it… the – the Avatar’s job is to bring peace and balance to the world, right?”

Min took a sharp breath. That was coming a little too close to–

“Well, Air Nomads were very devoted to peace. They have eighty-seven words for peace, all of which mean different things. Some of which, if applied to the nations by the Avatar, would face significant dissent. So in dealing with the Avatar, it’s important to know that you need to clarify the meaning of things being discussed.”

“And you expect to be ‘dealing with the Avatar’, do you?” Professor Lang sneered.

Li opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Of course not,” he said, “but that’s precisely why the study of these cultures is so significant! Because if it’s not widespread knowledge, then we’re all at a disadvantage.”

Min clapped, “well said. What is knowledge but a tool for the betterment of ourselves?”

“...right,” Li nodded hesitantly.

(For those curious, Professor Lang knows about Aang because the Gaang and Joo Dee went by the university when they first came to Ba Sing Se - but the visit was kept moderately hush hush, because talking about the Avatar can mean talking about the war. This changes when the comic takes off.)

From the next scene

Jin was pacing in Pao’s Teashop as they all waited excitedly to hear the results of Li’s visit to the university. Mushi was channeling his anxiety into making lots of tea, so Jin was spending far more than she should on new pots, but at least sipping tea gave her something to do.

Finally, Li opened the door – and jerked back as everyone in the teashop – four of the afternoon regulars and Jin, plus one couple that had no idea what was going on – rounded on him.

“Well? How did it go?”

“Uh.” Li scratched his head. “I think I’m a student now?”

Jin blinked. “I thought you were just going to apply?”

“So did I,” Li shrugged. “And then I got into an argument with a professor during the tour–”

Everyone groaned collectively.

“Oh, Nephew,” Mushi sighed, coming out from behind the counter and ushering Li into the room.

“Of course you did,” Jin laughed.

“But it was fine,” Li huffed. “In fact, I think it actually helped me? I guess I’m writing a thesis on the Avatar and also why studying other cultures matters?”

“You’re… what?” Mushi said blankly.

Li shrugged helplessly. “It just kinda happened.”

Now we skip waaaaaaay ahead to the sequel, to when the Gaang (well, Aang specifically) finds out about The Adventures of the Blue Spirit and the Avatar

It started with an innocently overheard conversation at a bakery near their Upper Ring house while waiting for the new pies to cool.

“Did you read it?” one girl hissed to another. “Did you see!?”

“Yes!” the second girl sounded so excited that it was hard to control her volume. “I told you! It’s real! Spiritar is canon!”

“I just can’t believe it,” the only boy amongst the group murmured. “I didn’t see it coming at all.”

“That’s because you never listen to us,” the first girl sniffed. “I called the Blue Spirit x Avatar Aang coming from miles away.”

The… what?

Aang blinked, turning to stare at them. “I’m sorry, did you say Avatar?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, who’s asking – oh sweet spirits, it’s the Avatar!” the boy looked like he was about to hyperventilate.

“Um. Hi,” Aang waved awkwardly.

The two girls squeaked and flushed red. “Hi,” they managed, one more easily than the other.

“Did you say something about – about the Blue Spirit and the Avatar?”

“Oh spirits,” the second girl whispered under her breath. “Oma and Shu, why would you do this to us?”

“Um?”

“Okay, so,” the first girl cleared her throat. “Um, let’s start at the beginning. Are you familiar with The Adventures of the Blue Spirit and the Avatar?”

“The… huh?” Aang’s mouth twisted in confusion. Who was the Blue Spirit and what did they have to do with him?

There was a cleared throat from next to them and another woman in the bakery stood behind them. “Hi, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear and – I have a binder just for this purpose.” She pulled out a thick binder full of papers and thudded it down on the table. Then she opened it to a page that had two figures cut out from an inked illustration. One was obviously Aang, though his arrows weren’t quite that big – but the other… the other was–

“The Blue Spirit, you called them?” Aang asked, staring at the mask that he remembered with stark distinction. If the stranger in the mask hadn’t saved him…

But then, of course, the stranger turned out to not be so strange after all. Aang could still feel the rough bark under his fingers as he played with it, waiting for Zuko to wake up.

If we knew each other then, do you think we could’ve been friends? he’d asked, and Zuko hadn’t actually answered, but the blast of fire spoke many words.

“You don’t know them?” the girls all looked up at him with a broken sort of hope.

“I – I do,” Aang answered hesitantly. “But I never got their name.”

“Yes!” two of them high fived and Aang just stared at them. “Uh, sorry.”

“Anyway,” the girl with the binder said, “The Adventures of the Blue Spirit and the Avatar, originally simply titled the Blue Spirit, is a serial comic created by Li and Jin. They’re two artists in the Lower Ring, if you can believe that. But Li attends Ba Sing Se University!”

“Uh. Okay?”

She cleared her throat, flushing. “Um, at any rate, the comics are aimed at children and Li has been recorded as saying that he wanted to explain cultural differences through a fun story. And they deliver! The characters are great, the dialogue is snappy, the illustration is beautiful, and the plots are silly but fun.”

“Nothing will ever top the Fire Lord getting pie’d in the face, though,” the first girl said nostalgically.

“What?” Aang asked.

“Oh, I have that in my binder!” The girl flipped through several pages and landed on a comic panel pasted onto the paper. It depicted – exactly what they said. Fire Lord Ozai – who Aang had never actually seen in person, but he had seen a few paintings and it looked pretty accurate – receiving a cream pie to the face. Actually, the pie was drawn pretty well, too – it even had the lemon curd filling that Aang and Master Gyatso used to add for extra gooeyness.

That was surely just a coincidence, though. Right? It wasn’t like the Blue Spirit could really be–

“It’s a really famous picture now,” the girl with the binder whispered to Aang. “It’s the only thing like it that hasn’t been censored by the Dai Li. See, in The Adventures of the Blue Spirit and the Avatar, the Fire Lord has a legitimate reason to hate the Avatar.”

…was stopping him from destroying the world not legitimate?

“Oh?”

“Oh, I love this one. Show him the comic strip!”

“Here it is!”

Aang looked down to see a single panel of Fire Lord Ozai, this time wailing, “my hair!”

“Uh…”

“The Avatar was flying a kite,” one girl explained, “and he was messing with the wind currents – but it made storm clouds fall on the Fire Lord’s parade and ruined his hair!” They all chortled. “Literally you rained on his parade!”

Aang… did not know how to react to that.

“So anyway, the Avatar and his friends join the Blue Spirit and fight crime and evildoers!”

“Yeah, the Blue Spirit is a vigilante, you know that, of course,” one girl said and actually, Aang had not known that. “So they team up with the Avatar and with the whole Gaang–”

“Pardon?”

“Oh yeah, isn’t it great? It’s ‘gang’ but with 2 ‘a’s, like your name! To encompass all of you together!”

Aang hummed. He did like it, actually. Sokka would be upset that he hadn’t come up with it.

Especially if the person who did come up with it was really–

But surely it couldn’t be. How would Zuko have even gotten into Ba Sing Se?

From the confrontation between Aang and Zuko after Aang tracks down the creators of the comics (with some shippiness)

“Soooo,” Jin drawled, sprawling in a booth in the otherwise empty teashop, “guess what happened today?”

Zuko, busy wiping down a table, didn’t answer.

“C’mon, guess! It’ll interest you, I promise.”

“I dunno. You… had an idea for a comic?”

“That happens every day, Li,” she said flatly.

Zuko sighed. “Just tell me.”

“Fine, fine,” Jin paused, making him wait, and then she burst out, “the Avatar came by the shop!”

Zuko froze, blood draining from his face. The Avatar. The Avatar was here. The Avatar was here and knew about the comics, elsewise why would he have gone to Jin’s family’s shop?

Oh, this couldn’t be good.

“Li? You okay?”

Before Zuko could answer – negatively – the door to the teashop opened and the Avatar walked inside.

Zuko wanted to die. This was it. This was the end of him. This was when his cover would get blown and everyone would know and hate him and–

“Hi,” Aang greeted them pleasantly. “I’m looking for Li.”

Zuko just about swallowed his tongue. There was no way that Aang had failed to recognize him. The change in hairstyle did not make up for the huge disfiguring scar.

Raising a shaking hand, Zuko managed a strangled, “I’m Li.”

The Avatar smiled. What even–?

“I thought it might be you,” Aang said. “But I also kind of thought I was probably wrong.”

Not having any idea what to say, all Zuko could do was swallow drily.

“Huh,” Jin said, “you really have met the Avatar.”

Zuko flushed. “I told you!”

“You say lots of things, though,” Jin contested. Usually, Zuko was grateful that she let his slip ups go so easily, but right now, he was just annoyed.

“I don’t lie,” he frowned. That was a rule for him. His whole identity may be a lie, but at least he would do his best to live honorably.

Aang coughed and Zuko flushed brighter, jerking his attention back to the man who, technically, was still his enemy.

“Sorry,” Jin laughed, holding out her hand, “hi, I’m Jin. I hear you went by my family’s shop earlier looking for us?”

“You’re the illustrator?” Aang asked.

“Yep, that’s me!” Jin beamed, showing off her chipped teeth.

“Wow. You do a really good job of showing different places,” Aang complimented and Zuko stared. What was even happening?

“Oh, that’s all thanks to Li,” Jin demurred. “Sometimes I dunno whether his descriptions are accurate or not, but he believes in them so much that it just seems right to go with it.”

Zuko groaned, slapping a hand to his face. “Jin…”

Aang smiled wider and it made Zuko’s heart pound, cheeks turning pinker. “Well, you both create very good comics,” Aang said casually, as though Zuko wasn’t close to expiring on the spot.

“You – you read them?” Zuko croaked.

“Of course,” Aang said. “We had to see what was being written about us!”

Oh. Great. So all of Aang’s friends had read them. Fuck.

Oh Agni, did that include the most recent issue? Maybe he was lucky for once in his life and it didn’t–

Aang pulled out a comic and the cover was quite familiar. Jin had drawn the Blue Spirit in the middle in a ridiculous pose that really emphasized his butt – even moreso than the original draft, because Jin was an asshole and made the change after he complained. Behind the Blue Spirit were various headshots of the Gaang – Zuko came up with the name and he was rather proud of it – with little hearts all around them.

The cover proclaimed, ONE OF THESE PEOPLE IS THE BLUE SPIRIT'S SOULMATE – BUT WHO!? and the story was all about one of the regular villains, Sparkler – who totally wasn’t Azula – trying to find the Blue Spirit’s lover to blackmail him. After she was defeated, the true lover was revealed… with a kiss, because of course it was.

Zuko felt like he might cry at the absurdity of this being how his life falls apart (again).

“Sooooo, um…” Aang started and Zuko could not look at him.

“In my defense,” Zuko started, his mouth absolutely disconnecting from his brain, “it was a reader request.”

Aang tilted his head. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, you don’t read the letters at the end of the issue?” Jin asked, “you really should, they’re quite fun. We answer questions and requests from readers – mostly kids, but sometimes their parents, too.”

“And a kid… asked about–?”

Zuko just nodded mutely, but Jin – the traitor! – explained, “they asked about who the Blue Spirit’s soulmate would be. And obviously – ow!” Zuko elbowed her hard in the side, but it was too late. Aang’s eyebrows were high.

“‘Obviously’?”

“I mean, have you read the flirting?” Jin asked. “Li writes fantastic banter, doesn’t he?”

“Fucking hell, Jin, shut up!” Zuko hissed, and he was sure that his face was hot enough to be steaming. Hopefully Jin wouldn’t question it.

“Oh, all right, all right, I’ll let you two talk alone. But don’t forget the afternoon rush will be soon!”

So saying, Jin sidled out the door, headed back to work. The Avatar opened his mouth as soon as she was gone and Zuko quite abruptly wanted her back. He scrambled around for a change of topic and grasped the teapot next to him.

“Tea! Would – would you like some tea? We have–”

“I liked the tea jokes in the comics,” Aang said calmly. How was he calm when Zuko was about to shake out of his skin?

The pottery clattered slightly from his trembling hands, but he served Aang a cup of jasmine tea. “Those mostly came from Uncle,” he murmured.

“Well, they were fun,” Aang said, taking the cup and immediately sipping it as though it hadn’t been poured by his enemy. Then he smiled. “Jasmine. I like jasmine. It was my mentor’s favorite.”

“I know,” Zuko said without thinking.

“You… know?” Aang blinked. “How?”

“Uh.” Oh Agni, how was he supposed to explain this. “One of the Elders at your temple kept a journal. It survived.”

Aang stared. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Zuko nodded. “Monk Tashi. He complained about how often you got into trouble and how Monk Gyatso only encouraged it.”

Aang inhaled sharply, breath hitching at Gyatso’s name. Zuko could only imagine how much the loss hurt him. If Zuko ever lost Uncle…

Okay, that’s all I got, but I’m very excited for this series, so I hope you enjoy!

[cinnamoodles]

heyy can I get a 🍓[strawberry dream] from the hp fandom: golden trio/lightning era (no poly stuff please)

I am a straight female Slytherin. I'm kinda mean but like to my really close friends and it can be considered banter (by them anyway) I am like really nice to strangers. I love drawing I take my sketchbook with me everywhere.

I am 167.5 cm (5'6 approx) tall xx

Trauma Dumping is a guilty pleasure of mine. I often make bad decisions like choosing friends but I have a usually positive influence on people around me and often tend to change them for the better.

I excel in maths and english and currently am working on getting a degree in maths and or computer science.

I am an infp-t. I'm introverted around almost everyone except like my really really really close friends. my super close friends are usually the negative influence type but I still love them because they understand me the best xx

I'm a pretty well behaved student but my friends most definitely aren't. My friends got told off like all the time in school whereas the teacher never had to give me any warnings.

I am loyal to my friends. I will fight for them. One example of that is both me and my (now ex) bff liked the same person and I gave them up for her xx

I get along with more males than females despite being a female myself.

I'm kind of an idiot sometimes and end up giving stuff up for people that would never do that to me. In fact my bff that I gave up my crush for actually sided with someone else. One thing you outta know about me is that I digress a lot so like you can ignore this paragraph lmao.

I feel bad for people easily and believe everyone deserves a second chance even b*tchy people (excuse my French)

I love art and music and am really good at drawing portraits if I do say so myself. I've been doing music since I was 6.

As for my appearance, I have a sandy/tan skin colour. I have naturally curly dark brunette (almost black but not really) hair.

My clothing style varies. For formal occasions I wear vintage ish clothes. I wear checked dresses with puffy sleeves and white collars (really specific because it's one of my fave dresses and I own one). I wear "cute" outfits like skirts and sweatshirts. I also wear jeans (apple bottom high waisted jeans own my heart) and I wear cargo pants with cropped tops far too often.

I wrote a lot absvsccsav

Sorry if that's too much xx

thanks for checking out the cozy cafe event !

i ship you with…

cedric diggory !

— the both of you are definitely enemies to friends to lovers coded, probably only becoming enemies because of something your friends pulled on his friends.

— you’re very loyal and caring, which he respects, and how you’re always willing to give people a second chance, no matter what they’ve done.

— i get the vibes that you’re better at supporting other people then standing up for yourself, so he’s your personal bodyguard (even if that isn’t true).

— he would listen to your rambles with literal STARS in his eyes and whenever you apologize for trauma dumping, he has to take a minute and be like ‘why are you apologizing? go on, keep talking’.

— MATCHING OUTFITS OH MY GOD they’ll be so cute because you dress so pretty and formal and he’s such a rich prep boy so your dress styles go along great.

— you trying to teach him art is so funny because he has no idea what he’s doing (its canon he told me) and he just wants to impress you so much.

— the banter is great because he’s a pretty flirty person, but he BLUSHES every time you make fun of him and his friends totally rag on him for being so whipped.

anyway, i hope you liked your 🍓 — [ strawberry dream ] and please apply again! this was super fun to do!

[minoru-wife]

My Hero Academia Fandom - Complain

Hello everyone! How you doing? Today I'm here with a different kind of post, an open text complaining about the My Hero Academia fandom. Am I asking to get death threats on my dms? Probably, but that's exactly what I want to talk about.

In my personal life and accounts (which conserns no one, cause I am not sharing that information) I have been quite busy spreading awareness to the Palestine genocide in Gaza and talking about this with my closest friends. One of them is quite popular in the mha fandom with their art (I'm very proud of them<3) and confessed they would like to spread awareness too, but can't because they're afraid with their fans reaction. One time they shared a political opinion once and ended up on a fan's hate list, they've had their characters stolen and disrespected before too and only draws their oc's in the mha universe for one particular reason: the fandom is crazy!

God forbid you to do something in this fandom that is different from the popular view and opinion!

In the many fandoms I have been (and I have been in many weird fandoms) I don't think I have ever seen one so full of hate and lack of self control and respect like my hero academia!

I have to hide myself in a secondary account to share my opinion and love for Mineta (like other fans of this character), my friend can't share CeaseFire posts, I have seen with my own eyes minors drawing the characters murder Mineta, do you realize how fucked up these things are coming from a public who watch a show that teach us how to be heroes?! How to be good people?!! And let's never forget that even the creator got death threats from the fans BECAUSE OF A SHIP!!!!

Even the fans of horror and bloody shows/anime are more calm and trustful than the mha fans!

Well, this was pretty much it. I'm not throwing hate to anyone, I'm simply asking for this fandom to calm down. My hero academia is just a show. The characters are just characters. If you see something you don't like or agree just ignore it or/and block. Please think well before doing or say something. Everyone is just trying to have fun and sometimes you're gonna see something you don't like and that's okay, there's no need to make a huge deal out of it cause there are things in this life far more important.

Thank you for reading my words,

Stay safe and bye bye!

[dimalry]

Hayoo 👋🏻I'm dropping by to tell you I hope you had a great day so far and I wish you a happy new year already 🥳🥳🥳

Just to know one of my favorite content creators better: What is your favorite AND your least favorite book and why?

Oh, god, I can’t really decide between The Cruel Prince, We Hunt the Flame, and Crooked kingdom as my favorite book. Why I love these 3 is because I love the fact that the characters live up to their characteristic descriptions. When the authors say this character IS cruel (for example), THEY ARE CRUEL and show it by their actions. I love the writing styles, and I love that these books are plot-focused because I honestly prefer fantasy books with romance as a side plot over fantasy romance books. Most fantasy romance books nowadays are mostly filled with smut, and I know that’s hypocritical coming from me who mainly draws Acotar but it’s the characters and the mad potential that some of Sjm‘s ships, plots, and her world-building has, that makes me so obsessed with this series, even when she‘s wasting that potential sometimes…

Some people might hate me for what I’m about to say, so I’m going to say this: I’m not shaming anyone who‘s a fan of that book. If you love it, go for it! I‘ve liked books that aren’t better anyway. It’s just my personal opinion!

That said, Zodiac Academy is the worst book I’ve read so far. I had someone asking me on IG if I could make fanart of the main characters but after reading it... I don’t think I ever will 😭 (Except if I’m paid). None of these characters are likable, the male characters kept on assaulting the mains in every horrible way, the writing is terrible, the twins are literally the same person, and lastly, what plot? The whole time I was just thinking about what I would do if I were one of the twins. I‘d either just k*ll myself and let those guys keep their powerful positions cause f*ck that, I lived my whole life without royalty anyway. Or I‘d teach myself all the powers that I supposedly have (YouTube is free, and I’m a self-taught artist), destroy the whole academy, and then k*ll myself off because NO WAY would I ever want to live there and let some sex offenders get anywhere near me 💀