#nai is the dm of course

[alexxuun]

More Trigun DnD AU!

[gojos-thot-patrol]

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Some more supplementary material for the Frat Boy! Au, this time starring blorbo of the hour: Kento Nanami

Because he’s been heavy on my mind. Starting with his basic info!

Nanami grew up very middle class, not as poor as Suguru or Ryomen, but nowhere near as well off as Satoru.

He’s a business major not because he wants to, but because he feels he has too. If he had it his way, he would be a culinary student. But according to his father, there's no money in being a line cook, so accounting it is. 

Still, he hopes to use his degree to open his own restaurant one day. His father would never approve of a line cook for a son, but maybe Nanami could sell him on a business owner for a son. 

He says the main reason he joined the ABO frat was to try and make business connections, he knew that some people would hire one applicant over another just because they were alumni of the same fraternity. In reality though, he’d have more room in the frat and unlimited access to the kitchen. 

His room is full of plants. Plants of all kinds everywhere, including some herbs. It used to kinda annoy Ryomen (his roommate) but, he’s grown to actually kinda appreciate it. It makes the room feel less dead. 

Phenomenal cook who can not bake to save his life. Cooking is an art but baking is a science and somewhere along the way he fucks it up every time. Be it mixing the batter too much or too little, not letting it sit long enough or letting it sit too long- he doesn't know. He can handle box cake mix that’s about it. 

Now if you want a steak cooked to perfection with perfectly roasted veggies and the creamiest mashed potatoes you've ever put in your mouth on the side he’s you’re guy. If you want an authentic lasagna with homemade everything including the noodles and sauce, he can do that for you. Do not ask him to make bread. 

He’s also insanely good at fighting games. Every version of Nanami in my heart is a God when it comes to fighting games, there is not a universe in which Nanami exists where he doesn’t dominate at Tekken, argue with the wall if you don’t agree.

Adding to that, he’s also in love with D&D. He’s a forever DM that spends hours of time planning campaigns, hours he should be spending on his school work but shhhh. If you really want to make him swoon, offer to let him be a player in a campaign. He’d pull out a ring on the spot. 

That being said, I think it’s time to get into some relationship headcanons ;)

HE’S A TSUNDERE! Look at that man, he has such big Tsundere energy.

Out of all his frat brothers, Nanami is probably the one that gets laid the least. Not from a lack of opportunity, nay nay, women (and men) throw themselves at him all the time. He’s just picky and not a fan of being touched by stragers. 

You though? You’re different (of course you are, you’re the main character!) The two of you really started to click after you had to work on a pretty big project together. Little things you did softened his heart for you.

Small things like asking him more about his D&D campaign plans, excitedly showing him pictures of the plants that you kept in your dorm, and offering to help him out in the kitchen. Little moments of quality time and tenderness while you were working on this project together nurtured his small crush into full blown butterflies when you were around.

He finally admitted to himself he was in love with you when you beat him in Street Fighter. He wasn’t used to losing at fighting games. You bragged about using his tips against him (you listened to what he said) and laughed about the weeks you spent training to destroy him (otherwise known as taking a genuine interest in his hobbies.) 

He asked you out on a date that night and you were taken completely off guard! You had no idea the fool even liked you! He was cold on the best of days, spending more time scowling at his notebooks than listening to what you said (or so you thought.) He never contacted you unless it was in regards to your project, and most of the time you spent hanging out outside of it was just because you had become friends with his frat brothers and happened to be at the house. You mean he liked you?! 

Of course you said yes, if for no other reason than to see where the hell this goes. You were 40% sure it was a prank, but hey- a free meal was a free meal. It helped he was hot as hell, what was the harm in one date?

You saw a whole new side of Kento Nanami that night. He was warm and attentive, and fucking hilarious when he wasn’t just keeping all of his jokes to himself. 

It was a simple date. A moonlit picnic in the nearby park, one where he brought his laptop and used his phone hotspot so the two of you could watch movies together. 

That was the night when you found out Kento Nanami considered himself to be a hopeless romantic. 

When he took you back to your dorm, he walked you to the door and actually asked if he could kiss you goodnight. 

And now you’re both smitten! 

Once you’re officially his girlfriend, You’re gonna find out he’s genuinely pretty chill. Happy to give you your space and recognize you’re a person outside of your relationship. That being said, let some asshole start getting a little too comfortable with you at a part and he’s quick to throw hands.

You would think nerdy little Nanami wasn’t that good in a fight, but nay nay, he was forced to play football in highschool and will leave a bastard concussed. 

He says he’s not a cuddler, but every time you sleep in his bed you wake up with him cuddled close to you. 

Nanami loves kisses, and is always planting them on you when you’re in kissing range. Your lips, cheeks, forehead, everything is fair game. 

You’re the only person in the world other than like, his parents that can call him Kento. He’s always gone by his last name, to the point that his first name makes him feel like he’s in trouble. Only authority figures use it when they’re pissed off at him. But it hits him different when it comes from your lips. When you say it, it feels tender and intimate. It’s the closest he gets to liking his name.

He always tries to make time for you and your relationship. Even if that sometimes means that your date nights are just study dates, he always strives to make you feel like a priority. 

He’s a soft guy that falls in love easily. You may not know it yet, but he has full intentions to marry you after graduation. A fact his frat brothers are quick to tease him about, while also making him promise to make them groomsmen. 

[llyfrenfys]

Welsh Gender Neutral Family Terms

We've come up with some gender neutral Welsh family terms in the LGBTQIA+ Welsh discord I run (dm for link) lately and so far people seem to like the terms. So, this is an introduction to some of the terms we've come up with so far.

I plan to make polls eventually with these terms and any other suggestions you might have and run a little tournament to see which terms are favoured most by Welsh speaking LGBTQIA+ people.

Without further ado, here are the terms:

(f. = feminine grammatical gender, m. = masculine grammatical gender)

Chwaed(ion) f. - Sibling(s)

[‘chwaer’ (sister) + ‘brawd’ (brother). Rhymes with ‘gwaed’ (blood), reminiscent of family ties]

Chwaerydd m. - Sibling

['chwaer' + '-ydd' (masculine suffix) ]

Chwaed fy mam / fy nhad - Aunt/Uncle (Literally, my mother’s/father’s sibling)

 [Literal translation (my mother’s / father’s sibling) ]

Naith f. - Niece/Nephew

[‘nith’ (niece) + ‘nai’ (nephew) ]

Dain (Deiniau) f. - Grandparent(s)

[‘taid’ (grandfather)+ t > d + ‘nain’ (grandmother) ]

Nam-gu f.- (Grandparent)

['fy nhad-cu' + 'fy mam-gu']

Of course, these are only suggestions. So far, chwaed has been very popular and dain has been preferred over nam-gu because it's less South Walian. But I'm interested to hear what you think or hear if you have any suggestions of your own!

Please share this post so we can get a larger sample size. Diolch!

NB:

These terms have come from multiple users, so bear that in mind with feedback. I can pass on suggestions to the users who coined them.

Grammatical gender is unavoidable in Welsh, but grammatical gender does not necessarily equal gender gender. E.g. the German word for girl 'maedchen' is grammatically neutral. In addition to this, certain suffixes in Welsh are gendered, which affects how words behave in certain sentences.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

SHADOW THE SERIES!!

ALRIGHT Y’ALL I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BINGED ALL SEVEN EPISODES OF SHADOW (2023) THAT HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN RELEASED AND MY BRAIN IS GOING A MILE A FUCKING MINUTE. I HAVE ABOUT 25 THEORIES ALL BOUNCING AROUND IN HERE, ALL OF WHICH ARE PROBABLY WRONG. 

Thank God for @so-much-yet-to-learn deciding not to watch this, meaning he can’t be spoiled and I can spam his DMs with all the twists, and turns.

I literally do not think at this point, even seven episodes in I can really write analysis of the show. I’m almost certainly going to rewatch this, and maybe that will inspire conversations around lighting, and blocking, and use of reflection but for now, I am just going to talk about some of the things I have been noticing and some paths I see those threads taking. 

First of all, in a ghost story, I do not think that I am actually putting too much weight on the use of Hamlet as a play in this story. However, I will admit upfront that I am very potentially putting too much weight on the Greek mythology (River Styx, and Orpheus and Eurydice) that were referenced in, I think like…episode 1 or 2. 

gif by @pharawee

But, what can you expect when some of the first supernatural happenings we get is Dan waking up on a boat in the middle of a body of water (River Styx)? This does not hold consistently, but there is a trend I have been noticing, of following. It has been making me think of Orpheus and Eurydice, that Orpheus is supposed to guide his lover out of the underworld, and back to the land of the living, but he cannot turn to look behind him. He has to trust that Eurydice is there, following behind him. 

And I have been noticing some point in the show where following behind and not turning back to look have been particularly relevant. In Episode 6, Dan sees a reflection of Trin in the bathroom mirror. Trin is technically behind Dan, but the second that Dan turns to look? Trin is gone. When Dan looks away, he sees a reflection in the mirror of Trin leaving the bathroom, and he follows behind Trin all the way to the funhouse. 

This scene had some particularly striking and beautiful uses of mirrors and reflections. Namely that we see Trin, walking, and Dan following far behind in a number of mirrors. But every time a mirror appears Dan stops for a moment to look at himself. At this point, Trin has continued moving (in fact Trin never stops moving) and we see Dan completely alone in the mirror. What does this have to do with anything? What is the show trying to say about what purpose Trin, the shadow, the visions Dan have serve? Not sure yet! But it’s fucking fascinating. 

Hamlet, of course, is an obvious choice of story for a boy that can see ghosts, especially because Dan sees the ghost of his father at some point(s) in the show. Especially because there is a recurring theme/motif of drowning in this show. We have multiple boys who are haunted, both Dan and Nai being able to see ghosts, we have Dan who harbors anger in his heart for the way his father abused the family, we have a boy who went missing, last seen by the lake and whose ghost consistently appears waterlogged. We have a shadow that grabs Dan by the ankle and tries to keep him below water, we have a moment where Dan sees Trin’s lifeless body floating in a pool. Where are they going with this? I don’t know! And I want to find out. 

photo from @sparklyeyedhimbo

I have thoughts about water and it’s relation to baptism, that these boys are attending a Catholic school, that Dan is constantly pushing back against the way the school functions and the beliefs that Brother Anurak holds. I am so fascinated by the fact that Catholic priest Brother Anurak cannot confirm the existence of spirits, (when Dan has been haunted by this shadow for almost a decade of his life), and that he turns to Buddhism, and a venerable monk to help him navigate the moments where he slips between reality and dreams. 

I am fascinated by the fact that the Shadow we see gets progressively less scary, at least to me, as time goes on. This is an entity that has been following Dan from the time he was seven. When he was a child, at his mother’s funeral he called this Shadow his friend when he was talking to Brother Anurak.  

This may seem tangential, but, about a year or two ago, I played a little indie video came called Gone Home. The premise is that you arrive back to your childhood home, unannounced only to find that no one in your family is home, they have vanished without a trace, and all that remains are these letters your sister left. When I started playing this game, I was tense, I thought perhaps the house was haunted, perhaps my family had been killed and a murderer was about to pop out from around a corner. But as the story unfolds, as you read more letters from your sister, you realize that she’s queer, she’s telling you a story of why she has left, she has gone to reunite with her girlfriend. And I cannot explain the level of safety and comfort that washed over me the second I realized this was a queer story. 

In some ways that is what this Shadow feels like to me. At first it is scary, it is set up to be, it creeps up, background music builds tension, creates jumpscares of sorts, the shadow is what keeps nearly drowning Dan. But as the episodes continue, the shadow doesn’t do that anymore, Dan turns around and hugs the Shadow, and it takes him to his father (who is a massive fucking asshole to be fair).

gif by @pharawee

In Episode 6 or 7, Dan is dreaming of one of the few peaceful and happy memories he has of childhood, and the Shadow rests it’s incorporeal hands on his shoulders, almost familiar and comforting, and Dan talks to it. Dan asks it if he can stay there a little longer, and the Shadow lets him. And for me this begs the question, what is the Shadow? Is the Shadow one entity, or multiple? Are the different interactions with the Shadow meant to signify Dan is interacting with multiple different people? Is the Shadow a spirit, or a manifestation of something else: grief, anger, pain? Did Dan die/is Dan dead?

We see two instances of almost sexual acts performed by the Shadow on Dan. Once happens in a dream, and within the dream Dan is conscious. But he wakes up the next morning wet and covered in scratch marks. The second time, Dan is unconscious, but the Shadow appears in the real world, not the dream world (as far as we can tell) and starts pulling up Dan’s shirt, leans in close, so that they are almost mouth to Shadow…mouth? Both times, there is some form of pleasure on Dan’s face, but both times Dan is technically unconscious, and not really able to give consent. 

Is Dan supposed to be enjoying these moments? If so, are they coming from a lover of his, either one from the past or are we perpetuating circles of time where Dan is retroactively being haunted by someone he loves and loses in the future? I don’t know about you all, and personally I don’t want every story that involved Catholicism to focus on the known history of pedophilia within the Catholic church, but…

gif from @pharawee

Dan has been seeing the Shadow since after he was shot accidentally by his mother and she had a mental breakdown, but this is around the same time that Brother Anurak, Catholic Priest, Brother Anurak enters the picture. And Dan says that the Shadow has been getting stronger since he started at this boarding school where Brother Anurak is a teacher. Could the Shadow be a metaphor for childhood sexual assault trauma that Dan cannot remember, or does not want to face? Possibly. Brother Anurak has seemed a little bit suspicious in the show thus far, (not wholly in the like, “possibly a pedophile” way to be clear, just in the “this dude almost certainly knows more about this student’s disappearance than he is letting on” kind of way). 

Then again, according to the precisely thirty seconds of google searching on name meanings I did, Anurak as a name apparently means “the one who takes care” or “male angel”. I would love someone who is not me and has an actual understanding of the Thai language to correct me if I am wrong. (@recentadultburnout or @lurkingteapot are either of you watching this show? If so, would you be willing to discuss name meanings for Shadow the series? Obviously, no pressure or obligation). 

ANYWAY, the Shadow does not really seem like all too much of an antagonistic force at this point, more of a neutral or potentially positive force, so again, I have 25 different theories that are all possibly wrong, and this is one of them. 

Other theories about the Shadow: Dan started seeing it after almost dying of a gunshot wound, it’s just like the manifestation of death and Dan has been running from it for awhile, it is a manifestation of the people Dan cares about in his life, it is actively trying to possess Dan and keeps getting interrupted, it is a spiritual guide that is supposed to lead Dan towards helping other spirits find justice and peace. It’s a physical manifestation of queerness. Like seriously, I could probably go on all day. 

And actually, queerness is something I do want to talk about while I am here. Because this show is certainly not shying away from homophobia.

gif by @pharawee

Nai has suffered for revealing his crush on Anan the previous year, he is still suffering for it. It did not escape my notice that the only known queer kid at an all-boys Catholic boarding school does not have a roommate. Nai is pretty much always alone, until Dan shows up, and Nai is warned by his teacher to stay away from Dan to make sure “Dan stays out of trouble”. Ever time that Dan and Nai are seen walking together, touch each other casually, exit a room together, they are called a slur. Nai tries to tell Dan to stay away from him so that Dan isn’t condemning himself to the life of a social pariah. We get one good Token Straight Friend in Josh. We learn that Trin was queer, and Trin was friends with Nai, and now Trin has disappeared. 

The queer kid(s) or the kids associated with the queer kid are the only people getting beaten up at this school, and the actor that plays dickbag Anan is truly committing to the bit, because the (fake) punches he delivers look like they got some force to them. 

I was actually just chatting with @so-much-yet-to-learn and as I was writing out the sentence “what if the Shadow is a physical manifestation of queerness?” he wrote “ooh, so Nai sees them as human figures whereas Dan sees his as a shadow commentary on how aware they are of their sexuality, maybe?” Dan does see Trin in full form, so I am not sure how much this does track, but it is at least worth acknowledging that Nai is aware of his queerness, has been outed, is The Known Queer at school, and has a very visibly obvious crush on Dan. Meanwhile, Dan reads queer (to me), some of the things he says, the way he laughed at Josh asking him if he liked Cha-aim, the fact that he sticks with Nai, make me think he is aware of his queerness. But, we as the audience have not actually gotten any explicit confirmation that Dan is queer or aware of his queerness. 

photo from @blmpff

However, it is worth noting the physical ghost that Dan is able to see is Trin, another queer boy, (who everyone at school knew was queer because they knew he had a crush on his male theater teacher) and then some random boy that we have never seen before that he, once again, only sees in a mirror. But in Episode 7, Dan has lost this grounding stone, and the line between reality and dreams is constantly blurring. In Episode 7, Dan dreams of a near empty place, the only thing on the floor are drawings of a boxer, a naval ship, a sailor. He sees a man with one arm missing, the remainder of the limb bandaged and bleeding, he sees a man (again, only from behind) handcuffed to a table, behind bars, reading a letter by candlelight, he sees a man tied to a post, blindfolded and about to be executed, once again facing away, back turned to a firing squad. 

Dan finds out like, practically the next day about the local legend of the One Armed Man, who was a boxer, joined the navy, lost his arm, sold himself to homosexual millionaires, and got arrested for selling drugs to party goers who ended up dying of drug overdoses. You know who else has currently been associated with a narcotics related drug overdose?

Trin. 

The missing, queer boy who was trying to break tradition, and bring progress to his school. 

Trin, the missing queer boy who has hallucinations. Hallucinations like… 

Dead bodies. 

You know who else saw dead bodies in the most recent episodes?

Dan. 

photos from @sparklyeyedhimbo

I don’t know where I am going with this beyond the fact that Trin is established to have bipolar disorder, for which was on medication. In flashback he is shown stating that he wants to get off his medication, we are told in the present that he had stopped taking his medication, and that instead he was treating his bipolar with narcotics, and that he had smoked week the night of his disappearance. It is at this point I would like to say, this show would be absolutely fucking based if they actually gave Trin bipolar disorder, and then had the adults that are suspicious and clearly hiding something, weaponize the stigma against his mental health disorder to try to discredit whatever Trin was trying to do, as well as distance themselves from any potential suspicion around their level of involvement in Trin’s disappearance. (This is not to say this is behavior I support irl, it is to say that it would be excellent commentary around how someone’s mental health can be weaponized against them in truly terrible ways)

So by my count we have two instances of drug overdose mentions from two separate people and stories (Trin’s disappearance and the One Armed Man), and two instances of “hallucinations” of seeing dead people (Trin’s vision he discusses in an audio recording and Dan’s vision in art class). These are not enough data points to say they are definitively doing something with this, but it is just something I am noting. 

Another theory that @so-much-yet-to-learn floated in conversation with me was the idea that the boys that were being haunted were ones who were breaking the status quo in some way. Trin was trying to do away with hazing at school and was called in to the administrator’s office multiple times and told to change his student president campaign policies, Nai is currently the only known queer at school, and Dan does not engage in anything even resembling filial piety. (Again, his dad is a Grade A Major Fucking Asshole).

photos from @sparklyeyedhimbo

Where am I going with this? I don’t know! Maybe nowhere! Again, my brain is going BRRRRRRR and I am just rapidly cycling through a thousand unformed theories. God, I just want to know what happened, I want to know what everyone knows, I want to know what the fuck is up with Anan and the teacher he is fucking and their involvement in all of this, I wanna know why the fuck he is as reactive as he is (like he literally almost strangled Dan to the point of unconsciousness at the end of Episode 7), Anan and HIS TEACHER keep making references to Trin, to “the nurses other daughter”, throwing suspicion on Dan about knowing about them. I want to know how they are involved in all of this. 

I JUST WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING, I CAN SEE A MILLION DIFFERENT OUTCOMES, I AM HAVING A GREAT TIME AND I FUCKING HOPE THIS SHOW CAN STICK THE LANDING BECAUSE I AM ENJOYING IT SO MUCH.

[s4ndg3m]

COMMISSIONS! FROM ME! YAY!

Status: Open!

okay, gonna start this with.. i have no idea how to make a comms info post. i was going to try and make a carrd but it's... a lot! so, under the cut, i'll have some examples and prices and some info on what to expect! (LONG POST) (YE BE WARNED)

Rules! (and some general info)

because we need that

Don't haggle with me. I'm not selling you old furniture, you're paying me for my time and effort.

For smaller commissions, I require pay up-front

Larger commissions (over $30) can be paid half up-front, and half later. For both ours' insurance!

I can do cashapp, zelle, or paypal.

Time taken on each piece will vary, of course, and I can give you an estimate when we hash out details. For pieces that take over 2 days, I can provide updates! Don't be afraid to check in whenever! I won't feel rushed or hassled if you just want to know how progress is :)

If you have literally ANY questions. ANY OF THEM. at all. just message me. Even if you're not sure if you want to commission, or don't intend to at the moment. Have a curiosity? My dms are open, friend. And my ask box too, if you'd rather. I'm so open to questions it's unbelievable. I am almost begging you to ask... If you have something to ask.

YAY / NAY / MAY(or, what i will and won't do)

YAY!

Furries

Humans

Roblox avatars/characters

Fandom

Oc

Light/medium mech

Ships (including selfship)

Suggestive

(Artistic) nudity

Multiple characters

Whatever's not on my "no" list! Please please just message me and ask if you're unsure. Even if you're not sure about commissioning and just want to see if it would be possible! I won't bite, I promise. :)

NAY!

Nsfw

Fetish (even if not explicit)

Heavy mech

Heavy gore

Anything proship/comship/whatever the hell they're calling it. NO KID DIDDLING! OR INCEST!

Anything vivziepop related. I don't like her or anything that she makes. (her absolute slop doesn't deserve to be drawn by my hands)

Celebrities (actors in a role, sure, but just the guy? the plain dude? just some guy on our earth who works a job? a real person with a life? no.)

MAY! (or, things I'm on the fence abt)

Horror

Minor gore

Large scenes (not my strongest skillset)

Whatever! I'm okay with stepping outside of my artistic comfort zone, so long as you're okay with the result varying in quality (and possibly taking longer, depending on what you ask for) Again, and I CANNOT say this enough, JUST ASK ME!!

WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER!

Okay, so, as shown here, for a standard commission i'll have 3 sizes, along with 4 stages of completion.

The stages are sketch, line art, flat colors, and render (shading/lighting)! sketch is the cheapest, and render is the most expensive. I'll list some prices for each size below :3

Head

Sketch - $5

Line art - $7

Colors - $10

Render - $15

Half

Sketch - $10

Line art - $15

Colors - $20

Render - $25

Full body

Sketch - $20

Line art - $25

Colors - $30

Render - $50

Add-ons!

Background (any commission automatically comes with a simple one, to be pictured in examples) - $15

Extra character - $7-$20 depending on what you're getting! just ask

COMPLEX object (like a weapon) (simpler ones r free) - $5-$10 (again, depending. just ask)

Anything that would take me more time and effort than usual, really. Time and effort is what you're paying for! I try to keep most of these pretty cheap, cus you're already paying for the drawing itself lol. Just ask if you're unsure.

Other kinds of stuff I'll do!

Icons! (or emojis, they're very similar)

These are basically just the head w/ colors, so $10 If you want an emoji set (or icon set, i guess?) it'll be +$5 for each additional one!

Reference sheets!

These are fun to make! They'll include 2/3 full-body shots of your character (front, side, and/or back), 1 head shot, flat colors, and some spaces for info! You can add in the info yourself, or have me add it in for you (no additional cost). They'll run you around $50 (however, you can add/take away stuff to change the price.)

Character page!

I will just. draw the character a bunch of times. $30 base price (sketch quality) can go up to $70 if you want them VERY spruced up (full render)

FINALLY. What we've all been waiting for... Examples!

These are rendered fullbodies! (with simplistic backgrounds, which are free!) (also, the first 2 are from 2022, so they don't look like how I would draw them today) (Last one is moff, @/sneablebeable 's character!)

these are rendered pieces w/ backgrounds! (though pokémon like these, I would consider chibi, making them a slightly lesser price.)

Reference sheets! Highly customizable, these are 2 I did for art fight last year :)

sketches! (with complex background, with extra character) For these, I can include basic values to help with composition. Will be done at my own discretion (no extra charge if I do).

Half body (in the style of a valentines card)

Icons!

Thanks for considering me! or... just checking this out! reading this far! whatever!

[salem-starlight]

Hello everyone! My name is Salem/Alex and I'm a age regressor, but I'm also Big a lot and I adore talking and chatting with all of you Littles.

So I was wondering, since I'm still an age regressor, but also big most the time, if i could also be a Caregiver when I'm big? Because I've been big age for a while but have found I live helping you guys, but I do regress occasionally!

I have my ask box open, am always open to Dm's, and I have a Agere discord server if you'd like that!

I just like to talk to and support this community in any ways I can, and although I may not be a Caregiver I feel like I could be if anyone would like that. If not, I'm always here to support anyways! Because you guys are great and I adore our community ❤️

Of course it's all SFW Age Regression! But my ages range from 2-9 and kinda a teenage headspace at like 12-15 I think? I'm still figuring that part out.

So there's a poll down below, and you can say yay, or nay to this. And also skip if you want, I respect that.

[ima-ghost-art]

What if Steve and Eddie got trapped in the upside down during the final battle of 87?

El cant find them and can no longer open a gate for everyone to try find them, so everyone has to believe they're dead. The party feels lost without them.

Of course, Dustin Robin Max Lucas and Erica are all devastated, all refusing to believe that the two were dead, sure that there must be a way to get them back. But, weeks turn to months and months turn to years and there is still no sign of Steve and Eddie being found.

After a while the group is forced to just start moving on with their lives, each moving away but all staying in contact.

Slowly they start forming their own familys, Lucas and Max (now living in California near Jonathan and Argyle) welcome thier first daughter 'Stephanie Erica Sinclair' April 29th 1992, she was a happy accident and was named after her parents favourite siblings.

The same year, Argyle and Eden have a little girl named Evie, the two splitting custody after Eden moved out of Utah to California near Argyle.

Next was Nancy and Jonathan two years later, the pair having a set of twins 'James Edmund and Katie Barbara' August 10th 1994. Jon takes full custody when they turn 3, living with Argyle back in Cali, letting Nancy follow her dream of becoming a journalist in Chicago, while he worked his dream job at a photography studio stationed on the coast. The two both knew they weren't going to last, however they dont stop loving eachother. (Nancy still helps out with the twins when shes in the area as well as weekly phone calls, making sure they know she loves them even if shes not often around)

In 96, 'Issac Lucas Sinclair' who was the same age as a little girl called 'Morgan' later adopted by El who Dr Owen's believes nay have powers similar to hers and Henry's.

Robin and Vickie, who now live in Michigan, adopt a son in 2000 a trans boy named Tyler, a year older than Stephanie.

At this point it's 2007, having been 20 years since the final battle, 20 years since the party lost Steve and Eddie, 20 whole years. The only people who still lived in Hawkins was Dustin and Suzie Henderson, the two of them both choosing not to have kids, living together in one of the newer houses built along the edge of Hawkins where they had easy access to their jobs working in a lab just outside of Indianapolis. The two secretly working on a way to potentially find their missing friends.

Dustin becomes the fun uncle to his friends kids, Hosting a new version of Hellfire for them with Will being his co DM!

Wayne Munson also continued to live in Hawkins after he helped during the final battle, after losing his nephew he moved in with Claudia living with her.

The wheelers and Sinclair's still both live there too, Holly Wheeler after graduating, now being a teacher at Hawkins high.

The Hopper-Byers move out towards Illinois, Mike and Will both living together in an apartment together in Indianapolis, and El lives with Max and Lucas with their children together in California.

(lest not also forget Garath and Jeff, who also helped in the final battle, the two along with the other members of Corroded Coffin started making it big during the early 90s, and successfully did 2 world tours, they always dedicate each performance to Eddie, as he was the man who started the band and would have loved to see where they ended up now!!)

The party end up coming back to Hawkins in July, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the end of the Upside Down.

...That is until Stephanie Sinclair goes missing while cycling back to the Hendersons after an evening at the arcade with the other party members kids. Everyone else was staying at the wheelers or the old Byers home, but hers were staying with her Uncle Dustin like they always did. Issac and Morgan hadnt joined them so she was biking on her own.

They found her abandoned bike along the edge of Mirkwood the next day... Stephanie Sinclair had completely disappeared

It didnt take long for missing animal reports to start cropping up either, same with another missing person, one of Holly's students...

When Stephanie is finally saved a week later she wasnt found alone. Her and the missing student, were accompanied by two familiar young adults.

Steve and Eddie, both looking like they had barely aged at all since getting trapped in the upside down.

[yuripoll]

MASTERPOST

season 1 (WINNER: Bloom into You) ||| season 2 (WINNER: The guy she was interested in wasn't a guy at all) ||| season 3 (CURRENT)

curiosity round (schedule | tag)

NAVIGATION:

matches: poll posts without additional comments or reblogs

yuri propaganda: any posts regarding contestants (series tags are here if you want to browse)

results: winner announcements for any completed match

knockouts: for shoutouts to the losing contestants & certain rejected submissions (knockout masterpost can be found here)

yuriposting: for any general reblogs about yuri as a concept

other polls: what it says on the tin!

blacklist "stfu elly" if you don't want my asks / non-tournament talk on your dash. if you don't want to see reblogs of poll posts, blacklist "match boost" xoxo

If I miss any CWs or you want to dispute the ones I've listed, please let me know; I try to be thorough, but my memory is a sieve and I'm not always exact.

Submissions are still open while the poll is running! Rather than any submission being unsuccessful, it just gets added to the spreadsheet for next time :)

Guidelines, submission form & additional info under the cut.

SUBMISSION YAYS:

Not limited to just manga; as long as we're talking GL (or, at the very least, comics about lesbians), manhua, webcomics & other non-japanese comics are fine!

Oneshots, anthologies & ongoing works are all equally A-OK.

While I ask that you don't submit straight up hentai, any amount of sexual content in a work is alright (just give a heads up 👍).

Titles that explore or touch on dark subject matter are fine (encouraged. even.), again just give a heads up.

SUBMISSIONS NAYS:

While there's no strict page minimum, future polls won't include very short works; I'll still shout them out if they're submitted, but I feel they don't make for very fun competition.

Submit as many titles as you like, but number of submissions has little to no impact on acceptance, so no need to spam the same one.

Anything romanticising or sexualising incest/rape/grooming/etc will not be accepted; its a blurry line between that and having dark themes, of course, so acceptance and rejection are up to my discretion.

SUBMISSION FORM IS HERE: LINK

PROPAGANDA:

I take screencaps & go through series tags for the bulk of propaganda, but submitted propaganda is also readily accepted. All that stuff gets queued, but I share submissions right away.

Tag me in a post, send things via DM, or jump in the ask or submission box - any is fine! If it's been a minute and I haven't shared it, I probably haven't seen it; in that case just let me know directly.

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Polls give a general heads up of any notable warnings for the series in the post, but once they're out of the tournament, they get a more detailed recommendation post that's more specific and comprehensive.

That being said, some of these I didn't read a lot of, haven't read in awhile, or are still ongoing, so be please be cautious!

SEEDING:

Seeding is based on MAL ranking or, if there's no MAL ranking available, it's assigned a random number between 1500 & 10,000 and placed into the challonge bracket based on that.

OFFICIAL TIE PROTOCOL:

TIE IN THE MAIN BRACKET -> Treated as a double loss, aka both go to the Losers' Bracket in a three way match. Of the two that tied, the highest scorer goes back to the main bracket. The lowest scorer of all three gets knocked out.

TIE IN THE LOSERS BRACKET -> Treated as a double win, aka both go to the next round of the Losers' Bracket in a three way match. The highest scorer moves forward, and the other two get knocked out.

WHAT ABOUT A TIE IN THE THREE-WAY MATCHES? -> I have chosen not to think about that <3

WHAT IF, LIKE, THERES A TIE IN THE LOSERS BRACKET AND MAIN BRACKET IN A WAY THAT WOULD RESULT IN A 4 WAY MATCH? -> I delete my blog.

(ran by @nicastamatis, also ran @foodiepoll)

[kattahj]

Shadow: A quick guide to this queer ghost story

Like everyone who has been watching Shadow, I don't think enough people are watching Shadow. And it occurred to me that instead of appealing to BL fans to watch a ghost story, I might appeal to fans of ghost stories.

WHAT IS SHADOW?

Shadow is a Thai TV series with a planned 14 episodes. The first 7 episodes dropped at the end of October, and the second half will drop in a month. We are in agony, but also very happy, because it's SO GOOD and so tempting to make theories about!

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

Dan is a high school student haunted by his troubled past – and also haunted in a more literal sense, by a mysterious shadow that appears in his dreams, and which also seems to blur the edges between dreams and reality.

Encouraged by the monk Brother Anurak, Dan transfers to a Catholic boarding school, which also appears to be haunted, primarily by the wet ghost of student Trin, who disappeared mysteriously a year ago.

Dan befriends Nai, who is an outcast for being openly gay, and also Josh, who is our token straight ally and occasionally a bit of deeply needed comic relief. This makes him a target for school bully Anan and his gang, but Dan isn't one to back down easily.

IS IT SCARY?

For a horror show, not very. There's not much gore or jumpscares. The ghosts are kind of creepy and there are some scenes in a funhouse that are even creepier. The shadow alternates between being threatening, comforting, and even kind of erotic.

On the other hand, it has some very heavy themes in the more mundane sense: bullying, homophobia, domestic abuse, murder, suicide, abuse of authority, and so on.

So the ghosts aren't really the scariest part.

IS IT GOOD?

So far, oh God yes!

IS IT A BL (BOYS' LOVE)?

Not yet, in the sense that there isn't a gay romance. Nai is gay, as was Trin. Dan quite possibly is too (if Dan and Nai don't kiss at least once I will bite someone), but we don't know yet. The shadow is, as mentioned, kind of erotic, but we don't know what the shadow is or if it has a gender.

It IS a very queer story, in that queerness infuses the themes of the entire storyline.

IS THERE A TRAILER?

Of course!

WHERE CAN I FIND THIS SHOW?

If you're law-abiding, it's up on GagaOoLala, with the first episode for free and the rest with subscription:

If you're less law-abiding, Dailymotion. (Should I share the links here? I'm afraid it will get the post blocked. Maybe just DM me if you want them!)

[sunbeargames]

My goal, nay my DREAM for the Oracle class is that over the course of a campaign you could make a prophecy about the future of the setting (with the help and permission of the DM, of course) and then, in your next campaign, play out that prophecy coming to pass.

[digital-corruption]

So who's been reading the new version of Haunted by the Past on Wattpad? Please send me your feedback! Pacing, yay or nay? Are the flashbacks intriguing or confusing? Feel free to send me a DM or an anonymous ask. (If you prefer I don't post the ask, aka respond, feel free to say so.)

And if you haven't been reading, what are you waiting for? Read the first arc now for free here! I like to think it's a good distraction while we wait for the Moonvale announcement. 😊

Reminder - This original version of Haunted by the Past is the NOT the same as the fanfic version. The original is influenced and inspired by Duskwood and my Duskwood fanfic, but charts a different course.

[writernopal]

Characters Out of Context Tag

Tagged by @sunset-a-story here, thank you so much!

~Rules: Include one character quote of your choosing ⁠from each chapter of your WIP (or as many chapters as you'd like). Give absolutely no context, save for what's between two parts of an interrupted sentence, should that occur. You may mention who said it. Have fun! No pressure!~

Tagging (gently): @talesofsorrowandofruin @callahanscorner @violets-in-her-arms-writes and @noblebs

Buckle in because we're up 31 chapters now! I will of course be skipping the ones that don't have any dialogue in them. And this time there are some characters aside from the main cast that made the cut 👀

[REDACTED] - "He has been freed."

[REDACTED] - "The Consumption continues to rot her body-"

Fay - "He was everything, you bastard!"

Mariel - “I suppose I was afraid too. I felt as though I’d heard something I shouldn’t have.”

Mariel - “Why can’t he come with me?”

Wilkes - “I think it’s best if you stop talking.”

[REDACTED] - “I see a camp. Riders. Knights. And I count three souls.”

Axtapor - “I nay be goin’ anyplace, wee thin’.”

Fay - “I want it all.”

Axtapor - “Then it nay matters to me how they be lookin’. Long as ye see me with love in the eyes, nary else matters, ey?”

Thelma-Louise - “Who are you?”

Mariel - “No, it’s just…I’ve always had to bear things like this on my own. I’m glad I don’t have to anymore.”

Axtapor - “Will right the sails. Catch the wind right strong.”

Fay - “Have you considered that I don’t want to come back to you?!”

Satoyev - “Speak the names and we shall feast in the way only the sea can.”

Axtapor - “Need to tie off the schooner proper seein’ as we will no sail soon. Settle in, ey?”

Mariel - “Brave. Just like the knights from my youth.”

Satoyev - “And all you did was slink away like a bitch with her tail between her legs while you let that unworthy coward protect you.”

[REDACTED] - “One must steal in. A trick of the light…”

Axtapor - “Ye be my treasure, ye know that?”

Thelma-Louise - "You are as dimwitted as the Captain always said you were."

Mariel - “Things will be okay. You’ll see.”

Anise - “I didn’t know they were hiring girls like you now. I suppose everyone has their own taste, though. How much does he pay you?”

Fay - “Stop hiding and show me who you are. Show me what I paid for with my memories.”

Axtapor - “Then why be it feelin’ as we had a row?”

Fay - “Leave. I’m tired of looking at you.”

Mariel - “I have been wondering what the sky would look like without it.”

Mariel - “I no longer wish to run.”

Fay - “It’ll go like this…”

Rapheus - “Swift winds guide ye, sea carry ye, well and true.”

AASOAF 3 Taglist: @outpost51 @thelivingdeceased @faelanvance @captain-kraken @illjustpretend @elshells

Ask to +/- in the tags, replies, inbox, or DMs!

[anna-neko]

hello fellow DnDaddies nerds, have you heard the good news!

The next chapter of @owl-ghost's lovely lil Daryl x Henry AU work is up!! and lemme tell ya... *waves handful of cotton-candy in one hand and bottle of reddi-wip in other* There. Will. Be. Fluff! (deepcut?)

In Love and Contempt - Owl_Ghost - Dungeons and Daddies (Podcast) [Archive of Our Own]

____________ anyway, if I may have attention for just a second ... if anyone who knows which side of the pencil to hold, would be so generous as to just take a minute outta their busy day to doodle the 'damsel' scene .. Requesting, nay begging, respectfully i just..*clenches fist* it would make this old lady incredibly happy... plz & thnx

ALSO... i am like thiiiiiiis sure this idea exists in the wild (but sometimes with all the fandom its difficult to tell, we may come up w/ similar ideas independently) but if anyone, anyone at all is looking for a short AU crack-fic one-shot subject, may I suggest : Princess Hen of Oakvale being rescued by a Valiant Knight (or brave Barbarian, dealers choice) Darryl Wilson bonus points for a Rapunzel-like tower situation, garlands of flowers and floating ribbons, and of course.. Barry Oak gettin punched in the face, with a chair

so yes, if nobody has done this yet, I am gifting you this idea!! You are welcome to use it! If anyone does write (or draw) any of it, plz I am beggin you, tag me. ping, DM, send a messenger pigeon if you must - this gremlin craves the good good content

[onerabong]

Dark Matter rambles

Warnings for major spoilers for the fic Dark Matter by @lara60

Something I’ve been meaning to say, I find it very interesting that Boros’ Meteoric Burst form so closely resembles Iryo’s body👀 Wonder if it’s just coincidence, or something more..

Edits of comments I left on the the Scorcher arc

I absolutely LOVE three dimensional characters with pasts shown for the readers to sympathize and relate to, while also maintaining their characteristics. There’s this Korean webtoon called ‘one last god Kubera’, and it doesn’t really have a single protagonist, rather, all the characters, including the antagonists in the story are shown their motivations, has complicated stories of their own supporting the motivations. Of course, there’s a balance between the main protagonists and the others via screen time but even the really side characters are shown to have depth and it makes the story absolutely heart gripping and insane. And I had a feeling that DM had that trait even in the earlier chapters, it intensified with the scorcher arc, especially introducing Valerio with his attitude towards Laura, and this chapter really sealed the deal. The whole story of Valerio’s and Lagareos’ past is, without a doubt, heartbreaking. Laura’s reaction however, is the cherry on top for me. How she still tries to use the situation to her advantage, to escape from the figure that abused her her whole life. Succeeding in it, but having heard his story, not feeling victorious at all. (on ch.15)

I love the characterization of Valerio. He seems more approachable, more kind, to confuse Laura(and the readers) and it works, and just when we’re getting comfortable he shows cruelty again. And the best part is that him being more kind is not some sort of act on his part, but is all genuine. His cruelty and kindness is both a genuine factor in his personality, which honestly makes him one of the most interesting characters I’ve seen. (on ch.16)

I love that it starts with a random newbie unaware of Nova’s powers adding to the suspension of what’s coming. Really shows how terrifying Nova is when you’re her enemy.

The twins meeting their fate was absolutely something else. So gruesome, so cruel, but very deserved, in Nova’s point of view. It’s not like I particularly liked the twins, for obvious reasons, but seeing them go was still kinda sad. Satisfying, but unfortunate at the same time(If that even makes sense lol). Because for them, of course Nova was the number one enemy, more for Nai, because she hated her so much. They were both horrible but they really tried so hard to win and still failed. But that’s what happens, which makes Nai’s last look of hatred towards Nova all the more chilling.

Boros giving out orders - Even if it was in such a high stressed situation and very natural since everyone was on edge, it’s still definitely something. It means he was that much sure of his decision and sure of his place as a crew member. I love to see his confidence grow little by little, especially in situations like these, cuz it really feels natural. Not to mention the fact it feels like a foreshadowing to his leadership..

Him having the idea to broadcast their message as a distress call too, that was so smart. Boros has been a huge help for the crew this chapter, when he’s only been part of it for a relatively short amount of time, which is pretty significant..

And to mention significant, him killing the scorchers. This is actually the first time we see Boros mercilessly kill sentient beings. He killed in the very first chapter, but the tone was very different. That was more of a self defense, he was lost and vulnerable and was attacking in a much more defensive stance. This time though, he was trying to protect Proxima and his friends, and they were his enemies, but the emotion that went into it(or the lack of it), the anger, the cruelty, is what makes all the difference.

(In this universe, killing sentient beings itself doesn’t seem to be a major problem in one’s morality. At least in the group of people we get to see. Be that the pirates, the scorchers, or other various smugglers. Which makes sense, because the nature of their work environment requires constant battles, and dwelling on the moral implications of each lost lives would change the fic into a whole different genre. Similar types of morality scale(?) I think can be found in Star Wars or the MCU. The problem arises however, when a subject with no power to, or desire to fight back is killed. Which can be seen with how the Pirates tried to save that little family from the Scorchers, and how Nova was disgusted with the massacre of civilians on her mission. Also with how the Voyager tried to contact the Maelstrom with the intention to help when they thought it was out of control. (I think))

So Boros killing those Scorchers is not a problem in itself, we see Nova do much worse. The changing factor here is that he’s gone from what was relatively a neutral bystander, to an active participator in the crew’s needs. The Dark Matter Pirates are the first real family Boros has ever had, the first people he actually loves and cares about, and he fiercely wants to protect them, to keep them.

“A cruel reminder that nothing in this universe is untouchable, and that if he wants to stay with his friends – with this wonderful group of people who had taken him in, considered him part of the crew, part of their family – he needs to stop hiding.

He needs to protect them, no matter what. It doesn’t matter from who – common bandits, law enforcement, Scorchers, or even the General and his pawns.” (from ch.17)

Dillio’s death was what really made him realize this I think, and right after that he’s faced with the risk of losing another member of his family.

Anything that threatens his family he will not hesitate to kill. He’s angry at the sight of the Scorcher soldiers, because their very presence is a direct threat to the survival of Laura. So he kills without mercy.

In a sense he is very similar to Laura, she also meets the Pirates and feels familial love for the first time. She loves them, wants to protect them, and anything that threatens them is her enemy. She hates the Scorchers for the things they do, and for the things they made her do, especially Valerio who was in the middle of it all. But there was a chance to see past all that, to heal and have a real connection.. Before they killed her friend, her real family. After that she shows no mercy. No doubt in her mind, no hesitation, she kills anyone that is a threat to her friends’ safety.

The difference would be that Nova’s been fighting battles almost all her life, either as a Scorcher, or as a Pirate. She’s used to death in battles, and this is just another one, one that is necessary to protect her friends. Boros however, is not. He was never a trained warrior, never in the midst of battles, he was just an engineer, watching from the sidelines. Now he actively joins in, all with the intention of death, to protect his friends. A natural change, but a big one. As of now Boros’ actions is similar to that of Nova’s.. but I wonder how that will develop over time..

Now it’s clear that Boros’ dreams show the future. The way he was about to call Proxima.. just before she does it herself- that realization, that his dreams show him the future, the CHILLS dude. God I wanna know how this is gonna work out as the story progresses. Can’t help but wonder if it’s connected to the visions Iryo’s been seeing. And the voice the Cyborg talks to. And the picture of the Galaxy that started all this. Also I am SO hyped for Iryo and Boros’ interaction. I mean, there’s gotta be a reason it was Iryo that was chosen to hunt him. Yeah, he’s a great tracker and has the General’s trust so he was chosen, but in a story sense- He has that protagonist vibe. Maybe I’m going overboard but I wanna see him and the General in action so bad.

The fact that Nova faces Valerio without her armor, it makes the interaction all the more real.

Valerio’s speech.. that he hoped for a life together.. that her coming back was a sign of trust, of reconciliation, just shows how self centered he is. If only he knew that what he was doing was hurting others, hurting the people he loves, that he was the problem and not them.. His method brought him from having nothing to leading a successful empire. He was the one who built everything up from scratch, and there was nothing to indicate that what he was doing was wrong, because the one person who said that he drove away a long time ago. And that was a fluke. It was Lagareos who was in the fault, not him. So he goes on, alone, and after a while makes someone he can care about again. This time the relationship is not one of an equal standing, but rather, one that is based on hierarchy. Laura is his daughter, his subordinate, so of course he gets to make the decisions for her. Control her behaviors, her future, her values. It never occurs to him that what he is doing is not an act of love, but of cruelty. He doesn’t realize that having a child doesn’t mean you possess them. Which is why Nova running away, making friends of her own, is a betrayal.

He mentions Lagareos, saying everyone he loves betrays him in the end. And the tragic thing is he did love them, both Lagareos and Nova. Of course he feels betrayed, the people he loves just won’t do as he says, won’t stay in his control, and for him, what is that if not betrayal? Everything has to be in his control, including his loved ones. But of course that can’t happen. He doesn’t realize that that kind of relationship is not a relationship at all. So with Nova’s ‘betrayal’ he learns nothing, and resolves to start all over again, this time without any ‘weakness’.

For a moment there I thought Nova was just going to talk to him, to just tell him how much of an idiot he’s been but no, all she has in mind is her friends’ safety, her number one priority. So she fights. Her tears as she kills him just adds to the tragedy.

Something about the first thing she sees after all that being Boros. Something about how after all that, she still has the energy to recognize her friend, and say his name.

The whole of the last sequence is such a beautifully written tragedy, the best conclusion this arc could’ve got.

(on ch.18)

The message Boros received.. the thing that started all of this.. I keep wondering if it has something to do with the Heart of the Universe..

-Most of this post is just edited comments for now but I’m gonna add more rambles as time goes-

[pridewon]

// if I manage to get my drafts under 20 and answer all my DMs, I’m ordering sushi and reblogging memes. that’s today’s goal.

[jakowskis]

Batjokes Meta

Hello, so I’ve been fixated on Joker / Batjokes again and I have a lot of thoughts. I did my best to sort my extremely messy ideas into some basic concepts and then went to town dissecting them. Everything here is my opinion! Just things I’ve concluded, based on content I’ve consumed. Responses are welcome and encouraged! Please (kindly) tell me if you disagree and why, too, ‘cause I love differing perspectives. Gives me so much more scope. And if you do agree, feel free to reblog with any additional thoughts! Or DM me, if that’s more comfortable for you. I’m very passionate about this, as evidenced by all the paragraphs I’ve typed up, and I’m eager to discuss it!

General trigger warning for some heavier topics, seeing as we’re discussing the Joker who’s, yanno, whole thing is murder and destruction and mayhem. Nothing a Batjokes fan wouldn’t be familiar with and possibly even fond of, of course. Only other thing I feel a need to warn for is very frankly discussing mental illness, especially in these first few paragraphs. I’m a big ball of mental illness myself (in fact it’s been pretty bad lately, which is probably why I’m back to fixating on the damn Joker, lmao. Coping and all), so I’m gonna use blunt terms, but please know I’m not intending to be ableist or ignorant. I’m fully aware of the weight behind words and the thin ice always being treaded on regarding Joker’s mental health.

This analysis contains three segments:

Batman and Joker as opposing forces

The nature of their canonical relationship

Could their relationship ever evolve into something semi-traditionally romantic?

Let’s begin...

1. Batman and Joker as opposing forces

So, as we all know, Batman and Joker are meant to contrast one another. Order versus chaos, repression versus freedom, even masculine “heterosexuality” (although, lol, Bruce,,,) versus feminine/androgynous queerness. They’ve always existed as perfect foils for one another. One place I think this trend of being opposing forces is especially cool is in the fact that Batman is one of the only times a hero has been characterized by darkness and blackness. Usually within fictional narratives, black is evil and white is good, but we have a unique take on that trope in that Joker’s the light one, he’s colorful and bright and, of course, very villainous, in stark opposition to our noble Dark Knight. 

Anyway, another place this mirroring is prevalent, which I don’t see talked about as often as it ought to, because it’s super interesting; I recently read an analysis that said something along the lines of, Batman and the Joker both lost their minds and snapped - but in opposite directions. Bruce had his One Bad Day that broke him, and he lost himself to it, but in his specific brand of madness, he clung desperately to order and justice, and committed himself to enforcing those ideals, to the point of sacrificing his ability to maintain a healthy private life, unreasonably dedicating himself to keeping the city’s villains alive despite all the harm they do, and convincing, nay, deluding himself into believing they can be rehabilitated despite frequent evidence to the contrary. There’s a good man behind it, certainly, but not a healthy one. Not one who’s in his right mind. There’s an illness behind his actions that isn’t as talked about, especially alongside the much more outwardly and visibly mentally ill Joker. 

I think this adds a beautiful contrast between them, when we realize they were both created in response to the world hurting them. They both saw how cruel the world could be, but Bruce dedicated himself to trying to fight it, and trying to fix it. He no longer cared about it hurting him, he just wanted to stop it from hurting others. He never wanted anyone to hurt like he did the night his parents died. Which… backfired, because in his refusal to let Joker (and the other villains) die, thousands of others have. (“All the people I’ve murdered by letting you live.”) But that’s another story.

On the flip side, Joker suffered at the universe’s cruel hands, and he decided to laugh at it. The reason why he finds the humor in misery is something everyone could pitch in about, but my thinking is that Joker, post-transformation, is primarily dedicated to a need to be free (among other things, of course, like his need for stimulation and entertainment). Free from society’s expectations, its rules, its entrapments. To be truly free, one can’t be controlled by anything - including the universe. And it can never hurt him again if he laughs instead of cries. It can’t get him when he finds pain so goddamn amusing.

Which led me to an interesting revelation. Following his dedication to seeing the joke of it all, he began devoting himself to trying to get everyone else to see the joke. Which, of course, manifested in him trying to break everyone, both specific people and Gothamites as a whole - give them all their one bad day, en masse. A lot of ‘em died before he could see if it worked, sure, but eh, collateral damage, as far as he’s concerned. Regardless, in this way he’s sort of repeating his own trauma? Not the specific circumstances, of course, just the concept. And if you think about it, he feels like that trauma freed him - which means he’s kind of trying to save people, in his own fucked up way. He’s trying to save them from ignorance and normalcy. Well, again, the ones he keeps alive, anyway. Because he does have a tendency to try to keep people alive, after he’s made them suffer. More interesting that way. Death’s only funny under certain circumstances, to him. But only if they’ve proved themselves as being vaguely interesting.

I think this is doubly interesting when we think about the fact that Joker considers himself an agent of chaos. He’s sort of… trying to convey a message, he’s trying to spread something to the masses. And it’s worked, he’s the face of Gotham’s anarchy movement for a reason. It’s spread to real life, too, though society’s appreciation of and identification with Joker deserves its own analysis. But even that contrasts with Batman. Batman targets individuals to try to keep everyone safe, and something is being communicated to society as a byproduct (namely the message of, “I’m here to protect you. I’ll do my best to keep you safe,” while Joker targets society, partially to communicate something to an individual, namely Batman. The masses get the message, too, which he appreciates, but at some point, his attention narrowed down to Batman and Batman alone. Probably when he realized he could find his eternal purpose in him. Constantly fighting him, constantly working to undo his do-gooding. 

Speaking of. Now we come to all of this in relation to Batman and Joker. Despite not knowing the circumstances behind Batman’s conception, Joker’s deduced something made him the way he is, and he finds it fascinating the universe could produce two perfectly opposing entities from theoretically similar circumstances. He can’t understand why Batman’s dedicated himself to order when, to him, it’s so clear that’s a foolish and futile conviction - but he appreciates it nonetheless. He loves the way they oppose each other so perfectly. He loves that he’s got someone to be his perfect enemy.  

Which leads us to our next point.

2. The nature of Batman and Joker’s canonical relationship

I’m just gonna bluntly begin this with a single declaration: they’re so deeply bonded, to such a remarkable extent, it’s hard to dismiss it as anything but ~love~. Certain fans and writers will try to pretend that’s not a reality, but it is. It’s not shippers goggles, either; Joker’s feelings have been explicitly put into writing enough that most people can pick up on it (though the amount of times I’ve seen it boiled down to “it’s just him being a creep / it’s him trying to unnerve Batman” … I could commit atrocities), while Batman’s feelings are much more subtextual, but both are prevalent enough within the content that it’s hard to make an argument that they’re not deeply emotionally entangled. 

Now, it’s not traditional romantic love, by any means, but there’s romantic fragments… undercurrents. Especially on Joker’s end. He perceives it as a romance. He expresses it to everyone as being something inherently romantic. That’s where I take issue with the “he just does it to unnerve Batman” argument, because while that’s true, I do think he likes to taunt Bruce with it because it gives him power over him and because it’s amusing to - he speaks about him using romantic-coded language when he’s not even there. When he’s alone, or when he’s talking to other people privately. It’s just a fundamental part of his character. He adores him, in a sick, horribly unhealthy way. Absolutely revolves around him. 

And it’s complex, because I consider it love, it’s been referred to as love, but it’s such a bizarre brand of love… because on both ends, it’s dark and obsessive and grim. On Joker’s side, it’s “I’ll kill everyone around you until there’s only me and you, locked in this eternal dance. You’re my world and I’ll make it so I’m yours too, because that’s what we’ve been building towards, and you know it. You’ve always known it.” Which… is the plot of DotF/Endgame, but I do think that’s like, the darkest end of Joker’s fixation on Batman. 

Which begs the question; is there a lighter end? That’s something I’m going to explore extensively, later on. Something I find of particular note is Joker’s particular tendency to talk about kissing. Like, his flirting often comes back to mentioning kissing - “Can I have a little kiss?”, and stuff like that. Hell, that’s even relevant in his flirtations with other characters, particularly men (the one panel of him asking Lex Luthor if he’s “going to kiss him or what?” springs to mind. Ooh, also ASHoSE’s “Kiss me, Charlie!”). A lot of times Joker comes across as rather... lovelorn, like there’s this legitimate hopeless romanticism to his otherwise pretty depraved Batman obsession, which is something worth exploring, because it says a lot about his human side. You know, speaking of, I find it interesting that his best known origin, The Killing Joke, involves him having a wife he loved deeply, because that doesn’t seem particularly relevant to his character, it doesn’t seem to really contribute anything to him - except, maybe, why love is such an important concept to him. Well, in regards to him and Batman, anyway. Also, I’ve thought a lot about him and Harley, and I don’t wanna get into that here, but the fact that he kept her around because he liked having someone who loved and cared about him… yeah. You wouldn’t expect it, but deep down, Joker does have a need for love and validation and affection that’s pretty damn human, although, in his twisted mind, it’s usually sated by Batman’s “attentions”. A kiss with a fist is better than none!

Speaking of… I recently read some excellent meta from the incredible Dracze (the author of Half Way Across, if you’re unfamiliar, which is the most popular fic in the Batjokes fandom - and deservedly so) and they talked about how Bruce and Joker channel their complex feelings for each other into their fights, which is why their confrontations are so much more passionate and heated and even sexually charged than their fights with anyone else. For Joker, it’s courting. Their fights are dances. In DotF, when he tries to poison Batman, he calls it “his kiss”. It’s all intrinsically romantic for J. 

And for Bruce, well, he doesn’t read it as romantic - he refuses to - but he feels it. He feels their connection, and it terrifies him. Where Joker revels in it, has dedicated himself to it, Bruce lives for it nearly just as much, and he knows it, and he can’t stand it. But he does understand it. He’s arguably not even in denial about it, just unwilling to verbalize it. To validate what Joker’s always claiming, even though he knows he’s right. 

What is their connection anyway? Why are they bonded in the first place? Well, aside from what I previously mentioned in regards to them reflecting each other, and aside from Joker sincerely believing he was created to be Batman’s arch enemy - they’re each other's greatest challenge. Not only by way of immediate stimulation, as in the utter adrenaline of always trying to keep up with one another, to consistently one-up each other... it’s all a battle of wits (and fists), all about mental and physical stimulation. They both crave it. Batman enables Joker, indulges him, because he needs it, too. And in all of this battling, they’ve learned each other, as no one else has. (“I hurt him. I know him.”)

But, the long term challenge lies in completely transforming the other. Fixing Joker would be Batman’s greatest victory (and in this way, he’d ‘defeat’ him), and breaking Batman would be Joker’s. J wants Bats to give into madness (which is everything he’s fighting against), and Bruce wants Joker to give into order (which is everything he’s fighting against).  They’re both relentlessly attacking each other’s cores, because if they won, if they succeeded, it’d be the ultimate victory. 

But something interesting that we don’t really talk about… is the fact that for Bruce, “fixing” Joker would involve, fundamentally, breaking him. Because he wants him to give into order, to give into his better nature, which goes against everything Joker is. Where Batman’s dedicated to his morals, and Joker’s constantly trying to get him to break his code, and we all acknowledge that, Joker’s entire being revolves around his conviction to meaninglessness and chaos. His refusal to let laws dictate him - even ones governed by the universe. His refusal to be tamed. If he did, if he was stifled, it’d probably break him. And that’s… what Bruce wants. And what a lot of shippers seem to want, but I’ll explore that more in the next section. But I find it interesting that everywhere else, Bruce’s dedication to rehabilitating villains is an endearing quality, and it seems that way with Joker, too (because the ending of TKJ, when Batman offers it, it’s undeniably a really touching moment) - but then you take into account that Joker canonically gets suicidal and listless when he can’t be the chaos to Batman’s order, because chaos is all he has. There’s good intentions, of course, behind both Bruce and the Batjokes shippers in question, but I just wonder about the consequences of trying to… get Joker to behave, really, lol. Because it would go against everything he is, and I can’t imagine him being okay with that. (Even if it meant he could win Batman’s love. Oops, spoilers for the next section.)

Either way, neither of them can ever seem to succeed in truly defeating the other, in their respective ways, so it’s just a perpetual war. Bruce feels responsible for the Joker, so he considers it his duty to always be there to fight him. And Joker has this fantasy of Batman giving in and killing him, he wants that victory over him, but he also just loves the fighting so much. So he savors it and aims to break him slow. With every little scheme, every occupied building he blows up, he’s seeing how far he can push the bat. He’s eternally devoted to always being the chaos to Batman’s order - to the death. ‘Til death do us part.

And in that… lies their particular peculiar brand of love. These two men… they’re star crossed, they’re some type of soulmates, but those concepts, here, aren’t exempt from darkness. They’re not romantic and idealistic. Batman and Joker are soulmates, their paths are deeply interlocked and interwoven, and still they beat each other until they’re bruised and bloody and delirious. And for Joker, that’s what love is, and for Bruce… he doesn’t know what the hell is going on, but he needs Joker, needs him as he is, sick and twisted and fucked. He has a darkness inside him that Joker provides an outlet for, that Joker welcomes, and it’s… G-d, I don’t even know. It’s fascinating.

But the question I wrote this analysis with the intention of going over is this: could they ever be healthy? Could they ever be in love in a more traditional kind of way - in a way that’s almost even normal?

Which brings us to our next segment. 

3. Could Batman and Joker’s relationship ever evolve into something semi-traditionally romantic?

Alright, this is what I’ve been waiting for. So from everything I’ve said, hopefully if you’re still reading, we can agree this is a love story. The thing is, in current canon, it’s an unacted-upon romance. Unconsummated. Because Bruce doesn’t want to acknowledge what they have, and Joker doesn’t want to potentially ruin what they have (which is why he’s never graduated passed simply flirting. Anything more might push Bruce into panic mode and he’d isolate himself, and Joker knows that and doesn’t want to chase him away. Well, that and, on the DC people’s end, fear of canonizing the homosezuality of it all, having to commit to it, and risking alienating the dudebros lol.)

Regardless - currently, Joker’s alright with that. He gets what he needs out of their relationship. Something I think a lot of Batjokes shippers would disagree with me on is that I don’t know if Joker really has an interest in having Batman/Bruce romantically, let alone sexually. I think what they have, to him, is as good as sex and emotional intimacy is to normal couples. 

The thing I find interesting is that I think Bruce would have an interest in pursuing a legitimate... normal-coded (new term lmao) relationship with Joker. He’d just require that he change fundamentally first. See, for reference, there’s a trend amongst several of my favorite ships (plenty of enemies-to-lovers ships, as you can imagine) in which you have a character who’s done bad things (note: the severity of the atrocities in question varies, but I think with Joker’s crimes in particular, shippers tend to deem certain stuff irredeemable and pick and choose, and usually decide to focus on versions of Joker who aren’t quite so bad - which is perfectly understandable and acceptable in a fandom revolving around comics, where characterizations are so inconsistent and what’s canon and what’s not is already pretty wonky)... yeah, you have a character who’s done bad things, and then you have another character who sees the potential and good in them anyway, who has a complex and romantically-coded relationship with them, but who also has the maturity and stoicism to refuse to get romantically involved until they’ve overseen their change into a better person. The idea of nudging an antagonistic character into undergoing a redemption arc, so they can be rewarded with love - it’s a charming concept. It’s kind of therapeutic, really, to those of us that are villain lovers, but not apologists. We acknowledge they’ve done bad, we have them put in the work to be better, and then we get to enjoy them not even being interested in villainy anymore because they’ve finally gotten a taste of being loved, and it’s enough for them. Finally, they have something else, something purer, to live for and to derive fulfilment from. And I think several Batjokes shippers enjoy this concept, too. Redeeming Joker, so Bruce can (sort of) non-guiltily love him back. Because he’s so sure there’s something redeemable in Joker. Everyone tells him there’s not, but he refuses to believe them, partially because that’d be giving up, but also because… I think he really wants to believe the man he feels so deeply connected to, this man who he’s invested so much into, isn’t pure evil. 

So, I think Bruce… has the propensity to be inherently interested in a “normal” relationship, because the nature of his infatuation with Joker lies in taking responsibility for him and keeping him under control. If that manifested in ‘fixing’ him, and then, eventually, just keeping him happy and healthy… I think he could be content with that. Fulfilled by that. It’d just take time and development. 

What I think is utterly fascinating about that is that Joker knows this. And it troubles him. 

The reason I started this analysis was because the one semi-recent comic, involving Bruce and Selina getting married and Joker sabotaging it - it’s been fucking haunting me. Selina and Joker’s conversation in it is absolutely phenomenal, and sooooo thought provoking. 

The line that prompted all of this, all… 4k+ words, apparently, was this one: “He wants peace, and I could give him that, and he’d love me …. [but] if I did that … he’d lose the frown and the costume and the big black bat. He can’t be happy, and also be Batman.”

This line fucking blew my mind, because it shows that Joker’s thought about it. He’s reflected and been like, “This is love, but it’s not normal love. Could I be happy with normal love? Could he?” He thought about it and he realized - if he wanted Batman’s love, in the pure sense of the world, he could win it. He knows exactly what he needs to do to win it. All it’d take would be giving in. Expressing a willingness to change. But he could make Batman love him - at the expense of everything he is. At the cost of their eternal battle. And the trouble is, that’s what Joker’s in love with. The hatred, the intensity, the fighting. So (the man behind) Batman could love him, and could probably even be content in it - but Joker’s worried it wouldn’t be enough for him. And in that way, he’s not really, truly in love with him. He’s in love with the idea of him. What he stands for. He wants Batman’s love, but if he got it, it’d probably bore him. Because he’s not interested in the man beneath the mask. He’s interested in what he perceives as the god of order that he was reborn to fight against. 

And it hurts him. In this comic especially, it saddens him, and it could extend to other versions of him… because I think that’s that human part of Joker, that exists deep down, impossibly deep down, where no one can access it - but it still comes up and tears at him, sometimes. Because he’s the personification of Differentness, to such an extreme extent that he doesn’t know if he could exist comfortably in a “normal” way. He’s scared to attempt to, because he’s sure it wouldn’t work. That human part of him wants love, wants Batman’s in particular because he adores him so, but he knows it wouldn’t be enough.

Which… fucking sucks, as a shipper. A lot of shippers like to think Joker could be happy in a domestic relationship with Bruce. That it’d be enough for him, and he’d be willing to give everything up if he got to love Bruce and be loved in return. Trouble is… I think he’d be soooooo indefinitely understimulated by that. I mentioned Half Way Across, and I think that fic is absolutely brilliant, though in my pondering, I’ve determined it works so well (and even at all) because it’s under very, very specific circumstances. Like, it was absolute genius on the writer’s part, and their relationship develops believably and beautifully into something wonderful, but I don’t know how possible it’d be for them to evolve into something traditionally romantic elsewhere. Mostly because of Joker’s need for stimulation. He had little else to do, so he was able to find the process of falling in love to be stimulating and appealing, and it certainly helped that Bruce was giving him and him alone such focused positive attention for once. But I don’t know if he’d be able to sit still and do that if he was still running the city.

So perhaps he could be content with love, but I don’t know if he could… slow down long enough to give it a try? Which is another question, really - what would need to be done to stop them fighting for a minute so they might have a chance to acknowledge their feelings? And could they even have a relationship without one trying to fundamentally change the other? Could they compromise? Would they be willing to? What’s the second biggest thing they could offer each other / take from each other, as a show of faith, without wanting to break each other? 

Hell, could Joker somehow keep (most of) his philosophies about chaos and violence, but align himself with good? They’ve worked together against common enemies before. Maybe that’d be a compromise. Joker no longer committing violent crimes, but still being along to go reasonably, heh, batshit against people Batman agrees deserve it? Could Bruce sort of… divert Joker’s energy into something more productive for Gotham, ie crime-fighting?

Again, though, would Joker want that? Would he want a relationship with Batman that didn’t involve them at each other’s throats? Some comics say yes. I know White Knight had something about, “I had to be close to you, even if it meant being your enemy.” But I don’t think Batman alone is Joker’s raison d’etre. Fighting Batman is. Having an equal, a worthy opponent, an outlet for his energy, someone who takes everything he gives him and hits back with more - that’s what he lives for.  

And it’s what they’re tied into. Their bond is founded on violence, and they both pour all their frustration and grief at the world into each other, because they’re personifications of everything the other is working against. Bruce is always thinking, “Why can’t the evil just stop? When does it end? Why can’t I fix it and end all the pain?”, and Joker is the personification of needless, endless evil - and Joker is always thinking, “Why can’t anyone see the humor in it all? Why can’t they laugh at it with me? Why can’t you, Bats?”, with Bruce representing the refusal to see futility, and foolish (and stubborn?) devotion to hope. Unstoppable object, immovable force. They’re stuck in it, and dependent on it, and a weird, incredible connection’s come out of it… where they need each other, they crave each other, they exist for each other. 

There’s romance bubbling under the surface of it all, for sure. It could go somewhere, if someone took a step towards change. If someone gave in. But neither of them are willing to. And, like I’ve spent this whole thing establishing, if either of them did, it’d fundamentally break them, at their cores. Now, it seems like Joker being the one to change, him being the one to give in and let Bats guide him towards a better path, would be positive all around, because maybe his core needs to be broken so he could be happy and healthy, but I just… mmm, there’s a fuckton of unexplored potential there. I find it really stimulating, thinking about what they could potentially become. Of all my ships, no other pairing is this complex, specifically in regards to, like, what their future could look like. Usually it’s pretty cut and dry, but here, it’s a mess. And I love it. 

So yeah, I’ll wrap up with that. Like I said at the beginning, please offer your thoughts! I sort of put out a controversial opinion by saying, “I don’t know if Joker could be happy if he actually got Batman’s love”, but while I believe that, it makes me sad as hell, so I’d really love it if somebody proved me wrong haha. What do you think it’d take for him to be interested in something traditional? Or maybe that’s the wrong angle, maybe wanting them to have something “normal” isn’t a feasible concept, so what do you think would be the best way for them to navigate their relationship into something less unspoken? What do you think they should graduate to, and how do you think they could get there? 

Thanks so much for reading, and have a lovely day :)