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mikesbasementbeets · 11 months

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ok. look at these.

look. that's the same look. right?

let's take a closer look. to do that, i'm gonna have to zoom in a bit on the first one. because, as you can immediately see, the shots are slightly different. the first is a little farther away, showing both mike and el, walking next to each other, whereas the second is much more intimate, a closeup on mike's expression as he looks at will's face in the foreground. a minor but telling difference about the levels of emotional intimacy in each scene.

so, moving past that first element of contrast, let's look at each shot in full, because in both of these scenes, mike goes on a bit of a face journey before he gets to that final smiling expression, seen above.

personally, i think studying actors' body language and micro-expressions is inconclusive at best, but i won't deny that these look similar. however, it's pretty clear to me that they aren't the same.

toward el, i see confusion, intrigue, maybe pleasant surprise, followed by a glance down (to emotionally process and/or watch his step), and then a nervous but friendly smile.

toward will, i see awe, relief, and overwhelming affection, followed by a shy glance down and a slight schooling of his slack jawed expression into a warm smile.

but, again, that's just my interpretation, and i can't say with any certainty what the intention of all of finn's micro-expressions are. but from my perspective, even a surface level viewing of these two expressions depicts a very different emotional experience. however: there's no denying the connection between these two scenes. they clearly mirror each other, just like a lot of things about mike's relationships with el and will mirror each other. i don't think that's an accident.

whatever you think his sexuality is, mike is undeniably in a romantic narrative with el. beginning in season one episode three, when the concept of their romantic relationship is introduced, the narrative arc mike and el share is heavily focused on that relationship. the first scene above actually happens in that same episode (s1e3), not coincidentally almost directly afterward. and the former scene, with mike, lucas, and dustin behind the baseball field, provides very interesting context for several reasons:

first: bear with me, because we're going back to look at the context behind this context. this is only episode three of the show, but already there's a lot going on, both in text and subtext.

and since we have the entirety of their relationship so far presented to us on screen, when lucas accuses mike of looking at el romantically, we're easily able to go back and figure out where he got that impression: we can examine every time lucas has seen mike look at el at all.

the first night, after finding el in the woods instead of will, and while insisting that the next day she'd be gone and they could focus on will again, mike's behavior is directly reminiscent of benny's. taking el in, and providing her with shelter, food, and clothing.

the next day, after learning that she's in danger and changing his mind about pawning her off on his mother, mike infers that she might know something about will. when lucas arrives, he exclaims that she recognized him and knew he was missing.

later, when lucas tells her that will is their friend, she asks what that means and mike explains. a friend...

and then she displays that she might really be able to help them find will. and mike looks at her like this:

each and every one of these interactions is directly related to will. but lucas, through the omnipresent lens of heteronormativity that surrounds boys' interactions with girls (especially a group of boys who have no experience with girls... more on that in a bit), only seems to consider the fact that mike's behavior, which is undeniably about will, is being directed at el.

throughout season one (and beyond, in more subtle ways), will and el are repeatedly connected to each other through the trope of mistaken identity. will is abducted on the same night (and due to the same series of events) that el escapes the lab. hopper, in his investigation into will's disappearance, keeps running into clues about el. and mike, lucas, and dustin, sneaking out in episode one to search for will, find el instead.

later in the season, hopper eventually realizes the truth of his own more overt mistaken identity arc: while he was under the assumption that he'd been following will's trail, he'd actually been following el's. interestingly, the realization is triggered by one specific distinguishing difference, which tells him beyond a doubt that he's been looking for two different kids: their art.

though much more subtle (aka hidden in the subtext), mike's arc with his feelings about will and el follows a very similar pattern. the main difference, though, is that in season one, the swapping of places is eventually reversed but never acknowledged as such, and mike ends season one with el now missing and will back in his life, but a lingering sense of something yet unresolved.

second: (i'm not going to deep dive into this one here, because it's a whole analysis in and of itself, but i need to mention it because it is relevant) this scene introduces the recurring motif of superheroes being directly connected to mike's feelings for el, which is an association we see follow them all the way into season four and become a defining metaphor for their incompatibility.

third: lucas is the character who first introduces mike's romantic feelings for el into the narrative. and instead of giving any indication that lucas' interpretation is correct, mike's reaction is... difficult to read. his response is immediately defensive, both verbally ("what are you talking about?" "shut up, lucas,") and physically (leaning away and shielding himself when lucas hugs him). we can infer from the original character descriptions why mike might be defensive about this subject:

obviously, this description is only a vague impression of what Mike Wheeler became, but it's clear that the core elements of his character outlined here did come to fruition on screen. here, mike's insecurity is linked both to the bullying he undergoes, and to his inexperience/ineptitude with girls. and it's presented as key to his character motivation (the original concept of his character arc put forth here is very straightforward: at the start, mike has insecurity centered around bullying and is romantically inexperienced. by the end, mike has courage against monsters and romantic experience.)

in any case, this scene is the first hint of this aspect of mike's character in the show itself (the earlier scene of bullying in the show focusing on mike consoling dustin over what he’s being bullied for (“i think it's kinda cool. it’s like you have superpowers or something!”)... see my last point here… mike holds the idea of superpowers in high regard, and they are consistently connected with his feelings about el. something about the mistaken identity through-line feels apt here: mike mistakes his feelings of admiration for el as feelings of romance.) in this scene, mike is confronted with both romance (in direct relation to himself for the first time in the show) and bullying.

but due to the way this is shot, it's impossible to get a read on what mike is truly feeling. it reminds me a lot of another scene, actually...

in both of these scenes, mike's genuine emotional reaction is hidden from us. in the first, lucas forcibly hugs him, teasing him about how much he "loves" el, and in effect introducing the idea of el as a romantic prospect to mike. in the second, el hugs mike tightly, her hand still around his neck from their kiss and his arm trapped in between them, similar to the way he shields himself from lucas. we're then shown that he's signed the card on the flowers squished between them "from, mike." hm. so... not love, as lucas suggests.

we come to learn over the course of season four that this is something mike is actively struggling with: his inability to "love" el in the way that she wants, expects, and deserves. this scene, introducing that season-long arc, conceals mike's true emotional state and motivations from us, again, mirroring the first introduction to their entire romantic plot line way back in season one.

(an aside: lucas' "if you love her so much, [then] why don't you marry her?" aka the inciting event of their romantic arc, is a based on a conditional statement with the hypothesis that mike loves el. as mr. clarke might posit (in, say, season one, episode one): what's the difference between an experiment and other forms of science investigation? ...well, an experiment is a controlled test of two or more variables against a hypothesis. does that remind you of anything happening in mike's romantic narrative? something about...... [murray voice] experimenting sexually?)

anyway. then, after extracting himself from el's embrace, mike finally drops his bag(gage) and opens his now empty arms to will, before preemptively cutting himself short with a punch to the shoulder.

...did someone say internalized homophobia?

and then immediately upon being introduced to argyle, mike is called out for his presentation here not being genuine. ("it's a shitty knock-off,"/"i really thought it was ocean pacific...") we're being told that something about mike's performance is not what it seems (and may even be a case of one thing being mistaken for something else).

and speaking of homophobia...

fourth (and finally): this scene, of lucas' teasing mike about his "love" for el, which i'll remind you again is tied directly to lucas mistaking mike's behavior regarding will as being solely about el, is quickly interrupted by an onslaught of homophobia, during which mike is specifically targeted (read: tripped) by the bullies.

the juxtaposition is immediate and obvious: mike's friends lovingly teasing him, even embracing him, over a crush on a girl vs. bullies maliciously taunting them about will being killed for being queer and then physically harming mike.

(there's also something to be said about the later scene in which these bullies force mike to drop his bike in the woods and chase him to the edge of the quarry, mirroring exactly how the cops assume will must have died... and, to be clear, i'm not saying that mike himself is being bullied for being queer in the way will was. no, mike's queerness is invisible to those around him in a way that will's isn't, so his relationship with it and the ways it affects him are hidden in subtext.)

which brings us directly to the following scene in the woods. el asks about mike's injury (sustained from the aforementioned bullying, thereby linking these two scenes even more concretely) and with a little prodding ("friends don't lie"), he opens up to her about what happened, and about being bullied at school. she listens, tells him she understands (this also follows her recent flashback of brenner's abuse in the lab), and they share a "cool," "cool," and a smile.

so... let's quickly jump over from here to the van scene with will. something similar, yet notably different, is happening in this scene, leading up to that infamous smile at the end. mike is sharing his insecurities with will now, but instead of will prodding him to open up, mike, prompted only by will's "she's gonna be okay," begins rambling so much about his insecurities (while speaking in superhero metaphors) that he eventually cuts himself off, saying it's "stupid." instead of letting him brush it off, will guesses exactly what mike is afraid of: "you're scared of losing her." he gives him The Painting (a symbol of his love for mike) and a long speech about feeling lost and different, while insisting upon mike's value (you're the heart, leading us, inspiring us, etc). and then they share a "yeah?" "yeah," and a smile.

so we can see the similarity in the way the shots are set up, the progression of the conversations, and mike's visible reactions. but we can also see distinct differences, all of which together inform a significant difference in emotional weight between these two scenes.

while mike's conversation in the woods with el takes place in the third episode of season one, at which point mike has known her for less than 48 hours, the van scene is in the second to last episode of season four, and is the fourth of five heart-to-hearts mike and will have this season alone (and following three previous seasons and beyond that years of close friendship). it is also arguably the climax of their shared arc this season. on the other hand, mike and el's season one moment is part of the introduction to their storyline, and the introduction to their romantic arc. in this moment in the woods, mike is looking at el romantically (did you think i was gonna argue that he isn't? because no, he definitely is). in fact, this is the beginning of mike's entire romantic arc, which sets out to address the foundational insecurity that is key to his character. we, as an audience, right alongside mike, have just been told (by lucas) that mike has romantic feelings for el. and then we are presented with this scene. we are supposed to view this as romantic. because mike is starting to view it as romantic.

had stranger things been one season long, then the climax of their romantic arc would have been the kiss they share in the cafeteria, followed by the denouement of el's symbolic death (the gay implications of which i could write another whole essay on...). but the end of season one was not the resolution of mike's full romantic arc. by the nature of the five act structure (which is what stranger things has, being five seasons), the entirety of season one serves as exposition for our full narrative. which means, in effect, that the entire arc of mike and el's season one relationship is there to serve as groundwork, a foundation for mike's complete five season arc. season one, starting from before he even meets el, all the way through to when he eventually kisses her and then loses her, is only act one of that arc. the first act of five act structure is when the driving conflict is presented. so in the context of the entire show, for us as the viewer, mike's narrative arc surrounding the romantic aspect of his insecurity begins with his season one "romance" with el.

and we know that this insecurity is an element of the full five-act narrative, rather than being presented and wrapped in the course of the mini "self contained" narrative of season one, because we can see plainly, three seasons later, particularly during mike's heart-to-hearts with will, that this insecurity has not yet been resolved. we know this, on a basic level, from having watched mike and el's relationship struggles progress, but it is still explicitly laid out for us in season four. and will is consistently the only person who genuinely hears mike out, encourages him to open up, and addresses his insecurities, instead of brushing him off, like most other people in his life (including will at some points) have done. will understands him in a way el only claimed to in season one.

looking back to the character outline: mike has now "kiss[ed] a girl" and even "had a girlfriend" and still hasn't resolved his insecurities even remotely. in fact, after the first season arc wraps up, this romantic relationship becomes the main source of that insecurity. his difficulty navigating a real romantic relationship with el is the basis of their arc in season three. and by season four, mike is consciously struggling with being unable to tell el that he loves her. despite will's reassurances that things will be okay (which stack onto lucas' constant relationship advice in season three), mike keeps circling back around to it. because he can't move forward on the path he is on.

he has reached a point of no return, like a “fight you can’t come back from.” he is unable to find the security he is searching for in his romantic relationship with el... and this is where we arrive back at the van scene with will.

if the scene in the woods marks the beginning of the introduction of mike's romantic arc, then the scene in the van marks the beginning of the conclusion of mike's romantic arc. if the introduction of his romantic arc (season one) presents his insecurity, then the natural conclusion of that arc (season five) is security. throughout season four, mike lays out for will the insecurity that his relationship with el still brings him. he is unable to find that security with el, and, in the van scene, finds it with will instead.

or, should i say, begins the journey to finding it. because, especially after the lie that brings them into that moment, and then traumatic pizza dough freezer incident, we're still at the beginning of the conclusion. there's still a lot to resolve, but season four (alongside mike, who now understands what he's been going through) finally began moving the subtext of mike's arc into the actual text. and this moment indicates that season five will take that next step to fully, textually, actualizing it.

so, getting back to the parallel we're looking at here: each of these scenes is a catalyzing moment in mike's romantic arc. in season one, when lucas suggests that mike has a crush on el, and then what follows is a conversation with el where she is (to quote lucas) "not grossed out" by him, he actively begins his journey toward resolving this character motivating insecurity. he looks at el and he sees the possibility of romance.

and just look at him. he looks excited. hopeful. a little nervous. but... i want to remind you again: mike has known el for less than 48 hours at this point. this is the first conversation they've had in which they've related to each other as equals. for their entire relationship before this and afterward, outside of their romantic interactions (and also. often. disturbingly. concurrent with their romantic interactions...), mike's role has been as el's protector, a makeshift father figure, the elliot to her E.T. here, though, el tells mike that she understands him.

in season one, mike is twelve years old (read: pre-pubescent). he has no personal understanding of or experience with romance. dustin starts to comment in s1e2, "you're letting a girl...?" and ted later scoffs "our son with a girl?" and outside of the queer coding, what we can take from both of these (which draw back to the original character description) is that mike has no experience with girls whatsoever. (outside of, you know. family. but that's not what this post is about.)

and again, this scene happens almost directly after lucas first introduces the idea of romance between them, both to the narrative, and to mike himself, who, very significantly, up until this point, has shown no romantic interest in el. the sequence of these events is not a coincidence. 1. lucas assumes mike has romantic feelings for el. 2. el and mike have a moment of personal connection and understanding 3. mike "boys only" wheeler puts these two together and assumes the connection between them must be romance. but the expression on mike's face here isn't a representation of already existing romantic feelings. there's no basis for those. again, this moment represents for mike the potential for romance.

which... makes his expression in the van scene hit even harder. because unlike el, will isn't a stranger he barely knows, but rather his best friend of ten years. and it isn't lucas telling mike how mike feels. it's will professing his own feelings about mike, in direct response to mike's self-professed insecurities. (ding ding ding, are your alarm bells going off?) mike's expression at the end of this scene, if we're viewing it as a reprise of his season one expression, is a representation of hope for his romantic future. but this time, heading into the resolution of mike's romantic arc, with all of the knowledge and context we (and mike) have gained over the course of the past four seasons, it's directed at will.

ok. so. with the basic connection between these two scenes established, i'm gonna move a little bit sideways here. at the end of their romantic arc in season one, el disappears from mike's life and will reappears in it, effectively swapping their places (remember that we've been dealing with the mistaken identity trope between these two), and leaving the question of mike's romantic security glaringly unresolved.

and we know why - this is a five act narrative we're watching - but just within the context of the season one arc... the climactic moment of mike finally asking the girl to be his sister kissing the girl was preceded by her locating will in the upside down (leading to his rescue) and followed by a resolution in which she disappeared... and will took her place. at the end of the season, mike is left in the same place he started: playing games in his basement with will, his first attempt to resolve his arc of romantic insecurity, with el, ultimately ending in tragedy.

after season one, this arc picks up again, but this time will is the one present in mike's life. and mike's behaviors toward el in season one, during which they were undergoing a romantic story arc, begin showing up again in his behavior toward will. but unlike with el, mike's particular (read: romantic) behavior toward will happens without outside intervention, and in fact, often in spite of outside intervention. now, this isn't to say that all of mike's behavior with el was a result of others' influence. when el reveals to mike that she is on the run from "bad people," mike is immediately protective and caring toward her. however, as i've already explained, this caring behavior (which, again, we know right off the bat is not romantic because it directly mirrors the way both benny and hopper care for her) doesn't turn into romantic behavior until lucas introduces that idea.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, right from episode one of season one, mike's behavior toward will is fully self motivated, even in the face of opposition.

and as we move through season one and beyond, we can see that mike continues to rely on constant guidance in the way he cares about el (particularly and most consistently from lucas).

stranger things is, at it's horror filled core, a coming of age tale. like many of our other characters, mike's full character arc, romantic and otherwise, is about self-actualization. from the very conception of the show, his insecurity is presented as a central character flaw to overcome, while also being directly linked with his romantic fulfillment. the overcoming of this fatal flaw, the resolution of his romantic arc, and his final achievement of self-actualization are all inextricably intertwined.

the reprisal of this specific expression of romantic hope as we enter the end of mike's romantic arc is not an indication that mike is in the same place emotionally at the end of season four as he was at the beginning of season one, just with a different person now. instead, it is an indication of his romantic arc coming full circle. mike began in a position of hope for his romantic future with el, only to have the actualization of that hope (their romantic relationship) gradually degrade his romantic fulfillment and self-esteem. the longer mike and el are together, and the more serious their romantic relationship becomes, the worse mike's insecurities become. this is, i would argue, directly related to the fact that mike's pursuit of a romantic relationship with el is not due to his own genuine desire, but instead a combined result of heteronormativity (lucas assuming mike's feelings for el to be romantic), compulsive heterosexuality (mike's subsequent assumption that his feelings for el must be romantic), forced conformity (mike's attempt to resolve his insecurities firmly within these heteronormative boundaries, under the assumption that a rejection of these boundaries is unacceptable), and the trope of mistaken identity that has been following will and el since season one.

and of course i don't know with any concrete certainty what season five will contain, but based on the narrative so far, and optimistically expecting a satisfying resolution to his character arc, the actualization of his romantic hope regarding will is going to lead to true romantic fulfillment and coincide with his self-actualization (a big part of which is coming to terms with his sexuality).

now, i'm not going to conclude this whole analysis by saying, "and that's why mike is gay!" because while i think this all is a good indication of that, based on all of the context and my impression that this narrative is being presented in a way that focuses on the subtext and deeper symbolism of each of these relationships rather than being a case of specifically el vs. will, you might still have a different interpretation than me. that's fine. however, i am going to end by insisting (me when i argue with the wall), based on everything i've laid out, that this parallel and others like it (ie parallels between byler & miIeven's romantic arcs) are not evidence of mike's feelings, specifically whether they are genuinely romantic or not. this parallel serves as a narrative device in his romantic character arc... the conclusion of which is mike realizing and coming to terms with the fact that he is actually in love with will, and not el.

just to be very clear, i'm not saying these parallels alone are proof against mike being bisexual, but i am saying that they are not evidence in support of his being bisexual. again: they do not indicate that mike is romantically attracted to el. what they indicate is that will and el are foils in mike's romantic arc.

before i finish, i want to address a couple misconceptions:

1. the fact that mike actively and willingly participates in a romantic relationship with a woman means he can’t be gay. this is straight up homophobia. gold star bullshit. no.

2. mike and el being presented in a romantic light means that they have genuine romantic feelings for each other. this is a misconception of the way narrative tools are used to tell a story. going right back to my first point: it is an irrefutable fact that many gay people have romantic relationships with the people of different genders (read “the opposite sex”) before they come out/realize their true sexuality. it is also a fact that many of these gay people fully believe their feelings to be genuinely romantic before realizing that they are not. as i've already gone over, mike is twelve years old when his romantic arc begins. on the surface, his relationship with el is presented as romantic. he participates in (and even initiates) romantic behaviors because he believes that his feelings for el are romantic. in seasons one and two, mike is one of our main POV characters. we can see a romantic tilt to the way some of their scenes are shot because, to mike, while they are happening, they are romantic (keeping in mind what i said before about mike having no experience and therefore no personal knowledge informing his perspective, AND keeping in mind that many of these on-the-surface "romantic" scenes are also consistently subtextually linked (read: paralleled) to familial relationships for both of them... and i haven't even touched the cultural context surrounding homosexuality in 80's. there's so much nuance informing the way this story is being told). and we, as the audience, are supposed to read them as romantic on first viewing, because otherwise the season five plot twist, revealing the truth of mike's feelings, would not work.

it is not a coincidence that the active degradation of their romantic relationship (outside of all of the other context, parallels, symbolism, family coding, etc, that are there to hint along the way that things are not as they might seem) begins full force in season three, at the exact point when the two actually enter a real relationship for the first time, and also when our characters are entering puberty, the time during which a person's sexuality (in a general sense, but also in regard to sexual orientation) begins to fully emerge. after his season one arc with el, mike underwent another season-long romantic arc: this time, with will. it's more subtle, because (i believe) mike doesn't realize yet that it's romantic, but it's there. then at the end of season two, mike makes a choice: he encourages will to dance with a girl and he dances with el, re-writing their tragic ending from season one, but now leaving his romantic arc with will frustratingly unresolved, again mirroring the sense of unresolution from season one: mike has swapped out the end of each romantic arc with the wrong love interest.

and then in season three, now having had the experience of both romantic arcs, and now, for the first time, with both will and el right there beside him, all we can see anymore is the overt contrast between the two relationships, depicted most blatantly through the same type of visual and narrative "parallel" we've been looking at here.

but at the end of this season, instead of making a choice, mike's choice is made for him. he has a romantic moment with will, and then el kisses him, confusing the resolution of these two romantic arcs once again.

mike's season four arc closely mirrors his season one arc (searching for one love interest with the other by his side, mistaken identity trope abound), but with important distinctions: 1. mike is a little older, a lot more experienced, and has a better understanding of both the context of romantic relationships and the scope of his feelings for both el and will. and 2. mike's only real guidance in season four comes from will, and he doesn't simply listen and act based on will's advice, as he did with lucas' in seasons 1&3. now, he fully engages with will's input, pushing back against it when he doesn't agree, and accepting it when he can acknowledge its truth (up until, of course, our fourth (and hopefully final) tragic, incorrectly resolved ending). mike is finally taking control of his romantic narrative in a way he hasn't previously, and the direction it's heading in now is toward security, self-actualization, and will.

so the point of all of this is: nothing is as simple or straightforward as it may seem on the surface. the narrative has always been deeply complex and layered with subtext and symbolism. and most of all, when interpreting the meaning of anything presented directly to us on screen, context matters.

also uh. yeah, mike gay

#byler #mikesbasementbeets posts #parallels are there to be noticed. but that should be where the analysis begins. not where it ends.#this got kinda long i just wanted to be really thorough bc this kind of 'parallel = 1:1 similarity' thinking is way too prevalent #this is less an analysis and more me explaining the plot of the show but. sometimes it feels like it needs to be explained lmao #yes i lied about the ending but when you eliminate the only claim negating that conclusion....#that's. i mean that's the conclusion.#(btw the difference between comparative and experimental investigations is that in an experiment one of the variables is fixed.#something to think about)#mike wheeler

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sinimake · 3 months

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JOHNSHI Body Swap AU

The silly idea came from our discord group and my talented friend @daydreamwalker13 did the arts ❤️😭

One day in Wu Shi Academy, Johnny and Kenshi wake up in each others body. How or why they switched bodies is mystery to them, but it's Liu Kang's doing to get them to work together by putting them literally in each other's shoes.

The first thing Johnny notices in Kenshi's body is a dull pain in his knee. Kenshi once got it injured in Yakuza, and it stuck with him since then.

JC: why the fuck does you left knee hurt so much?

KT: it's gonna rain.

JC: Now, why the fuck is your knee telling the weather??

On the other hand, Johnny's body periodically gets back pain. Kenshi must complain and let Johnny know that the spinning kicks he does is gonna fuck up his spinal disks in the future.

Johnny forces Kenshi to do skincare routines to his face.

And Kenshi forces Johnny to wear long sleeves.

Johnny makes a personal mission to smile as much as possible with Kenshi's face. Like all teeth out smiles. Raiden and Kung Lao got jumpscared when they first saw it.

Kenshi sticking to Johnny to make sure the actor wouldn't do anything sketchy to his body

The first time Johnny is going to the toilet in Kenshi's body: "My god! I guessed you would be big, but daammn, you packing, bro!"

Johnny totally shaves Kenshi's face because he doesn't like the scratchy feeling while Kenshi is just fuming.

Johnny takes silly selfies with Kenshi's face too. These all gonna be blackmailing materials in the future.

KT: I'm gonna kill you

JC, : Oh, Mr.Takahashi please don't. You would be murdering your own body then you would be stuck in mine. What a nightmare it would be

Kenshi speaking japanese with Johnny's voice. It is not clear who likes it more: Johnny, Kenshi or Tomas (oh Tomas is nagging Kenshi to do kenjutsu with Johnny's body bc he thinks Johnny looks so cool!!)

Johnny annoys the fuck out of Bi-han enough for him resort to getting physical but Bi-han gets momentarily confused who to punch. Because he wants to punch Johnny's nose, but punching Kenshi's body doesn't give him satisfaction, so he just punches both Kenshi and Johnny, making Johnny feel the pain as well as leaving some damage to his body.

Because of all the shits Johnny is pulling with Kenshi's body, Kenshi threatens to post ugly pics of Johnny on internet.

KT: Unlike you, i don't have fanbase to worry about.

JC: What do you mean?

KT: I'm sure the internet would love some ugly pictures of the famous actor Johnny Cage. Low angle shot of your double chin or a closeup of your nose hair, you choose.

JC: wait wait wait wait—

KT: It can be both.

JC: WAIT

Johnny's body is fast, nible, and flexible as rubber band, but it is so uncoordinated for kenjutsu while Johnny keeps forgetting that Kenshi's body isn't as flexible as him.

Kenshi is heavier and stronger than Johnny so when Johnny went to do a chest bump with Kung Lao as they usually do, Kung Lao got tossed to the other room like a comet. Since then the shaolins started to steer clear out of Johnny's way.

Kenshi is kinda not well with hand to hand combat. He usually brutes force things, but since he's in Johnny's body, he no longer can do that. So Johnny totals him in sparrings. And somehow Kenshi thinks it's not such a bad idea, its kinda a turn-on.

#pls follow my friend Megan #shes so talented #❤️#johnshi #mortal kombat #mk1 #kenshi takahashi #mk1 2023 #mortal kombat 2023 #johnny cage #johnny x kenshi

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lostuntothisworld · 2 months

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Okay so I think it's time for another spaghetti theory:

Lilamoth isn't collecting moms. She's collecting sisters (or siblings)

Let me explain my thought process here. So a big complaint the fandom has is that we don't have a proper rogue gallery for villains. It's just the butterfly, and nothing else. It worked for early seasons, but things might be getting stale for some folks.

Enter new characters connected to Lilamoth somehow.

So she has 3 moms so far (that we know about.) All but one have something in common: dark hair and blue eyes.

From left to right we have Mrs. Rossi (red), Mrs. Bianca (white), and her third mother who is deaf could possibly be Mrs. Verdi (green).

Then we have this fourth lady that we see Lilamoth watching on her phone in the season 5 finale. I would NOT be surprised if Odille is going to be her 4th mom. Dark hair and blue eyes, and she is also disabled, just like her third mom.

(And I would not be surprised if we find out her surname is Nero (black), or Viola (violet). More on that aspect of this crack theory in a bit...)

Anyway, back to the concept of a rogues gallery. In the finale we see Lila in a disguise that 's VERY reminiscent of one of her moms:

Certainly she can't expect to disguise herself as a woman in her 30's-40's, and especially not with glasses and bangs. But she can pass reasonably as a teenage girl with a dark bob and glasses. You know, a sister.

So we know a certain main character whose name is in the title and wears red with black polkadots has dark hair and blue eyes. We don't know Lilamoth's motivations and and end goal, but we can surmise that she wants to take the place of Marinette.

(And I KNOW I've seen at least one other person theorize this, and I cannot find the post(s) so if you can find it please let me know so I can link it here!)

The pictures we see is one of Marinette with her classmates on the Liberty where Zoe is accepted in the friend group, Marinette with her parents, 3 pictures of Marinette with Kagami, and one picture of Marinette with Luka.

It's interesting to note that there isn't a picture of Marinette and Adrien together shown to the audience. You'd think they'd emphasize that, but no, it's mostly Kagami. I know it's because it's because the episode focuses on Kagami, but still. Other than her, it's just Marinette's parents, Zoe and Luka (Luka! Marinette's ex!) showcased in the closeup screenshot.

I got sidetracked! Anyway, I think other than similar coloring (and color-themed surnames haha) Lilamoth is trying to find other teenagers who are willing to join forces with her. She probably will get her hands on some Miraculous for them, somehow. But I don't think the new jewels will be from the Chinese box.

Here's where things start REALLY going off the rails with this theory:

All of Lilamoth's rogue gallery of villains are her adopted sisters (or siblings) and they are all Luka's exes. He's got a type for Italians with dark hair and blue eyes...

Going back to the surnames, all the surnames have something in common: they share the colors of all of Adrien's various transformations over the course of the series so far:

Rossi: Mister Bug

Bianca: Chat Blanc

Verdi: Aspik

We're just missing Chat Noir (could possibly will be the surname Nero, as it's Italian)

and Ephemeral (it's interesting to note that the surname Lee in Chinese can mean plum, which of course, is purple)

So naturally, my crack theory circles back to Lukadrien is endgame.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

{{{{{{Edit as of April 3, 2024.}}}}}

I will NOT be surprised if this girl with black hair in an extremely recognizable style is a disguise of another sister.

Is Lilamoth collecting blackmail to manipulate them later? She's very obviously walking disguised in areas where there would be lots of cameras (The inside of the Agreste mansion, and the hotel).

(Edit as of April 27, 2024!)

Now we know the synopsis of the London Special, I believe the disguises are to hide Lilamoth's tracks because she knows Maribug's identity. Bonus points if these girls were previous Ladybugs in past time lines that Lilamoth stole the identities of...

[[[Edit: May 4, 2024]]]

I think I found the names of the previous Ladybugs: Marina, Shone, and Mio. (Please enjoy a silly extremely rough draft of where I'd personally go with the show)

As for the rest of the spray paint on the walls, this mural is an actual feature of the Paris Catacombs:

And while I think that most of the other tags on the wall are functionally meaningless and just there for ambiance, I do find the 777-777 tag to be of note. 7 Ladybugs till Lilamoth's goal? What's the deal with the arrows and the floating away 3 7's? Are 3 already "gone"??? Fascinating stuff! My mind is reeling!

[Edit for May 6, 2024]

Possibly figured out the source of the lightning in the season 5 finale. For whatever reason it's not showing up in the tags lmfao tungle is a functional website

#not gonna be surprised if one of Luka's exes is that Adam guy from the noncanon comics that have access to early plot points #he was akumatized with time manipulation powers and was defeated with a hand mirror #naturally I gotta point out the obvious: Viperion and Second Chance and Kagami means mirror #there's no way one of Luka's at least 4 exes isn't a dude #Someone ask me about the band Luka's exes form in dedication to Ladybug and how that ties back to Luka being Bob Roth's newest rockstar #miraculous ladybug #lila rossi #cerise bianca #iris verdi #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #cat noir #chat noir #luka couffaine #kagami tsurugi #miraculous ladybug theory #lukadrien #marigami #yeah marigami is endgame too #ml theory #miraculous ladybug season 6 #ladybug season 6 #miraculous world london #chronobug and the ghosts of the past

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fernfloppercus · 1 month

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New fursona dropped! click/download for bettah quality. Chest censor for cowardly tumblr.

Closeup shots under the cut, as well as some elaborations.

This reference sheet has been in the makes for around 2 months or so now, it's honestly been really slow progress due to me starting my first ever job ontop of ADHD. I noticed that my ADHD symptoms have been worsening due to getting a job, and I currently do not have access to medication or anything of the sort. Regardless, this character is a love letter to myself; over the past year or so I have been trying to come to terms with who or what I am. I'm going to be honest, this really means accepting that there are some things that I cannot put a label on. I wrote Bigender on the reference because I think it comes close to describing what I experience, but I honestly could not write it down in a comprehensible way, nor could I do this with my sexuality, seeing how closely it ties to my autism, and how I navigate intimacy. Just have fun with it. The past few months I have really developed a love for bovids, and I think that has been a very big step in accepting myself as well. People kinda look at a lot of them as dumb or unassuming or even dangerous, they are a little frightened and sometimes see them as gross or unsightly or dumb. I relate to this... they're big and gentle and cute to me though. And I think that I am similar to this. I feel like a cow a lot, or maybe a deer, or goat, or sheep... I don't know too much about them just yet, but I admire them so much. Please follow @bovineblogger SO many great posts. And while you are at it...please follow my close friends... @angelkids @thathandsomeangel @dragonboness. They have been here with me for maybe 6 years now as my best friends. They have watched me explore, and they have supported me for so long. It's mentioned in the ID, but the friendship bracelets my fursona is wearing are all based off of them. They are the greatest. I'd also like to mention that my sona would always have to be a mixture of animals. I feel like a lot of animals, personally, and though I don't use labels like therian or otherkin much, I feel like understanding those experiences would help anyone understand a little more how I feel about bovids, dragons, birds, etcetera. I hope that if you took the time to read this, you understand how much this process meant to me. I have been trying my best to understand the world around me and myself in turn, and I hope that you can as well. The best way to fight fear is with your undying curiosity. It pays off so well. Please, explore the wonderful world...and explore yourself as well. Maybe some things will always remain a mystery...but when you are always curious, it becomes easier to accept the unknown, and not to discredit it.

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mattastr0phic · 1 year

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[Outdated ref!]

I wanted to create a Bright rewrite that would be easier for fictives to identify with and still feel like themselves, so, here's Dr. Myriad, the Phoenix Shapeshifter! (Easier read + closeups of the doodles + more information under the cut!)

Dr. █████ Myriad - Any Pronouns, Any First Name. Genderfluid.

Myriad's consciousness is stored in an indestructible amulet [SCP 963] that records the shape and memories of those who die from touching it. Subjects that are already deceased before contact are not recorded.

As long as Myriad wears the amulet, he is able to morph his own body into any shape recorded by it. Removing the amulet simply disables his ability to change shape, retaining the current one.

If he chooses specific characteristics to combine from multiple people, it also combines their memories. To avoid confusion and preserve Myriad's mental health, it is rarely utilized.

If Myriad dies, any remains of her body retreat into the amulet for a healing period in which their body is slowly reformed wearing it. During this period, Myriad is able to observe her surroundings through the amulet's gem.

It has been noted that if their remains do not make it back to the amulet, their body is reconstructed at the cost of a random selection of shapes and memories, which are no longer accessible afterwards.

Myriad is also able to turn into animals, as long as they have also touched and died by the amulet.

They are often called upon for reconnaissance missions due to the useful aspects of their anomaly listed above, and can hold up quite well in combat, shown to also inherit muscle memory within shapes.

Well, here they are! I ran Myriad by a few Bright fictive friends of mine to get their opinions on them before posting. I know their source has been giving them difficulty, and identifying with Shaw is a huge change, and due to personal reasons, I couldn't settle with it.

While I don't expect everyone to immediately accept Myriad, I just hope to make some people's lives easier. If y'all do end up using them, I'd love to see and be tagged for it! If any Bright fictives have suggestions/thoughts as well, I look at replies often. I'm open to the myriad of possibilities!

#dr myriad #scp #scp foundation #<- will be using bright tags for a bit to show myriad then slowly scale to just myriad tags!#and if anyone asks. the x clef name is Clyr and I will probably make a joke abt it soon #scp scribbles #mart #ref

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decaffeinatedunicorn · 14 days

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i wanna talk about hayden movies tooooooo

let's doooooo....... the last man (bc the branrot 🤌)

pros:

HAYDEN???? HELLOOOOOOOOO?????? 😫🙏

hayden's the absolute hottestttttt in this movie oh my GOD. i'm having palpitations just thinking about him

cinematography is actually really pretty, like there are some really aesthetic shots of scenery and cool closeups

did i mention haydennnnnnn AAAAAA

kurt matheson the man that you are 🔥

cons:

the goddamn beard..... oh god the BEARD 😭😭 get it away from meeeeee-

i can't for the life of me remember the plot. what happened? god knows

the street gang/thugs or whatever they are were so cartoony and cringey i got secondhand embarrassment. so glad hayden beat them up adfsgdhfjg (i cheered)

the movie is so dark i literally sat watching it like this

(it was a nightmare to gif the scenes let me tell you 😭)

The script needed a few more minutes in the oven

in conclusion, hayden's too good for this movie and it doesn't deserve him, his acting or his hotness

Movie: The last man: on the face of the earth (widely known as the last man) summary: A veteran who's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder takes the advice of a street prophet and starts preparing for the end of days. release date: January 18, 2019 tomatometer: 24% IMDb: 3.7/10 UNImeter: 1.8/5

What I like about it:

Kurt obviously

fight scenes

the random comedic relief from his "friend" who wasn't there, but a figment of his PTSD

Harvey Keitel

What I dislike about it:

The voiceovers... I like listening to Hayden talk, but the voiceovers were overkill

Kurt's thick ass beard... was unnecessary

why did Kurt end up in the mental hospital?

the random little boy??

Jessica... & what was with the peep show of pics of her on her workplace computer?

why tf was it so dark? if you don't watch this movie in a dark room, you won't be able to see shit. (Maybe it's just my TEDs idk)

why was Kurt naked eating out of a can and reading a book? he couldn't have done that with clothes on?

what the fuck is the storyline? was it just me? this movie is TERRIBLY confusing

one big dystopian cliche

one big buildup of events and then crash lands and never goes anywhere... (BOO!)

THE LAST MAN RECAST IN PT. 2

Not a fan of Hayden content? Check out @chronicallyill-fangirl

#UNIreviews #hayden christensen #the last man #kurt matheson #anakin skywalker #james kelly #UNIspeaks×lacebird #movie review #movies #reviews

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hexagonspress · 1 year

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BE by tothewillofthepeople

Grantaire is earnest in this, and it’s heartbreaking. Enjolras can’t look away. This is just a rehearsal. Grantaire is still wearing skinny jeans. They have lights and phones and textual analysis and thousands of years of history between now and then and yet– When Grantaire speaks, the distance collapses. (Grantaire as Hamlet.)

Title: Middle Ages Deco Headers/Accents: Letter Gothic Standard Body text: Adobe Caslon Pro Case title: Goudy Initialen

38,667 words | 224 pages

Binderary book 1: a long-favourite EXR fic. I love wild Les Mis AUs and I love Shakespeare and this is all of that in such a lovely lovely form. Stage manager Enjolras is inspired. Also, I've been frothing at the mouth to use my special blackletter fonts and go suuuper overboard designing and this was Perfect for that purpose.

More pictures/design/process under the cut.

Design and Construction Case: Flat-back case binding with bradel board covers and spine. The spine cloth is Hollander's pearl linen in charcoal grey. The painted titles were done in Amsterdam acrylic ink in silver, with a pair of scissors because I don't own a painting brush and likely never will. The cover papers are printed on 80gsm white printer paper and glued with a regular Elmer's glue stick and PVA on the turn-ins, and the whole case is sprayed with workable fixatif to (hopefully) preserve it longer-term.

Covers: The front and back covers were designed in Photoshop. The centre image is a William Morris pattern, and the top and bottom little circles are Renaissance printer's ornaments (pngs by the lovely @helle-bored of Renegade Bindery) that I vectorized in Illustrator (Illustrator and I were sworn enemies until this month. Now we're forced friends. Like enemies to lovers).

Insides: Endpapers are a William Morris pattern recoloured in Photoshop to be a richer green and red, obv, for EXR. Printed with inkjet on 80gsm printer paper and glued to gold cardstock, and sewn into the textblock. Endbands are pre-sewn from Hollanders, dyed gold with acrylic ink to match the endpapers.

Typesetting Typeset was done in InDesign. This is a one-shot with scene breaks, so to match the theatre theme of the piece I replaced the horizontal line breaks with flagged scene numbers. I tried to strike a balance in the typesetting between classic Shakespearean aesthetic with the blackletter drop caps and cover fonts versus what you might see in a theatre script book with the monospace accents. The title spread uses a transparent decorative frame, again from Helle's collection; the large box in the middle with the title was part of the original frame and then I duplicated and resized it for the author name and my imprint.

We All Do It, or, the Mistakes Section I somehow managed to print the cover papers nine inches tall and didn't see a problem with it until they came off the printer. Truly who knows how that happened. I was working on the case at two in the morning and cut the spine cloth the wrong length three separate times...earned the measure once cut twice badge big time for that one. The endpapers were an ordeal and a half for real. What I learned: print them too big and glue the cardstock to the back, then trim the paper to size, not the other way around otherwise you'll end up with big ugly gaps where the trimming was a few millimeters off. Whoops.

And...more pictures

I'm particularly pleased with how the covers here came out so here's closeups. Also, the arc on the spine that you can see in the endband on the last one is really pleasing to me lol I fought a war trying to get the flatback hinge calculations right.

#binderary2023 #les miserables #enjoltaire #bookbinding #fanbinding #kvothes #my books

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libbytwq · 2 months

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wowie i did it! I drew sonic designs for if he were in each shatterverse!

Im very proud of them, they look so skrungly

Also this was a challenge for me, i just kinda made up their designs as i went along with no references and no premade color palettes

Heres the post where i first made the idea:

Anyway, closeups + character info below

(Keep in mind, these characters exist in a timeline where the prism was never shattered)

Renegade Blur, the Sonic of the New Yoke City Shatterverse

I took some design element inspo from Knucks, with the scars and the lil spine dent thingies

He is incredibly reckless and very loud and overconfident (his scars are from being reckless and stupid)

He is kinda similar to Chaos Sonic tbh

He stops at nothing to defeat his enemies, even when his body cant take another hit

He can be a lil bit overbearing, but when it counts, his heart is usually in the right place

He works with Rebel and Knucks, and sometimes they don't get along but they can trust Blur usually

Loves races and is a sore loser

He's also never met Nine, but if he were to meet Nine, he'd be able to get along with him, but would side with the Rebels and agree he can't always be trusted

Very violently aro/ace, he do his own thing and doesn't like the idea of being bogged down by another person he has to take care of

Quill, the Sonic of the Boscage Maze Shatterverse

Took some design inspo from Gnarly and Thorn, as well as the facepaint from Prim

He can be a lil nervous and underconfident, and doesnt know he can run fast (hes a lil bit klutzy - if he runs too fast he trips on something and falls over, so he doesnt run too fast typically)

He loves his friends! He hates getting abandoned

He typically hangs out with Prim, Gnarly, Hangry and Mangey above the forest, but he does hang out with Thorn occasionally below the treetops (the rest of the group has no idea)

Thorn scares him a lot. He is so afraid of her, but he sticks around cuz they do actually care about each other, but they refuse to admit it

Quill is usually the one that the group sends below the forest, cuz he is able to grab some food without immediately getting sent up by Thorn and Birdie

If Thorn ever catches him taking berries, Quill is usually able to explain himself, and Thorn usually lets him off the hook

Quill and Thorn like each other (shhhh dont tell anyone i said that, not even quill knows he likes her)

Mangey is one of his best buds! They get along so well and no one knows why

Has never heard of the idea of relationships, but he has these weird fuzzy feelings for Thorn that he cant identify, hm must be nothing

Sexuality? Whats that?

Aklesh, the Sonic of the No Place Shatterverse

This one was my fav to design. I took a lot of inspo from a lot of the No Place characters, and "Aklesh" is Sanskrit for "Swift Lord"

The shiny rings and accessories are the colors of his friends - Red for Dread, Yellow for Sails, Pink for Black Rose, and Purple for Batten

His bandana on his head is yellow to go along with how Sails's bandana is blue

He just loves vibing with his crew, he gets along well with everybody - Sails and Dread are his besties tho

He's perfectly fine with being lazy and not doing anything everyday, but when the time calls, he's more than happy to be a swashbuckling pirate

Surprisingly, he is not afraid of water

He loves his colorful shiny accessories and is a bit of a collector

The peacemaker of the group, he settles disputes and suggests that the answer isn't through violence - but if the answer is to use violence, like if another pirate ship raids them, he won't stop fighting until he is victorious

Kind of unofficially unspokenly the second in command to Dread

Raging pansexual. Kind of a slut, with how he keeps his shirt half open /j

Aklesh thinks Dread is very very neat (and they were crewmates wink wink). Dread has no clue

ok thats all i needed to say, hope ya like it

#clip studio paint pro #digital art #my art #sonic prime #sonic au #sonic oc #blur the hedgehog #quill the hedgehog #aklesh the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog

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fearyandear · 11 months

Text

Where You Stand [Monster! Spidersona Reader x Miguel O'hara]

(Can be read as Romantic or Platonic. Is set as Miguel is still figuring things out, before there were so many spiderpeople he'd bring in)

*Sona's comic book slams down*

So, let's go through this again.

My name is [Insert].

I lived a pretty standard life.

*Pictures of Sona as a kid, smiling, and slowly stopping as more photos stack of them doing different stuff through the years*

I was bitten by a pretty gnarly spider...

And, I started changing into something…

*grotesque changing sequence in an alley*

Unrecognizable?

*stumbles through the streets, bumping into someone and spooking them*

Monstrous?

*Sona looks at themself for the first time through a reflection on a shop's glass, onlookers inside staring at them*

I was so scared,

*Sona is having a breakdown as they run to their apartment*

I didn't know what I was! I had to hide it,

*Sona locks themself inside their room*

To lock myself away…

*Blanket burrito as parents bang on door, speed up through days of staying locked. Stops and shows MC staring wistfully out the window. It's raining, and dark*

But then…

*lightning flashes, and suddenly there's a figure crouched in the sill*

Someone paid me a visit.

Sona, tingling spidersense going off: "Woah… you're… like me…?"

Miguel, disgusted, looking around the room: "Don’t-Don't ever say that again. Get up."

He was a serious grump that came out of nowhere. And it was like..

He was trying to assess me.

Miguel: 'What are you doing?'

Sona: 'I liked your cape!'

Miguel: 'You look ridiculous.'

Sona: 'I'm literally copying you!'

It was tough…

*montage of getting beat to the ground multiple times*

But I got to learn a lot of stuff.

Like that I was part *Spider* of all things!

Sona: 'Woah… I thought I was Mothman'

Miguel: 'What the hell is a Mothman?'

How to change forms at will, how to 'fight' crime, how to shoot my own webs, how to FIGHT THE URGE TO BITE PEOPLE,

*Miguel holding snarling sona back like a dog against webbed up, concerned looking robbers*

Those few days that didn't last long at all.

*Sona reaches out to try to hold his hand*

I didn't want him to leave, but.

*He snatches it away. He holds his hand, looks at them, then turns around*

He had a team to take care of. One that I just... couldn't join.

*Portal closes. Sona is alone.*

I admit, that I was angry at first.

*Sad and lonely Sona shots*

Maybe a little depressed. But. After a while, it was fine.

I got to make my own group.

*Sona saves people*

I helped people.

*Sona takes webbed mutated villain away from the scene*

People like me.

*Sona takes a bag off the mutant and shows they're in a cheery-looking pit in the sewers with balloons, cake, and 'Rehab for Rehashes' is on a banner in the wall.*

People that were considered 'Other', and were outcasted.

*Mutant looks around, incredulous*

The people that I should've been fighting.

*cuts to a 'support group' meeting for the people Sona helped, the same mutant talking animatedly*

Heh. I was getting pretty good at 'stopping crime'. In my own way.

But then...

Civilian 1: 'It's Spiderman!'

Civilian 2: ''We're saved!'

*He* came.

*A more classic-looking spiderman kicks the Mutant across a street*

Another. Spiderperson.

*Closeup of his get up, as he lifts the mutant up to deliver another punch. Montage of his 'good deeds' plays*

More normal looking, more 'morally aligned.' Accepted and adored like a poster child.

And I was enemy number one for him.

*posters of Sona everywhere*

His *nemesis.*

*video if a fight between Sona and Spiderman plays on a big screen*

He made it his mission to stop me at any cost.

As if *I* was the fraud.

He took my friends.

*Sona in the now empty, sad Rehab*

He cornered me to my home...

*'Civilian' Sona sees cops parked all over where they live*

My family....

*Parents are talking with the police outside as Sona sneaks to listen*

Parent : This explains so much… I just… Where did we go wrong?

....

*Shots of being in the street*

I had to run.

But anywhere I went, he'd find me.

*more fighting between the two, more intense*

I couldn't do anything back, I could barely even survive.

*Sona is losing*

It was all over for me.

*Sona hit to the ground, is closing their eyes*

I had accepted that this was it.

Except...

*Sounds of Spiderman being hit, Sona opens their eyes and sees a portal glow. Perspective shifts as they're picked up. Miguel is talking to someone else on his comm*

Miguel: 'I told you there couldn't be two spidermen.'

He came back.

*Future shot of a bandaged, sad Sona*

I almost died because I didn't belong in my own universe.

*touches where the spiderbite was*

Because the spider that bit me…

*a memory of Sona being shown that dimension, full of monster creatures*

Came from somewhere else.

I really was the fraud, in the end...

But,

*a hand touches Sona's shoulder*

I was lucky.

*Sona looks up at Miguel*

Miguel, softly: 'Come on.'

I guess I scored enough brownie points because the Spider Council took pity on me.

They finally let me join.

*Sona putting on the portal gizmo. Flashes of the following weeks go by*

It's fine. It's fun. I get to go on tons of missions!

Meet so many new people!

And when everyone has to leave back to their own universes…

I… stay and do a bit of cleaning…

Miguel: I told you to stop messing with that. You're gonna make SpiderByte mad.

Sona, sobbing: BUT IM SO BO-HO-HOOOORED

*Sona looks out the building's window, overlooking Nueva York's skyline at night.*

I don't belong anywhere else.

*Miguel drops a blanket on their shoulders and hands them a cup of steaming liquid*

This is my home now.

*Sona scooches on the couch and they start going over plans for another mission, paperwork on the table*

And I'll do anything to keep it that way.

#atsv #spidersona #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x y/n #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara x oc #across the spiderverse #across the spiderverse miguel #wrote this for my own spidersona but I figured anyone else that's intrigued by such a backstory can make their own monster spideyperson too

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mikeyfrickinway · 10 months

Note

hello can you please show us details on the demolition lovers costume they fuck severely

I gotchu buddy

Sorry this took me a bit to get to, the dress was not in my possession since it was a gift for my friend, but I borrowed it to make some repairs! (honestly for not making a test patch and then sending thru the durability test that is dancing and jumping around for an MCR cover band I'm surprised the casualties were kept to like, one or two strands)

Also here's a video of it in motion! Since pics don't capture how much the beads sparkle plus how much motion the dangly bits have

I'll take closeups of the suit when I have the time n add em to this post, hopefully tomorrow?

#my posts #demolition lovers #my chemical romance #MCR #so sorry to everyone that followed me for my demo lovers costumes only to be met with constant Gabe saporta propaganda #except I'm not sorry everyone here go stream viva la cobra hit album by cobra starship #also this dress hasn't touched a dress form till today #I did all the sewing/beading sitting hunched over on my bed and would try it on a billion times to make sure it looked right #demolition lovers cosplay #mcr cosplay #mcr bullets #three cheers for sweet revenge #fun fact I got the dress at a thrift store for like 20 bucks and it fit my friend perfectly

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storiesbyjes2g · 25 days

Text

3.114 Moving day

Sophia gave me a sullen good morning. Our Love Day marathon had amounted to nothing...again. I didn't want to make Sophia feel worse by reacting to her, so I just took several intentional deep breaths. It was moving day, and I wanted to bring positive energy into our new house. But man was that hard to hear. The doctor said we had a chance, but it seemed less and less likely with every negative test Sophia tossed in the trashed. Even I found it more difficult to stay positive. The excitement of moving was our only saving grace that day.

To make matters worse, rain greeted us upon our arrival in San Sequoia. The universe seemed determined to crush our spirits. Why would it do that? We were good sims who never hurt anyone. We didn't deserve any of that. Still, nothing could stamp out my excitement that day. At long last, I stood in front of my very own house next to the woman I loved. Life was good.

Hello! It's me, Jess. I'm gonna temporarily pause the story here while Luca and Sophia get moved in and settled, but they will be back soon! Like legit soon. I already have the next few chapters written! I'm enjoying this story so much if I don't pause, I'll never make it back to The Piersons & Friends. Enjoy some exterior pics until we get back.

Here's the front porch with the swing he was excited about.

The side yard is supposed to be a garden area, but the only gardening Luca is gonna do is tending to the money tree, so I thought it was perfect to do some yoga classes if he decides to start doing them at home again.

This is the other side yard (we'll call it the backyard) view from the street. It's a nice size yard for the kiddoes to play and ride bikes. Can't wait for him and Ali to build the treehouse together.

A closeup of the patio.

And finally, the upstairs balcony off the master bedroom. Luca's got his gear out there to record his morning yoga. Sophia has already claimed one of the rocking chairs.

After these messages, we'll be riiiiight back!

#ISBI challenge #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay #adolting #adolting gen 3 #luca winston murillo #sophia aguilar

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hoardlikegoldenirises · 4 months

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*leans casually on wall* hey,

i will take ANY excuse to design an outfit, especially wedding outfits, idk why— I just think they're fun.

there were originally two tuxedos involved in this (on the hair timeline drawing), with Flash's white and Peter's blue, but as I was editing my notes I ended up moving some stuff around and shunted Flash's transition forward by about a year and a half because it made more sense to happen around the time they get married instead of nearly 2 years later...

So like any reasonable person, I thought to myself, "oh boy! time to spend four days on a wedding dress!" (the drawing didn't take four days, i just spent a lot of time looking stuff up)

💐

closeups and thoughts under the cut:

in my head the top part of the dress is at least partially some kind of soft, flexible fabric, like a stretch satinet or whatever, or one of those really soft matte stretchy fabrics, but i honestly wasn't sure how exactly to handle that considering I'm not a tailor myself... like there should probably be a waist seam where the top meets the skirt, though probably hidden by the embroidery at least a little bit... though i guess it could also be that there is a layer of already-embroidered georgette over the top of a slip...

i did not hand draw this embroidery by the way. i almost tried. and then after .5 seconds i said, "oh this doesn't look good and i don't know what i'm doing." so then i used some brushes in clip studio paint and colored in colors i liked and added some beads that are basically not visible at 100% zoom (lmao)

they're there, i swear. i just think it would be cute if there were some very small beads adding a bit of sparkle...

Anyway, I just thought the flowers and colors would be nice. And I know you're probably thinking "huh, where'd they get sheer fabric that's only embroidered on part of it?" considering all those pre-made fabrics w/ the flowers all over... or "where did they get that dress custom-made? did one of their friends pay for it?" to which normally I would say "yeah lol they know at least a half a dozen rich people" but in this case... Well, this is a wedding that involves Peter. and Peter is nothing if not extra, impulsive, romantic, and a masochist—

Peter hand-sewed the entire dress, including the embroidery.

I figure, if he can embroider spider webs onto his suit then surely he can handle this ,as long as he has something to go off of. the dress itself isn't exactly the most complex, except maybe the skirt part falling in a specific way, so this is just another idk how many hours for him to spend futzing around with a needle and thread and insisting he can finish it in time. point in favor, because he does, but only because they have to postpone the wedding from March to May for other, unrelated reasons LMAO

also i just think it's romantic... and i like the idea of him making things with his hands all the time... he takes up woodworking a year or two before this iirc lol (the reasons for that are more morbid though... 😅)

anyway, i wanted the skirt to look nice in a wheelchair without getting in the way of things like the brake grips or the push-rims, so Flash can still move herself around (esp since she doesn't have handles on the back of her wheelchair lol) so that was another thing i was looking at pictures of. I really like georgette so I think it's probably layers of georgette, but drawing that is... hard.

probably looks a little more like this?

but plain ivory obviously, not plaid. drapey with a soft hand, not too fluffy or stiff. probably a satin slip or something underneath.

elegant... backless... I mean if Peter is the one designing it (though presumably Flash has SOME input, I mean, she's the one wearing it) how could he possibly resist the opportunity? (i just think backless dresses look nice) (also it shows off her back muscles, probably)

lmao

as it says in the pic, i figured this should be designed so it's comfortable to sit in and doesn't get tugged around a bunch but I will be honest. i did not have a lot of luck trying to research that so I gave up. I'm sure there's a way to do it but I have no idea how to draw it so I'm handwaving it along with the mysterious missing waist seam LOL

but also it's a wedding dress and most wedding dresses are wildly inconvenient even if you have absolutely no disabilities whatsoever.

at least she doesn't have to go commando...

though i'm sure going to the bathroom is a real nightmare lol

the bouquet and the veil are both on the back of the wheelchair—this was already true even before I decided Flash was gonna use this as an opportunity to be way more girly than usual, but it's still true here too. Though I did end up changing the flowers cause I realized I didn't like what I had, so the final bouquet is a mix of peonies, flowering dogwood, and some kind of wildflower that would be in season in May. Plus the red ribbon to match Peter's accessories.

oh and there's Flash's makeup too. Simple, not too dramatic. I don't imagine her ever being a red lipstick and dramatic eyeshadow kind of person, whether at a wedding with colorful dress or not, but some lip gloss and a little bit of shimmery eyeshadow that you can barely see sounds nice... maybe copper mascara or whatever but nothing dark.

her hair is also not super complicated or fancy, and she has no jewelry or anything like that, aside from the engagement ring... just a nice low bun with some pretty wisps 💞 Courtesy of MJ almost definitely!!

And the yarmulke is for a multitude of reasons. "Technically" Flash is not "legally" a woman at this point, isn't even out to her family yet (lol. lmao.) and hasn't legally changed her name yet either (she's going to after they get married), and I don't even know what the rabbi would think (i mean, i'm sure they've discussed by the time the wedding happens lol) but women wear yarmulkes these days too (these days is... 2014... btw), and Flash will have converted like 4 years before the wedding already (for reasons unrelated to Peter) so it's important to her... so, ultimately, regardless of requirements or level of reformness, I think she just wants to wear one.

Peter gets one too.

isn't he handsome?

lbr he probably wouldn't have even thought about it if Flash didn't bring it up. too busy thinking about what color of tiny beads to sew onto her dress XD

I DID loosely base some elements of Peter's tuxedo on the one from the iconic PeterMJ wedding cover—

—but mostly in ways I probably would have done anyway (dark blue tux... red cummerbund... etc.) (actually now that i think about it, the comic tux is probably meant to be black, huh) and I didn't want to make it actually the same so I gave him a pleated shirt and I didn't use a carnation for his boutonniere. Instead, dogwood (to match the bouquet obviously)—all the flowers I picked I'm PRETTY sure are in-season in May in NYC. as if they couldn't just go to any random garden and get some damn roses but I wanted to be more specific.

Peter doesn't make his tuxedo XD He also doesn't buy or rent it—Johnny Storm is the one in charge here because he insists, Peter. It's a special occasion!! He'd never let his best friend who he's totally not a little bit in love with wear a rental tuxedo to his own wedding! God Forbid. Peter eventually allows him to do so under the stipulation that Johnny keeps it tasteful and classy and "not too expensive."

Which to Johnny means "expensive silks and wools."

he's probably wearing suspenders. i didn't bother drawing that.

also these fucking shoes

NO idea if Peter keeps these. I only came up with them today. He was just gonna wear normal shoes before... but again, this is tasteful a la Johnny Storm. But Peter doesn't usually have occasions to dress fancy so having weird pseudo-spat dress boots is like. "What do I even do with these?" ("Wear them!!!")

I almost made the top part white (thus, pseudo-spats) but I think that kind of requires more of a white tie look... it looks nicer black. and hides his spidey-tighties (except he's not wearing his costume under this). Snaps, too! easy on, easy off!

(vaguely based on (these shoes) btw but not 100%)

wedding rings 💍

i already drew the rings a while ago (though i did slightly modify the coloring) so that's still the same. the engagement ring is essentially Flash's very first step into admitting who she wants to be... Peter doesn't even have a proposal planned, he just asks one day over breakfast lmfao but Flash has to think about it a lot so by the time Peter gets a yes (after a serious conversation with Flash about it) Flash is also like... can I have a ring??? and Peter is like OF COURSE (and actually he did have some money saved for this but he didn't know what to do...)

he'd probably make the ring himself if she asked—he doesn't though, they get it from a jeweler. it's... not cheap but it's less than $1000 at least? benefits of being very small and discreet.

Peter probably also offers to get himself one so they're equals here esp since power dynamics is part of the serious conversation and why Flash has to think about his proposal, but it's just not practical for Science Teacher Spider-Man to have an engagement ring and also they do not have money for that many rings.

in my notes Peter is wearing his uncle's wedding ring btw 🥹 i don't think they have Richard and Mary's rings so that's probably not an option. so, resizing Uncle Ben's ring instead.

anyway...

that's everything

here's Flash again, look how pretty she is

normally she just wears comfy athletic clothes and no makeup lol

#peterflash #trans flash #nadiart #arghdesign #fanadiart #rough art #peter parker #flash thompson #came in through the window last night #fun fact: i tried to use the generic 3d models as a base to make my life easier. that didn't work out.#also considering flash getting peter an all white tallit for this... (and possibly herself as well tbh)

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evevoli · 6 months

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original story concept: flight feathers (working title)

aka me shoving my new OCs in everyone's faces for a few minutes. low and behold, my gang of losers:

from left to right: Phoenix, Selene, Helios, and Killian

so a wayward beam of divine insanity lightning struck me about four months ago in the form of the first genuinely coherent original story idea i've had in... basically forever and i am finally crawling out of my mad ornithologist lab to talk about it, if only so i have something to point to when i start tagging random innocuous text posts with the names of characters no one's ever heard of. this project is perhaps the most self-indulgent Autism Fueled venture i have ever gone on and it is so fun actually

the basic gist of the story is that local Teenage Bird Hater Selene accidentally gets isekai'd to a Greco-Roman/baroque-inspired city on a floating archipelago hidden in the clouds, inhabited by bird-worshipping winged people. there she befriends a strange one-winged fortune teller named Phoenix, who takes her in while she looks for a way back down to earth.

as a certified Bird Disliker(tm) for reasons she will absolutely not disclose, the idea of being trapped in this city with its strange bird-entrenched culture has got to be Selene's personal hell. but she's already made a few good friends and is learning a lot, so hey... if you ignore the castle surrounded by doves looming off in the distance, and the general poor sentiment surrounding corvids, maybe it's not such a bad place to be after all.

...until it turns out the King himself might have it out for her, much to the dismay of his son and loyal knight, Prince Helios and Captain Killian.

there is. A Lot more to it than that lol—and at least like 8 more characters i haven't gotten to drawing yet—but there's your elevator pitch. to explain the world a bit more, everyone has bird wings to fly with, their own Bird Familiars(tm), and rides around on pegasi and different species of griffin. the world consists of little islands connected by bridges, with the city developed vertically, and sort of resembles a fusion between the Aether mod in Minecraft and Zephyr Heights in MLP G5.

and now the most important thing, the Closeups

some notes:

Selene is transfem :), Helios is transmasc only because i tried giving him curled ram horns and got so frustrated trying to draw them i just gave up and gave him the ewe ones instead

Selene is a Wolf Kid and really vibes with the lyrics to Angel of Darkness on a personal level

Helios's wings are weak and undersized so he can't take off or fly for very long on his own

i like to consider Helios my personal challenge to design the most unapologetically cringe and archetypal character ever. i am going to make a character that is so sad little loser prince. kicks him

Phoenix is a childhood nickname, Killian is just a shortened form of Achilles. Phoenix absolutely hates his birth name. Killian is ambivalent towards his

Phoenix lost his left wing in an accident that changed the trajectory of his life forever teehee :3c

the little blue jay is named Celeste, the crow is Peanut, and the tawny owl is Athena :)

and that is all i shall reveal in this post >:) this idea has been rotting my brain from the inside out for months now so don't hesitate to shoot me an ask if you're wondering about anything :]

#so nervous finally posting this stuff lol #flight feathers #evff #<- that is the best general tag i can think of 💀 trying hard not to spam a fandom with a certain acronym here im so sorry #selene ff #helios ff #phoenix ff #killian ff #original story #my art #ev.post #oc tag

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littlelightfish · 5 months

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Four Swords boys, the sames from the manga, but my version of them.

They're around 15-16 here

Under the cut for my headcanons and closeups <3

My personal favorite

Blue is less explosive after his adventure, but an overall grumpy introvert, and is autistic. Talks very little with his brothers, but he talks to no-one else. Doesn't know sign language, he has to express himself the best he can, and since he doesn't always has something to write on, he ussually just doesn't try to socialize and can be mistaken for someone rude when he doesn't reply. He doesn't have friends aside from his brothers and Zelda, but is mostly fine with it, and his love language is acts of service, since he doesn't know how to express love very well, and likes making the people he cares about happy. He isn't great with his body language when he's not trying to express something in particular. Ussually stands arms crossed and grumpy face.

Usually goes on missions with one of his brothers (since the events of the manga, he doesn't like being outside alone at all), and he's the strongest colour, at the same time, the most scarred of them (usually takes the first hit and tries to avoid his brothers getting hurt in battle at any costs). Gets a bit jaleous when he notices how many friends Green and Red have, and when he's left aside or behind (on purpose or not) he tends to overthink and aisles himself. Claustrophobic, can't sleep with closed doors and without a light, hates the cold, and when stressed can be very sharp and mean. He has outbursts when stressed but he usually doesn't mean what he says or does when he's having it. His brothers and the castle guards know this, but town's people don't, and that's why he isn't very loved in town, and why he doesn't like going outside and getting involved into situations that may stress him. Sometimes he hates himself for being like this, and hates that he can't help it, but at least he's got his brothers support. His farher doesn't understands him, and often makes him upset trying to be nice, which he gets, but it drains his patience and pushes him to be sharp with him.

Has an obsession with weapons. He knows every single one of them, he loves them, he likes to take care of them, polish them, test them... His room is always tidy because he just can't stand when something is out of place. Has sensory issues with certain foods and doesn't like animals that much. Only Red's kitten. He's the only one that truly understands him.

Green hasn't changed that much, he's a loud extrovert and spending time with people is his love language. Is Zelda's closest friend, they share everything after the adventure. He doesn't like being the center of attention, but manages it well, at least better than the other colours. Uses a ponytail because Zelda told him once that she liked soldiers with long hair, and is the one with the most common sense, against popular belief.

He is terrified of solo missions, and likes Blue's mute company the best when outside, but he enjoys time alone in the castle and their home. He's the one the people are talking about when they say "Link", and therefore the only one that reacts at that name. Has ADHD, can't sit still even in serious situations, even when he tries, always forgets what he was going to do and that's why he writes down everything he's been told to do. Usually is the one to carry all the healing items, as he's the most agile and fast of them, and can hand or throw a bottle with precision while running. He's really good at sparring and is usually the last standing colour in a fight.

He is worried sick about his brothers well-being, much more than he cares to admit. He is often at Blue's side at all times (unless when he says that he needs/wants to be alone), and is beginning to worry him the way people in town looks at Blue. He's got an obsession with insects. He knows every family of insects, every variation, the evolutive line of every single one of them he sees. Yet, arachnids do not count. He HATES spiders with all his might. Still, knows everything about them. Specially the bet way to get rid of them.

He's seen things. Usually soft and caring, but often too tired to get out of bed. Is really sweet and never means to make anyone upset, and even though he doesn't know how to say no, he knows to stand for others, to tell if someone is being reckless, and can see when someone is a bad person right though.

His brothers are afraid he might be developing some kind of disorder, and they suspect depression or bipolarity (1), and he has come to admit he isn't as happy as he was before, and he would like to know what's wrong with him, because he realizes it isn't normal to behave like he does. Lately he's been having meltdowns more frequently, and struggles with basic chores.

Reliable in battle, is always trying to get everyone to safety once they can't continue fighting. He's very perceptive and can tell when someone is hiding an injury easily, at the same time, he's the best hiding them (when he believes it's nothing that important). Usually is the one to save Blue's ass when he is very focused on being the human shield of the group, and the best at not getting hit. They've decided lately that's better not to take him into missions until he feels better. Is a terrible survivalist, likes to cook and eat very much, and can't stand being alone at any time, otherwise he'll start overthinking and end up crying after the first half hour. He has many friends in town and all over the map, is by far the most loved of the colours, likes to write letters to them and his love language is giving gifts. He's the reason they adopted a kitten. He is empathetic, bot doesn't know how to handle other people's meltdowns or outbursts. Likes Vio's silence company the most, but enjoys everyone's. He really doesn't like dark places, and being alone is his biggest fear.

After his adventure, he's shown to be someone who doesn't like being disturbed while focused, but that enjoys company. He's really talkative and objective, but even being the brains of all them, he lacks of common sense. He thinks everything way too much, is always the pessimist vewing the worst possible outcome, and because of that he's always prepared for the worst. He knows every enemy's weakness only by looking at it, but he's the worst at fighting and the first always to fall. He prefers to be shooting arrows from a safe distance because he isn't that useful during a battle (he knows this and doesn't like going on missions at all). The scars on his face are Shadow's courtesy, and he doesn't like to talk about it. He's the closest to Red and the one that knows the first when somethings off about him, but sucks at reading people in general. He knows the best how to get Green to focus on something, and how to manage Blue's outbursts and prevent them. His love language probably is phisical contact, but he is really selective in this. He's afraid of heights and often avoids the third floor of a building or a dungeon if he can, especially if the room he has to go to has windows or a balcony. If he can avoid going into stairs, better.

He doesn't really likes to talk about his feelings at all, but no because he's shy about it, but because he doesn't understands feelings well, even tho he knows how to behave and react when someone's being emotional. He often feels guilty about Shadow, and wonders if he did the right thing back then. "It was probably the best outcome", he thinks to put his mind at ease. He didn't had any kind of feelings towards him, he was only hoping to be useful to the other colours with his actions.

He was very little time with the colours, and no-one seems to know what happened to him after he disappeared. After saving them he was presumed dead, but he lives in the colours shadow and has enough movement to unsettle someone looking carefully. He wishes to be hylian and live the lovely lives they all seem to live, but he knows every messed up thing that happens in the colour he's under range of vision/hearing, even when said colour doesn't. When the colour he's being the shadow of falls in battle or asleep, he, if wants to remain conscious, has to move to the shadow of another of the colours, but it's really hard to do, since he has to be touching the other shadow for it. It's easy in dark rooms, but since they don't seem to like them very much, he just falls unconscious.

He truly hates being reduced to a mere shadow, he misses talking so much... He's always the first to know when there are enemies nearby, when someone's about to get ambushed, and when an item is cursed. He usually avoids being at Green or Vio's shadow, because Green's always close to Zelda, and because of what Vio did. He had a hard time getting over it. He prefers Blue's shadow the best, and is worried sick about his and Red's well-being since they're often struggling with being alive, and he grew a soft spot for them both with time. When far from Zelda, Green's shadow is his fauvorite. He's always moving and doing something, it amazes him a bit, actually.

They all go by he/him, but they don't mind being misgendered my "they/them", it makes sense. Every other pronoun would offend them and they will kindly (or not so much) tell what their pronouns are.

Red is hetero, Blue is demi, Green hetero as well, Vio aro, and shadow doesn't know what we're talking about neither cares.

If you read all this, thanks for liking it enough to read it all <3

If I mispronounced something, I'm sorry, English isn't my first language :')

#link #four swords #not lu #link four swords #red link #blue link #vio link #violet link #shadow link #green link #my art #my babys #they are brothers #and they care about each other #SO MUCH #and i love that about them #dont ship them PLEASE #hehe silly boys

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