#page 618

[pesterloglog]

Karkat Vantas, Meenah Peixes

Page 616-619

KARKAT: KEPT YOU WAITING, HUH?

MEENAH: took you long enough bossman

KARKAT: I THOUGHT I ASKED YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT WHEN WE'RE ALONE.

MEENAH: big bossman

KARKAT: NOT BETTER.

MEENAH: sweetie-pirate

KARKAT: BOSSMAN IT IS.

MEENAH: you got it bitch

KARKAT: I CAN WORK WITH BITCH.

KARKAT: ANYWAY, THINGS ARE RAMPING UP OUT THERE.

KARKAT: ARE YOU JUST ABOUT WRAPPED UP?

MEENAH: yep

MEENAH: its a good thing youre back i just got off a real shipshow of a call with mrs fencesitter and agent short shorts a lil while ago

MEENAH: looks like serious shit is about to pop off

KARKAT: YEAH, I WAS LISTENING IN.

MEENAH: well dam dude why didnt you say somefin

MEENAH: mysterious ass spymaster

MEENAH: i coulda used some backup

KARKAT: I HAD OTHER SHIT GOING ON.

KARKAT: AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED THERE'S AN ESCALATING, LARGE-SCALE MILITARY CONFLICT UNDERWAY; I DON'T THINK THE SOOTHING SOUNDS OF CROCKERCORP SUPPLY DEPOTS GETTING BLOWN UP ARE VERY CONDUCIVE TO CLEAR COMMS.

KARKAT: ALSO I'VE ALREADY HAD KIND OF A GAUNTLET OF A FUCKING DAY ALREADY AND I DIDN'T NEED THE PAN-ACHE.

KARKAT: I KNEW YOU HAD IT UNDER CONTROL.

MEENAH: youre lucky youre breamy as hell when youre out there doin tacticalypso or id have mutinied and kraken over this whole operation for myshellf

KARKAT: AND YOU'RE LUCKY I KEEP MAKING IT BACK HERE ALIVE OR YOU'D HAVE TO RUN THIS WHOLE OPERATION *BY* YOURSELF.

MEENAH: noted

MEENAH: anyway whats the move

KARKAT: CONSIDERING NONE OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS HERE HAVE ANY SENSE OF TACT OR SUBTLETY WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MOVE OUT PRONTO.

KARKAT: HOPE YOU'RE FIELD-READY, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO B-

MEENAH: oh fuck yes

MEENAH: dude let me say it

KARKAT: YEAH, GO AHEAD.

MEENAH: bring in the mothafuckin LOBsT-ERs

[shyjusticewarrior]

Tim about kid Jason

Tim to adult Jason

[anthyies]

i feel drunk on power i know how to find the exact votes of any poll now. anyways this is the actual ending exact vote count for harry dubois vs vriska for poorest little meow meow, with vriska being the first number and harry being the second number. i cannot attest to the legitimacy of all of the vriska votes however it WAS very close

[augiewrites]

"bartender" - dallas winston

request: Hi! I love your work and was wondering if you could do one for Dally from the outsiders where he's helping bartend for Buck to earn a couple bucks and Curtis!Reader is just sitting at the bar teasing him about it.

pairing: dallas winston x curtis!reader

word count: 618

a/n: i can't tell if i'm writing dally too ooc, but i was aiming more for shithead vibes than meanie vibes

Dally was too aware of Y/N Curtis sitting all by her lonesome at the end of the bar. She was wearing a nice dress and more makeup than usual, but Dallas hadn’t seen her speak to anyone since arriving. She looked good—a fact that Dally would never admit out loud.

“Ain’t it past your bedtime?” He asked, sitting a fresh beer in front of her. The bottle she ordered at the beginning of the night had been long finished, the label picked clean and laying in a little pile on the bar.

“Aren’t you the one always telling me ‘sleep is for the weak’?” She smirked at him, taking a long drink from the bottle, “Just taking a page out of your book.”

He leaned against the bar, “Your brothers know you’re here?”

“What they don’t know won’t kill them,” she rolled her eyes, “I deserve to have a little fun too.”

“Being all depressing by yourself isn’t exactly what I’d call fun.”

Y/N glared at him as he moved to take another patron’s order. After a few short minutes, he returned to his spot across from her and gave her an expectant look.

They stared each other down for a few seconds before Y/N rolled her eyes at him, looking away.

Dallas opened his mouth to tell her to either stop being a sad sack or go home when she cut him off, still not meeting his gaze.

“I was supposed to meet up with Scott Davis, but he never showed.”

“Davis? That guy’s a fuckin bum!”

She finally looked up at him, anger flaring behind her eyes, “Well it’s not like I wanna marry him or anything! You’re not exactly fit to be lecturing me on who to hang out with.”

“Oh, I think I’m perfectly fit, dollface.”

She rolled away the anger in her eyes and sent him a teasing smile, “I guess it takes a bum to know one.”

He glared at her, but only half heartedly, flicking a small piece of ice at her forehead.

“Yup—that right there. Bum behavior.”

“I guess it takes a bum to know one,” he mocked her, “at least I have a job.”

“Not sure if you’re gonna make six figures by over-serving people and being mean to lonely girls at the bar.” Y/N finished her drink and slid the empty bottle across the bar.

Dallas continued glaring, “Y’know, you’re a mean drunk, lady.”

Y/N laughed, and Dallas couldn’t help the smirk pulling at his lips.

“Two beers is hardly enough to be drunk.”

“Alright, then. You’re just mean,” Dallas popped the cap off another beer and sat it in front of Y/N. “Gonna start correcting people when they go on about how ‘Y/N Curtis is just such a nice girl’”, he shook his head, “if only they knew.”

Y/N scoffed, “I don’t think anyone’s ever said that.”

“Yeah, right, with your whole ‘Saint Curtis’ act—helpin’ old ladies cross the street and tutoring dumbass kids.”

“Devil in disguise I guess,” the pair smirked at each other, holding the gaze for much longer than they should have.

Y/N cleared her throat, looking around the bar, “Shouldn’t you be doing your job?”

He took the bottle from her grasp before finishing it off in one last swig, “Shouldn’t you be going home?”

She scoffed and started collecting her things, standing up from the bar stool. “That towel,” she pointed to the dish rag tossed over his shoulder, “makes you look stupid, by the way.”

Dally removed the towel to swat at her, “Go home, stupid.”

Y/N moved toward the door, sending Dally one last smile, “Go back to work, bum.”

[nyerusnova]

Glad to see that Tim being a giant Dick Grayson fanboy is finally being highlighted again, and sparking more discussion especially on their early relationship! (Please gimme more!!! I love them so much, augh!)

Probably as a result of that surge, there seems to be reciprocal chatter on the topic of how young Tim actually felt towards Jason, too. It's honestly pretty interesting, because it's more nuanced than it appears at first glance.

Which means it's very fun to dissect! ✨

There's a degree of subjectivity to keep in mind, because readers are going to have different interpretations of the same scenes, or will pull from entirely different scenes than one another to form their individual view on this topic. That's just how it is in comic book fandom, for many things! Regardless, in this case... if the scale ranges from the extreme of "Jason was Tim's Robin" to the other extreme of "Tim actually hated Jason [as Robin] or thought he was a loser that got himself killed" — the actual truth is closer to the middle, as is often the case.

At least, in my opinion.

Mainly I want to focus on those relatively early days with this post, to highlight Tim's initial(-ish) feelings towards his heroes, and touch on the point at which they really begin to change. This turned into a very long post, though. Brevity is beyond my skill, so grab snacks and water lol. Transcripts for each image will be posted at the very end under the cut.

So, the two storylines I want to cover are "Rite of Passage," which is rolls into "Identity Crisis." (NOT to be confused with the major crossover event "Identity Crisis™" which came years later, and is where Jack Drake dies.... But it sure is an interesting coincidence that Tim deals with the loss of each parent in two similarly named stories!) These take place before Tim is even Robin, and I'll be considering them as one arc for this post.

Detective Comics vol. 1 #618 (July, 1990) -- Pages 1 & 2

"When Gotham needed him, he was there. When the Batman needed him, he was there. He was a hero."

"One day, I'll be as good as Jason. One day I'll wear the suit."

To start off, we have this opening from "Rite of Passage." Tim is still in training here, mainly helping Bruce with minor stuff from the cave. His parents are off traveling, alive and well as of these next few pages. He's still bright-eyed and full of wonder. An extraordinarily weird but ultimately innocent kid.

So his view on Jason is positive and fairly simple: a hero, and someone to look up to as Robin. Clearly, Tim here doesn't think Jason was deficient in his role, either as a protector of Gotham or as Batman's trusted partner.

Moreover, Tim already held Dick in very high regard because he was amazingly skilled before he became Robin. To Tim, that's not something he'll ever be able to achieve. Meanwhile, Jason wasn't like that. He was a regular kid without crazy acrobatic training since practically birth. Yet he still went on to be a hero—which is obviously motivational for Tim who finds himself in similar shoes.

It's true that Tim only ever knew or thought of Jason as Robin, and idolized him in that regard. But that's kind of all that mattered to him at that point, because he was this kid who was utterly star-struck by his heroes. Even if he's technically aware of their shortcomings as people, it's overshadowed by the hero-worship.

It was kind of the same with Bruce as Batman at first. (Which was still enough for Tim to risk life and limb to help his beloved hero, before Bruce even knew his name.) Dick was the only one Tim had any sort of "personal" relationship with beforehand, so there is an extra level of attachment—and hence why it was the nidus for his obsession with Batman. Yet even then, it wasn't like he actually knew anything about Dick as a person until later. Until then, Tim's ideas of him were all he had, too. With Jason, Tim just didn't get to know him at any point before his return (oof), apart from what he heard over the years secondhand (also oof).

Ultimately, it's the loss of innocence—along with the ricocheting bullet that is the unresolved guilt of those around him—that begins to change Tim's perception. Not just of Jason, but of things in general.

Batman vol. 1 #455 (Oct., 1990) -- Page 13

"I know why they do it now. Why they put on the suits, and the masks, and go out into the night. They're angry, they're full of rage. They want to hit back."

Losing his mother was a major shift for Tim, obviously. This is right after the previous storyline, and Tim's had the worst week or two of his life (so far). His monologue here is a reference to what happened to both Dick and Jason. The unbearable pain of loss, the rage masking the grief underneath. And importantly, that he feels both of them were justified in their anger. (And Bruce too, indirectly.)

The major theme of the aptly named "Identity Crisis" is to mirror aspects of Dick and Jason and Tim's lives—to show how they converged onto the same tragic road. It's something that Tim notices early in the story, and was frightened by. Now, horrifically, it's become a part of him as well. His parents are gone, and he was entirely helpless to do anything about it. Dick was the same way, Jason was the same way. The cycle is repeated.

In particular, the part about him wanting to go to Haiti for revenge—for his mother—sort of struck me as being an intentional parallel to Jason and Ethiopia. It's a bit of a stretch, especially in isolation, so others may see it differently (e.g. the angry ramblings of a grieving child that does sound like something anyone might say). But it always stuck out to me because of how much Tim is compared directly to Jason in this arc. More on that below.

It's not something I can really give an accurate feel of because it's a lot of subtle things that begin to add up, so I'd encourage folks to read this arc themselves to see what I mean. (Or maybe you'll still disagree which is fine too lol.) Again, many things are in reference to both Dick and Jason in relation to Tim, but it's weighted more on Jason's side.

Batman vol. 1 #455 (Oct., 1990) -- Page 18

"You think my anger will boil over, the way Jason's did. I can assure you, it won't!"

Tim's grief has begun to pull away the veil of idealism that enshrouded his heroes in his mind. It doesn't apply only to Jason, but to the rest of them. Plus add the fact that Tim's keenly aware that he's being managed, even if the adults around him are careful to not outright say certain things. He still knows.

Bruce, Dick, and Alfred are all worried about Tim potentially turning into "another Jason." They (and mainly Bruce) caution Tim to not ignore his emotions, but they're still concerned that he may be overly eager to prove himself in order to cope, and could get hurt or killed as a result. While they aren't wrong for their caution—especially at how unsettlingly similar all the circumstances are—they aren't very subtle about the elephant in the room.

Imagine how that would affect Tim's perception of his predecessor, especially when he's in the midst of a traumatic event he hasn't had time to fully process. The negative association is pretty much inevitable.

Tim's known from day one that he's walking in Jason's shadow, and now it's become inescapable. Tim went from seeing Jason as a goal to reach, to feeling that unless he surpasses him, he wasn't going to be taken seriously by anyone. However, as of this arc, Tim doesn't even fully come to that point yet.

Batman vol. 1 #456 (Nov., 1990) -- Pages 14 & 15

"Drop-outs don't make it. And dead heroes are no use to anyone!"

It's really easy to take away "Tim totally thought Jason got himself killed" as the main thing here, but I think that's missing the forest for the trees.

First some context: Bruce has gone out on a mission to get Scarecrow, and expressly forbade Tim from doing any shenanigans. Meanwhile, Tim is grappling with wanting to prove himself and trying to help Bruce from the cave, all while trying to deal with his emotions. At some point, he falls asleep and ends up having like... exhaustion-grief hallucinations of Dick!Robin and Jason!Robin who confusingly caution yet encourage him. The main theme of this part is facing your fears.

Depending on how you want to interpret the intent of Jason's dialogue here, you could go several ways with it. Ranging from "writer's feelings towards Jason" to "a peek into Tim's mind as his fears manifest as visions of his heroes" or some mixture thereof.

Though Tim argues with Bruce that Batman needs a Robin, we're shown that Tim is understandably scared of joining Batman's "war." He's still not willing to let Bruce go it alone, though, and that's something he feels more strongly than his fear.

Meanwhile, hallucination!Jason's warnings are a lamentation of what happened to him in a way, but it actually exactly describes Tim's current situation even more so. Unlike Jason, Tim is under-trained, under-experienced, doesn't even have a suit of his own yet. But like Jason, he can't sit by and do nothing while someone he cares about is in danger. Tim knows that if he goes out there, he will probably get himself killed, and it will be his own fault. So he's about to disobey Batman's orders, and fly right into danger. If that got Jason killed, then Tim—who is in a way worse position experience-wise—has every chance of ending up the same.

Like... it's about Jason, but it's also about Tim. It's Tim's worst fears made manifest, via the representation of why he is even here in the first place (Jason's death).

That's my theory anyway, but perhaps this is an overly charitable reading of this scene on my end. (Not that I think that makes me wrong lol.) However given that Grant wrote both parts of this arc, and the beginning of which is especially favorable towards Jason, it certainly is something to ponder. I have a lot of thoughts on it I can't expand on here tbh but perhaps that'll be another post.

Anyway, returning to the point of the similarities vs differences between Tim and Jason: since this is the arc that solidified Tim as the next Robin in comic continuity, it makes sense that the writers really pushed the comparisons between the two of them, specifically. (Even though Dick was pretty similar, as going against Batman's orders is the Robin thing to do, it's not his shoes Tim is directly filling.) So making Tim's "debut" story arc mirror Jason's "swansong" is an obvious narrative choice.

To drive home the parallels, I wanted to include this panel from just a few pages prior to the "daydream":

Batman vol. 1 #456 (Nov., 1990) -- Page 9

"The suit is magic."

That so distressingly close to Jason's famous "being Robin gives me magic" line (Batman #385, page 6). Given all the previous context, it's hard for me to just dismiss it as pure coincidence. Even if it is, the point still stands. Tim is shown having the some of the same heartbreakingly naive views as Jason once did, right in front of Jason's memorial, just as he's about to go and run off into the night against orders.

I think that speaks for itself. There's a lot to take away from it, if you so choose. Especially given the context of that specific Jason arc.

Alright, back to the main course:

So in the end, Tim actually goes out in civvies and a ski mask because if he fails, then at least he wouldn't bring shame to Robin's legacy™. When he gets fear gassed saving Batman, it's once again both Dick and Jason that he hallucinates encouraging him to push past his fear. (Shout out to the fact that he's literally more afraid of tarnishing the legacy of Batman & Robin than he is of dying.... I'm sure this will not be a recurring thing for him in the future.)

Tim's ideology is shown to be similar to Jason's, and the actions Tim ultimately takes are similar to Jason's... but the outcome is different. And it really isn't just "Tim succeeded where Jason failed." At least, that's not what I took away from this. Rather, Tim had no reason to succeed any more than he had to fail, just that he did. Luck combined with caution because he knew what happened to his predecessor, and the fact that Batman was there to finish the job all made the difference.

You could say (and I know some will) that it's just classic Jason character assassination and the writers trying to implore readers that this new kid is different we promise pls don't hate us look how much better he is! But in this case, that feels like it undermines the whole point of this story. It doesn't fit with what the characters actually say.

Thus, we return to the question of how Tim felt towards his predecessor. And the answer is different from where we started, because Tim is different. Not that different though. Because even though at this point Tim—like all the adults around him—has probably attributed Jason "going off on his own" being what led to his death, Tim still thought of him as a hero to look up to. It's about Robin, first and foremost, yes. But Tim is fully aware of the people who made that suit mean what it does, because it's all intertwined.

Batman vol. 1 #457 (Dec., 1990) -- Page 20

"I mean--Dick made it into a symbol the whole world knows. Jason gave his life for it."

Even further, Tim thinks of it in terms of Jason having given his life for what he believed in, for the legacy that now falls to Tim. There's a sense of gravitas there. He's afraid of failing both the Robins who came before him.

Ultimately do I think Tim adored and loved Jason on the same level as Dick or something? No. It's not comparable. (Dick was like part of some of Tim's earliest memories and everything! They have a really unique bond ok.) Yet Tim was also far from thinking poorly of Jason so early on. Frankly, it seems that Tim thought of Jason as a noble hero and a cautionary tale. Yes he took risks and sometimes went too far, generally stuff that Tim doesn't want to repeat and all that. At the same time, Tim still saw him as someone whose legacy and memory was worth honoring.

It's complicated, which is why I like it so much—because it feels real. Having conflicting feelings towards someone is... so human. Especially someone you never got to know, yet who plays such an integral role in your life via the shadow of their death. How can you feel anything but complicated towards them?

It has to be said that, yes, Tim's views—even before Jason's return—change over the years. He becomes more jaded as a person and is surrounded by people who are even more jaded than him... and who often mention Jason as the "failed Robin." It's something that's hung over Tim's head all the damn time. The curse of the Robin mantle.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Tim's idea of him becomes more akin to "sounds like a skill issue" as the years go by. All bets are off after Jason's return, and the Titans Tower Incident™. At that point it's firmly "I am better than you, loser" lmao.

And... that's all without getting too into things like authorial intent and general "moods" of different DC writers towards Jason at a given point. Or retcons that played a role in his characterization and how other characters talk about him, depending on what "era" you're reading. That's way beyond the scope of this post though!

TLDR; even though young Tim Drake was obsessed with Dick Grayson as Robin, he still looked up to Jason Todd as well. He didn't think of Jason as a cringefail loser until later. :)

(image dialogue transcripts under cut ↓)

Dialogue Transcript for Image 1 (Detective Comics vol. 1 #618 -- Page 1):

Narration box (Tim): When Gotham needed him, he was there. When the Batman needed him, he was there. He was a hero.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 2 (Detective Comics vol. 1 #618 -- Page 2):

(Scene continued from previous page)

Narration box: But he was nothing special, really. Just a boy, who was taught--trained--brought to his full potential by someone who knew how. Just a boy... like me. I know I can do it. I know I can. One day I'll be as good as Jason. One day I'll wear the suit. One day I'll be a hero.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 3 (Batman vol. 1 #455 -- Page 13):

Tim: I hate him! I hate him! I know why they do it now. Why they put on the suits, and the masks, and go out into the night. They're angry. Full of rage. They want to hit back. They want to fill the hole that's burning inside them.

Bruce: There's more to it than that, son. Much more.

Tim: I know. It's just--I feel--like going to Haiti myself and strangling that creep with my bare hands!

Bruce: The Obeah Man will spend the rest of his life in a prison hospital. He's history. Forget him! But don't fight against your anger. It's natural. Accept it. Live with it. One day it'll be your friend.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 4 (Batman vol. 1 #455 -- Panels from page 18):

Tim: Because you think my mother's death has upset me too much. Well, it did. But I've taken your words to heart. I can cope. You think my anger will boil over, the way Jason's did. I can assure you, it won't. But that doesn't make any difference, does it? Why can't you have a little faith in me?

Dialogue Transcript for Image 5 (Batman vol. 1 #456 -- Page 14):

Narration box (Tim): Blast it! My head's starting to swim. I'm about ready to give up. I almost wish I'd never heard of Batman and Robin!

Vision Dick: Heroes never give up, Tim.

Vision Jason: You know that.

Tim: Dick--! Jason Todd!

Vision Dick: You're training to fight in a war, Tim. It'll last all your life. No matter what, you have to go on fighting.

Vision Jason: Drop-outs don't make it. And dead heroes are no use to anyone! I thought I knew better than Batman. I thought I could run before I could walk. I killed myself, Tim. Because I couldn't wait. Because I couldn't think it through.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 6 (Batman vol. 1 #456 -- Page 15):

(Scene continued from previous page)

Vision Dick: Think, Tim. Concentrate!

Vision Jason: You can do it.

Both: You can do it!

Tim, waking up: What--? Robin...?

Narration box (Tim): I must have been daydreaming. They're right, though. There's a solution to everything. I can find it! So here I go again... Whim. Caprice. Doing something without forethought.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 7 (Batman vol. 1 #456 -- Panel from page 9):

Narration box (Tim): The suit is magic. It gives you power. It hides your weakness. It makes you give it everything you've got. It makes you a hero. If only I could!

Dialogue Transcript for Image 8 (Batman vol. 1 #457 -- Page 20):

Bruce: Are you afraid of it?

Tim: No. It isn't fear. It's more... the suit carries so much history. I mean--Dick made it into a symbol the whole world knows. Jason gave his life for it. Failing them--what they fought so hard to build--that's what worries me!

Bruce: I appreciate that, Tim. That costume weighs a whole lot more than any symbol should... and I'd be failing you if I expected you to bear that weight. So... let me know what you think.

Narration box: A mask has a double edged, he said. It hides your own anxiety as it strikes fear into your enemy.

[the-exiled-comic]

i finally made some pride themed stickers for the comic!! they look so good in person waah.. we getting pride month early

they're on my etsy shop! as well as a couple other stickers, prints, and some pins being listed as well https://www.etsy.com/listing/1709524666/pride-stickers-the-exiled-cats

it's also been a minute since i mentioned the patreon, which is currently up to page 618 if you ever wanted to read ahead for just $5! i also send stickers and prints in the mail every month to the foxclub tier https://www.patreon.com/the_exiled

any support means the world to me!

[baekcheon-jin-dongryon]

🌸화산귀환🌸

Return of the Blossoming Blade

⬇️ go to the end of the page

Cheongmyeong wears his green ribbon to tie his hair.

...... in the light novel, the game collab’, in the PV and finally the webtoon!

- In past: He wore it until his death.

- After 100 years: At the beginning of the work, he did not even have the means to tie his hair, being a young beggar. His financial situation, like Mount Hua, would surely prevent him from obtaining one of them.

- Then after two years: He wears a green ribbon. Again.

- And finally 3 years later: the dark green of the Tang family remains by his side.

-----------

I recently learned that the color green * often represents healing, happiness, friendship and health in China. Symbol of spring, it recalls growth and rebirth, which translates into a new beginning.

Friendship [...] 😭

Apparently, although green clothing (ribbon too) is welcome, hats are not. Wearing green hat = one’s partner unfaithful.

In dynasty Tang (618 – 907) wearing green headcloth was a penalty for people who has commited crimes. Centuries later, in the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasty, some greens were intended for prostitutes and their relatives.

Honorable green:

Light green, crab shell cyan (Xi ke Qing) = for pottery

Green bamboo (Zhu Qing) = loyal, gentleman, elegant, straightforward

Green jasper (Bi Yu Shi) = decency

Green Jade (Yu Se) = virtue, honor

Green Cyan (Qing Se) = wood, hope, forest [like King forest’s clothes: Lim Sobyeong]

Scallion green (Cong lv)= greens, vigorous plants

Spoiler!!!!! 🚧🚨

Tang Bo: (light novel, first mention: chapter 189 and first appearance: chapter 197, flashback)

Tang Bo [당보]:

- According to the Q&A, he was about 5~6 years younger than Cheongmyeong (Plum Blossom Sword Saint)

- He was an elder of the Tang family 100 years ago

- Died during the war against the Heavenly Demon Sect (~ 76 years old)

- Specialty: dagger, poison, medicine

- Region: Sichuan

- [not yet represented in the webtoon]

- He was an absolute master of his time who was given the title of Dark Saint / Dark Master

- Cheongmyeong's only true friend

- Dague Specialty: Twelve Flying Blades

- He likes to smoke and drink alcohol

- He's a cheeky guy with a way of scratching people's insides.

- He's beaten to a pulp every time by Cheongmyeong, but he had a temper (obviously, he’s mad dog’s friend)

- He has no direct descendants

- he called Cheongmyeong: hyung-nim

*(the meaning of this color is quite similar in Korea) ^^

For more info on colors in China :

https://www.chinafetching.com/chinese-color

[sakana-comic]

🐟✨SAKANA UPDATE✨🐟

Fortunately Yuudai is too tired to get into a heated debate with a 4 year old about which Hypraman season is the best.

Read page 618 here!

[ambriel-angstwitch]

Batman Hush Part 6

(Batman 618-619)

This interaction! Agh! Yes he would know better than anyone else what he’s like when he’s angry! It’s the whole reason he’s Robin

Oh my goodness the purposely planted parallels! That’s crazy

I love how that’s the one thing that makes him realize it’s not actually Jason. How impersonal this fake Jason is

This seen actually drives me insane. I wanted to cry. I know it’s not Jason but that made me so sad and the immediate “That was the mistake you made” sounded really terrible before I looked to the next page. But yes Bruce loves his sons. He might not always say it outloud but he didn’t doubt that Jason knew it

Yet another layer to why Batman doesn’t kill. He believes that people can get better and he doesn’t want to rob them of the chance too

Also little does he know that it is his friend (little did I know)

The fact that Hush purposely set up that parallel is absolutely insane. Not only did he bring up the trauma of Bruce’s parents dying but it’s also the same bridge that Tommy’s parents died on in the rain.

This plot twist had me gasping. I was so taken off guard. I spent the whole time feeling sympathetic for Tommy because Bruce’s accident would have reminded him of his parents and then he died, but it turns out this man was out to ruin Bruce’s life. That’s even more tragic than him dying. And for such an insane reason too. Like he has the money now. Why would he want to ruin his former friends life? There’s no arguing with evil though it doesn’t make sense.

It really recontextualizes everything we’ve seen before this though. Like their trip to Metropolis. Did Tommy resent Bruce then? Did he make Bruce chase after Green Lantern not to show his friend the superhero he thought was so cool but rather to get him in trouble like her worried about?

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[autisticredhood]

In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado page 5 / Batman #614 / Detective Comics #790 / In The Dream House / Detective Comics #790 / Batman #614 / In The Dream House / Batman #410 / Batman #428 / In The Dream house / Batman #617 / Detective Comics #790 / In The Dream House / Detective Comics #790 / Batman #618 / In The Dream House / Detective Comics #790 / Batman #614

ID under

[ID: Several photos weaving together text and comic panels. 

First image is of text that reads “The memoir is, at its core, an act of resurrection.”

Second image is a panel of Jason’s face on the ground in watercolor art style from Batman: Hush. He is wearing the Robin domino mask and his mouth is parted open. He is splattered with blood. A blue caption reads “Jason.”. The panel is overlaid in red. 

Third image is a cropped panel of Bruce and Cass in front of Jason’s grave. Bruce is saying “He would have been eighteen today.” 

Fourth image is of text that reads “Memoirists re-create the past, reconstruct dialogue.”

Fifth image is of Bruce and Cass surrounded by graves as Bruce is saying “But he was brash. Impulsive. Headstrong. Never looking before he leapt…I knew that, but I didn’t stop him because he wanted it so badly. He wanted too much to prove something.”

Sixth and seventh images are cropped panels from Batman: Hush with Batman in watercolor art style. The sixth image has blue captions that reads “No matter what differences we’ve had through the years, I’ve always known that Dick had a gift. Jason only had…rage.” In the seventh image the captions are “Jason never had the skills that Dick had. I should never have let him put on that costume.” 

The eighth image is text that reads “They summon meaning from events that have long been dormant.”

The ninth image is of two panels from Jason’s post-crisis Robin run in the 80s. The first panel is of Bruce’s face with the Batman cowl pulled down. He’s saying, “Hardly, the other Robin would’ve done the same thing…You two really are two of a kind.” The accompanying panel is an up close shot of Jason’s grinning face in the Robin suit. He’s saying, “Thank You, Mister Wayne. Mind if I stay up awhile and do some homework?”

The tenth image is of two panels from Death In The Family of Bruce cradling Jason’s dying mother, Sheila. In the first panel Shiela is saying with many ellipses between her words, “He turned out to be such a good kid all his problems and he still turned out good.” In the second panel she is saying, “He threw himself in front of me. He took the main brunt of the blast.”

The eleventh image is text that reads “They braid the clays of memory and essay and fact and perception together, smash them into a ball, roll them flat.”

The twelfth image is a panel from Batman: Hush that is cropped to only show a caption that reads “Jason saw being Robin as a game. It’s probably what got him killed.”

The thirteenth image are of two panels from Bruce and Cass at Jason’s grave. The first panel is a cropped shot of Bruce saying “Yes. Maybe if I’d put an end to his attempts, he’d be getting ready to go off to college…” The following panel is of Bruce and Cass standing as dark silhouettes against a red sky with the angel statue of Jason’s grave looming over them. Bruce is finishing his thought from the last panel and saying, “Or just having a normal life…”

The fourteenth image is text that reads “They manipulate time; resuscitate the dead.”

The fifteenth image is of two panels from two different comics. The first is from Batman: Hush in modern comics art style and not watercolor. It’s a cropped panel of Tim Drake in the Robin suit yelling, “No matter what he says, Jason’s death still haunts him. Why else would he keep Jason’s costume so prominently in the cave?” The second panel is a cropped image of Barbara Gordon on the BatComputer screen from the same issue of Bruce and Cass visiting Jason’s grave. She’s contacting Bruce before he goes to the graveyard, saying, “Maybe you’re busy...Look Batgirl just came by. She seemed…upset. I don’t know what happened, but…if this is about what today is, then…Just Know I’m here if you need…”  

The sixteenth image is of text that reads “They put themselves, and others, into necessary context.”

The seventeenth image is a panel of Bruce and Cass in the graveyard. Bruce is saying, “But he’ll never have that. Maybe it’s not too late for Stephanie.”

The eighteenth and final image is an edited panel from Batman: Hush in watercolor style again. It is a close up of the R symbol of the Robin suit with blood stains on it. The panel is overlaid in red again. The edit is a blue caption from the same issue that is added to above the R symbol. It reads Batman’s inner monologue of “For these reasons, I’ve carried the burden of responsibility for Jason’s death.”

End ID.]

[maple-seed]

Thrown Blurb #4: Fanfiction

Word Count: 618

Author's Notes: Just needed a little levity after that finale, haha. Everyone can thank @gigglingtiggerv2 for encouraging this scene into existence in response to chapter 39.

Series Master List Loki Fic Masterlist

*****************

You were trying to get a rise out of him.

Loki refused to give you the satisfaction.

"Okay, so it's called 'The Numbers Don't Lie' and as you know, in this timeline Loki is human." You waved a sheaf of paper in his direction. You had printed it after he refused to read it on your computer. "And I'm on the timeline also, but in this one I'm very wealthy and Loki is one of several accountants I employ..."

Loki's eye twitched but he didn't respond otherwise. He watched the papers in your hand as you explained the plot of your little story.

"... and of course he's desperate to get her attention but he doesn't know how to deal with his feelings so he..."

Loki steepled his fingers. His eyes were drawn again to the pages in your hand. Were they... bound? You took the time to bind them into a booklet?

"... and then that's where his stamp collection comes into play..."

Loki bit his cheek. You were making a strong play here, he had to admit. He could tell you knew, by the gleam in your eyes. He wouldn't let you win this one. He tried to focus on his upcoming rebuttal.

"Finally, the issue is resolved thanks to Loki's expertise in tax law. They overcome their misunderstandings and confess their feelings and get together at the end." You triumphantly placed the story in front of him. "Ready to read it?"

Loki waited a moment to allow you to bask in your short-lived glory, then broke into a grin. "First, I have my own creative endeavor to share with you." Confusion cross your face. "What?" Loki stood. "As you may know, Skarde now has his studio in working condition. When Thor mentioned that you were putting your little fiction to paper," he heard you curse Thor under your breath, "I commissioned this." With a wave of his hand an easel appeared with quite a large canvas on it, which was currently concealed by a green cloth. "A portrait of your Asgardian counterpart." You came to stand in front of the canvas with your arms crossed. "You paid money to get back at me?" "It was entirely worth it, darling. Skarde's craftsmanship is unmatched." With a flourish he pulled the cloth away, revealing the painting.

The figure in the portrait was undoubtedly you, but a version that was wholly pathetic. She was dressed in peasant clothes, and poor ones at that. She was scrubbing a floor in some dismal dungeon, and her person was absolutely covered in grime. Her expression was mournful, and maybe a little wistful, as she gazed into the middle distance. Truly a wretched creature.

Your expression was incredulous. "I can't believe you did this." Loki smirked, reveling in his victory. "Surely you expected a response." "Yeah, but not this! I didn't think you'd drag anyone else into it. I just wrote a story! How many people have seen..." you gestured at the canvas, "miserable servant me?" Loki thought for a moment as he admired the work. "Quite a few, I imagine. But perhaps not enough. Should we put it on display for the public, you think?"

You stood for a moment with your mouth agape, then snapped it shut and whipped out your phone, typing furiously. Loki frowned. "What- what are you doing?" "Texting Thor." You kept your eyes on your screen. "Asking him about that Asgardian theatre troupe." He scowled. "Whatever for?" "It just occurred to me," you hit send and smiled up at him sweetly, "that my story is really meant for the stage." Loki's eyes widened and he held up a finger. "Now... now just hold on a moment...."

Thrown Tag List If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list please leave a comment or send me a message/ask.

@mischief2sarawr, @imalovernotahater, @norestfortheshelbywicked, @purplekitten30, @ozymdias, @pdraxxi, @goblingirlsarah, @chantsdemarins, @n3rdybirdee, @marvel-love24, @lokiprompts, @ladymischief11, @gigglingtiggerv2, @lilmilkbun, @huntress-artemiss, @ellooo0ooo, @femme1fatale, @clairewinchester14, @glitterylokislut, @psychospore, @ladyloki3, @skinij3fx, @iamlokisgloriouspurpose, @lunarnights95, @callxmexnadine, @lilibet261, @valeave, @f2mhg2lt2rta, @fruit-caught-on-camera, @ladymischief11, @paetonnn, @confusedpanda-777, @honeyrydernot, @sarcastic-siren, @wolfsmom1, @lokisgoodgirl, @cakesandtom, @unlucky-number-13, @rinnwylde, @javagirl328, @josiedoesdoodles, @rose7420, @ultrasnakesona, @vickie5446, @superficialdomina, @ireallyneedtherapy, @weirdowoody, @hotmesshobbit, @buttercupcookies-blog, @km-ffluv, @mrsbarnes32557038, @tallseaweed, @leothecat97, @soulpiercing, @axen-gers, @im-a-slut-for-fluff, @jainaeatsstars, @whattwhoo, @xxfaithlynxx, @thisisew, @rvautomatic, @herdetectivetheorist, @rhiannon-russo

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: ALWAYS COMING HOME by Ursula K. Le Guin.

The people have Spoken, so I'll be reading this 618-page brick next! The cover page credits the author, an artist, a composer, a geomancer (??), and the author of the intro, so. I suspect I'm in for a Ride™. I am both Excited and Intimidated--will report back on how this goes!

[ofnailbatsandaxefives]

In the source link you will find 618 gifs of Mark McKenna in The Tourist season 2. Mark is white (Irish) Do not use in gif hunts or make icons. For full list of rules see gif directory page. Remember to please like and reblog if you decide to use.

[boylikeanangel]

the quarterfinals of the tournament to crown the Ultimate Supreme Weirdgirl is over! here's the results and the brackets for the semifinals!!!

the voting page for this round can be found here. voting ends on october 24th, at 11:59PM GMT / 3:59PM PST. make sure to share this post once you've voted!

I want to quickly apologise for the time it's taken me to get the results out and next round up and running this time around. I also added an optional question to the end of the last round's voting page as an interest check for a hypothetical second tournament, and the consensus with over 500 votes suggests that's something people would be interested in. depending on how much time I have and how well the final two rounds of this first tournament perform I'll probably put together a second within the next couple of weeks. I'm still taking suggestions for competitors, so drop me an ask!

as always, I'll run through the results of this round in more detail under the cut.

Ponyo vs Wednesday Addams: Ponyo with 475 votes (43.6%) and Wednesday Addams with 618 votes (56.4%)

Mabel Pines vs Trucy Wright: Mabel Pines with 627 votes (57.2%) and Trucy Wright with 469 votes (42.8%) [a very sad result for me personally, and from the looks of it lots of people in the notes calling for a #trucysweep, but she fought well and I can't think of a better weirdgirl for her to finally lose to. congrats mabel!]

Coraline Jones vs Lilo Pelekai: Coraline Jones with 336 votes (30.7%) and Lilo Pelekai with 760 votes (69.3%) [lilo takes the title of most votes this round, beating out the most voted girl in round 1.]

Tome Kurata vs Velma Dinkley: Tome Kurata with 558 votes (50.9%) and Velma Dinkley with 538 votes (49.1%) [this one was TENSE. the aggressive campaigning for tome paid off in the end, though! I always saw tome as somewhat of an underdog, but as we've seen literally nothing is impossible!]

[homestuckreplay]

Ditch The Clowns, Get The Crown

(page 627-636)

9/11/2009 Wheel Spin: Sburb Lore Verdict: YES! YES! YES!!!!

9/13/2009 Wheel Spin: being silly :3c Verdict: The Prankster’s Hammer Emerges :3c

John was pretty smart about how he got all those new cards into his sylladex. And now that he has twelve cards, does he even need a ‘detect collisions’? I’m sure he’ll be absolutely fine and there will be absolutely no throwing things off a cliff from here on out. Right????

Two huge things happen in these pages: we get a peek into Harry Anderson: Wise Guy by Mike Caveney, and John creates the pogo hammer, unlocking uncountable new possibilities with alchemy. They’re both super important, but my Wise Guy analysis will be a separate post because I found some weird and cool trivia, so here I’m just discussing the alchemy.

Alchemy is, historically, right at the intersection of science and magic. In that way it’s very cool that John has his breakthrough while reading about magic tricks, considering that up til now the process of punching cards has focused on the mathematics and data storage of it all. Stage magic, however, doesn’t create ‘real’ effects, only its impact on people is real. Alchemy seems entirely real – there’s no trickery, and John sure is holding that hammer. Taking the unreal (video games, the effects of manipulating the mouse and keyboard) and making them real continues to be Sburb’s whole deal, and right now I think Skaia’s power can be best phrased as ‘turning stories into reality’ – encompassing both meanings of creation/creativity at once.

Above are the totems for the hammer and pogo ride individually (p.618 – see bottom right of picture) and for the pogo hammer (p.632). They do all look similar, with a thicker part at the top and another thick section jutting out in the lower half. It’s not identical – the pogo hammer has some crisper edges compared to the smooth curves of the pogo ride – but the pogo hammer totem looks more similar to the pogo alone than to the hammer alone. This suggests that – from an alchemy mechanics perspective - the pogo is the base item, and the hammer is the combinatory or modifying item. It further suggests the idea of a ‘hammer pogo,’ which I imagine as a giant, rideable hammerhead mounted on a spring instead of a handle, one that John could ride to victory just like on p.496, but where his steed itself can bash the imps and John only has to worry about guiding it around. This might be slightly less dangerous than using the pogo itself, as he’d at least be able to hold on, and it would deal more damage. It could be created by punching the hole patterns for both items into a single card, creating more holes instead of less.

The pogo hammer is significantly more expensive than the pogo ride and hammer as individual items. The pogo ride alone costs 5 grist and 1 shale, the hammer alone costs 2 grist, and the pogo hammer is all the way up at 10 grist and 16 shale – the most expensive item we’ve seen so far. The rocket pack with its multiple insertions was technically a more complex item, but was cheaper on grist, maybe because it’s absolutely useless. It makes sense that the grist cost wouldn’t just refer to the components, but to how useful the output will be in the game, so that players can’t get access to gamebreakingly powerful items too early on. I would guess that the rocket pack on its own would be more expensive than the merged item, possibly requiring a grist type that John and Rose don’t have yet.

John is truly acting on whims here. Not long ago he was furious about the imps using his pogo ride, swearing that no-one but him risks injury on the pogo ride (p.476) – but now he barely notices an imp bouncing on the balcony, getting the new one all messy with oil too. He’s got something new to feel overly passionate about, and it is HIS FIRST CUSTOM WEAPON. And not a moment too soon, given that the giant imp has presumably climbed up into John’s yard by now. Lots of combat-based games make it necessary to either upgrade your weapon with additional damage and special moves, or obtain new and more powerful weapons, in order to fight tougher enemies. Players are often able to choose what properties they’d like to imbue their weapons with, or will collect multiple and decide which one to use. In this case, John’s chosen the Bounce property, which allows for the weapon’s attack to ‘jump’ to a second target on a successful hit, stacking an unlimited number of times so long as the attacks continue to land. The imp on p.636 looks understandably scared about this.

The alchemiter, we’ve seen, can be used by either Rose, John, or the imps – I assume they’re the ones who made a whole bunch of regular hammers. John should definitely take the pogo hammer totem and stash it away somewhere, both so that he’s the only one who can use the upgraded weapon, and so that the imps don’t waste all his hard earned grist making a hundred pogo hammers. The imps are mischievous creatures due to the harlequin prototyping, but I’d actually guess this tendency is programmed into the base NPC, pre-prototyping. As well as directly attacking the players, enemies trying to deplete grist resources so that players can’t progress further in the game fits with Sburb’s punishing learning curve, and gives players another task to balance – protecting their carved totems and their alchemiter.

The cosmetic upgrade to the weapon is important too. Instead of a plain, uncolored hammer, the pogo hammer has a green rubber grip and a miniature green Slimer on top of the head, perfectly matching the one on John’s shirt. I know that I will choose a weapon that looks sick as hell over one that does a little more damage but has a boring design, because you gotta have an aesthetic when playing a video game and you gotta stick to it even more strictly than you stick to a mechanical build. John’s whole aesthetic being based around green slime (and perhaps magic, thinking back to his CLEVER DISGUISE) means this weapon is for him and him alone, and with that in mind, it’s poetic that he made it all by himself.

John is really, really excited about his creation, as he should be. He DID ‘make something totally sweet’ as he says to Rose, and I’m really happy to see him proud of himself for this. Rose is really good at this game, and it can be hard to play games with a friend who is a lot better than you, so it feels really good as a reader and a big John fan to see him get this moment of success.

[laufire]

august reading meme!

BOOKS

Burning Your Boats by Angela Carter. I got through this collection of short stories slowly but surely, and it cemented Angela Carter as one of my favourite authors. The Bloody Chamber will always have a special place in my heart, but each collection had stories that made my imagination run wild and enthralled me with their prose. Some of my favourites were "The Loves of Lady Purple," "Impressions: The Wrightsman Magdalene," or "The Scarlet House."

Olvidado Rey Gudú by Ana María Matute. This is my ASOIAF. What a long, meaty, enchanting tale, seriously. This book is the magnus opus of one of my favourite Spanish authors, and tells the story of the Kingdom of Olar from its birth to its end, over five tumultuous generations. It mixes the grounded medieval setting and outlandish fantastical elements in a very fluid prose, and following the tragic tale of woe in its pages over the last couple of months was a delight.

COMICS

The Cheshire Contract (Action Comics #613-618). I wanted to read the story of Lian going to live with Roy, for Reasons. It's good and fun and short (it occupies a small part of a larger issue, 8 pages each), so if it interests you, go for it.

Batman & Spiderman. This is part of a bunch of crossovers I haven't read, and don't plan to for now, so I was mixing some context, but I read it because Talia was there lol. I don't think DC and Marvel mix well, most of the time, but this little one-shot makes it work.

Jason Todd: Rebirth (2016-2020ish). It... had its moments. Waaaaay too much Lobdell, just as the New 52, but now that I've started the next phase to fall face-first into Cheer, of all arcs... yeah, neither is good lol. But one thing that really appealed to me was the dynamic between Jason and Bizarro; hence the cover. The other highlight was the (tragically few) interactions between Jason and Duke, especially in New Talent Showcase 2017. Give me mooooore, DC!! Other than that... well, there were many things that annoyed the hell out of me (Black Mask's writing, Bruce's EVERYTHING), but let's not get into it lol.

Green Arrow (2001). What a run. I've loved it from beginning to end, really (though a bit through the middle the art horrified me xD). It turned Mia into one of my favourite characters (and in reread, elevated a rareship into an OTP, because it really works for her character :P), which is not rare given that this is clearly where here best arcs are :D. Connor didn't have enough to do, tragically, but he's a great character and I look forward to read more about him; about Dinah&Ollie as well.

Batman: Bane of the Demon. Hi yeah just mentioning this arc to tell you guys about how Ra's apparently keeps cameras in Talia's bedroom :))) he might've been watching as she hooked up with Bane (who he unceremoneously decides she must marry to advance his plans). Let's all kill Ra's.

Batman: Death and the Maidens. A Rucka story, so you know it's good (though not particularly good to Talia lbr... I'm not bothered by *what* happens, I just wish we'd seen more of her perspective, during and especially after -though that's not a mmater of *this* run of course). Bruce's dream journey/possible visions of his parents's ghost were a highlight. Do recommend.

Truth & Justice: Hunted by the Past (#4). Way better than similar "Jason fears becoming the Joker!!!" stories, though that interpretation of the character is never going to be one I agree with. I liked seeing him with the helmet again, and the art is fun. The story gave Jason yet another pre-Robin childhood friend (this one got killed

Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelling Heroes. A fascinating read, especially taking it in its context and comparing it to how timid DC is about politics in current comics, IMO. This run was messy and didn't always seem to know what it was doing, and some of what it included or argued feels wrong from a modern perspective, but it dared to take risks and that's always appreciated on my part. My favourite story was the one introducing John Stewart; both for John himself, of course, but also because it was unafraid to write Hal as someone that despite good intentions and despite being a ~heroic character, had racist biases he needed to face and overcome.

Kingdom Come. This is one of those ~iconic comics that feels like a must-read; it's meaty and it raises questions and it's a run you could really sink your teeth into. And I didn't like it at all LOL. It's so... nostalgic and regressive and downright reactionary. Its fluffy epilogue does it no favours, too (other than prompting this post of mine, ig).

No Man's Land. I finally read the whole thing!!!!!! It took me SIX MONTHS!!!!!!!! And speaking of reactionary beliefs añdslfkjasf. But I did like it and enjoyed it far more than Kingdom Come, tbf (except Dixon's issues omg whyyyyy is he everywheeeeere he's so boriiiiiing). Helena Bertinelli is the uncontested star of this event AFAIC, and I won't hear otherwise. Well, Leslie, Barbara and Cass definitely shined too. And Montoya and Essen. Aaaand Harley Quinn has her introduction. And Selina has a lot of fun stealing things and screwing with everyone!!! And Talia gets Bruce to get his head out of his ass!!! Ugh, there's so much I could say about this run. The Renee & Two-Face issue. Alfred's tale of himself as Bruce's squire. Lynx and Batman's brief team-up. The Secret Files and Origins tale about a man named Jason who thinks Gotham is speaking to him, and who thanks Barbara for her service to the city. There is a lot in this arc that I'd gladly rotate in my mind forever. But Helena is my darling and THEE best Bat(man). That is all.