#drawn from the real life inspiration of me and my family figuring out how to play Parcheesi

[victorluvsalice]

Merry Christmas Marie!

@offwithhxrhead As per your request for some family fun with Victor, Alice, Smiler, and your girl Madeline, here is the gang having perhaps a little trouble figuring out family game night. Hope you enjoy!

It’s Parcheesi And Those Are The Actual Rules

“Ha! A five! Finally! Which meaaaaaans – sorry, Smiler, it’s back to Start with you!”

“Huh – hey, wait!” Smiler protested, holding up a hand as Madeline went to pick up their piece. “That’s a safe space! I can’t be captured on a safe space, remember?”

“What?” Madeline looked down, frowning. “No, this is an entrance space. That’s gotta be something different.”

“It’s got a circle!” Smiler said, pointing. “That means safe!”

“Maybe, but two pawns of different colors can’t occupy a safe space anyway!”

“Which should mean you can’t bring a pawn out there.”

“Oh come on – thanks to you, I’ve only got the one out on the board right now! You’ve gotta let me have this!”

“Why did we buy this game again?” Victor groaned, letting his head thunk against the table.

“Because it’s fun, damn it,” Alice replied, grabbing the rules sheet in a well-practiced motion. “It’s just – a bit complicated, that’s all.”

“A bit complicated?” Victor protested, peeking up at her sideways. “That’s the tenth time you’ve looked at that piece of paper tonight.”

“It’s our first time playing – we’re going to need some time to memorize everything.”

“Maybe so, but it feels like there’s a lot to memorize. For example, I still don’t remember how many bonus moves you get for capturing a pawn versus how many you get for getting one into Home.”

“Twenty for capturing, ten for getting into Home,” Madeline told him, patting his back before glaring at Smiler. “Which I only know because they keep sending me back to my Start and then gleefully going twenty.”

“As if you’re not trying to do the same here,” Smiler pointed out. They poked the circle in the contested space, frowning. “I’d swear this counts as a safe space, though.”

“It can’t be, because otherwise somebody could park their ass there and never let their opponent get a pawn out. Come on, Mum, back me up there.”

“I’m looking, I’m looking – aha!” Alice held up a finger as she read through the relevant rules. “Mmm-hmmm. . .all right, as it turns out, Maddie is correct. While normally any space with a circle is a safe space, and a safe space cannot be shared by two pawns of different colors, the entrance spaces are unique in that, if someone brings their pawn out while another pawn is sitting there, they do automatically capture that pawn. And get twenty moves.”

“Ha!” Madeline plucked the bright yellow pawn from the space and handed it to Smiler. “Back to Start with you.”

“Fine, fine,” Smiler said, putting the pawn back in their starting circle. They leaned back across the table with a smirk. “But I’ve still got two pawns in Home, and you haven’t got any yet.”

“Well, maybe I can finally get one in now that you can’t keep knocking me back,” Madeline retorted, considering her options. “Okay, so if I take five with this pawn, and then the other fifteen with–”

“Ah – no,” Alice cut in. “You have to take your twenty with a single pawn. You’re thinking of when you roll doubles with all four pawns out and get to go fourteen moves – that one you can split up between your pawns.”

“Oh – right.” Madeline shook her head, glancing over at her father as she grabbed the pawn she’d just brought out and moved it twenty. “Okay, you’re right – this game’s complicated.”

“And yet people have been playing it successfully since the basic form was invented in India ages ago,” Alice said, folding her arms. “We can get through it too.”

“I know,” Victor said, finally sitting up straight again. “But maybe next week we can play Monopoly?”

“And watch you utterly crush us again with the power of capitalism you learned from your father? No thanks,” Smiler said, grabbing the dice.

“As I recall, Alice won the last game of Monopoly.”

“Only because I landed on Free Parking right when I needed cash,” Alice responded. “Every other game, you have, in fact, killed us.”

“Do you really want our family to become another Monopoly statistic, Dad?” Madeline added, giving him big eyes.

Victor laughed. “All right, all right, maybe Clue next week instead. . .”

[vampirecatsw]

*CLAPS HANDS AND RUBS THEM TOGETHER* NOW THAT I'M FINISHED ANSWERING YOUR ASK, CYN. (BLESS YOU, BLESS YOU!) PLEASE DO THE CHARACTER OPINION BINGO FOR KAITO, AOKO, SHINICHI, AND RAN. PRETTY PLEASE. MAY YOUR DAY BE SPECTACULAR!

Hi! Here's my ask with drawings (of various quality, you can see as I drew more I got more into the swing HAAHHAH. That's what I get for being so rusty - I don't actually draw that often.) The colours I used are ones I associate with the characters!

ft. my very informal writing style, probably like a thousand typos because I'm typing this at 1am, and many shoutouts to amazing dcmk creators 🥰

Also, please check out Anna's ask! https://akai-anna.tumblr.com/post/739521989281234944/hey-there-my-lovely-mutual-3-3-i-love-when-you

Anna, you're so lovely, fr. I hope this makes you giggle and swing your feet, I had such a fun time thinking about them! I added my own flair with my drawings <3

Feel free to ask me to decipher any handwriting

P.s. That character with the hat you'll see is my sona! I'm calling him Sol because that's another online name I seem to take up often. Feel free to call me Sol as well!

(Shameless plug: Check out my art blog - cyndraws - if you like my art! Also, it has some au ramblings too ^v^. https://cyndraws.tumblr.com/)

KAITO

Bingo count: 4 (well, If I ticked only more more box, I could have extra bingos for almost every extra box I ticked haha...)

The art: I gave up at first and just drew him as a stick figure. Then I added clothes to him, that's why he's so proportionally off,,, My beloved blorbo, I feel like I did you so dirty 😭

Fun challenge: Guess what I was inspired by when I drew Kaito's and Aoko's outfits.

I'm literally in love with him no joke. The love is too intense aughhdfk. What kind of love? Yes. I would do anything for him. I'd be so clingy fr.

Headcanons? Sooo many. Not even a joke. They're too integrated into my brain at this point so yeah haha

His HANDS. Slim and very fast and flexible. They have callouses - screw smooth hands. Callouses as a sign of his hard work throughout his entire life.

Fox? He's a fox. So silly, little trickster. https://www.tumblr.com/cyndraws/739418480470851584/look-me-in-the-eyes-and-tell-me-kaito-isnt-a-fox

Let's just link my simping art here too: https://www.tumblr.com/cyndraws/739224275061456896/im-such-a-simp-help-me-kaito-simps-unite-pls Please let me squish his cheeks please...PLEASE

Bonus: Old character opinion bingo for Kaito: https://cyndraws.tumblr.com/post/739190201679757312/everyone-if-im-going-to-expose-myself-as-a-kaito I got over the fear 👍 It's from a while back, like maybe... 2022? idk

I love unhinged Kaito

Gender? Please. I'll take any masc at this point HAHAH

Canon isn't real - Like it's amazing but also like... underwhelming. *Shakes it vigorously* GIVE ME MORE. MORE EKODA GANG. MORE SUPPORT FOR KAITO. LET KAITO CRY. I WANT MORE WORLD BUILDING ON AKAKO AND TO SEE THE KUROBA FAMILY MORE (+ a billion more requests.) PLEASE GOSHO IM BEGGING

(It's ok, I got the fics for these cravings 👍)

~

2. AOKO

Bingo count: 0

Wow. I realised just how little brain space I dedicate to her... but she's also so silly. I love her so much. She's a great character to pair up with Kaito (for any relationships, I love when they're having fun together.) She doesn't need more suffering <3

I love sm how in MK1412 they added extra scenes of the Ekoda gang! And Aoko looks so cute in it! (everyone else? ... it varies)

Snowball fight! ^

Now this is a hella hot take but I personally think KaiAo is much more interesting than ShinRan (for me). And fun too, because I've always been drawn to fun and teasing dynamics like these over the more romantic ones (if you get what I mean by more romantic). KaiAo and Shinran both are such wonderful couples though. *Bangs fists on table* THEY'RE BOTH SO UNBEARABLE CUTEEE

Someone told me I have very similar vibes to Aoko and I've been reevaluating myself XDD. No but I can see it. I think we have a similar energy (in my brain at least, I'm much more tired when I go out) and even preferred fashion.

Would give her a kiss anytime. Definitely. Let's go out on a picnic and have a fun hangout. We would be good friends.

Aolele theory by alizardjae: Please check it out!!! https://alizardjae.tumblr.com/post/134111960564/alright-finally-got-around-to-writing-this-thing Basically it's the summary I wrote up there. I whole heartedly believe in it, because it's a fun theory and I've done it before myself (...ehem annoying relatives) - so it's definitely believable. And I love the idea of Aoko Holmes being carried over from Nonchalant Lupin (<- Prototype of Magic Kaito. It's a fun read!)

~

3. SHINICHI/CONAN

Bingo count: 4

Drawing was inspired by that scene where Conan gets suspicious of Hanzawa-san (from The Culprit Hanzawa, a spinoff of dcmk.)

Ok, so the thing is, I have a very strange relationship with him.

He's so silly, right? He so fun, he's adorable, so caring and well meaning, but I'm scared of him. I wouldn't want to meet him. I'm terrified even though he's so nice 😭. So I'd rather observe from a distance (hence the drawing ^ but I'd definitely set off his senses a lot.)

(What does it say about me that I'm scared of Shin/Cone but not Kaito? I'm working on overcoming my fear of Conan/Shin, I promise *on my hands and knees* I REALLY AM)

(My irl friend understands why I'm so terrified, I've explained the crazy stunts he's done and his very illegal spy equipment to them... they actually got a nightmare about Conan that night. He's such a law breaking little gremlin (affectionate)) So...no kisses for you, detective... only because I'm too intimidated 😭 But I'll gladly make content dedicated to you and fawn over you <3

If it's not already obvious, Kai > Shin/Cone for me. But he's definitely a close second.

Shin's/Cone's aesthetic? So peak. His detective work and general vibes with the series is so banging. That clean formal attire - I love wearing more formal stuff out. Being judged for it? At this point I don't really care hahaha. His mismatching outfits are so endearing, but I don't really vibe with them.

Canon is kinda frustrating for me. Well, as usual, I love to pick out the pieces I love and keep them dear to my heart. Ugh I want more identity issues and character relationship focuses. And more Shinran, this is literally ridiculous for slowburn lol.

~

4. RAN

Bingo count: 0

I drew a masterpiece for her. As she deserves 🥰. (Fun fact, this is the first time I've drawn her properly.)

Drawing inspirations:

Sakura Class! It was so adorable. I loved seeing the povs of both Shin and Ran. The Sakura couple,,, 🥺🥺 why are they so cute

LavenderTowne! Her art is amazing and her art tips are always so helpful: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD4XIm3ZFhT72WjqhIXMN9w

In particular, I used these two tutorials: Easy Background: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zw5oB-ir5R0 Easy Lighting: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/shWoTarp_Vk

*ehem* Back to our ask now

Ran is so lovely! Such a queen, so adorable, such an icon! Have you seen her puff out her cheeks in chapter 1120? (+ many other instances of her being cute of course.)

(^ well, now you've seen it)

I love her with sass! It's so funny and fitting for her. And paired with her badassness? Wow. She's amazing. She has such a big heart too <3

I can see how Shinichi fell for her at first sight, she really is so pretty and cute. Her smile was such a direct hit to his heart XD

Obligatory shoutouts!:

Amazing Shinran analysis by rabbitsrants: https://www.tumblr.com/rabbitsrants/737479648281329664?source=share

Really REALLY cute Shinran art by detshin: https://www.tumblr.com/detshin/734222664310358016?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/detshin/734913462286909440?source=share Their blog also has really cute Shinran content!

For some reason, I associate the english localised names to the more sarcastic and witty characterisations in the funimation dub. That's why I wrote Rachel.

Maybe it's because of halfpenny_jones's amazing characterisation: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfpenny_jones/pseuds/halfpenny_jones/works?fandom_id=964594 Please check out their works too!

~

That's the end~ Thanks so much for asking! It was so enjoyable to ponder and draw. And I'll always take opportunities to talk about them.

Feel free to chat again whenever you feel like it <3 And also, feel free to ask about many other things too, like more character bingos or aus if you find them interesting. I hope you also enjoy them if you go through them.

See you next illusion~

[authoralexharvey]

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @cavaleriesix

Who You Are:

James || He/him

I'm James, a 20-year-old writer, artist, a university student, and a warehouse associate. I write primarily contemporary/historical fiction with some fantastical elements. My current WIP, which I have been working on on-and-off since I was 9 years old, is called On Soldiers & Suns.

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Contemporary, fantasy, historical fiction, and poetry. New adult.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Historical fantasy, probably. I love learning about different cultures and creating different supernatural systems; I love taking elements of history and incorporating them into a magical world of my creation.

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Sci-Fi. A futuristic aesthetic absolutely does not appeal to me.

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

I don't really have a target audience, since I've received feedback on my work from friends I've made on Tumblr (around my age), a friend I know in real life (early 40s), and my dad (early 50s). I think my target audience is probably myself; I haven't received consistently positive feedback from any audience I've worked with. It's been spotty. But I think anyone can get something out of my work if they can look past the presentation.

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

Betrayal, faith, trust, brotherhood, fatherhood, birth, rebirth, corruption, regret, identity… I'm sure there are more. I still haven't quite figured out what a trope is, but one I've heard thrown around that I'm drawn to is the Found Family trope. They appeal to me because my writing, at its core, is a reflection of myself, a way for me to explore what hurt me, what I long for, and what I never got to have.

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

None come to mind. I'm not an especial fan of enemies-to-lovers, since a lot of the time I feel it's executed poorly and excuses the past transgressions of one or both parties toward the other.

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

I'm currently working on my main WIP, On Soldiers & Suns. I've been working on it on-and-off since I was 9 years old, but this iteration has been in the works for 5 years.

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

I write because I feel I owe it to my characters and the world I've created, for everything those characters and that world has done for me. I keep writing because I want to share my characters and world with others and explore what hurt me and put it into words that maybe someone else can relate to. It's also a funny bit when I do it consistently.

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

I've been writing since I was little - maybe 6 or 7? I read a lot as a kid, and since I was a pretty lonely kid, I had a lot of time to think and create characters and my own world to escape to. I don't know why I started putting my thoughts into words. I guess I was inspired by the books I read.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

I get my inspiration from a lot of things. Mostly the world around me and what I've been through, but anime, video games, and literature are inspirations of mine, too. I got my inspiration for On Soldiers & Suns originally from Super Smash Bros. and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but things have definitely changed in the last 11 years (lol). I started writing this iteration of my WIP after I reread the Inkheart trilogy when I was 15.

What works of yours are you most proud of? Why?

I'm incredibly proud of the third book of On Soldiers & Suns, "Acacia." I have always loved it dearly for its complex plot and expansive cast of characters, the beautiful settings and the way I worded it, but it's also 900 pages single-spaced, 11-pt font, which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

Not yet. I would like to publish my work someday.

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you? Why?

I just want to share my story with the world, but I really, really don't want to go through the pitching and editing process. It will be long. And tedious. My work is a hard sell.

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

I don't know how to answer this, honestly. I like to write because I like to read my writing, because I like to see my world come to life, because I like to see people's reactions and hear their thoughts when they read my work for themselves. I hate when I don't have the motivation to write. It feels like I've lost my purpose in life. The past 6 months of writer's block have definitely taken their toll on me.

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

I honestly write whenever the mood strikes or whenever I feel guilty enough to try and come with a word or two to contribute to my poor document. My ideal setup is early in the morning, listening to the same song on endless repeat, with a cup of coffee and no other distractions, but that's not usually the case. I used to write before work (from 06:45-08:15 AM), but due to my writer's block and fatigue that's become nigh-impossible. I usually write from a vague, handwritten outline of events or from the previous draft (if I'm doing a rewrite), and I usually write using OpenOffice (although sometimes I'll write by hand).

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

I've been a writeblr for around 4 years, since late 2018. I was inspired to join the community so that I could share my writing and my characters and hopefully be inspired and motivated by an uplifting community of people with the same passion as myself for their work.

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

Oh, man, there's so many. @goose-books, @werewolfsbutch, @vulturetime, @howdywrites, @sleepyowlwrites, @albatris, @nicola-writes, @ashen-crest, @mrs-mikko-rantanen, and a few others have always been incredibly kind and supportive of me and my work. Waya was actually one of the first people I followed on writeblr, if memory serves me correctly, who's still active, and I absolutely love his work and his characters (Benji!). I don't remember why or when I followed everyone else, but I love their thoughts, their kindness, their compassion, and their work. I really enjoy seeing them on my dash; they've really enriched my life.

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

The kind and uplifting atmosphere.

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

A lot, lol. The writeblr community has changed so, so much since 2018, and a lot of that has been negative in my eyes (or maybe I'm just nostalgic for an easier time. I don't know). The community has kind of started picking up again with the resurgence of Storyteller Saturday and Worldbuilding Wednesday, but a lot of the people I knew when I joined are inactive, deactivated, or rarely around anymore. My dash is almost devoid of actual writeblr content, and it makes me really sad because it makes it more difficult for me to interact with the community as consistently as I'd like to. I don't know how to fix this. It's probably a problem on my end.

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

Honestly? Not at all, lol. I could absolutely be doing more. I'm one of the writeblrs that has gone pretty much inactive when it comes to writing (and even art, more recently). Life has gotten really difficult for me, and I'm struggling to contribute like I used to. I try to boost posts and interact where I can, especially with art and shorter snippets, but I don't see writeblr content often, and when I do, I usually don't have the energy to interact in any meaningful way, and I don't like reblogging people's work without at least a brief reaction.

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

Fun OC facts, OC art/picrews, short snippets, tag games.

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

OC art, tag games.

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

Not for writing.

Questions For Fun:

Do you have a favorite era of history you like to reference/write about/draw inspo from? Why do you think it's your favorite?

1920s! I really loved The Great Gatsby in my freshman year of high school and was (and still sort of am) OBSESSED with Baccano!. I'm always looking for new wips set in that time period (Prohibition, bootlegging, etc., you know the vibes)! I'm also a pretty big fan of late 1800s aesthetics and military aesthetics pre-1900. A lot of my main WIP revolves around soldiers.

Favorite character from Twilight Princess? Have you ever made a character, intentional or otherwise, based on them? If not, do you want to?

My favourite character from Twilight Princess is so, so basic. It's wolf Link, lol. The original version of Cav, Redstone, was partly inspired by the Twilight Princess aesthetic and vibe. You can see some Twilight Princess inspiration in the way the demons and gods in my story look and in the way I designed my OC Switzerland Siegal.

Who is your Smash Bros main? Does it change from game to game?

I don't actually play Smash Bros.! I've never played it consistently, but I haven't enjoyed it since Brawl when I was a kid. When I was a kid I always chose Bowser because his design in Brawl was really cool, lol.

[ohmytamara]

This post, if ever finished, will have potential triggers: mentions of transness, mysogyny and submissivness tied together into impossible knot I am still untangling.

I happen to be wee bit older than most of you, and grown up on eastern fringes of humorously so called western world, not originally english speaking, in broken family where any sex talk was repressed. For all these reasons I was already adult when I figured out being trans is a possibility, and even older when I realised I'm one. Our sex ed was non existent and our internet was shitty. Way before any social medias mind you, for all good and bad it brings, it brings similar people together. There were no similar people for me.

On other hand, many years before my egg cracked I already knew I'm masochist. Like, my first ever wet dream was about kidnapping. Of course, there could have been signs for both. Like, more or less at the same time I became equally interested with how will my mum's tights feel on my legs, and with how will that hammer from tool drawer feel tied to a string, tied to clothspins, hanging heavy from my nipples. Both felt amazing btw. Yeah there were signs my future sex life will be complicated.

Complicated all in all meant: I did not have orgasm until I was 22. Like, my genitals were so alien to me I could not jerk it properly until I was adult. I did not, as they define it for boys and men, "lose" my virginity until I was far into my twenties. And as much as I loved woman I was with, I swear, fucking her with tool she wanted was not pleasure. Her reactions were. But as for me, I might as well wear a strap.

I kept looking for what I like. Turns out I might have went all way around. Back as a teenager I kept searching (was it googling already? not sure) for 'bdsm' and whole new world showed to me. Took inspirations. I tied my knees, I hurt my nipples, spanked myself all it was fresh and glorious. Still it took me time to admit to myself that yes, I identify with subs in these scenarios. Still then I could not get over the fact that subs I watch happen to also be women. Took me next many years to finally admit that yes and I'm ok with that.

Following years were spent on untangling submissiveness and femininity. In my situation I just could not accept they are same and it took time to admit they can be circumstantial. Only when I worked through and could say confidently that I am not drawn to femininity because it's submissive. I am drawn to feminity AND I am submissive. These two things exist in me and both are real and while they can interact, they are not interdependent.

So now this is, apart from my trauma stuff, is what I'm working through with my therapy.

[prismadog]

guess who just finished the refined line-art for their Jimnoth au...that's right, it's me, I got the character concepts drawn. they're still uncolored (and they'll probably remain that way for a long time, but hey, I got them drawn at least)

I also plan at a later date to make some posts regarding the characters' backgrounds, not seriously long posts like this (hopefully), but kinda just the basics like their family or empire - there is SO much that's locked up in my brain that needs to be spilled.

there's several images below - the full height chart plus close-ups - and I'm going to include some details below each image. this is going to be a bit of a long post, but hope y'all enjoy!

[from left to right] row 1: Shrub, Katherine, Joel, Fwhip, Gem, Joey, Sausage row 2: Pixlriffs, Pearl, Scott, Xornoth, Jimmy, Lizzie

Shrub - 4'3" / 129.5 Katherine - 5'4" / 162.6 Joel - 5'8" / 172.7

Shrub

Shrub has many scars from her childhood because she grew up in the Nether in a crimson forest. she was raised as a farmer but knew a good deal about fighting because a close friend used to be a warrior.

the piercings she has on her ears are made of gold - gold keeps piglins calm, though her earrings wouldn't have been enough. before coming to the Overworld, she had gold bands on her wrists.

the mushroom hat and boots are just for aesthetics because of where she grew up [these may be colored like the crimson mushrooms later on]. the gnomes of her village had mushroom accessories to help them blend in with their surroundings.

she has a very distinct lack of breasts due to her being a part of a very androgynous, "sexless" race - they still have the concept of gender but they don't have the male/female sexes. this means that Shrub essentially has pecs instead of breasts, very muscled ones because she is a tiny strong boi who could bench press an average man

Katherine

Katherine is a faerie with cat features - it is very common for the faeries of the Overgrown to have features of some sort of animal.

she walks around barefoot because she likes the feel of the grass on her feet, but also because it makes her feel grounded - she will wear shoes on occasion, specifically when she's going to other empires

Katherine has several piercings, something that was influenced by her childhood friend Scott - some are silver and some are gold.

the bands she wears are engraved with blessings from her people - long life, love, good will, strength, and courage. this is a common type of gift from one faerie to another.

due to her cat-eyes, she can see very well in the dark, and she has exceptional hearing thanks to her large ears.

Joel

Joel is a very chill guy who wears light, but very detailed clothing - those of Mezalea live in a hot and humid area and believe it would be suicidal to wear heavy clothing (like the real King of Mezalea on the youtubes)

he doesn't care much about shoes because he likes the feel of the clay and moss on his feet - he will however wear shoes on occasion if he's traveling to any cold biome (ie Scott's empire).

the symbol of his people and his empire is the Mother Tree [design was inspired by the Celtic tree of life] and he wears it proudly - it was the Mother Tree who allowed Mezalea to blossom and it was also the Mother Tree that breathed life into Joel himself [more on this later in a future post]

he is a bit on the thicker side due not only to how bountiful the food is in Mezalea - their main food source is horse - but also because he works a lot with large, heavy blocks of clay and moves statues around near-daily. [not shown] his hands and clothes are often stained with clay because he likes to sculpt figures and statues.

Fwhip - 5'10" / 177.8 Gem - 5'11" / 180.3

Fwhip

Fwhip is a mischievous guy that wears quite a bit of clothing for not only aesthetic but also out of necessity because of his work in the labs - the scarf was made by his (and his siblings') mother when he was little.

he, like his twin Gem and his little brother Sausage, have some form of dragon features because while their mother was human, their father was not - however, for much of Fwhip's life, he only had the horns, the wings came later on when the Grimlands blessed him with power when Xornoth tried to corrupt the land.

Fwhip broke his right horn in a lab accident when he was a teen - he thinks it makes him look badass.

[not pictured] he has some scarring in multiple places - burns and cuts - from various incidents during his experiments.

Gem

Gem wears thicker clothing because the Crystal Cliffs can get quite cold - any hats she may wear all have holes made in them to allow room for her horns.

unlike her twin, Gem does not have wings, but instead she has a near-endless supply of magic, something that neither of her bothers naturally possess - this was a point of contention between them all in their younger years.

the moon and stars she wears represent her empire of the Crystal Cliffs

she carries around a Wither Rose that's been preserved with magic - it's something that she and her brothers share, though they have their roses in safe-keeping in their homes.

Joey - 5'11" / 180.3 Sausage - 6'0" / 182.9

Joey

Joey is an avian with multi-colored wings [not shown] - his family is the only one in the Maztec empire that is avian, everyone else is a cat-person.

he is also fairly light, not bird-light, but just much lighter than the average person due to being an avian.

he wears very little, very loose clothing because 1) it makes him look hot as fuck and 2) the jungle he resides in is hot as fuck

the bands and other jewelry are common-place in the Maztec empire, as well as tattoos - tattoos are seen as a sign of strength and beauty, strength because it takes a strong person to endure the tattooing process and beauty because they're just into that.

the symbol that adorns all of Joey's clothing represents everlasting life - something his people worship unconditionally. the other symbol that sometimes accompanies the symbol of immortality [the flame/heart thing on the sash] represents the Eternal Flame, the Heart of the Maztec empire.

Sausage

Sausage, like his siblings, has dragon horns, though his are much smaller than theirs' because he's several years younger than they are - the three hellions of the Wither Rose Alliance are a few years older than one would assume.

the scar on his face was given to him in a training accident when he was a child - he almost lost his eye but thanks to the clerics and mages in Mythland, they were able to heal his eye.

he's a bit heavier than his siblings because Mythland loves their feasts and festivals, also he has quite a bit of muscle from how hard he trains with a sword.

the symbols on his gloves are a sign of his contract with Xornoth - he gave up his soul to the demon just as the demon gave their soul to Exor.

Pixlriffs - 6'0" / 182.9 Pearl - 6'4" / 193.0

Pixlriffs

Pixlriffs looks older than the other rulers, but that doesn't mean he's the oldest by any means, or does it? he plays the role of father to not only Pixandria but also his family/alliance members - Joel, Lizzie, and Jimmy.

he has lightning markings from his right hand down to his left foot - these aren't scars or tattoos but actually a blessing from the thunder gods marking him as their Champion. he is also blessed by the Goddess of Death and is Her prophet, though, he doesn't have any markings to represent that, not that he needs any. She instead gives him visions and a deep connection with the Vigil.

the clothing of Pixandria is simple, lightweight, and usually colored in neutral tones, specifically in the range of white to sand-colored. the designs are embroidered by hand and many include the symbol of Pixandria - the Death's-head Hawkmoth.

each of the charms and symbols on his clothing, minus the star on his headpiece and the copper symbol on his bands, are designs taken from the Death's-head Hawkmoth itself.

[extra fact] as well as beekeeping, Pixandria is home to Death's-head Hawkmoths and vultures, and both are seen as sacred creatures.

Pearlescent Moon

Pearl was originally a scarecrow built from cloth and straw, made by a lonely farmer who wanted to protect his crops. she spent many years protecting his fields and wished desperately to return the love the farmer had shown her through his tributes and gifts - the most extravagant being a simple pearl that he fashioned into a necklace.

the God of the Sun and of Life, granted her wish and she became the Guardian of the Harvest. from then on she watched over the farmer's fields, and later the fields of anyone who settled nearby. the people gave her the title "Queen" because they saw her as the protector and ruler of Guilded Hilanthia.

she has large golden wings that grew over time due to the magic in the land and the blessings of the Harvest. they, like the rest of her, are speckled from being under the sun for countless hours.

her clothes are very simple and light for ease of movement, whether she's strolling through the fields or protecting her lands and people from danger.

her symbols are the moon for the pearl around her neck, and sunflowers for her loyalty to her people and because it symbolizes the harvest.

Scott - 6'9" / 205.7 Xornoth - 6'9" / 205.7

Scott

Scott is an elf with large snowy owl wings, something that is fairly common in his family - there are other elves that have wings but they are the minority. unlike Joey, he is not an avian, he's just a winged elf.

the symmetrical golden antlers are a blessing from Aeor and mark Scott as His Champion.

beauty and fashion are very important to the elves of Rivendell and many will wear as much jewelry as they can. Scott is no exception - he has multiple piercings with glittering diamond charms, and to match his earrings, he had charms and jewelry crafted for his antlers.

the clothing of Rivendell is thick and trimmed in fur because while the elves are a hardy people, they can still get cold from living high up in the mountains. for most outfits, there are symbols of Aeor and Rivendell stitched into the clothing.

Scott, while being on the thinner side, is actually quite toned beneath the layers of warm clothing - he needs to be in order to support his large wings and fly with them.

Xornoth

Xornoth is currently a demon, though, they once were an elf just like their younger twin Scott. and like their brother, they once had snowy owl wings, but those were stolen by the God Exor - [not shown] there are ragged scars on Xornoth's back where their wings used to be.

Exor also blessed Xornoth with their own set of antlers, though unlike Scott's, their antlers are twisted and covered in thorn-like spines. after they were blessed by the dark god and became His Champion, their body twisted as well and transformed into that of a demon.

they have several piercings, a product of their previous life as an elf of Rivendell, though the jewelry they wear is far from fancy - it's just simple silver and gold. the bands they wear are engraved with their contract to Exor. the rings on their fingers are the only thing they kept after becoming Champion - the one on their left index finger is actually a gift from their brother.

Xornoth has many scars due to the hundreds of years they spent in exile in the Nether. they literally fought to survive, but was eventually able to become a force to be reckoned with that no resident of the Nether wanted to fight, save of course, for Shrub who's village was terrorized by the demon.

there's not many options to get new clothes so they wear a simple, stitched together skirt that they made with their own hands, not that they really care that much anymore about modesty. [I didn't wanna draw demon dick, hence, skirt]

Jimmy - 7'4" / 223.5 Lizzie - 8'0" / 243.8

Jimmy

Jimmy is one of two eggs remaining from a batch of hundreds - their parent was a mighty eldritch beast blessed by the Deity that ruled over the Ocean and the singular batch of eggs was a sign of their bond. sadly, the war between the gods Aeor and Exor killed their eldritch parent and crushed their seablings' eggs. he was raised by his elder sister, Lizzie, who hatched several years before he did.

[not shown] his hair is colored yellow to better fit in with the cod people but his actual hair color is a soft pink (much like Lizzie's minecraft skin), which goes well with the pearlescent pink scales that cover his body.

like his sister, he has quite a few scars gathered over the years from fights against the salmon, the worst one being the spiderweb scar over his left eye. this scar was one of the first he got, during the first salmon war when he was still a child, and because of it, he is actually blind in his left eye.

he's fairly muscular because swimming around in the ocean for hundreds, if not thousands, of years can really build up a person's body. though, he does actually have a bit of fat because the ocean is also a very cold place and fat is a natural defense against the cold.

his outfit is simple and lightweight, and fairly loose because he has the ability to transform his legs into a tail. he also has the ability to change his size, though it really only happens when he takes on his merfolk form [more on this in a future post]. he wears rain boots because 1) he thinks they're fashionable, 2) they're easy to take on and off, and 3) he lives in a swamp. as for his leggings, those were specially made for him and are designed to represent the Cod Empire.

he doesn't wear many accessories but what he does wear mean a lot to him - the cloth bracelet is stitched with symbols of his family/alliance - Lizzie, Joel, and Pixlriffs. the pins on his top and the buckle on his belt are gifts from the cod people, and the gold circlet on his head is a sign of his being the Cod Empire's ruler. the circlet is a direct replacement after the cod mask and helmet were stolen from him.

Lizzie

Lizzie is the eldest of the two remaining eggs from their parents, and has deemed herself Jimmy's guardian and caretaker - she did raise him from a hatchling afterall. she is actually the healthier of the two because during the destruction of the batch of eggs, Jimmy's was damaged and her's was not.

[not shown] her hair is sort of two-toned where soft pink gradiates into a soft blue. the scales that cover her skin are a pearlescent blue instead of pink like her brother's.

she's covered in scars from all the many years that she's lived in the oceans and fought off any dangers that would threaten her or her brother - the dangers in question are mostly from battles with the salmon that terrorize the ocean, but also fisherman and pirates.

because she's a merfolk, she doesn't have breasts like a human female would - there's no need for breasts, nor nipples to that extent, because merfolk hatch from eggs. she does, however, have what is essentially a nice set of pecs because she's very strong and gets quite the workout from swimming around the ocean.

her outfit is very loose and quite revealing because she, like many merfolk, doesn't really care much about being modest - they usually have tails anyway instead of legs so there's not really anything to hide. she really only wears shoes when she visits other empires, specifically those with more extreme biomes, ie, Rivendell, Pixandria, the Maztec empire, etc.

she doesn't wear much for jewelry but she does have a few pins - an axolotl and one from the Cod Empire. she also likes the fishing lures that she finds in the ocean - the hooks on the lures are filed down to a point where they're no longer dangerous. she does, however, have one main accessory that she cherishes and that's the cloth bracelet stitched with the symbols of her family/alliance - Jimmy, Joel, and Pixlriffs.

[addictedtostorytelling]

i was tagged by @whovianacefan​ to list five comfort characters.

thanks for the tag!

sara sidle (csi): 20+ years and this girl still fascinates and inspires me. raw, messy, wickedly intelligent, a bleeding heart, a closet romantic, awkward, wry, and genuine, there is just so much to unpack with her; multivalence that invites exploration. at this point, i’m pretty certain that i’ll be writing fic about her until i die (and not just because i’m a chronically slow updater). her complexity, her grit, her rough edges, her commitment to being kind—everything about her interests me.

gil grissom (csi): i mean, lbr, grissom and sara are a package deal to me. he is every bit as well-drawn and engrossing as his wife. his arc was the arc of the show. despite his reputation for being aloof and “unfeeling,” his humanity is what really set csi apart from all of its competitors; helped it to transcend its genre. whoever would have thought that an early 00s procedural would offer up one of the most emotionally nuanced male leads since austen? this man contains multitudes. he will also always have a special place in my heart for being the first television character i ever recognized as being acespec while i was figuring out my own orientation.

juliet burke (lost): there are some characters who just tick all your boxes, and juliet is it for me. such a gorgeous study in contradictions. whether she is sassing jack about sandwiches, handcuffing herself to kate in the jungle, playing the long game to undermine ben and get off the island, or connecting with sawyer across universes, i can’t help but root for her. endlessly compelling in every possible timeline. the beating heart of some of my favorite scenes in all of television.

abby lockhart (er): there are lots of er characters i love and would count as favorites, but abby is just special. good on the writers for letting her be as messed-up and feral as she is at times, and good on them for letting her truly work to grow and heal and flourish (not always linearly but steadily over time). she is so incredibly real in a way that few television characters ever get the chance to be. her arc across nine seasons is an absolute masterpiece.

john truman carter iii (er): pretty much the original blorbo. when i first started watching er as a kid, i liked human disaster med student carter because he was the show’s comic relief. that boy can take a pratfall like nobody’s business. as i got older, i started to appreciate more and more his good-heartedness, his loneliness, how his deep survivor’s guilt—regarding too many people he has loved and lost in his life—motivates him to give so much of himself, how he matures over time; how his development isn’t always straightforward or upward. while i admit his storyline in the later seasons isn’t always to my tastes (and what they do to his love and family life is, imo, pretty unconscionable), i have always adored his core characterization. sweet-faced, do‐gooder baby doc, indeed. 

per usual, mine is the blog where tagging games go to die, but if you see this post and you want to play, go ahead and pretend i tagged you!    

[annaizscribbling]

For 'Just Out Of Reach' do you find any inspiration from anything in real life, besides the actual Sanders Sides series itself? I'm just still amazed by how well everything flows and goes together!! :)

I do actually!

As I've mentioned, I really don't know much about horror, so Just Out of Reach is super out of my usual comfort zone. Idk what I'm doing but I am so delighted it flows together!!! A few things have influenced the fic!

Actually, my original inspiration was Wandavison! I loved the unsettling Wrongness, the disturbing fakeness, the scared protagonist knowing more than they let on, and the pretend happy family life! Though I think JOoR (terrible acronym but spelling Just Out of Reach gets old fast on mobile) has surpassed the terrifyingness of Wandavison. My original notes are actually labeled 'Wandavision Inspo'

An inspiration that came later on was the 'Don't Hug Me I'm scared' series! I didin't discover this until I was about half way through what I've got so far, but it definitely influenced how I decided to portray the gore and creepyness. I already had all the scenes mapped out, but it really helped me develop that extreme feeling in the later chapters.

Outside of that, I don't have much direct inspiration lmao. Again, not much horror experience here.

I guess my dreams are a source of inspiration. I'm kinda known for having extremely surreal, horrifying, disturbing, complex dreams where I sometimes feel confused and disoriented as everyone else tells me I'm normal, so I think I've drawn some inspo from that.

Also my own childhood! Also my own depression (oof)

Aaaaaand that's about it. The rest of it is just me sitting around for a week thinkin 'how can I make Patton even more traumatized??' and then acting on it. But with symbolism there too.

Patton is an underrated gem for angst and inner conflict and Depression™ and I am here to provide. He's not even mr favorite side. I just like giving him the depth he deserves in the fandom. I also really like father figure characters, so he's perfect. Even in Low Battery I randomly decided I needed to write an 8000 word chapter about Patton angst and parent-child relationship, because he deserves it :)

[eli-elien]

1, 3, 4, 5, & 17

[Sorry that it's so many, I couldn't resist asking a lot xD]

1. Show your most recent wip

A ref for another oc for a friend's book

A young man who was ran out of his own kingdom at 13 by his family due to his cursed power: Rot. He lived on the streets ever since, the rotting scar growing more and more, adding bandages and cloth to hide them.

He finds himself afraid of intimacy for fear of killing others with just a touch and thinks of himself as a monster. The main character finds him endearing and slowly helps him accept this as apart of himself even if he doesn't like it.

3. Least favourite things to draw?

mmmmm mechs and metals, funnily enough I love drawing weapons and armor but just can't deal with mechs esp ugh

that is why I love fantasy bc it usually don't have mechs lol also kyo and most shield hero characters bc holy shit they are so complicated esp that albino bitch

4. Favourite things to draw?

top 3 things would be Howl like characters (see what Elijah and William look like), environments esp greenery and skies, and expressions the way the eyes and how the nose crinkles when we're angry stuff like that very human and stuff :]

5. Anything you haven’t drawn yet but want to?

Animals in a less cartoony way I usually do also classical esqe paintings I always admired the way the skin looks so soft and how the hands looked esp regarding hands holding again the humanity within these paintings is so very mortally immortal idk thats how I'd describe it

17. What inspires you?

A lot, a lot and a lot of things. Could make an essay. Mind if I make an essay?

No? Eh you're still getting one lol

But I think life inspires me, humanity inspires me, my daily relationships even the smallest interaction with an acquaintance. It's love and the hate and the daily struggles and the tragedies we see in the world. And again at the end of the day it's love that inspires me.

And I know this is about paintings and drawings but writing is an art on its own.

And the things I want to write about are all of this including the grief of being human and the blissfulness too.

I'm gonna be real for a second and say this is also based off of my experiences with death and how I've dealt with grief especially since all three were different.

also just ye uh cw death and all that and it might go into some uhhhh ig traumadumpy territory but I promise it's related

One was of somebody that refueled my love of writing and making my own stories and he was honest to god my fucking hero and I wouldn't have gotten to where I am without him.

Thank you Technoblade for inspiring me and alot more people.

It was indirect and I didn't really know him know him, yknow I was just a fan and yet it hit so badly and it still does and just man grief just it never disappears and I can't put it into words yknow

Another was a figure from my childhood, somebody like Techno who I really looked up to and I wish to this day that he got to see me grow up and I could see him and remember him before he got sick and just its a grief of wanting to go back and spend as much time as I wished with him, he was sorta a second father to me

The last and most recent is someone who couldn't control themselves and needed help but the state didn't give it and bc they didn't get the help it ended up hurting the people around them too, tragic and painful and its just so fucked and really fuels my hatred for the state

Anyways after all of that I wanted to write and draw, create something to put all of my feelings about death and grief and my continuing love for life even if it can be shit into something so I wrote Reverie of The Axe Hero and have come up with similar ideas about the struggle of being plainly human

And I think once I'm done with Reverie I think I'll finally heal from this grief, and it may not ever disappear, it never does; but I'll be able to move on. Sorta my own stages of grief if you will.

[jcapehartjr]

Dad's Playlist

My music taste is a bit like a sponge, absorbing a little bit of everything from everywhere, but some of the foundational parts of my music taste are influenced from the music taste of my father. He is one of the most influential figures in my life, and I lost him in April of 2021. He was a hard worker and an inspiration to me like no one else can be. Our relationship was a close one, and music was one of the ways through which we connected best. One way that I am able to sustain that connection is by listening to the music that he liked, that he showed me, or just music that reminds me of him for one reason or another. I’ve compiled a playlist of just some of that music in the hopes of sharing the music that he found special, and why I too find it special.

Thriller – Michael Jackson

So, I’m well aware that this is a weird place to start. Bear with me. As a child of the 80s, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album was the first my dad ever owned. During my childhood, I was drawn to some of the music of Michael Jackson, and some of his best work came from the “Thriller” album. I also find myself reminded of the fact that my dad always went the extra mile to draw a laugh or a smile out of those he cared about, stepping to the center of the dance floor at family weddings and get-togethers, and I would join him. The brand of 80s dance pop that Michael Jackson epitomized has the perfect energy to invoke that joyful spirit that he always aimed to create. Another thing to note: one cannot discuss “Thriller” (the song) without acknowledging its Halloween implications. My dad was not always a big Halloween fan, but he was a builder. His passion for creation led to some clever-but-uncomfortable Halloween costumes made with cardboard and ingenuity.

Train Kept a Rollin’ – Aerosmith

My dad loved Aerosmith. It would be impossible for me to compile a playlist of his music without Aerosmith involved. He would rant about this song’s album Get Your Wings as well as Toys in the Attic. This song features the particular riff-heavy, chugging rock sound that my dad loved. He never had any official music training (beyond attempting to teach himself guitar, which I only found out about after his passing), but he was always captivated by the drums. Drummers like Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee filled his playlists. The chugging snare drum interlude in “Train Kept a Rollin’”, as simple as it is technically, is part of the rock sound my dad always loved.

Live Like You Were Dyin’ – Tim McGraw

Country music is a genre that my dad found a love for in his adult life, and one that I’ve grown up to love as well. Tim McGraw’s smooth voice telling heartfelt stories like in this song epitomize the sort of country music he and I always loved most, as opposed to the “bro country” about tractors, trucks, and drinking. As I mentioned, my dad didn’t have any “real” musical training, but he could sing along with Tim so well, and I was always impressed by it. This song feels particularly poignant to listen to now after his passing considering the not-so-subtle themes of the precious yet ephemeral nature of life. The opening line “He said I was in my early forties, with a lotta life before me” hits home in particular as well, because my dad was only 42 at the time of his passing. This song, though difficult for me to listen to at times, is one I always come back to when I’m thinking of him.

One Day You Will – Lady A

I was looking through the discography of this wonderful country trio and struggling to pick just one song of theirs that reminded me of my dad. I decided to text my sister to ask which song she associated most with him. She quickly sent this song over. It’s one I hadn’t actually considered, but I realized how perfect it really is. Upon listening to it, I was immediately transported back in time: blasting Lady A music in the car. The presence of a low male voice and a higher female voice gave everyone in the car a part to sing, and allowed us all to sing together and connect through this music. And accompanying the beautifully harmonized vocals, a gorgeous pad of strings and guitars. As I listened today, I realized that the lyrics almost feel like a message from him, or at least a message to grieving souls, that things will be ok, even if they seem difficult now.

Snowblind Friend – Steppenwolf

Much like the closeness I feel with my dad, he felt a similar closeness with his. We always called my dad’s father Pop, and Pop loved Steppenwolf. He met lead singer John Kay so many times that Kay remembered Pop by name. Much like I cannot separate my dad from the music of Aerosmith, Pop cannot be separated from the music of Steppenwolf. This song in particular is one of the Steppenwolf songs that resonated with my dad. Pop passed away in March of 2019. He and my father now reside in the same cemetery in Camden, NJ.

Sweet Annie – Zac Brown Band

Another smooth country voice that my dad could emulate impressively well, Zac Brown and his band are a group that create some of the most heartfelt country music I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. They are master storytellers, and this song proves that. This sentimental ode to a loved one is filled with gorgeous vocal harmonies and beautifully poetic lyrics that made this song a favorite of mine and my father’s.

I’m Movin’ On – Rascal Flatts

My dad remembered exactly where he was the first time he heard this song. He told me so about a thousand times. It was one of those songs that came on at just the time he needed to hear it. Rascal Flatts is a country group that is admittedly guilty of some of those country songs that are just about drinking (and some of those songs are actually pretty great), but songs like these challenge that stereotype and carry with them so much meaning, soul, and heart. This song possibly spawned a love of 6/8 ballads that my dad didn’t even know he had. One night, I remember listening to music with him and I noticed that a lot of the songs he really liked were all slow 6/8 ballads. Out of the entire playlist, it was this song that came closest to bringing me to tears, which made me appreciate the long silence at the end of the track so much more. The fact that this song presents such deep personal themes and actually gives you a moment of silence to digest them is so powerful.

Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton was a country voice that my dad found later in his adult life, so it isn’t one I grew up with like Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, or Lady A. Even still, Stapleton’s voice and his style resonated deeply with my dad. This was one of his favorites of Stapleton’s discography. Though I personally don’t connect with this song quite as much as many of the others on this list, it only felt right that I include it.

Desperado – Clint Black

This is a cover of a song by The Eagles. I didn’t realize that when my dad showed me this cover one day in his truck, but he seemed to like this version more than the original. Clint Black’s voice and the instrumental arrangement seem to have resonated more with my dad than The Eagles’ version. Another example of the heartfelt, narrative-driven songs that he was drawn to, this is another song I couldn’t leave out.

My Wish – Rascal Flatts

“My Wish” is one of the best songs in Rascal Flatts’ lengthy discography. This is another of their sincere, sentimental songs that really feels like a message directly from him. “My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to.” More than anything else, my dad reiterated constantly to my sister and I, that he wanted what was best for us. He was such a dedicated father, brother, son, and person in general. He danced to this song with his niece, Ashley, at her wedding. He was the favorite uncle to all my cousins, and he was always the handyman of the family. He worked tirelessly to give everything that he could for us, and this song feels like the closest thing I can get to him talking directly to me.

This music, and music in general is so valuable and powerful. It has the power to connect people and even to bring back those we’ve lost. Music was one of the ways my dad and I best connected during his life, and it remains such to this day. Nothing can replace the moments I had with him, but these songs can at least invoke the memories and the feelings of those moments. I hope that others can connect with this music in some way and find some value and meaning in it.

[psummerart]

Whaam!

1. One little known fact about me is that my name is Christopher but not too many people call me by that or even know my real name. Most people know me as "Pip". Pip was a nickname given to me by my dad when I was an infant. My cousin could not say Christopher and would call me "Pipapher". My dad loves to give nicknames and started calling me Pipper because of that. The name stuck and has been something all of my friends, teammates, coaches and family have called me my whole life EXCEPT for my grandmother she will only call me Christopher.

2. I was assigned #14. My piece of art is a famous piece of Pop Art called, Whaam! by Roy Lichenstein.

Roy Lichenstein was born in NY in 1928 and liked music and played in a jazz band in high school and served in the Army during World War 2.

The words on the art represent an American fighter plane launching a missile into an enemy plane.

Roy Lichenstein was an anti-war artist, and this was created during the Vietnam war.

This piece of Pop Art was first displayed in NY in the Leo Castelli Gallery in 1963, it is permanently displayed in the Tate Museum in London.

Lichenstein's Whaam! looks like a comic book or cartoon and most would think it was easily drawn and then simply colored in when actually the technique to create this art is his signature Benday dot method. This method was done by pushing oil paint through holes of a homemade stencil with a scrubbing brush. 

A replica signed print of Whaam! sells for as much as $3,700.

Whaam! is a large piece of art, it is 5feet 7 inches X13 feet 4 inches.

3. The way I first looked at the art has definitely changed since I first looked at it. When I first looked at it my thoughts were okay good a cartoon, it looks like a comic book, and I relate to it. I also thought this reminds me of a video game with the words. "I pressed the fire control". Now that I have researched and read about Roy Lichenstein and Whaam! my thoughts are very different. I now see it as a piece of war history. I am impressed at how the artist came up with a lighter way to display his thoughts on the war and what was going on in a very violent time. I think it is really cool how he showed the violence in a comic book like manner rather than a bloody graphic scene that most would turn away from. This Pop Art is a very relatable way for an artist to convey his emotions and I just learned that I really like Pop Art.

Art and Writing - This art hangs in my closet. I see it every day. I made this myself with markers and paper when I was 10 years old. It means A LOT to me and is art to me. I made this on my own one day when I was feeling down and was doubting myself. It serves a great use in my thoughts daily. I appear very confident yet have many insecurities and when I see this as I am grabbing a t-shirt to put on it reminds me that I Can and I Will. This is beautiful to me because I made it at such a young age not knowing how much it would mean to me in the years to come. It has actually inspired me very much recently.

Self Portrait/Baggage - I am a 20-year-old young man from Sarasota Florida. I am Italian and Hungarian and have a very fun passionate family. For fun I play baseball. I also golf and fish with my friends and dad and brother and like to watch movies with my family. I was on the SCF baseball team and will be heading to the University of Houston in August to be on the baseball there. I sometimes work baseball tournaments on weekends cleaning the fields. I am uniquely me because I am a young man that is sensitive and is very aware of the people and feelings that are going on around me. I have a long time to figure things out and am still learning to navigate all that goes on which is a lot.

Selfie - I am fascinated daily by the strength it takes to get along in the world today. The expectations are very high, sometimes unrealistic, and the criticism is sometimes harsh and given without any solution. Our world has become very unrealistically competitive if you don't dig in and grind everything out every day it is hard to succeed. Even with hard work, honesty and determination there will be people that simply want to block you no matter what. I won't let that happen to me.

This selfie is ART to me and represents my past year at SCF. I took this top selfie of myself in Polk County after having a great game that included a home run and other hits, we won that game. This selfie means a lot and is art to me because my season was riddled with injuries which is something I have never experienced in my days of being an athlete. It taught me to dig in and play when and where I could. I learned to play first base and learned it well. I needed to send this selfie to my parents to let them know I am good and okay and to stop worrying. The rest of this art collage explains me well. The messed-up face happened in Gainesville on April 14th when I was hit in the side of the head and face with a pitch while batting and ultimately ended my season. I took finals with a concussion and an eyeball full of blood, I absolutely crushed most and bombed others. The third picture IS me - "I CAN AND I WILL". I cannot be stopped and will work through it all to reach my goals. If I could use the methods of Romare Bearden I would paint a picture of a young man and then add band aids and wraps and ice packs and Advil and I would also have a warrior in the background to show I will not give up. Art by definition is a visual self-expression of an idea or experience through use of a medium. Using this pic collage as my medium with selfies and a meme is an artful expression of my experience and my determination.

[taeyamayang]

what does your favorite BNHA character says about you

disclaimer: this is purely based on how i perceived each character. i am not generalizing viewers and their kins. this is for entertainment only.

but is this a callout? maybe ;)

inspired from: my hq headcanon on what does your favorite hq character says about your ideal s/o

< deku, bakugou, todoroki, kirishima, & uraraka >

deku

protagonists are charismatic

they have that certain pull that reels you into their world

and you can't help but allow yourself into the freefall that is them

but i think there's more to deku's contagious smile and soft freckles

he started off as a normal kid in a world where the extraordinary is considered as desireable

and in this world he is a meer ordinary kid

he's full of flaws, innocent, and basically clueless about anything and everything

perhaps, that's why you're drawn to him

maybe at some point in your life, or in the present, you feel the same way

you have the urge to improve yourself but everytime you attempt to do so, a new conflict rises

which then halts you and makes you feel lost

again

it's like a cycle you can't get out of

just like deku with his quirk

maybe his journey into figuring out his future and improving himself

makes you feel comfortable

or determined to pursue your own path

ngl, it's comforting to watch a late bloomer who started from scratch become someone great

isn't that motivating?

and let's not forget his kind heart

in this world where we are exposed to negativities

it's nice to see someone who is grounded to their morals and values even though the world is kinda sh*t to them

he's all about the good over the evil

possibly, you share the same ambition and heart as him

bakugou

please excuse my choice of gif,, i just love his angry face bc makes me laugh LMAOO I LOVE THIS DORK

alright, so we start

bakugo is a difficult person

don't argue me on this

he's a complex character with a unique way of dealing with things

ㅡbut mostly by shouting and cursing at someone lmao

but honestly, he just didn't know how to handle and express his emotions the conventional way

his intrapersonal relationship with himself is a blur

you may or may not be like him but what i can assure is that you understand him

you have the capability to see pass someone's persona

you like him because somehow you could see through him

maybe that is how you are in real life, you may be either aloof or friendly but there are times when you would sit in a corner and observe people

you are drawn to people who are misunderstood a lot

you like knowing what makes that person act the way they are

and unlike others bakugo's sudden outbursts and rude comments do not affect you at all

like, you don't take it seriously

albeit, you probably find his short temper entertaining,

you are not a sensitive person

chances are you are not fainthearted as well

and another thing

competitiveness

perhaps you like someone who knows what they can do but at the same time knows that they still have rooms for improvement

you don't fancy narcissists (bc he isn't one) but rather you like someone who can live up to their confidence

todoroki

don't hate me on this but

do you have the urge to 'fix' someone

or feel the yearn to be acquainted with their wounds and be with them during healing time?

im likelihood, the answer to that is yes

this reminds me of tohru honda from fruits basket,, anyway

or perhaps you share the same experiences with shoto

not only with family issues but in some other aspects like

school, friends, society, or even with yourself

there is nothing more defeating than feeling aliented by your ownself

his dark past and his intimidating aura are one of the many things that what attracts you to him

you might have noticed this before but probably most of your kins are akin to him

quiet, mysterious, and a round character (in terms of character development. or, in short, a character that changes throughout the plot )

you find yourself hooked with finding out about what happens next to him

you want to know what kind of person he becomes if he manages to overcome his personal issues

and probably you aim to be like him

changing and evolving

his transition could be your ideal self

you might find it hard to forgive and forget

and maybe his stories reflect who you are and what you've been through

so you find solace in watching someone go through this development

or maybe

you kin shoto because he looks hella good, not gonna lie tho

that scar on his face?

chef's kiss

his mismatched eyes?

absolutely gorgeous

his duality

damn, son, sign me up for todoroki

LMAOOO anyway yall get what i mean

it ain't all about the dark past and drama sometimes surface level things like this is the reason why you like someone

so let's not overthink things, shall we?

kirishima

this boy knows how to hide his feelings well

like you could literally see him in the bg of every episode just fooling around with bakugou and kirishima

BUT HIS ARC???

ugh, yes, please

who would've thought that the boy with a hardening quirk is coveting an emotional dispute with himself

he has insecurities and worries of incompetencies

and hides them well behind his laughs and easy going personality

to be honest with yall i like him

i feel like he's a person who knows how to handle his emotions well

he doesn't take out his anger to other people for the sake of his own selfish relief

he knows he needs to improve and works on it relentlessly in his own way

and kirishima kinnies, i think you resonate with him

or maybe you want to be like him

you admire his relaxed and mature way of dealing with things

or perhaps you like someone who can openly accept for who you are without judging you

i mean he's literally friends with bakugo in the first episodes/chapters of the series

everyone was apprehensive with blonde boy but he befriends him effortlessly like the dude doesn't growl at everyone 24/7

you want to be with someone who is exactly like him

the sense of comfort, maturity, and his chaotic nature is the the spice you seek and need in your life

uraraka

she's so cute yall (ive been staring at this gif for a solid half a minute lol)

two words:

inferiority complex

but it isn't manifested in a negative way

she knows she isn't as phenomenal as the other students in class 1-A

she is used to just following the leaderㅡthe wise and knowledgeable

and in this context, deku

we all know she struggled with that in the earlier episodes/chapters

but slowly, in her own pacing, she works on it

she uses her admiration for the others whom she look up to as a benchmark to do well

and with that in mind,

just like uraraka you may be used to being a member of the group rather than being the leader

you are comfortable trusting the decisions of the people who you think are capable

but the downfall is

there are times that you trust them more than you trust yourself

i mean, come on we all have our own abilities (in bnha, a quirk ) that is as amazing as the others

you know what you can do

so don't settle for the supporting role

this is your story, your novel, and you are the main character

just because you may view yourself weaker than everyone else doesn't mean it's true

you have to find your own quirk and aim for the best for yourself

your past does not entirely define you

you have a whole future to become who you want to be

like uraraka, you have yet to bloom

and when you do the world won't be able to take their eyes off you

so take those stilettos and rock the world like how you're supposed to

a/n: this is... part 1? idk let me know what you think! this is my first bnha content so i hope you enjoyed this! thanks for reading and stay healthy and be safe :D and as usual rbs and likes are very much appreciated like literally THANK YOU

Masterlist

[rainy-autumn-day]

10 Books to read this Autumn & Halloween🍁🍂🍁

1. Dracula  by Bram Stoker

This start of beautiful season off with something classic and a little scary.

The name of Dracula brings to mind visions of vampires, stakes, garlic, and crucifixes. Yet, when you read the novel, it becomes self-evident how twisted modern vampire fiction now is. The vampires in  this classic story are not meant to inhabit the roles of heroes. Instead you go back a few hundred years when men and women believed truly that the vampire was a real immortal, cursed to quench his undying thirst with a living mortal’s blood. The very idea of a blood drinker should, therefore, inspire the image of a villain and that is what the titular character of this novel is. A villan you can’t help but keep reading about. 

2.  And Then There Were None by  Agatha Christie

Another story that is perfect if you want something that will keep you up at night like it did for me when I read it last year.

There is scarcely any comfort to be found in this book, only an ancient, arcane horror. Ten people receive a mystery letter from someone they don't know that indicates they should come to a remote island. Why would they go????? After arriving, they try to figure out the connection between all of them while waiting for their mysterious host. After coming across a cute little poem about how ten little indians die, they decide they will wait it out until the next morning when the ferry comes back to take them home. But it will never come! Each guest suddenly dies matching the line from a poem. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

3.  THE BONE WITCH BY RIN CHUPECO

A story about a young witch just fits so well with this season, but this story is not about a teenage witch =just flying around on a broom. No it’s far darker than that. When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha—one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

4. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

This story opens in October on a cool evening with a blood chilling scene, it’s really everything you could hope for on a autumn night.

Night Film opens on a cold, cursed October evening, when Ashley Cordova, a young women full of potential, is found dead in a warehouse. Police rule her death a suicide, but investigative journalist Scott McGrath isn't so sure. From that inception point, Scott McGrath enters the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley's life and death, and comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror film director Stanislaus Cordova--a man who hasn't been seen in public for more than thirty years. For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova's dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself. Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova's eerie, hypnotic world. The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more.

5. Autumn by Ali Smith

Ali Smith's lauded Seasonal quartet, a series of four novels rooted in a different time of year, kicks off with Autumn there we watch as love is won, love is lost. Hope is hand in hand with hopelessness. The seasons roll round, as they always do.

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I can’t tell you how many times i have read  this beaful story in my life buti wants have it one my list to read at last once a year and i find it fits so well in to the amazing season that is autumn with   The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring

7.I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

This story is haunting and it will stay with you after you read it.

It's dark, twisted and unpredictable until the very last chapter keeping me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. You are met with the unknown as you meet Aimee Sinclair, an actress who after coming home, she realizes her husband is missing and after that you are sent on a wild ride to find him.

8.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott  

Another classic. I have always found that that reading about a world now gone is so very perfect for autumn, as we watch the leaves we had watch grow turn colors and fly away from us.

Little Women is a beauty told story with each of the sisters seeks out a different form of happiness: Meg wants to marry, Jo wants to be a writer, Beth wants to care for her family, and Amy craves material success. We get to live their world as we following the lives and loves of the four March sisters and their mother as they mature from youth through adolescence and adulthood.

9.Mexican Gothic  by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

If you love gothic horror, this one is for you. It has the same feeling as Jane Eyre but way creepier and set in 1950’s Mexico.

The atmosphere is perfect for the season, a debutante heads to a creepy countryside house, after receiving an ominous letter from her newlywed cousin, and finds the dark secrets that lie within the house and its occupants.

10.The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

A suspenseful and eerie mystery told via dual timelines all surrounding a rundown roadside motel and the secrets lurking that captivated a woman so much that she went missing in the 1980’s and now have caught the attention of her niece 35 years later. If you love a good mystery mixed with timeline jumping this a perfect one for you.

Bonus

11.The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Handmaid’s Tale meets Salem: Born of rebellious feminist resistance by a girl who is branded as cursed because of her mother’s sins and facing the dark powers to make definite and concrete changes at the dystopian, puritanical, secluded society consisted of hypocrisy, ignorance, illogical and unfair laws.

This is another terrifying, fist clenching, soul shivering, mind crushing, heart pounding, forehead sweating, edgy, spooky, bleak, dark journey take you to the dark woods to face the four witches are ready to haunt you in your dreams and place a quite irritating thoughts inside your brains.

[writings-of-a-british-fangirl]

A Lesson In Traditions [Din Djarin x Reader]

Title: A Lesson In Traditions Summary: After the brief spark, you felt between you and Din, you are longing for it to be recreated. And, maybe a shiny trinket from Mandalorian tradition can help you with that. Warnings: None I don't think ? Request: N/A

A/N: Some of you wanted a part two to A Lesson In Mando'a so here's the follow up! I might make this a series if anyone is interested

A/N 2: I made up the idea of betrothal necklaces. I don't think these exist in Mandalorian culture, but I took inspiration from water benders in Avatar the Last Airbender, because I thought the idea was cute! So credit to that series!

PART 1: A Lesson In Mando’a PART 2: A Lesson In Traditions PART 3: A Lesson In Touch

Din Djarin~A Lesson In Traditions

It had been a while since Din had told you what cyar'ika had meant, and ever since then the two of you had been dancing around each other. Surely, he knew you liked him by now- you had tried to hint at him several times: lingering touches, longer conversations, closeness to him. And, yet the Mandalorian remained oblivious. You supposed that no matter the species or creed, men were all as dense as each other.

        You huffed as you held the child on your lap.

        "I don't know what I'm going to do, little one," you murmured, "I think I'm having more luck communicating with you, than I am with your dad. ...Maybe I should just give up. He has his creed to follow anyway..."

        The child looked at you, his head slightly tilted. His big eyes stared up at you. Despite not saying anything at all, you knew he was understanding you. He was a pretty great listener, even if he was only a youngling.

        "You know, you're right. Maybe I- maybe we just need a day out. Some fresh air. What do you think? Do you want to take a little trip? We need some more supplies anyway, I'm getting sick of rations, and I'd like some fresh food. What about you?"

        The child perked up at the mention of food, and you smiled.

        "I'll take that as a yes," you giggled, "Let me go speak to your daddy."

        You placed the child gently down in his bed, and made your way up to the cockpit, where Din was flying the ship. Your head peeked up from the ladder, and you clambered up and stood awkwardly for a second at the back of the room. Din heard you enter, and waited for you to speak. He turned his head ever so slightly, his beskar glinting from the faint light the stars around the ship were producing.

        "Hi," you murmured, wandering over to where Din was sitting, "How far away are we from the next stop?"

        "About an hour," Din replied, "Why do you ask?"

        You fold your hands neatly in front of you, you shift your weight slightly forward, and almost rock on the balls of your feet.

        "Well, I was thinking that I- well, us... You, me and the kid could take a trip to the local market on our next stop. It's just we need more food anyways, and I'm going a bit stir crazy. It'll do us some good to get some fresh air, especially the kid. He can't spend his whole life in this ship."

        Din contemplates for a second.

        "I know what you're going to say- It's dangerous, we're being hunted but-"

        "-I was actually going to say okay."

        "Really? I mean, great. Thank you!"

        Din smiles under his helmet, not that you can tell, and continues, "As you said, we need food anyway, and the next planet we're going to land on is remote enough. It's definitely not Imp friendly either."

        You nod, and flash Din a smile. The tension slowly builds in the room; you can feel his eyes on you. Despite not being able to see his eyes (hell, you didn't even know what colour they were), you could sense them: trained on you. You coughed awkwardly.

        "I'm going to go check on the kid. Uh- Give me a shout when we're about to land."

        "I will, cyar'ika."

        Your heart jumps at the nickname.

~~~

As soon as you landed, you grabbed your bag, your gun and a set of knives. Despite not technically being employed by any bounty hunting guilds right now, it never hurt to be prepared: especially when the small green creature you were travelling with had such a high price on his head. And, then you turned to Din. He was also carrying his fair share of weapons, and of course the child. He was situated in Din's bag, his cute little face peaking out over the top. You smiled at him, before beginning to walk down the ramp.

        The Mandalorian made his way into the town, with you by his side, and his small son literally at his side. He didn't feel uneasy about this place- it looked relatively safe, but he was still on high alert. And, he wanted you to be as well.

        Despite having only known you a couple of months, he didn't dare think about the possibility of something happening to you. He knew he had to protect the child, that was a given, but the growing affection he had for you was uncharted. As a boy, he had learned about Mandalorians caring for foundlings (just as they had done with him as a boy), but romantic relationships were something out of his reach. He knew they occurred; they had to. The Mandalorians, while being a creed of highly trained soldiers, still held family at their core. After all, how were they to make more warriors without romantic relationships. But, truthfully, they were something unfamiliar to him. It had never been possible in his life, not with the creed. With you, his thoughts had begun to wander more and more lately. About you being next to him, being his family. He knew Mandalorians were allowed to take their helmets off for family, for those in their Clan. The more time you spent with him, the more he considered you to be apart of his Clan... He shook himself slightly. 'Stop,' he thought, 'You shouldn't have this on your mind. Y/N doesn't think of you that way. They're here for the child. That's it.'

        If only Din knew how far from the truth that was.

        "I need you to take him," Din says to you, carefully taking the child from his bag and handing him to you, "I'm going to go into the cantina, and see if I can find me- us some work. I trust you can manage to get us some supplies?"

        "You insult me, my love," you laugh, holding the child in your arms, "I am more than capable. I hope you save me at least one good bounty. I can't let you have all the fun."

        "I'll keep an eye out. Meet me here in half an hour."

        "Will do, my love," you smile and walk away from him.

        Din was glad for the distance being put between the two of you, because he was sure if you were any closer to him, you would be able to hear his heart racing behind his beskar. 'My love,' he pondered. He quite liked the way that sounded rolling off your tongue, perhaps even more than he liked hearing you say his own name. He gave one last look over his shoulder, just to make sure you were okay, before heading into the cantina.

~~~

You'd successfully made it to the market, and had made your way around over half of the stalls, and you had basically bought all the food for you and your Mandalorian. As you continued walking through the market, most of the stalls you passed by were food, but some were trinkets, toys, and even weapons. You'd hesitated by one particular booth. They were selling crystals, luxury cloth, and jewellery. Usually, you weren't one for such fine things (in your life style, things like that would end up ruined, stolen or pawned), but you'd been drawn in by one particular necklace. The chain was made up of two types of metal from what you could tell: a shinning silver, and a deep, darker grey. Attached to the chain was an unfamiliar symbol. It curved into a symmetrical shape, one that looked like two halves of a whole.

        "That's real beskar, you know," the seller assured, "It would look beautiful sitting around your neck."

        The seller was an older woman. She wore blue and purple robes, dirtied only a little by the sand- no doubt from the extensive sand desert that lay just outside the town. She had a kind face, her eyes smiling up at you. You'd almost forgotten to reply.

        "What do you say? Can I interest you in such a fine, unique piece?"

        "Oh, I'm not sure-"

        "-I'm sure your husband would like it: it would match his own armour after all," the lady added, taking the necklace off of its stand and presenting it to you.

        "Oh, he's not- He's not my husband. We're just travel companions, that's all."

        "Someone should tell him that. The way he looks at you... Only few people are so lucky. Looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky."

        "How do you know that? His helmet-"

        "-There's some things you just know with age, dearie. Love is one of them."

        You were rendered speechless. Did he really look at you like that? Was is that obvious? Did his heart beat for yours the way yours beats for his? You hardly had time to process the thought of you and Din together that close, as spouses, before the seller spoke again.

        "So what do you say? Can I tempt you with this necklace? I can even throw in a free toy for the little one," she smiled, cooing to the child from across the table.

        You looked at the seller, and then down to him.

        "What do you say, little guy? Do you want a new toy?" you murmured to him; when you saw his eyes gleam with excitement, you knew it was all over.

        "I think he said yes," the merchant laughs.

        "I think you're right," you reply, reaching into your bag for your purse, "I usually wouldn't spend credits on a thing like this... But, it is quite beautiful. And, you do deserve a new toy."

        You handed the lady her credits, and took the necklace from her. She'd placed it into a small, black, velvet box. The box had small silver hinges and a clasp at the front. You felt a little giddy. It had been a while since you'd made such an unessential purchase, and there was a small part of you that hoped if you wore this you might get the attention of a certain masked warrior. You shook your head, granted it was a little desperate, but you figured worth a shot.

        The child also received his gift too. It was a small figurine of an animal. You weren't quite sure which one, but he seemed to like it, and that was good enough for you.

        You slipped the velvet box into your bag, and caught a glimpse of your watch. Fuck, you were late. You jostled the child closer to your chest and began to almost sprint back to the cantina: you did not want to have to deal with a grumpy Mandalorian, least of all if you were the cause of his grumpiness. The closer you got, the easier it was to make out his figure.

        "Look, before you say anything, I'm sorry I'm late. Time must have slipped my mind, and I ran into a strange lady at one of the stalls, and she sold me this- You know what, you probably don't need to know all that. Just know we've got enough food to last us at least a month, and the child had fun."

        "He has a new toy."

        "I- Yeah," you replied, "Not exactly an essential, I know, but don't worry I used my credits. Besides, it'll hopefully stop him wrecking your cockpit for a toy."

        Din nodded. You don't know why you expected him to say more. He wasn't a man of many words, and you were apparently no exception. You made your way back to the ship with the Mandalorian in silence. It wasn't unpleasant by any means, but also it felt like you both had lots to say: you just didn't know how to say it.

        "Did you buy anything for yourself?" Din asked, looking over to you as you reached the ship.

        How did he know?

        Din obviously sensed your confusion.

        "I- You said that a lady sold you something, that's all," Din clarified.

        "Oooh, oh that," you said, looking down at your bag, "Yeah, I did. A bit of an impulse buy if I'm honest, but the lady was too nice to deny. She sold me a necklace. Maybe you can help me put it on."

        Din nodded; that should be easy. It was just a necklace after all. He'd fought off enemies twice his size, survived when the odds were against him, and was one of the best bounty hunters there was... It should be easy. So why was his heart racing?

        You placed the child down on the floor of the Razor Crest, and reached inside your bag for the box. Your hands traced the inside of your bag blindly, before feelings the soft touch of velvet. Carefully, you took it out of the bag, and revealed the box. Din's eyes watched with intrigue. You unfastened the clasp and opened the box. It snapped back on its hinges, and revealed the chain.

        Din's eyes registered the metal before his brain could even process it: a betrothal necklace.

        "The lady said it was genuine beskar, but I'm not so sure. I think it's just silver, probably some iron too- but it's pretty either way. Do you mind helping me put it on still?"

        Din's mind was still racing. He'd heard about the tradition of giving a betrothal necklace from urban tales and word of mouth from other Mandalorians, but he'd never actually seen one this close. The tradition stated that the Mandalorian proposing would take part of their beskar and part of their riduur-to-be's beskar and melt them into a necklace, with the two swirling around each other before eventually combining into a symbol at the bottom. Usually it was a good luck symbol, or for fertility. Something along those lines. It felt almost surreal seeing one close up.

        "Are you alright, Din?" you ask, "Is something up?"

       He wasn't sure if he should mention the tradition, what the necklace meant to the Mandalorians... It was basically a dead tradition now, anyway. There was no harm in not telling you, right? After all, there were very few Mandalorians left, and even fewer that managed to have the privilege of finding a riduur: you didn't need to know..

        "No, no... I'm fine," he reassures, "I- Hand me the necklace."

        Din took the necklace from you and instructed you to hold your hair out of the way. You obliged, and felt him lace the necklace around your neck before fastening it in the back. There was a small pause, where the two of you just stayed there: in the moment. It took everything in you not to shiver as you felt a rush down your spine. The sensation of Din's hands on you, even just for a moment, was almost too much. You turned around to face him.

        "Do you like it?" you ask, holding the pendant of your new necklace between your thumb and your index finger.

        "It suits you," he affirmed, "Mesh'la."

       "Thank you," you blushed, making a mental note to ask what 'Mesh'la' meant at a later date, "I- I'm going to go put the food supplies away."

       Din decided against telling you about the origin of your neckalce; you looked far too radiant wearing it for him to say anything that may shift the tone. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, so he just let you walk past him. Part of him felt guilty for not saying anything, but another part of him selfishly thought it looked beautiful sat around your neck. For a moment he could almost imagine that he had given you that..

       ...That you were his riduur.

[imnotgrimimjustagrumpyreaper]

Everything you never thought to ask and never wanted to know about my Josépan playlist/history with and opinions of the ship.

Intro:

The journey of this playlist has been a long one, starting on Amazon Music and my old, janky and now defunct Ipad.

STRAP IN, CHILDREN AS I TAKE YOU BACK TO A MAGICAL TIME WHEN NEITHER LEGENDS OF THE THREE CABALLEROS; NOR THEIR CAMEO IN DUCKTALES HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED YET, MY BLOG ON TUMBLR DIDN’T EXIST (THOUGH I WAS LURKING) AND PANCHITO WAS STILL THE LEAST POPULAR CABALLERO, otherwise known as around late 2017.

A word on the origins of the playlist:

The playlist was not initially Ducktales focused because the two didn’t exist in Ducktales yet. I was rather unenthusiastic back in the day about this ship (oh how the times change) but I had stumbled across a song that didn’t fit them and Donald but fit just them very well and wanted to make an animatic of it. So, I cobbled together some songs I thought fit the vibe and made a playlist.

The history behind the story that inspired it:

I’ll spare you from starting at the very beginning. But, when “The Town Where Everyone was Nice” premiered I was already thoroughly and utterly obsessed with the cabs; I remember how beyond ecstatic I was for the episode. My hype for the Ducktales versions of José and Panchito continued far beyond what seems to have been normal for the average cabs fan. I found myself drawn to the ideas put forth by those versions of them. I don’t really remember what the tipping point was for me to break down and make my own college AU but eventually I did. It was affectionately dubbed “The TV Show That Will Never Happen AU.” José and Panchito were enemies to lovers or at least to friends. And it was around that time I began to go CRAZY with the headcanons as I got more active in the fandom. While my ideas for the Ducktales versions of them grew and grew, so too did the time between them appearing in “The Town Where Everyone was Nice” and their alleged next appearance in the show. When fans noticed the distinct lack of José and Panchito in the season two finale of Ducktales, Francisco Angones, @//suspenderofdisbelief on Tumblr answered these two separate asks that I might have engraved on tombstone one day:

I was GONE for the ship after that. I developed another AU for them based around their time in Baia trying to get people to fund their attempts to become famous musicians. Also, slowly falling in love... It was affectionately titled “The Fan-Comic that Will Never Happen” but not yet connected to my college AU. I don’t have much of a timeline for it after this point, but with that AU I really hit my stride for interpretations of the two characters and their dynamic. The version of them I hold dear in my heart and headcanons came to be. Then “Louie’s Eleven” came out and absolutely destroyed a lot of my headcanons (just kidding, just kidding). Since the new canon material didn’t really jive with a lot of the wholesomeness I had built up I was left with a lot of something else: angst. I LOVE angst, but the two’s bitterness and arguing...It was hard to accept at the time. Me and @cartoon-lizard on Tumblr, my IRL best friend, wound up writing a Josépan fic fueled on a bit of that angst and by her grace, a lot of my headcanons. I titled it “My Reverie is Being Haunted by That Ass.” In it Panchito makes an ass (rimshot noises) of himself by running off with a producer he met by chance during a visit in Duckburg to try to become famous. And doing so without so much as a second thought to the person he’s been living with/sort of dating for over a year. It took me a while but eventually I figured it out. These weren’t three separate AUs, these were three separate pieces of the same AU. And so my masterpiece never meant to be made came to be: “The Trilogy: College/Baia/Reverie.”

“The Trilogy” Itself:

The story will never be written for a variety of reasons, personal and practical. But if it ever were to be written it would be three separate fics, aka: College, Baia and Reverie.

College encapsulates their college years (duh).

To set the stage:

Panchito: A friendly, arrogant and easily excitable musician with big dreams, good grades and a whole lot of anxiety and insecurity. He has complicated feelings towards his identity as both trans and pan and how that might affect his dreams of becoming famous, but is overall bright eyed and innocent enough.

José: A lazy (depressed), charming, pessimistic, tbh kind of a douche and deep in the closet gay man. He tends to push forward a very “Manly man” persona to make up for his own deep seated internalized homophobia brought on by a shitty upbringing. He just got away from said shitty upbringing and doesn’t really have any hopes for his future...Maybe to travel a bit?

José and Panchito start as enemies, both fearing losing their one real friend, Donald, to the other. Despite this the three start a band and the two’s rivalry becomes far more friendly. They get particularly close during the trip down to Acapulco for spring break where the general feeling of being disconnected from life and reality leads to several rather romantic moments between the two...They almost become a thing several times but never quite do. However, they are very good friends by the end of college. The three stay in contact for a while after college but eventually lose touch…

Baia timeskips forward 13 years later (I know it's only 10 canonically, I always say 13 for reasons) to a conversation between Panchito and José on the Sunchaser at the end of “The Town Where Everyone Was Nice.”

Panchito: Life hasn’t been kind to Panchito...His need to be famous, to be something in order to be someone has led him to push a lot of people out of his life so he can better focus on “Work.” Or drive them out by constantly asking for their support, financial or otherwise. He has no friends and even his relationships with his loving and supportive family are strained. Currently, he’s working freelance as a performer at childrens’ birthday parties (in his eyes: a clown) and goes home to a sad, empty apartment every night to stare at a notebook full of half written songs and muster enough energy to eat cereal for dinner for the third time in a row. Needless to say, his optimism is wearing thin.

José: A lot of hard work on his part, some good therapy and mmm; drugs have put him in a pretty good place. He’s more or less got his life together now, is way less of a douche and is more of a realist than a pessimist. He’s also pretty much completely comfortable in his identity as a gay man. He’s been trying to explore romantic relationships, but unfortunately (likely due to the loveless marriage between his parents making him strive so hard to believe that love is real that he puts the unrealistic goal of true love above all else) feels incomplete without one and double unfortunately has a tendency to be drawn to toxicity and abusive situations. So other than a string of (short lived) bad relationships, he’s actually doing great!

Panchito has already asked Donald to drop everything and stay with him down in Baia to try to get funding for the band. Donald said no. José has a steady job, a decent apartment and a supportive friend group back home. He's also long since lost interest and hope in their college dreams of being famous...José says yes. The two have a bunch of wild and wacky shenanigans trying to get funding and both dance around their growing feelings for each other until it explodes and overwhelms them. They rush into a romantic relationship head first with no real ground for it to be built on and unrealistic expectations of what the other can give them. Despite all this, things seem quite happy...for a while…

If you've made it this far, <3, CONT. in pt 2.

[elvish-sky]

The Temptation of Regality: The Road Ahead

Inspired by this Anon Request from Tumblr: Hello! Happy new year! I love your writing! I was wondering- if you're still taking requests- can I ask for a Thorin x human!fem!Reader angst? Where she misheard something or was insulted by angry/jealous Thorin and they have a fall out- but get back together?

Word Count: 1,570

Pairing: Eventual Thorin x Reader

Warnings: A tad bit of fluff.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

****

The Road Ahead

You balanced in the tree, bow drawn as you watched the odd group of travelers below you. You saw dwarf after dwarf on pony pass underneath your vantage point, and had you not known they would be coming this way you would have been very confused. You decided to make your presence known, and, firing an arrow between the heads of the two in the lead, you flipped off of your branch, landing in a crouch in front of them with daggers drawn. 

“Y/N!” came an exclamation from the rear of the caravan as a tall rider cloaked in grey rode up next to the dwarves. “You came!” He turned to a dwarf, this one with long black hair streaked grey and an air of authority about him. “Thorin Oakenshield, may I introduce Y/N L/N, Ranger of the North, Dunedain, and my dear friend.” “Gandalf!” you sheathed your daggers on your back and  made your way over to embrace him as he clambered down from his steed. “I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t turn up!” “Ah, well, it took a little longer than I had expected to get our burglar on board, but here we are!” As he mentioned the burglar your eyes were drawn to a smaller figure in the center of the group. He was clearly a hobbit, and looked rather out of place with his tailored coat among all the rough, ready-for-war dwarves. “You must be Master Baggins,” you nodded to him, “Gandalf was telling me about you when he invited me to join you last month. You seem to be a very promising addition!” He looked pleased and slightly worried at your praise, but before he could say anything in return your attention was taken by the figure of Thorin swinging down from his mount and marching over to you and Gandalf. 

“Gandalf, I do not recall you mentioning that you had invited another to join our quest.” He stared up into the wizard’s eyes, clearly angry. He was taller than other dwarves you had met in the past, and you had to admit that his bearing gave him a alluring sense of regality. “I cannot allow another stranger to join our group without some sort of proof that she is up for the task.” You were rather offended by his insinuation that you couldn’t handle yourself, and decided to resolve the issue in the best way you knew how. “I’ll prove myself to you by dueling you right now, dwarf.” Thirteen heads whipped towards you in shock at your challenge, while Gandalf just looked resigned. “If that is what it takes for Thorin to allow Y/N to join us, then so be it.” He settled back against a tree and lit his pipe.

You decided that it was better to just get this done, and so casting aside your bow and quiver you drew the two daggers from your back and fell into a stance, circling the dwarf who had a large sword drawn. He lunged in at you and you parried, and then swung at his neck, causing him to roll under your blades as they whistled above his head. He stood and charged at you, and you neatly crouched and tripped him, his momentum causing him to fly over you and hit the ground with a thud. Noticing that he had had the breath knocked out of his lungs, you quickly straddled his chest, pinning his body to the ground. You drew a smaller knife from your boot and held it to his throat, effectively winning. 

You heard chatter and the jingle of coins being tossed, several small purses of which you saw thrown to Gandalf. “That settles it.” Gandalf turned to the rest of the group and mounted up, gesturing for everyone else to do so as well. “Y/N will be joining us on our quest to reclaim Erebor.”

“Y/N, let me introduce Dori, Ori, Nori, Bifir, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Balin, Dwalin, Fili, and Kili.” As Gandalf spoke he pointed to a dwarf, each of whom waved when their name was called. You were concentrating on committing their names to memory, and forgot about the dwarf who you had pinned to the ground, until he grunted. Blushing, you quickly scrambled off him and stood, redonning your cloak and hanging your quiver from your shoulder. 

“Who is she to ride with, Gandalf?” came an inquiry from the hobbit, and to that Gandalf seemed to have no answer. “You know, Master Baggins, I hadn’t considered that.” “I can keep up with you all on foot.” You had no problem with walking, in fact, you thought you might prefer it to being stuck on a horse with one of the dwarves. “Why doesn’t she ride with Ori for now, as he’s one of the lightest, and we’ll see how the pony is doing later.” So you swung up behind the young dwarf, who politely offered you a knitted hat to keep your head warm. Thanking him, you donned it over your hair even though it was rather warm out, sure it would come in handy later, and off you went, missing the glare that Thorin shot at your back as you rode ahead of him.

As you sat behind the young dwarf, you marveled at the scenery surrounding you and at the group you were with. You knew these forests well, having hunted in them all your life, but the sheer beauty of the green foliage never ceased to stun you. You were also surprised that Gandalf had actually made this journey happen. You had thought him foolish when he had told you of it weeks ago, but here you were, surrounded by dwarves, on a quest to reclaim a mountain. The dwarves were not quite what you had expected, you had only met several in your life. The one sitting in front of you, Ori, seemed very polite, as did Dori, his brother, who had spoken to welcome you. Your mind kept drifting back to Thorin, though. You had heard stories of Erebor, and knew of how it had been lost. You felt sympathy for him- it must have been incredibly hard to lose your home and people. He had an air of noble sadness about him, you could see it in the way he carried himself. He was also rather attractive for a dwarf, something you did not want to admit but couldn’t help noticing. 

You had been riding for several hours without pause when a shout came from the rear of the line, “Thorin!” You saw the company leader’s head turn to the dwarf who had spoken. “Yes, Gloin?” “We’re all getting a little sore. May we rest for a short while?” Thorin nodded, once, and all the dwarves began dismounting with sighs. Some sprawled on the grass, while others grabbed some bread. “Why did you let me fight him, Gandalf?” The wizard’s face broke into a small grin at your question. “Because Thorin has a bad habit of underestimating people. He needed to know your worth for this quest.” “But how did you know I would win?” “He’s used to fighting opponents bigger than him. That crouch and trip is one of your signature moves, I knew you would use it and that he would not be expecting it.” Shaking your head at Gandalf’s foresight, you finished your bread in companionable silence until Thorin decided you had rested long enough. 

“Let’s get moving!” The handsome dwarf straddled his pony, sitting there with an air of impatience as the rest scrambled to get ready to set off. “I do believe that Ori’s pony might be getting a little tired of carrying two beings.” You stroked the horse’s velvety nose as you spoke to the wizard. “Perhaps it’s best if I ride with someone else for the rest of the day.” “You can ride with me!” came a cry from atop a pony near you. Gandalf patted you on the shoulder as he made his way over to his own horse. “Ride with Kili. I’m sure you two will get along well.” 

You climbed up behind Kili, and as you set off began to speak. “Why did you want me to join you?” you inquired of the young dwarf. “I wanted to talk to you about archery. I saw the shot you pulled off earlier between Uncle and Dwalin’s heads. It was amazing!” “Thank you!” you were pleased to have found someone who appreciated your skills. “Wait- Uncle?” “Yes. Uncle Thorin is my mother’s brother, so Fili and I are his nephews.” as he spoke he gestured to a golden-haired dwarf behind you who seemed to be arguing with the one you believed to be Nori. “But I wanted to talk about archery, not my family. What kind of bow do you use? It looks different than mine.” You quickly settled into a discussion of the different kinds of archery with him, enjoying yourself immensely as you talked about longbows versus recurve, and whether you liked fighting in close quarters or picking enemies off from a tree. Before talking to Kili you had worried that this quest would be lonely, with no one you knew except a rather vague wizard. Now that you had formed a real connection with someone you were excited to see where the road ahead would take you. You did worry about your attraction to the company leader, but brushed it off as the temptation of his regality. 

Everything tag💖: @boyruins @entishramblings @anjhope1 @itgetsatadhazy

[redhoodssweetheart]

Star-Crossed Lovers Part Two

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Requested: Yes @sarcasmismyfirstlove​

Word Count: 2.5K

Warnings: Swearing, angst, Reader has an assumed name in this (she is not named, but she goes by Sophia Turner since she is in hiding)

Description:  Y/N now lives in Metropolis, she likes her life, but she misses the one she lost.  Jason has spent eight months trying to find her, but to no avail.  Maybe they truly weren’t meant to be.

A/N: I originally wasn’t going to post this part so soon.  But I got inspired today and couldn’t stop writing it.  I hope y’all enjoy.  And please pretend that’s not a notebook for school okay.  I’m too lazy to go looking for something new right now. 

Her window was open letting in a nice spring breeze.  Dinner was cooking in the oven and she was reading over the events from that day.  It had been eight months since Y/N had hopped off the bus at the Metropolis station and entered the motel she would be staying at for the next few days. That was when she had found a quaint apartment that would do until she got on her feet.

Her phone buzzed and she looked over at it.

Clark: I need a favor, Sophie.

Sophie.  The name she had assumed when she moved to Metropolis.  Her full name was Sophia Turner.  Sionis was more than likely dead, but Y/N wasn’t taking any chances.  She hadn’t stopped looking over her shoulder since that night, and sometimes she would dream that he had found her. 

In her dreams sometimes he was torturing her, but sometimes it was Red sitting in that chair.  He was begging her to do something while Sionis laughed sadistically and said, “My little puppet ain’t gonna do shit, Red.  She used you.”

“No!”  Y/N would cry when she registered the betrayal on Red’s face.  

She would sit up straight in her bed and gasp before the dream went any further.  Most of the time she would look at the clock and see it was still in the early hours of the morning.  

Now she was staring at the text from Clark and sighed.

Sophia:  I’m listening, but you’ll owe me, Kent.

Clark was a good guy.  A little flighty at times, but that was part of his charm.  He was the one that had taken the risk on her when she had gone to the Daily Planet trying to get a job.  He never abused that either.  He was a genuinely good guy, something that had unnerved Y/N at first, but now she was grateful for it.

Clark:  I’m supposed to be meeting with Lex Luthor tomorrow to ask him about the Superboy project, but I’m needed elsewhere.  Sort of a family emergency.  Do you think you can cover for me with Lex?

Lex was Metropolis’s biggest asshole.  And she could eat him for breakfast.

Sophia: Sure thing.  Need me to water your plants while you’re away?

Clark:  Please?  I’ll leave the key to my place in my top desk drawer, just pick it up tomorrow when you come in.  You’re a lifesaver, Sophie. 

A lifesaver….  Sure.

Jason came home to the manor at least once a week for a good home cooked meal and so he wouldn’t be alone at the safehouse.  He hadn't returned to the one that he and Y/N had always frequented.  He couldn’t, she was still haunting the place.  Tonight however when he entered the manor he heard Dick and Tim arguing.

“You need to tell him,” Dick hissed.  “He deserves to know the truth.”

“No, I made a promise to her that I wouldn’t,” Tim spat back.  “Plus I haven’t even found Sionis yet.  How would it look if Red Hood showed up in a city other than Gotham?  Sionis knows about them, and Y/N would be compromised.”

Jason’s breath hitched at the sound of her name.  Tim knew?  Tim knew and hadn’t told Jason anything.

He threw open the door so hard that it let a dent in the wall, Dick cringed knowing that Alfred was going to be mad at that.  Tim looked coolly at Jason, unbothered by the display.  “Where is she, Replacement?”

“Who?”  

Jason was starting to see red.  “You know damn well who.  Y/N.  Where is she?  What the fuck did you do?”

Dick came over to Jason and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, but it was roughly tossed off by Jason, “Jay--”

“Don’t,” he snapped, his gaze going to Dick.  “Don’t you dare.  Tim knows something and I want to know what it is.”

Bruce entered the kitchen, having heard the raucous that his boys were causing.  “Tim, Dick, I need a moment alone with Jason.”  They nodded and swiftly made their exit.  Bruce leaned against the counter, “Y/N’s story about how she came to work with Sionis was true.”  Jason looked at Bruce confused.  “Except I met her a month before she met you.”

“What?”  Jason’s tone relayed the shock he felt.

Bruce closed his eyes, “She got mixed up with the wrong people because of her boyfriend and after Sionis killed him he kidnapped her and forced her to take on the role as a bodyguard.  Commissioner Gordon came to me with a note from an anonymous source from someone in Sionis’s organization telling him to send the Bat to a certain location.  I met with Y/N and she told me that she wanted out, that she didn’t want to be payment for her ex’s misdeeds.  She fed me information and in exchange I promised to set her free.”

“So you knew that she was going to fake her death this entire time?!”  Jason’s anger was returning.  He had spent the last eight months agonizing over where she could be, turning over every stone only to come up with a dead end.  And this entire time Bruce had known it was a ploy all along.

“Yes, but  didn’t know the two of you had been involved.  She never disclosed that to me, and I didn’t expect her to tell me things she did in her free time.”  Bruce looked regretful, “Jason, I think you were the only normal relationship in her life and I think you brought her some semblance of happiness.”

“Apparently not enough to tell me the plan,” he said bitterly.

Bruce pulled something from his pocket and passed it over to Jason, “It’s from her.  I don’t know where it came from, but if I had to guess I wouldn’t be able to figure it out either.  I haven’t read it, but maybe she will answer some of your questions.”  With that, Bruce took his leave.

Dear Red,

By now you probably know that I’m not dead.  Maybe you even know that I met with Batman a month before I ever even met with you.  That was purely coincidental.  I didn’t plan on things progressing like they did between us.  It made my job a whole hell of a lot more complicated that it needed to be.  And for what it’s worth I’m sorry for how it all went down, but Red, I hope you understand that I couldn’t tell you.  That was just not an option.

I’m somewhere safe for now.  I have been for awhile, just blending in and living my life to the fullest that I can.  I hope you’re doing well too and not getting too many bullet wounds.  Who’s going to patch you up now that I’m not there :p

He chuckled at the little hand drawn face.

I do miss you, Red.  Our banter.  Your kisses.  How you made me feel normal for a few hours a night.  Even with the mask on I could still pretend we were just two average people living our lives.

We were dealt a shitty hand, and as I told you that night we truly are just star-crossed lovers.  I’ll see you in the next life, Red.  Maybe that one will be kinder to us, and maybe I can finally see what color your eyes are.  Can I tell you what color I think they are?  Blue, I always imagined you had the prettiest shade of blue eyes.  Like the sky on a summer day.  Cloudless and beautiful.

I need to cut this short before I start crying on the page.  Take care of yourself, Red.  I’ll be waiting for you at the River Styx or maybe you’ll be waiting for me.  And I’ll finally know your real name and what color your eyes truly are.

Goodbye, Red.

Y/N

Jason stared at your name signed at the bottom for the longest time and finally when he tore his eyes away from it, he neatly folded it and put it back in the envelope.  He then headed up to his room and stored the letter in one of his drawers, not wanting anyone to disturb it.

The Daily Planet was bustling when Y/N arrived to work the following morning.  Clark - who was usually in before her - was nowhere to be seen.  She hadn’t expected to see him, but it was still weird.  

Wandering over to his desk she found the key like he had promised and stuck it in her pocket before heading to her own desk and preparing for the meeting with Lex.  Lois stopped by her desk to say good morning and chit chat for a few minutes before going to work on her own assignments.  Around ten thirty Y/N headed out to LexCorp.

“Mr. Kent was supposed to be interviewing Mr. Luthor,” the receptionist said.

Y/N kept the forced smile on her face, “Yes, that’s true, but Mr. Kent unfortunately had an emergency that has taken him out of the city and he asked me to fill in.”  She showed the receptionist her credentials.  “I am more than qualified to handle the interview today.”

“It’s fine Lacy,” a new voice added and Y/N turned to see Lex standing there with a smile on his face.  “I was alerted of the change last night, Mr. Kent was nice enough to email me and let me know.  Miss Turner, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too, Mr. Luthor,” she responded.  As she made to leave the receptionist area she shot a scathing look at the girl behind the desk who was frowning.  She probably thought Y/N was some groupie waiting to throw herself at Lex.

As if.

The two of them made it into Lex’s office and he offered her something to drink.  “Water, coffee, tea?  Just say the word and I can have it here for you immediately.”

“No thank you, I’m quite all right,” the quicker that she could get this interview over the better.  She got her recorder set up and looked to Lex, “Clark informed me that he was going to be talking to you about the Superboy project, is that correct?”

“Yes it is, everyone has been dying to know more about the program,” he responded.  “The world needed a Superman, as I’m sure you’re aware Superman was thought to be dead there for a good while.”

Y/N had known that, although she had been in Gotham at the time more concerned with her own welfare than that of a superhero that had supposedly died.  “I am, so you decided to respond and give Metropolis hope then?  That is what Superman represents, is it not?”

There was a shift in Lex’s smile that Y/N picked up on, but she wasn’t going to push him on it.  He apparently had a dislike of Superman, but if he didn’t like him then why create a clone?  “Yes it is, and yes I wanted to give this city some hope that everything was going to be okay.  That LexCorp would make sure that while the big, bad Superman was away I would be the one to look after us.”

Y/N hummed, “Mr. Luthor, how long have you been working on this project?  This doesn’t seem like an overnight solution and you seemed to unveil it fairly quickly?”

“Are you trying to insinuate something, Miss Turner?”  Lex’s eyes narrowed.

Y/N’s smile turned predatory, “No sir, just merely asking some questions.  I wondered how something as complex as replicating Superman’s powers took place so quickly.  And how?  How did you replicate Superman’s powers?”

“I had some of Superman’s DNA on hand, a gift from the Man of Steel himself,” Lex replied coolly.  

Hardly, Y/N thought.  She knew how these heroes worked, their identities were pivotal in maintaining some semblance of a normal life outside of hero hours.  There was no way that Lex had legally obtained that DNA sample he claimed to have gotten from Superman.  “It sounds like you and Superman are close, would you say that the two of you are friends?”

“Oh yes,” Lex matched her smile as if trying to intimidate her.  What he didn’t know is she had been around some of the worst Gotham had to offer and he didn’t frighten her in the slightest.  “We were very close.”

“You must have been crushed when everyone thought that he had died.”  She saw through his smile and the lies.  Superman and Lex weren’t close, but he wasn’t going to say that in something that would be printed in the Daily Planet.

“I was, it was like losing an old friend,” Lex rested a hand over his chest for dramatic effect.

Before she could ask her next question they heard someone saying, “Sir, sir you can’t go in there.”

The door to Lex’s office opened and revealed Bruce Wayne.  Y/N had never had the pleasure of meeting him when she had lived in Gotham.  She hadn’t run in those circles, but she would know the billionaire anywhere.  “Lex, we need to speak now.”  His gaze landed on her and she froze.  For the first time in a while she felt exposed under the intense look he was giving her.

“Could it wait, Bruce,” Lex forced out.  “I am in a meeting with the lovely Miss Sophia Turner here.”  

Y/N turned to Lex, still feeling the weight of Bruce’s stair on her back as she did so, “It’s all right, Mr. Luthor.  You seem to have some important business to attend to right now.  Thank you for your time.  The article should be out by Friday if all goes well.  Email me with any other information you can disclose about the Superboy project that would be pertinent for the article.  Have a nice day,” then she fled as quickly as she could.

Bruce watched Y/N flee the office.  Sophia Turner, huh?  He wasn’t surprised to find her living under an assumed name.  He looked to Lex who was glaring at him, “Did I interrupt something?”

Lex’s eyes narrowed, “You damn well know you did.  Now what do you want?”

“You have a leak,” Bruce said, causing Lex’s face to pale.

Y/N made it back to her desk without any other blasts from her past and she began to go over the information she had from her interview and checked her email to see that Lex’s assistant had sent over any other relevant information she would need to type up the remaining gaps.  

A few hours later she was closing up shop and heading to Clark’s to make sure his plants didn’t die.  As she moved down the sidewalk her mind drifted to thoughts of Red Hood, wondering what he was up to and if he were okay.  She also wondered if he had gotten her letter yet or if maybe he had thrown it out the moment he knew that it was from her.

She wouldn’t blame him if he had.

As she continued down the street she accidentally bumped into someone.  She stumbled for a moment and looked up as she said, “Sorry.”  When her eyes met his, she was shocked to find the prettiest blue she had ever seen.

He smiled at her, “It’s all right.  Have a good evening.”  Then he was sidestepping her and going about his business.  She watched him go, wondering why he seemed so familiar to her.

And those eyes.

Like the sky on a summer day.  Cloudless and beautiful.