#and there's one character twist that I hate

[whetstonefires]

Thinking about the parallels set up between Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu, and how actually most of them are oddly specious.

The sketch of the backstory lines up, but on close examination they're mirror images.

Wei Wuxian wasn't kicked out of his sect, he left it. Wei Wuxian didn't hate the house he grew up in, he loved it, and getting the people there killed was the absolute last purpose for which his dark powers were ever intended.

Jiang Cheng was no Mo Ziyuan--his jealousy was a complicated thing all twisted up with love, and while he would lash out at Wei Wuxian both as a casual means of shit communication and more damagingly in moments of high tension, he had neither the desire nor the ability to bully him, and in general respected his boundaries almost too well.

When Wei Wuxian destroyed himself about Jiang Cheng, it was to give him cultivation, and protect his life and happiness. He would never have killed him.

Madam Yu was a domineering aunt-like figure, who hated Wei Wuxian for reasons of reputation, and because she had resented his dead mother, but she crucially did not have the power to actually disrupt his lifestyle to any significant extent.

Mo Xuanyu was shut up in a small room to rot; Wei Wuxian didn't even attend classes unless he wanted to. Mo Xuanyu was weak and disliked; Wei Wuxian was brilliant and popular.

Mo Xuanyu's uncle is a cipher of a figure, without character or agency, a nonentity who is resented to death apparently mostly for what he didn't do; in theory he is the master of the house, but he certainly never protected his wife and son's punching bag from them.

And this is what got me thinking along this track: because people keep interpreting Jiang Fengmian as this, as exactly like Mo Xuanyu's nameless uncle, a nonentity who lets his wife make all the decisions, and is contemptible therefore.

He shows up in fic characterized this way all the time, handled narratively as a gap rather than a person, an absence where there should have been a parent, and it's...totally inaccurate? The man only has a few scenes but the things that are most firmly established about him are:

he regularly goes out of his way to protect Wei Wuxian

he's extremely fond of Wei Wuxian

he cares a lot about ethical behavior

he's conflict-avoidant and gentle

he can and will overrule Yu Ziyuan when he's made up his mind, and there's nothing she can do about it

his communication skills are mediocre at best

he doesn't understand jiang cheng

he has a dumb sense of humor

Now almost none of this made it into cql besides point 4 and maybe 6, 5 is technically there but buried by the cinematic framing, so I totally get why the fandom on the whole struggles to characterize him well, and it's easier to write him off.

But it keeps bugging me to see him and Yu Ziyuan squashed into the mold of the Mo, because not only is that boring and reductive and kind-of-missing-the-point, it's like. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's characterization suffers a lot when you alter the environment and take away the influence exerted by their shared father figure.

Jiang Fengmian was Wei Wuxian's primary adult role model and it shows.

Jiang Cheng's relationship to his own sense of ethics is fraught because 'teaching him good ethics' was his dad's number one parenting goal, but they misunderstood each other so badly (partly because Yu Ziyuan kept loudly misinterpreting them to each other, which is so realistic I can't get over it, that's exactly how it works good lord) that Jiang Cheng has a direct association between the concept of 'doing the right thing even when it's hard' and a feeling of personal inadequacy.

The fact that Wei Wuxian got their dad-person's approval for being exactly himself and Jiang Cheng not only couldn't do that, he couldn't even get that same level of approval when he really pushed himself to rise to expectations, because Jiang Fengmian did not intend that warmth as a 'reward,' and so never realized he was withholding it, and therefore misunderstood Jiang Cheng's visible jealousy as a dangerous sense of personal entitlement that had to be carefully restrained, which reinforced his distrust of Jiang-Cheng-the-person and fed into a shitty loop where they were less and less able to relate to one another--that's fantastic. That's so human! I love it so much.

Both their failures are their own but at the same time it would never have gotten so bad if Yu Ziyuan hadn't been interjecting herself in there, in the middle of their relationship, fucking it up. That's family, baby.

I would ofc like if there was more fic engaging with the subtleties of all this because it's so good, mxtx did such elegant work here and it is not sufficiently appreciated. But it's the kind of thing that's hard to write good fic about; I am struggling with it myself.

So mostly I wish there was just more fic that didn't impose Mo Xuanyu's cliche angst backstory on Wei Wuxian, who has a whole different thing going on.

[cool-island-songs]

Analysis of ALNST Character Relationship Metrics

My art book won't be here for a minute, but I ran some screenshots I saw on twt through an image translator and have a lot of thoughts:

TILL: Despite claiming to hate everyone in the world, Till ranks Ivan at 70% intimacy even as he identifies perturbing behaviors of Ivan's going back years and refers to him as "a bother". He also ranks Sua at 10% in spite of having little to say about her and finding it uncomfortable to be around her.

Though he postures at being misanthropic and has all the manners you'd expect of a boy who was half off at the human child pound, he's actually quite gentle and sensitive. This is reflected in one of the graduation messages he's left by a classmate as well:

The person he feels closest to is an unattainable crush, and someone who doesn't feel that close with him in return, likely because he's too shy to really approach her or carry on a conversation.

MIZI: That's Mizi, of course, who's rather childlike and naive initially. She likes everyone, but since Till chokes when he tries to speak to her and often keeps his distance, she wonders if he's avoiding her because he dislikes her.

Mizi gravitates towards people who she sees as "perfect", which is how she describes Ivan and Sua in her graduation message to Ivan:

She doesn't see the darker side of Ivan's personality (which has been described on several occasions, even by himself, as "twisted") because he's attractive, successful, and helpful to her.

Though she likes everyone, Sua is her "God", and the only thing that can keep them apart is the tragedy of their situation, which forces Mizi to grow up in a brutally painful way.

SUA: Sua is far less idealistic and naive than Mizi, and has clearly thought about sacrificing herself to save Mizi, since Ivan picks on her for thinking of doing so in an official comic. Accordingly, her feelings about Mizi are far more tinged by the knowledge that they will one day be torn apart by external circumstances. She laments that reciprocating her feelings will one day cause Mizi great pain.

She's always been more somber, and despite her surface similarities to Ivan (which he notes in a follow-up comic wherein he realizes he was wrong about Sua's feelings for Mizi being unrequited), she's quite different on the inside. Sua's more sensitive and thus her colder exterior serves to protect her, whereas Ivan's outward persona creates an illusion of normalcy that doesn't reflect his reality.

Sua views Ivan and Till as a threat and a nuisance, respectively. Like Till, she senses something strange about Ivan, and when it comes to Till, it's just one person too many around for her. This is fascinating to me, because I thought she might pity Till! Her feelings about Ivan were already pretty clear from this panel of the 'piggyback' comic, and she seems deeply hurt in the first comic linked by his prodding.

IVAN: For his part, Ivan is fascinated by Till even though he's content to sit back and observe, pestering him to get a reaction or his attention for a brief time. He doesn't expect anything in return but wants more than anything to be on Till's mind (hence behaviors like stealing Till's belongings and returning them to him, pretending he had found them).

He prefers Sua to Mizi despite his awareness that Sua doesn't particularly like him, seeing her as a sister and even telling her she's "twisted" like he is. He likes Mizi well enough, especially her sincerity, but seems to find her optimism a bit much at times.

The fact that Mizi and the others would likely consider Ivan and Mizi quite close while Ivan does not reflects how much he postures even in his closest relationships. He struggles to connect with those he's most compelled by and it's not clear if he really wants to.

Some Ivantill thoughts before I go:

There seems to be a common sentiment that it's tragic Till was unable to see how much Ivan loved him, and I think we'll likely get more of Till's perspective on Ivan and their relationship in round 7. But it may not be the case that Ivan even wanted his true feelings to be seen, or would have known what to do if Till had reciprocated them.

There's something almost voyeuristic and self-negating in his feelings for Till (see: "I can’t reach you, so I imagine alone/You who shines, I stand next to you" from 'Black Sorrow'). He has far more self-awareness and willingness to accept things as they are than Till, who doesn't see that Mizi only has eyes for Sua and who would likely struggle to accept that reality.

Ivan, on the other hand, is well aware that his feelings for Till are "shallow", a bright fantasy to get him through his dark reality, and he seems to sincerely believe that his death won't scar Till because he's never really broken through to him. He's a schemer, and comments he makes in his graduation message to Till and the interview he gives in advance of round 6 suggest that he may have been planning to sacrifice himself for some time.

Part of me wonders if he hoped it would leave a mark on Till. Choking, kissing, and violently sacrificing oneself are all aggressive, forward acts, especially from someone who used to toy with people to get his kicks but was otherwise quite passive and unfeeling.

There are a lot of parallels in the one-sided loves, like Till acting out of his usual character for Mizi, and Ivan doing the same because of Till, putting all hopes of being saved in something just out of reach, staying in chains for that one special person. But Ivan's psychology is quite different from Till's, and in fact closest to Luka's re: low or no empathy. Both Ivan and Till are significantly traumatized by their upbringings but Ivan's difficult early life in the slums and his experience being dangled off that rooftop seem to have damaged his ability to connect to others or feel much of anything.

Till is the first person for whom he feels anything while for Till, Mizi is an early crush he puts on a pedestal in a much more commonplace way. I think the shared trauma of competing on that stage makes it much more difficult for either of them to imagine moving on, but Ivan is not wrong in identifying that he won't find that feeling again.

The thing that intrigues me most about this series is the way the contestants' differences play out, particularly with regard to how they view love and how they respond to their individual and shared challenges. I'd love to get into it further another time but this is quite long already so thanks for sticking with it if any have (haha)

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Mad Season 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, social anxiety, chronic illness, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker

Summary: a class project gets messy. (short!reader)

Note: happy weekend.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

“Hey, how’d you get in?” Peter rushes in, a tray of drinks in hand. 

You pop up on the stool, broken from your trance. Uncertain what else to do, you spent much of your time trying to distract yourself with his schematics. You twist to face him. 

“Um, Bucky,” you answer and cringe at home dumb you sound. “He helped.” 

“Bucky? Helpful?” He nears and puts the cardboard tray on the table, “I guess he can be.” He picks at the edge of the tray, “I got you a blueberry matcha. The place I hit didn’t have strawberry in season anymore.” 

“Oh, sounds... interesting, but you--” 

“Didn’t have to. I know, you always say so but I felt bad for being so late. I told may to get an airtag for her wallet. She can be so--” he stops himself and chuckles. “It’s whatever. She’s got a lot going on.” 

“Mhm,” you accept the cup he offers. “I was just looking over the plans. I think we could probably just go with yours. Makes more sense.” 

“What? Oh, no way,” he takes his iced whatever. It just looks like layers of sugar and cream. “I think we could easily bring together both. Take some of your features and mine. I don’t want to take over.” 

“Yeah, but...” 

“But nothing. Really. It’s a team project, not my project,” he insists as he hops up on the stool next to you, “so,” he swipes his hand in the air and a holographic screen appears. You flinch. “Let’s compare and redraw.” 

You gape as another floating rectangle appears before him. No wonder his look so much better than your Paint hack job. You want to sink down and disappear. You always figured you’re not interesting enough to be his friend but now you’re certain you might be too stupid and poor for him too. 

“So, I’m going to get logged in...” he mutters. 

“Um, Peter?” You murmur, “are you sure you wanna be my partner?” 

“Why... wouldn’t I?” He hovers his hand before the screen as he looks at you. 

“I dunno. I don’t... I don’t have much to offer. Not a lab, not all these cool computers...” 

“Oh this? No, it’s not—it's not a big deal. Dude, I'm so lucky Mr. Stark is letting me use this. I’m not ignorant, you know? I just thought it would be easier. I don’t think your roommates like me much and mine are so loud.” he explains as he lowers his arm, crossing both over the table as he leans on it. “Do you not want to be my partner?” 

“Nnnooo,” you drag the word out. “No, I do, but I want to contribute to and I don’t know how to use any of this.” 

“That’s cool. I’ll show you.” 

“Um, okay,” you nibble your lip sheepishly. “I guess...” 

“Did you try the tea? Is it good?” He changes the subject. He does that a lot. Pivots around before you can finish your thoughts. 

“Not yet,” you look down at the bright pink lid, “where did you get this?” 

“Some place called Berry? I don’t know. Everything was bright. You’d hate it,” he laughs again. “Oh,” he snaps his fingers as you blow into the lid cautiously. “Before I forget, I’m having a party. I know it’s not really your thing but it’s ‘my turn’,” he makes quotations with his fingers, “and I don’t really wanna but I also thought I'd invite you in case you wanted to not be there with me, too.” 

Your blink in surprise, “a party?” 

“I know, too much. Well, I didn’t wanna leave you out.” 

“Mmm,” you drone nervously. It is really nice of him to think of you and after everything else, you hate to say no. “No one ever invited me to a party.” 

“No?” His brow furrows, “really?” 

You shake your head, “I’ll come. Yeah. I’ll try. You know, it’s college and ...” you take a sip and clear your throat, “should I bring a dessert?” 

He laughs and gives you a playful grudge, “wow, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask me that except my aunt’s friends. Nope, you can just come as you are. You can always bring some drinks for yourself but I’ll have more than enough to share.” 

“Oh, okay,” you nod. 

“The tea good?” He asks again. 

“Yeah, sweet,” you put the cup down. 

“Awesome!” He grins. “I really didn’t think you’d come. I’m so excited.” 

“Really?” You ask. 

“Well, duh. You’re so fucking cool. Like all my other friends, they try so hard. It’s all ‘let’s go do shots’ or ‘watch me do this dumb shit’. You don’t even try, you’re just you. It’s like people don’t realize they can just be nice and be cool for just that.” 

“I... yeah,” you don’t know what to say.  

It’s like he’s calling you boring but not. You know you are and you don’t mind but you can’t ever remember when you just felt like everyone else. Where you weren’t the odd one out. Despite trying to include you, Peter still manages to push you to the edges. 

You wince as you notice how he stares at you. You fidget and pick at the button on the front of your corduroy skirt. His eyes flick down to the nervous movement. 

“I like that,” he reaches to touch the ridged fabric, “blue. Oh, thick.” 

Your leg twitches in surprise, “uh, yeah... found it at the student thrift shop.” 

“Really?” His fingers brush over the hem and touch your coloured tights. They linger for a moment before he pulls away. “Cute. I’ve never been there.” 

“It’s not bad...” you cross your legs as you knee tingles from his touch. That was strange. 

“Well, anyway,” he waggles his fingers as he turns back to the table, “uh, where was I?” He squints at the screens and taps in the air. He pauses and looks at you. “Here, I’ll show you how it work, alright?”  

He reaches over again and you brace yourself. He grabs the underside of the stool seat and drags you closer. He it so easily, you gasp. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. He slides his hand around so his arm is diagonal around your back. 

“Right, so...” his shoulder presses to you as he points with his other arm, “you can just use your finger. I’ll have to add your prints to the program. Put your hands up.” 

You obey as he stays close. You’re overly away of it. The way he’s pressed to you. He doesn’t seem to notice at all. You try not to think of it and focus on his instructions. The project. That’s why you’re here. 

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

ROMANTIC WHUMPEE X WHUMPER DIALOGUE PROMPTS

trigger warnings: NSFW, violence, abuse, rape, power imbalance (everything in here is entirely fictional meant to serve as ideas for writers. I do not condone any of these in real life in any way, also I'm titling the post 'romantic prompts' due to the characters' romantic relationship, not because the prompts are supposed to be 'romantic or cute')

❝it's cute you think they can hurt you like I do.❞

❝you're not leaving me, and if I can't make you stay by words, I'm gonna do it by force.❞

❝are you gonna kill me like you killed those people?❞

❝you're gonna bleed to death if you don't let me help you. I am not asking. stop fucking squirming.❞

❝do I have to chain you up?❞

❝you like that, huh? being fucked on the floor by a sworn enemy and not being able to do anything about it.❞

❝friendly reminder, I own you.❞

❝you're only alive because I let you. don't forget that I could change my mind any second.❞

❝don't think I won't fuck you like an animal right here in front of everybody.❞

❝scream all you want. no one's coming, and I do like hearing you cry.❞

❝is this the only reason you're keeping me alive? because you want to break me more? come on, we both know you can't live without me.❞

❝make any noise and I'll slit your throat.❞

❝no, I had a chance to escape you. I didn't. you've made me love you, and for that, fuck you.❞

❝I hate that I could never hate you.❞

❝this is not a home. it's a prison.❞

❝if I'm ever going to die, and want it to be by your hands.❞

❝I need you to fucking look me in the eyes and say you won't run away again.❞

❝you're not safe with me. I'm scared of what I might do to you if I let the demons win, and I'm scared one of these days they're gonna win.❞

❝I am the only person who can hurt you.❞

❝I won't chase after you, because I know you'll come crawling back to me, you always do.❞

❝I fantasize about my hands around your throat, looking you in the eyes as I twist the knife.❞

❝I know you wish you could kill me and I know you wish you could hate me. but I'm the only person who understands you and I know you need me.❞

❝my only mistake was falling in love with you.❞

❝has anyone ever told you how pretty you are when you cry?❞

❝you can't kill me. I'm already dead.❞

❝you've had that chain around my throat since the day we first met.❞

❝it'll hurt less if you stay still.❞

[sokkastyles]

I feel like the people who get worked up about Zuko being Fire Lord at 16 are also the people who get mad about the concept of Robin and other teenage sidekicks in comic books. They'll accept aliens, demons, and mutants but apply real-world standards to only the sidekicks. It's ridiculous

I feel like the deconstruction of the Robin character comes from The Dark Knight Returns and other grimdark interpretations of Batman, but they're grimdark on purpose, they're twisting the genre and aren't meant to be actual criticisms. Which is funny because a lot of these kinds of fans hate grimdark but will absolutely apply grimdark standards to cartoons.

There's also a context to apply. Robin is one of the youngest characters in Batman, but in ATLA, Zuko is the oldest of the child heroes. Sixteen is actually not that young to save the world or inherit a throne, by fantasy standards. Which again, doesn't mean it can't be fun to deconstruct things, but be honest that that is what you're doing, instead of acting like some kind of crime is being committed.

[fanfic-writer-and-rambler]

I read the Tim Drake pride comic and looked through the comments on the site... That was a fucking mistake. Okay gotta rant, one comment said that Tim being written as Bi is forced and that he never showed that ... This could be me, but wasn't he created and written in the 90s? What would they show?! Also if people had an issue with the break up with Steph, okay I get it, if people felt the comic "didn't convey him being bi correctly" okay cool, but it's not forced or pandering or woke to write him bisexual.

That is a new set of writers putting an interesting spin on an old character.

And you know what:

I fucking love it!

I never saw him as being with Stephanie, that is just my opinion.

And while I don't love it him and Konnor, him and Bernard, whatever it is works.

I hate that a change to a character is met with "Woke" or "Pandering" or "Forced" and then they don't even give it a chance. I should not have read those disquis comments lol. I should not have. I'm sorry ... I am so sorry.

I probably overreacted, maybe I'm wrong, but Tim Drake is a good character, the fact they made him bisexual and not just gay was a good twist because bisexual men are looked down on sadly. Heck, a bisexual man isn't even accepted but some people today! The fact that this is canon makes me happy and... I liked the story.

Sorry for ranting and rambling guys. Your regularly scheduled Batfamily fanfic will return after this lol

[pygmi-says-hi]

how to write romantic tension

we all love enemies to lovers but some of you get to the lovers part so fast you don't even finish typing 'enemies'. enemthey'refuckingnow to lovers. which is ok if that's what you wanna read but personally, my favorite part is the tension.

So...

Off we go!

What makes a good enemies to lovers story?

Believable tension, likeably irritating themes, and potential. Among other things, but this is what I want to talk about with the 'tension' perspective. There needs to be a good reason, obstacle, and rapport. If they're mad at each other just because, idgaf.

I want to write this but I dunno how to frame the tension?

It's kind of a tricky trope, to be honest. Enemies/rivals/foes however you wanna pitch it, takes an interesting twist on seductive emotions.

pride. a feeling of self-sufficiency, power over somebody else, or superiority. How would this play into a relationship type deal? Well:

Pride in a relationship or in regards to another person can involve a feeling of equivalence. "Do I feel unworthy of them?" "Are they out of my league?" "will the way people perceive me change if I go for it?" Social insecurity is a big aspect, and so the frustration that comes with that leads to friction because of the character's insistence on keeping their dignity. which leads me to the next point...

vulnerability. Attraction to another person is accompanied by a feeling of vulnerability and openness. This is always a hard position to be in, especially if extenuating circumstances make honesty impossible (power imbalance, politics, etc). If a character feels too vulnerable and exposed, they might shield themself with aloofness and sharp words.

desperation/yearning. They have to want each other. the only thing stopping themselves is each other. It's overcoming the above emotions to reach the point where they have no choice but to accept it. Throughout the whole deal, there should be an undercurrent of desire.

When all of those come together, it creates an emotional battle. This battle has several war tactics (hittin with the allegories today dayum)

banter. a favorite of all. wonderfully tense and combative conversation that highlights the reason for disagreement and the romantic tension. 10/10

self-sabotage. like, ohthey'resoclosetheirhandsaretouchingoooohnope. someone chickened out, heard something from someone that made them reconsider, plans changed, they felt angry and ruined the whole deal. back to square one. it's like edging your readers. (ew but you know what i mean. bring em up to bring em down)

miscommunication. "I thought you hated me." "only because I thought you did too..." love it. beautiful. or, there was miscommunication years ago that led to a deep rift when actually, it was entirely unfounded.

and many more...

Another important point:

There needs to be progress. Slow and steady wins the race, but even slow means going forward. If you throw too much tension and obstacles in the way, it gets old really fast. Give them baby steps to take. It'll keep people interested.

Internal turmoil:

Oh, that wonderful period when they know it's inevitable but they're so terrified of it happening....pick an emotional direction.

Are they scared? Hiding from their attraction? Are they angry? Frustrated that they can't have them/became attracted? Are they desperate? So in love that they act out of pure lust?

What is the character's opinion of what is going on? Pick reactions and convo that corresponds with that. Enemies to lovers doesn't always mean sass-battles and hate sex. It can also be someone cold and cut off slowly warming up. Or somebody shy and critical becoming relaxed and open-minded. there are sooooo many opportunities for good emotional depth, spice it up a little!

Things to improve on:

Working on banter/bickering. This is really funny, but the banter should have some kind of meat to it. random back-and-forths are a nice palate cleanser, but so often it just sounds petty. Incorporate plot and past disagreements with it. it'll add depth to the relationship without needing to do a prologue or exposition paragraph.

Not just making them hate fuck and then be head over heels. (I mean if you wanna write/read that, go ahead, but if you're frustrated with the transition stage, I gotchu.) It is a weird moment of going from 'fuck you' to 'fuck me' to 'ilysm'. AWKWARD STAGES ARE OKAY!!!!! It's gonna be a bit of a new thing, esp for the characters. Great opportunity for wholesomeness; if they're trying really hard to get better but don't know how?? UGHH I EATTT IT.

hopefully this provides some pointers?

xox keep writing, comment/message any questions or requests!

[lyrisnightblood]

Dear "lovely" "canon Jiang Cheng Stans",

I see what you're doing here. I can see y'all talk about "book meta" and "writing Jiang Cheng as canonically accurate" and you know what?

Y'all are doing a fantastic job, keep it up 😍🎉

Yeah really! I mean it!

Y'all are doing a fantastic job showcasing just how utterly pathetic y'all are, how chronically online y'all are, and most importantly, y'all are doing a marvellous job showcasing your hate boner for a fictional character you claim to hate and is an "antagonist".

Keep up the lovely work y'all, show the world how you lack an ounce of reading comprehension, you booktok obsessed peeps!

And while you're at it, let me go spittin' facts, straight from the book.

Jiang Yanli is dead. End of the story. You can fantasize to your heart's content about how "she'll react to JC raising her son" and get your pants in a twist about all the bad things she'll supposedly say, but that's just it. You can only imagine it.

You know why?

Hmm idk cos she's fucking dead and no one knows what the dead wants?

This is exactly like "Don't do this your mother wouldn't have wanted this of you" "don't talk like you know my mother she's dead and i don't know what she wanted cos she's dead"

Well

I should've expected such callous behaviour from antis 🤷

Admit it, y'all wanted Wei Wuxian to raise Jin Ling huh? C'mon, don't be shy🥰 you can say that

Except your fave never could've raised Jin Ling cos 1) as if the Jin Sect would let their Sect heir be raised by the jianghu's most wanted person (Gasp, "wEi wUxIaN sLaNdEr" love check your books even wwx acknowledges that fact lolll) and 2) how tf could a dead man, no less a man who's soul got ripped into shards, take care of a baby?

"but Jin Guangyao was a better parental figure, and an actual parent"

Yeah, a parent who killed his own child cos he was worried about his reputation (I can already smell y'all coming at me to defend him like chill, I only said the truth, and yes, man was more worried about people knowing he married his sister and losing position than the life of his own son, just because he loved Rusong didn't change the fact that he was ready to go to the extreme). Not to mention how Jin Guangyao held a string to his own nephew's neck and threatened to kill him to save his skin while it was Jiang Cheng who begged him to let Jin Ling go

Betcha Jiang Yanli's ghost is watching the scene while sipping tea and praising Jin Guangyao huh

"but one of Jin Zixuan's cousin-"

Jin Zixun is dead. And is a truly despicable person. Or did you forget how he insulted Wei Wuxian left and right?

Oh wait. Of course you forgot, "criticizing" Jiang Cheng takes precedence! My bad, i should've known!

Let me stop y'all before you say "Jin Guangshan". You must be the utterly worst person in the planet to want a known womanizer and child abuser and rapist to raise a child. IDC Jin Guangshan is related to Jin Ling. Y'all just want a known abuser and sexual predator to raise Jin Ling just say you don't give two cents about the poor boy except when you want to hate on Jiang Cheng 🙄

"what about Jin Furen"

Yeah what about her? Or did you forget how she canonically had a role to play in Jin Ling's upbringing?

Who do you think is responsible for Jin Ling spending half a year in Lotus Pier? Certainly not Jin Guangyao!

If there was one person in the Jin Sect who could have enough sway to ensure that her own grandson is spending a significant amount of time in another sect, it's Jin Furen.

Three guesses why she did that?

Lol you actually thought I'd wait for your guess? LMFAOOOOO you're so cute 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

She did that because Jin Furen cared for A-Li and - wait for it - A-Cheng!!!

Reread the books if you missed it, mmkay?

She was fond of Yu Ziyuan, and by extension her children, and post-SSC, she offered to support both of them on multiple occasions (which they declined because any political support from Jin Sect would've come with strings attached cos JGS😑)

Establishing the fact that Jin Furen cared for Jiang Cheng, she had agreed to Jin Ling spending half his time in Lotus Pier because she sensed that he was all Jiang Cheng had left, and vice versa.

Y'all also have utterly forgotten about the cruel way Jin Ling's paternal cousins have bullied him for being an orphan. Like, Koi Tower is supposed to be his home, and he was bullied to the point where Lotus Pier became his sanctuary.

"AHA! GOTCHA! QIN SU SHOULD'VE RAISED HIM!"

Laughing My Fricking Ass Off TM

My man Qin Su was RIGHT THERE! No one was stopping her from raising Jin Ling! She could've been the maternal figure Jin Ling needed! And no one would have questioned it, it was actually expected for that timeline.

Except.... Did she? Did she do anything to make Jin Ling feel loved? Has Jin Ling ever talked about his aunt the same way he talks about his uncles? Apart from the respect that he gives to her as his paternal uncle's wife, does Jin Ling refer to her fondly? Even once?

"Alright, your point?"

Why thank you for asking 💗😌

My point is that Jiang Cheng is canonically the best guardian for Jin Ling, and this conclusion comes AFTER analysing every other candidate.

And you know what?

I am absolutely right🎉💗🌸😻

Evidence?

Exhibit A: Jiang Cheng accompanying Jin Ling's nighthunt to look out for him but also keeps himself at a distance so that Jin Ling actually participates in the nighthunt

Exhibit B: Letting Fairy enter Lotus Pier despite the strict dog ban (which he had adhered to even after wwx died)

Exhibit C: Jin Ling never once flinches or looks scared when Jiang Cheng shows his temper and says "I'll break your legs", he knows his jiujiu is all bark but would never hurt him

Exhibit D: "how dare you hit me? Even my jiujiu had never hit me!" - Jin Ling to Wei Wuxian (who btw oh so casually hits Jin Ling as if it's a normal thing to hit a child💀)

Exhibit E: "A-Ling! Who made you cry?" - Jiang Cheng when he saw a crying Jin Ling. No admonishment. No Judgement. And certainly no anger directed at Jin Ling.

Exhibit F: Jin Ling being unafraid to cry in front of his jiujiu, he knows he won't be judged.

Exhibit G: Jiang Cheng saving Jin Ling on multiple occasions.

Exhibit H: Jiang Cheng begging Jin Guangyao to take him hostage and release Jin Ling, without hesitation, despite his spiritual energy being locked and being stabbed in the chest.

I could go on and on and on but unlike you lovely people who have no hobby other than slandering Jiang Cheng, I have TONS.

And also a life.

So, go fantasize about your Jiang Cheng hate boner elsewhere. I see your pathetic attempt at taking over the Canon Jiang Cheng tag and it ain't working.

Ciao 🤟

[tigirl-and-co]

starscream stans (me) are fucking weird as hell (me) bc they'll say shit like 'my ideal transformers media would amount to watching his fall from grace over thousands of years, followed by an insane trauma conga line where he becomes a twisted parody of himself and loses his identity to the mask he has created to keep himself safe. At the end of this he dies alone and his only thought is 'at last I can be free.' BUT HE'S WRONG because he is a ghost now so even death is not a freedom from the hell he has made. And he suffers more and is a little bitch and cries. And then he actually slowly starts healing because now nobody can physically hurt him so he can interact with things on his own terms. And it's a brutal and painful process but eventually he becomes an unseen ally, the opposite of who he was in life. And then he tricks the devil into giving him a body like in that G1 episode and everyone fucking hates him again but he knows kindness now so he's willing to put in the effort to prove he can be more' and they will completely ignore any character who doesn't fit into this story, such as the main characters of the franchise. all because of this one shitty airplane man who is a bitch

[sunglassesmish]

no, i get it's not his responsibility. fully agree there. i just sometimes feel if he or one of the other mains would acknowledge the bad behavior then maybe it would help, at least somewhat. honestly, it probably wouldn't though.

yeah... i genuinely don’t think it’d make a difference though. this fandom has some weird way of twisting anything and everything to fit their narrative. ‘oliver was forced into bucktommy, he never posts about them or smiles when he talks about it!’ ‘oliver takes pictures of ryan so buddie is happening!’ ‘oliver posted this and this so it means this!’

as if people didn’t drive him off twitter by threatening to destroy him for ‘queerbaiting,’ and accused him of it for years when he interacted with any (buddie) content. as if this fandom didn’t attack lou for doing cameos and blamed him for ruining the show. as if they didn’t hate on the actresses and characters playing previous love interests for buck and eddie simply because they weren’t each other.

saying something might be embarrassing for some people, some people might learn from it. but it seems simply staying away from fandom is the way lou and likely oliver has decided to deal with it. 🤷‍♀️

[gdn019283]

I think Edwin’s character in BBC Merlin is so underrated and I hate when he is portrayed as bad in fanfictions too.

He pointed at Uther only; he didn’t hurt anyone else in the process of his revenge (and who could have blamed him, like many others, if he did); showed that magic is a force of good; helped Merlin by actually being an adult figure to him, who could explain the magnificent tool that was magic, when it came to healing (what Gaius should have done); he defied Gaius for all the good reasons and Edwin thought he was protecting Merlin from him, because he cared about Merlin, he saw himself in him, and remembered what Gaius had done to his family.

Edwin had every right to avenge his loved ones, when he saw them burn alive and when he was a kid, on top of it all.

He tried to stop Gaius from stopping him, because he had every right:

Gaius is a traitor to his own people and watched a child cry in desperation and get burnt while trying to save his family, and his excuse was because they were practicing Dark Magic? Is it said anywhere that in that case it was essentially bad? And even if it was, in some Gaius twisted sort of way, what right did he have to choose if a child had to be orphaned or not?

I love Edwin, and I sat on the edge of my seat the entire time while I watched the episode where he was in, hoping he would be able to not only get his sweet revenge and kill Uther, but murder Gaius too in the process.

Edwin is a great character.

[elysiaheaven]

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂-𝟮𝟯-(The Fox's Wedding)

For this grudge of mine is stronger than anyone else's 

You defilled me so my hatred shall last for eternity 

That doll that dolli refuse to grant forgiveness 

All i feel is endless hatredAll I feel is endless hatred 

Every time I see your face, I can't help but break into a grin 

Hurry up and die already hurry up and die

Hoolay

There's a new character that I created myself he is known as Hoolay's brother for the sake of the story

Words:2167

Mentions of gorey description.., Mental breakdown.

Hoolay's massive form loomed over you as you lay curled up on the floor. The flickering light from the lanterns cast eerie shadows on his twisted face, amplifying his malevolent grin. His voice, cold and mocking, cut through the chaos around you.

"Look at you," Hoolay sneered, his gaze full of contempt. "How pathetic you've become. With all the hate you've amassed, it seems people actually believed the storyline I crafted for you. Their goddess, they called you. But tell me, how did that story end? What did the goddess actually do?"

His words were like daggers, and your heart pounded with fear and anguish. You tried to shrink away, but Hoolay's imposing presence was inescapable. "Get away from me!" you screamed, your voice hoarse with terror.

Ignoring your plea, Hoolay's hand closed around a small, tattered doll that resembled you. His eyes glinted with cruel amusement as he began to crush it with force. The doll's fabric ripped and tore, each sound of its destruction magnifying your despair.

"No! Stop it!" you cried out, your voice breaking as you reached out, trying to protect the doll.

Hoolay's gaze remained locked on you, unyielding. "I'll kill you the same way you killed my brother," he said with cold finality. "To protect those people in the village. That's what you did, isn't it? You took away everything that was dear to me. And now, it's your turn to suffer."

Jiaoqiu's voice cut through the din of chaos, his tone heavy with confusion and concern. "What is he talking about? What's this about killing his brother?"

Hoolay's laughter echoed through the prison, a sound brimming with both derision and malice. "You still don't get it, do you? This pathetic piece of humanity," he gestured toward you with a sneer, "killed my brother to save the village. The story you've been fed is a lie."

Jiaoqiu's eyes narrowed, his mind racing to piece together the disconcerting revelations. "And what about the god Eiji? The one said to have protected the village?"

Hoolay's cruel laughter intensified as he turned his gaze towards Jiaoqiu. "Ah, Eiji. How amusing. In the tale I crafted, the roles were reversed. Eiji was never the protector. No, he was the true betrayer. It was this human," he pointed at you with a mocking smile, "who saved the village."

Jiaoqiu's face shifted from confusion to a grim realization. His eyes darted between you and Hoolay, struggling to comprehend the twisted truth unveiled before him. The implications of Hoolay's words were staggering, and the revelation hit hard—everything they had believed, everything they had been told, was a distorted fabrication.

Hoolay's voice thundered through the chamber, filled with menacing authority. "Move! Walk toward me, or I'll kill both of you right here and now!"

Jiaoqiu's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and concern as he assessed the dire situation. He saw you trembling, caught in the throes of fear and despair. Your shaking form and pained expression struck him deeply, and he knew he had to act swiftly.

With a decisive step, Jiaoqiu approached you, his face set in a determined, yet gentle expression. He reached out and placed his hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him. His grip was firm but reassuring, a silent promise of protection amidst the chaos.

"Hold on," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm here."

Gently, he guided you to lay your head on his shoulder. You complied, closing your eyes and allowing the comfort of his presence to wash over you. 

The Shackling Prison had become a chaotic battleground, the clash of steel and cries of pain echoing through the grim halls. The prison guards fought valiantly but fell one by one, unable to withstand the onslaught.

Hoolay's voice roared with dark exhilaration, reverberating through the prison. "A-Rraaa... This brings back such familiar memories! Memories of chasing, gnawing, and tearing... They're back, they're back! They've all come back!"

Mok Tok, ever the schemer, addressed Hoolay with a tone of barely concealed eagerness. "My Lord, we're just one step away from freedom. Once we pass through the gate, no one will be able to stop us."

Hoolay's gaze shifted to you and Jiaoqiu, his cruel grin widening. "So, this hostage is useless now? Kill him, Mok Tok."

Jiaoqiu's eyes burned with determination, despite the overwhelming dread. *He's getting away... Do something, Jiaoqiu... It's just like the old days, you useless loser... Just do something...*

Mok Tok considered the offer, his voice laced with opportunism. "Perhaps this Yaoqing messenger can strike a deal in exchange for his life. He can use his status to help us escape from the Xianzhou. What do you think, Mr. Jiaoqiu?"

Hoolay laughed, the sound echoing with disdain. "Just look at you! Fallen so low during my absence! You're even negotiating with livestock? As far as I recall, no one from the Yaoqing would ever consider a deal with Duran's offspring."

Jiaoqiu, caught between hope and desperation, sought a way to stall Hoolay. *I've got to... make this beast stay here... whether it's for the sake of Feixiao or the Yaoqing...*

"Deal," Jiaoqiu said, forcing himself to sound confident. "I certainly have more value alive... My identity, my knowledge of the Xianzhou, and my understanding of many things that your minions have no knowledge of... They'll all be valuable."

Hoolay's eyes narrowed as he regarded Jiaoqiu. "Lowly beast, muster up that pitiful tongue of yours and plead for what remains of your life. Speak up."

Jiaoqiu took a deep breath, the weight of the situation heavy on his shoulders. "I'm afraid you're unaware, the woman who defeated you, Jingliu... She has recently returned to the Luofu."

Hoolay paused, the name striking a chord. "..."

Mok Tok, eager to move forward, protested. "My Lord! This slave is talking nonsense. I've never heard anything about this! May I just kill him now?"

Hoolay's gaze shifted back to Mok Tok, his tone icy. "Silence, Mok Tok! And you, slave... From now on, you'll stay by my side. You'll only speak and move when I allow you to. Otherwise, I'll dismember you, from head to tail, inch by inch. Got it?"

Mok Tok hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "But my Lord..."

"We must stay here for some time, Mok Tok. Fear not, because once I step out of the prison, it's the people of the Xianzhou who should tremble in fear. I'll show them what true calamity means." Hoolay's voice was a dark promise.

With a fierce command, Hoolay turned to his followers. "Now, Duran's whelps! Follow me!"

As the Borisin Wolftroopers rallied to Hoolay's side, their howls filled the air. "Prison guards, stop them! For our great lord Hoolay!"

You, shaken and struggling to regain composure, watched as Hoolay approached. His gaze was predatory, eyes gleaming with cruel delight. He leaned in close, his voice a low, mocking whisper. "Ah, look at you, trembling like a cornered animal. So pathetic... The goddess they believed in... what a joke. Tell me, how was the story I wrote for you?"

The haunting words cut through you, sending shivers down your spine. "Get away!" you screamed, desperation bleeding through your voice.

Hoolay's laughter was a sinister echo as he pulled out the doll that resembled you, crushing it with a brutal grip. "You see this? This is what you've become—a broken thing. Just like this doll. And soon, you'll know the same fate I plan for you. I'll kill you the same way you killed my brother to protect those people in the village."

Hoolay's cruel laughter echoed through the chamber as he drew closer to you, the doll in his hand now a symbol of his contempt. His gaze fixed on Jiaoqiu, a smirk twisting his lips. "So, tell me, who is this man to you?" he taunted.

Your heart raced, the weight of Hoolay's gaze unbearable. You looked at Jiaoqiu, the façade of indifference cracking under the pressure. "No one," you said, your voice trembling. You forced a twisted laugh, trying to mask your fear. "He's no one to me."

Hoolay's eyes narrowed with satisfaction. "Mok Tok, end this farce. Kill him."

Mok Tok, caught between duty and hesitation, looked at you with a grim expression. As he raised his weapon, you dropped the pretense. Your voice broke into a desperate cry. "He's my husband! Please, stop! Don't hurt him!"

Tears streamed down your face as you fought against the overwhelming terror. "Stop! Stop!" you screamed, your voice raw with fear and desperation. You reached out toward Jiaoqiu, your heart breaking at the thought of him being harmed.

Jiaoqiu, his face a mask of anguish, tried to hold you close, offering comfort despite the chaos. But you pushed him away, your eyes filled with terror. "Go away! You'll die if you stay with me! I can't let you die because of me!"

You turned your pleading eyes back to Hoolay, desperation flooding your voice. "Kill me! But leave Jiaoqiu alone!"

Hoolay's grin widened, savoring your torment. "Come closer. I want you to see how your demise unfolds in front of him. I'll kill you just as you killed my brother—right in front of your precious husband."

The horror of the situation overwhelmed you as Hoolay's words cut deeper than any weapon. You clung to Jiaoqiu's memory of comfort, the fear of losing him unbearable. Your pleas became increasingly frantic, the fight for survival fading into a desperate hope that Hoolay might show mercy.

Jiaoqiu, trying to maintain his composure, gripped you tightly. "I won't leave you. Not now. We'll find a way out of this."

But your cries and Hoolay's chilling laughter filled the air, the reality of the situation sinking in. The chamber was a whirlwind of chaos and despair, the future uncertain as the clash of wills continued.

The cold, iron bars slammed shut, trapping you and Jiaoqiu in the dark, suffocating cell. The sound of the lock clicking into place sent a wave of dread crashing over you, and you screamed at Hoolay, your voice hoarse with desperation. "Leave him alone! Hoolay, leave Jiaoqiu alone, please!" You gripped the bars, your knuckles white, your body shaking uncontrollably as you watched the monster smirk, feeding off your terror.

Hoolay chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with malice as he held the cursed doll in his hand. "Whenever it walks... it will feel the shards of a thousand mirrors," he whispered to the doll. His words dripped with venom as his gaze shifted to you, his voice echoing in your mind. "That's you."

Suddenly, an unbearable pain shot through your feet as if you were stepping on shards of broken glass. You let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed to the ground, clutching your feet. Every time you tried to stand, the sharp, searing sensation returned, as if the shards were embedded deep in your skin, cutting with every movement.

"Stop it! Stop it!" you cried, tears streaming down your face. You felt helpless, the agony overwhelming you. Jiaoqiu knelt beside you, his face filled with panic and sorrow. "I'm here, Y/N. Let me help you," he begged, trying to pull you into his arms.

But you screamed again, pushing him away, terrified that Hoolay would target him next. "No! Get away from me!" you wailed, your voice breaking. "If you come close, he'll kill you! Please, Jiaoqiu, just... stay away!"

Your hands shook as you pounded at the ground, the pain from the imagined glass unbearable. You sobbed, feeling as if your mind was unraveling, the darkness creeping further in with each passing moment. "You have to act like you hate me, Jiaoqiu," you whispered through choked sobs, your breath ragged. "Pretend... hate me... he won't hurt you if he thinks you hate me."

Jiaoqiu's face crumpled with anguish. He couldn't do it. He couldn't say those words, couldn't bear the thought of pretending to despise the one person he was desperate to protect. "I can't, Y/N," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't hate you. I won't lie like that. Please, stop this!"

You screamed in frustration, the pain, the fear, the guilt—everything crashing down on you at once. You began beating yourself, your fists slamming into your chest, your legs, anything to try and drown out the emotional torment with physical pain. "Stop! Stop it!" you cried, the sound of your own voice becoming unbearable.

Jiaoqiu grabbed your wrists, trying to stop you from hurting yourself further. "Y/N, please, don't do this! It's not your fault!" His voice cracked with desperation as he pulled you close despite your protests. You struggled against him, screaming, but he refused to let go, his grip strong but gentle.

"I won't let him win," he whispered fiercely. "I don't care what he does to me. I'm not leaving you."

[bougiebutchbitch]

I'm not in the ofmd fandom but I am intrigued by the drama. spill the tea?

OH GOD OKAY

Where do I begin lksdlgkfds

Okay so

There’s this nasty little gremlin-man in ofmd called Izzy Hands. He’s a sour, mean, skrunkly, disabled little cunt who is a firm believer in Respect and Discipline (in a very queer subby way).

This is to say: he is. Explicitly. Queer. He does drag on the show, and has a whole coming-out scene. He is a kinky masochist. He confesses his love for another man, and basically ruins his own life & everyone else's, because he is sooooo pathetically jealous about this man (his captain!) falling for some milquetoast loser white rich guy, when Izzy, a badass leather-wearing working-class sword-swinging swashbuckler, is right there making puppy-eyes at him.

He's wrong! He's horrid! He's a bastard, pickled in piss and vinegar! He's five-foot-nothing of spite and gay self-loathing! He's very fun to watch, and very, very queer.

People still insist that he’s straight. And racist. Despite there being 0 textural evidence to support this, and the creators of the show repeatedly saying that this is absolutely not what they wrote.

Why do people hate him so much? Simple! Because he ‘got in the way’ of the main ship.

Yup. It’s basically ‘bash the girl who gets in the way of our m/m otp’ only the girl is a grizzled 50-something year old pirate.

The main ship, btw, is between Ed Teach, an awesome complex flawed hopeful beautiful character of colour; and Stede Bonnet, another awesome complex flawed character. Who is a white guy. And who happens to be a rich plantation owner from the 1700s. Based on A LITERAL SLAVE OWNER. Who is explicitly shown to be a Problematic White Guy with fucked-up racist views.

Like. He’s not a perfect guy. The show makes this very, very clear - to the point where Stede pushes Ed into sex super-fast immediately after Ed says he wants to go slow, and this makes Ed run away and freak out.

But somehow, Certain Fans still insist that Izzy is to blame because :checks notes: he makes one cheeky, friendly joke about them finally getting together that is clearly given & received in good spirits.

Yeah.

There's a lot of this cognitive dissonance going on. And it's very, very wilful.

Basically: a certain subset of people who ship Ed and Stede refuse to exercise the slightest bit of critical thought of Stede’s views and actions (which are a representation of the white landed gentry!) but insist on maliciously twisting literally everything Izzy says or does to cast him as The Ultimate Villain. Whereas anyone watching the show can tell that he starts off as an antagonist-with-a-deeply-hidden-heart-of-gold, whose entire arc is about growth and redemption.

I think 99% of this is projection. Stede and Ed are not perfect by any means, but these people are so dead-set on shipping a Cute Fluffy Romance (when that. Really isn’t what the show gave us) that they have to create a villain out of Izzy and blame all of Stede and Ed’s fucked-up choices and actions on him, in the most contrived ways. Which has the added bonus of them deciding that Izzy, a white guy, is somehow responsible for literally ALL of Ed’s genuinely awful, abusive, and interesting choices in S2, where he went on his villain arc. Even though Izzy was the main victim of this villain arc. Rather than, y’know, giving Ed the agency to make his own damn decisions and acknowledging that he is a flawed and fascinating character who Hurts People but still deserves a happy ending, like literally every other main character on ofmd. Nope. Gotta infantalise that man of colour and pretend he has no control over his own life and his morality is goverened by the white men around him!

Then, they get to portray Stede as his white saviourTM who swoops in and saves Ed from ‘his own darkness’ with the power of love. 😊 because that’s not Problematique in the slightest 😊

It’s… fucked up, to put it plainly. But honestly, as much as there is a problem with their dogged insistence that Izzy is the root of all iniquity on the show, and that Ed and Stede are pure perfect angels who never did any wrong... what was worse was the relentless harassment enacted by that side of the fandom against anyone who dared show a liking for Izzy’s character. Like, it’s not the worst fandom out there by any means, but it really did make the fandom feel hostile to anyone who didn’t ship the main ship.

SO - yeah. That's the tea! OFMD was a fun show with lots of cool flawed characters. But the fandom was a cesspit, fuelled mostly by a Certain Group Of Fans' desperation to make their ship Perfect and Morally Pure - which resulted in them throwing an interesting, well-rounded, morally grey queer disabled character under the bus, and harrassing anyone who enjoyed him.

[myfanfictiongarden]

Finished watching The Artful Dodger and, honestly?

I need a season 2. Pronto.

[egophiliac]

Please elaborate on your twst Pokémon headcannons I’m very interested

I had planned on drawing everyone for this (I made a LIST!) but it. hasn't been going well. 💀 soooo here's what I have so far!

Riddle - Roserade (I was going with 'no legendaries', otherwise I would've given him a Shaymin) (and I don't think Togedemaru is actually a hedgehog or I would've given him one of those too) (...they kind of do fit though. hmm.)

Trey - Alcremie (clover/mint cream + strawberry/ruby cream)

Cater - DITTO SQUAD! DITTO SQUAD! DITTO SQUAD!

Ace - Impidimp (I feel like there's probably a better one for him, but I can't think of it)

Deuce - Scraggy (meanwhile I KNOW deep in my heart that this is true)

Leona - Pyroar (but like. a nasty Pyroar. just a grizzly old Pyroar with the shittiest attitude imaginable. they pretend to hate each other but secretly they are a bonded pair, do not separate)

[bonicedemandarina]

Click for better quality

Shotout to Leona and Cheka for singlehandedly getting me out of the worst artblock I've had in months, love these guys

Tbh I just wanted to draw Cheka doing that one thing kids do when they treat you like a climbing tree, I have other drawing about that but it's a work in progress, it was supposed to be animation practice but Ibis got some crunchy quality on the canvas if you don't pay so. Yeah. Also Grim is here bc why not