#been thinking about this for a while since i started seeing those posts

[steelheart-redux]

Steelheart Redux: Year 1 Retrospective

I meant to post this yesterday but forgot. Oops. Anyway, June 1st marked the official first full year of Steelheart Redux! For me, at least. While the comic didn’t go public until September, those who have been here since the start remember that I uploaded all of chapter 1 at once. That work started in June, so I consider that the comic’s effective birthday.

With that disclaimer out of the way: what a year it’s been! In 365 days, I drew 153 comic pages. That’s about 0.4 pages a day— a little shy of a page every other day. Granted, those numbers aren’t an even spread. I made all of chapter 1 in three months (68 pages) and then had to take a break for a while because of wrist strain (wonder how THAT happened…) and then the amount of backlog I had fluctuated wildly for a while. Some days I have more time and motivation than others. It happens.

Quite honestly, I’m mainly happy that I’ve stuck with the project. My worst fear was that I’d get a month or two into Actually Doing The Thing, then get bored, demotivated, and give up. Luckily, my brain has allowed me to stick with Redux with a level of consistency that is frankly unforeseen from me, and I’m just as motivated as I was a year ago, if not more, thanks to people's interest. I’ve said it before, but the reception to the story already regularly blows me away. I went into this with the expectation that it would take years for the comic to gain any real traction, if it ever happened at all. But here we are, a year in, with tens, if not hundreds of regular readers across multiple platforms. It’s an honor I don’t take lightly, and as I’ve said, I’m so, so grateful for the trust and support.

Looking back, the comic started on wobbly feet. That’s something I knew even at the time and had to make my peace with. Steelheart Redux is my first original story project, first long-form comic (first colored comic longer than a few pages, tbh), and first time I've ever really left the title of "fanartist" behind for longer than a month or so. I knew I was entering uncharted waters and that whatever I made, I'd later come to see as 'bad', or at least, not executed as well as it could have been. Unfortunately, the only way to get that experience and improve is to do it bad. So I did it bad!

STRUGGLES:

Chapter 1 is way too long. Not in terms of content, but in terms of page count. For some reason, I was utterly allergic to the idea of putting more than four panels on a page. While I do like the pacing of it, and the sort of slow ease-in to the world and the setting, I made way more work for myself than I needed to. I definitely could have cut at least 10 pages by compressing things without seriously hurting the pacing, and it would have saved me a lot of trouble. Figuring out how to "trim the fat" and get to where I'm going as fast as possible without making things feel rushed is still something I'm working on, but I'm a lot more intentional about things now that I know it can cost me time and physical strain. You can see the font size slowly shrinking throughout the comic's run as I pack more in, lol. Honestly, it kind of works.

I have various other nitpicks. I'm sparing myself from the general "I don't like how I drew that"s in terms of anatomy and such, as those are just an inescapable result of improving as an artist and not worth getting in the weeds over. I will raise my eyebrows over some lighting choices-- I went out of my way to plan out a way to make the nighttime section of early chapter 2 read as "night, but not dark", and then the entire bit was annoyingly dark as hell. Trying to get the purple DRACO to visually stand out from the concrete there was obnoxiously difficult. I don't think it's bad-- I like the 'scribble background' gimmick I came up with to save myself from having to do backgrounds there, for one thing-- but I don't think it would have killed me to brighten up that section a bit. Something to keep in mind for later.

Speaking of backgrounds. Maybe it's too early to say, but at least right now, changing the background style was a game changer. That was one of the largest time sinks of early pages, adding 2-3 hours to every page that had at least one or two backgrounds. They were doable, but tedious, and as time went on, I found myself enjoying them less and less, instead of more and more as I'd hoped. You can see details start to disappear as a result, as backgrounds stopped being a "fun worldbuilding element" and "visual element of the page" and became just "something I had to draw to get the page done". Changing the style to a much looser one has brought the fun back, and made it much easier to pack in all the details I actually enjoy drawing without getting bogged down in "is the perspective exactly right". I've written posts before about making things easier for yourself if you're doing a long-form project; this is honestly my best example.

GROWTH:

I feel like, looking back, I can see myself become a lot more confident with drawing various things. Steelheart Redux is filled-- intentionally and not-- with things I'm bad at drawing, which has forced me to improve at those things sheerly through unavoidable repetition. Mainly, this includes backgrounds, mechs (still can't get me to draw cars though LOL), full bodies, and profiles.

It's also interesting to see the way I draw characters change. Going into the comic, I'd already been drawing Arthur for years, but making pages forced me to really lock in his design and get comfortable with drawing it. While it's not too different in terms of content, it has a different 'feel' now. This, too, I know is inevitable, and honestly something I look forward to.

I've become a lot more confident in doing these things, which makes making pages less intimidating and lets me experiment more with layouts and angles I might have otherwise been afraid to try. It's nice! It shows in a lot of the end of chapter 2, which is one of my favorite parts of the chapter. I was worried about hitting those emotional beats, because they're setting up for a lot and really needed to feel meaningful, but I think I landed them alright. My character writing is still something I worry a bit about-- there's a lot of subtlety to these guys and this story I worry I won't be able to get across in a more visual story-- but that's something for me to increasingly focus on going forward.

Away from the comic, I've also improved a lot as a 3D modeler. My robot rigs have improved, and I have much better human bases to work off. I can also slam out a layout for a scene much faster, which is a nice time boost to my workflow.

Overall, despite the hurdles and rough edges of some of the early stuff, I'm incredibly proud of everything I've produced. This is the first time I've ever put my heart, body, and soul so thoroughly into a project like this, and I'd like to think it shows.

While we're still in somewhat of the early stage of the comic's story, I'm hoping I've made a solid foundation for myself. I'm so excited for what's to come, and hoping I can execute it even better, year by year.

[siriaeve]

One Boyfriend, Free with Purchase

Nicky hadn't been in his new place long enough to have any post addressed to him as opposed to Current Resident, but the flyer promising "£100 off at Mega Mattress Mart" seemed like it had been targeted just for him. He'd been sleeping on an air mattress for a week now, and his lower back was deeply unhappy with him. And since the whole point of moving here was to take a better-paying job, he now had the money to buy an actual mattress, and Mega Mattress Mart seemed as good a place as any to get one.

Despite its name, the Mega Mattress Mart was an old redbrick shop on Main Street which didn't look that much bigger than the shops around it. When Nicky stepped inside, though, he found that it stretched very far back before opening out into a T-shape. There was another customer there, already talking to a tall woman with short dark hair, but the shop was otherwise quiet. Mattresses as far as the eye could see, laid out on bed frames of all shapes and sizes, and Nicky looked around him, suddenly realising that he knew absolutely nothing about mattresses.

Just as Nicky was starting to reconsider—maybe it would be fine if he just went online and bought one of those mattresses in a box—a man appeared from the back of the shop. He wore a pale blue t-shirt that said Hi! My Name is Joe! Ask me about the best sleep of your life! in letters shaped like puffy white clouds, and he was smiling, and he was perhaps the most attractive man that Nicky had ever seen in person. Nicky blinked.

"Good morning, I'm Joe! Can I help you to find something?" the man—Joe—said.

"I'm looking for a mattress," Nicky said, holding up the flyer, now slightly wrinkled, like it was an admission ticket. "And I suppose also a bed frame? But I don't know where to begin."

"Luckily for you, that's what I'm here for!" Joe said, pointing at his shirt. Nicky worked very hard at not staring at it, or how it stretched so pleasantly over his shoulders.

"Oh," Nicky said weakly. "Good." One of the reasons he'd moved here was the hope that he'd finally be able to date men without the constant fear that someone would see him and light up his home town with gossip about the scandalous sinning of the youngest DiGenova boy, but he hadn't expected to be confronted by a hot mattress salesman at 10:45 on a Monday morning. He thought he'd be able to ease into things.

He hadn't anticipated curls.

Joe walked him the length of the shop and pointed out some of their most popular models. "And of course another bestseller is the race car bed here, but I'm going to assume that you're not in the market for something like that."

"No, not so much," Nicky said, worrying at the flyer. "I was thinking more just something… simple? And comfortable."

"Ah, I get it. Minimalist looks, maximalist comfort?"

"I don't know what that means," Nicky confessed. "But I'm on my feet all day at work, and it turns out that sleeping on an air mattress for a while hurts my back."

"On your feet, huh?" Joe looked him up and down and Nicky's heart skipped a beat because he was sure—he was pretty sure—that Joe had been checking him out. "What do you do?"

"I'm a nurse," Nicky said. "I just started at the hospital here, in the paediatric intensive care unit."

Joe's eyebrows went up. "Oh, okay, yeah, that'd do it. Comfortable bed it is. Right this way."

They tried four beds in a row. Each time, Joe insisted that Nicky stretch out on the mattress for a good ten minutes. "You need to get a proper feel for it! Remember," he said, pointing at the words on his t-shirt, "I'm promising you the best sleep of your life!"

Nicky would have felt very silly just lying there, staring up at the ceiling tiles, but Joe distracted him by talking to him the whole time. How Nicky liked living here so far, and whether he'd tried that bakery up on Rose Street, and the pros and cons of brunch, and soccer, and the recent finale of the murder mystery show it turned out they'd both been watching. It was… it was nice, Nicky thought. He knew that Joe was trying to sell him a mattress, but he was also the first person that Nicky had really talked to since he moved here.

When he sat up from the fourth mattress, Nicky said, "To be honest, I'm not sure I can tell the difference between any of them."

"Well, to be honest in turn," Joe said, looking around the shop before leaning in and whispering, "there isn't really a huge difference between most of these. The manufacturers give them different model names and finishes, but they're basically the same mattress."

"Oh," Nicky said. Seen this close, Joe's eyes were bright and warm and overwhelming. "So if you were me…"

"If I were you…" Joe seemed on the verge of saying something, and then shook himself and said, "Um. The second one. Good quality for the price, low rate of returns."

"The second one it is, then," Nicky said.

Nicky followed him up to the cash register, and hovered there nervously while Joe rang up the purchase and took his address for the delivery. He handed over his debit card and then said remembered the flyer. "Oh, and I have this discount… Oh." He realised that he'd been so distracted by Joe while trying out the mattresses that he'd worried it into a crumpled ball, and his sweaty palms had made the ink bleed. "Well, never mind."

"I can still honour that," Joe said, taking the soggy flyer from him. Their fingers brushed as he did so, and Nicky shivered pleasantly. "On one condition."

"Oh?" Nicky said.

Joe took a business card from a holder next to the till, and scribbled something on the back. A string of numbers. A phone number, Nicky realised. "If you have issues with the mattress, or any questions, or any concerns about the mattress warranty policy, you can call any time."

"…. Oh," Nicky said. He had been very foolish to get his hopes up. "Well, that is very kind of you, yes."

The other sales assistant walked up to ring up her customer and cast a quick glance at the card in Nicky's hand. "That's his personal mobile number, you know."

"Oh," Nicky said.

Joe went pink. "Andy—"

"'Concerns about the mattress warranty policy', huh, Joe?" Andy sounded very amused.

Joe covered his face with his hands.

(It was Nicky's birthday three weeks later. Joe said that he knew it was a bit soon for them to be exchanging birthday presents, but that it'd be a shame for him to waste his staff discount, and Nicky really did need some nice new bedding for his nice new bed. It was just pragmatic. He even helped Nicky to make up the bed—a warm duvet, a beautiful blue cover, crisp sheets, fluffy pillows—and when they were done looked it over with satisfaction, hands on his hips.

"We did such a nice job," Joe said. "Hospital corners, even. Shame what's about to happen next."

"What's that?" Nicky asked.

"This," Joe said, and then he pushed a laughing Nicky onto the bed.

They got the sheets all rumpled, but Nicky didn't care because Joe had more than lived up to his t-shirt's promise—he really did give Nicky the best sleep of his life.)

[anotherspookyarchivist]

I have sinned some more. Here's another Stan in a Can snippet. For story context please look at this post, which includes the first two parts. Warning for those unaware, but this is a dark story; The funny name is misleading. "Communication". (CW: death, implied suicidal ideation, dehumanisation, emotional manipulation)

78467. 78468. 78469.

Lee was feeling something. An approximate of something. He tried to squish the feeling, because he didn’t want to risk Stanford’s mood before they’d even started.

Trepidation. That’s the word. It didn’t like the idea of complete detachment. Appeasing Stanford was important, but there was a part of him that knew that complete detachment would leave it with nothing.

It couldn’t see. It couldn’t touch. It couldn’t do anything. It’s trapped in this emptiness that is vast and unyielding.

Oh. That’s… interesting? Stanley stopped the mental count, disrupted by an actual memory. It liked the memories from the outside, it was hard to remember what reality looked like once – and Ford’s descriptions just weren’t enough for him; But the occasional memory – when he remembers seeing the outside world? Those memories have become his most cherished possession.

Thinking about its state reminded it of something that happened before Lee’s undeath. A different sort of darkness. A different sort of blindness. He’d felt so much back then, hadn’t he?

Rope burns on his arms, as he tried to shuffle out of them. Feelings of panic? Fear? Anxiety? Probably quite the mixture of it because it had been afraid to die. What a silly thought, he had been naive. Naive and in a lot of pain. Moreover as he had aggravated his injuries while trying his best to get out of that trunk. He had felt the pain for weeks after, its teeth were ruined; bruises everywhere on its vessel as it’d tried its best to find a new hiding spot.

If Stanley could smile, he would have. If he tried hard enough he could maybe remember what that felt like. To possess and be in control of a vessel and to feel its damage. The darkness of the trunk was still more than what he could see now, but maybe he could ‘play’ as if it were the same. That in just a few numbers he’d be finally try and move and feel a sting of something.

Then he discarded the thought.

Too risky.

He let go of the memory for now. The count was already quite high, and Stanford promised he’d return. So it’s better to not fall into any sort of emotion. Emotions were a low number thing. It was risky to dwell on them after 7484… or was it 6135?

Especially not now, where it was already struggling to keep itself in check. This must be the closest to happiness it’s felt in a while, and that was already dangerous. There was no need to add more.

It continued to count, and at 91362 it happened. Ford returned.

“Hello Stanley”, his brother always sounded so happy when he visited it. But Lee knew that he had to stay calm.

Hello Ford

“You won’t believe the day I’ve had.”

Let me guess, the portal?

“Yes, the portal. Again.” Oh, Stanford sounded… annoyed? Or maybe frustrated. It was hard to grasp. But the other continued quickly, before Stanley could get a word in. “It’s already been syphoning most of my time but today, had proven itself to be worse than usual.”

That sounds bad.

“I apologise for my delay.”

Don’t worry about it.

“Though, in all fairness, I should be blaming McGucket.” If that was the case, then Stanley would blame them too. He’d never met this McGucket person, but since Ford knows them, they have to exist… but it didn’t want to miss its chance, so it quickly asked for elaboration.

What happened?

“Oh, I know you’re curious Stanley. I’ll tell you about, if you’d like – and if you promise not to tell anyone else.” One nice thing about wherever it was placed in – Lee could hear Ford so well. All the nuances of the other were somehow transmitted to it. It wasn’t like he was hearing it, and yet it was. There was no other voice than Stanford’s, no noises or interruptions. And yet, it could hear his brother’s sighs, and laughter, as well as the other’s anger during moments where it had messed up. Ford was such a good scientist; To be able to create something so impressive (and empty. It’s empty so empty and it hates being left so alo-). Focus. It wasn’t worth thinking about this. Not during their conversation.

He could hear Ford laughing at his own joke. Ford being happy was good. It meant that it hadn’t messed up, yet.

I won’t tell, I promise.

“We’ve attempted another parallel expedition” is what Ford started with. The portal, Stan had to admit, was something it didn’t quite understand, but he didn’t mind Ford telling him about it. It didn’t matter if it understood or not.

“We’ve been increasing the amount of excursions for a while. It’s mostly to fulfil those frustrating quotas as presented by the government.” the other paused for a moment, and Stanley tried to imagine what Ford looked like right now. Eyes twitching? Hands shaking? Those were things that a person could do….

Oh, it had nearly missed his brother’s next words. He really should be listening. He was being rude and ungrateful. Ford was talking. It liked it when Ford was talking, so he’d better be attentive.

“Oh Lee, you wouldn’t believe how demanding they’ve become. I’ve been tempted to use McGucket’s Memory Gun and to… erase some of our work from their memories, though that would also erase any potential of future funding.” Ford sounded unhappy about it.

“Sadly, the upkeep of the Institute demands that we work with the government, even if we don’t like it.” and there was it again. A huff. Oh, this one the thing in the void recognised all too well. It’s had enough experience by now to keep itself in check.

“But it’s not like you can judge me, Lee. I know what you did to survive.”

I wouldn’t have judged you either way, you know.

“I know you don’t like to hear it, but I still don’t understand why you didn’t consider asking me for help. You sold yourself for scraps. Debasing yourself over and over, instead of asking for my help; Not even when we met up again did you think about telling me. You drove off. Stanley, you’re impossible.”

It didn’t respond.

“This is exactly why we’re in this position now, you know? If you’d been honest with me, I could have helped you earlier.”

I know. I’m… I’m sorry.

“But at least I get to keep you safe now. There’s nothing that could hurt you.”

Yes. Thank you. Thank you. And I’m sorry.

“I forgive you. You hadn’t known any better, and now you do. You’ve been doing so well, Lee. I know you’re trying your best.”

I do. I am.

There’s only silence. It was familiar.

1. 2. – wait Ford was probably still there. For some reason the other wasn’t talking? But Stanley didn’t worry. Worry would only lead to Ford leaving for real.

Ford? So, what happened with the portal?

“You’re right. I was supposed to tell you about today’s mishap.”

It waited.

“There was an incident during today’s parallel expedition. McGucket and his team were visiting dimension 4546B, while I was observing their trip from the lab; The dimension had previously shown up on our scanners – and we’ve already categorised it as ‘dangerous’… but we had not been aware of any additional dangers.”

So wha-

“One person from the expedition team came into contact with their parallel self.”

Oh.

“We hadn’t even known that a simple touch could cause such destruction. The dimension was immediately falling apart – and I had to ensure that the expedition team would return safely nonetheless.”

The guy?

“Sadly, the team-member didn’t make it. Seemingly disintegrated before the rest of the team, which was a whole other issue.” It was sure that it could hear Stanford thinking loudly.

“It was both fascinating, as well as horrifying. A danger that we’ve been completely unaware of.”, there was amusement in his brother’s voice.

“Poor Fiddleford. He’s still really bad at handling these intense moments. I do wonder if he’ll be willing to continue leading these excursions.”

Maybe Fiddleford would also need to learn how to ignore emotions?

“The whole dimension collapsed. It doesn’t exist anymore. So much potential information lost in a blink of an eye. The government asking for reports that we don’t have. That’s why I’ve been gone for so long, Stanley.”

Don’t worry. The number wasn’t that high. I’m glad you’re here.

“Moreover, it was suggested that we increase security and change our protocol for interdimensional travel – again. For safety purposes. Just to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

That sounds like more work.

“I agreed”

oh. it knew what would come next. That’s why Ford had been so happy to talk about his day.

“I really thought that this would be done by now – but work really keeps piling up. But I know you. You don’t want me to overwork myself, and you don’t mind waiting for a bit longer for that communication model, do you, Lee?”

…

“I knew you wouldn’t mind. Thank you, Stanley. And you know that I’m just so happy to have you here with me, have you support me throughout all of this. As always, my closest confidant.”

…

“You’ve settled in so well, really. I promise you, you’ll get that communication device as soon as I can make the time. I know this is important to you.”

…

“You just have to trust me.”

I do. I have to.

...It wanted to trust his brother so badly. He wanted to be able to have more at his disposal than this mimicry of a real conversation. The illusion often shattering at inopportune times. Leaving Stanley with this empty feeling, because anything else was not allowed.

“I’ll see you again soon, right Stanley. Stay safe.” a chuckle, and then nothing.

Goodbye Ford.

It waited for a bit. And then for a bit longer. And when nothing else changed and it remained in the void, he began once again to count. He wanted to trust his brother… but he just started the count. The number was low. Stanford wouldn’t return before he’s reached a higher number. It allowed itself to feel. Just for now. No one would have to know. Just until the number was higher.

And it let itself feel; It tried to grasp the first emotion it could find within its being, and so he let himself feel fear.

[i-spit-on-your-garage]

Temporary Strangers

NOTE: Lmao I thought I would spend a couple days writing and refining this, ended up cranking it out in a couple hours. I believe this is my first request so thanks to the Anon who suggested it, thank you and I hope this is worthy. I rarely write but I didn't see any reason to not try, kinda felt like I cooked with this considering my low story count, but y'all will be the judge of that.

NOTE 2: Double LMAO I wrote this under the wrong Bob(Thinking of Reynolds not Floyd) Anon IM SORRY, I will start work on another for our boy Floyd once i get some sleep(you can tell I need it😭). Please forgive me >-<

Bob Reynolds x reader

TW: some angst, vague mention of an injury, SFW

Please Enjoy <3

The injury shouldn't have happened. Bob tried to be aware and cautious; he had a new team family to lookout for after all. He became even more alert at every stage of the relationship, ever since y'all (pardon my Texan) had a small ceremony not too long ago it grew tenfold. But accidents still happen, and after taking a nasty hit to the head, resulting in a concussion, Bob is stuck staying in the Infirmary instead of your marital bed, not that he can say he misses it. How can he miss something he doesn't even remember?

Outside of his room, the nurse on duty informs you that his overall physical health was well, but he was concussed, specifying that he is leaning towards the docile and loving side rather than the violence and aggression some people suffer from. Amazed at the fact that this God like man could actually sustain such an injury, you count your lucky stars hearing that, after everything he went through with Void, you can't imagine how those unpredictable behaviors would affect him, how he would feel after getting better and realizing how he acted against others while recovering. He would still be your sweet Bob.

That is when you hear that another one of Bob's symptoms is post-traumatic amnesia, your heart sunk at that. Amnesia is a scary idea already, but the support Bob got from you and the team was crucial for so many reasons. Before your mind runs off too far, your attention is called back to the nurse when she mentions that things like this can last a couple days, maybe a couple weeks, stating that she isn't too worried about Bob seeing as he did remember one person right now, Yelena.

You let out a small breath nodding at that, part of you feeling like you should be a bit hurt, but you shove that idea aside, Yelena had been the first person to show him support and care after years of mistreatment and struggle, and when you couldn't be there for Bob, she was. You also tell yourself there's a chance he'll recognize you, just because he hasn't asked about his wife doesn't mean you'll be a stranger to him. The nurse finishes her recount and opens the door to let you into the room. Times slows and your stomach buzzes with nerves, you absentmindedly start picking at your nails, a habit Bob had been helping you drop. You step quietly into the room, and he sits up in bed turning to face you as you sit, though he slows as his eyes lock onto you. You're hopeful for a moment, he looks surprised to see you maybe he does recognize you. He's giving you the same wide eyed enamored look you often found yourself on the receiving end of before you were even a couple, mouth slightly dropped like he had lost his words, eyes bright and focused on you. You smile as he breathes out a soft "Hi" still staring like a deer in headlights. You respond in kind, and you swear you see his ears perk up in the slightest at your voice "I know you", his words sound like both a question and a statement. It's clear you aren't a nurse, and they don't just let anybody in here, but you can see behind his not-so-subtle adoring gaze, his gears are turning, trying to place you in his mind. While you do feel a slight pang in your heart you remind yourself it is only temporary, and that your husband needs your love and support, especially now. "You do." you nod, still picking at your nails, you feel nervous to touch him despite how he's looking at you, you don't want to risk upsetting him on accident. "Do you work with Yelena?" he asks. "Not in the field like you, I work deskside, but yes, I'm often your guiding voice on missions," you say motioning to your ear with a finger that has been taking the brunt of the damage from your compulsive picking. His eyes follow your hand, his brow furrows just a bit as he notices the irritation on your finger, but he feels it's not his place to comment on it, so he asks his next question to voice a bit quieter "what are we?" he doesn't quite know why but asking you that question makes him a bit nervous. Like Yelena, from the moment you entered to visit, he felt a comfort from your presence, but there was something extra with you, butterflies had been multiplying in his stomach as you two spoke. Without realizing it, he's slowly leaning forward towards you like there's a gravitational pull he can't escape.

You pause your nervous habit, to look at the ring on your finger, it's a simple ring, you didn't want anything gaudy or crazy, you rub your thumb over the cool metal before lifting your hand to show him, a shy smile on your face as that special day replays in your head. For once Bob is not staring at you, his gaze shifting to your hand, to the ring. His brows furrow deeper this time, and his stomach drops as he realizes it's a wedding ring. You're taken, he says to himself, not quite putting the pieces together yet, forgetting what he had even asked you. You take in his reaction and look down to his hands, seeing that his wedding ring wasn't on his hand, they must've removed it when they did his scans. You look around, they must've put what items he had somewhere nearby. Your eyes land on a small nightstand on the opposing side of the bed "Bob" you say softly, he looks up, and oh my goodness, you think to yourself, he looks like a puppy who's been sent outside, pouting at the door for his owner's affection. You nod softly towards the drawers to his side, "check it". His gaze shoots over to the stand, hand quicky following and he opens it. It looks pretty empty to you, but he reaches in and comes back out holding a small object wrapped in a tiny scrap of cloth. He unfolds it gently as you look on, nervous. Now unfolded, you both stare at the matching dark silver band that looks so small in his hand, he looks really confused now, struggling to keep track of the conversation, giving him the best hint you can without blurting it out, you reach you hand out gently setting it on his palm beside where the his ring is sitting. His eyes flitter back and forth, and you realize in his focus his breathing has slowed to a stop. He slowly looks up to you, the wide-eyed enamored look back on his face and cranked up to 100. "Are we…" he trails off, as you slide your hand from his. You nod, "We are", you can't help but smile even though your resumed picking at your nails betrays any nerves you still feel. Bob quickly sets aside the scrap of cloth and slips the ring on, a small laugh of relief, or maybe its excitement escapes him, realizing that while yes you are taken, it's him who has you. And though right now he might not remember what the two of you have shared, you are both wearing proof that what you have is real and eternal. He glances over to you, feeling a bit giddy if he's being honest, and sees you abusing your nail beds. He reaches out a hand slowly, gently covering both of yours with his, giving them a gentle squeeze. You smile up at him eyes tearing up a bit and nerves dissipating completely at his soft gaze and gentle touch. It's not that he remembers in the moment how he always helped you with the habit, but that his instinct is to protect you even in the smallest ways, even when you're a temporary stranger to him.

Jesus Christ cut to the next couple of weeks as the two of you spend all your time together and he throws out the memories to as they slowly come back, checking their accuracy a la Real or Not Real like Peeta after the Capitol messed with his memories.

[kodokberjamur]

Warning: yapfest of a crybaby toad along with an appreciation letter under the cut

Okay. So. I actually wrote some sort of uh. Appreciation letter for you guys. I wrote it last night while I was preparing to post my fic... I wanted to post it with the fic, but since the fic is comedic, it wouldn't fit the tone of the fic at all, and when I reread what I wrote in the letter, I realized that it would be a bit embarrassing...

But AGH. BUT TODAY HAPPENED. But then Valen-san came with his fic, and Kiflee-san and Yi Xing-san came with their art. I've been feeling emotional all day because of you guys... SIFJSKFJ I've been trying to hold it back in class, but then I read your comments on my fic, and then I started getting even more emotional.

But it doesn't end there... I finally got to sit down to read Valen-san's fic and got even more emotional while leaving comments on his fic, and then I read Kiflee-san's reply to my comment on her art and it got even worse, and I had to act all casual while eating dinner in front of my family while I was itching to just cry already. And so I finally locked myself in the bathroom and cried like a baby. Because. What the hell. I've never felt this loved my whole life. What. You're all just. Too kind. I can't. Anyway. I escaped the bathroom and saw Yi Xing-san's art and. At that moment, I decided that I wanted to post it despite how cringe it is, because. Well. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I just let today end without me telling you just how much I appreciate you all.

So... Here it is. Warning: it's a bit cringe. </3

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Posting this today, on my birthday, feels particularly special. And a little vulnerable, to be honest.

Some of you might not know, but 2025 wasn't the first time Twisted Wonderland crossed my path. I actually stumbled upon the English server when it first released. But for whatever reason, I just couldn't really get into it, despite my initial curiosity.

Then, at the beginning of this year—2025—something just... clicked. I decided to give it another try.

It was the best choice I have ever made in my entire life.

To be completely frank, this year—well, these past few years, really—has not been easy for me. It's only June, only just past the halfway mark, but these past six months... they have held a lot. There have been days, weeks, where my life felt incredibly messy, where getting out of bed felt like a monumental task, where anxiety and worry about a lot of things—about everything—felt overwhelming; consuming. Every day felt like a struggle just to hold things together. Like a constant fight that I just couldn't win, no matter how hard I tried to fight back. It felt as though... I couldn't make it.

And I know that I have it better than most others do... A lot of people in the world are suffering from worse conditions than I could ever imagine. And yet, here I am, whining over something so insignificant. Augh. I'll stop myself right there... Moving on.

Amidst all of that, I found myself diving into Twisted Wonderland, and more specifically, into TreyJade.

I've been in fandoms before. I've enjoyed a lot of ships that some might call rare pairs, and I've spent countless hours scouring for fanfiction of those pairs, often finding little to none. But I have never, not once, felt this kind of pull to write about a ship. Not until TreyJade.

I don't know what it is about them—their chemistry, the comfort they bring, the way they fit together in their own uniquely freaky way—but they didn't just make me want to write. They got me to write. The urge to write about them was so strong that I couldn't fight it.

And I think a huge part of that compulsion, that drive, comes from the incredible community of TreyJade fans out there. The sheer effort and love poured into this ship by everyone... it's overwhelming. Seeing everyone's creations on Tumblr, AO3, Twitter and Pixiv—creations that radiate so much genuine affection and care for Trey and Jade, for this ship—it resonated with me, somehow. It made me feel an overwhelming urge to contribute, to add my own voice, however small.

And now, here I am, posting another fic.

If you couldn't tell, TreyJade is incredibly precious to me. And it's not just about the ship itself, as much as I adore them. It's not just about Trey and Jade as characters, whom I also love dearly and who have provided so much comfort and distraction this year.

It's because of you.

You, my readers and my friends. You, who have been there for me through every step of this journey. You, who have offered your support, your encouragement, your kindness. You, who have kept my love for TreyJade, and my drive to write, going, even when life felt like it was constantly trying to drag me down. You, who have always cheered me on, celebrated little milestones, even during the darkest days.

Every single form of support—they mean the world. To me, they aren't just notifications on a screen. They are bright spots. They always, always make me smile. No—they always get me giggling, kicking my feet like an idiot, wanting to punch holes in the wall from pure, unadulterated joy.

To me, they're reminders that there are people out there who enjoy what I put out, no matter how low quality my writing may be. They're reminders that, perhaps, I could bring just a little bit of joy into other people's days. That perhaps, I could be useful as a person. And I cherish every single one of you, more than words can say.

People often talk about how fanfiction writers bring joy and comfort to their readers, and I hope that's true. But honestly, for me, it's the other way around. You are the ones who have brought me joy. You are the reason I'm still here, still writing, still finding moments of brightness in this little life of mine.

Really... I don't know what I even did to deserve you guys.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading my fics. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for making this the best birthday I could ever ask for. And thank you for being, in your own unique ways, a big part of my world this year.

I love you all, so so much. <3

[saras-almanac]

I’ve seen this idea or comment multiple times: That Tommy has no character. Which is either on its own or in connection to not understanding why anyone likes BuckTommy apart from two hot guys together. I’m not going to get into the second one here, but the idea that Tommy has no character is just false and either a completely failure in media literacy at best or a blatant ignoring of canon at worst.  

Now do we know everything there is to know about Tommy? Absolutely not, and I’m not trying to claim otherwise. But I would also point that question to any of the other characters on screen: Do we know everything about Bobby, about Chimney, about Buck, etc? I would say No, we don’t. I think the one we have the most information about is Buck just purely because the framing of the first season being about his growth and also because Buck is just such an open book about pretty much everything in his life and feelings. But even still, I don’t think we know everything about him. And that’s okay!

But back to Tommy—we actually do know a fair bit about him and have seen him grow and develop a bit. When we met him in “Hen Begins” in season 2, he’s not outright rude but he is very much, ���not gonna put a target on my back here” because of Captain Gerrard (and/or perhaps because he had already realized his sexuality or was beginning to uncover it). When we meet him for the first time chronologically in “Chimney Begins,” he’s more rude and pretty dismissive of Chimney’s offer of friendship, even actively avoiding him. Again, this could be because of Gerrard, the environment here where it didn’t feel like anyone was really friends per say, or it could be down to what Eli tells Chimney: That these guys are not going to let just anyone in until they prove themselves, especially not a probie.”

However, the thing that shows the most about who Tommy is and his growth is his time in “Bobby Begins,” where it’s clear he’s got a really solid friendship with Hen and Chimney, making bets about the new Captain, going out for drinks, having those looks in the engine as Bobby gets them lost. It’s clear in the narrative in season 2 that Tommy, for all of being in only 3 episodes, has grown and changed a lot. (Which is why I find it so ironic that so many people criticizing this “retcon” of Tommy’s character always forget to mention Bobby Begins where it’s clear that Tommy’s friends with Hen and Chimney. I get that some fans want a full apology, but to me it reads like that probably already happened, or at least a conversation, a clearing of the air. Not everything needs to be directly spoonfed to you.)

Tommy coming back in season 7 has shown a bit more growth, as well as showing us sides of him we haven’t seen before. His patience and kindness with Buck and the newness of their relationship and Buck’s sexuality. His humor being dry and a little dark—“We’re all gonna die anyways” or even him suggesting to give Buck flying lessons because his fees are competitive. He’s open with his vulnerabilities when he feels safe enough to do so—immediately sharing his own jealousy at the 118 to Buck when Buck’s talking about his jealousy, telling Buck he cut the date short because he didn’t want to pressure Buck. To me, it shows maybe more growth or just another side of him because we only saw him in connection to his friends, where as Buck is a love interest.

Is this a lot of information? I guess it depends on what you want. Do we know his favorite color or his interests or how he romantically woos people or what he likes to do on his days off? I would argue that we do know a decent amount of that—he likes monster trucks, I assume watching romantic comedies as his favorite movie is canonically Love, Actually, he enjoys craft beers, knows and participates in Muay Thai, has a car lift in his garage so must know something about cars or mechanic stuff, is a pilot and firefighter, enjoys flying for fun on his days off, and has a trivia / karaoke thing (I’m still not sure if it’s a karaoke trivia or trivia at a karaoke bar, the wording confused me but whatever). Honestly, that’s more information than we have about any love interest Buck or Eddie have ever had when they were just starting a relationship.  

And that’s also a huge point that I think is being missed by these types of arguments: Buck and Tommy are just starting a relationship, as in they are just getting to really know each other. So there is more to learn and uncover about each other. And honestly, we the audience are probably not going to be privy to a lot of that because it’s an ensemble show. So instead, they’ll likely show us that they’re moving forward and getting more comfortable with each other when they do interact—the kiss in the hospital reads to me as two people who’ve been spending time together and getting to know each other a lot more where they feel more comfortable. Hell, even just Buck’s change from his hesitance in episode 5 to his confidence in episode 6 is supposed to show his growth in accepting his sexuality and comfort being with Tommy.

The whole point is that the show sketches the outlines and maybe fills in some spots, but they sort of expect you to be able to still see the bigger picture of things. We know the outline of Tommy and are waiting to see it all filled in. That’s why he’s such an intriguing character and love interest for Buck—because he’s developed enough as his own person but there’s still enough blank spaces to explore with. He is the most developed love interest that Buck’s ever had, but he’s still just become Buck’s boyfriend so there’s still more to learn about him. That’s what dating and being in relationship with someone is: learning about them, their likes and dislikes, and what they are like in relationships, seeing if you’re compatible. So while there is already a massive head start in characterization than anyone else (except maybe Abby but even she wasn’t a fabulously written character and was honestly a terrible protagonist), there’s still more to learn about him and that’s a good thing. And while I can’t speak for everyone who ships BuckTommy, I can say that for me, it’s so fun to extrapolate on the bare bones of character and see how they develop in canon.

Tl;dr: Tommy does have a character. It's just a lot of showing and not telling and some people can't handle that.

[majorasnightmare]

i know that technically the lack of party reactions to several of the act 2 Dark Urge Lore Reveals (and general lack of reactivity to non cutscene durge plot in general) is because of development constraints and budget and Releasing The Game On Time At Some Point, but PERSONALLY i just find it enjoyable and interesting to interpret it as addressable character flaws in them 💔

i love when characters are incidentally shit friends to people they care deeply about for very understandable reasons, and also i love when those seemingly small decisions explode into disproportionate consequences and maybe also have a body coubt

[skrunksthatwunk]

miraculous world: new york asks the bold question: what if batman and superman were lesbian married with children

[javierduffy]

is there anyone else out there who has so much respect for people who make insane, out-there aus/ships that are so far from canon that all of the content for it is supplied by their own mind and if yes do yall see ME as one of those people

[britneyshakespeare]

throughout the series of drake and josh it pretty consistently implies that josh nichols is a christian (josh peck is jewish) and in the finale of the series helen (played by yvette nicole brown, not jewish[?]) is portrayed as a practicing jew

[arolesbianism]

I Really need to properly draw Christopher at some point but everytime I want to I just look at her in game sprite and weep for her truest form has already been achieved. What's even the point. This is her in the flesh.

[solar-nightengale]

@lizardthelizard You wanted my thoughts, you're getting them 😏 Three and a half weeks later but you're still getting them ehehehe 😌😌😌 (Idk what to make of them so have fun with that word wall of mayhem)

August 2.18 | Zelena 3.16

[avocado-frog]

dylan is a "would you still love me if i was a worm" character by the way

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

I think the reader's response to this post is probably going to either be "That's incredibly minor" or "Holy shit YES I'M ALSO PROUD", depending on people's personal experiences with academia, but:

Today I am incredibly proud of one of my students.

In the interests of disguising identities, let's call them Ceri. Ceri is one of my third year undergrads (meaning their final year, for anyone unfamiliar with UK uni systems.) They transferred to us last year, and within two weeks I was giving them the contact info to get to Student Services and get themself screened for ADHD; they have some mental health struggles, but I clocked pretty quickly that they STRUGGLE with procrastination, and punctuality, and attending 9am lectures in particular. Naturally, as is the way of my people, it took them a further four months to remember to go to the screening. Lol. Lmao. Rofl, in fact.

But, they did it eventually! Their screening lit up like a Christmas tree at the ADHD section, and they got a free laptop and optional one week extensions and a study support worker named Claire. This has helped tremendously, and although mental health + until-then-unsupported ADHD meant their academic profile had slid sideways somewhat, with the new tools available and a couple of resits they passed the year and hit this year running.

Until, that is, the last fortnight.

Now, I take them for a Habitat Management module that has two assessments: an academic poster presentation before Christmas, and a site-specific management plan in May. Naturally this means we are at that happy point in the year for the poster presentations. I give out the briefs at the start of the year, so they've had them since October; I've also been periodically checking in with them all for weeks, to make sure they don't have any major burning questions. The poster presentation was to pick a species reintroduction project, pull the habitat feasibility study out of it, and then critique that study; Ceri chose to look at the hen harrier reintroductions proposed for the southern UK. All good.

Which brings us nicely to today! Ceri's presentation is scheduled for 2.30. At 11am-1pm, I am lecturing the first years on Biodiversity, while Ceri is learning about environmental impact assessment with a colleague I shall call Aeron. This means we are separately occupied during those same hours.

Nevertheless, Aeron messages me at about 12.

"I think Ceri needs to see you after your lecture," he writes. "They're panicking, I genuinely think they might cry. I'm worried. Are you free at 1?"

I say I am. At 1, I get lunch and sit in the common area; Ceri comes to see me. To my personal shame, imagine all of the following takes place while I stuff my face with potato.

Now: this part is going to be uncomfortably familiar to anyone who has ever tried higher education with ADHD, especially unmedicated. It certainly was for me. All I can say is, I never had the courage to take the step here that Ceri did.

"I have to confess," they said quietly, and Aeron was right, they were fighting back tears. "My mental health has been so, so bad for the last fortnight. I've left it way, way too late. I don't have anything to present."

"Nothing at all?" I asked.

"I've been researching," they said helplessly. "I found loads on the decline of the hen harrier. But it wasn't until last night that I finally found a habitat feasibility study to critique. Generally... I've been burying my head about it, and it just got later and later. I thought I should come in for Aeron's lecture, and I should at least tell you."

This part is a minor thing, right? But honestly, I remember being in the grip of that particular shame spiral. I never did manage to tell my lecturers to their faces. I just avoided. I honestly can't imagine having the courage it took them to come in and tell me this, rather than just staying home and avoiding me.

"I think..." they said hesitantly, "I know I can submit up to a week late, for a capped mark. I think I need to do that, and apply for extenuating circumstances. But then I'll have both Aeron's assignment and yours due at the same time."

Which meant they would crumble under the pressure and likely struggle to pass both; so me, being as noble and heroic as I unarguably am, stopped eating potato and said, "Let's make that plan B."

(It was good potato. I am a hero.)

So, we made plan A: I moved their timeslot to 4.30, giving them three and a half hours. The shining piece of luck in this whole thing was that this was the crunch time assignment - if it had been Aeron's, they'd have had to try and write a 3000 report in that time. But for me, all they had to write was an academic poster, and those things are light on words by design. We found them a Canva template, and then we quickly sketched out a recommended structure based on the brief: if it's habitat feasibility, look at food availability, nesting site availability, and mortality risks in the target release site. Bullet point each. Bullet point how well the study assessed each. Write a quick intro and conclusion. Take notes as you go, and present the poster itself at 4.30.

"You think I should try?" they asked doubtfully, looking like I'd just asked them to go mano-a-mano with a feral badger.

"If you run out of time, so be it," I said. "But your brain is trying to protect you from a non-existent tiger. That's why you've procrastinated - it's been horrible, and you've been shame spiralling, and your brain is trying to shield you from the negative experience; but it's the wrong type of help for this situation! So while you're sitting there working on it, hating life, every time your brain goes 'This is hopeless, I can't do it', you think right back 'Yes I can, it just sucks.' And you carry on. Good?"

"Good," they said. "I'm going to mainline coffee and hole up in the library. Enjoy your potato."

And then, of course, I had to go and watch the other students' presentations, so that was the end of me being any help at all. I spent all afternoon wondering if they were going to manage it, or if I would be getting a message at 4.25 telling me they'd failed, and would have to submit late and hope for an EC.

And Tumblrs

Tumblrs

Let me FUCKING tell you

They turned up at 4.15, fifteen minutes early, wearing a mask of grim, harrowed determination and fuelled by spite and coffee, and they pulled up that poster and started presenting and yes, okay, I'll admit their actual delivery was dramatically unpolished and yes, they forgot to include the taxanomic name for the hen harrier on the poster and yes, fine, I admit that there were more than a few awkward moments where they lost their place in their hastily scribbled notebook but LET ME FUCKING TELL YOU -

They smashed it. It was well-critiqued, it had a map, it had full citations, it had a section on the hen harrier's specific ecology and role in the ecosystem, it had notes on their specific conservation measures. They described case studies they'd read about elsewhere. They answered the questions we threw at them with competence and depth. There was analysis. All that background research they'd done came right to the fore. They were even within the time limit by 15 seconds.

You would never have known they'd produced it in three hours, from a quivering and terrified mess fighting the bodily urge to dehydrate via tear ducts. After they left, the second marker and I looked at each other and went "So that was a 2:1, right?"

I caught up with Aeron downstairs and he was beaming. Apparently Ceri had seen him on their way out, and had gone over to talk to him. Aeron said the difference between the Ceri of this morning and the Ceri of then was like two different people; in four hours, they'd gone from their voice literally breaking as they admitted the problem, ashamed and broken, to being relaxed and happy and smiling.

"I reckon I've passed," they apparently told Aeron, pleased. "Maybe even a 2:2. There's things I wish I'd had the time to do better, but I'll be happy if I passed."

They won't know until late January what they got, because we're not allowed to release marks until 20 term days after hand-in, and the Christmas holidays are about to hit. But I'm really hoping I can be there when they're released.

But mostly, I'm just... insanely proud of them. I cannot tell you how happy I am. And I know, I know, obviously this is not a practice I would want to see them do regularly, or indeed ever again, and it only worked because they were fucking lucky with the assignment format, but like... when life is just punching you in the face, and you hit a breaking point... isn't it nice? That just this once, you pull off a miracle, and it's fixed? The disaster you thought was about to ruin you is gone? To get that relief?

Anyway. Super super proud today.

[youremyonlyhope]

There is a nonzero chance that I have COVID.

Yayyyyyyyy.

Let's hope it's just a cold...

[fromdove]

HOW I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS LIKE IN ㅤㅤㅤㅤ GOTHAM CITY

tiktoks where people are like “day 54 of trying to get batman to notice me by looking helpless and holding a brick outside of wayne tower.” and then like. a day later they upload another one like “guys it worked. i threw the brick at a window and he SWOOPED DOWN AND YELLED AT ME. i think we’re engaged now.”

BATMAN FAN ACCOUNTS. “batm4nslut6969: yall i saw him last night and his thighs were THIGHING. i can’t.” “i want him to run me over with the batmobile. respectfully.” “what does it say about ME that i’m in love with a man who beats people up in alleys.” “he punched my cousin and now my cousin’s life is on track. king.”

you’ll see a tiktok like “get ready with me to testify against the penguin 😘” and they’re curling their lashes like “trial’s at 10 i’m wearing valentino. hope the DA is hot.”

facebook moms in gotham be like “hi!! anyone else’s toddler develop shadow powers after playing near the narrows??? normal or???”

“guys u wont believe what just happened i was literally just tryna get a tuna sandwich and then scarecrow gassed the 6 train again 💀” followed by: “ok but like did anyone else get lowkey productive on fear toxin bc same”

and like imagine those "what's in my bag" videos but it’s like “what’s in my gotham emergency kit” and they pull out like mace, an inhaler, one (1) batarang they found in an alley, a granola bar, and a tiny bottle of holy water just in case it’s some demon this time.

every batman chase has like. three angles. one guy from his apartment, one guy hiding in a dumpster, and one guy who just happened to be doing a GRWM video when batman crashed through the laundromat window behind him like a medieval poltergeist in kevlar.

there’s also that one tiktoker who’s like. always posting “day in the life as a gothamite 🥰” and it’s literally her dodging debris from a police chase while trying to get a matcha. like she’s got wireless earbuds in while the riddler is detonating something in the background. caption: “when i said i wanted chaos i meant eyeliner not explosives 😭😭😭😭”

people be going live from literal crime scenes. like “hey besties so i’m outside ACE chemicals rn and idk what’s going on but i just saw a clown sprint past. anyone know what’s happening???” and everyone’s commenting like “GIRL GO HOME” and “go inside nowwwwww” and “live laugh leave gotham.”

you'd see youtube videos like “i lived in gotham for 2 days and here’s why i left” and it’s just footage of a man watching fire rain from the sky while eating a pretzel in pure silence.

twitter’s a HELLHOLE. people tweeting like “batman knocked over my hotdog stand again. this is the third time. i’m filing a restraining order” and “why does bruce wayne look like he hasn’t slept since 2003” and “if the joker had a podcast i’d listen. just being honest.”

ALSO fancams of villains??? OF COURSE. edits of scarecrow like “your mental health isn’t scary but he is 😍🔥” and joker fan edits with lana del rey playing over it like “he slayed literally. like a bunch of ppl.”

there’s discourse about EVERYTHING. “does batman exploit underage sidekicks??” vs “no they CHOSE to be there 🙄”

imagine gotham love confession tiktoks like “i met him in an alley while harley quinn was robbing a jewelry store” and the comments are like “literally gotham's version of a meet cute 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘”

theres podcasts like “the ethics of vigilante justice” and then they go off topic and start debating if bruce wayne and batman have ever been in the same room and one of the hosts is like “they have different jawlines 🙄”

the gentrification discourse?? YEAH. “just moved to crime alley!! rent was SO cheap!! the vibes are kind of ✨✨ except for the screaming at night. also someone left a human tooth in my mailbox. i think that means i’m accepted into the neighborhood??”

and of course. OF COURSE. the joker thirst edits. like i wish i was kidding. i wish. but someone posts “what if he kidnapped me actually. like what if i let him.” and it’s a picture of him looking crazy with 15 different filters and a caption that says “he’s literally me (i need therapy).”

and GOTHAM INFLUENCERS. OH MY GOD. the way they would be the WORST. “hey guys today i’m doing a billionaire morning routine <3” cue 6 am ice bath in the wayne building gym someone does a house tour and people in the comments are like “i think that’s *insert famous rich socialites name's* old penthouse????”

homeless ppl getting filmed for fake charity clout. omg. “today we’re giving a makeover to this unhoused gotham citizen 🥺”

gotham meme culture is top tier. like they’re actually so funny. because they have to be. it’s trauma response meets terminal irony meets "oh the joker blew up a costco again time to live tweet." they have memes like: “you vs the guy she told you not to worry about” - it’s a pic of bruce wayne (or some rich socialite) in a suit and then batman looking like roadkill in a cape or something like “just got mugged by harley quinn and she said i have bad taste in shoes. kinda valid tbh.” or “why is scarecrow hot now. like when did that happen.” “penguin looked at me sideways in the club. should i press charges or kiss him idk.”

some of them are rich rich. and also literally host giveaways with captions like: “win a week in my tower penthouse if you repost and comment ur favourite crime i’ve survived 💋”

the drama is UNREAL. like gotham reddit?? a cesspool. like there’s this one post every week like : “AMA: i dated bruce wayne for 3 weeks in 2018 and he ghosted me after i found a batarang under his couch.” and then batman side of reddit is like “this guy tried to sell me fake kryptonite at a gas station AMA” and the replies are like “was it the guy in the trenchcoat outside the CVS?? i knew he was shady.” oh and you know there’s a gotham reddit thread called r/gothamCitizenSupport and it’s just “does anyone know how to get joker gas out of your vents” “batman smashed my windshield again how do i file an insurance claim” “my roommate joined a cult and now she glows in the dark?? normal or should i move out?”

you know the “hot takes” girlies?? yeah they’re deranged. “ok but like… what does batman really do for the economy.” or “i’m just saying gotham has more billionaires than public libraries and i feel like that’s not a coincidence???” or “why is no one talking about the gentrification of *xyz place name* just because ivy turned a building into a forest resort spa”

the comments are always fighting for their lives like: “he saved my life leave him alone??” or “girl i got evicted because catwoman turned my apartment into a goth club shut up”

ALSOOOO there are entire sides of gotham tiktok like:

“batman sighting alerts”

“gotham thrift hauls (featuring actual riddler merch)”

“bruce wayne conspiracy theory corner”

“citizen thirst traps featuring blurry robins”

“updates from people who work at arkham: the podcast”

and every time a villain escapes it’s like “uhhh guys. just saw mr. freeze at the bodega. he said he wants vengeance.

"guys...my parents just told me we're moving to gotham because its cheaper...help me what should i expect?"

OH AND BATMAN WOULD HATE IT. and there are so many compilations like “BATMAN GETTING FED UP WITH CITIZENS PART 7” where it’s just clips of him looking pissed af. dramatically because someone asked for a selfie mid-chase or tried to ask him to do fit check in their video.