#i love this silly little incarnation of chaos and evil

[struno2841]

I know halloween was a week ago. SHUT UP

I wanted to draw this gremlin in his silly witch costume so i did

[unabashednightmarepizza]

𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠, 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 7

Tagging: @bloody-mf-bsc, @augustwithquills

Liked by benbarnes, freddycarter1, sujaya_dasgupta and 6,348,672 others

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Wonder where they had gotten these... weirdness?👀

P.S: Continue to laugh. For now. Because one, I'm working my ass off here as you all have fun and two, I'm gonna be feasting on your tears later.😌

View 762,563 comments

freddycarter1: benbarnes, will you please tell your wife to cool down?😰😧

User6: NOOOO, MOMMY Y/N DON'T DO THAT TO US

User7: They were just in a silly mood, they didn't mean it right?!

user4: Ever since that interview with "Never Have I Ever", she is giving them absolute hell and bitch behaviour except Ben( he barelly saved his ass) lol djdbjc

user9: I missed that one! Why, what happened? user2: They answered "Never Have I stolen anything from the set?" which they all replied with yes and were cocky about it. Y/N then answered that it wasn't because of them being discreet and stealthy but because she let it happen, and she told them she knew everything they have ever stolen. user7: Didn't that put her in a rough situation tho? user2: Nah, she just flipped her hair and dramatically said "I'm rich, I payed for them." dındekjn user12: I wonder how Ben, who is usually the one being bullied by her, was able to save himself? user4: Simple. When he was asked what else he "stole" without her knowing, he answered with a puppy eye "Y/N." and that was how he saved himself from the couch.

User7: Smooth... Very smooth benbarnes😏 Still, we were there before you tho😒😐

User5: It's just the way they are mommy, look, we are your precious babies right? Please don't make us cry.

User2: putting the people begging Y/N to spare their fragile mental health, I'd like to say how Callahan looks like a God but is a cutie pie in Real life... please step on me.

jacktwolfe: Danielle the Axelotl and Freddy... I don't know what Freddy is

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Me too boy, me too... I don't want to know how he did that with his mouth

freddycarter1: I have many talents Y/N, not that you know 😎

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: 🫥😶😐😒🤨 Say that to your wife 🍹👎

kittheyounger: 😧😱😨

User9: Ben is such a mood. My life would be in chaos, and the life around me could also be chaotic but as long as I have my tequila and whisky, we are all fine.

User6: Freddy is their New victim lol Love you all💓

User1: I think Danielle is becoming an eagle...

Liked by benbarnes, pascalispunk, tchalamet and 6,921,311 others

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: This man is a lot of things. Husband, father, son, friend... Occasionally cool, but never for too long. He told me to take a photo of him to show how cool he is to our son but instead he giggled at his silly father in his own Darkling costume...🥹💓

View 572,436 comments

user8: With every picture she posts, I gain one year in life. With every photo shadowandbone posts of her, I gain 10 lives.

User2: So precious ❤️

User1: Piercing and charming brown eyes on a man is the sluttiest thing ever.

User5: Y/N, will you ever talk about that first "Lego Date" you and him had that you two became official?

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Maybe in my YouTube channel, if people really want to know, with Ben's permission ofc, I don't see why not? 😊

User3: Y/N the Concent Queen 🙏

User2: Guys, let's not traumatise Ben again with our thirsty comments about him being a real dilf🤣

User13: Darkling: evil incarnate with every possible War crime, perhaps a groomer, manipulative bastard who is obssessed over power... Meanwhile Ben: Babygirlified 42 years old man who simps for his wife and would commit war crimes FOR her and their son and is "the twit with the portrait"

User5: nOoo you didn't just bring Dorian into this djskdjjs

User13: Someone had to

User6: May the lord save us, how were you able to shoot those photos with him so close to you Y/N?

User12: I'd have folded easily

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: A little bit of heart attack, swooning for my husband and then definetly folding, everything was fine. It's easy really 🙃😊

benbarnes: Stop saying those things just like that 😊☺️🤭

User14: Ben is melting hard~😏😋

User15: If this doesn't end up with her pregnant again, I don't know what will. Maybe a girl comes this time sjsjsj

User15: Okay, guessing the little Barnes looks like the exact copy of his dad, the kid will have immaculate looks coming from both his dad and momma. LOOK HOW GORGEOUS THEY ARE?!🥹 *crying intensifies ehiel holding the family picture of them in my hands delicately*

pascalispunk: Want to see my little champ and his reaction as well!

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Just sent you the video!

User7: Ben lost to little Barnes today, the baby ADORES his momma🥹

amita_suman: He looses every time anyways🍷😎

User6: Y/N is winning in everything she does, this is her Barbie world💯

benbarnes: My little girl will definetly think of me cool, just so you wait for a few years,love.🙃😤

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: And what makes you say we are having a girl in the future?? Maybe it will be another boy who adores me???

Liked by freddycarter1, calahan.skogman, emilia_clarke, emmaroberts and 6,893,561 others

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Another day, another chaotic moment!

1.The fuck hoe? Leave my precious camera alone, do you know how expensive is that? I can give you a toy one, just please go and threaten someone with that cane of yours.

2. I'd like to say, seeing a huge man absolutely melt at the sight of these cuties were pretty funny! Don't worry though, we adopted them!

View 652,412 comments

User2: Freddy, Y/N already pays for enough, please stay away from the cameras. Those shits are expensive as fuck!

User9: Have a lovely day you two!

User12: Guys, I just came back from her YT video, and the fact that Y/N fucking Y/L/N-Barnes literally went and visited every single one of the cast members, who are already the biggest simp possible for her and almost fainted when they saw her before their door, to thank them personally for how FUCKING amazing they are and how much of a GOD TIER acting they did is just... Ma'am you shouldn't be THAT FUCKING AWESOME❤️💓

User2: she brought gifts for them too! But her explanation is way funny: I brought something edible to all of them because come on, what am I gonna do with flowers? Eat them like a cow? 😒😉😋😁( her face expressions btw)

User5: and with the straightest face possible to mankind djskdjjeks

User4: Thinking about the fact that we're living at the same time as Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes, Ben Barnes, Amita Suman, Jessie Mei Li, Kit Young, Freddy Carter, Patrick Gibson, Archie Renaux, Daisy Head, Danielle Gallighan, Calahan Skogman, Jack Wolfe and everyone else in the cast is... What a fucking Era to live Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes liked

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Okay first of all, I'm impressed by your sheer dedication of writing every single name... And thank you for being so sweet, we are lucky to have fans like you as well! ❤️

User12: Y/N, the mother of us all, the best decision you had ever made was choosing Freddy Carter as Kaz FUCKING Brekker and Ben as Darkling beyond doubt... We can't thank you enough 🙌🫶

User3: Emma Roberts liked her post... Does that mean the new project is AHS? 👀

User14: That would literally top her(near) every project

User15: Someone please include her in a new emoji game, thirst trap video, interview whatever! I NEED MOMMY Y/N AND HER REACTIONS ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM

user6: Unrelated but I want to know what was the hardest scene to film for her?

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: Anything with that damn goat. It kept either distracting us, or head butted someone. Mostly Kit tho

Liked by benbarnes, freddycarter1, archierenaux3 and 5,978,352 others

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: To anyone who calls this cast "A happy and cute family"... I'd like to point out that these six are the worst of them, including yes my own husband.

1. Those little shits after Archie pointed out me tripping on my own feet and my husband daring to laugh( I feel pretty betrayed because why are you cackling amita_suman and jessie_mei_li?)

2. Them, finally able to take a serious photo because damn it, I need to have a decent photo to give to the press! Poor photographers were begging me to keep them serious long enough 🤣😄

View 621,541 comments

User5: We are now at a time when all the women like Y/N had been at least once in their lives...

User8: Wanting to have some appreciation because everyone has been doing exactly the opposire even if we women work hard ASF and even harder than most people?🤨

User5: That too, but no. Homicide. And murder. 😈👹😊

User7: These people + Y/N could break me in half and I'd say thank you mommy/daddy

User5: their laughs are so precious... even if It's at poor Y/N 😁

blakelively: Your husband is there and you are feeling betrayed because of the girls laughing?

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: I'm used to him making fun of me since... I'm the weird one in this marriage lol But not Amita and Jessie, we are weird together, why did you laugh at me? 😭🥲

User3: Is that the way we treat her? Is this what her children(us) and little Barnes wants?🤨

Y/N Y/L/N-Barnes: I agree luvie... I was thinking about giving him the couch punishment while my boy sleeps with me.

User2: Mommy Y/N please stoo working too much! Your health matter more and you should spend time with your family and friends!

User13: Y/N, we are grateful you taught Ben the Emoji Language really. Thanks to you, he finally understands the young fans like us and win games 🙃

[nitpickrider]

a bit silly, but if you had to fill an Avengers roster, who would you pick?

Wooof, oh me oh my. Let's lay down some ground rules before I do this. 1). Only people who have been Avengers at some previous point in time. Doesn't narrow it down a LOT but this list would be a jigsaw of my favorite Z-Listers otherwise 2). Limiting it to seven people. That's the magic number with superhero teams and it gives me a reason to stop

Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America: Sometimes you just cannot beat a classic and when it comes to Avengers line ups there is no one that I think is more integral than Captain America. The pathos that he brings to the table no matter what character he is interacting with is palpable and reading through his first big volume has given me a deep respect and love for the character. He's our leader for sure, the axis of solid, steady service I can hang my weirder picks on.

Dr. Walter Newell AKA Stingray: You all saw this coming and don't act like you didn't. One of my favorite if not my FAVORITE Marvel Characters of all time. He's a doctor with an interesting specialization. His "I'm only a part time superhero" hangup is even funnier and more interesting if forced into the limelight on THE hero team. Not to mention he comes with his own swanky Hydrobase we can use for an HQ and with his wife and four kids running around underfoot we have the kind of domestic adorability I think any good team needs.

Miguel Santos AKA Living Lightning: The first time I can ever remember reading about a comic book hero being gay, as just like, part of who they are. A tiny detail in their rich inner life. Not to mention the less respect a character gets the more I want to lift them up on my shoulders. He could be the sweetheart with a little chip on his shoulder from not getting the respect his objectively awesome powers objectively deserve.

Angelica Jones AKA Firestar: Something you may not know about me. The first piece of media that really opened my eyes as to the potential and depth and scope of the Marvel Universe was Spiderman and His Amazing Friends. It was cheesy, it was cheap and yet Angelica was the first character that I felt SPECIAL for knowing and caring about. She's happy, she's passionate, her simple classic costume kicks ass and the New Warriors need their goddamn respect. 'Nuff said.

Sersi, Just Sersi: What little I have seen of this character fucking FASCINATES me. This woman is chaos incarnate. It's like she is actively making on the fly decisions with everyone she meets whether she's going to kill them, screw them, turn them into a small mammal or some combination of the three. She's *Instant Plot Complication Just Add Water* because she saw a butterfly and that somehow translates to her blowing the entire team's cover.

Dane Whitman AKA The Black Knight: I love everything about him. I love his vibe, I love the fact that his backstory is built partially around recontextualizing the lore of a mostly forgotten Atlas fantasy comic. I love that he has a wickedly evil cursed blade that comes with the side effect of basically holding him hostage to a heroic moral code. And on top of that he's a dorky intellectual who can't see a social cue if it's blaring at him from oncoming traffic.

Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk: ...I do not feel the need to explain or justify this choice. YOU know Jen is awesome. *I* know Jen is awesome. She-Hulk does not need justification. She shows up in stories and makes them better by existing. Also yes this is the bodytype I'd use. Yes, I have an addiction. No, I don't feel the need to explain that either. RESERVISTS: Characters I really like but either don't know enough about or don't think they make good Avengers

Marc Spector and System AKA Moon Knight: One of my favorite dudes but does NOT play well with others. Was interesting for about 10 seconds as a member of the West Coast team but I'd prefer he never touch the ranks again.

Flint Marko AKA Sandman: Marvel did Sandman fucking dirty by never letting him fully reform and be the good guy. I want Sandman to be the good guy dammit

Maria de Guadalupe Santiago AKA Silverclaw: I know literally nothing about her outside of reference books but her powers are dope and I dig her vibe.

[cloudcountry]

♡ AUBURN'S MUTUALS !! (there's more of you than i thought HELP)

@tinyletterz / 🍙 — my friend since forever ago, genuinely one of the kindest people i have ever met. she's so cute and she writes beautifully!!!! i highly HIGHLY recommend her flower language series GFGRGRGRGRFRFR

@identity-theft-101 / 🪓 — bonded over mushroom stayed for the eels tbh!! chaos incarnate BUT he has a cute bird named asa that said she loves me so i'm winning

@names-are-dumb / 🐚 — i'm so glad i got to introduce them to twisted wonderland. i am reliving my own experience through him rn. IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE OCTAVINELLE GRAHHH!!!!! one month later and we're married he's my husband and my angelfish that i write cringe ass sonnets too and i adore him <33 muah muah

@merotwst / 🧶 — LITERALLY SO SWEET OMG. she's so warm and welcoming its no wonder people just gravitate to her :C i adore her tbh she made me feel so welcomed even though i'm still scared of most twst writers LMAO

@shkrmpp / 🦐 — one of my first moots!!! personally i really love their hair dye headcanons GRAH they're so cute BUT!! they also draw C:< AND ITS A CUTE STYLE. plus their blog always looks MUAH

@siren-serenity / 🌙 — YOU'RE EVIL I STILL THINK ABOUT "i need you" WHY DID YOU WRITE THAT /lh no but actually you're so good at writing angst that rips my heart out like. if i want to sob i'm going for your azul angst (ITS A GOOD THING PROMISE)

@siphoklansan / ☔ — BEAUTIFUL ART. STUNNING. i love love love how much detail she puts into her pieces (yes i am thinking abt the floyd piece for the lipstick challenge ITS SO CUTE) AND SHE DREW STUFF BASED ON THE SONG HEART ATTACK AND I THINK ABOUT IT EVERY DAY.

@fukashiin / 💌 — silly little goofy deuce rambles and omg the leech twins. I REREAD THE STARING THINGY SHE WROTE OVER AND OVER AZULLLL AZUL'S PART IS SO %@$!%##@%!$#$%@!$#%@$!#%!@%#$!@#$%

@ryuubff / 🪼 — omg there is literally so much i could say about them. my first obey me mutual. the first person who was alike "omg let's create solomon content together." i love talking to them sm and honestly they deserves the best because they're so kind and creative C: WAHHHH

@hisui-dreamer / 🌟 — SO SWEET. i know i'm saying a lot but i have so many mutuals that made me feel so welcomed and rinna was one of them. every single piece of work you'll find on that blog is brewing with emotions and gentle care I LOVE.,,.., I LOVE!!!!!!

@officialdaydreamer00 / 🌠 — ?!?!?!?! ALSO INCREDIBLY KIND AND SO SO CREATIVE!!!! they draw me things all the time and it literally melts my heart :((( i love lov love talking to them about octavinelle and they're super easy to connect with :(((

@the-v-lociraptor / 💙 — we literally just became moots a little bit ago BUT i find a lot of good fanart through her!! she reblogs a lot of cool stuff :D !!!!!

@ceruleancattail / 🔷 — I FORGOT TOW RITE SMTH HELP EM anyways <33 ceru writes some cute ass shit that makes me kick my feet and squeal (AND ALL THE AZUL CONTENT I HAVENT BINGED YET....UGH IM SO EXCITED)

@i-like-forgs / 💪 — appreciator of sand cats and draws a lot!! the creator of my wedding venue with azul and enabler of so many of my ramble i am clinging to his ankle as he drags me around

@valerie-leech / 💚 — we just started talking but they're part of the auburn azul wedding squad!! :D im excited to interact with them <3

@twst-beam / 🎉 — we also haven't talked a lot yet but i can't wait to get to know her better C: !!

@iseethatimicy / 💎 — a fellow azul kisser!! i finally found another one!! :D has an unholy amount of azul memes i do not know where they come from (probably pinterest) but they are Fascinating

@acornwinter / 💫 — sends random shit in my inbox because they started talking about their dreams once and i decided Yes!! and now they draw my ocs and its super cute and i love their little tiny ppl drawings C:

@totallymem3 / 🥀 — we just started talking but!! very sweet <33 her art style is just MMMMUAH CHEFS KISS!!!!!!!!! i love it. it reminds me of spring.

@z3llous / 🐸 — draws azul SOOOOO good i love lovelovlevoevloev his art!!! its so scrumptious i eat it all up for breakfast lunch dinner ON NOMNOM

@cecilebutcher / 🪩 — has a bunch of really cool ocs!!! igor my belobed /p they have such a creative mind and its a pleasure to listen to them ramble about the characters they created!!! :D

@ang33333333l / 🙏 — another azul kisser!! we haven't talked much but i can tell doll is a very sweet person <33

@axvwriter / 👻 — SHE HAS AZUL'S DORM UNIFORM AND IM SO JEALOUS. LITERALLY SO UNFAIR.

@soru-ya / 🍞 — THEY WROTE AROACE CONTENT FOR ME :((((( CRYING RN they're such a good writer please go check them out PLEASE im begging you

@rains-asleep / 🐝 — ANOTHE RGOOD WRITER WHAWHWAHWHAHWA <33333 we had such a deep conversation about caramel once it was enlightening.

@shinysparklesapphires / 🎀 — floods my inbox with precure stuff and now its next on my watch list. started the laura and azul siblings conspiracy :O !!!!!

@twistedchatterboxed / 🌊 — The jade kisser ever. we have a lot of mutual moots (hehe say that ten times fast) so i'm excited to get to know her better!! :D

@keii01 / 🍡 — she's so sweet i want to put her in my pocket and carry her around everywhere i go!! she draws a lot of cute stuff too (there is no such thing as too many ribbons <3)

@tsun0tar0u / 🐉 — showed me a genshin glitch once and i have never been the same. also i would die for kafka btw. normal about rollo btw. So Normal.

@non-binary-lil-shit / 🍄 — enables my marine bio and mycology rambling!! also i am very concerned for you C:

@queen-shiba / 🦁 — your profile theme is literally so pretty i am eating it right now (IDK I JUST LOVE ORANGE) also the leona blender post made me so confused but also i laughed really hard HELP

@vioisgoinginsane / 💜 — she likes some vampire game i think LMAO but the twst content? YUMMY. a writer once in a blue moon and apparently best known for the BITING ROOK HUNT post. GET IT!!!

@moonlit-midnight / 🌸 — hannah is such a good writer :(( WRITES PLATONIC FICS DID YOU HEAR THAT EVERYONE!!! PLATONIC FICS!!!!!!! they're all so adorable and make me want to curl up under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate <3

@ryker-writes / 🦚 — asked about to deep sea and LET ME TELL YOU i got so excited about it and im still writing it hehe. ryker writes a lot of familial angst so its that your thing go for it!!

@datboredpencil / 💀♦️ — GORGEUYS ART ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUS YUMY UMY UM AN ENTIRE BUFFET!!!! theres a lot of idia x cater content too if thats youre thing!!! :D

@twistwonderlanddevotee / 🪷 — we havent talked a lot but im still happy to have you here!! :D

@beeirdos-buzzing-bogaloo / 🐥 — apparently very normal about sebek. the Most normal. we havent talked a lot but hes silly :D

@dove-da-birb / 🪿 — literally so funny. putting you in my pocket right now!! ALSO I LOVE YOUR BRAINROTTING HELP

@loser-jpg / 😬 — YOUR BEWILDERMENT AT MY DASH SPAMMING WAS REALLY FUNNY i hope you get used to it </3

@ashipiko / 🌺 — THE #1 ACE KISSER EVER???? her art is so munchy and yummy i want to eat it :(( HER STYLE IS SO CUTE SRSLY IF YOU HAVENT SEEN HER ART YET PLEASE CHECK IT OUT

@shyhaya / you should pick an emoji!! — wrote the most fantastic delicious delightful heart wrenching thing for azul and tagged ME in it :(((( AAAAAA IM SO SORRY I DIDNT SEE IT SOONER. IF YOU EVER WRITE FOR AZUL AGAIN PLEASE TAG ME I'D LOVE TO SEE IT.

@musicalhistorical / 👹 — omg hi quotev person you've been putting up w my bullshit since forever ITS SO FUNNY TO SEE YOU HERE LMAO

@thehollowwriter / 🎶 — ITS LITERALLY A CRIME I HAVENT FOUND YORU WRITING SOONER??? WHY HAVENT I SEEN IT??? IM GOING TO BINGE YOUR AZUL FICS RIGHT NOW EVERYONE SHUT UP I AM SHAKING YOU AROUND QUINN

♡ AUBURN'S ANONS!!

magical girl anon

seahorse anon

❤️ anon

[disclosed-spire]

OKAY MY ENOT LORE, DESIGN, AND RAMBLE TIME!

So if anyone knows and has spoken to me and seen any of my ocs, they'll know I LOVE making things wacky and out there if I have the ability to. If possible, I will have some wacky backstory too! For Enot's case, this is very much possible!

I'm basically just gonna ramble describe my own little thoughts and design choices for Enot with some of my art as reference!

If you want to know my own thoughts and design choices for another character, be sure to let me know! It'll take a little bit as I like to go all out with these as much as possible.

ANYWAYS ONTO DESCRIBING ENOT UNDER THE CUT BC THIS'LL BE LONG!

Spoilers for Enot's campaign below!

Design Choices

So this is my Enot design!

Yes I know it's very strange and wacky looking, but c'mon. I think the little chaos gremlin deserves to have a chaotic design, y'know, as a treat!

I decided to make their whole body fade, but to fix the issue of their limbs blending in too much, their arms and legs are different solid colors, which allow me to draw them easier!

I really wanted to keep the red in Enot's design, but I didn't want to overuse it, so I decided to make it an accent color and sprinkle red throughout the design. I think this makes it easier to look at Enot, and also draw more attention to their face, as that's the most interesting thing to look at! Enot's eyes are red spirals because honestly I think that would be fun. Enot's red whiskers are made to look like a curly mustache because they obviously have to twirl it like an evil supervillain. The last red design choice is seen with their lizard-like tail, which I'm just about to get to.

Enot has a bit of lizard biology in their DNA, specifically white lizards. This explains their strange frills on the back of their tail, their odd distinct head shape, and one of their abilities that I'll list in the later sections.

The last thing I wanted to mention was glitches! As much as I love glitches and stuff with characters (If you have a glitched Enot design I absolutely love it already, please be my friend), I decided to leave this out of the physical design of Enot because I have a cooler idea! Based on text said by Five Pebbles in game:

Five Pebbles obviously wouldn't say this, so I thought of something that I think would be funny. What if Enot was some kind of cryptid or eldritch horror kind of scenario? Whelp, I can say that my version of Enot is.

Enot causes the environment around them to distort and change sometimes because of a reason I'll get to in a different section of this post. Overall though, this explains the strange changes in the world, the weird Five Pebbles dialogue, and fits into the absurdity of Enot's character as a whole.

Personality

Enot is basically chaos incarnate, nobody knows where Enot came from except Enot themself. To sum it up, bro is basically a real time cryptid or scp. Overall they're chaotic, and very loud, but genuinely entertaining if you manage to get to know them.

Yes, manage. Bro is very scatterbrained and is always all over the place.

Other than that, Enot thinks of themselves as some kind of incredibly evil supervillain, but they're absolutely horrible at it. Not horrible in Enot's bad at their job, Enot's bad in terms of the fact that they just don't actually do supervillain things. The most evil thing they can think of is filling a room with their weird eggs, or causing some minor inconvenience as some silly joke.

This basically makes Enot one of those supervillains that is actually not even bad, just a silly guy pulling pranks because they have the power and capabilities of doing so.

Powers

"Enot has a bit of lizard biology in their DNA, specifically white lizards."

For Enot's white lizard biology, this gives Enot the ability to change colors like some kind of chameleon like the picture above. They cannot change shape, just color, which means that if they were to try to imitate another Slugcat, or another species, it would look off.

How to tell the difference between another Slugcat and Enot is obviously the body, but also some of the red on their body. The spirals in their eyes, the red whiskers, and the tail frills always stay red, no matter what the rest of Enot's colors may be. This makes it easy to tell that Enot is pulling a prank or messing with other Slugcats.

"Enot causes the environment around them to distort and change sometimes because of a reason I'll get to in a different section of this post."

Ah yes, the completely wacky idea I had stored for this moment. Enot is some kind of universe or dimension traveler, which explains the environmental distortion, but also the really weird ending of their campaign, the dating simulator.

No Slugcats were found before (minus Slugpups) in Enot's campaign, until the dating sim which just came out of the blue. The lizards changed personalities, somehow all the Slugcats are alive at the same time, moon is now alive yet she was powered off in the campaign previously, and so much more about the dating sim can make me believe this weird belief.

Enot can just go to different dimensions just because they think it's funny and likes to mess with others by doing that. I don't make the rules, Enot does.

Egg

Yes the egg gets its own section.

Enot can lay eggs because I think that would just add to the absurdity of their character. I don't actually know how they would do it , so maybe they just throw up an egg like an scp scenario, similar to a hairball. (Also to keep up the weird factor about them)

REGARDLESS.

These eggs are an active threat when thrown, so I think it's at least worth mentioning. I don't know how to describe the fact that Enot's eggs are singularity bombs, so I'm gonna try to explain how it could work by how I've been making the rest of this post with my weird logic.

My best guess as to why Enots eggs are the way they are is because of the fact that Enot is a weird universe traveling cryptid or something similar to that, so all eggs that Enot creates are pretty unstable, and when thrown, this disrupts the balance, similar to a fire egg.

Relationship Descriptions

OKAY SO THE FINAL SECTION. Wow this has been quite the wacky post. I'm just gonna explain why my relationships for Enot are the way they are. A lot of these are gonna be grouped together.

All of them have pranks pulled on them because it's Enot. Why wouldn't Enot do so?

Iterators

All of them are neutral except for Five Pebbles because Enot never really had a wacky connection with any of them, except for Pebbles and Moon. Enot just really likes Five Pebbles' strange personality. Too bad it's one sided though.

Downpour Slugcats + Hunter

Enot is relatively friendly towards all of them, having crushes on the others (except for hunter). Think of it like having a crush on an actor from a tv show or a movie. Enot doesn't have that strong of a crush, but it's still there.

Enot does have a small bit of respect for Artificer as they know what Artificer went through. This was unfortunately found out from a prank they made, but once they found out about the whole incident, they backed off and apologized.

Enot does have a huge amount of respect for Gourmand though, as it has to do with when they first met. When Enot and Gourmand met, Enot was looking for a place to call home, so Gourmand decided to take Enot under their wing and accept them into their colony. Enot has a lot to thank Gourmand for, as they wouldn't have met anyone of the Slugcat crew, and wouldn't have a home.

Also sometimes Enot and Hunter hunt together, which does give bonus points for the friendly factor.

Monk, Survivor, and Their Family

Enot is generally friendly towards all of them, but especially has respect for Monk and Survivors family. (This is my own little made up campaign for them that's part of my own little story for the Slugcats, so keep that in mind.) Enot thinks that the whole family going in for Monk and Survivor, despite the little hope left is very admirable, and generally finds it heartwarming that they all could reunite again.

Nightcat

Nightcat at the very least is very close to Enot, as they both have very strange origins, and both are oddballs out of the Slugcat colony. At the very most though, Enot and Nightcat would be together as they both are pranksters by heart, and can fight the uncaring world off together like partners in crime.

OKAY WOW WHAT A RIDE! I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this! I spent quite a while writing this, so if you'd want to see more of other characters, be sure to let me know!

[burdened-boy]

List your top 10 favorite films in whatever order you like, but explain your very favorite! Pass this on to whomever you want to learn more about them! Have a good day!

@archerwhiterp

ok this is going to be a doozy

blade runner 2049. there's a lot of dialogue on the internet about this movie, and it gets caught up in the whole incel thing...which is unfortunate because 2049 is a gorgeous movie. it's very long, the plot moves very slow, and there are admittedly boring parts, but you could literally screenshot any frame of this movie and set it as your wallpaper. its beauty for beauty's sake, and i love that so much. it swallows you. if you don't mind slow burn movies, i cannot stress enough that 2049 is worth the time. oh my GODDD THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!

mad max: fury road. this shit rules. if you know me, you know i am obsessed with cars, and if you watch it, you'll at least understand why people like me love them. fury road is chaos incarnate. like, this movie is fucking nuts. i'm struggling to type this portion right now because even thinking about it activates my monkey brain. it's fire and speed and steel and gasoline. it's heavy metal blasting out in the desert. it's driving an armored semi truck into a tornado, and throwing exploding spears at anyone who tries to stop you. witness me.

the good old original star wars (a new hope). i'm a closeted star wars fan, though i haven't engaged with it much lately. a new hope is such a refreshing movie to watch; i love it so much because of how genuine it is. yeah, by 2023 standards it's cheesy, but who cares? corniness is only bad if it's in bad faith. i don't hate disney star wars (ROTJ is actually my fav of the sequels) but a literal giant evil corporation cannot match the fun of a new hope.

(these next ones aren't in order, they just bang around in my head like those little toy lawnmowers toddlers push around with the balls inside them)

original robocop. ACAB, except robocop. i need to rewatch this one, because it would probably unseat a new hope.

the fifth element. incredible story behind this movie's development.

dunkirk. rarely-told story from wwii, with another banger soundtrack.

1917. the great war doesn't have as many movies made about it, so seeing this was fascinating, but deeply sobering.

metropolis. the first cyberpunk movie! hi Spoons lol

isle of dogs. oh my god, a quirky movie about dogs. it looks like it was made with stop motion. sold.

a town called panic. it's french. it's actual stop motion. it's really fucking weird and silly. truly never a dull moment in this goofy ass flick from the early 2000s. what a treat. HIGHLY reccomend

[scribblersvale]

🖊 Good ol' Pan

This Boy

H I M

Panphilos

He is my obnoxious ass lil dork of a son and I love him so much

He was the first ever oc I came up with years back, and will always hold a special place in my heart because of that.

To this day though he still doesn't really have a set-in-stone story that he fits into. When I was little and first came up with him, his story was that he lived in an alternate dimension of earth, hidden on the other side of mirrors. Then his story turned into him being a wizard living in a harry-potter-esqu dimension full of magic users, with a job to collect magical artifacts with his friends. To just a wizard living as normal of a life as he can in a normal earth without alternate dimensions.

His story now is that he was born and raised in Greece. He lost his parents when he was a baby, too little to remember them, and was adopted and raised by his non-magic father. In his world, the ability to use magic manifests in a person as a defense mechanism, in response to an incredibly traumatic event happening to someone. Panphilos doesn't remember what happened to his parents, but has had his magic for as long as he can remember, which unsettles him a bit when he thinks about it too much. He's a necromancer, but has never once used his powers for anything even remotely "evil," and he absolutely hates when people jump to the conclusion that he must be a "bad wizard" or "evil warlock" for using what many consider to be "dark magic."

When he was a kid he met and became friends with a boy named "Chance" who possessed magic as well. Chance being down on his luck and initially trying to use his illusion-based magic to scam Pan out of some money, but Pan seeing right through the others magic, and holding no hard feelings afterwards. The encounter basically becoming like the meme "You're my friend now. We're having soft tacos later!" And the two being close friends ever since. Even dating briefly at one point, though eventually breaking up and returning to being just friends.

Nowadays he and Chance share an apartment together in the US. They spent their late teens backpacking and traveling around Europe, then backpacking and traveling around the US, and despite having settled down a bit still travel frequently when they can. Chance working as a waiter at a fancy restaurant, and Pan working as a writer/author with a couple published books, as well as being the creator of popular zombie app game called "Pandemic."

I'm thinking about maybe fusing his story into the universe of one of my other main character ocs.

He is chaos incarnate. He is a goofy ass obnoxious lil dork. And he will say or do most any random thing that pops into his head if it amuses him. He has made multiple videos pranking his friends or dragging his friends into incredibly silly situations.

Fucker has been kicked out of multiple walmarts for various reasons.

He most likely has had several signs put up as a result of him like this-

He is 22 years old, Asexual and Panromantic, and trans

He can't actually bring people back from the dead 100%. He can summon skeletons and zombies. But if someone passed on, he couldn't bring THEM back. He could reanimate their corpse, but couldn't bring back the person themself. The way he tries to explain this is; "It's like a combination of like, uh... seashells and robots. Okay that made more sense in my head, lemme explain, um. The things that I can summon with my magic are in a sense like seashells. You find shells on the beach, pick em up and use em for stuff, but the thing that used to live in the shell is long gone. The lil dude, snail clam or whatever used to live there before is long gone, you're just messing with the shell it left behind. And they're like robots in the sense of like, I'm programming them on what they do. They don't have any like, minds or thoughts of their own, and I tell them what to do. If I just summoned one and did no magical programming, gave them nothing to do, then whatever I'd summoned would just stand there until they fade back away. The part of them that was able to think and make decisions, the part of them that was who they were before is long gone, and I don't know if I even could bring that part back, but I sure as fuck never wanna try to. I'm just taking an empty shell and programming it to do something for a few moments."

[planetofsillyhats]

A Guide to 40k Naming Conventions

General Notes on Angels, Elves, and Aliens

Our modern, western sense of what an otherworldly entity’s name should sound like--and, thus, the typical 40k fluff writer’s idea of same--draws primarily from a handful of major sources.

First is the body of supernatural fiction written in the 16th and 17th centuries by Christian mystics. The most famous of these texts is the Lesser Key of Solomon, which contains the infamous Ars Goetia--a list of demonic names that has been so ruthlessly plundered by novels, movies, comics, video games, and tabletop RPGs that it’s almost impossible to find a name on it that you don’t already recognize from somewhere else. All of these texts are, themselves, informed by the Bible--specifically, by the Greek and Hebrew transliterations of the many, many local deities that competed with Yahweh in the character’s early incarnations, and were subsequently retconned into being demonic (and thus, formerly angelic) entities. Another mystical name to know is John Dee--a contemporary of Shakespeare who claimed to communicate with angels, and learned from them a vaguely semitic conlang called Enochian, which formed the basis for many subsequent demonic and angelic names.

The second major influence on how the supernatural sounds is, of course, Tolkien--his legendarium, and the several constructed languages it was built around, are nowhere near as old, but their sheer depth and ubiquity has led them to inform our sense of the fantastic ever since they were published. It helps that Tolkien (a language nerd of incredible dedication) deliberately designed the various Elvish languages to be pleasing to the Anglophone ear, and constructed the Black Speech of Mordor to sound especially abrasive and unpleasant to same.

Both of these cultural touchstones, of course, are in turn rooted in the structure of English itself--which, simply by being familiar to its speakers, also establishes a set of linguistic elements that come across to us as unfamiliar. You can see this both in the way we parse certain other languages--like Latin and Hebrew, which each carry cultural connotations that color anything we read or hear in them--and how we try to make words and sounds that feel fundamentally ‘other.’ This is why the cliched evil space lord always has a name like Zorblax or Glorbitron or something equally silly; all those Xs and Zs and -or sounds stick out to us as obviously not-from-around-here, both because they show up so rarely in English and because they’ve been so heavily used in other, earlier “outsider” names. In short, they are the Space Noises--learn to love them.

Space Marines

The Astartes are a ridiculously diverse bunch--culturally, at least--and a full accounting of the naming conventions of every major chapter would be a paper in itself. A few trends, however, do stick out across the vast sea of pauldrons that makes up the face of 40k.

Firstly, they tend to default to a slightly generic Greco-Roman theme, with little regard for correct Latin conjugation or (in some cases) the actual established naming practices of a chapter.

Canon: Lucius; Gaius; Titus; Vitus; Julius; Marius; Cornelius; Galba; Otho; Vitellius; Vespasian; Erasmus; Odenathus; Pertinax.

Original: There aren’t any. They’re all taken. Every single one.

Secondly, Black Library loves their Goetia; since space marines are angels of death, and lists of demons are by definition lists of angels, the writers of 40k have given themselves carte blanche to sprinkle Hebrew and Enochian (or just Hebrew- and Enochian-sounding) names across the galaxy.

Canon: Azrael; Asmodai; Belial; Mephiston; Astorath.

Original: Also all taken by one franchise or another, but a few more obscure names, like Focalor and Paimon, haven’t been used for Astartes. Yet.

Thirdly, a few chapters, like the Salamanders, draw on a sort of implicit language (an “implang,” as I’ve started calling it just now and nobody can stop me) for their names; not a fully developed conlang, but a set of phonemes and syntactic conventions unique to that chapter, which evokes a shared culture without laying out the specifics of how their language or society works.

Canon: Tu’shan; He’stan; K’gosi.

Original: Nar’tesh, 3rd Company Lieutenant and famous ASMRtist.

Chaos Space Marines

Traitor Astartes sometimes follow the same general pattern as their loyalist cousins--but they rely more on Greek and Hebrew for their inspiration, use a good deal more Space Noises, and are much more likely to dip into a legion-specific implang.

Word Bearers, in particular, mix Mesopotamian and north African influences with their own Colchisian conventions to create characters that people raised in a Christian milieu can identify as baby-eating diabolists just by reading their names.

Canon: Eliphas; Sor Bakphal; Ankh-Heloth; Marduk.

Original: Tal Berath; Usor-Kehelit; Kor Lugash.

Iron Warriors love imposing sounds that evoke statuary, sieges, and lumbering prehistory, and mix a little German in for extra industrial dehumanization.

Canon: Berossus; Barban Falk; Promodon; Volk.

Original: Tallisk; Cullus Rieg; Idric Therion.

Night Lords have a particularly developed implang, thanks largely to Aaron Dembski-Bowden--there are no concrete rules, but Nostraman names and speech are very evocative of who they are and where their screwed-up childhoods happened, combining soft and harsh syllables to eerie effect. Also, bats. Batsbatsbatsbatsbats.

Canon: Jago Sevatarion; Kellenkir; Uzas; Gendor Skraivok.

Original: Mithrak; Delekiir Surmod; Tadarias.

Chaos Daemons

By the time the actual otherworldly entities of this setting got to the big pile of public domain names, the Astartes had already made off with almost every resource traditionally used for malevolent spirits and the like--so the servants of the Ruinous Powers have had to make do with bespoke names furnished for them by GW's finest edgelords. In general, this means a wild grab bag of Space Noises and more apostrophes than an Austronesian phone book--but certain trends do emerge among the followers of the different Chaos Gods. Supposedly, daemonic names are often tied to their patron deity’s sacred number, but this is rarely adhered to in the fluff.

Khornate Daemons tend to have names that sound like synonyms for anger or types of wounds, like “wrath” or “scar” or “gore.” As the daemons most likely to look and act like Balrogs, they’re also the most likely to have names that sound like Morgoth came up with them. When all else fails, just fall back on the dumbest edgy nineties bullshit you can come up with.

Canon: Skarbrand; Ka’bandha; Hakk’an’graah; An’ggrath; Doombreed.

Original: Rath’gor; Bludskar the Irritated; Skullgoroth Bloodmassacre (Blood Lord of the Skulltaking Goremurderers of Violenceheim).

Slaaneshi Daemons are soft, sensuous, and sibilant, evoking corrupting luxury and puritan sexual terror. They’re ostensibly sexually ambiguous, but they tend to come off as feminine, because only women can be evil and sexy at the same time--at least, before the watershed.

Canon: Luxuria(!); Mistress of Spite; N’Kari; Lushcrix Lashtongue; Kyriss.

Original: Sulatari; Ivress; Scivia the Weirdly Wholesome (secret identity of @jetblackraider).

Nurglite Daemons evoke medical terminology and bodily effluvia, and are the only breed of daemons whose names are even more extra than Khorne’s.

Canon: Epidemius; Horticulous Slimux; Rotigus; Scabeiathrax the Bloated; Maggotgurgle fucking Pukeslime I swear to god that is actually a real character.

Original: Count Thergothon (Lord of the Chronic Court and certified tax attorney); Phagovile the Viscuous; Gribbulous Taintsac (Founder of the Gribbulous Taintsac Institute for Excessive Medical Horror, and head of the accreditation board for Death Guard Plague Surgeons).

Tzeentchian Daemons often have Egyptian-sounding names--or, at least, Egyptian as transliterated into Greek, which is the way most people know the Ancient Egyptian language. They also have the highest letter-to-apostrophe ratio of any Daemon breed.

Canon: Kairos Fateweaver; K'tzis'trix'a'tzar; Aetaos'rau'keres; Shim'dre'lex'kazar.

Original: Azoth Flickerflame; Kheper’atos; Ix’il’kak’iz’it’xyk’ik’ak’it’l’zy’xyx the Unpronounceable (holds the current record for most planets destroyed by failed summoning attempts).

Aeldari

The original name of this faction was lifted directly from Lord of the Rings--in fact, one of the most iconic themes in the movie soundtrack is literally called "The Host of the Eldar." Accordingly, the majority of the sounds and conventions that go into an eldar name come from the Tolkien legendarium (and the many other fantasy worlds that have sprung up around it), with the occasional angelic or Space Noise element--but there’s also a good dash of both Vedic and European pagan (or at least, reconstructed Romantic-era neopagan) mythology mixed into their lore, and allusions to such sometimes pop up in their names as well. In particular, it’s normal for Craftworlds to be named after either goddesses we stopped praying to or holidays we stopped celebrating.

Canon: Eldrad Ulthran; Taldeer; Yriel; Mauryon; Craftworld Biel-tan; Craftworld Os’tara.

Original: Gilthoniex (ranger of Ulthwe who died of shame after being tricked into starring in Drukhari cuckold porn); Athembra (Iyanden Farseer who follows Tyranids around and narrates their behavior in a posh British accent). 

Drukhari

The Dark Eldar are a modern take on the Fair Folk--both directly by way of being decadent evil elves, and by the more roundabout route of being alien abductors with a thing for weirdly sexy science-torture--and their lexicon reflects this by replacing the Quenya- and Sindarin- inspired sounds of the Craftworlds with lots of fey, witchy imagery (largely derived from Celtic culture) and a more sibilant, angular set of Space Noises. They also help themselves to a bit of Sanskrit and Enochian--but with a demonic slant where their cousins might have a hint of the angelic.

Canon: Asdrubael Vect; Lelith Hesperax; Kheradruakh the Decapitator; Arhra.

Original: High Excruciator Ekritar (rose to become Archon of the Kabal of the Ludicrous Edge thanks to a body of spectacularly depraved PornWeb videos);  Rinatha Heartrend (Prima Succubus of the Cult of the Severed String, the Dark City’s foremost NTR specialists); 

Necrons

Necrons are Egyptian space robots. That’s really all there is to it.

Okay, so there’s a little more to it. Necrons draw on Egyptian themes--but like Tzeentch Daemons, it’s Egypt as parsed through Classical Greece. The heyday of Egypt occurred during the misty prehistory of Greek civilization--Pharaohs like Thutmose III and Amenhotep III knew of, and traded with, the Mukinu (Mycenaeans) on the opposite shore of the Mediterranean, but serious diplomatic contact was fairly limited. By the time the Greeks started writing anything down about the Egyptians, it was the 5th century BC, and Egypt’s sun had set. Greeks like Herodotus knew it primarily as a fading power--a helpless subject of one empire after another, fought over by foreign kings in the shadow of crumbling pyramids that nobody even remembered how to build.

Because our idea of Egypt was, for centuries, mostly informed by Greek sources, a lot of people and places have been transliterated from Egyptian to Greek--so gods whose original names were closer to User, Sutih, and Heru became popularly known as Osiris, Seth, and Horus, respectively. This slight detachment between the pop cultural image of Ancient Egypt and their actual spoken language is why Necron names can sound as much Greek as Egyptian--and sometimes, they roam even further into the Balkans and start rummaging through the Baltic and Slavic language families for spare phonemes. They also tend to be studded with Space Noises of a particularly electronic nature.

Canon: Szarekh; Imotekh; Anathrosis; Trazyn; Varagon Drakvir

Original: Nefertronus; Inenoth; Tombworld Per-Ma’akh

Orks

Like the space elves, the space orcs draw heavily on Tolkien--but they eat the hot dog from the other end, with names rooted in the Black Speech and a penchant for vaguely problematic thuggery. Orks, like Uruk, are horrible brutes who exist mostly to die in vast, anonymous hordes at the hands of a protagonist.

Unlike Uruk, Orks are funny.

Yes, I’ve read The Beast Arises. Yes, I remember the dead civilians in Space Marine. The occasional serious outing is simply the exception that proves the rule: Orks are as much British football hooligans as they are the hosts of Mordor, and every time they take center stage, it’s as shamelessly wacky comic relief that's equal parts mad science and Mad Max. Orks are the demented lovechild of Wile E. Coyote and the Mythbusters, and I love them dearly for it.

To make an Orkish name, start with either a few Mordor-ish syllables or a descriptive sobriquet, and record yourself shouting it while (timing is very important here) you’re drunk enough to fight a mailbox, but sober enough to walk away when you lose. Orks have lots of hard G and K sounds and long vowels, giving you all sorts of opportunities to shout at people and hit them over the head--and if you’re not doing either of those things, you’z not speakin’ Ork proppa, ya git.

Canon: Nozgrot; Snagga-Snagga, Wazdakka Gutsmek, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.

Original: Killdoza (voted Best Cuddler in the Calixis Sector fifty years running, but mostly because only gretchin are smart enough to actually spell 'Calixis Sector'); Goffmawg (once stole an ultraberry pie from Marneus Calgar's windowsill); Lugnutz Boomkrasha (semi-mythical mekboy active during the Great Crusade, said to still be hurtling through interstellar space, clinging desperately to a planet-cracking warhead aimed in the general direction of Segmentum Solar).

Tau

The Tau ostensibly have their own codified naming scheme--but before that was laid down, they inevitably developed a handful of characters with silly alien-ized versions of famous Asian names. Modern Tau names are usually assembled from long sequences of one-syllable words, in imitation of the modular logograms used in Chinese and Japanese writing. Unfortunately, as it’s currently implemented, it’s kind of shallow, and there isn’t much room for different names--as evidenced by the number of Tau referred to as “Kais” in various media, some of whom are different people and some of whom aren’t.

It’s sad, honestly. There’s so much potential here, and they don’t even scratch the surface--even without leaving the Sino-Japanese Sphere of Generic Asian-ness, there’s all sorts of fascinating, lyrical things you could do with a naming scheme like this, but there’s, like, six Tau books and everyone in them is either a noble space-samurai or an inscrutable space-mandarin, so they’re all one syllable apart.

Canon: El’Myamoto, El’Hassai, Shas'la T'au Kais, Shas'O Kais, Shas'O Vior'la O’Shovah Kais Mont'yr, Aun’Va, Aun’Vre, Aun’Shi.

Original: Por’La Xiu (minor Water caste diplomat and star of the first human-Tau interspecies erotica recorded under the official auspices of the Tau’va), Fio’El Tra Buo’ren (Senior Earth Caste programming director, responsible for developing the endearing behavior subroutines now installed on all frontline drones to prevent frivolous use of the savior protocols), Kor’O Da’he Li’Lian Sou (Revered fleet strategist, architect of some of the greatest space battles of the Second Sphere of Expansion, died in his bed without ever meeting a gue’la).

[thecrazydragonlady]

“Special Episode: A Dragon in Paris”- Part 1

Synopsis: Things are about to get hairy as Jay and Brandon travel to Paris, France to visit Brandon’s Aunt Joy. Viper and Dark Claw have found their way their too and have teamed up temporarily with Paris’s number one villain Hawkmoth. If the villains are teaming up, then so are the heroes.

Author’s Notes: It is my Miraculous one year anniversary! On this day in 2016, I watched Stormy Weather for the first time and I was thoroughly confused but instantly fell in love, finding myself binge watching the whole series in a matter of a day. This is the fandom that I feel like I’ve found my place in. Thank-you all for a Miraculous year! Here’s to a lot more! Enjoy my version of a celebration. (PS- Before anyone rats on me for not putting much French in here: Understand that 15 year old Jay (real) would not have been able to understand French. This is following her. She would have been confused and unable to make out any real words.)

*This will also be loaded in a multi-part episodes.

Jay gulped as the nerves finally started to set in.

Sitting in the blue covered seat forced reality to set in, causing her face to go redder than it normally was.

She gripped the arm rests. Her stomach tumbled.

When was the medicine supposed to kick in?

A hand covered hers which made her jump. Looking up, she found herself meeting the kind-softened eyes of her travel companion. Brandon’s smile was just as soft.

For a moment, she forgot that she wasn’t supposed to like him.

“It’ll be alright,” he assured her. “Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She jerked her hand out from underneath his. “Oh really? By doing what exactly? Let’s face it: if this thing goes down, we’re screwed.” Her eyes darted to the window as she tucked her hand under her other arm to keep it out of his reach.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t try,” he whispered. She almost thought she hadn’t heard him right. When she turned back to ask him to repeat himself, he chuckled instead, stating much louder, “I know this is your first time flying but seriously. You’re more likely to be killed by a cow than killed in an airplane.” The dark haired boy shifted in his seat, starting to lean back, “So just relax. You took your medicine about an hour ago. It should be kicking in soon anyway.” She stuck her tongue out at him but actually took his advice; she leaned back in her own seat. Not long after, her mind started spinning. The medicine was finally taking hold. Jay took a deep breath. Her last thought floated back to how in the world she ended up taking her first flight out of the country.

 MLGBMLGB

“You want me to do what?” The blond sitting across from her shrugged. It was a normal school day: Jay had awoken, fed herself and Cassi, took off for school, gritted her teeth against some early-morning jabs from Lizzie and company, died in math, and had a usual spat with Brandon over something ridiculous. Out of everything, that was the most tiring. It seemed that the two of them just could not see eye-to-eye on anything. The back of her mind tickled. She really wished she knew who her partner Leo really was so she could gripe about her life to him. He would make everything so much better. He always did. However, with Arachnid and his flunkies Viper and Dark Claw still running around and causing chaos in town, trying to get their hands on the Golden Dragon charm she wore under her shirt, it just wasn’t to be, no matter how badly she wanted it.

“Hey Jay? Jay!” She blinked. The blond, Chris, smiled at her, sitting back on his bench. “Oh good. You’re back. Enjoy your trip?” She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Har-har. But seriously, you want me to do what?”

“I want you to go with Brandon to Paris to visit our aunt,” he restated. Chris leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table top, weaving his fingers together. His blue eyes locked hard on her. She flashed red. “Look, usually we go during summer break to visit for a month or two.”

“I can’t leave for two months,” she protested. He smirked.

“If you let me finish: it’s not going to be this time. Aunt Joy is planning to go to a dig site in South America to study some new ruins that were found. She’s going the second week of June.”

“And why can’t you go?”

“Mom has a modeling job in California that week and we don’t like to send her out on her own to those kinds of things.”

“So… how did this play out exactly?” Chris’ smirk twisted to something akin to evil incarnate.

“Brandon drew the short straw.” Jay blinked. She then snickered.

“Of course he did.” A pause. “But seriously, I can’t answer your question.”

“Because of Brandon or…?”

“My parents,” she explained, “I don’t know if they’ll allow me to go.”

“What if we offer to pay for everything?” Her smile softened to something sadder.

“That would be nice, and needed to be honest, but really my parents are a bit… suffocating. I don’t get out much.” His eyes narrowed at the meaning behind her words. Slowly, he reached across the table, taking her hands gently in his own. Jay took a shaky breath.

“Listen,” he soothed, rubbing circles on the back of her hands, “don’t worry about your parents. My mom’ll make sure they say yes. I just need you to agree too. We’ll help pay for everything for sure and I’ll help you with the passport information. Please? Say yes?” She stared him up and down, noticing how his face was teasingly twisted into a puppy pout. After a few tense minutes, she sighed.

“Alright, I’ll go.” He leaned back excitedly.

“Thank-you Jay! Don’t worry about anything.” The bell ran for their next class. The two of them stood, taking their trash and throwing it away, before battling their way through the crowded hallway to their final classes of the day.

 MLGDMLGD

Jay was a horrible traveler. On top of being very motion sensitive, she also got stiff quickly. And bored. Sick, stiff, and bored. What a lovely combination. Honestly, she was surprised that she hadn’t committed a homicide in the air since Brandon, bless him, had actually tried to make the journey better but had only managed to annoy her more than ever. When the plane landed, she was never so glad to be on the ground again. Standing in the Parisian airport, she stretched, working the kinks out of her legs and lower back. Brandon walked past her. “Glad to be on the ground again?”

“Very,” she confirmed, following him down to the baggage claim area. “Actually, I enjoyed being up in the air; it was just being cramped that sucked.”

“It usually is.” He stopped by a long metal conveyor belt that started after a few minutes, rolling out various suitcases. Brandon grabbed theirs as they came past. They walked down the hall, eventually coming out in a large forum area. She gripped the back of his sleeve. Crowds were another issue she had; he merely smiled down at her but wisely didn’t say anything about it. A voice rose above the clamor around them. He turned and waved to an older woman across the way. Sliding his hand back, he caught Jay’s before she could protest, and weaved their way through the crowd.

The woman they approached was a little shorter than the two of them. Her face was round with narrowed blue eyes and curly brown hair. Honestly, she looked like the spokesperson for some adventure magazine. Brandon released Jay’s hand once they were close enough so he could duck down a bit to give the woman a tight embrace. Her mouth split into a wide grin as she tightly wrapped him in it.

“Aunt Joy. It’s good to see you.”

She released him, “Oh sweetie. You say that every time.” She pinched his cheek. He rolled his eyes and Jay hid a snicker behind her hand. This alerted the older woman to her presence. “Oh? And who’s this?”

Brandon motioned for Jay to move up a bit. She shuffled forward, looking slightly embarrassed. “Aunt Joy, this is Jay Diggins. She’s in my honors Calc class.”

She offered a hand, “It’s a pleasure.” Aunt Joy smiled and took it gently, clasping it.

“It’s so nice to meet you and, look, our names are only one letter a part! This meeting was meant to be.” She patted her hand, “I’m glad to see this hard-headed nephew of mine is making friends over in the States. He always seemed to have a hard time here in Paris.”

Jay eyed him, “I didn’t know he lived in Paris.” Brandon shrugged but said nothing on the topic. The older woman chuckled.

“Only when he started giving his mother a hard time. He came and lived with me for a year but I travel too much to raise a child so I had to send him back.” She leaned in close to whisper to her, “He means well. The poor boy just doesn’t know how to demonstrate that.” Jay rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Trust me. I know. Our first meeting was kind of horrible.” Aunt Joy linked arms with the girl and started leading her out of the airport.

“I’m sure you’re tired from your trip. Why don’t we head back to my place, get you two settled, and you can tell me all about it over dinner?”

“Perfect,” she teased, sending a wink back to Brandon. Now it was his turn to blush red. As the three of them started to leave the building, talking and occasionally teasing each other over silly topics of conversation, an explosion rang out in the distance. They ducked instinctively. Cassi, sleeping in the carry-on Jay had with her, poked her head out to see what was going on. She started to loose herself from the older woman’s hold when another explosion rang out. Something flew on the horizon. Her eyes went wide as she found herself staring at two people, one in red with black dots and one in all black, landing nearby. They bantered back and forth (Jay didn’t catch it all and even if she did, she couldn’t understand it) but one of them, the red one, turned and saw the crowd. She straightened immediately. Jay didn’t need to speak French to understand that she was ordering everyone to get back inside or out of the way. Aunt Joy tugged her arm.

“Come on. This way.”

She pulled them into a nearby car, which she climbed into the driver seat. They weren’t given time to buckle up. As soon as everything was in, Aunt Joy hit the gas which sent the car rocketing down the road for some distance. The two in the back, breathing hard, turned to look out the back window just in time to see the two heroes take off again to meet a third dot some distance away; just enough that they couldn’t make out anything about it. Brandon sat forward in his seat. “What the heck was that,” he demanded.

“I forgot to tell your mom,” she answered, still driving, “but Paris has been having an issue with a super villain of all things! He calls himself Hawkmoth and he likes to turn ordinary people into his minions called akumas in order to get Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses.” Jay absently reached for the miraculous under her shirt. She didn’t see it but Brandon too reached for the band on his arm. The both of them grew gravely serious.

“How do you know that’s what he wants?”

“I was there,” she recalled, “When an akuma called Stoneheart basically took the Eiffel Tower. Hawkmoth made an appearance but Ladybug, the hero in red and black, sent him packing and saved Paris that day; it’s been about a year now and the two of them are always fighting to protect the city.” As they were turning on to another street, a streak of red shot past them, causing the two foreigners to flinch but the older woman to smile, “Don’t worry. That’s just Ladybug’s magic fixing the city. Knowing that things are going to be fixed makes it easier to stay in Paris.”

“Hawkmoth sounds like a pushover to be honest,” he snickered. “Could you imagine if Viper or Dark Claw showed up to partner with him?” Now it was Aunt Joy’s turn to look confused.

“Who?”

“Viper and Dark Claw. Paris isn’t the only place having issues with villains.” She gasped.

“No! Your city too?”

“Our city too,” Jay admitted. She gently rubbed the necklace under her shirt. It hadn’t dawned on her until just then that she had left town without letting Leo know; what was he going to do if Arachnid struck again while she was here? It made her heart drop. Maybe she could sneak away long enough to get in touch with him….

“You alright Jay,” Brandon asked. He was gently shaking her shoulder and she knew that she’d done it again. A weak smile came to her lips.

She nodded, “Yeah. Just getting hit with the jet lag.” He nodded and removed his hand, smiling.

“Aunt Joy’s isn’t too far from here. Why don’t you unpack and rest until dinner? We can go exploring the city tomorrow.”

“Oh of course! You two should go to the tower and the Louvre and I know the cutest little bakery with some really delicious goodies….” She continued to rattle off various things they could do throughout the week but Jay didn’t listen. Now she was worried. It lodged in her throat and right behind her heart and she couldn’t seem to make the feeling disappear.

 MLGDMLGD

Words can have more power than one could imagine. Essentially, one could argue that by opening his mouth, Brandon had jinxed them since Viper and Dark Claw stood at the top of Notre Dame, staring down at the city. It was bright. Disgustingly so. She rolled her eyes.

“Now what? I’m not searching the whole city for this miraculous.” Dark Claw stood from his crouch. He eyed her, narrowing his eyes, silently wondering how the master continued to put up with her idiocy and inpatients.

“You won’t have to. The master gave me specific instructions for this city.”

She crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “He didn’t tell me anything.”

“Have you considered,” he noted, looking across the city, “that you lost that privilege when you decided to start doing things your own way? Your screw up the first time was enough to put the Dragon’s holder on alert to our presence.” She snickered.

“The other method takes too long.” He rolled his eyes. A faint fluttering caught his eye and he followed it for a moment. Dark Claw pulled his tail from around his waist. Tossing it, the end hooked on a lower part of the cathedral. Before he moved though, he told her, “You are welcome to take it up with the Master. It was his plan. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m actually going to follow through on this new plan. You’re free to do whatever. Just don’t get in my way.” Viper hissed at him. He jumped from the building before she could strike; she moved to the edge so her narrowed eyes could see what it was he was doing. She didn’t miss the faint flutter of glowing white wings. He was obviously chasing the butterfly. A grunt escaped her lips. Deciding it would be to her advantage to follow, she did, jumping from the roof and using her daggers to follow shortly behind her partner.

 MLGDMLGD

Hawkmoth gritted his teeth. His latest minion, a disgruntled firefighter who became the Blaze, had failed just as every single one of his akumas had in the past. Opening his eyes, he held up his hand for the little butterfly to return as they always did.

He had to fight the strong urge to crush it in his hands.

This was frustrating. For one year he was constantly being beaten by two brats who thought they were superheroes and the miraculous were still out of his reach. He needed that power! Yet, his methods would have to change. He was wise enough to realize that but the method in which it was to happen alluded him just as much as the miraculous he hunted did.

“My, my, it looks like you could use some help.”

Hawkmoth opened his eyes. The round window that his butterflies entered and left through was smoking as a purple, noxious gas, eroded away the material, making a much larger entrance for two people to enter. The first was a smug looking girl in a brown, scale designed outfit. On her left hip was a dagger. He assumed it matched the one that currently was in the process of destroying his window. Next to her was a black hooded boy. If he didn’t know better, he would have sworn that this was another Chat Noir but he looked more… wild in his nature than the tame cat-boy he often had to face. His lips were tight, a feature he was sure was permanent. The mask on his face only increased the intensity of his amber colored eyes which glowed in the gloom of the evening. Hawkmoth crossed his hands on his cane.

“And who are you two? Coming in here destroying my property.” The girl jumped down followed by the boy. She sheathed her dagger.

“I don’t know what you said buddy,” she slowly drawled, “but we’re here to help you. We hear you’re after certain miraculouses.” He leaned his head to the side. Hawkmoth, because of his daytime profession, knew and understood English but it didn’t mean he had to indulge the apparently arrogant girl in an answer. The boy approached.

“Pardon her,” he spoke perfectly in French, “My associate is a little hard headed and impatient. We are Dark Claw and Viper and we were sent by our Master Arachnid to hunt down a certain miraculous of our own. He has offered a trade.” He reached into a bag at his side that he had not noticed before. He pulled out a cloth with an etched purple spider design on it; he laid it perfectly on the ground in front of him. Smoke erupted from it suddenly. Hawkmoth raised his staff as he attempted to cover his eyes. Viper snickered. When the hissing sound ended, he slowly opened his eyes and was thoroughly impressed, and surprised, to see a holographic image of a man, dressed in a suit and mask, a spider decorating the ascot around his neck. His hands were folded behind his back.

“Greetings Hawkmoth. I am Arachnid. I am sure my two associates have introduced themselves so we shall skip ahead to the business hm? I have a proposition for you: You help me collect the Golden Dragon Miraculous and I will help you collect the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculouses.”

“And why,” he mused, “Should I trust you?”

Without missing a beat, the image answered, “And what do you have to lose? I have kept my eye on your business Hawkmoth; your last year has been miserable. How far have you gotten in collecting those miraculouses exactly? I will say your best akuma so far has to have been Volpina. She was the one after all that nearly managed to get Ladybug to surrender her powers for that boy but in the end, she failed. Just like the rest of them.” He squeezed the top of his cane. “Then I think it would be to your benefit to help me as I will help you as well. Together, we can walk away with the miraculouses we desire and the world can be turned to our images. Maybe even for your wife….” That caught his attention. Hawkmoth’s head snapped up and he nearly growled.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I accept.” Arachnid’s smile twisted.

“Excellent.”

*****

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The top 10 games of E3 2017

E3 2017 had a lot of great games, but these are the best of the entire show. (image: Flickr E3 Expo)

The greatest video game show on Earth has ended, but the hype is just heating up.

Nearly 70,000 gamers flooded an overpacked Los Angeles Convention Center for three straight days (not counting a few days of fancy media briefings) of digital insanity, and game makers of all shapes and sizes delivered enough gaming goodness to last a lifetime — or at least until the holidays.

Though E3 2017 lacked the explosive punch of last year’s incredible show, it was home to dozens of cool games spanning every system under the sun. So how do you narrow that down? Some games were playable; others were little more than a trailer and some concept art. You’ll get your hands on a handful of them in 2017, while many more won’t see the light of day for years. But regardless of development state (and in no particular order) these are the 10 titles we’re most excited to play.

‘Super Mario Odyssey’ (Switch | Release Date: 10/27/17)

Nintendo’s portly plumber is coming back to consoles this October.

How do you follow-up a game as great as “Breath of the Wild?” You call a plumber.

It’s been 15 years since gamers busted bricks in a 3D sandbox version of the Mushroom Kingdom (that would be “Super Mario Sunshine” for the Gamecube), so to say that “Super Mario Odyssey” is a big deal is an even huge understatement. The next entry in Nintendo’s (NTDOY) flagship series is the company’s holiday pillar and a surefire system seller, provided it’s as good as we all expect.

And based on the E3 demo, it certainly will be. Odyssey’s charming world is densely packed with secrets, and Mario is equipped with incredibly cool new moves to help him explore every nook and cranny. His iconic hat is now a crucial tool, used to both thwart and even temporarily possess enemies. Mario the T-Rex? Believe it, and circle October 27 on your calendar. Switch owners absolutely won’t want to miss it.

‘Beyond Good and Evil 2’ (Platforms: TBD | Release Date: TBD)

The E3 audience went crazy for the surprise appearance of ‘Beyond Good and Evil 2.’

You don’t often see a grown game developer weep onstage in front of millions of viewers, but that’s exactly what happened when Ubisoft’s (UBI.PA) Michel Ancel shocked the gaming world with a trailer and quick chat about the long-awaited follow-up to the beloved “Beyond Good and Evil.” The new game is a much different beast, a prequel that, based on an off-the-floor tech demo, hopes to combine the original’s memorable characters with an absolutely immense, seamlessly rendered universe.

Yes, it’s absurdly ambitious, and yes, ambitious games often don’t pay off in the end (see: “Spore” and “No Man’s Sky.”) I also don’t believe we’ll actually play this game in the next year or two, or possibly three. But E3 is about the future, innovation and risk-taking. “Beyond Good and Evil 2“ hits all the right notes and provided the most thrilling chatter of the show.

‘Middle-earth: Shadow of War’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 10/10/17)

Get ready to dive back into the battle for the fate of Middle Earth with ‘Shadow of War.’

How do you improve upon one of the best open-world games ever made? You make it bigger, naturally. But to simply say that “Shadow of War” is “bigger” than the 2014 hit “Shadow of Mordor” is like like saying that a Balrog is bigger than a labrador.

Giant fortress battles, a deep loot system, beefier combat, an expanded Nemesis system that turns just about every inch of the world into a unique, procedural snowflake — “Shadow of War” is shaping up to be a monstrous video game and a worthy successor to “Mordor.” This one may very well rule them all.

‘Spider-Man’ (PS4 | Release Date: TBD 2018)

‘Spider-man’ looks like the best video game incarnation of the wall crawler in years.

The web slinger’s been a little hit-or-miss as a video game. Fans point to the seminal “Spider-Man 2” as a high point, but a wealth of decent if forgettable action romps have left them longing for a game that gets its sticky star right.

Sony (SNE) and developer Insomniac’s take on “Spider-Man” might do just that. It’s already being compared to the tremendous “Batman: Arkham” games thanks to a similar combat system, but it’s also gorgeous, cinematic and seems to nail the thing we all really want to do as the webhead: swing freely through the streets of Manhattan. It’s also treating the comic lore with love by including new Spidey Miles Morales in the amazing trailer.

‘Echo Arena’ (Oculus Rift | Release Date: 7/20/17)

‘Echo Arena’ is the future of ultimate frisbee.

E3 2017 wasn’t a great show for VR, but tucked away in a corner was the sort of experience that got us all raving about the pricey tech in the first place. Created by well-known developer Ready At Dawn, “Echo Arena” is the closest you’ll get to the low-gravity training scenes from the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game. Two teams of five float around an arena, launching off walls as they try to toss a ball into a goal. It’s a smart solution to VR’s locomotion issues, and thanks to Oculus Touch and voice support, it feels like you’re really sharing a space together.

‘Sea of Thieves’ (Xbox One | Release Date: Early 2018)

‘Sea of Thieves’ will let you live the life of a pirate on the high seas.

It was a pirate’s life for just about everybody who met with Microsoft (MSFT) at E3 courtesy the swashbuckling silliness of “Sea of Thieves.” Turning up to four players into a gang of marauding buccaneers, it’s a surprisingly complicated game about ship sailing, treasure hunting and, most likely, lots of dying. But ace developer Rare’s gift for colorful characters and playful features is on full display here, making “Sea of Thieves” one of the most likable games at the show.

‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 11/17/17)

Fight through all aspects of the Star Wars universe in ‘Battlefront II’

The fan favorite from 2015 strikes back later this year, and based on what we saw from “Star Wars: Battlefront II” at E3, it’s aiming to fix up the ship.

A full single-player story mode should attend to the biggest complaint about the last game, though “Battlefront II” also expands its popular multiplayer with customizable classes, more weapons and environments and heroes spanning every major Star Wars era. Ever wonder how Jedi Luke would fare against Darth Maul? (OF COURSE!) You’ll find out in November.

‘Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 10/27/17)

Take down nazis in America by any means necessary in ‘Wolfenstein II: The New Colossas.’

The game that put first-person shooters on the map got a killer reboot in 2014’s “Wolfenstein: The New Order,” which featured over-the-top combat against some of the craziest nazis this side of a Mel Brooks movie. But developer Machine Games was just getting started.

“The New Colossus” continues brawny hero BJ Blazkowicz’s fight to survive in a future world ruled by cruel dictators; good thing he’s the toughest man in the world, as evidenced by an incredible 20-minute E3 demo that let you mow down mobs of SS soldiers while putting around in a wheelchair.

‘Anthem’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: Q4 2018)

‘Anthem’ is a an online multiplayer game aimed right at ‘Destiny.’

From “Baldur’s Gate” to “Mass Effect,” game developer Bioware is best known for making enormous, detailed role-playing games. For their next trick, however, the legendary studio is taking a page from the “Destiny” playbook with fast-paced sci-fi combat set in a shared online universe. In “Anthem,” players don exosuits called Javelins as they jetpack around a massive world looking for trouble (and, presumably, XP and loot). Details are still scarce — E3 was more of a coming out party for the game than a deep dive — but suffice to say, fan of Activision’s juggernaut and games like “Borderlands” should pay attention.

‘Far Cry 5’ (PC, Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: 2/27/18)

‘Far Cry 5′ brings the series’ signature run and gun chaos to American soil for the first time.

Ubisoft had a tremendous E3, showing off a portfolio bursting with both established franchises and risky new endeavors. “Far Cry 5” somehow fits both definitions. The first game in the series to be set on U.S. soil, it courts controversy with its socio-political undertones, pitting a small-town Montana deputy against a militia-like cult that shares more than a few similarities to real-world American extremist groups. But it’s also “Far Cry” through and through, letting you romp around a stunning, grounded open-world begging for exploration and experimentation. Best of all, you have a pet dog. Careful, he bites.

More games news:

These are the coolest VR games at the world’s biggest video game expo

Nintendo shows off new ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ and more at E3 2017

Microsoft’s new Xbox One X is a beast, but faces an uphill battle

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass will end your free time forever

‘Injustice 2’ review: Kneel before this sublime superhero fighter

Ben Silverman is on Twitter at ben_silverman.