#suits-of-woe-main

[ask-three-witches]

got any favourite recipes?

Megaera: Let's make some fun for ourselves!

[ask-fractured]

what's your favourite way to spend a lazy day?

Kalore : Couldn't fit all my stuff in my bag, so really, I'm a bit strapped for fun things to do.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi! I have been reading you for a long time and would like to ask you something for the first time… The last message flow to the Lethal Company from the Nutcracker was WILDLY SWEET, however, it hurt me from the bracken that was shot through the lytic…. May I ask the bracken and the reader where the bracken constantly goes behind the reader's back…. JUST TO HUG! Someone from the team warns about the danger and the bracken gently takes the reader in his arms to his lair for even bigger hugs!

Bruh you have no idea how soft i am for brackens hfghhs (when I first started playing LC, they were ALWAYS killing me...but now they just like to pop out and scurry away when I look at them, so I consider us to be pretty chill)

Anyways woe Bracken fluff be upon ye <3

.....

Of all the creatures you've encountered during your time with the Company, Brackens were certainly the most complicated.

Even though there's been countless documents and reports of employees scanning, studying, and dying to these aliens...they were still seldom understood. The data on the terminal said so.

There was one in particular who had such a unique behavior pattern that remained a mystery to you.

And he lived on Experimentation, which was supposedly the "safest" moon to land on and gather scrap from.

Most of the time, however, that was a load of bullshit...as you and your crew had many encounters with aggressive lifeforms such as hoarding bugs, Thumpers, spiders, and turrets that were placed in the most inconvenient spots...

Hell, even an Earth Leviathan showed up and nearly consumed your entire ship.

As of right now, though, you were on-track to making the third profit quota's deadline. So a trip to Experimentation was an order, as you could grab minimal loot and still gain enough leftover money to buy some much-needed ship upgrades and tools.

Or maybe new suits or jack o'lanterns.

None of you were good at managing your budget.

But during this trip, you were less focused on getting loot and more eager to see....a certain someone.

Hopefully, he hasn't forgotten about you or mistook you for another random employee.

While two of your coworkers headed into the facility's main entrance and one stayed behind on the ship, you ascended the stairs leading up to the fire exit--armed with nothing but a flashlight and a walkie-talkie.

[Nearby activity detected!]

"Oh come on...can you be anymore vague?" You huffed, slightly annoyed that your scanner displayed the message before you could even touch the damn door.

"Activity" was awfully broad and could mean literally anything was waiting for you on the other side..

It could be a bunker spider or snare flea waiting to drop down on you and catch you by surprise.

It could be a Hygrodere spreading itself all over the floor, anticipating you setting one foot into it before drowning in its slimy body.

It could even be a simple turret ready to turn you into swiss cheese.

However, there's the possibility that it could also be the one entity here who didn't wanna give you a painful death, and you hoped to god you were right.

So you took a leap of faith and entered.

Surprisingly no danger was immediately present, although you did find a lot of good loot inside the room and smiled. "Oh sweet!" You grabbed the rubber ducky and Rubik's cube in the nearest corner, pocketing them. "This should set us way above-"

"Something's behind you!"

"Huh-?!"

All of the sudden, a pair of large arms wrapped around you from behind, pulling you back and causing your oxygen tanks to be pressed against the creature's chest-

Wait.

You only knew one Bracken that did that, and you couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my gosh, you scared me! You know you can't keep doing that!"

"Krrrrrr.." The entity purred softly, nuzzling his face against your neck as its leaves rustled with happiness.

With a chuckle, you patted his arm affectionately. "I've missed you, too, buddy. I told you I'd be back."

Knowing it was this Bracken, you felt safer than ever. He had a habit of greeting you this way: by sneaking up behind you like the rest of his species typically did, and attacking you.....not by snapping your neck like a twig, but by embracing and nuzzling you.

Of course, nobody in your crew believed that you've got a dangerous alien predator on Experimentation who always waited for you. Who loved you like a dog and would kill a Thumper for you.

If only they could meet him...but then again, he was shy.

"Don't tell me it's that damn Bracken again...did you tame it or something?"

The staticky voice of your coworker over the walkie-talkie startled the poor Bracken out of the hug, as it dropped you and flared its leaves out, wondering where they were.

"Relax, we're cool." You huffed, annoyed that they spooked your friend. "I gotta conserve my battery so...signal me when it gets close to midnight."

"....fine. Just don't die. Over and out."

After switching off the device, you turned back to him and smiled apologetically. "Don't worry. They're far away, so they won't bother us." You removed your helmet for the moment.

He nodded in understanding, crouching down to get a better look at your human features.

For some reason he never minded prolonged eye contact with you--and that was a good thing....otherwise, you would've been dead a long time ago.

You smiled and patted the top of his head, before he suddenly sprung up and scooped you up into his arms, lifting you completely off the ground. "Woah! Hey! Where are we going?" You asked as he carried you out of the room, taking you somewhere further within the facility.

Considering the Bracken knew his way around, you weren't too concerned with getting lost.

On your way to this unknown destination, you spotted a hoarding bug skittering down the hallway, eyeing the brass bell attached to your belt.....only to freeze as the leafy entity glared at it.

Luckily it understood the appropriate time to make eye contact with a Bracken, as it eventually looked away from him and decided to leave for another part of the facility.

It seems most of the creatures were knew who was the alpha.

'Man, whoever's tracking me must be so confused right now..' You thought to yourself as he continued walking.

Eventually you both arrived at a place many employees dubbed the "Bracken Room": a large open illuminated space with yellowish walls that looked out of place in the facility.

After setting you down on the floor, you looked at the Bracken with confusion, wondering why he decided to bring you here....until he brought you into another hug, wanting to sit down and have you in his lap.

You just smiled and wrapped your arms around him, giggling as he tucked his head underneath your chin, wanting to listen to the sound of a human's heartbeat.

Now you understood.

All he wanted was to take you to a quiet, safe place away from all the other monsters and employees. A place where he could have you to himself...at least for a couple more hours, anyways.

You knew the ship wasn't leaving anytime soon, so you didn't mind keeping him company.

While other Brackens are among the top three reasons employees hated their job...this one made you love it.

You feel so lucky, you'll consider buying a lottery ticket if you ever returned to Earth.

[vixannya]

It's Gallery Time!

Just to reiterate:

OoC Information: THIS IS NOT AN IN-GAME EVENT! This is meant as just something fun to headcanon for your character (and write about if you like - especially with @daily-writing-challenge currently happening), if it is something they are able to attend! If you do choose to write any stories about this, please feel free to tag me - @vixannya!

Vixannya owns an art gallery in Dalaran where she hosts various art exhibitions throughout the year. Two or three times a year, she will display her own work which is always accompanied by a massive grand opening and follow-up afterparty in another location.

Invitations are always given to those who make large contributions to the gallery and to the arts in general, as well as to prominent families from all over, friends, fellow Tarts, and those depicted in her work.VIP access goes to the largest contributors, her muses, and anyone who purchases one of the pieces from the gallery on opening night. Even if your character cannot attend the grand opening and afterparty, the gallery is open to the public for a month!

!Adults only!

THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG POST!

Her first exhibition of the year is:

As above, so below As within, so without As the universe, so the soul

THE GALLERY:

The red carpet treatment always marks the entrance of the gallery,  a place for the guests to show off and be photographed in their designer gowns and suits, or whatever else they choose to wear. The fashion seen here always rivals that of the city’s grandest galas, just don’t upstage the art! The hostess herself will be a representation of 'The Magician' tarot card, acting as a conduit between the spiritual and the physical.

A group of master illusionists have transformed both the inside of the gallery and the afterparty space, with the various rooms mirroring themes in their separate locations. The gallery version of each space is a little more simplified than that of the afterparty, in order to feature the art over all else.

The art itself has a single or multiple subjects, but each subject is painted twice to represent the duality of life and death. One portrait of each subject falls within her main area of expertise, the one she has become well-known for, Death. A premonition of how her living muse will die, according to her own secret form of divination. Many of which, in the past, have shockingly come true. The other portrait of the same subject is how they lived in a similar manner; their body position often mimics in small or large ways that of their death portrait, and more often than not these paintings are hedonistic in nature. (Example: A man pinned to the wall by his lover, versus the same man pinned to the wall by a polearm stabbed through his gut.)

The focal portraits are placed at the end of the gallery, one was depicted in THIS STORY. A soldier crushed to death, surrounded by cracked, purple stained glass and slate roofing the color of lapis lazuli. Those with a keen eye would recognize this surrounding rubble to be Dalaran, which is ultimately why she had decided to highlight this particular set of portraits. Its brother portrait presents the same man very much alive and enjoying being crushed beneath the weight of his lover and fellow soldier.

Centered high up against the ceiling within the main room of the gallery, a large, brilliantly glowing orb that flares outwards every so often. Those familiar with the Radiant Song would recognize this to mimic it.

A lone violinist plays within this room, but his song travels all throughout the gallery itself, making it sound as if he’s present in every space. Even with attention focused on the art, one cannot help but feel the emotions the music seems to convey, especially those more open and empathetic. Just as there is duality in the art, there is in the music as well; providing moments of pure joy and comfort contrasting with moments of melancholy and woe. *You’ll find @jacelandon here playing the violin*

THE AFTERPARTY:

This is in a separate location from the gallery itself!

The Tree of Life greets you upon entrance into the grand space. A massive tree growing from the hard ground strung with twinkling lanterns of all colors of the rainbow touches the vaulted ceilings and lends a welcoming and warm ambience. A circular room with a variety of open arches leading elsewhere, a string quartet plays off in a corner; this room seems to act as a general mingling area where the waitstaff carries around a variety of drinks and hors d’oeuvres on trays. The entire floor appears to be transparent, allowing guests to see the roots of the Tree of Life stretch down into darkness.

The archway leading directly behind the Tree of Life appears to be the food area, where guests can choose from dining in a variety of upscale restaurants or at an extravagant buffet. If you crave it, they will create it.

The archway leading off to the right is labeled ‘As Within, So Without’. A grand hallway covered floor to ceiling in mirrors takes you to a variety of rooms that provide various services for mental, spiritual, and physical healing. Fortune tellers of all sorts gather, offering everything including, but not limited to, cartomancy, palmistry, astrology and more. There are also confessors, diviners, spiritual healers, meditation rooms, and quiet rooms. A full service spa is also located here, as well as escort services, for those seeking something a little more physical.

*You’ll find @xylaes working here as an escort for part of the evening*

The archway leading to the left is labeled ‘As Above, So Below’. The path splits here, to go above or below. 

Above will lead you to a ballroom decorated like the cosmos itself. Twinkling stars float mid-air that can be captured within the palm of your hand, planets and galaxies loom high above. Aerialists dressed as constellations perform high above the crowd, seeming to almost float in space. An orchestra plays on stage and bars line the edges of the room.

Below will lead you to a ballroom decorated like an underwater fantasy. Phosphorescent bubbles float mid-air that can be captured within the palm of your hand, massive glowing jellyfish and other varieties of sea creatures loom high above. Aerialists perform above the crowd, seeming to be almost suspended in water as their hair and clothes flow as if they are below the surface of the sea. An orchestra plays on stage and bars line the edges of the room. Warning: There may be some nudity present here among the performers.

*You’ll find @rylandfalkov performing here, and @serazhen bartending*

The two ballrooms seem to mirror each other perfectly, should you look upwards through the illusions, you’ll be able to see the other ‘world’, upside down, and mirrored to the one you stand within.

The final area of the after party, you enter through the Tree of Life itself. This is the ‘anything goes with consent’ area; so nudity, sexuality, and drugs will be heavily present. You traverse downwards through the roots that begin to glow with bioluminescence in every color imaginable. It eventually opens into a larger area where music groups and DJ’s perform throughout the entire night, small stages off to the sides and raised platforms throughout the dance floor holds various performers whether it be go-go dancers, burlesque performers, fire manipulators, body or rope suspension demonstrations. Should one look upwards, they can see a silhouette of the Tree of Life growing above.

*You’ll find @dicenne here performing with fire and demonstrating rope suspension on others.

The roots of the tree weave through every space here, creating a variety of winding caverns that contain various spaces and surprises around every corner. Hidden bars made from tangled roots, private rooms for any variety of activity, performers dancing within a cage of roots, darkened caves that open into a grotto for swimming, and temptation around every corner.

To return to the surface, you must keep traversing down further into the deep recesses of the space where eventually you will find yourself, somehow, exiting through the Tree of Life.

The final message on the archway leading out of the afterparty reads 'As the Universe, So the Soul'.

Remember, what happens at the after party stays at the after party!

*All stories relating to this event will be reblogged with the #asabovesobelow tag, feel free to do the same!*

[4evasummer]

"when we found love in summer" (jing yuan)

plot: march 7th helps prepare you for a beach date with jing yuan. with a nervous heart, you finally muster the courage to confess to him. notes: this fanfic is quite self indulgent, especially because i'm a literal sucker for anything summer related. also i wrote some of this at 2am whilst having ponytail to shushu by akb48 on loop and the rest like 8 hours later. content warning: fem! reader, reader is shy, reader is black coded, jing yuan is a tease.

"march, is this really necessary?" i sighed as my friend scurried across the bedroom, deep in thought. "i can tell very easily that your feelings for jing yuan are so intense! the way you behave, especially when you're staring at him, is so obvious!" i looked away from march 7th, already feeling embarrassed about showing my emotions too much. "my main issue is confessing to him. if i keep chickening out, i won't be able to confess to him before the end of summer..." i mumbled. "i don't know what kind of taste he has when it comes to women, i barely know anything about him and worse yet...he's intimidating..." march tiptoes in my direction with a smug look on her face. "i know just the solution to your romantic woes~" she whispers. "h-hey! is it really necessary to dress up so much like this?" i ask, watching march 7th rummage through a suitcase full of accessories. "come on! the most important thing when it comes to confessing your crush is to look as amazing as possible! it's summer, so that means you'll have to wear something cute to impress jing yuan!" she says as she picks up a pink bikini with a yellow and orange hibiscus pattern. "this one's so cute! it suits your skin tone!" march squeals as she held it against my body. "isn't it a bit too...revealing? it looks a bit..small." i ask, examining the bikini carefully. "don't worry! you'll find out once you put it on~!" she chirps. "but first i should get your hair ready, then pick out your jewelry, and after that i need to get you a body shimmer and perhaps a glitter tattoo..." march 7th continues rambling on as i pondered about. although i admired how determined and confident she was about getting jing yuan and i together, i couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about the whole thing. it would be a total bust if she put a lot of hard work into assembling an outfit for me only to get rejected by him.

"and...done!" march 7th huffed as she finally adjusted the flower in my hair. i stared at myself in the mirror, taking in my current look and feeling slightly flustered. "isn't the makeup a bit too much?" i asked, watching her grab a bottle of perfume and spray it on my arms. "it'll be fine!" she assures me. "you already know how you're going to confess, right?" she asks. i nodded. "good luck (name)! and don't forget to fill me in on the details once you come back!" march 7th screams as i shyly wave back at her before leaving the beach house.

it didn't take me too long to see jing yuan at the beach, staring at the glittering ocean and beyond. i couldn't help but take in the view of him. he looked so majestic, his hair flowing in the wind, that pretty mole under his left eye, his amazing, sexy body...i eventually snapped out of my thoughts but it was too late because he already noticed me staring at him a little too hard. "hello there, (name). it's been a while." jing yuan smiled at me. "hi! i was wondering if...if you're free today because i was thinking of spending the day with you." i say. jing yuan takes my hand his, "sure, you can watch me surf." he says as he places a gentle kiss on my hand. i could feel my face warm up due to his actions and my body stiffen due to my emotions eventually getting the better of me. i eventually calm myself as i watch him grab his surfboard and jog towards the waves.

after watching jing yuan surf for an hour, he finally returned to the shore. i couldn't help but notice the way the droplets cascaded down his muscles. "like what you see?" his voice snapped me back to reality. a smirk grew on his lips as he leaned closer towards me. "l-let's...grab lunch together!" i suggest, trying to change the subject as i got up and dusted myself. jing yuan chuckles as he follows me behind, a small tint of pink dusted across his cheeks. a few hours later, we were walking across the shoreline, watching the sun set across the horizon and bathing the beach in various shades of orange and pink. as jing yuan looked off into the distance, i hastily mustered my courage to confess my feelings to him. "j-jing yuan...?" i whispered. he turns around and focuses himself onto me, making my heart pound intensely. i automatically look down at the sand as my brain quickly pieced together my confession for him. "ever since i met you, i felt like i can't take you off my mind. everything about you is absolutely perfect that not even this sunset could match it...or even the sky. my love for you is more vast than the skies, deeper than the ocean and more passionate than the sun...i-i really love you." i blurted out, preparing myself to be rejected. i felt his arms embracing my body, bringing me closer to him. "i love you too, (name)." jing yuan responded. "you're the prettiest woman i've ever met, it's as if you were crafted by god himself...i've never seen a woman so kind and courageous like you...ever." we eventually pull away from each other to stare at each other in the eyes. the space between us eventually disappeared as jing yuan trapped my lips in his. his arms snaked around my waist as he brought me closer to deepen the kiss. after a few seconds, he pulled away. a soft smile appeared on his face as he adjusted the flower in my hair. "i almost forgot to tell you...you looked gorgeous today." he whispered shyly. i laughed as i leaned into his face and kissed the mole under his left eye, as the sun disappeared under the horizon.

this is a much longer fanfic i decided to put out today xD. it's so self indulgent hahaha. likes and reblogs are appreciated!

[mail-me-a-snail]

kicking my legs in the air. tell us more abt silvervance i am fascinated with whatever they've got going on

i mean. god where do i even begin.

so first off there's their main tag where i put all the posts that even vaguely remind me of them............like there are posts in there i would not show to my irls let alone god.

anyway. silvervance is the ship ever. they're both products of arasaka's influence, whether thru their own free will (in vance's case, or so he'd like to believe) or otherwise (in johnny's, vis-a-vis his eponymous prosthetic arm). they both manufactured their identities for an audience wider than themselves. they both recognize this similarity between them.

when vance came back 2 life with johnny in his head, he saw himself in johnny and he didnt like what he saw.

but as u know, in game canon, vance had no choice but to suck it up and bear the ghost's anti-corp, anti-capitalist, anti-night-city, rambling. oh woe! woe! is johnny silverhand, night city's last rockerboy turned co-pilot for arasaka's missing asset.

the thing is. the thing is. with everyone telling vance that the best course of action would be to excise johnny--with hellman telling him point blank that its not possible as well--he doesn't want johnny gone.

johnny becomes second nature to him, more than just a poltergeist who offers him snippy quips and lame one-liners. who likes annoying the hell out of him or who likes making him laugh by doing bits of physical comedy that johnny knows only vance will see.

he just grows to have so much. affection for this man. this man loser who he wishes he had known when things might've been simpler between them.

in the hypothetical good ending for silvervance where they get their own bodies, they're gonna move out to some colder state, somewhere that snows. they're gonna move as far away from local civilization as possible. but they're still gonna find merc work together because neither of them are quite suited to a domestic life.

they take each other's poisons when they finally separate; vance grows wolfish and snarky and johnny goes quiet and smiles a little too much like a dog, lips curled over his teeth. vance is brash and a risk-taker; johnny is loyal to someone other than himself for once.

they'll eat each other alive one of these days. they could not think of a better set of teeth to do it than one that so closely resembles their own.

in my heart n soul i know they find each other in every universe. not that they will happen upon each other; that they'll actively look for the other, not knowing who it is they're looking for at first, but just knowing that there is someone out there for them. i don't usually like throwing the term soulmate around but it's something a lot like that.

they'll find each other in the corpo rat au, they'll find each other in the father vance au, they'll even find each other in the ending where vance stayed with arasaka. there's no separating them and it drives me bonkers. insane, even. i wrote four fics in a haze for them bc of how much they drive me up a wall

anyway ty for the ask <3

[paanzermensch]

Feeling so much more confident posting on Tumblr again. Thank god there's barely a word limit so I can rant as much as I want.

And WHAT Am I gonna ramble about today??????? Idk how to explain it, but I don't feel comfortable with a *MAINLY* underage audience. I don't see myself as a Family friendly person, mostly because I swear alot, make alot of crude jokes, and the topics I touch upon in my stories can get a little too mature depending. I had this problem on my twitter where I was like. Ohhh Maybe I'm a PG-13 Account? I retracted and deleted that statment after a while, because even that didn't sit right with me. I have an alt on my twt mainly for 18+ Content (Both SFW and NSFW), but even then I wanna have some freedom of posting Oc content to the people who are only here for the mains on my accounts.

Kinda hard when I mostly built my audience in the DnB Community where most of the fans are underage as well as some of the main creators. I'm not fully into DnB as I once was, but working on the project me and my group have going for it kinda makes up for it. I think that's the only project thats more suited for a teen audience LOL. Which I don't mind at all, I don't like to bring NSFW topics into that community specifically for a MULTITUDE of reasons.

Technically I don't make too much DnB art anymore, but I still interact with the community from time to time. Though I really only focus on my personal projects (Not counting DnB:CR, Only OG/OC stuff), which again touch on more mature topics- and I don't wanna expose a young audience to that stuff, nor do I feel comfortable in some of them trying to engage with the actively NSFW side of it.

Ig what I'm trying to say is that. Follow at your own risk perhaps? I might add a Mature content warning or something, not sure. Though i'm kinda fucked up about saying the wrong thing and lookin like a creep/idiot. :Sob: I'm just a humble storyteller WOE. Plus identity crisis of what I want my accounts to be. Shits FUCKED

[typezerostudios]

I really need a fanfic when the Justice League all switch cities. Starts out with your typical "Batman vs Superman" story and they're using Metropolis and Gotham as examples for why one of them is better.

"You think Batman could take a laser to the face?"

"You can buy anything on the Gotham black market! Imagine how bad Superman would be if everyone had kryptonite!"

Anyways, this stirs up a WHOLE bunch of resentment/woe-is-me from most of the heroes, who are so used to carrying these burdens that it just feels good to have an excuse to actually vent about them, right? Starts getting heated, and someone heads off the league destroying argument by suggesting the city swap.

Enough of them agree that they throw the city names in a hat, and they all start drawing. May have a mutual agreement for Batman and Superman to have a straight up swap, or they could be in the main mix as well.

Fun possibilities:

-Metropolis come rate plummets because Lex Luthor only cares about Superman and moves most of his stuff into whatever city Superman is patrolling. May also know the terms of the bet and do hit utmost to shut down crime just to spire Superman.

-Guy gets Wonder Woman's domain, spends most of the week getting his ass kicked by Amazons.

-Green Arrow in Gotham or Batman in Star City is going to cause problems no matter how the crime rate changes.

-Getting someone suited up to deal with the entire ocean when they get Aquaman's beat.

-Whoever gets Green Lantern's beat uses it as an excuse to just cruise around the galaxy on vacation.

-The Flash being cocky and abusing his speedster powers to take two or more cities.

-At least one lower tier hero freaking out when they're given a major crime hotspot

-One lower tier being surprisingly good at whatever city they take care of

[tobi-smp]

Please what’s the moomin reference I’m dying to know

Context: [Link 1, Link 2]

*breaths deeply in two year long hyperfixation* wELL

I've tried to write this post a Few times without going into a full essay about what moomin is, as that's Not necessary for answering the question. however, I am unfortunately me and this is the Writes Essays Blog. so I've simply decided I will be a nuisance instead.

but the plus side is that I've been thinking about writing about some of my other fandoms here for a while ! so, for a crash course on the franchise:

“moomin,” “the moomins,” or “moominvalley” is a franchise originally stemming from first novels and then comics written in the 1940s-50s by the finnish author tove jansson, which has since ballooned with Many adaptations and other such goodies (like themeparks and games). 

it’s most popular adaptation is hands down the 90s anime adaptation ! which took tove’s charming designs and calming atmosphere and kicked it up to 11 with a long-form slice of life series

but all versions have their own particular flair and tone, even two versions created by tove herself are Very different. with the comics having a focus in on the absurd and comedic and the novels, while certainly Having those elements, also focus in on more serious themes and melancholy!

(here's a brief rundown for the differences in the adaptations for anyone interested ! [Link])

of course, moomin was a relatively unknown entity in the us because it never officially released here, but there was a brief boom here on tumblr in 2019 thanks to the release of a new adaption (called moominvalley)!

it was a perfect storm for a couple reasons:

1: while it can be a bit difficult to track down the series in the us, the Characters are all extremely accessible. with their designs alone you can pick up on who and what the main cast are both Quickly and Scarily Accurately, with the fandom largely rising Before most people had found access to the content itself flkjfdaskjkjl

they're Incredibly Simple characters that still lend themselves well to complexity. they aren't blank slates in the slightest, but they're easy to Bend and reimagine and flesh out. which is really appealing to fandom spaces!

2: having multiple different fleshed out iterations to choose from meant that if you looked you could most likely find something that suited your taste! (it'd be an incredibly accessible franchise if they'd actually make their content Accessible world wide)

3: this is Especially relevant in how the franchise can act as both escapism and catharsis. the 90s anime especially is a comfortable cottage-core fantasy to sink yourself into and forget the woes of real world (something that was about to become Very relevant in 2019), but the novels were specifically written for an audience that was actively living through war.

and while tove never wanted to make the franchise Dark or Gritty, she wanted to create a series that could help children process and come to terms with some of the feelings they Would realistically be experiencing. one of the very first novels is "Comet in Moominland," where a great comet is coming down to crash into the earth. it still engages with comedy and with the absurd, and of course nobody Dies, but it was very intentionally trying to create an accessible outlet to understand Tragedy and Fear. among lots of other things ! and this is, of course, tempered with the warm comforts of friends and family and community.

I think there's a lot to be gained by sifting through this franchise Now honestly. something that can both Distract from the bleakness and help process it, with a certain gentleness either way.

4: tove jansson was an Incredibly queer woman, and this absolutely bleeds into her work and the adaptations that followed!

while inspiration isn't an Exact one-to-one, tove Has spoken about her inspirations for her characters before. moomin (the character) draws a great deal from herself while snufkin, moomin's "best friend" and a funny little beastie, draws from her lovers both in personality and in relationship to moomin!

a big inspiration for snufkin was a man who had nearly been her husband, a vagabond and a socialist for that matter. the official moomin site (which is cannot stress enough, is representative of the franchise itself and heavily curated) describes That as follows [Link]:

In many ways the relationship of Moomintroll (Tove’s alter-ego) and Snufkin describes the relationship between Tove and Atos. Moomintroll admires Snufkin who still is quite distant and very often Moomintroll is also experiencing a deep sense of longing and yearning when Snufkin is leaving to his adventures or choosing to be at peace with his own thoughts. Moomintroll tries to understand Snufkin’s desire for freedom, even though the waiting is not easy.

Just like Tove admired Atos and just like Tove waited for Atos, his love confessions and commitment. [End transcription]

but it was Also based, in part, on the woman who was her wife in all but legality. [Link 1, Link 2] Having met some time 1956 and having stayed life long partners until tove's death in 2001.

they'd built a home together on an island where they'd go to stay every summer, enjoying their own travels and adventures along the way !

come winter, moomin would pine for snufkin as he made his yearly travel down south, but the spring and summer months would always bring snufkin's return! and all the love and warmth that came with him uwu

How exactly that bleeds through in the franchise itself is well. Extensive. picking literally any iteration and trying to lay out, in full, the queer themes present would be an essay longer than this one. so instead have a small selection to illustration the point:

[Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6]

now, naturally, this was (and is) queercoding rather than explicit representation, but this was a queer woman pushing the boundaries of what was allowed to Be in children's media starting in the 1940s and onwards.

there's something About a woman who lived a full and happy life with the woman she loved, pouring that love into her life's work to create a foundation of care and acceptance for the generation that'd come after her, only to see a resurgence of queer teens See her and say what she wasn't allowed to out loud.

which brings us to !

5: the general blanket of pure acceptance radiating from the series.

that's not necessarily anything New for a children's franchise, but in combination with everything else it creates an environment for an absolute comfort series. this fragment of an article about the series has far and away wormed it's way into my mind in some irreversible way (and that's quite a good thing) [Link]:

In most fiction, family is what you escape from if you want to fulfill yourself. For Jansson, family is a place of tolerance, where we can fail and become ourselves. Her experience of growing up gay is there in Snufkin – who is all the more loved for being different. Like the prodigal son, everyone is so thrilled to see him, no one ever asks him where he has been. It’s there too, in Too-Ticky, Jansson’s portrait of her partner. And above all it’s there in the wonderful story where Moomintroll is transformed into the bug-eyed King of California, and his mother recognises him straight away. [End transcription]

the quickest and most accurate description for this series, this franchise as a whole, that I could give is Warmth.

that's not to say that it's All roses. tove herself was an icon, but moomin company is a Company in charge of a franchise in the same ball park as disney properties. but considering there's no way to legally support moomin in the states I'd say the morality of engaging with it on that basis isn't exactly the most pressing of issues.

now with all of That out of my system: the actual information relevant to the comparison.

one of the stories in moomin (the novels, the 90s anime, and the 2019 adaptation, though I'm most familiar with the latter) is "The Invisible Child." [Link]

it's the story of ninny, an invisible child that moomin and co find and bring into their home to try to figure out Why she's invisible and how to fix it.

as we come to find out, ninny went invisible and lost her voice (even the ink on paper she tried to write on going invisible) because she'd been made to Feel invisible through the neglect of her aunt.

the moomins help ninny find her confidence again, with small aspects coming back to her as they make progress and regressing as they make missteps. but the ultimate point is that she needs to feel Seen and Heard.

that feeling of not having a voice, of not having a Presence, taking on the form of a Physical curse of invisibility.

it's a concept that meshes Extremely well with tommy's situation, even Without the headcanon.

[j-eryewrites]

The Symphony of You

MAIN MASTER LIST

Doctor Who x Reader one shot I wrote for my creative writing class. 

(Supposed to be read as 11 x companion! reader)

Word Count: 1,001 words

(Master List)

Based off of the song: Dance with Me Wallis

______________________________________________________________

There he sits alone on the ebony bench. The moon shines down on him like a spotlight. His back sits tall as he places his long boney fingers on the keys. His hair now free of gel falls in front of his face creating shadows that move as he chuckles. 

“What are you doing out of bed?” He inquires. His striking green eyes are illuminated by the moon’s light as he turns to look at me. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” I reply. “Too many thoughts in my head.” I wouldn’t dare say more. I didn’t want to be another reason for the tiredness behind his eyes to grow. 

I drew near to him. My feet patter across the wooden floor of the room. He lifts a hand out to me. I grasp his cold hand and he guides me toward him. The bench creaks underneath my weight as I sit myself down. I get a closer view of his face. It’s so young, brimming with life, yet his eyes tell a different story. Even when they look at me with such kindness and adoration, I can see the truth. 

His emerald eyes tell tales of loved ones lost. They cry about life stripped away from him too fast. His eyes encapsulate the memories of children crying and people falling to ash. The horrors of war and the evils of the universe rest deep inside his dark irises. They were old and had seen more than my eyes would ever see in my lifetime. Despite all the woe, his eyes held beauty. The beauty of love and laughter. They showed me the enchanting spell of nature untouched by man. Trees as tall as the sky with strong thick trunks which held the wisdom of life. His eyes even held the stars that brighten every corner of the dark vastness of space. To me, his eyes were more beautiful than the finest of Van Gogh's works. 

“What are you thinking of?” He asks as his eyes peer into mine. 

I look down at the black and white keys of the piano in front of us. “What were you going to play?” 

There it is again. That laugh of his and the thrill I get from just hearing it. “I was composing.” He clarified. “I still haven’t played a single note.”

I rest my hands on his lap and gaze at him. “What were you composing?”

“Your song.” 

Those simple words took my breath away. My song. He gazed back at me, his smile still so prominent. 

With widened eyes and cheeks flushed red I whisper, “What does my song sound like?” 

My lashes fluttered down as I once again looked at the black and white notes. He followed my gaze and brought his hands again to the keys. 

I quickly closed my eyes in anticipation. My ears patiently waited for the sweet sound of the piano, but it never came. Instead, there was silence. I scrunched my brows and began to open my mouth, but I was shushed by the touch of his finger. 

“Listen,” He muttered into my ear. 

Then it came. A violin’s sweet tune began to enter my mind. Slowly, a viola joined in repeating the phrase over and over. Then there was a cello. Its deep melody rang low and smooth, sending shivers up my spine. I peer over at him in amazement. My eyes are wide, and my mouth is slightly agape. 

He looked at me and I was transported. I saw myself smiling as the ashes from a burning star fell upon the earth. In a blink of an eye, it was a new scene. His hands were on my waist grounding me to him as I reached for the heavens. My delicate fingers tickled the stars. I was beautiful, I thought. Then I realized it was he who thought I was more precious than any universe we had ever travelled to. 

He took my hand and led me into a ballroom. Guests were decorated from head to toe in lavish gowns and suits. I saw myself wearing a gown he had given to me. Its stunning blue accents glowed in the light as if I were a piece of art for everyone to see and admire. He smiled; I could feel it. He watched me twirl around, as I danced among the masked strangers. His hand was placed on my back guiding me through the crowd. 

Then we were running. It was a flowering field in the early months of spring. The chirping of flutes called the flowers to bloom. There I stood, taking in the view. Bees flying by bidding me adieu, yet he looked at me. His gaze is unwavering and calm. 

The sun fell and it was dark. All light had vanished. I knew where we were as the piano descended. Slowly, the sound of the strings disappeared as the blue light filled my–no his view. There I was. A hand gently placed on the blue beating heart of the tree. A magnificent glow blinded him as I faded from his view. As the light dimmed, the piano played its last note. A vivid image of myself appeared in front of him. Tears of joy stained my cheeks as he took a hand to wipe them away. At this point, I had only known him for a few hours, yet he was entranced by me. A human with a capacity to love greater than even his and he knew–I knew that it was it. 

The room came back into focus as his hands drew away from the piano. The keys still glisten in the light of the moon. I meet his emerald eyes and stare at him. I gaze upon his features the way he looked at me–the way he’s been looking at me this entire time. My breath stilled and I leaned forward taking a leap of faith; Knowing that he’d always catch me if I fell. Our lips met and that was it. 

_______________________________________________________________

[bluegekk0]

woe. character building question be upon ye

so how much does Lurien show up in public spaces? also did it change from pre-infection to post-infection? I imagine he'd need to show his face (or mask. idk I think you get my point) and leave his house to be, y'know, trusted to run the city

also as soon as I saw your Lurien desing I started to draw him. I failed horribly. he just kept looking wrong lmao

Not as much as you'd expect. Being the head of the city dead set on culling the criminal population, he's painted quite a target on his back. He does show up to events and can even occasionally be found walking the city streets, accompanied by his bodyguards, of course. He wants to see the state the city is in from the perspective of its inhabitants.

Though it's definirely a much rarer occurence now. He used to show his face (well, he does wear his one eyed Watcher mask most of the time, but you get the idea) a lot more often before becoming the Watcher - he was the nerd type, yes, and would spend most of his free time in the library, but he was quite well known among the wealthy and important. It's how he first got Vyrm's attention and why he eventually became the Watcher. The city residents trusted him, and so did the king, and so he was offered the role.

That trust is the main reason why he runs the city now. The infection killed most of the city's population, and out of all options, he was the most suited for the role. Of course, it took a lot of organizing before he achieved the seat of the head of the city, perhaps there was a vote that would choose the leader, and he unanimously won. Even in his time as the Dreamer, he never lost his good reputation, partially thanks to his Butler. These days he's still respected, but his new position also made him quite an intimidating figure (his unusual appearance certainly plays a part here). His presence commands a lot of respect, and his resolute (and at times ruthless) decision making is not to be messed with - he'll do anything for the city, and any threat to its well being will be dealt with.

So in short, while he does show up on the city streets from time to time, your best bet at meeting him would be visiting his office. Though even then you'd need an invitation, unless you're Vyrm or Grimm, who get his permission to enter by default. They're always welcome at his residence.

[moonlarked]

Wrote the beginning of this analysis like a year ago - posting the half-finished unedited version now because idk if I’ll ever get it done. Thoughts have obviously somewhat changed, but here you go.

In my opinion, Gertrude is one of the most important characters in Hamlet simply because of the relationship between her and her son. And it’s something of a negative relationship too - she’s portrayed as neglectful of her son’s grief. You could chalk this up to her having to bear the weight of the country on her shoulders, but there’s still a case to be made that she’s one of the main factors of hamlet’s mental downhill. It’s simply the fact that he wants her to love him, and she isn’t showing him that.

This is seen in the very first scene that hamlet appears in:

Ham.

(Aside.) A little more than kin, and less than kind!

King.

How is it that the clouds still hang on you?

Ham.

Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun.

Queen.

Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.

Do not for ever with thy vailed lids

Seek for thy noble father in the dust:

Thou know'st 'tis common, all that lives must die,

Passing through nature to eternity.

Ham.

Ay, madam, it is common.

Here, we can see that Gertrude is siding with her husband - after he makes the first comment about hamlet’s dejected appearance, she backs the king up, trying to reach to hamlet directly and politely request that he stop grieving.

It’s insensitive and harsh - “all people die, so you shouldn’t grieve” - and it’s a safe bet to make that they’ve been giving him this treatment ever since his father died. Since he’s a prince, he has to uphold his status.

Hamlet still lashes back at her - however, instead of making a sarcastic gibe like he did to the king, he genuinely tries to explain himself to her.

Oueen.

If it be,

Why seems it so particular with thee?

Ham.

Seems, madam! Nay, it is; I know not

seems.

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,

Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of fore'd breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief,

That can denote me truly: these, indeed, seem;

For they are actions that a man might play;

But I have that within which passeth show;

These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

Here he’s saying that although he shows his sadness through acts - such as his black clothing, his posture, his tears - they are not simply that, not acting, not putting on a show, not performing a little longer than the allotted royal grieving period. This sorrow comes from within, it is an actual, real emotion that he is feeling.

And he wants her to know that. That’s why he dumps all of this on her, not on claudius. He’s pleading her to understand him, and perhaps, to show a bit of that nature in her as well, because they both lost his father.

He wants her to know him. He wants to know her. And that’s a running theme throughout their interactions.

After this, we get claudius calling his grief unmanly and then demanding that he stay at Elsinore instead of going to Wittenberg. Hamlet doesn’t answer, however, until Gertrude pleads with him as well.

Queen.

Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet:

I pray thee stay with us; go not to Wittenberg.

Ham.

I shall in all my best obey you, madam.

“Obey you, madam.” Not both of them. He doesn’t include claudius here. He is directly talking to his mother and obeying her wishes, because he does still love her.

This is something I will not budge on. Hamlet loves his mother.

But then. Then, we get hamlet’s first soliloquy.

But two months dead!-nay, not so much, not two:

So excellent a king; that was, to this, Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,

That he might not beteem the winds of heaven

Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!

Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him

As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on: and yet, within a month,

Let me not think on't, Frailty, thy name is woman!-

A little month or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body

Here we get a bit of timeline. It’s been not quite two months, yet before it had been a month, gertrude forbade her grief, put on a lighter face, and started acting like hamlet’s grief shouldn’t exist. Therefore, for a month, hamlet has been stuck in this horrid state of having his emotions buried by the king and queen - and that’s the worst thing that can happen to him, because he’s a passionate person who loves with all of his heart and can’t bear to hide this love, or have others hide theirs from him. (That’s why his mask of madness fit him so well. It was the only mask he could wear that would still let him feel everything and show everything.)

It makes sense, how resentful of her he is at this point. He still loves her, but he is bitter.

He’s talking about how much his father loved his mother, and this becomes a running theme, both hamlet and the ghost lamenting on how much the old king loved her - not how much she loved him, but how much he loved her.

It seems, then, that hamlet has this almost obsessive idea of the perfect family, the perfect mother and father - yet, interestingly, the dynamic between him and the ghost almost run contrast to this. The ghost waxes about his love for gertrude, but nothing of his love for hamlet. And hamlet does the same.

Does, then, hamlet see gertrude as the last remaining link to the loving family he wants and probably never got? Does his reaction to her emotional neglect possibly stem from an ongoing problem?

She married: - O, most wicked speed, to

post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!

It is not, nor it cannot come to good;

But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue!

Hamlet constantly talks about how incestuous this is, and, again, this is another thing he and his father have a pattern of doing.

This is two months after his father died. About one month after his mother married. And he’s still going on about it - again, this makes me think that there were family issues before canon.

Of course, there’s also the face that claudius was likely pushing his marriage into hamlet’s face at every chance he got - and this gives hamlet an even more personal reason to hate claudius.

In fact, hamlet and claudius’s first and last interactions both had something to do with hamlet’s treatment of gertrude.

After this, we get the ghost scene. And after telling hamlet about his murder, the ghost starts ranting about gertrude and claudius’s marriage - and I believe that this part of his speech is what fuels a lot of what hamlet says when he talks to his mother alone. Ironic, since the ghost told him to leave her alone.

Ghost.

Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,-

O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power

So to seduce!-won to his shameful lust

The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen:

O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!

From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the

vow

I made to her in marriage; and to decline

Now, this is mostly the ghost talking about how evil claudius is compared to him, and how wicked claudius’s lust is, and how loving he was toward his wife. Which is interesting - if gertrude married claudius to protect the stability of her kingdom, why is the ghost talking about her backstabbing him? He was a king - shouldn’t he understand her political motivations?

There are two ways to see this - either gertrude truly did fall for claudius as quickly as it seemed, or the ghost is just using plain old misogyny to overlook the more complicated and explanation and pushing his misogyny onto his son. Instead of choosing to encourage his son to hold onto his love for his mother, he chooses to embrace that toxic masculinity and fuel the flame of it in hamlet.

I believe it’s a bit of both of these explanations- gertrude likely did fall for claudius, hamlet felt betrayed and lost, and the ghost took advantage of this vulnerable state in order to fuel resentment toward claudius. He manipulated his son’s broken relationship with his mother to achieve his own goals, which fits neatly with the theory that the king wasn’t a great father.

Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor

To those of mine!

But virtue, as it never will be mov'd, Though lewdness court it in a shape of

heaven;

So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd,

Will sate itself in a celestial bed

And prey on garbage.

Again, here the ghost is, slandering his wife’s motivations in order to get hamlet to kill claudius.

However, the next time he speaks of her in his speech, he’s telling hamlet not to act against her and instead leave her to her fate - let heaven decide. I don’t know if this really can be described as love - he seems to want her punished, but not by his son.

But, howsoever thou pursu'st this act,

Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive

Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven,

And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,

To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!

This comes back, of course, when hamlet does eventually act against his mother, but the ghost there seems to be telling hamlet to stop being distracted.

The next we see gertrude is in act ll, two months after hamlet encountered the ghost. Gertrude is talking to ros and guil, brought to figure out hamlet’s changed state.

Queen.

Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz:

And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too-much-changed son.

So gertrude obviously sees that hamlet isn’t behaving normally - he’s been putting on his antic disposition for a month now and the king has ordered rosencrantz and guildenstern to keep an eye on them. She obviously doesn’t object to this, thanking them for coming instead.

We could view this as her feeling guilty. We see later that she guesses at what hamlet is feeling, and yet she still wishes for it to be other than her fault - through what polonius has theorized about ophelia.

I doubt it is no other but the main, His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage.

King.

Do you think 'tis this?

Oueen.

It may be, very likely.

So, yes, she’s going along with what polonius and the king say about hamlet being mad due to ophelia. I interpret this in a couple of ways - obviously she has to obey her husband and therefore agree with what he’s saying, even if she may not agree (she knows hamlet much better than claudius does), which would explain her 180 on why specifically he is acting that way. Again, she is also likely feeling guilty for how her son is behaving and wants ophelia to be the cause of his state.

I don’t think she would just “believe” what polonius says about hamlet. She’s a lot smarter than any of the men give her credit for. I do think she understands that hamlet is upset due to his father’s death - hell, he tells her this in the beginning. But she is a woman, and she is in a tough spot, and she is guilty. She’s a mother, and I do believe she has sympathy for what her son’s going through - this is evidenced later, which I’ll get to. Hamlet does very much have reason to be angry at her, and she views him as a lost, hurt child most of the time.

Pol.

You know sometimes he walks for hours together

Here in the lobby.

Queen.

So he does indeed.

Queen.

But look where sadly the poor wretch comes reading.

Remember - this is a full two months after Gertrude’s first interaction with hamlet in act 1 scene 2. She’s had time to observe him and doesn’t seem to parry off his emotions as much as she did in the beginning, but she does somehow hope that there is possibly another way for this to be happening.

Queen.

I shall obey you:-

And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish

That your good beauties be the happy

cause

Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues

Will bring him to his wonted way again,

To both your honours.

Now, this interaction with ophelia is pretty interesting, much because it’s the only time gertrude talks to ophelia before polonius’s death - and after, she seems reluctant to talk to her. But we do get a bit of sympathy for ophelia here, and while a lot of it is likely because of formalities and, again, gertrude bowing to her husband’s beliefs, she likely does suspect that something’s wrong here. And she doesn’t want that because if it’s not ophelia, then she has to deal with her own problems. So it really is like a prayer here, and perhaps an expression of sympathy at ophelia for being used by these men.

[kiraridertime03]

Talking Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #1

So, Spider-Man, right?

(FULL SPOILERS FOR ULTIMATE SPIDER MAN (2024) #1, BY THE WAY!)

I want to have full disclosure here. This is my first Spider-Man comic. Most of my Spider-Man content came, before, from different adaptations. I mean, there was a period of my life where I didn't like Spidey, but that was in the unholy era of Ultimate Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), two adaptations I am not a fan of. But I love the Tobey films, I love Spectacular, I even really like the Tom films. However, I am by no means a Spidey expert. I have heard the woes of modern Spider-Man comics, you know.

However, I did get excited when I heard of this new run, mainly because of the writer, Johnathan Hickman. Of all the American Comics I've read, a ton of them have come from Hickman, oddly enough. My first event comic was Secret Wars (2015), which sold me on him as a writer because, despite it being a multiversal event, it still worked on a small scale, on an emotional level. Then, though I didn't have time for the main books, I felt really fulfilled in reading House of X (2019) and Powers of X (2019). It is oddly compelling as an introduction, setting up this really interesting new status quo. Therefore, hearing he was writing a new Spidey book, I was intrigued. I knew about the other new Ultimate Universe intros he wrote, I just wasn't as hooked at them as the Spider-Man book.

It starts off promisingly. After giving a quick recap of what happened before to help explain things (which is simple yet necessary) recap, we spend most of the issue just learning about Peter. You know, he's a dad, however, unexpectedly to me, it focuses much more of its time on Peter's relationship with Uncle Ben. I don't mind too much, though. In creating an alternate universe, you want to discuss things that are different from what you can write in the main universe, and given this world's premise, this seems the most interesting. I fully didn't expect the Old Man Yuri, though.

This does lead to some endearing moments with J. Jonah Jameson, though. I love the moment seen above in particular, it really shows that, while abrasive, Jonah has a good heart, and cares for Peter. However, most of this helps to reveal concerns both JJ and Peter have been having about Ben's well being. Well, because May is dead

That teensy weensy, itty bitty tewwowism mentioned in the recap comes to a full head, as it turns out May died in it, alongside Norman Osborn, seemingly. They all go to this really interesting wake, headed by Matt Murdock, now a Priest, and Harry, who gives a heavy speech about it. He seems particularly scarred by these events, which I hope is explored further in later issues.

After this, we get a bit more plot as JJ and Ben storm out of the Daily Bugle as Kingpin tries to influence them in a way the two don't like. But as Fisk leaves, we meet another character, The Goblin.

I like this suit, and looking at its subtleties reveals the interesting merger of Stark and Oscorp, which can lead to interesting implications to the future. This also builds some mystery to their character, as they bomb the Kingpin... Intriguing. I am actually really excited to see where this goes, as it is likely that, if this is Harry, he'll be against Spidey due to his links to Tony Stark alone. However, this seemingly more heroic bent is an interesting use of this new universe.

Well, anyways, we cut back to Ben and JJ on a date...

They're actually talking about a new business, forging a new journal based on not lying. They have a really cute dynamic, and I hope to see more of them in future issues. However, from here, the issue pivots. The first half was mostly focused on establishing the Status Quo. Peter is married, Ben's alive, May isn't, so on and so forth. From here, though, things get more interesting.

Seeing Ben going forward in his life so bravely, Peter begins to speak on his mid life crisis. He starts asking about a longing, a desire for change. In this, Ben plays his usual inspiring role, but in a completely new context. Rather than great power and responsibility, it's more about seizing the day.

It continues to another scene of him and MJ, where they discuss the same thing. However, there seems to be a more specific focus to it. This scene, while important for Peter's character, also gives a brief moment to really build Peter's domestic life. With the pacing of the issue to this point, there hasn't really been much of this, but I also see there wasn't really much time, so it's good that it is here, if anything. However, MJ seems fully supportive of whatever it is as Peter leaves the room, we get a brief flashback.

This is were things get weird and multiversal, as Hickman tends to do. Peter learns of the whole, "Maker stole the future" thing, giving Peter the promise of his proposed future, if he will take it. We then get a brilliant scene where we watch as he gets bit, and becomes Spider-Man. There's this brilliant edit, which I'll link below, that really adds the gravitas that the moment has, taking it to the extreme.

Overall, this series seems to be about lost potential. Other people have noted this, but it is, incredibly, both a story that is metacontextually interesting, as well as emotionally resonant without that.

Look at it. On one end, this seems to be addressing the image of Spider-Man's Stagnation. It fells, with this, that his married, developed life, and his Spider-Man life were split with OMD, and this book seeks to make up for lost time. It also hits hard in a modern context, as many people's prospects have felt a sense of stagnation as well. It's brilliant, and an interesting direction to take this Peter's character. It leaves me excited to see where this book takes his character next.

Overall, what I can say about this book is that it feels like a great pilot. It gives me a good, brief taste of the characters, sets up the world, and builds intrigue, both in Peter's character and the purpose of the Goblin. There isn't a ton of Spider-Man, but all things considered, that's the least important to sell here, as people have gotten used to Spidey based action. We'll get time for it later, I'm sure.

If anything, I wish we got more time for meeting with the kids. We get a bit of them at the start, and I don't think there was really time for it in this really packed issue, but it is a tad disappointing. Here's hoping for some in the future.

Overall, a really strong, interesting issue of Spidey comics that will hopefully build into an all timer of a run.

[yesstaffnurse1]

The Thief

When I answered the urgent call from the John Radcliffe Hospital, I didn’t quite know what to expect. There was a lot of cufuffle on the line, with women’s voices mentioning words like “intruder”, “thief” and “come quickly”. So I did.

I fully expected to get there and find it was all over like it usually was - my main job woukd be to take statements and give the nurses a crime report number. But instead I was greeted at the ward entrance by the beaming ward sister: an attractive brown-haired woman in a well-fitting blue uniform dress. Instead of the usual tale of woe, the nurse looked at me, triumph shining in her green/brown eyes, as she gripped a disconsolate chap in a business suit - his hands apparently tied behind his back. “Here is your thief, sergeant,” she told me proudly, “we managed to catch him and tie him up before he could escape from the ward!” I looked from the woman to her prisoner. “Anything to add, sir?” I asked the bloke, who looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment. “Everything is as she said, sergeant.” he muttered. “Can you just arrest me so I can get out of the clutches of these crazy women?”

I looked at the grinning nurse again. “I searched him and retrieved the stolen goods, sergeant,” she told me excitedly. “Will you need them for evidence?” I nodded dumbly as she pushed a bag into my hands and then swung her captive towards me too. “I really should get back to my patients.” she finished. “Can I leave the tidying up to you?” I looked at the glum-looking bound man in front of me as the blue-uniformed female figure bustled back into the ward. “Er, yes, Sister…” I replied.

Source: Nurses Uniforms and Ladies Workwear on Flickr

[rosemints]

Dungeon Meshi Horror of the Heights Au

presenting!

Thistle as- Joyce-Armstrong!

Joyce-Armstrong was clearly good friends with Lieutenant Myrtle, and he was not satisfied with the explanation of Myrtle's death. Like our intrepid protag, Thistle is rich, capable, determined, and off-putting! He wants to know what really happened to Degal in this au, taking him to the air.

King Degal as(please let these aviators not be based on real people)- Lieutenant Myrtle!

Thistle in cannon is searching for Degal alive, in this story, Degal probably learned to fly with thistle and they became like brothers. When Degal fell from his plane without a head after a series of similar accidents with other aviators, Thistle was not satisfied with the explanation given, they are convinced something more sinister is afoot, past the point of reason, obsessed with the circumstances of Degal's death.

Falin as- Perkins, the mechanic!

Thistle saw how good Falin was with machinery and planes in a situation having to do with whatever the main gang is doing in early 1920s aviator/investigative reporter land. He employed her under much duress to be his mechanic cuz he needs only the best of the best quality plane and plane service to make his journey to the upper atmosphere. Her friends and family are a bit concerned, but glad she has such a cushy job now!

The Island Lord as- The farmer, Mathew Dodd

Island lord owns island where dungeon is. Farmer owns farm where mystery is found. Nuff said.

Kabru as- The Narrator!

A tale requiring a deep understanding of all those involved and some good ole fashioned investigating/ snooping? I admit I was tempted to make Laois the narrator as it's about monsters being discovered, but come on! A dramatic tale of adventure and woe designed to earn the people of a new threat most would disregard? Kabru literally made one in cannon.

Laois as- James Flynn, agricultural laborer!

idk man. Back then farmer was kinda a basic job and we all know Laois is kinda a loser. (No flack to farmers). I was originally gonna give this to Kabru since he's the mystery investigating guy and James Flynn is the one who finds the site but like, idk. He made a better narrator.

Marcelle as- Dr. T. H Antherthon!

She probably has a phd. Only problem is why she gave that book to eh Canaries. Perhaps they took it from her? Like some of the chapters where she meets them (avoiding saying spoilers)

The Canaries as- The London Aero Club!

Idk man. Fancy organization that oversees the aviators of this land. Canary core.

I only put characters in roles I thought would suit them. Mabye somewhere along the way drifting Laois ended up employed at a farm, maybe he's saving up enough money to hire a new mechanic after his sister got poached by Thistle, who knows. There ain't a lot of main characters cuz there ain't a lot of roles and I ain't about to put someone somewhere they ain't suited to. Anyways the demon is those giant purple things. Hehe.

Anyways go read horror of the heights it's a great short horror story. Also does this imply Senshi is just chilling in the clouds? Yes. Yes it does. Don't ask how he's busy drying out air jellies.

[moonlit-tulip]

Your Tumblr Statline definitely seems like it'd be different for your blog than it would for your biological instance, but the only difference I'm semi-sure of would be that you don't do much flirting on here, on account of it not being a great place for you to do so. LST is a private matter, anyway.

Beyond that... Your lowest stat is WOE but your stat-combination techs would still let you be a situational Melancholist, leaving JST your actual weakest area; critfishers just need more attack speed than you've got, though at least you aren't helpless if the party needs it. I might also be missing some kind of broken buff/element combination there; Nine Ring Circus doesn't explain those mechanics very clearly, let alone tutorialize them. Your FUR stat is only a little higher but the techs have much higher sustain, so you're a lot better at it in practice. WRD is high statwise but low damage; most of your passives and defensive buffs scale off it, including most of the roles JST is generally used for I think. NDV is your highest stat that attacks scale off of, because you add it to everything, sometimes more than once. It starts higher than WRD but grows slower and is now a little behind, though that's not at all obvious from your derived stats.

Overall: High-durability Support/NDV Burst Damage. Might be able to tank if external aggro management is available; native abilities better suited to stealth and evasion.

Thoughts?

Broadly agreed about WOE, and about JST in the tumblr context, although I'm not actually managing to envision what sorts of WOE-related combos you're thinking of, offhand.

I suspect you're underestimating my LST-in-the-tumblr-context, possibly due to not following my art-reblogging sideblog. Although I suppose it's true that my rates of flirting per se on tumblr are relatively low, even there.

(Speaking for myself, I'm not treating LST as particularly private; it's just sort of only an occasional thing for it to come up as relevant in my posts, on this blog, and particularly for it to do so in a central / not-just-offhand fashion, because I've got a general thing here where I've kind of ~carved out a niche I'm accustomed to posting-style-and-content-wise and have increasing amounts of trouble making posts the farther I move away from that style.)

FUR is probably the most ~difficult-to-place stat for me when analyzing myself, so your analysis there is particularly interesting. It fits, I suppose! Not many stat points invested in it, but getting good effects out of the ones I have invested.

As for WRD and NDV: your analysis here is very interesting, because it feels in some sense opposite to how I'd probably have analyzed the two. Although I agree that I've got pretty high levels of both, and I find them to be so intertwined around one another that it's hard to tell where one starts and the other ends, so I suppose that shouldn't be too surprising. But I usually think of NDV as the one I use for background synergies / passives / etc., while WRD is my main active stat both for offense and defense, and your analysis contrasts interestingly with that! Now I'm vaguely curious what it is that led your impressions to diverge from mine here.

(And then your analysis doesn't seem to include ART, and so I will refrain from commenting here on it for purposes of not biasing any future analyses you may do there.)