#i normally just let my comics flow

[puppyeared]

horrible truth bomb dropped on my head 20 min ago

[t-tomuras]

𓅪 ─── • 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬

Pairing: Mithrun x F!reader

Warnings: Perceived one-sided affection, longing, slight pussyjob, multiple orgasms, riding, creampie

Wordcount: 3.1k

Sure you could've done any of the usual methods to help ease your captain to sleep for the night but several nights alone with him in the dungeon made you just a bit more adventurous.

It’s exceptionally cold in every hall of the dungeon, you’re just thankful that Mithrun is comfortable with your proximity by now. Easy to handle and never complains whenever you crowd his space during meals and crawl beneath the covers of his sleeping bag to cuddle close. Each instance increases in occurrence, especially after being separated from the rest of your party. 

“It was fortunate that we’d fallen through that hole together, wouldn’t you say?” You coo as you shimmy down into the moderately plush cover with him, cuddling closely again for the third night in a row. Shoving your cold feet between his thin shins without earning so much of a hiss from your captain while sighing over the warmth of his body. 

Fluffing the blanket and tucking the other end beneath both of your feet after contouring yourself to his body before finally settling comfortably. Wrapping your arm around his throat as you rest your forehead gently against his temple. Nuzzling closely as the fire at your back warms the exposed skin of your shoulders. 

He tosses a sideways glance from his peripheral and nothing more but you respond to the look expertly, “just cold, not going to sleep I promise. I know it’s my watch Captain, the door is closed anyway so it should be fine, get some rest.”

“I’m not tired,” the same as every night, though it sounds a little more clipped than usual. The admission makes you giggle now, however, a breathless ‘of course’. Mentally going over some method to lull him to sleep that doesn’t involve exiting the already cultivated warmth of the shared bedroll. 

Not many come to mind, even fewer that you think would actually work quickly. He should be, at the very least, fatigued by this time; you’d both woken slightly earlier than normal and he’d used his magic sporadically throughout the day. 

And if his tone is any indication, you’d consider him to even be cranky, which seems comically endearing more than anything else. 

A rush of heat flooding your system, following the tracks of the flowing blood in your veins, with the idea you have. 

“Alright then,” cute lilt of your voice melting into a more sultry one, “let me help with that Captain.” Propping yourself up on your elbow with one arm and leaning against his chest with the other. Digits coyly drumming against his sternum, “a new way this time. Something for both of us?” 

Mithrun’s brow raises in question, prompting you to continue when you fall quiet while running the arch and ball of your foot along the expanse of his shin. Kicking your leg further over both of his own, straddling him as your elbows rest on either side of his head.

Your captain spares a cursory glance and, thankfully, surmises what you’re insinuating without making you say it out loud. You don’t think you’d be able to anyway, hovering over him like this outside of pleasant dreams is consuming most of your confidence. 

“Why would this make me fall asleep?” 

“It’s my job to take care of you and meet your needs Captain,” a job you take great delight in, especially now. It was okay to be a little selfish right? You still had your own desire, Mithrun was still a man, “even if I do all the work, it should tire you out.” 

His expression never changes, Mithrun only slow blinks up at you, but he doesn’t disagree. Nor does he show disdain, something he can still express but never really feels the.. well, desire to. 

Though you do covet another sort of desire from him, you always have, since early on in your arranged partnership but you yearn even more so now. You crave the notion of Mithrun lost in his need for you as deeply as you crave his lips hungrily sliding over yours. Dream of intimate affections and passionate explorations to the point it’s cultivated a particular proclivity, its eating you alive. 

But his silence now begins to embarrass you before long, the heat of shame stinging the apples of your cheeks. You shift, preparing to remove yourself from him entirely, “forgive me, maybe I should just do the usual—“

“It’s something you want as well?” The question surprises you, freezing you in place above him. Tilting your head as you swallow a little more visibly before you nod your head slowly. 

“Then let’s do it,” hearing it in his bored tone, indifferent to the act gives birth to a pit in your stomach that wars with the fluttering feel of elation. Mithrun denied whatever he saw fit but he never refused anything of you; he may not ever particularly care for doing most things outside of his pursual of vengeance but he won’t do something he doesn’t want to.   

“Alright Captain,” a suspire of a sound, unintentionally sultry as you adjust to sit up more, “are you certain you’re okay with this?” 

Checking once more with a hammering heart as you fist your slip at the hem and drag it upwards before tugging it over your head to leave you bare above him. 

He nods but says nothing else, only stares unblinking up at you, gaze flickering to your uncovered breasts but nary a reaction. It almost makes you bashful, shifting your weight to rest the fat of your ass against his crotch as you bring your arms up to cover your chest. 

“You’re staring,” slightly less confident than you’d wanted to sound. 

“I’m waiting,” simply stated, you’re not surprised. It even makes you laugh, a mirthless sound as you dip lower. Fingers brushing hair from his sightless eye and press your chest to his, drawing the blanket back over your forms so you won’t feel too exposed. 

Your hands slip beneath the covers as your hips hover above his own to push the shorts you’d changed him into down his thighs. The fabric pooling at his knees before he shimmies them lower.

Shifting forward as he lifts his knees and settles his feet flat against the plush surface of the sleeping bag, the position having the curve of your ass contour perfectly to him. 

Heat strings the nape of your neck you’re sure isn’t caused by the flame nearby, certain it’s the feel of him against your sex. Saliva embarrassingly gathers on your tongue for you to swallow down as you lean down to him again. 

Face to face with him but there’s a sudden awkwardness, you aren’t entirely sure how to really initiate this with him. 

You could crawl down his body, take him into your mouth. Feel him steadily harden as you bob on his length but you don’t think your ego could recover if you looked up and saw a lack of enthusiasm on his handsome features. 

“This should help,” muttered more to yourself than to him as you dip your head to kiss at his throat, nipping playfully at the flesh as your warm cunt rests over his soft cock. Cradling his skull as humid puffs dampen the skin available to you between each brush of your lips, peppering chaste affections along the column while climbing ever higher, laying a final one in the space behind his cropped ears. Smiling when his cock twitches at just the feel of your breath fanning over the scar tissue alone.

He even cranes his neck for you, presenting the extremity more prominently to you. Your heart could soar, finally grinding your pelvis into his own as your teeth graze the cartilage; your thumb swiping sweetly over the smooth skin of his cheek, ending its trek at the opposite lobe to massage it. Affording equal attention to both while you hum softly, a gentle tune you likely couldn’t name. 

But even if Mithrun’s body reacts to you, you hunger for more. Long to hear his breath hitch or sigh at your actions, for passion to take him in the form of frustration at your leisure. To have him grip your hips and hasten the pace of your currently slow grind over his semi hard cock. 

You knew this would be nothing like what your other squad members described with their own lovers but you didn’t know it’d feel so disconnected. You didn’t think it’d bother you this much either, trying and failing not to take it to heart; you were more than aware that your affections aren’t returned. 

That they likely never would be, because he can’t physically, nevermind emotionally, desire you. Even so, it doesn’t stop you from wishing there was a glint to his eye while you drag his steadily hardening cock between slick folds. That he’d want to cup your face and tell you how pretty you looked like this, how much he adored what he did to you, what you do for him. 

Could the dungeon grant that wish? 

The thought makes you halt abruptly, lifting your hips while gnawing the skin of your lip until near bleeding when he surprises you; fingers holding you in place when he questions, “why did you stop?” 

Your throat feels dry when you swallow, words seized by it so you merely shake your head instead, a glassy look to your eye and an unconvincing smile. 

“Keep going,” somewhat commanding, you swallow the hope of him following it with ‘I want more‘, knowing it will never come. 

The command will be enough for now, though your heart races and eyes widen when his hands find your hips as you give a tentative roll once more. Slick clicks disturbing the silence as you find your rhythm again, melting in the moment when his engorged tip kisses your clit with one particular rut. Shuddering above him and as pleasure threatens to overtake you, you don’t register the slight grip of his fingers.

Pelvis twitching out of sync before you gasp, a sharp inhale to punctuate the sudden rapture. How long had it been since you’d found bliss? It felt better this way than by your own hand, you can admit that much, and you hadn’t even been filled by Mithrun yet. 

So lost in the throngs of your orgasm you miss telling reactions from the man beneath you; like his uncovered eye widening a fraction in interest and the way his sealed lips part around a breath. 

His expression is neutral by the time you float back down to him, shrugging your shoulders sheepishly as your fingers thread together just below his diaphragm. Lifting your ass slightly to reach between your bodies, taking hold of his fully rigid length and he looks on at the sticky mess with rapt attention as you align it with your drooling hole.

“Ready now, Captain?” The sound of your voice peels his attention for how his tip prods into your warmth before he nods. 

The hands steadfastly at your hips reflexively aid in how you sink down on him, stretching you slowly. Obsidian hues flickering up to watch how you react to him once more. 

Plush lips formed into a pretty ‘o’, brows furrowed but distinctly different from the times he’s seen you in pain. 

But the breathy moan that pulls from your throat when you’ve taken him fully, sensitive clit running against the neatly kept thatch of hairs on his pelvis is an experience in and of itself. 

A tune one could only attribute to a siren's song, a flicker of feeling sparking in his chest that could dare to ignite the more he hears it. The only call Mithrun may yet fall victim to. 

You both settle into a steady rhythm from there, rising and falling on his cock at a leisurely pace as you adjust to the feeling of him while he does the same in turn. Rotating in minute circles intermittently to test what feels good for him as well, canting your hips slightly to maintain the angle you found when his pelvis ruts up and out of sync with your own.  

Reveling in the subtle reactions from him, finally finding a comfort in these actions with one another. The breathless whimpers from you steadily crescendoing into airy moans and modestly audible panting. Mithrun’s skin glistening as a sheen of sweat collects and catches the licking flames, his still intact eye lidded evenly with his damaged one and his lips perpetually parted. 

Your stomach flutters when he wets his lower lip with a swiping tongue, arching slightly and pushing his head into his pillow with the hastened pace you’re melting into. 

Getting lost in the feeling before long, carried away now that you’ve broken from your initial trepidation and timidness. This feels natural now, just as every interaction with your captain does. 

The natural ease guiding you now, as if on autopilot as you lean down for a touch more intimacy to the act. Fisting the material beneath you to anchor yourself before cradling the curve of Mithrun’s skull, lips brushing over his dewy skin, smattering what’s available to you with a barrage of chaste pecks. Trailing from his throat where your tongue darts to sample the salty sheen as you draw upwards along his jawline. Nails raking soothingly at his scalp, breathing in the smell of Mithrun and sex as you inhale deeply, unable to keep yourself from what you do next. 

Your lips seal over his, a firm press before tugging playfully at the full lower lip because you’re more than elated in this moment. 

Everything about this feels good, feels right, and you can’t believe it’s your captain who fills you so perfectly. Moaning against his lips and frantically rolling your hips into his own, blinded as you chase your second climax before you moan again. The coil snapping and you tense against him, lips parting against his own as your brows furrow when euphoria engulfs you once again. 

Riding the waves of your orgasm until realization threatens to nix it prematurely when your eyes roll open with fluttering lashes.

“I’m—!” Gasped as you rest your palms on either side of his head, pushing up but not away despite that being the knee jerk reaction.

Cheeks ablaze as you still, thinking you need to apologize while velvet walls continue to spasm around his sensitive cock. 

Lips forming around the words before the hands resting atop your hips grip insistently at the fat of them. Crescent moon’s sure to rise beneath the pressure of his nails as your captain moves you himself. Lifting you and pushing you back down on his aching cock, a slight urgency to the movement as he repeats the action twice before you naturally fall into the rhythm with him. 

“Keep going,” a slight rasp to his usually smooth tone, “Do what you were doing earlier.” 

You find exactly what he means again easily, arcing your back as you lean down again. Elbows framing either side of his head when Mithrun surprises you for the third time tonight. 

He lifts his head for his lips to capture yours again, his hands sliding to the small of your back to press you flush against him. One creeping higher, caressing just below your shoulder blades for a more natural conforming position. 

Your surprise melts into gleeful acceptance, tilting your head to deepen the kiss. Dragging your hands to the center of his pillow and pushing them beneath his head again. Cupping behind his ears while the pads of your thumbs press into Mithrun’s skin, tilting him in the opposite direction. 

Opening your mouth involuntarily for a moan to slip freely when his cockhead nudges into just the right spot. Making a noise of surprise when you feel his own wet muscle slide over yours a moment later while Mithrun pushes his fingers into the small of your back. Pressing down while you taste one another until he needs more, pawing at the plump flesh of your ass in wordless encouragement. 

Urging you to bounce just a bit faster as his breath stalls in his chest, coming out in stutters when he parts from the kiss. 

You wish you could focus on how cute he looks with his brow scrunched in concentration before his feet plant on the floor for better leverage. Thrusting up into you, desperately pursuing his coveted demise as the room fills with a cacophony of lewd squelching, honied cries and gravely growls. 

Babbling ‘please captain, please cum for me, so close, please fill me up’ almost incoherently before the coil in his abdomen gives way the moment you moan Mithrun oh so sinfully. Toes curling into the material of his bedroll and every muscle in his body tenses as he paints your walls in warm sticky white. 

It’s fitting you follow your captain to blissful Elysium the same as you do the pits of hell. Blinding pleasure wracking your form with whole bodied trembles while he works you both through your climax. Each unhurried rut prolongs the pleasure before the sting of overstimulation threatens you both.  

Lifting off of him with a whine, lamenting the empty feeling before you collapse in the space next to him, near boneless as your chest heaves for breath. 

Snuggling closer despite how tacky skin sticks together uncomfortably with every adjustment in position until you settle tucked into the crook of his shoulder. Sighing contentedly as your pattern of breathing syncs with his own, slow and even while you replay all that transpired in a relatively short span of time. 

Though, pleasant recollection leads down the corridor of over analyzation and its only product is agonizing reflection.    

You’d all but coerced him.

Guilt bubbles in your gut, disrupting and denying the peaceful call of slumber. The corners of your eyes burn as your fingers curl into a fist against his chest, “perhaps I should no longer be in charge of your care Captain. I’ll request a change in station once the other Canaries retrieve us.” 

“No, I prefer for it to be you.” 

Even on the cusp of slumber, tone laden with drowsiness he’s quick with his rebuttal as he rests his chin on your crown, effectively tucking you further into the crook of his neck. 

To anyone else, his comment could be taken at face value. That he simply wishes to maintain the ease of familiarity; you know his routine and what works best for him, adjusting to a new Canary was bothersome. 

But, with how long you’ve known him now, you know something like that is a nonissue. Your captain is mostly agreeable, anyone could see to his needs should the situation arise. 

It’s far from a confession of fondness but it’s  enough to warm your heart and ease your mind to fall asleep in time with him. 

He can scold you for shirking your shift come morning. 

[kathaynesart]

Alright, as promised here is Future Donnie from my Future Bootyyyshaker 9000 AU in his entirety.  If only all the pages could look like this hah.  You don't really get to see him much in the comic so let's pull back the veil just a bit, shall we?

My goal with his design, was to really make him look like he was a part of the line-up from the movie.  So lots of bandage wraps, flowing fabrics, and also a hood/wrap similar to the one that Casey will eventually wear.  This Donnie is not as flashy as his younger self, given that he often is forced to work with the bare minimum, but he is still prone to an indulgence every now and again. In particular his tech-bow staff can be magnetized to his glove for easy "Jedi-Force" re-call.  It's the little things.  His hood, comes complete with a mini-sheldon that acts sort of like Siri and he can project his screen as a hologram for others to see if needed.  

My favorite detail however, is his eyebrows are now projected by his eye visor.  Sharpee's all dried up in the future so it was a necssary addition.  The only major injury he's sustained over the years occured when his old visor burst from a power surge.  It lead to some nasty burns on the side of his face and he is practically deaf in that one ear.  Luckily his new visor also works as a hearing aid.  His eye mask got in the way of the ear piece, so he wears one around his arm instead.

Normally he keeps to his labs in their underground colony, but his presence was required for their latest mission to infiltrate and install a probe within the technodrome.  The gadget he is holding is the core of that probe.  Sadly, he did not make it back home.

The hardest choice in his design... was whether or not to give him pants.  It felt like a sin to hide those gams (and I like how they came out in the original sketch), but I felt in the end it was more in character.  Mikey gets a pass for still running around in spanks because he's a free spirit.

[planete777]

꒰ RED LINES .:. LN4 ꒱

( lando norris x fem!reader )

IN WHICH. y/n finds her fate hidden within two red lines, and fears the demise of her and lando's relationship. [based on this ask]

pt. 2 .:. 'red hearts'!

WARNINGS. pregnant!reader, both her and lando aren't ready so there are discussions about potential abortions, mental break downs (i.e panic attacks, crying, you know the drill), angst, mentions of throwing up (no one does it i promise), attachment issues (like me fr), a little bit of fluff (because im not that evil >:])

NOTE. first non-high!lando fic!! i've never written a pregnancy fic, so like, forgive me if it's bad haha 🥲 i put so much effort into my banner, like i'm so proud of it lmao. anyways, enjoy reading luvs 💗

SIDENOTE. my askbox is open! feel free to send in any high!lando thoughts, scenarios and requests, or any other trope too 🤍

edited to add tag in banner

y/n is almost blinded by it.

two bold, red lines.

she finds it completely comical how she didn't know it sooner, for the ink that runs down the result window is so palpable, it might as well have been written with a permanent marker.

the test taunts and mocks her as she stares at it in complete despair and confusion as she so sure that they had been careful. but now, she lets herself cry over spilt milk because having a baby, on top of mountainous piles of stress that came hand-in-hand with uni, was not a checkbox she would've liked to tick off amidst her status quo.

the bathroom pounds with an deafeningly eerie silence, as she stares, and stares, then blinks as tears flow, then stares again. her ears are swallowed by loud static and her vision fuzzes around the edges, making the test in her hand seem further away than it actually is, and she allows herself to completely fade out.

she feel utterly sick. like she wants to throw up, but the upcoming bile, instead, remains dislodged in her throat and presses immense weight into her chest. it shortens her breaths, she's hyperventilating as if she's been strangled, then panic completely overwhelms her. everything before her zooms in and out like a malfunctioning camera and the pregnancy test clatters to the ground as she digs the heels of her palms into her eyes.

she doesn't remember the last time she had a panic attack this severe, and neither does she know if she'll get over it solus. yearn for a presence beside her devours her brain and she wishes that lando–

lando.

the way her heart seems to squeeze in her chest is almost too animalistic to be normal, and it arrives at the thought of him being unacceptable of the baby. he's barely situated in one place, fuck, he basically travels for a living, and all her mind conjures is how he won't be there when she needs him most. she tries to wish it away, because just thinking about her makes her spiral even more and she knows she cannot survive with a child whose father decides to be absent.

codependency isn't great, that she's thoroughly aware of, but lando's presence brings a wave of comfort braided in the brightness of his smiles and the warmth of his embrace, and it has become her whole lifeline.

yet, the bathroom she's in feels too small and too cold to be anything other than unbearable, and her body feels to weak to remain upright, sliding down to the tiled floor. she sobbing and spluttering so much that lando can hear it from two rooms down, and he rushes into the en suite without a thought in mind.

he crouches down in front of her, hands flush against the skin of her cheeks. he's shaking, fucking terrified out of his wits, and his words are enunciated with a tremble.

"hey, hey, y/n breathe with me," he desperately takes her hands into his, and places it on his own chest, making exaggerated breaths as y/n's start to simmer. it feel like hours stretch by, the air surrounding feels tense with fear and devastation, and by the time she settles, y/n senses nothing but exhaustion.

"what's wrong, love? you're scaring me," lando gently asks, and she struggles to respond, mouth rid of any moisture as if it had been scraped dry. lando takes the initiative to look around in hopes that anything would give him a clue to his girlfriend's break down.

then he freezes.

the white stick lays there, gleaming and glowing like it's fucking sent from heaven, and he feels his heart plummet into the depths of his guts. he knows he can deny it all he wants, but it's undeniable, what he's seeing, yet prays like a grieving mother that what he thinks is not true as his quivering hands reaches for it.

two bold, red lines.

"oh fuck," it punches out of him, every inch of energy disperses like fleeing birds, "you're pregnant?"

it's so small, so timid that he almost doesn't see it, but she nods, and his arms fall like he's been shot and the test leaves his fingers. he swears he's drenched in ice cold water and he remains silent, bound by stunned numbness. his lack of response spurs y/n again, and she begins sobbing, pressing her face into her arms and wiping it furiously. all she thinks is that he doesn't want it, and out of sheer terror, she starts rambling utter shit.

"i can get rid of it, if you want, lando, just please i'm begging you, don't leave me."

he's crying himself now, doesn't know what to feel at the suggestion, but it makes him gag.

"get rid of it if i want to? fucking hell y/n, i'm not a prick like that," he fumbles out, words wet and hardly cohesive, "as long as you want to keep it, i want the baby too."

she looks up at him, eyes so full of hope that he immediately takes her into his arms.

"you sure, lando?" she's still hesitant, burying her head into his chest, and as further reassurance, he kisses her forehead, "as sure as i'll ever be."

[luna-rainbow]

Hey, I don't know if you've already answered this (and this may be a weird question lol) but why did Hydra just let Bucky's hair grow long? Why didn't they just cut it? I've seen you do other metas and stuff like that (which I love, you're a great writer!) So do you have any ideas?

Aww thanks for enjoying the other metas 💕

That is a very interesting question that I’ve never thought much of 😅

From a Doylist perspective, the Winter Soldier arc was published in 2005-6. Ed Brubaker was born 1966. Men having long hair became more acceptable and even fashionable from about the 1970s (ie Brubaker’s formative years), and that style carried over to the late 1990s (or, if you’re like me who was in the JPop fandom, it was still popular for most of the 2000s). Longer hair in men was generally seen as subversive and cool, or untamed and unkempt, which were descriptors that would have fit Bucky’s reappearance in his new persona. It was also a good way of indicating that time has passed and his character has changed significantly. One other thing is, when it comes to 2D art, long hair flows, ie it’s easier to express dynamism, which is why so many superheroes wear capes. I believe (not having read the actual comics) Bucky’s role changed in The Winter Soldier run from a pure sidekick to something closer to an antagonist and partner, so the more distinctive character design reflects that too.

From a Watsonian perspective…I guess men’s short hair can be somewhat high maintenance in that you kind of have to trim it once a month at least. Who knows if the serum affects the speed of hair growth as well, because if it does then maybe he needs more frequent trims and it just gets long if they miss any. Presumably, given his history, he’s also not an easy customer to approach with a sharp implement, especially not that close to his face. And they’re always in such a hurry to pack him back in the cryo tube or to get him prepped for his mission that it just gets missed until it really gets in the way.

The other possibility is that the longer hair also changes his face shape substantially speaking as someone who didn’t recognise Bucky when the mask came off. It makes his face more angular and the shadows deeper. It probably stops his memories triggering as easily when he sees his own reflection. It serves to erase his original identity, along with his new “name” (although we have no evidence that he knew he was called the Winter Soldier while he was still brainwashed), new uniform and the bionic arm.

The third reason is that the long unkempt hair could be used as a psychological tactic. It’s emasculating and demeaning, especially for someone born in the 1910s and normally known to be well-groomed and tidy. It’s an element of control over his bodily autonomy that he cannot change without them allowing it or at least giving him access to implements to cut it. It contrasts him with the other soldiers, including the other “Winter Soldiers” we see in CACW, who are allowed to sport typical masculine haircuts, and serves as a continual reminder that he is “other”, if not considered somewhat subhuman.

So that’s my two boring cents. I wonder if anyone else has other ideas.

[grub-hut]

I don't use Tiktok, never will, In my opinion I think the app should shut down. [ But that will never happen... So I will cope.] But god are ya'll are insufferable on there. The fact you have this strong par asocial attachment to Sebastian and claim that Zerum is ""ruining the character"" is just blasphemy and shows you guys know nothing to zero about writing and do not play the game whats so ever. I've talked to Zerum; Ive talked to the devs and mods ; and all the false claims and misinformation that's being spread like a wildfire IS CRAZY. Everyone's so exhausted. It takes just a couple of minutes to prove it's false but that would actually require these people to literally sit down and fucking read. Zerum never banned anybody. Zerum doesn't handle the bans in the server. If you got banned or muted, it was most likely the automod in the server that they have implemented to avoid people saying anything weird or sexual... [ A friend of mine got muted because they sent a gif that had a weird name to it; nothing related to the gif, the gif was fine and they filed a ticket and got unmuted. Its just the bot doing its job.] and even then the mods probably banned you for something completely unrelated...

and even then, can we STOP normalizing this??

Like this GRINDS my gears, it fucking rusts, it makes me want to break down and combust into flames- Stop. Stop. YOU ARE THE ISSUE. Creators want to create. Either for ourselves or for others, whatever it maybe people enjoy letting their creativity flow because ITS FUN. IT SHOULD BE--- FUN!!! We are giving you literally something free and something to ENJOY because we enjoy it just as much! This stupid fucking mindset being so normalized makes me SO SICK. " whatever is put on the internet is free reign!" you guys have ZERO respect for any creator; even yourselves and its so BLATANTLY OBVIOUS. You guys preach about "respecting artists/creators" till it doesnt fit with your agenda, because we should just "expect" our works to be disrespected and used. Like our feelings never mattered. Are we going to ignore the discussion of AI art too? Or copyright, or literally anything of that sort here? Yes, its the internet, there WILL be people who are so drastically cruel and do something you will not like. I do agree its best to ignore those kinds of people but that does not mean we should just LET it happen. It does not mean we should suck it up and take the blows. This is how people stop creating, youre killing artists, youre shunning them away because "its the internet, lol, dont get mad if ppl -" Stop it, you're teaching younger generations that it does not matter if you have boundaries or not and that your voice doesnt mean anything. I mean fuck, you put your oc here I can use it however I want then! Because you shouldve expected the moment you click post for other people to use it! Who cares right?! its OUR oc now >:)!!! No matter what the character is from, by a indie game, a comic, a book, yadda yadda. If youre gonna be scum, you are gonna BE scum. Artists should be respected and be listened to. If Zerum ships her oc to her oc, so fucking what? She created him. YES. SHE CREATED HIM. Just because she is a """co-owner" You forget she wrote and designed him. You forget its STILL HER CHARACTER. WHICH BTW, HE WOULDNT EXIST IF IT WASNT FOR ZERUM!! ITS HER CHARACTER- Not yours, and if your first thing that comes to mind " oh but shes ruining her character" then so what, its not MADE for you. Hell, Sebastian is only like 1% of the whole entire game! ENJOY THE GAME, ENJOY THE ACTUAL LORE. MAKE YOUR OWN OCS, GO WACKY WOOHOO AND ENJOY IT WITH OTHERS. If you make headcanons for Sebastian or any other characters! Great! As long as you are respectful who literally cares. HAVE FUN! Stop harassing and bullying and literally spreading misinfo; I am so sick of people with this mindset! This is why the internet is such a shit place to begin with because we just let this stuff happen. Grow up! Like PAInter said.." YOURE NO FUN AT ALL!"

[blacknedsoul-blog]

A detailed explanation from my headcanon that Annabel has ADHD

So I had this six fucking hour trip. On a bus. Alone. And I was bored out of my mind, because sitting around being bored is as close to mental torture as it gets for me.

Fortunately, the light at the end of the tunnel: I was inspired. Away from the burnout I have with fanfics, I remembered that I've mentioned this headcanon several times on Nevermore's Discord and just thought, what better time to talk about ADHD than when I'm having a pretty ADHD moment?

But before I start, there are a few little things that need to be pretty clear on the table:

I'm being a bit hypocritical here: in general, I'm deeply against diagnosing fictional characters for two reasons: first, it's an impossible task to distinguish between character traits and symptoms to such an extent that you can go around forever without coming to a real conclusion unless the author of the work confirms it, and second, even if you have the disorder you're talking about, you can fall into the trap of perpetuating stereotypes or generalizing, thereby invalidating other experiences. So even if the tone of this review sounds very assertive, it is because of my writing style. I am in no way diagnosing Annabel; this is an analysis of her character through the lens of a possible disorder.

In relation to the above, where I point out an event in the comic that can be read as a symptom, I am not reducing it to "this only happens because she has ADHD". You CAN'T reduce a person's personality to "they has a disorder," and when I point out these examples, I'm not doing so with the intention of denying the background behind it, but rather pointing out how, under the magnifying glass of having it, it might exacerbate that behavior.

I am NOT a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a neurologist: I am a woman with ADHD. One who has done a lot of research on the subject, been in therapy with a psychologist who specializes in the disorder, and talked extensively about it both with friends who also have it and with professionals. But I don't have a career in mental health, I don't pretend to, and everything you'll read below is a mixture of research and personal experience.

You're going to see a lot of "we" or "those of us with ADHD" because, as I said, I have it too, but this is all a generalization made for the sake of flow. The symptoms of this disorder can be expressed in many different ways, and not everyone has all of them (for example, there are some that I don't have, but it would be strange to change the voice of the text just because of that, it makes it harder to read). If you have ADHD and read a symptom and think "hey, I don't get that", that's perfectly normal. Your experience is valid and I don't want to pass it on. But it would be exhausting for me and for the reader to use tentative phrases all the time.

If this text resonates too much with you, I strongly recommend that you see a professional, if you're able, and not self-diagnose: ADHD has many symptoms in common with autism and other neuro divergences, don't risk misdiagnosis.

If you have a different opinion than mine on this subject and want to share it with me, I'll be happy to read it, if I don't answer it's because I forgot (forgive me?). But you can be sure that I will read it.

Anyway, let's get started.

What is ADHD?

According to the NIH (National Institute of Mental Health) website, this is the definition of ADHD:

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. People with ADHD experience an ongoing pattern of the following types of symptoms:

Inattention means a person may have difficulty staying on task, sustaining focus, and staying organized, and these problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension.

Hyperactivity means a person may seem to move about constantly, including in situations when it is not appropriate, or excessively fidgets, taps, or talks. In adults, hyperactivity may mean extreme restlessness or talking too much.

Impulsivity means a person may act without thinking or have difficulty with self-control. Impulsivity could also include a desire for immediate rewards or the inability to delay gratification. An impulsive person may interrupt others or make important decisions without considering long-term consequences.

Here is an impression that needs to be clarified: ADHD is more about an inability to regulate attention than a lack of it. A neurotypical person may choose to focus on a task to get it done, we may procrastinate to death because even if we want to, we can't focus on it, or stand there absorbed in it ad infinitum until the house falls down around us (and we may still have trouble noticing). This is understood, Understanding all this, here is the list of Annabel's behaviors that could be interpreted as symptoms.

Hyperactivity

One thing that not everyone knows is that hyperactivity is not about running around like an uncontrolled animal. It can manifest itself in many ways, and there are many types: physical, mental, and even emotional.

In Annabel's case, she seems to be the first two types.

Perhaps due to her difficulty in expressing emotions, it is quite obvious at this point in the comic that her moods are made explicit through gestures: playing with her rings when she is happy or nervous, touching the ribbon around her neck in moments of anxiety, or playing with her hair almost as a default state.

Annabel.

Doesn't.

Sit.

Still.

Never.

It is also clear that Annabel is always planning something. Always.

This can be read into the logic of mental hyperactivity: when you have it, your brain just doesn't stop. Ever. And that's something that resonates with this lady.

Emotional Dysregulation

The part of the brain that regulates our moods works…erratically. Not to say it doesn't work at all.

This leads to a painfully common problem in women with ADHD: lack of emotional regulation is seen as drama, and instead of being taught tools to deal with it, we are taught to repress and bottle up emotions.

Annabel has highly internalized this as a defense mechanism. But here's the thing: if repressing emotions instead of learning how to deal with them in a healthy way is harmful, being biologically unable to regulate them can be even worse.

It touches the right nerves, and if you catch us flying low, it can cause explosive outbursts.

Possibly violent reactions to feeling offended or uncomfortable.

Or completely over-the-top reactions that we can't control.

And it's not just anger that's affected, it's the whole emotional spectrum. Another emotion that is very noticeable is fear. If we don't develop tools to help us calm down, we don't get scared, we panic.

If this happens too often, we can become prone to developing severe anxiety or frequent attacks.

We may also have great difficulty dealing with frustration. Our brains love rewards, and feeling that we're not getting them because of our own inability to do something can be downright annoying. And if we don't have the tools to express our frustration appropriately, we can have quite childish reactions, ranging from temper tantrums to…pouting.

I find it funny how several of these pouts are caused by Lenore, a bit like "Oh, come on, honey, what are we talking about?"

Another important thing to note here is that one of the most fucked up and notorious symptoms of this lack of emotional regulation is RSD, short for Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, defined as "a problem that interferes with your ability to regulate your emotional responses to feelings of failure and rejection. While rejection is almost always unpleasant, people with RSD experience overwhelming levels of emotional pain. This can lead to long-term mental health problems, fear of failure, and behavioral changes that negatively affect them throughout their lives."

Rejection and fear of failure are a problem for us. So much so that we may seek strategies to avoid it as much as possible, even when it causes us problems (such as not completing a task for fear of doing it wrong). This is an issue that can tear us apart emotionally.

Annabel is terrified of being rejected or despised. Her whole life has been built around appearances and getting the right people interested in her. If she can't do that, what good is she?

And that's something that comes up a lot in her relationship with Lenore. Repeatedly, in fact, but my favorite has to be this one:

Annabel thought it would be the smart thing to do to break that bond because she knows they're never going to see each other again. But the look on her face when Lenore calls her a "damn liar" is just painful to watch. I think ripping her heart out with a rusty spoon would have hurt less.

Finally, on the subject of things that aren't so funny: that thing Annabel does about biting her fingers when she's in a critical situation is something I used to do, too (only I'd bite my knuckles or palms).

My psychologist explained to me that when you feel like you're losing control, you immediately look for something to ground you, and unfortunately, physical pain is often a quick (if damaging) way to do that.

Codependency

Okay, here's a thing: it's not that we have a tendency as such to codependency, but this is a situation that can occur due to bad practices within a relationship. Especially a couple one.

As it stands out, people with ADHD can have a lot of problems with micromanaging ourselves, remembering things, dealing with our emotions, etc, etc, etc. And it is natural for close friends, family or our partner to help in those processes.

The problem arises when that help starts to become a parentification process where the partner who is providing support starts to do this on behalf of the other person, infantilizing them in the process.

This is a cocktail for resentment on both sides: the party calling the shots can easily feel that the other is putting a huge burden on their shoulders and not trying hard enough, while, on the other side, no one likes to feel like they are being treated like a child. Let alone that the person doing it is your partner.

But at the other end of resentment, there's codependency.

The constant feeling that you are a burden, insufficient or even disposable.

And that means you have a lot to make up for. On a regular basis. So much that you put yourself in a situation where you have to make horrible decisions so that someone else doesn't have to because somehow you owe it to them, who hasn't had that happen?

What I mean is that yes, Annabel feels like she owes this to Lenore because she only remembers the part where Lenore came kicking in doors to save her from a marriage she didn't want. And if she can't do this for her, she doesn't deserve a relationship.

Feeling inadequate, that your partner is doing you some kind of favor by tolerating you and ending up idealizing their in the process is obviously not unique to the neurodivergent experience.

But we try, we try really hard and, like anyone else, we like to feel that the effort we put in is seen and valued.

If we are not careful about that, we do indeed fall into the risk of becoming codependent. The desire to feel loved or valued becomes a constant hunger for validation from which it is difficult to escape because we are aware that our brain will never function in a different way. And if that is mixed with RSD, it can become an even bigger problem.

Novelty, games, challenges, and rewards

Producing dopamine on a normal basis is one thing our brains aren't very good at (one of the reasons we can be prone to depression, for example), but you know what they love? Challenges and rewards.

New things feed our endless curiosity, but for some reason unknown to me, our brains really love challenges and dares. They give us dopamine like we're on a high.

So much so that some people use it as a tactic to perform tasks they don't like: "How many dishes can I wash before my dinner is ready?", "If I can finish this in less than 30 minutes, I can go get chocolate."

One medium we may like very much for this reason is games. Board games, card games, or virtual games. It doesn't matter. Games provide a very good balance of challenge and reward.

If you see that Annabel seems overly interested in how this works, it's because there may be a part of her that thinks "aside from the deadly situation we're in…this is like the most hardcore escape room ever" and inevitably there's something here that stirs her bug.

It may be something she loves about Lenore. As a good hypocrite, Annabel despises the rules she knows so well, so when Lenore comes along with this gimmick and completely changes the paradigm of what she knows, there is inevitably something that appeals to her. Others who are good at the game look down on Lenore's disdain for the rules, to Annabel it is fucking appealing because it offers a range of unexplored possibilities that she fucking loves.

Erratic Communication

When our brains are running at full speed, communication can become a challenge, and we tend to exhibit erratic patterns.

One of these is info-dumping. Touch a topic we know about or are interested in and it's like stepping on a landmine: we explode talking about it. Non-stop. You'll have to hit us to shut us up.

Another thing is that we can have a bad habit of interrupting. A lot. It's not malicious, it's just that we're really into the conversation and want to participate as much as possible.

That said, even if we're extroverts, it can be a nightmare to withhold information or participate in a conversation if it doesn't grab our attention. It's not that we want to be disrespectful or anything, it's just that, again, we have no control over our ability to pay attention and we're swimming against the tide to hold on to whatever it is you're telling us.

This scene is something I've seen in friends with ADHD and have been told I do: stare at people while doing your best to do the hamster run to remember what they're telling you because you know it's important, even though your brain is putting it together with junk information because it's not engaging your attention in the right way.

Ignore the murderous stare part, it's not that common - at least I hope not.

Drinks that are like a pill

Our brains are not designed to produce certain hormones naturally or, in some cases, they produce them under other circumstances. For things like that, we can take pills, develop strategies to help our brains produce hormones.

And drink coffee. Lots of coffee.

Caffeine can be extremely relaxing for us because it can actually help our brains keep functioning, you know that stereotype of the highly coded ADHD character who drinks coffee like it's his life? Well, that's because.

You know what other beverage has a similar effect? Tea. Theine is also a natural activator, perhaps less aggressive than coffee, but it can have a similar effect.

If you're interested in describing this topic in fanfic or touching on it in fanart, tea should have a relaxing effect on Annabel and even help her concentrate.

Boredom

We get bored. A lot. And we get painfully bored. Here's what happens: boredom is caused by a lack of stimulation, and our brains aren't stimulated just because we can't regulate our attention to seek out that stimulation.

Add to that the fact that when we are bored, without dopamine hitting our receptors, our executive functions diminish and we function like shit.

Boredom

Is

Fucking

Murder

Because our brain starts desperately asking for dopamine and we can fall into really unhealthy behaviors like fighting, being chronically online, or eating because we can't find anything better to do. This also contributes -again- to our depression or anxiety.

Conclusions (and if I don't make the joke, I'll die)

In the book ADHD After Dark (a study of ADHD, relationships, and physical intimacy), Ari Tuckman draws some interesting conclusions, one of which is that on a statistical level, people with ADHD seem to be more likely to have what he calls "sexual eagerness": kinks, fetishes, a tendency to be adventurous in bed, and the like. Again, our brains love play, and both intimacy and flirtation can involve a lot of it.

So…

Um…

…well, I think Lenore will be happy. Good for her.

Anyway, this has been a seriously long explanation. Thanks for reading this far.

[ampreh]

[TRF] Norma II

• Related to this : The Rust Factory - Norma (<- comics)

• Related to this : The Rust Factory - Norma (<- comics) I had SO much fun doing the vintage style of flash backs and imagination: I would have kicked myself for ignoring this very impactful style for its time.

Audrey pic: Context - Extract from the 2022 RP "It was the story of a corporate that had made a great scientific revolutionary invention! It was called D-Sire, a simple, medicated, fabulous everyday object that people couldn't live without. But during the process of improving the product, which was intended to target wider markets to make more profit, the D-Sire had unfortunately gone awry, causing a great catastrophe unparalleled among mankind. All cities had been wiped off the map, leaving only willless mutant humans and animals. The heroine had to flee her city, survive and fight her way back to the creator of the D-sire, who had abandoned his company and changed his identity. Coal was terrified of this cheap soap opera with its terrible special effects made of modelling clay and the saturated offbeat sound of the black-and-white picture on the small TV screen." A more than obvious reference to the AU Truffula Flu. And a huge reference to @audtreegrace, @miru667 's character. So of course, I don't have all the context since it's a vast AU with lots and lots of details, but I've got enough of a basis for my friends to recognize and that's good enough for me :> Nathan has already confused Audrey Grace with Audrey, the actress from their series HAHA. Alas, the Audrey and Ted of his world won't be born for several years. He didn't find the actress, but he did find a good friend with whom to talk for hours about anything and everything ♥

Norma Bellini pic: Well, Norma pin-up, because why not! In vintage calendar mode, because I love vintage aesthetics. And yes, those are the right dates I went to check on good old calendars haha. At first I wanted to do it in a swimsuit, but then I preferred the picnic. I love picnics.

Too big to fail pic: I had to do it! Of course I had to! The only time I've redone such an iconic portrait was for the first version of Cashtea-ler in the Let It Flow fanzine, in 2022 (I should do a new one with his new head). Nathan Cole (@1940s-onceler | @nalak-bel 's), in black and white in his best soot-colored suit!

Compilation : Just Normaler, to appreciate Normaler. On a more serious note, I like the idea that Nathan was guided throughout his first times by ladies, and not the reverse. I love this not-so-little whining man.

[sinner-sunflower]

A HH Lucifer-centric AU 22/22

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21

STORY 2 - Sequel

I can't believe it?? I made it, Ma!

Luci's General Suit inspired by this FANART on twt by @kajina_97

This is the COMIC that inspired me to write the whole thing because I wanted this ending so bad klajdklsa it's by @Sandranetta_13 on twt

Dk what tomorrow might entai. Might be the first chapter for the sequel?

Let me know what you guys think! Please, I'm very desperate.

I'm willing to do a Q&A regarding your thoughts. DMs and Asks are OPEN! <3

Will link the sequel here once posted

---------------------------------------------------

Everything was relatively normal the following week. His and Charlie's long overdue moment with no more miscommunication made Lucifer feel a whole lot better. He couldn't ask for a better daughter.

Dressing himself in one of his battle suits, he felt like he could take on the world. Nothing says King of Hell like your best warrior outfit and a badass sword in full display.

Lucifer: Looking pretty dapper there, me.

Lucifer doesn't even bother to style his hair- it now flows animatedly like that of Lilith's.

Flowers were still being sent to him especially when he was first spotted roaming around the hotel after a week-ish long recovery. Charlie had the amazing idea of making a greenhouse or some sort of garden to put all the flowers and keep them alive as long as possible.

They got rid of any red ones after someone sent a buttload of them which then caused him to have a mini panic attack. Alastor is subtly trying to take that moment off his mind by leaving Marigolds everywhere. It's sweet but soon they're going to need a separate greenhouse for just the Marigolds. Where'd he even get these??

Finding his first Marigold of the day, in the bathroom of all places really Alastor??, he makes his way to the lobby. Everyone was there doing their own thing.

Husk and Angel are at the bar as usual, with the latter talking animatedly about something that puts an endearing expression on Husk's face. Nifty is putting on roach puppet shows for Alastor. The radio demon notices him and conveys his most 'help me' face but he just chuckled and gives him a thumbs up. The cyclops named Cherri is today's gift screener, grumbling about the pollen and the shitty taste some demons have.

Charlie and Vaggie were talking to a small group of demons by the entrance. As soon as his daughter sees him, she said something to the group then walked over to him.

Charlie: Good morning, dad!

Lucifer: You look busy.

Charlie: They're sinners who are asking about the hotel! I'm so happy that people are at least coming here to check it out. Did you have a good sleep?

Lucifer: Well, I don't feel like passing out today. So pretty good!

Charlie: That's great, dad!

Angel: Short king! Looking good in that fit!

Cherri: Yeah! Do a spin, hot stuff!

He blushes at the sudden attention. Everyone is looking at him in awe- maybe it was too much?

Alastor: Nonsense, dear.

Alastor appeared beside him in a flurry of shadows, seemingly reading his mind. He bends down at Lucifer's level to whisper in his ear. He plucked the Marigold Lucifer was holding, putting it behind the King's hair.

Alastor: I, for one, think you never looked so.. raveshing~

Damn him.

Lucifer: Shut up.

Lucifer hisses in response. Like, seriously? In front of his daughter? Thank Father, Charlie didn't hear that.

Charlie: Yeah! You look so cool. I don't think I've seen you wear that except for when there's a banquet.

Lucifer: Yeah, well, I wanted to look put together after everything.

Charlie softens at his words.

Alastor: No need for that, sire. I'm sure no one is foolish enough to comment negatively on what the King of Hell chooses to look like.

Lucifer: What does that make you then?

Alastor: Privileged, my King~

Lucifer rolls his eyes at the audacity but he can't help but smile. Man, he never thought he'd miss their constant banter.

Charlie: You look awesome, dad, okay? Al, please slow down with the Marigolds, Nifty's going crazy. Oh! Dad, right, Aunt Bel called said that the Sloth Ring is making incredible progress and that she'll visit again soon. I think Aunt Bee is planning a party with the other Sins and would like it to be held here in Pride! At the hotel! It would be so cool and of course if you're not ready I can tell them and maybe a little get together would be better. I'll even invite Sev! He gave flowers for you too and Vaggie was so jealous when I said he was my ex and thought the flowers were for me, she was so cute-

Lucifer tried, but he stopped listening halfway through his daughter's talk. It was a bit of an information overload but he kept a small, genuine smile on his face for her.

Then something caught his eye that made him stopped smiling altogether.

Charlie notices this causing her to stop talking.

Charlie: Dad?

He should answer but his eyes were locked on the wall behind Charlie. Plastered on the higher part of the lobby's wall was a glowing mark- gold wings with a dot on the center.

Lucifer turns around so fast to look outside the hotel's window. Heaven looks so out of place up there, sticking out like a sore thumb upon Hell's red skies.

A glint in the distance made him act. Without warning, he took off with such force that those inside the hotel were knocked down by the gust of his wings.

He breaks the window on his way out and pulls out Lightbringer. Lucifer brings the sword up and-

A powerful explosion lit up the sky. The sky split in two and fire appeared high and wide over Pride. At that moment, everyone became so hot that they couldn't bear it, as if their whole body was on fire. They wanted to rip their skin off just to get a sense of relief but then the sky shut closed. A strong thump was heard by every demon in the vicinity and then they were all thrown a few meters.

It felt like an eternity before Charlie and the others could get their bearings. Those that didn't get knocked out went outside, once there, they see Lucifer far up in the sky, holding up a flaming sword. The signature pentagram of the city has been fractured by whatever happened and demons all around were either hurt or unconscious.

Charlie: Dad!

Charlie calls out to her dad but he doesn't acknowledge her. His gaze never leaving Heaven, as if he's seeing something that no one else can.

--------------------------------------

A screen locked on Hell zooms out as the machine's voice rang out 'target disengaged'.

An angel looking similarly to Lucifer, except there's blue tints on the spots where Lucifer had reds, was looking down at Hell pulling back a large, golden gun. They blew the smoke residue and sighed.

Michael: Hello, Lucifer... Still causing trouble, I see.

---------------------------------------

it's done??

cliffhanger but don't worry, there's a sequel!

I spent 30 minutes looking for that comic that inspired this ending.

Did y'all catch that Lemmino reference? I'd have that description in my head rent free ever since I watched Grazed by the Apocalypse

Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! This was my first published baby and I'm so proud !

[crow-stars]

❝CHILDHOOD RULES BROKEN❞

❦summary; childish fun doesn't always mean you have to be a child to enjoy it. ♪the characters in this story; gn!reader, riddle rosehearts ✎word count; 961 ❀what do the ghosts say?; platonic, just good old fluff times, reader and riddle jump on the bed together, riddle getting to act like a kid :) ☛the author's notes; nothing to note... ☪look at the catalogue?

“Why would you jump on a bed? Doesn’t that ruin the mattress?” 

“Well, yeah, but if in moderation, it can be fun!” Riddle shakes his head with a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. The thought of participating in something that only young children do in his adolescence seems ridiculous, yet you’re so insistent on trying to get him to join you. 

The two of you were sitting on Riddle’s bed. You were supposed to be studying, yet it somehow divulged into you telling stories about your childhood with Riddle listening. One of the fondest memories you had was getting to jump around on the bed, giggling and laughing before your parents told you to stop and go to bed. That was how the conversation led to this, debating about jumping on the bed. Though, it was more you trying to convince Riddle that it was fun and Riddle pointing out why it wasn’t fun, both in short term and long term. 

“Why don’t you try it? If you don’t like it, then you can say that jumping on a bed sucks.” 

A scoff came from Riddle as he shook his head in the way he did whenever he was unamused, or at least when he tried to act amused. He lowers the textbook he was holding, already a third of the way done with the book. It was dense enough to make anyone’s head spin. 

“I’m not going to jump on the bed. I already know the risks and factors when it comes to jumping on the bed.” He states it in such a matter of fact way, it’s almost comical. You shifted to sit on your knees, leaning forward as he gave Riddle a more intense stare. 

“But you haven’t actually jumped on a bed yourself! How do you know all the risks?” 

“My mother.” 

The stare you gave Riddle could only be described as a deadpan and even Riddle knew that his first response was the one that would come under scrutiny. After a long, frankly unnecessary silence in Riddle’s opinion, you let out a sigh and stood up on the bed, grabbing Riddle’s hands and attempting to tug him onto his feet. Riddle resisted, obviously, he still had his shoes on compared to you, who had taken your shoes off 

“Wha─ What do you think you’re doing?” The smile you had was wide, the giddy type of smile that told Riddle you had something up your sleeve. You bounced slightly on the bed, causing the papers and books that were resting on the mattress to jump in response. 

“C’mon! Take off your shoes!” 

Riddle gives you an incredulous look and you only nod encouragingly. There’s a nagging feeling in the back of Riddle’s head that tells him he’ll be in trouble for doing something like this. Yet with your hands tugging at him every few seconds and light bounces on the bed that gets him lightly bouncing along with you, Riddle ignores that nagging voice and takes off his shoes, which earns a loud “yay!” from you. He moves your two’s work from the bed, before he takes your hands into his. 

Thankfully, you help Riddle onto his feet on the bed, hand in hand with him. His legs noticeably shook, probably not used to standing on something he didn’t normally stand on but you kept a firm grip on him. There was a nervous, yet oddly excited smile on Riddle’s lips as you slowly began to guide him into bouncing. 

The two of you began with just slow bounces, feet never leaving the mattress as you did so. Riddle could feel his heart racing a bit, feeling anticipation and anxiety flow through his body. He felt awkward with just the little up and down bounces, but was thankful that it wasn’t too much at once. 

“A-Am I do it right?” Riddle lifted his head to look at you, earning a laugh from you. He looked like a puppy who was seeking approval, which was somewhat true. 

“You’re doing fine, Riddle. Don’t worry.” You lightly squeezed his hand before bouncing on the bed just a bit harder. Riddle was still on the slow, light bounces, so such a sudden change in the tempo leads to Riddle stumbling. He stutters and stumbles, gripping onto you tighter so as not to fall. It only makes you laugh as you keep with the new tempo, Riddle eventually catching onto it and beginning to jump up and down on the bed more properly. 

The nervous confusion eventually began to morph into something akin to newfound glee on Riddle’s face. He eventually let go of your hands to jump on his own accord. To see the stern and strict Riddle giggling and smiling like a child was a rare sight for anyone’s eyes and a true treat to see. And he managed to have so much energy too, gaining the courage to let himself fall backwards and let his body bounce up and down on the mattress. 

The feeling of jumping up and down on the bed felt absolutely exhilarating for Riddle, such a simple thing producing so much joy for the housewarden. He kept going well past his legs hurting, jumping up and down on his bed while laughing and smiling. You eventually had to stop, but Riddle kept going for a good few minutes after you before collapsing on the bed with a tired huff. You grin as you look over at the tired Riddle looking back at you. 

It’s silent for a few seconds before laughter bursts out of the two of you, giggles being faintly heard from outside of Riddle’s door, yet neither of you could care, not when both of you were smiling so widely.

[mikuni14]

Wandee Goodday - Ep 1

The long awaited first episode of Wandee Goodday is finally here, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had been chanting "save me Wandee Goodday, Wandee Goodday save me" for the past few months lol

What I liked:

lots of humor, especially in the 4/4 part I laughed non-stop, although I must admit that a lot of the laughter was from second-hand embarrassment 🙈

Great and Inn are just beautiful (it's good that Great has loose clothes now, I was always worried about the buttons on his super tight uniform in MoD, fighting for their lives)

Thor and Fluke are also lovely, I really like the fact that their characters are already a couple and are completely in love with each other (and horny for each other 🔥) and so open about it

side characters add a lot to scenes, even if they appear for a moment, like a salesman offering technical advice on sex, or a doctor who sprays water on naughty subordinates, also nurses!

I really like Dee as a doctor, as an employee who doesn't let himself be treated like shit by clients and as a friend. He is nice, strong, confident, reliable and capable. Which is in stark contrast to how hopeless and lame he is in his love and sex life 🙈

I like how Yak and Dee felt an immediate physical attraction to each other, which is fighting against an equally immediate strong dislike lol The natural flow they have in their relationship: from physical attraction, through fights caused by negative circumstances, to the night spent together shows that this kind of relationship can be done, without humiliation bordering on bullying, as it's between Phum and Peem in We Are

I really like Yak who can just… stop when he has any suspicion that his partner is not fully in the moment, not fully sure. It was so cool, no forcing Dee to continue by putting pressure on him, making him feel "guilty", no awkwardness, complete chill. I like it when sex is treated so casually that even if nothing happens, the partners just sit and talk and there is no sense of pressure, everything is just so... normal and chill. I loved it.

Kao as a friend, a sidekick, a "token lgbt friend of the main character" 😄, who has his own life and although he is very funny, he is not a serial clown and comic relief, as is often the case. And he is asexual with credible dating problems. So interesting! Also: Drake 💖

I feel kind of vindictive happy that my most hated trope, wiping food from the mouth of the "love interest", is shown here as messing with Dee and giving him false hope for a relationship (?) The day this trope dies will be the day I win. I plan to get drunk when this happen hehe (vain hopes, of course, this disgusting trope will never die)

What I have a few, teeny-tiny reservations about:

at this point I don't really understand Ter's motivation: was he deliberately seducing Dee, or was he just too chummy with him, which he misinterpreted? Not that it matters tho...

8 years of all this? oh Dee… 🙈 (I love how Kao described this pathetic situation in just a few words)

I also don't really like making Dee a silly kid and a 🤡 when it comes to love and sex, especially since he's shown in other scenes where he's a full adult. He's a grown man with a serious profession, so it felt weird watching him as if he were a 15-year-old kid in a slapstick comedy. I get that there's a comedic element to it and it was funny and I was laughing, but the amount of cringe and second-hand embarrassment was downright overwhelming at some point. What is fine as convention in MSP or Only Boo no longer looks so good in series about adults

the comedy of the sex scene completely stripped away the hotness of these scenes, ngl

the above comments are not complaints, they are just loose observations. It was only the first episode after all 😉

Overall, the series started well, I had a great time watching it, I laughed a lot, the characters are cool and very attractive, Great has the body of a young god 🔥 I can't wait for their first kiss and a truly hot night - with fun, but no comedy. What a wasted opportunity for them not to watch MANNER OF DEATH and the uniform buttons! hanging for dear life! Like seriously, it was right there 😤

The series is very pretty, just look at those aesthetic shots in a public toilet:

Omg, this guy:

Me:

Me 🤝 Dee about coffee:

(I shouldn't pick on Dee, if someone brought me coffee just the way I like it, I'd be as stupid as him 😑)

One of my 457,869 screen shots of this man, gosh, he's so fine:

[rallentando1011]

Waddup!! Can I have a one where the turtles have a s/o with verbal Tourette’s tics that are just… hella rude. Like, I literally yell “Shut the fuck up, baldy” as one of my tics. 😭😭 Just rude things they don’t mean.

Thanks for the request! I've been working through 'em and having a fun time! (Guidelines are HERE btw)Just fyi, this is based on my personal experience and research. Please let me know if I have any inaccuracies or if there’s anything useful to add!

ROTTMNT Boys W/ Reader with Verbal Tics

Donnie:

Donnie stares

Not judgmentally, not emotionally at all for that matter, he just stares

Consider it his waiting period for his central processing unit to catch up

After a brief moment of registration, he nods and continues on with whatever conversation or demonstration or interaction was occurring before

Donnie directly lets you know that it is always okay for you to experience your tics

None of that trying-to-restrict-it-for-politeness’-sake business around here

When you feel uncomfortable or tense or just overall weird, he wants that you always feel comfortable to express whatever you need to in his presence

If you ever try to apologize for one of your tics, he bluntly asks, “What do you have to apologize for?”

He knows that it’s involuntary, that you have no genuine intention to say something flippant

He doesn’t expect an apology for that

Mikey:

Mikey immediately pales and pouts

That’s just his spontaneous reaction

His thought process is kind of just: Mean words? Mean words directed at me? They must mean it personally and I must be a terrible person and they must hate me and-

But then he realizes: Oh. Right.

And the bad thoughts stop flowing

If his reaction makes you think that he’s upset with you, he quickly assures you of the opposite

He didn’t mean to seem aghast

He was just surprised

So he reassures you that he would never, could never get mad at you for something out of your control

He loves all aspects of you and will always be your biggest supporter through anything and everything

Leo:

Leo’s pretty chill, pretty nonchalant about it

Normally he just moves along; that’s all one really can do

Sometimes, however, like if the tic occurs at a comically bad time, he laughs

Not just a normal giggle either

It’s the kind that one tries to stifle, but it bubbles up their throat and nose and actually ends up being significantly louder

Either that or he smirks

Although, if you feel like he’s poking fun at you, he fervently clarifies that he just found the timing funny, not you or your tics

He also apologizes profusely (if you’ve been looking for a favor from or leverage over him, now’s the time)

Leo feels slightly guilty if you happen to pick up a rude word or phrase from him

He also finds it objectively funny, only if you’re not upset by it, of course

Raph:

Raph instinctually mutters a “language” if he’s not paying much attention when he hears your tics

Pin it on his big-brotherly/motherly instincts

He hears a swear and/or vulgar language, he calls it out

After a moment of you just looking at him, he realizes his error

Quietly, Raph admits and says sorry for his mistake

Other times, he hears you and tilts his head, waiting for elaboration

His conversational awareness, at times, is shoddy, so he can use some help understanding whether or not you intended to say something or not

He’s not perturbed with you at all, no matter what you end up saying

He could never blame you for it, seeing as you have no volition in what your tics are, though he’ll do his best to educate himself on the topic, ask you about your triggers so he can avoid them, see if there’s anything he can do to help

Whatever you need, he’s got you

(side note: hey @nickelodeon #rottmnt is trending again/still)

[thathermitweirdo]

This is my big secret project! Not a fanfiction, but a COMIC! You might notice that the writing is a bit different than my normal style. Conversations, characters, even the length of chapters, it might seem a bit off in comparison to my other works. This is because this has been written in collaboration with d0not_disturb! If you head over to their tumblr, you'll find a comic version of this fic! The comic is to provide visuals, while the fic is to provide greater details! Please go and support them, it really helps out the project! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

—

It was dark and cold. Those were the first things Grian noticed when he woke up.

The place he was in, it wasn't normal. The air felt heavy and thick, like it was weighing him down with every breath he took. And the cold...it was a familiar sensation. One that Grian remembered faintly, but couldn't quite place. He looked around at the emptiness, nothing but a void of light surrounding him.

Grian shuddered a little, feeling uneasy on his feet. There was something in the air, something in the cold. Something that Grian remembered. Magic. It was very faint. Hard to sense, but he knew it was there. And with that magic, something else would follow.

"Nonono," Grian's eyes widened in realization as he took a step back. "Not this again." Memories were starting to flow back now. Unfortunate memories. Memories he chose not to remember.

He turned to try and run, hoping that maybe he could flee before things got even worse. But Grian froze up before he had the chance to take another step. In front of him stood a man, tall and slim, wearing a dark suit and red tie, a finely trimmed mustache covering his lips. "Mumbo?" Grian's eyes widened as he recognized the redstoner.

His expression was hidden away by the shadows of his place, making his emotions hard to read. "What are you doing here, Mumbo?" Grian took a step forward, his eyes filled with worry.

Claws grasped Mumbo's shoulders, a figure stepping out of the darkness. Grian could feel the pit of his stomach twist and ache at the sight, a deep feeling of dread washing over him. "Don't worry," the figure spoke, a twisted smile playing along their lips. "He's safe..."

Grian knew them. Just based on that voice, he knew them. But they shouldn't be here. They were gone, weren't they? It had been years, how—?

"Did you really think you could run away, fledgling?" Their voice was oozing with fake sweetness, as though they were mocking him. As if they had just let him escape. On purpose. As if they had been watching him this entire time...

A glowing sword came out of the darkness, radiating with purple magic as the blade was brought to Mumbo's neck. Grian froze up in shock, tears breaking through the corners of his eyes. "Oh Grian..." Mumbo held his head low, his facial expression hidden away by the darkness. He slowly glanced up from the ground, his eyes fully glowing purple. "Why didn't you stop them?"

His voice sounded betrayed, empty, devoid of anything Grian could recognize. Glowing purple oozed down his face, almost like tears that leaked from his eyes. His head tilted to the side, he looked like some kind of lifeless puppet. Grian could feel his chest tighten and constrict, his breaths becoming shorter and more shallow. Tears started to spill from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." He managed, his words barely leaving his lips. "I-I'll help you! I thought they were gone! I didn't—"

A blast of magic caught Grian off guard, knocking him off his feet and causing his face to slam into the ground. "Oh please," Another voice spat, harsh and rough as he spoke. "Save the excuses."

Corvus. He was always rather cold. One of the Watchers that taught the fledgling. Columba wouldn't be too far behind either, she never strayed too far from her other half. And obviously the third of their little trio was already here, with their filthy claws sinking into Mumbo's shoulders.

Grian tried to get up, though he was met by the pointed tip of a sickle. Corvus stood on the other end of the weapon, his expression covered by his mask. He was a tall man, suited in armor that made the Watcher appear to be a knight. He had horns coming out of the side of his head, with long black hair that fell past his shoulders. He had tail feathers as well, and talons for feet, like a bird hybrid of sorts.

Columba stepped out of the darkness next, her sword radiating with purple magic. She was also dressed in silver armor, her white hair puffy and short. She had a pair of smaller wings on either side of her head, with feathers that not only matched her hair color, but also the same purple color that radiated through her blade. A veil mask covered her mouth, along with a vibrant purple panache that came from her headpiece.

She brought her blade to Mumbo's neck, as if to threaten Grian. And unfortunately, it was working. Grian couldn't risk Mumbo's life, and knowing the Watchers, they wouldn't hesitate to hurt the redstoner if they wanted to punish the fledgling.

"You knew we wouldn't be gone," Based on his tone, it was easy to tell that Corvus was smirking behind his mask. "Besides..." The Watcher snatched Grian's wrist, the sickle still pressed firmly against his skin. "Phoenix just wants a word."

"Indeed I do." The tallest of the three Watchers stepped forward, pushing Mumbo to the side for Columba to hold hostage.

Phoenix was the leader of the other two Watchers, a powerful god with unmatched abilities. They had flowing hair that almost seemed to glow, along with a ring of eyes around their head, almost arranged like a crown of sorts. They had the same bird-like talons the other two Watchers had as well, though they also had a massive pair of wings resting on their back.

Phoenix raised their hand, an orange glow of magic surrounding their palm. Glowing restraints wrapped around Grian's arms and chest, like ropes that seemed to tighten with any kind of movement. The fledgling looked down at his glowing restraints, a bit puzzled. "Huh." His head tilted a bit to the side, "Okay, what's up with that?"

"It's called a precaution, Grian." Phoenix looked a bit fed up with the fledgling, but they didn't seem mad. At least, not yet.

"I feel like Grian is a little slow." Columba tilted her head as she looked at Corvus.

"I can agree with you there." Corvus shrugged, pushing the tip of his sickle a bit further against Grian's skin.

"Shut up! Both of you." Phoenix scolded the two, "We are getting off task."

"Okay, but first—" Columba lowered her blade, though she snapped her fingers together. Purple strings came out of the darkness, wrapping around Mumbo's limbs, as if he were some kind of puppet. "I'm just gonna get Mumbo out of here. He's only a distraction."

He was lifted up by the strings, his body hanging loosely off the strands of glowing magic that bound his limbs. He looked lifeless and empty, the redstoner's eyes still filled with purple magic. It was almost unsettling looking.

"Hey, wait!" Grian tried to protest, "Where are you taking him?!"

"I dunno, somewhere." Columba snapped her fingers again, and Mumbo was pulled out of the dark void, disappearing without a trace. "You won't need him, anyway."

Her voice taunted him, her tone laced with malice. She had no remorse, none whatsoever. It's not like the other Watchers had remorse, either. The three of them had always been like this, lacking empathy in their behavior, their actions; they acted purely according to their own whims.

"You know what?" Grian shut his eyes, his arms fighting against the glowing restraints. He spread out his wings, breaking the magical binds that kept him imprisoned. "I'm out of here."

Grian flapped his wings, flying off into the darkness of the void. The other Watchers looked up at him as he flew off, Columba looking towards Phoenix and Corvus for support. "So is anyone going to stop him?" She sounded annoyed, her voice dripping with disdain.

Phoenix lifted an arm, their palm pointed toward Grian with an orange glow surrounding their hand. "I'm on it." They said, their hand closing into a fist.

A shackle made up of orange magic formed around Grian's neck, along with a long chain that kept him leashed. The other end of the chain sat in Phoenix's hand. The head Watcher glanced over at their subordinates, Columba and Corvus standing off to the side of Phoenix. "You two can go. I don't need you here."

Corvus and Columba smiled behind their masks. "Perfect!" They said in unison, disappearing within the blink of an eye.

Phoenix began to pull against the chain, tugging Grian closer towards them. "You know, it's funny." They sounded calm, yet their grip on the chain tightened slightly. "How you think you can run from your problems."

"Well, here's a newsflash for you, fledgling.." Grian could feel the chain around his neck heat up, as if the shackle was about to burst into flames. "You can't."

"Try as you might..."

"But we..."

"Will always be a part of you."

"And we"

"Will always"

"Find You."

[redgoldsparks]

January 2024 reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Electric Bones volume 1 by Hazel and Bell 

Lucian is the son of a minor nobleman and the CEO of the galaxy's biggest AI company, but he's not so rich that he can't get in trouble. After being fired as a programmer from Echo Station he joined a startup with a couple friends and is now fishing for funding at an elite tech expo on board an expensive and exclusive space vessel. There he sees someone he thinks he recognizes- Ezra, a grey robot, an fully sentient AI who worked on Echo Station as a researcher and partially cost Lucian his job. So why is Ezra now working on the space vessel as an escort? Unless it's not Ezra, but just a look-alike robot model? These questions drag Lucian into the beginnings of tangled web of intrigue which include kidnapping, AI-hacking, and murder. I've been reading this story online as a webcomic for years; you can still read all of volume one here: https://electricbonescomic.com/index.... But last year I also backed the kickstarter, and just sat down to re-read the whole story in print form, including a sexy little bonus comic. I love these characters, I love the rich colors, the lovely sense of flow and design of the pages. I can't wait for volume two!

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

Action packed and exciting, this family drama is full of unexpected twists and turns. I loved the focus on female characters: passionate Kai, whose love of martial arts and sense of justice cannot be contained by the normal rules of Joseon society; her mother, Meorhu, a fragile woman with a surprising past; Sura, a thief turned mercenary; and the Gumiho herself, the deadly but alluring fox spirit who impacts the lives of all the others with her magic and charisma. The art is rich with historical details, beautiful nature scenes, and fast paced fight scenes. Lovers of ghost stories, kdramas, and queer re-tellings of fairy tales will find much to enjoy here. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this book! Pre-order it now, or look for it in bookstores in mid-February 2024.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles read by Martyn Swain

What a delightful return to Romney marsh! This book picks up 13 years after the dramatic conclusion of the previous installment. Luke Doomsday is now a secretary, looking for a new position in a large house were he can keep books and solve his master's problems. Rufus, the recently minted Earl of Oxney, formerly a major in the army and son of a draper, has problems. For one, he never expected to inherit and his uncle is doing everything he can to prove Rufus illegitimate in court. For another, the previous Earl of Oxney was a selfish old bastard who let the estates fall into terrible disrepair, while Rufus' timid cousin kept poor account of the estate's money in a chicken scratch handwriting. Rufus struggles to read at the best of times, and he can barely make sense of his newly inherited account books. When Luke shows up on his door, it feels like a godsend. The men are immediately attracted to each other, though both have reason to be wary. And Luke, in seems, may have come to Stone Manor looking for more than a job. This series is such a fun mix of spicy romance, action, mystery, and danger. I'm really enjoying the setting and time period, which is just after the end of the Napoleonic wars. I really hope there will be more books to come!

Translation State by Ann Leckie

No one is doing it like Ann Leckie! This sci-fi novel uses six different pronoun sets (actually kind of seven, except one is the same set just used culturally very differently by different groups of people). It’s fantastic. We’ve got they/them, e/em/eir, sie/hir, it/its, he/him, she/her, and she/her again except used as a universal pronoun regardless of gender (which works great inside the Radch Empire and badly outside of it). I'm on the fence about whether this book can be read as a stand alone, or if it would only really make sense after having read at the Imperial Radch trilogy and Providence. I suppose it depends on what level of baffling alien customs and politics you are willing to tolerate. This book opens with Enae attending hir grandmaman's funeral, only to learn that the seemingly wealthy old woman had sold her entire estate to a stranger before her death. For the first time in her life, Enae leaves home with a Foreign Affairs job: to see out a fugitive who left Presger space some 200 years prior. Enae isn't expecting to succeed, but sie gives it hir best shot- and in doing so completely upends the lives of a widening circle of bystanders including Reet, a man of unknown parentage, and Qven, a juvenile Presger. This book finally begins to explain this inhuman and terrifying species, and the reason why the Presger-Radachii Treaty defines the rules of so much of this universe. I deeply enjoyed this installment; it makes me want to go back and re-read the original trilogy.

Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo Duvall 

Set in an alternate 1930s, Mississippi, this story follows a group of friends and found family who have to hide their magic from the restrictive and racist government. They survive at the margins, but they don't let the fear of prosecution stop them from doing what they love: racing together as a team. Deep in the woods seers and witches host carnival like events where racers on brooms compete for prize money and glory. Each of them has reasons why they need to win; lives and futures depend on it. This book is deeply queer with a diverse and magical cast. If you're looking for historical fiction where the trans and lesbian brown witches win, this one's for you.

Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

Sammie is a recently out nonbinary transfemm but their college friend group has not picked up on that fact yet. When Sammie is invited to be the "best man" at their friend Adam's wedding and attend a bachelor weekend at a high-tech, no-laws resort built on top of the Pacific Garbage Patch they decide to go in stealth mode. The resort is a pyramid scheme mutated with a strip club, business conference, all you can drink brunch bar, pro-gamer, most-dangerous-game corporate nightmare. Also, the waters around it are infested with terrifying flesh-eating monsters and someone is trying to raise an eldritch god. It takes every bit of queer resistance Sammie possesses to survive this bleak, hilarious, and surprisingly moving tale. In both their fiction and nonfiction comics, Lubchansky continues to hold up the black mirror to our own dystopian times.

Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa 

A very queer high school rom-com comic with a satisfying message about growing into yourself and seeing others truly for who they are. It opens with a love triangle, but subverts that form into a more complicated shape by the end of the tale. Strong character designs and very effective limited color palette.

The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill 

In a desert village, a group of folks choose to live a nocturnal life to keep the moon company, and to care for a small group of magical moths, the only creatures who can pollinate a magical tree which helps sustain the whole ecosystem. One youngster, Anya, volunteers for the important but lonely job of Moth Keeper. She yearns to be of service to others, and feels she must earn her place in the village. In reality, help and friendship are only an ask away, and in this space everyone is cared for. This is a very beautifully illustrated and brief tale of responsibility, community, and resilience.

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls

What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do.

I Keep My Exoskeletons To Myself by Marisa Crane read by Bailey Carr 

I really struggled with this book. I almost DNFed at 25%. Ultimately, I did finish it, and I am glad I did because I think the final act was my favorite part of the story. However, I think the title and cover set me up with expectations of what this book would be which were very different than what the book actually delivered. This is not science fiction- despite the fact it was nominated in the science fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards. It is only barely speculative. This is a book about grief, depression, and parenting a baby and then a young child as a single mom struggling with loss and borderline alcoholism. There were passages of the book which struck hard, individual observations and lines which rang like bells. There is also nearly no plot and I was frustrated by the lack of world building. I wanted to know more about the laws governing extra shadows- were Shadesters allowed to vote, hold passports, travel across state lines? Had anyone experimented with the removal of Shadows? When and how did cameras get installed in apparently every home in American, and how did the government hire and pay for a workforce of seemingly 1:1 surveillance agents to citizens? Also, how on earth did Kris manage to pay for a whole apartment on a single salary working a call center job, especially when as a Shadester she had to pay extra taxes? I understand that this is literary fiction, and these questions are obviously not the ones the book was interested in answering. But it felt strange to me that a book so focused on parenting would not include a single passage about struggling to pay for or arrange childcare. The "pop quizzes" that break up the text did not work well in audio, and did not add anything to my experience of this book. Ultimately, I would only recommend this novel to a vary narrow audience of readers who enjoy lit fic, and are willing to spend a lot of time in the POV of a character teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown through much of the story.

Atana and The Firebird by Vivian Zhou

Atana is a mermaid, but she was banished from her home to live alone on island for a reason she doesn't understand. One night a curious young firebird leaves her flock in space to come down and visit Earth, and she convinces Atana to go an adventure. They are soon pursed by magic hunters, but they also make friends, and end up as invited guests in the Witch Queen's palace. She makes them welcome in her massive library and gardens, but she also has ulterior motives. This is a fast paced story of magic, friendship, and young people slowly learning about the forces larger than themselves that shape their world and their lives. I really enjoyed the art, it has a very active, energetic line which serves the action scenes particularly well. I can tell the author came from an animation background! I am glad that the ending set up potential future installments in this world.

Portrait of a Body by Julie Delporte  

I really loved the colored pencil illustrations of this book, especially the botanical drawings, and the kind of abstract relation of the text and images. I thought the drawings paired extremely well with the hand lettering even if at times I struggled with some of the cursive capitals. This is a candid memoir of recovering from sexual assault and a dysfunctional relationship to ones body and sexuality, of stepping into queerness and self-acceptance. I couldn't really relate to the author's journey, but I appreciated the honestly and thoughtfulness with which the more challenging themes were handled.

Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb read by Nick Taylor 

This book, and this series, has earned Robin Hobb a permanent place in my list of favorite authors. This story goes so hard, weaving together threads that are 9 volumes and 30 plus years of in-story history in the making. The final confrontations, reunions, and farewells at the end of this story were hard earned and so well written. This very much felt like it could have been a final volume of the Realm of Elderlings series, but I know that there are 7 more books to come and I can't wait to see what else this series has in store for me!

System Collapse by Martha Wells read by Kevin R Free 

This book picks up right after the end of the previous volume and I had, unfortunately, completely forgotten most of the previous plot. Once I got myself oriented I still had a great time with it. Wow, I just love watching Murderbot learn and grow and solve problems in unique and interesting ways! I kind of want to go back and re-listen to the whole series.

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A. 

This comic blew me away. One of the most beautiful, strange, artistically ambitious and deeply trans books I've read in a while. Aesthetically, its as rich as a stained glass window or illuminated manuscript. Its narrative is psychedelic but emotionally it rings so tender and true. The story opens with Jules, a transman trapped in a nunnery who accepts a deal with a devil who promises to help him live as a man. Possessed and impervious to physical harm, Jules turns to a life of debauchery and crime. Then he meets another trans criminal, the poetic thief and thespian Casper, and they begin to fall for each other. They see each other as no one else ever has, they validate and treasure one another, but Jules' devil is a jealous master. The devil would rather see Jules burn than thrive. This is one of those books that made me want to draw, made me want to write, made me want to be bolder, weirder, freer, wilder in my story telling. An instant favorite, I expect I'll return to this over and over.

Mall Goth by Kate Leth

Liv's parents are on the verge of divorce; they've just moved to a new town and Liv will be starting at a new high school. At her last school, Liv was bullied for being openly queer and an unapologetic mall goth, and she is understandably hesitant to accept friendship overtures at the new school. However, a supportive male English teacher and a fellow goth gamer boy start to make Liv feel welcome. The goth introduces her to an MMORPG and the English teacher praises her essays and gives her Lolita. Both of them start regularly DMing Liv late into the night, more than is appropriate for the relationships they have. This book is in large part about a teen navigating confusing advances and how and when to disclose things that make her uncomfortable but feel hard to speak about or define. I thought that aspect of the story was handled very well. Some of the pacing in the friendship plot lines surrounding it felt a bit rushed, a few sections underdeveloped, but ultimately I think this book tackled an important issue not often seen in YA comics. It is also steeped in early 2000s Hot Topic/emo music/pop culture references- if you were there, you'll know.

What’s Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine by Erin Williams 

Williams illuminates, through memoir, interviews, and mixed media illustrations the extreme failures of the US healthcare system to address chronic pain. These failures are especially common for patients of color, patients who struggle with addictions, patients who are queer or survivors of assault and trauma. If you had any illusions that the systems of medical care are working in this country, shed them now. This book is half cathartic, half infuriating to read. I really appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of the interviewees and the trans and nonbinary inclusiveness of the language surrounding pain tied to the reproductive system.

[shuttershocky]

hi shutters. im gonna start arknights. do you have any guide/tips for new players? what to do, what to not do, what to save, what to discard, where to find community resources(if they exist). stuff like that. thanks in advance!

Most new player guides will tell you all you need to know about getting started in the game, so I'll list down 5 things about the experience of /learning/ the game instead.

You don't have to play - Before we start, it must be said that Arknights is still a gacha game, an inherently predatory monetization scheme no matter how generous the in-game system is. If you feel like you may be vulnerable to FOMO and spending real money, I don't recommend you play at all. If you're here for the world and characters, Arknights has excellent comics available for free on their website, while players upload most event stories on Youtube for you to read through without having to touch the game. With that said, let's continue.

Take your time - Raising units and generally progressing in Arknights takes a lot longer than in other mobage. Don't worry about things like "catching up". Limited time events that have already had their rerun get added as a part of the main menu permanently, and eventually they even include the free units you get per event. You're generally not going to be missing out on any content (except for 3rd party collabs like the upcoming Monster Hunter event, but that's because they don't own Monster Hunter), so don't feel like you have to rush through the game. It won't work, and you'll get easily frustrated. Think of it more like a puzzle game with updates. You don't rush through puzzle games, the point is to enjoy the puzzle.

Don't spend - This goes for all mobile games in general, but especially Arknights. The money to in-game currency conversion rate is godawful, but the actual flow of the gacha currency (called Orundrum) given to you by just playing the game normally is rather generous. Combined with a few other features that don't need to be discussed here and even a F2P player's account looks like a whale after enough time, because you eventually just get most of the units from how often you're given free rolls. Take it from me, you don't need to buy anything to get gigastacked, it will happen to you over time.

Ask for Help - Arknights is a puzzle game, and that means even with some of the best units in the game, you can find yourself stuck on stages if you have no idea how to approach strategy. If you're ever stuck, Youtube is filled with various clear guides made by the community, targeting everything from lazy clears (often called AFK) by super strong Doctors that don't want to think, to low rarity clears targeted towards new players who are mostly using the 3 star characters (as they are much quicker to raise). Just take a look at the codename of the stage you are stuck on (for example: "WD-EX-8"), and type that into the Youtube search bar. You'll find a ton of different guides from various creators. You can even shoot an Ask to this blog if you want more personalized help, though of course I can only answer those in my free time.

Take reviews with a grain of salt - Probably the biggest source of FOMO pressure in Arknights is the community itself, what with how much content creators love to use clickbait videos telling you a certain unit is a godtier must-have and if you don't have them you WILL be unable to keep up so roll for them NOW or a certain unit is fucking dogshit unusable and if you have them they're a waste of space. No in-betweens. Of course, when you actually get to try these characters for yourself you're going to realize even the absurdly powerful units aren't going to be autowinning stages by themselves (usually), nor are even the most despised, godawful units completely worthless strategically. It's a puzzle game, ultimately a lot more is going to depend on your ability to problem solve. My general rule of thumb when it comes to seeing community reactions to new operators is if everyone says they're good, they're almost certainly very good, but if everyone says a new unit is trash, it's a cointoss as to how bad they actually are. Probably the best recent example is the 6 star Mystic Caster Ebenholz, who was derided as being awkward to use and generally awful in most stages. His stock eventually rose and rose as people discovered that while Ebenholz struggled in most stages, he was incredibly good at taking on stages with very difficult, powerful enemies, flattening most of these elite enemies and bosses in an instant and trivializing the stages meant to be challenging. If you look up Ebenholz online you're mostly going to find people reacting to his initial appearance and calling him bad, but you're not going to see how he's carved out an extremely valuable strategic niche for himself. You never know who's going to end up useful, so don't be afraid to play around with your favorite units.

[starsheet]

sait...

ive had so much going around in my head about sint. hmm

(hopefully this readmore works right i dont really know how they work! ->) headcanon/au rambles below :3

OKOK so they werent that bad at 1st. after their 1st "incident" when they tried 2 ascend the void worm and got sent back, that!! that was their turning point. i think they were good friends with arti and pebbs pre-incident. they were cheerful, kind of like gourmand? happy with the way the world works. unaware of their true power. this strays pretty far from canon by itself but it gets . way wackier

(the incident) they communicate with every echo, and reach their max karma. i remember i had a comic? animatic? idea with them, enot, nightcat, martyr, (which all work together in my (anthro) au, anthro specifically because i use it for more of my serious headcanons? and stuff? i guess?) and some form of sos. they snap and end up ascending enot, or hurting them significantly. nightcat begs for them not to go to rubicon. they know something bad will happen. but they push past everyone and go anyways (theyre clueless, they just want the thrill they get from mass ascending creatures. horrible little beast.) they let the greed get the better of them and end up trying to ascend the void worm, restarting the cycle. except it gets worse. the cycles end up slowly becoming more and more screwed up, every time they attempt to ascend the void worm, trying to find the "perfect" or "correct" way, they were determined. except. they realized that they were getting nowhere. the same exact thing happens.

somewhere. sometime they rip a way out, did someone do it for them? did they figure it out themselves? not sure. they find their way into the main timeline. (fun fact! they arent the only one that does this, so do enot, nightcat, and martyr. theyre all kind of funky, enot and nightcat are glitchy little beasts/twins that do what they want. lol) they arent any different, with their previous knowledge of how screwed up the cycles become if they give in again.

they become part of the colony, learning the ways of the normal colony-living slugcats ("normal" glances at spears and riv (enot and night also live there. so)) and become curious about gourmand and monk's study of the world, taking an interest in their natural medicine.

IM not very good with coming up with stories so there probably is bad consistency or things that dont make sense. i just see saint in a very unique way i think so i have . many thoughts but i dont know how to perfectly align them with words. i made alot of this up on the spot to make their story flow a little better, but im not the best writer. shrug

OK im done typing my hands hurt. goodbye gang