#spoilers: concrete jungle

[mysticdoodlez]

Won't go into details, but Noah gets called a brooding pretty boy in the comic, so all of our rpf's are correct.

[bathoryalgorithm]

Concrete Jungle Comic Moments that Live Rent Free in my head, Issues 1 & 2 in no particular order: - Noah declaring himself the only "real Art" in The Grey. -Folio lamenting his painting about to get fucked up. -Noah bullying Ruffilo with railgun noises -Van chatter (AFAIK, the puker is Folio, The guy stuck with him is Ruffilo and the driver is Noah, but this is unclear in the way the comic is laid out) -Snyder cut joke. -Brain Juice on the bad omens whip -Even M.I.N.D. is really freaked out by Noah's fucking driving.

[fairielux]

every time i hear concrete jungle by bad omens i think abt hua cheng

⚠️tgcf spoilers ahead, you've been warned⚠️

//a lyrical character analysis//

aka i yap

Can you see yourself/ Through the bruises when the makeup melts?/ In the dark when all the powers out/ Everybody talks and gets around - we all know hc has a tendency to change forms, and doesnt show his true form at all. he is hiding, mostly from himself and his past playing a role in fancy costumes. the only person he can truly be himself with is xie lian who as far as he knows is nowhere to be found

When the money talks/ Do you think it gets the point across?/ It's a burning coal you're walking on/ And in a second, all the pain is gone - he runs a successful city where despite everything money is still the deciding factor apart from himself obv, but more importantly this is a reminescence of his childhood. growing up having nothing in the royal capital, in midst of all the glamour and wealth. the hunger, humiliation and hopelessness, until he falls from the sky into the arms of xl

**I said, "It's enough"/ I begged and I ran in circles - after xl saves him, he decides to dedicate whatever he has to the flower crowned martial god. taking a hold of his fate, he enlists in the xianle army despite all odds.

I climbed to the sun/ And fell in a concrete jungle - he has some success but gets let go from the army, dies and becomes a ghost fire

I said, "It's done"/ You never know if you'll get what you wish for/ I climbed to the sun/ And I fell/ I fell, in a concrete jungle** - still as a ghost fire xl finds him and hc sticks by his side, protecting xl as much as he can

The coyotes cry/ And the sirens pass and harmonize/ Fires starting every day and night/ Burn around us while we're trapped inside - the infamous cave and 100 stabs... he is powerless against the desperation of humans, cannot protect his love, instead forced to watch as he suffers over and over again

Wouldn't it be nice/ To play the game without a crooked die/ In a world where you don't have to hide?/You don't have to live in a disguise - wu ming. the wrath sticking by xl's side, hiding behind masks from their pain and their own pasts, they get played over and over by white no face. still he gives his life once again to the one he loves, without being able to tell him who he really is and what xl means to him

**

And I'm the fucking king - i feel like this is very obvious, but his devotion is so strong not even absorbing the curse can destroy his soul. he is determined, he WILL protect his love. he rises to ghost king

I want things that money can't buy/ The price is pain to make this right/ And I could buy a thousand lives/ So you can try to kill me, but I can't fucking die - he establishes ghost city, a place for the lost and the broken, somewhere the outcasts can belong, a place all can call home. but at what cost? still, he never gives up on finding xl. despite all the wealth and power he has, he still cannot have the one thing he wants. at least not for the next 800 or so years

Die

**

i have a whole playlist w songs that remind me of hualian, both together and as individuals... they live in my head rent free 🫡

[hedonists]

So. My comic is here. And I’m just.

"To bee, or not to bee that is the question"

I fucking hate him. I hate him so much. I do. I swear I do.

[fractal-voidling]

MAG149 - #0131305 │ Concrete Jungle

Martin 🥺

ugh, there just has to be a prideful idiot that dooms everyone

I like the idea of pollution literally biting humans in the ass, lol

BRO, DID MARTIN JUST STATIC HIMSELF INVISIBLE?!

[infinifi]

So fuckin unserious

[roley-poley-foley]

extremely jealous of everyone who already has issue 1 :c i hope it's cheesy and indulgent as fuck

[lilhobgobbler]

Just read Concrete Jungle Issue 4

SPOILERS

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

I fucking knew there’s some 4th wall breaking shit going

also V.A.N in the future????

[teatreeoilll]

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna drabble-headcanon thingy part 2 | part I here w/c - 750 cw: manga spoilers (although I'm only on chapter 180 so if it kind of doesn't make sense with the rest I'm sorry!!)

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna who wakes up a thousand years later, now trapped in a boy's body, unaware of the fact that you, too, had made a deal with the devil to satisfy your yet unmet need for revenge.

Hein Era

"You must be Kenjaku," you said, relief washing over your body. It has been three long years since you've decided to find the man, the journey wearing you out, turning you into an empty shell in tattered rags.

"May the traveler who knows my name introduce herself?" He proposed, not making the effort to turn around from his position over the cooking pot. The shabby hut you stood in and his mild demeanor hardly lived up to the reputation of the most vicious man to set foot in Japan in eons.

And so you do, with a deep bow and a mutter of your name, "I've come to an understanding that to kill the man I wish dead might take more than one lifetime," you proclaimed, "and I've been told you're the one to turn to."

Tokyo, 2018

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna felt something strange the moment Itadori Yuji fell face-first into Tokyo Colony No. 1. However, he couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was, like the dull wistfulness of an old perfume. Itadori Yuji sensed it too, but had little time to muse over such things when he was too busy fighting to try to locate Higuruma Hiromi.

"Kogane, show me player Higuruma Hiromi," you order, looking at the information popping up, "his points are gone. Is he the one who changed the rule?" You don't wait for an answer before continuing, "It doesn't matter; he might still know something. Ikebukuro's close now."

You walk through the concrete and metal jungle; these people have built themselves miles upon miles of castles, you think, Sukuna probably enjoys watching them crumble.

When you approach the theater you were told Higuruma resides in, a boy walks out. As soon as he catches a glimpse of you, he halts, standing on guard on the other side of the road.

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna has seen many faces, but yours was one that hadn't faded from his memory by the passing of time.

"I don't want to fight!" The boy exclaimed from across the road, but his shoulders were drawn back, fists curled near his pockets.

"I do not wish to fight either!" You shout back, thinking that another battle may wash off the remains of your strength. Besides, what good would it do to fight a young boy? Although only the look of his pink hair made your teeth clench and stomach tighten.

You watch the boy take a seat on the pavement, "Are you hurt?" You inquire, slowly drawing closer across the pavement.

"Just taking a breather!" He shouts, but you decide to approach regardless.

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna who laughs. He howls like a maniac inside Yuji's head, sending strange vibrations throughout the boy's body.

"Are you alright?" You ask the boy, watching him nod as he gulps the water you handed him. The resemblance is striking, you think, but perhaps I'm just thinking too much of it.

"Thank you," he puts the empty water bottle by his side, "I'm sorry I drank all your water."

"It's nothing." You assure him, "Have you seen Higuruma here? I've a question for him."

"I don't think he's the kind to answer questions," Yuji reflected, getting up from the sidewalk.

"I won't leave him much of a choice." You asserted, watching the boy's doubtful expression, "Do you have any insight you may offer on his technique?"

"Well, I don't think I understand it, really, but.." Yuji starts explaining, watching your brows furrow as you nod along at his descriptions.

You thank him, parting curtly before turning away towards the theater.

"Wait!" Yuji exclaims behind you, "What's the question? Maybe I'll save you the trouble."

You doubt his words, but turn back to face him, "There's a man I'm looking to kill," you disclosed, "trust me, you'd want him dead too,” you chuckle, pausing for a moment, but deciding there's no harm in asking, "Sukuna, do you know where he is?"

Yuji freezes, his heartbeat quickening at the mention of the name, his wide eyes pointed straight at you.

"Didn't think so," you sigh.

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna who pops out as a mouth carved in Yuji's cheek, causing you to jump back slightly at the bizarre sight while he taunted loudly;

"You're not going to tell her, brat?"

_

tag list: @saoirseirose, @marimeown, @http-dilflvr Thank you guys for the wonderful comments on part one, hope this one doesn't disappoint

[ging-pegger]

Pls can u do ging x reader and reader is gon mother?

THANK YOU - ging x reader

a/n: this prompt is almost two years old. i apologize for the wait and hope it was worth it. warnings: spoilers (chimera ant and election arcs)

summary: after hearing about gon's injuries, you rush to swardani city to see your son, and confront his father. word count: 1,133

the air conditioning system hummed loudly as you sat across from ging in an empty meeting room inside the headquarters of the hunter's association.

there was a feeling of uneasiness, and anxiety that plagued you. it had been years since you had last seen ging. thirteen to be exact.

you had made a heartbreaking departure from him and your son many years ago, due to circumstances outside your control. and now you sat here, heartbroken, looking the man you once loved unconditionally in the eye, now filled with anger and hatred.

how. how could he have let this happen? how could he be so irresponsible? how could he be so immature?

your son, gon, was currently in the hospital. not only was he beyond recognition, he was also in critical condition, facing death every moment with no one having any clue how to bring him back. the moment you heard, you left everything behind and rushed to swardani city, fearful that your son may die before you ever got to tell him how sorry you were for leaving.

you had spent almost every waking hour at his bedside, sobbing. sobbing so hard you thought your lungs would collapse, so hard that you had to gasp for air. crying until you were numb, and the hospital staff gingerly escorted you out of his room, explaining to you that visiting hours had came to a close.

"you have a hell of alot to explain to me, ging." your eyes were red and puffy, with dark circles underneath. it was clear that sleep wasn't something you had been familiar with the past few weeks.

"i dont know what there is to explain. i don't know much more than you do, and frankly i don't appreciate you pinning this on me." he hissed, clearly bitter. after so many years the only time you had made an effort to see him was now. and it was to scold him.

"how could you leave him?" you asked, your voice shaking, the tears began to well in your eyes, burning them.

"hey, i could ask you the exact same thing." ging took no time to remind you that you had also left.

"i left with confidence you would take care of him-"

"but you left so really what right do you have to turn up after all this time and ride my ass about things outside of my control!?" he snapped, his brown eyes were fixed on you, burning a hole right through you.

"at least i came to visit him, that's more than you're doing asshole!"

"did it ever occur to you that i CAN'T go see him." ging replied curtly. he wasn't one to outwardly express emotions frequently, but you could tell something was different this time.

once more the room fell to silence, the air conditioning unit the only sound to be heard, were you not in the middle of the concrete jungle that is swardani city, you likely would have heard crickets chirping.

"what do you mean you can't?? of course you can he's practically right next door!" you angirly hissed back in response. how dare he insinuate hes too busy to see his own son who was barely holding on to life as you spoke.

"that's not what i mean and you know it." his expressionless facade was fading, you were cracking through the mask he paraded around with to look tough. you were seeing a part of him nobody had ever seen, except for you.

you stayed silent, eyes trailing down to the faux wood grain table. waiting for him to elaborate. you knew from past experience this could take a matter of minutes or more. but you waited nonetheless for him to finally speak.

"i don't think you understand the guilt i harbor, ___." ging finally spoke up, his eyes locked onto yours the moment you looked up, not allowing you to escape his gaze of honesty.

"mito knew. . . she knew I'd always be the same guy. she filed for custody of gon, she said my line of work was too dangerous, and that i wouldn't be able to take care of him properly. and to my surprise, I sit here today and admit, she was right." ging spoke, his voice remained level headed and cool, he didnt allow the emotions to play part in how he spoke.

he took a deep breath in, eyes flickering to the ceiling. "despite all the training and trials i laid out meticulously for him to get stronger..." he trailed off.

"i don't know what i would do differently... had he been with me would this still have happened or worse? or would it have been avoided all together." he rambled on a bit longer.

"why didn't you just say all this before, ging?" you asked, brows furrowing, tears still falling softly from your cheeks.

"psh.." he made a face, one lined with disgust, a rare change in emotion.

"ging. it's not your fault."

his eyes darted back to you. "since when do you have a sudden change in opinion?"

"since we've made it to this point in the conversation. " you replied curtly, following suit of his answers prior.

ging mumbled under his breath. "from what i hear he's a lot like you. he's got your optimism." ging responded blankly, a pang sent through your heart as you were brought back into the blinding reality of why you were there with him.

"are you going to do anything to address the issue at hand amongst the zodiacs?" you questioned, checking the clock in the wall. the others could burst in at any moment. "you know its causing a lot of pressure on their backs during the election. many of the hunters are well aquainted with or know of gon, they expect answers and they expect you visiting him.

"it's none of their business to be frank. that's the problem with this whole association, ___. everyone believes theyre entitled to a slice of other people's lives. especially pariston. i'm sick of him being up my ass about this whole situation. " ging rambled on and on about his hatred for pariston but love for the hunt for a few solid minutes before switching back to the current topic.

"look, what i mean to say is, they can spread all the rumors they want, i'm not changing. and i'm not inviting them into our life."

oh ging... still as shy and stubborn as he ever was.

"wait. ___, before you go..." ging spoke, his face flushing and his nerves beginning to tie his vocabulary up in knots. "thank you." he said loudly, though the distance between you and him was nowhere near needing of such volume.

the air conditioning finally kicked off, leaving you in a room of dead air and space. you checked the clock again, the rythmic ticking began to inidicate the nearing of the next hour, when ging would be expected to meet with other zodiacs.

you stood up, pushing the chair you had been previously occupying in and gathering your personal effects. "i suppose it should be time for me to drop back in at the hospital. i hate being away for so long." you turned, reafhing for the door.

"for what.....?"

"coming back."

[mysticdoodlez]

Go home, Nicholas, you're drunk.

[akaashislover1]

AU where Nanami is a cop ur his wife and that’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers.

Warning:‼️ mentions of blood, guns, and violence. Maybe some swearing.

Flashbacks and flashbacks skim through your brain as you stare lifeless at the grey,moldy concrete wall. Your skin trickles with blood and sweat, drenching your clothes. It felt as though your heart was going to burst out of your chest but at the same time it wouldn’t even have the energy to do that. You couldn’t move.

“Y/N? They’re ready to see you now,” A police officer greeted you, giving you a solemn look as he lead you to what you guessed to be an interrogation room. He motioned for you to enter first. As you walked in, two detectives were sitting next to one another, you sat down, and gave the smallest smile you’ve ever given somebody. Well, giving the circumstances, who could blame you?

“Mommy, mommy! I want to go on there! Come on!” Your six year old daughter laughed with the biggest smile on her face, pulling you towards the playground. You couldn’t help but laugh along with her.

“Kento! We’re just going over here!” You yelled over to your husband, Nanami. He nodded slightly as a response as his phone hung for dear life between his shoulder and his ear. All the while holding your newborn son. As much as you wanted to smack the back of his head for taking a work call, you were glad he was at least able to take some time off work to take the four of you to the park. If it were up to you, your husband’s line of work wouldn’t be the first occupation you’d choose for him to take. You hated always wondering where he was or if he’d return home. The restless nights, scared out of your mind. What pained you the most however was how much your daughter was beginning to notice. You guessed the reality of his job was showing a little too much. Too much that she’d ask questions like: “is daddy coming home?” Or, “What if he never comes back?” Or even how she started to count and pick at the newfound scratches all over his face and hands, with a face of worry. He’d always change the topic or tell her not to worry. Nanami would tell you the same too but everyday it was getting harder and harder to believe it.

“Mommy, come on already! You are so slow!”

“Hey! I just had a baby you little munchkin! A baby you wanted me to have might I add!” You playfully yelled at your daughter, whose only response was to stick her tongue out at you. Once the two of you had reached the playground your daughter raced up the stairs and headed for the slide. She waited for you to stop at the bottom, still a little too scared to not have someone catch her.

“Ready? I’m gonna go really fast!” She yelled, accentuating ‘really’, making it sound like a longer word. You nodded and extended your arms as she pushed herself down. It wasn’t as fast as she’d promised but she still screamed with joy nonetheless. You both laughed as you caught your daughter in your arms.

“Again! Again! This time I want daddy to catch me!” You laughed as she squeezed her face into yours.

“What? Mommy’s not good enough for you or what?” You laughed out. After you said that, your daughter must have felt a little bad from the way she hugged and kissed your face all over.

“Okay, okay! I’ll call daddy over for you my love. You go run up and get ready at the top.” You say lovingly, placing her on the wood-chip covered ground. She nods happily and races up the jungle gym. Seeing your daughter smile made your heart squeeze. Her laugh made you want to cry tears of joy. She was your everything. Your whole family was your everything.

Once you got to the bench your husband and baby boy were sitting on, you found a very exhausted Nanami. You smiled at how peacefully he looked with his eyes closed. His huge biceps wrapped around your baby boy who was also fast asleep. Your smile grew wider if possible as you lifted your baby from Nanami. He jerked awake quickly. His eyes widened until he saw you trying not to laugh at his scared state.

“Sorry,” you chuckled. You sat down next to him and placed your head on his broad shoulder, sighing lightly. “Your daughter wants you to catch her going down the slide. You’re the best catcher in the ‘bizz’ apparently.” You finished, closing your eyes, smiling. Nanami let out a breathy laugh as he stood up. He rolled up the sleeves on his deep blue button up until they met his elbows. He then kneeled down and placed a peck on your baby’s head and then placed a loving kiss on your lips. You smiled into the kiss as he stood up and began to walk towards your daughter. He called over to her in a silly voice. You heard her laugh in response as she jumped up and down on the top of the jungle gym. You watched as she started to go down the slide. A wave of happiness washed over you. Nothing could take this feeling away right now.

The sound of kids laughing and screaming combined with the sounds of cars driving and honking filled your ears. The sun peeked and poked through bunches of leaves at the top of surrounding trees. It warmed your skin which got evened out by the slight breeze whistling through your hair.

Your eyes closed for a moment, giving them a rest. It heightened your other senses even more and it made your smile. When you opened your eyes something felt off. You stayed well aware as you noticed a black car, across the field in front of you, slowly drive by the park in the parking lot. Chills ran through your body as you watched it. It circled around the meridian, passing through parked cars.

You looked towards the playground to see your husband and daughter still playing. Nanami was on the ground, reaching between the poles of the bridge, trying to tag your daughter who was laughing hysterically. Your baby boy started to ease awake, moaning and groaning while slowly opening his eyes.

When you looked back up, you noticed the black car was gone. It was no where to be seen. But for some reason you didn’t feel relieved. Just as you were about to get up and gather your family up to leave, you spotted the car. It was driving past the playground.

The front and back passenger windows rolled all the way down.

Two guys dressed in all black emerged from the windows.

They had guns.

Your face paled in color. You heart dropped to your stomach. You began to sweat.

“Nanami! Grab-”

Two shots went off. Four. Eight. Twelve. You started to loose count of the shots. You couldn’t tell when shots ended or when they began. Suddenly your body moved on its own accord. You slammed yourself and your boy to the ground. The stroller acted as a kind of shield as you loomed your body over your baby’s. His cries shocked your ears from the noise. You couldn’t stop shaking and it was now that you realized you were crying.

As quickly as they started, the shots ended. It felt like an eternity before you actually looked up. Your ears were muffled but that didn’t stop the ringing. People were screaming. Sirens could be heard from all over. You fixed yourself to your knees, embracing your baby who was screaming bloody murder. A cold sweat coated your body as you looked around frantically for your husband and daughter.

Your heart skipped a beat when you saw the blue of Nanami’s shirt. His back was facing you.

“Kento…”

You stood up. If it weren’t for the bench that you gripped on for balance, you would’ve fallen back down. The relief you felt when you saw him was a feeling you’d never forget.

“Kento?”

However, it wasn’t long lasted. The closer you got to him, the more frantic you became. As hard as it was to see, you still managed to notice the splotches of blood along the grass. You were probably about five feet away when you noticed it. When it finally hit you.

“O-oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god!” You screamed. Your heart was skipping beats. Your breathing became heavy and laboured. Your body shook with weakness and fear as you reluctantly got closer. Tears began to waterfall down your face as your eyes stared at Nanami’s back. There was blood on his neck, his shoulders, his arms, his hands. His hands. They were embracing your six year old daughter.

A whimper escaped you.

Another.

Whimpers turned to cries.

Cries turned to full on screams.

It all hit you.

“MY BABY! OH MY GOD! HELP! S-SOMEONE PLEASE! M-MY BABY!” You screamed as you quickly dropped to the ground. With your boy still in your arms, your right arm gripped your daughter’s face. Her eyes stayed closed. She didn’t move.

“PLEASE, OH MY GOD!” You yelped. You could feel your throat getting raw from your screams. Suddenly you felt an arm grip you. You shook it off and went to embrace your daughter’s lifeless body tightly. Her blood seeped into your clothes and stained your skin. The same arm came to grip you again and you started to shake violently.

“NO DON’T TOUCH ME! MY BABY, OH MY BABY! HELP!”

“Y/n…”

“NO!”

“Y/n. W-we have to move. It’s- it’s going to be okay.” Nanami’s voice was muffled but you still heard what he said. You didn’t want to move. Your grip on your daughter got tighter, despite your husband and who you now noticed a paramedic trying to get you up. Your body suddenly started to feel weak, no longer able to hold both your limp daughter and your son. Your screaming stopped once you started choking on blood, and your own spit and sweat. That didn’t stop the cries though. Your eyes closed as Nanami balanced your weight on him. You didn’t notice when he had grabbed your son from you and stood you up. He rubbed your back gently. His face was resting on your shoulder. He was crying. His tears seeped through your sweater and shirt. Still crying as well, you stared at your daughter. You never realize the amount of blood a body has until it’s gushing out. Your lips quivered as you took in the sight. Her body was so small. Why does she have so much blood? Why isn’t she waking up? The paramedic was hovering above her, trying to help all he could. He stood up. You didn’t want to know what that meant. He gave you a solemn look. You didn’t want him to look at you like that. Why wasn’t he scurrying to get your daughter to a hospital? He shook his head at you.

Your legs gave out. Nanami followed suit, his arm wrapping around you. Everything went quiet. You couldn’t hear your son crying. You couldn’t hear Nanami sniffling and weeping. The sirens. The screams. Nothing.

Okay. I’m sorry if this was too much. I really wasn’t expecting it to take a dark turn. If u cry reading this I’m sorry(dw I cried making it). This is gonna be my only sad one for a while(I’m not a monster). 👹

[stormandforge]

Raw reactions to X-Force #2

60% Sage, 40% Forge, and 100% what I want from a comic.

SPOILER warning.

Sage finding the solution, Forge saving the day. I want to live in this issue.

There’s a conscious effort to remove the big hitters from the action to let the nerds take centre stage, and I am here for it. No offence to the Betsy and Rachel fans: it’s just not every day my darlings get to shine.

Absolutely loving the dynamic between Forge and Sage. It’s everything I wanted it to be, equal and open, if cautious. Here are 2 intellectual people functioning on the same level, and my, is it hot in here? I’ve been shipping them for a while, but they work so well together on the page, I feel vindicated.

Forge has plans for Sage. See: “nothing works without Tessa” in issue #1, and the way he rushes to save her before anyone else when the jet explodes in this issue. He needs her around. I just hope it's not because he plans on sacrificing her.

New pattern detected: every significant relationship Forge has with a woman starts with her insulting him. Weirdo man.

Time to remind the world of a general rule: SAGE IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

Going into this, I was afraid Forge would become some sort of seer character, and that the tinkering would take a back seat. Boy, was I wrong. THERE IS SO MUCH TECH IN THIS. He’s still the master tinkerer I know and love, we just haven’t seen him in his workshop yet.

But we do see him abandon Sage in a hostile jungle to return to his workspace. WTH man, that's rude.

In case you're wondering: Forge is hot. Sizzling. The brains, the mystery, the shiny eyes…He can recruit me for a suicide mission any day.

I’m hoping we’ll get more concrete information about Sage’s goggles. I’m always annoyed by the glasses she wears – it’s never clear how they complement or enhance her power, or what they’re for exactly.

Did we see Forge fixing/improving Sage’s goggles by simply laying his hand on them? If yes, that’s new and that’s hot.

Forge staring into the Analog all day like it’s the ring of power or something. Hey, handsome! Look up and give us a smile!

Of course he stores the Analog in his leg. The ridiculousness of this man.

I actually cheered at the debunking of the “passive” mutation. Mutant nerds represent.

Things that happen when you write Sage in-character: she becomes SEX ON LEGS. Uber smart metaphor for autism who speaks in probabilities and foreign tongues, helloooooo

“Not ‘colonizer’. Mutant.” Ohhhh that’s a bit cringe.

Little Miss Tessa talking in the third person for some reason (there might be a reason...?)

Loving the research Thorne is putting into this. He obviously knows Wakanda, but I love that he can also justify his premise with actual back issues. Gotta love a nerd with receipts.

Speaking of receipts, I stan Sele's bluntness. 'Hi, Stranger who just saved us all. I know everything about you. Didn't you use to screw the queen? Now get off my lawn.'

“Do not finish that sentence”, lol

The duality between science and magic is obviously a crucial part of Forge’s character, even if he hasn’t touched magic in a long time now. He favours science again in this issue, but I’ll be interested to see if he can balance the two again in the future.

Keeping the Tank mystery going, I see.

Nori’s a precious jewel.

I really don’t mind the episodic approach so far, but it could get old.

The average comic book reader might want a bigger scale and more explosions. I don’t. I want more stories of Forge and Sage being their hot nerdy selves.

[hedonists]

Read issue 3 of Concrete Jungle and I’m ?????. Yeah.

Rule #1 being "no culture for the lower class", no art, no anything. They get tasked to blow up The Grey but instead they blow up their HQ. Noah. Nowaaaah.

[gl1tch3doracle]

⊹ ࣪ ˖ twilight showers ˖ ࣪⊹

First oneshot, so ofc I had to do the queen of cool herself, Quanxi. I'm absolutely weak for this woman.

➸ Quanxi + !Fem!Reader

➸ Word count; 2,093 words,

➸ Y'know, probably set sometime during part 2, but I wouldn't know when. No major spoilers aside from the fiends.

➸ No content warnings either. Just some hurt/comfort ♡ (Although I would say it's been a little while since I've written something, so it might be a little wonky 'cause I'm rusty). Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

Night befallen - Twinkling lights across a rather solemn concrete jungle, all blurred by the flurry of raindrops pinstriping against a benumbing glass pane. From up in your apartment, it all seemed like a well-put-together maze of harrowing misfortunes that seemed to follow almost every citizen of Kyoto. Somewhere down there was a family ruined by a devil attack, a partner mourning their lost loved one, children crying because their friends had been ripped away without explanation. All events that could happen to you at a moment's notice - The coin could flip and land heads up, and it would be lights out before you might even notice.

That was a thought that occasionally tickled your brain. Every few weeks or so, most likely foretold by a day's event. It could've been a devil attack that jostled your mind - or even just a shitty day at work. It always came at night specifically, though, which was absolutely perfect when you were trying to get to sleep.

It was sad to think about, the way people's lives were cut clean on such short notice, which is why you tried not to do that all too often. That wasn't as easy as it sounded, especially when, unlike the others who had to live with their chosen reality, you were pretty safe and well-off all things considered. It manifested in a welt of guilt swelling in your chest, and that was the reason when night fell like it had fallen all those times before, you still slept on and off, swaddled up in your bed.

No nightmares plagued you and no misfortune befell you, because you were wholly safe - Especially when you were wrapped in the arms of your girlfriend. Someone would have to be an idiot to attempt on your life; Devil, human or fiend, it didn't matter, because Quanxi would cut them down with scary proficiency like she'd done so many times in the past.

That was most nights, anyway. The warm feeling of safety and Quanxi would not lull you to sleep tonight. The bed was empty and cold, blankets strewn over the edge, pillows tossed and tucked under your head and over your arm. It wasn't that rare for Quanxi to be stuck deep in the alleyways working, but it didn't make you feel any less lonely.

Outside, the storm grew heavier. The windows rattled.

Every time the rain stuck your window, every time the wind pulled against the structure of your building, every time a piercing howl or screech cut through the veil, you felt yourself flinch into the comfort of your plush duvet. You were safe, that you knew, but it was an instinct in every human to fear devils or something. At least, it felt instinctual for you, because being scared of creatures and beings that craved your pain sort've felt natural.

Although, among the melody of the stormed city, there was another sound hidden amongst all the others. Beyond the furious tapping of the rain, the whirling of the wind, the honks of traffic and whatever far-away noises plagued the world surrounding you, there was one, tiny, sharp sound that ricocheted in your ears. It would've been so easy to miss it, and yet you couldn't help but zero in on it like a homing beacon.

Like the sound of a bird tapping curiously at the glass, similar to a singular dense raindrop pattering against the frame or the friendly waving of your houseplants' leaves drawn to the beaming sun.

Or, even perhaps, if you stretched the idea far enough, like an arrowhead plinking against rain-pattered glass.

You chuckled. That thought was a bit overly specific, although not for lack of reason. However, if it was the arrowhead, it was better to go check, just to make sure.

The floor was startlingly cold underneath your bare feet, enough to make you wince, but not enough to send you back under your blankets. The window wasn't far, after all, a few paces to your left. You could already see her figure staunchly squatted on the windowsill, her back to the wind with her hair whipped back and forth.

Quanxi was without her swords, clean of blood and grime but drenched from head to toe from the storm.

You yawned and cracked open the window, letting her slink silently, almost peacefully, from the rugged weather outside into the comfort of your twilight bedroom.

"Quanxi?" Her name was soft on your lips. She stilled in front of you, mouth drawn into a thin line, twitched downward at the corners. She was an enigma, one you were slowly unwrapping and figuring out for yourself. A mystery that only let her guard for one person, and that one person was you.

She didn't say anything, only shrugged off her suit jacket and wrapped her cold, muscled arms around you, tugging you into an embrace that smelled strongly of men's cologne - Cedar and cashmere, underlined by a tinge of bloody iron and sharp rain. The way she twitched softly, fingers digging inwards as she tugged you closer, twining them into your hair as she sweetly kissed your forehead. Protective, anxious, almost lost seaming.

Also, as you may've mentioned, she was thoroughly drenched - Carrying a sheen of rain, heavy enough to dampen your clothes and chill your skin as well. Usually, you would've laughed at the action, maybe called her silly as she rolled her eyes playfully, cracking a rare smile. But tonight was not the night, tinged with sadness and longing. It was a sense in her eye, and in the way she held you so close and dear to her heart, literally and metaphorically.

You sighed and kissed whatever part of her you could reach - Cold skin dappled with raindrops. Quanxi sighed softly, melting ever so slightly as the heat from your love and the room thawed her bones.

"Go have a shower," You murmured into her. Quanxi grunted.

"Don't wanna." You rolled your eyes and gently shoved her in the direction of your bathroom. She battered her eyelashes at you, pursed her lips and set you with a look that would've made you shake if it weren't for the emphasised pout she gave you.

"You're freezing. Go have a shower," You pointed accusingly at her, which prompted nothing more than a quirked eyebrow. A part of you was more than glad that Quanxi was home again, but another, more tired part of you didn't want to deal with her stubbornness at one in the morning.

"You are not getting in that bed freezing cold and wet," You didn't wait for her to respond, verbally or otherwise, and instead returned to the lukewarm embrace of your bed and blankets. The almost silent pattering of Quanxi's footsteps out of the bedroom, echoing into the bathroom. The spattering of shower water followed soon after, steam billowing out from the door and spilling into the hallway.

You sniffled and rolled over, burrowing your face into the nearest pillow. Time seemed like an infallible concept as you listened to the sounds of rapid water showering across tiles. The repetitive lapping sound filled your senses, a subtle humidity filled the apartment, scents of soap and petrichor pleasantly swarmed your nose. The minutes slipped through your fingers, metaphorically, sleep weighing on your eyelids. You blinked, and it seemed in a moment Quanxi had re-entered the room with a slicked-back mess of wet silver atop her head and a towel in hand.

She blinked once and held out the towel in a silent question. You yawned and slid out of bed a second time that night, following your girlfriend into the bathroom.

Resting in front of the mirror, Quanxi closed her eye in contentment as you worked the water from her hair, patting it down to get the most of the water out. That itself was no easy feat, so, being as tired as you were, you whipped out the hairdryer. It was a loud, ebbing sound in your ears, but you couldn't give a crap as you watched the stress slowly seep from the muscles in Quanxi's shoulders.

"How often do you brush your hair?" You murmured against the back of her head. The brush in your hand was snagged against another knot. If Quanxi heard your question, she didn't make any motion that she would answer it - Instead, her fingers traced over the lace of her favourite choker. Even as you worked the kinks out of her hair, smoothing her silver locks till they were smooth and dry enough that your pillows wouldn't be wet in the morning, you couldn't help but notice that her attention would never drift from the fabric.

Hair dried, Quanxi insisted she would be fine to just slip into some pyjamas. You pointedly didn't point out the gooseflesh skittering up and down her arms and instead kissed her behind her ear before leaving for the bedroom for what you hoped was the last time.

The bed was cold. You sniffled and sighed, pulling the blankets over your head as you scavenged together the various pillows that had been tossed all over the bed. You only resurfaced once the click of the bedroom door opening resounded throughout the otherwise pin-drop silence, Quanxi silently walked in afterwards.

Her shoulders were bare, the only part that way highlighted by the sliver of moonlight escaping through the tumultuous clouds. She cast a look in your direction, eyepatch now removed. You didn't even flinch at the empty hole in her face, but rather, your eyes were drawn to the lace collar still firmly twined around her neck.

Quanxi seemed off. Her fingers brushed slowly over the lace as she pulled a shirt over her head.

"Do you miss them?" You'd spent enough time just watching her, listening to the sounds Quanxi made and studying the way she worked. You could tell when she was disheartened, sad even, in the most minuscule meaning of the word. Even if it did feel like a stab in the dark, the moment she stilled for more than a second settled your thoughts.

"Sometimes. Yes," Quanxi finished getting dressed, suddenly seeming a lot smaller without her loose ponytail. Silver cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, tangled and shining as she shimmied into bed next to you.

You knew about her fiends. They all were important to Quanxi, held near and dear in her heart, especially in death. You'd never met them, but you had no qualms with Quanxi keeping a few pictures on hand (and in your apartment). Perhaps in another life, you would've lived side by side with them, all a part of Quanxi's little self-made family. Your big bed certainly would've been useful in that case, six warm bodies all snuggled up under the blankets on a night like tonight.

As selfish and greedy as it sounded, there was a little part of you that was happy to have Quanxi all to yourself. Still, you just gave her a small smile, tired, and pulled her into your embrace.

Quanxi didn't cry. You didn't think anything in this world could make Quanxi cry, but she was shaking. Small, violent tremors that you wouldn't have felt if it weren't for the fact she was pressed against the pulse point in your neck. Your arms circled her neck, loosely looped around her warmth as your wrists rested gently against the cloth of her choker - A sensation that made your skin itchy, but, with your girlfriend planted firmly in your embrace, you were not willing to move a muscle. It was a rarity that Quanxi let you hold her so openly, so closely, her face pressed against you in such a manner your legs had to tangle together underneath the sheets.

Her breaths rolled over you in uneven puffs, heat against your skin in a way that pleasantly tingled and instilled a feeling of drowsiness. It was peaceful, in a sense of the word, and you were more than willing to let sleep take you. Nestled up against her, head held carefully in your arms with her warmth a constant ebb and flow against the biting chill outside, you couldn't help but answer the lulling call of sleep.

Quanxi pursed her lips, feeling your breath even out below her ear. It felt comfortable, soothing even. Although she knew she wouldn't sleep tonight (she hardly ever did anymore), spending the time listening to the rain outside, the pulsing of your heart all while she tried to bury the memories of her past deep within her subconscious.

[roley-poley-foley]

hi I don't have the comics (can't get them at the moment for personal reasons) and I don't really care about spoilers so can you tell me who d is I'm intrigued

HE'S JUST THE BAD GUY IN ISSUE 1 and future issues that I haven't read. Idk if he's the main bad guy of the whole comic but he's The Antagonist of 1 at the very least.

Spoilers under the cut

He takes over a museum and makes a game where Bomens get to keep any art they can accurately guess they value of and he walks around with Noah, but they basically just google it instead lmao. D gets super pissed cuz he's an art elitist or some shit and orders his crew to kill Bomens, they escape with some paintings, it's all very good groundwork for shipping. I like to headcanon that D and Noah are total opposites when it comes to culture, D is a huge snob, Noah doesn't give a fuck about it, that kind of thing