#trying to get these characters out there before their pilot drops later this year!

[rhysmaart]

Where there’s good, there’s gotta be evil too! Here’s the more or less finalized design and color layout for wrecker, main antagonist of lego clash! Just like lightfoot I somehow got the legs kinda wonky so may update him slightly later.

20-something years ago, wrecker was the baddest villain in battle titan city! With the power of deconstruction, wrecker made short work of any hero vehicles or security systems that stood in his way! When he found out he had a son, though, he gave it all up to raise him. Now that his son is an adult, he’s decided to go back to the only job that made him really happy, being a force of chaos (and he insists it’s chaos, NOT evil!) in his city! Unfortunately, his son just HAD to grow up to be a superhero, putting the two at odds in a battle of good vs dad!

[anonymouscheeses]

more obvious shit I wanted to point out but it's more than last time uhhh pt.2 (spoilers for dad beat dad and maybe welcome to heaven. Maybe?)

I love that Charlie just randomly goes into demon form sometimes like here ehhehehe. Also can I just say I love Charlie so much?? She is my favorite and I love her especially in this episode because it feels like the same optimistic Charlie but she was just put in a bad situation. I relate to her a bit TOO much, almost down to every detail like wow. You'll understand later once I get there. But just wow...

LOOK AT THIS FUNNY LITTLE MAN. SPOODER DUST <3 also. Live [image] reaction. Someone make that into a reaction image 🙏🙏

HONEY!!! NEW MEME TEMPLATE JUST DROPPED. (Aka the one guy going crazy trying to explain the stuff on the board iykyk)

OMG... THAT CANT BE CHARLIE... NOT CHARLIE'S EMO PHASE PLEASE BAHAHAHHAHAHA (also love that Lucifer has kept it all these years, if Charlie knew I think she'd be extremely embarrassed. Vaggie would love it probably xd)

HE IS SO GOOFY I CANT- I LOVE HIM SO MUCH ALREADY!!! NEED.

Broskie got character development and is NICE?!? I LOVE THAT SMMM YALL.... LOOK AT HIM!! I am very delusional yes, but I will take this over ass development(cough. Vaggie's "story" in ep 3. Cough).

Imagine this. *holds your hand carefully to help you calm down while talking to your father you haven't really wanted to talk to.* lesbian type stuff ngl 🤯 (relatable)

Angel looking at the gays while being a gay too. HE'S BEING SO KIND TO CHARLIE UGGHH I CANTTT!!(POS) NODDING HIS HEAD, SMILING TO HER, ALSO TRYING TO HELP CALM HER DOWN. I MAY BE ASS AT SOCIAL CUES BUT I NOTICED THIS ONE!! YAA

*SHE IS STILL HOLDING HER HAND. CHARLIE'S ALSO SWINGING IT AROUND NERVOUSLY. I can never get tired of them and will make art soon just you wait.*

COMMANDER VAGGIE! I love that she acts like this is a camp full of tiny kids and honestly? That's not too far off. Sir pentious is at the ready! (glad he's here more often in the episode, thought he would just get sidelined after his first episode but gladly no!) Angel is just surprised. Husk spilled his drink, ON WHITE FUR NO LESS! Niffty of course is on the floor face first. Charlie is just happy to be there yippee!

What is this?? I have no idea what the hell it is at all. Bro is just peepin- it doesn't look like Alastor, even in demon form. And... I can't think of anyone else who could be this. Anyone have ideas or maybe it's foreshadowing? Maybe it was revealed in the 6th episode I don't know I haven't watched it yet. (I am a freak. I don't binge I give myself a day to watch a single episode. Most of the time uhhh.)

WE LOVE A SHORT KING. I LOVE THAT. I LOVE HIM. THE EVERYTHING. HE IS EVERYTHING. LET ME STRANGLE HIM PLEASE. (Lillith and Lucifer's dynamic is 100% Gomez and Morticia but a little more silly short man)

"OH WOW! AN OLDER MAN WHO GIVES ME FATHERLY CARE!" *STARTS TO FUCKING CRY*

I FEEL YOU CHARLIE WAAAGHHH

Oh and there goes the silly guy again! Atp I'm thinking it may be the gal some people been talking about that they've been hinting since the pilot. I forgot her name but she's said to be the big bad of season 1 or probably 2. Not sure if that's what it's trying to imply but here's my little no-thought idea

Lucifer, no...

LUCIFER NO!! THIS IS SUCH AN ADORABLE RESPONSE TO CHARLIE DATING A WOMAN. (ADOPT ME)

AND THEN THE HUG! I GET IM LOOKING TOO MUCH INTO THIS ONE SILLY SCENE BUT I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH AND WANT THIS SO BAD IN MY LIFE.

Niffty really said, "Yes, I do the cleaning."

Get yourself a taller king who is a short king but compared to you is a tall king

Say what you will, but I genuinely want more dad Alastor, someone make an au before I do plsss and @ me 🙏🙏

alright.. now this is where it starts to be relatable and hurt my heart... yayy.... needing any sort of parent figure that actually cares about you than the actual parent who is rarely there? WOWZA! SAME CHARLIE <3 <3 (SO FAR VERY ACCURATE FROM SOMEONE THAT IS IN THE SAME SITUATION)

Alastor is letting her off kindly, atleast in his way. He may be pissed off she brought a shark gang to the hotel and put it on fire, but they were still close friends. With anyone else he would absolutely either murder them or have severely traumatized the person. She's the exception, although I don't think he'd let it off the hook so easily if there were a next time.

A father-daughter embrace! :,)

(This is gonna be messy asf) He wants to know who she is as a person. He always has, and that's definitely obvious, but from a person inside this, they may not know themselves what the other is thinking. To Charlie it was like he never cared and just wanted an excuse to not see her again, acting like he was truly busy as in the start where he made the rubber duck that breathed fire. Sure. But Charlie saw it as him finding ways to not interact with her again. The only times they talk was when it was related to business stuff or other things of the sort. Let me just say this song... is by far my favorite, including the episode. Sure, it's got problems it's own, but this extremely accurate portrayal of what my own situation with one of my parents just stole my entire soul. Yeah I got a bit of tears about to come out, BUT NOPE! NOT TODAY! I don't ever cry during shows or movies so if I ever get teary-eyed, YOU DID SOMETHING. THAT SOMETHING BEING GOOD. This episode was emotional and connected with me on a deep level that I dont think any film has ever done to me, which is weird because I've been actively trying to find one, any one that does. Then to find it in an indie company from a creator who has achieved the dreams that I myself want to one day? That's fucking amazing.

FORESHADOWING! FROESHADOWING! FORESHADOWING! VAGGIE EX-ANGEL THEORY MUST BE CANON AND IF ITS NOT I WILL TEAR MYSELF LIMB FROM LIMB WITH A CROWBAR. LETS GO TO HEAVENNN!!! TOMORROW! BECAUSE THE DAY I PUBLISH THIS WILL BE TOMORROW(FOR YOU TODAY) BUT TOMORROW FOR YOU ILL POST THE NEXT WHAT I CAUGHT SHENANIGANS AGAIN! SEE YA!

[krystal-kade]

What's your opinion on the hazbin hotel songs?

(I've heard a few and i think they're okay..)

I'm so glad you asked bc I have some OPINIONS

(I'm not gonna talk about the pilot, just the episodes)

I've watched the first four episodes and they're better than I expected, but my expectations were on the floor

The first song is "Happy Day in Hell" from "Overture." Although this song/plotpoint should have been WAY later in the series, I like it. It feels like "Inside of Every Demon is a Rainbow" from the pilot, however both songs are on my playlist. It's a good song that serves as a recap of the pilot, showing Charlie's personality, motives, and her relationship with Vaggie (a little). It's a nice song with little substance, and feels like a Disney Princess' "i dream of something more" song. 7/10

In the same episode, we get "Hell is forever" sung by Adam. THE Adam. The first man Adam. Charlie meets with the Angels (just Adam and Lute, a girlboss exterminator who I think is in love with Adam?) and discusses her plan to redeem sinners. Adam laughs her off, singing "Hell is Forever," trying to convince Charlie that sinners can't change. Adam is such a dickbag that it's hard to like any part of this scene. He is really disrespectful towards women, grossly sexual, swears more than most characters in the show, and talks about being the "original dick." It wasn't unbearable, but it's probably the most forgettable song so far. 2/10

Next is "Stayed Gone" from the episode "Radio Killed the Video Star." It feels like a rap battle. It's a competitive song between Alastor and Vox that takes place over the radio and on TV respectively. A basic rundown is that Vox is kind of horny and down bad for Alastor, won't admit it. Vox is really pissed that Alastor came back (he was gone for 7 years) and is basically going on TV to shit on him. However, before he left, Vox had asked Alastor to join the Vees, (an influential group of overlords with names that start with 'V'; it's giving middle school popular girls) and Alastor refused. Vox is mad that Alastor didn't join, which leads Alastor to drop the iconic line "I said no and now he's pissy, that's the tea." This is probably one of my favorite songs in HH. It's catchy and unproblematic (which seems to be difficult for Viv). 8/10

"It starts with Sorry" is a song Charlie sings to Sir Pentious, telling him she'll accept him into the hotel if he owns up to his mistakes. It's an okay and forgettable song, but it's super ironic. A song about acknowledging you've hurt people, apologizing, and becoming a better person? In Vivienne fucking Medrano's show? Absolutely hilarious to listen to, if you go at it with a different perspective. Viv should take her own advice. 3/10

The episode "Scrambled Eggs" is based more around women (shocker, it wasn't written by Viv or Adam). The first song in this episode is "Respectless." It's sung by Velvette, one of the Vees, and Carmilla Carmine, an overlord. Velvette brings a decapitated angel head to an overlord meeting, and announces that angels CAN be killed, contrary to their previous belief. Velvette suggests they fight back against the angels and the exterminations, while Carmilla is adamant against it. The song's fine, but I especially love Velvette's lines. She has an English accent (Essex? I think?) and basically says "I'm not just a bitch. I'm THE bitch" and I love her for it. 5/10

Right after that, we find out that Carmilla killed the angel, which would have been shocking, but we only knew her for like, 5 minutes. The meeting's over, and it's just her and a few others. She says that she killed the angel to protect her daughters, and that going to war would endanger them again (basically "going to war endangers the people we started killing for"). She sings "Whatever it Takes" about protecting those she loves? I think, the song wasn't good enough to pay attention. This song's got a side-by-side with Vaggie, who's singing about wanting to protect Charlie. It's a sweet and nice song, but was just kinda mid. There's also a problem with Vaggie's singing, in which her voice is deep and monotonous, but her singing is light and high-pitched. 4/10

Oh boy. The next episode. "Masquerade." The first song is "Poison," sung by Angel Dust. It was released early, and got lots of hype and controversy. Similar to "Addict," it's a song where Angel talks about his struggles with addiction and his sexual abuse at the hands of his pimp, Valentino. Both of these songs are also on my playlist. It's catchy and fun to listen to, while also tackling deeper topics. Angel feels like his sexual abuse is his fault, and although he absolutely hates it, he feels like he has no choice but to stay. The song on its own? 9/10. Then the episode came out. The song shows Angel dancing and singing this song while graphic images flash behind him. Images of his rape and sexual assault. This episode had ZERO trigger warnings. The creators of this song were Viv and Raph (I can't find his last name right now). We can only speculate for Viv, but Raph 100% has a Rape kink. He ships Angel x Valentino, posts cosplay and art shipping them, publicly sexually harassed (asked for the nudes of?) a 15 year old, and essentially has admitted he finds rape and SA hot. He also lied about being an SA victim. Neither Viv nor Raph are SA victims. This song is just to fuel their rape kinks. Viv and Raph have yet to apologize for sexualizing SA, and have since doubled down on why this is "good representation." Truly disgusting, I have no choice but to say 0/10

"Loser, Baby" is similar to "Poison" in the sense that's it's fine until you REALLY think about it. In this song, Husk tells Angel that he used to be an overlord, but lost his power to Alastor. He says that he understands how Angel feels, since both their souls belong to overlords. The song is supposed to portray a "you're not alone, I understand what you're going through" message, but instead feels victim blame-y, with Husk kinda telling Angel that he should just try to ignore and move past it because everyone struggles. 6/10 song, 0/10 message

The songs were kinda disappointing, especially the last two. Fuck Vivienne Medrano

[tsarisfanfiction]

Hide and Seek

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Teen Genre: Family Characters: Michael, Apollo, Piper, Meg, Jason Michael wasn't expecting to stumble across his mortal father in his latest escape attempt. Now if only his dad would do the sensible thing and get off the floating villa Michael's been trying to escape for the past two years. TOApril day 24 - Unexpected Allies. This is a spin-off AU from mine and @stereden's fic A Single Drachma, where instead of his escape from Caligula meaning he missed the TBM drama of canon... well. This happened. I may or may not tackle this AU properly later on, but for now here's a pilot of what could be. There are characters I've not written much if at all before in here, so please bear with any oocness that may have occurred as I start to get to grips with them.

Michael didn’t know what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this.

More fucking big eared furry menaces hounding him with the bows that he just wished he could get his hands on?  He’d rather not because they meant trouble, but they were a possibility.

Brainwashed humans and stupid cyclopes working together to pin him down and drag him back to his dressed-up fucking prison?  Second most likely, and preferred out of the two – even without a weapon he had a chance of wriggling past them.

The horse?  Fuck off, but also a known quantity.  Same for the deluded creepy freak that called himself an emperor-god and kept telling Michael he was going to replace Apollo.  If he never saw either of them again it would be too fucking soon, but so far his luck hadn’t been that good.

It hadn’t been good at all.  If it was, he wouldn’t have been stuck on these fucking boats for the past two years.  Michael was very, very sick of water everywhere he looked.  There was land around them at the moment, some bay or other, although he had no idea which one.  He didn’t care, either, as long as he could finally get away, and there had been enough noise going on that something was happening, and he had another chance to slip away – if he could get onto one of those landing boats unnoticed.

Then the lightning had struck the boat he was on, blowing apart enough of it that the freaky sound-proofing that Michael hated so much cracked open and the noise of fighting was right there.

Lightning.  Striking a boat.

Michael had been a demigod long enough to know that lightning didn’t just strike for no reason.

He shrunk back into the shadows as more of the freak’s goons – one of them a cyclops – ran towards the broken cabin and yanked open the door with enough force that it almost came off its hinges.  The freak was not going to be happy about the destruction of one of his precious boats, and Michael almost wished he could see his reaction.

Almost.

He still wanted to get the fuck away more.

Then the freak’s goons dropped dead, and Michael saw opportunity.  He hated to admit it, but with two years’ worth of failed escape attempts, it was pretty damning evidence that he wasn’t going to get away without some help.  It was either going to save or damn him, but he needed to know if there were more anti-freaks on the ship – if there were, he was joining their fucking party no matter what they said.

Michael stayed low as he nudged the door open, pushing it without actually standing in the doorway, because he’d seen how fast those idiots had dropped and wasn’t going to get himself killed by being like them.

Gold weapons flashed out at the empty space, lower than he’d anticipated – a shorter warrior than he’d accounted for – and proved his paranoia right.

“I’m not with those bastards,” he said, keeping his voice low – because sound travelled on the water and the freak might be several boats over but that didn’t make him necessarily out of earshot – but clear.  He was well aware his outfit didn’t help matters, with the stupid white-and-blue sailor crap the freak loved so much, but that wasn’t his fucking choice, either.  Still, he poked his head cautiously around the doorframe, keeping a hand raised where whoever was in there could see it.

It was a bad fucking idea, he knew it was, but two years was enough to make him more than a little bit fucking desperate, okay?

There were four of them in there – closest to the door, with those dangerous-looking twin golden blades, was a black haired girl about his height, and probably a similar age to Kayla (if Kayla hadn’t fallen, and no, Michael wasn’t going to think about seeing his youngest sister fall from the fucking bridge right now).  The other teenagers were all a couple of years younger than him, maybe Will’s age or a bit older, but they had the clear air of demigods, and Michael hadn’t seen any of those in two years.

Demigods on a quest, even if there was too many of them, technically.  If the kid was part of it.

She certainly gripped her weapons like she knew how to use them.

“Michael?”

It was his name, soft and broken and unexpected, and it came from the curly haired brown boy clutching an arrow in his hands.

“You know this guy?” the older girl asked, and the other boy – this one blond – peered at him from behind his glasses in a way that looked distinctly Athena-kid-like, except for the bright blue eyes.

“I- yes,” Curly said, sounding like he’d seen a fucking ghost, and Michael scowled at him.  He didn’t recognise him at all – he hadn’t been a camper two years ago, none of them had been, Michael didn’t recognise any of them.  Not the unruly brown curls, not the nasty case of acne, not his voice or even the bow that he used.

Then he made eye contact.

He’d heard the saying ‘eyes are the window to the soul’ many times, but he’d always dismissed it at romanticised bullshit.  Eyes were eyes and they came in many colours and shapes and emotions, but the idea of them being more had never settled well with him.

Curly’s eyes were an unfamiliar blue, but there was something in them that was familiar, that made Michael unwillingly think of camp, of his siblings, of dreams and sun-warmth.  Of all the things he’d missed for the past two years, wrapped up into one condensed thing.

“Dad?” he asked, and it was stupid, Apollo wouldn’t be fucking here, except-

Except it was, wasn’t it?

Fuck.

“Michael!”  The arrow dropped to the ground, and Curly – Apollo, really, what the actual fuck, what had taken him so fucking long and Michael wasn’t stupid, Apollo hadn’t expected to see him – grabbed him in a desperate embrace.

“How many do you have?” the younger girl asked, but she wasn’t threatening Michael with her swords so he was going to take that.  She went unanswered as Apollo started crying into Michael’s shoulder, blubbing things about you’re alive that Michael immediately decided to shut up in a box and not acknowledge until after he was off the fucking floating villa once and for all.

With his dad there, it seemed a lot more possible, even if there was something really weird about him.

“What the fuck is going on?” Michael demanded, intentionally cutting off Apollo’s words.

“That’s what I want to know,” the older girl said, and Michael could see the way her eyes were inspecting his clothes with suspicion.  “So tell me why you’re here.”

Her voice gained a sort of double-layer, subtle enough that Michael knew most people couldn’t hear it, let alone ignore it, but he wasn’t most people.  Drew had bitched about it often enough.

“You’re an Aphrodite kid,” he deducted, pointedly not answering the Charmspeak-layered question.  That would tell her what she needed to know, would stop her wasting her power-

Except she was looking at him with even more open suspicion now, and so was the so far silent blond boy behind her.  Seriously?

“Answer my question,” she said, and the Charmspeak was less subtle and more like a hammer against his ears.

Idiot.  How had Drew or Silena let her out on a quest like that?

He shut down the unwelcome thought that maybe they hadn’t been there to teach her.

“When you stop trying to fucking Charmspeak me,” he growled.  “Apollo, why the fuck are you like this?”  He gestured as best he could whilst trapped by his dad’s arms at the whole not-pretty teenager thing.  He’d never seen Apollo look so not-perfect in his life.

“He’s mortal,” the younger girl – and really, Michael could do with some fucking names, he was going to call her Sword Girl until he got a better one – shrugged, although there was nothing carefree about the action.

That… that was another can of fucking worms that Michael did not want to deal with right then.  His immortal god of a father suddenly mortal.  Great.

Wait.  Fuck.  Was this what the freak meant when he said he was going to replace Apollo?  Fuck, no, Michael was not letting that happen.

“You need to get the fuck off this boat,” he snapped.  “Now.  Why the fuck are you even here, anyway?”

“To steal Caligula’s shoes,” Sword Girl said bluntly.  She was rapidly becoming Michael’s favourite for actually answering his questions with recognisable answers.  Even if they were stupid ones.

“Why?” he despaired.  “What is worth risking your whole damn fucking existence for a pair of fucking shoes?  Or a boat of them?”

“How do you know about that?” Charmspeak Girl demanded (he would have called her Charmspeak Bitch, except Drew was a difficult one to topple from her bitch queen throne), her voice still laced with the fucking useless power.

He fixed her with a glare.  “Stop with the fucking Charmspeak.  It doesn’t fucking work on me, and even if it did it’s not a fucking interrogation power.”

“What do you mean?” formerly Silent-Blond asked, finally inserting himself into the conversation.  Charmspeak Girl looked just as confused, if also frustrated, and Michael realised she really didn’t have a fucking clue.

She was working with his dad, and Michael wasn’t one for dead demigods, either.  Fuck, he was not qualified to teach Aphrodite kids about their own powers, dammit.  Still, he had to say something.

“Charmspeak is based on attraction,” he told her, elbowing his dad in the process because forget Drew and Silena, why hadn’t Apollo thought to explain this shit to her?  “You persuade people that are fucking attracted to you that they want to do whatever the fuck you want.  Works for direct orders.  Doesn’t work for getting the truth out of people when they’re busy saying whatever the fuck they think you want to hear.  Stop relying on the fucking thing, it’s unreliable at best.”

Charmspeak Girl looked like he’d just told her the sky was fucking green.  Duty done, Michael ignored her and turned back to his dad.

“You need to get the fuck off this villa,” he repeated.  “Which of these idiots is your master?” because Michael had been a camper for seven fucking years, he knew the stories.  Every damn time his dad got turned mortal, he got given a demigod master.  Silent-Blond and Charmspeak Girl stared at him like he’d said something unreasonable, while Sword Girl puffed her chest out.

“Me, duh.”

Huh.  Well, at least it wasn’t Charmspeak Girl.

“Get him the fuck away from this villa,” he told her.  “This isn’t fucking worth-”

“There’s a prophecy,” Apollo said, finally talking again.  “We need those shoes, to beat him.”

Well, fuck.

Michael would love to see the freak defeated.  Right now, more than most other fucking things, but he wasn’t letting Apollo get destroyed in the process, which was what was going to happen if his idiot of a currently-mortal dad kept trying to scout across the boats until he stumbled across the right one, and then the right pair of shoes.

No fucking way.

Fuck.

“What fucking shoes?” he demanded, finally pushing Apollo off of him.  Mortal or not, Apollo was still the god of prophecy.  If he was saying shit like that, then Michael couldn’t just tell him to fuck off and ignore it.

“Caligula’s namesake,” Silent Blond finally spoke, still assessing him with those too-sharp, too-bright blue eyes.  Michael still couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t quite an Athena kid, but didn’t have a clue what other options were on the table.  “His childhood shoes.”

Michael sighed and nodded.  “Get the fuck off of this thing,” he told them.  “You don’t stand a fucking chance.”

They bristled, all four of them, and Michael got it, at least from the three demigods.  Of fucking course they didn’t trust him.  Apollo’s reaction hurt a little more, but Michael forced himself to ignore it.  The arrow at his foot caught his attention and he bent down, picking it up and shoving the shaft against his dad’s chest, not entirely certain why except it was an arrow and Michael had always been an archer.

Apollo’s eyes got so wide it would have been funny if Michael wasn’t currently trying to save his dad’s fucking existence.

“Go,” he snarled.  “If you want to be fucking helpful, get one of those fucking landing boats over to ship forty three.”

“And what are you going to do?”  She’d finally dropped the Charmspeak, but her voice was still sharp without it.

Michael scoffed.  “I’m going to go get your fucking shoes.  Now fuck off.”

He didn’t wait for them to respond, ducking back out of the ruined cabin and slipping back into the shadows.

Time to put the last two years of playing hide and seek with the freak’s fucking goons to good use.

----

Okay I don't usually put A/Ns at the end of fics on tumblr, but at this point I want to clarify the Charmspeak thing, because Charmspeak is a power that can very easily go squick so I've spent some time trying to make it not so awful - specifically the implication that every middle-aged adult that Piper charmspeaks is Attracted to a sixteen year old girl. So, the premise I've worked on is that Charmspeak works on by drawing on either attraction (as in somebody already actively attracted either romantically or physically to the Charmspeaker), or for more powerful Charmspeakers like Piper, the potential for attraction (e.g. if a man is straight or bi/attracted to women, then even though he's an upstanding individual who would never dream of being attracted to a teenage girl, because the only thing that skews her out of his demographic is her age, the Charmspeak is still enough to bring them under control despite the lack of active attraction). This also extends to the additional worldbuilding whereby people with no potential for attraction - don't swing that way, or in the case of Michael in all my fics, are both very much aroace and also have no inclination to seek that sort of company anyway - can't be Charmspoken, even by someone as powerful as Piper.

[yanderes-galore]

Can you make a Yandere Mickey concept from Halo?

Sure! I watched two lore videos and the ODST cutscenes to remind me of his character. Sorry for the long wait! This draft was problematic when saving so I just hope things save RIGHT.

Edit: Damn I popped OFF on this one-

Yandere Mickey/Michael Crespo Concept

(Contains some info from Halo 3: ODST, Halo: New Blood, Halo: Bad Blood. I think those last two are the right books?)

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Overprotective behavior, Jealousy, Paranoia, Angst, Death, Mental break, Kidnapping, Delusional behavior, Consensual to forced relationship.

Mickey has an interesting career profile when you really begin to dig into the books.

He was an ODST, then a Spartan, then a traitor, then with his old team yet again.

It would be interesting to see how he responds to a darling through all that.

So let's start with Halo 3 ODST, where we first meet Alpha Nine.

You had spoken with Mickey enough to be on friendly terms.

You had both undergone ODST training and got along with each other.

If you want to make it more tragic, maybe you replace The Rookie.

You had even chatted amicably before being dropped down to New Mombasa.

It all starts with friendship and being teammates.

You were a bit more experienced than him but not by much.

Mickey is described to be a creative daredevil and risk-taker.

He's skilled in explosives and piloting ships.

When it came to you he got along with you along with the rest of Alpha-Nine.

Mickey didn't realize how much he cared about you until after New Mombasa.

You all got separated the moment the Covenant Carrier entered slip space.

This leaves you all to try and find each other and survive on the ground.

Now, as I said before, you can either replace The Rookie or work alongside him.

Mickey is caught up in the battling, not thinking too much about you until he finds Dutch.

When Dutch brings you up along with the rest of the team, Mickey feels a sudden rush of unease.

You two were close... not the closest but enough to the point of Mickey worrying.

Despite such worries, he works alongside Dutch to find the rest of the team.

Meanwhile you either wake up late or end up finding the rest of the team.

Eventually you'll end up reuniting with Mickey and the rest one way or another.

The upsetting part is not much is given on Mickey's personality, but I assume he's easily influenced due to what we see later on.

When he sees you again, he's surprised by how excited he gets.

To the point he ends up freezing, leading to either Buck or Dutch to tease him.

Mickey and you just seem to be happy that the whole team managed to get out of the battle okay.

Romeo was the most injured, but can recover.

Mickey was in charge of piloting the stolen Phantom that picked you all up, yet would not stop talking to you.

You picked up on his worry and even felt flattered.

You admit you were worried about him too, which makes Mickey pause again with a quickly reddening face.

Thankfully his visor was on....

You two continue to work beside one another after this.

Even when tragedy strikes.

Mickey's obsession develops more and more after New Mombasa.

He gets to know you more, maybe even asks you on a date to test things out... He makes his feelings known.

By this point Mickey has known you for two years.

He's trained with you, fought beside you, and even fell for you since New Mombasa.

When the Rebellion on Draco III begins, one of two people can die.

The Rookie, which would be the option closer to Canon.

Or you, the option that would break Mickey but cut his obsession short... sorta.

The second option would be the default if you chose to replace The Rookie.

Seeing his obsession die would break Mickey.

He's in denial, panicking, and can't believe it.

Like in canon he blames himself for not saving you and becomes disillusioned with the UNSC.

He never wanted to fight humans.

Yet here he is... killing rebels and mourning you at your new grave on Draco III.

No matter how much the others try to comfort him, he ignores it.

Which would lead him to become a more deranged traitor later down the line.

But that's where that story ends, the longer option is The Rookie dying like usual.

This gives him all the same feelings as before, except now he still has you.

Although he begins to fear how easy it would be to lose you.

One wrong tactical mistake... and you could die.

He still hates the UNSC but also blames himself for The Rookie's death.

After this comes the events of the SPARTAN-IV program.

You, Buck, Romeo, and Mickey were sent off to get the necessary augmentations to become better soldiers.

Mickey debated on retiring with you to settle down.

By this point you've had quite a few dates and Mickey was thinking of having a family with you and leaving the UNSC.

However, you encouraged him to take the opportunity with you...

Mickey couldn't just leave you alone.

You both become Spartans but Mickey only becomes more disillusioned.

Maybe around this time you end up calling off the relationship.

You're too busy with Spartan training to really commit to Mickey, so with a reluctant look... you tell him you're over.

You may have even left because you felt uneasy about his recent politics.

You try to tell him you still love him, but currently things just won't work out.

Which may only hurt his mental state more.

After this I plan to defect more from canon to make this yandere.

Perhaps there were multiple times Mickey tried to convince you he wanted the best for you.

The break up is messy, Mickey clinging to you in private as he rambles to you.

He tells you the UNSC doesn't care what happens to you, he tells you he just wanted a family with you, he tells you he doesn't want to let you go.

Despite all this, you still push yourself off of him.

While you continue to dedicate yourself to the UNSC, Mickey secretly joins the URF.

Causing a larger rift between you.

I like to imagine on a later mission against the URF, maybe Mickey betrays you away from the rest.

His feelings for you never changed, in fact, they only got stronger.

He can't accept the fact you're more obedient to the UNSC than to him.

So, on a mission Mickey kidnaps you with help from some URF soldiers.

If you have a few soldiers under you, they're either imprisoned or killed.

After all... Mickey just wants to capture you, not anyone else right now.

You curse at him, call him a filthy traitor.

Mickey only gives a saddened smile, holding you down enough to put restraints on you.

This is all just a lover's quarrel.

He tells you he still loves you, always will, and this way... you can stay together.

You're confused with what he means until you're transported to a cell.

You're in URF territory and only glare when Mickey checks in on you.

Mickey soon slips into the cell once you're restrained and embraces you.

He whispers how if you join the URF, you two can be happy.

They already plan to set him up with a private home and can even take you in as his spouse.

Mickey isn't blind to your clear distaste towards him.

He hopes soon you'll forgive him and love him again.

You may view him as a monster and traitor now...

But that won't change the pure adoration he's always felt for you.

"We'll be together just like before... please, baby, you know I need you! I can't live without you... I just want you to never leave me again!"

[queerfables]

Hi okay SO. I have been putting off making an introduction post because I'd mostly prefer people to just look at my blog and decide if they want to hang out based on that, rather than making some big definitive statement about Who I Am.

But I'm currently accumulating followers at a truly alarming rate and - look, I don't want to give the impression I'm ungrateful, I am genuinely SO TOUCHED by every single one of you who's interested in what I have to say!! The feeling is 100% mutual, and I am having a blast sharing everyone's thoughts and enthusiasm. It's just that my goal with this blog is to have fun and do my own thing. I don't hate attention but I'm also not looking for it.

On balance, then, I think it's probably a good idea to give people a general sense of what I'm about so that if it doesn't appeal to you, we can opt out of each other's social circle before anyone steps on anyone else's toes.

My general philosophy:

I am here to have fun. I might occasionally have a little kvetch about some fandom trend or another but ultimately, even if your favourite trope drives me up the wall, I'm genuinely so happy that it is out there bringing you joy. I try very very hard to treat everyone with kindness and to avoid getting caught up in drama.

This isn't a clique it's a community. Please leave commentary on my posts or drop me a message if you wanna chat!

I follow and unfollow pretty liberally and never mean anything personal by it. I might consider you a friend but still unfollow if your current hyperfocus isn't jiving with mine. In turn, I will never take offence to anyone doing the same with me. Regardless of our following status, I'm always up to chat.

I don't do DNIs. Interact if you want to, don't if you don't. Good faith questions and comments are always welcome. Malicious behaviour will be blocked.

Primary Fandoms

Good Omens - I have loved this fandom for years and years, since before the TV show as it exists today was even a twinkle in Neil's eye. I ship Crowley and Aziraphale SO HARD and I am completely blown away by everything that we've gotten since the first season came out in 2019. Fifteen year old me could not even have imagined!!!

Supernatural - Literal opposite energy. I resisted this show for its entire run, after watching the pilot when it aired and thinking "if I watch this, I will end up shipping the brothers, and I am just not prepared for shipping the brothers." Fifteen years later destiel came in swinging with the steel chair and I grumbled and decided I'd better watch it to find out what all the fuss was about. And do you guys know what? I was right all along. I came away from that show obsessed with it as a gothic horror story and shipping the brothers hard. So wincest is my otp, but I'm a multishipper and I have a soft spot for wincestiel, destiel and sastiel too. As a darkfic enjoyer, I also dabble in John/Dean/Sam and variants. I'm not, like, opposed to less-dark takes on this, they just don't do much for me. I'm pretty careful to tag ships in this fandom consistently, so if you don't want to see something, you can blacklist it.

Side Fandoms

You might see these occasionally or for short stretches but they aren't currently taking over my brain the same way Good Omens and Supernatural are.

Ace Attorney (Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth. Queerplatonic Phoenix Wright/Maya Fey. Enthusiastic dabbler in background ships and rarepairs.)

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild+ (Link/Sidon. Link/Gannon. Bemused Link/Zelda ally [I don't ship it but I'm happy for all of you and enjoy the gender bending fanart].)

Ted Lasso (Roy/Keeley/Jamie. Queerplatonic Ted/Rebecca. Rebecca/Sam enjoyer. Pro-finale loyalist. Every single character is my best friend and also my daughter.)

Hannibal (Will/Hannibal. Margot/Alana enjoyer.)

Tagging

I mostly tag for fandoms and ships (although I'm not currently tagging for Crowley/Aziraphale beyond the parent "good omens" tag. That may change if I settle on a tag I like). I wish that I could tag for triggers requested by people who want to follow me, but realistically, that isn't something I can guarantee and trying just wipes me out. If trigger tags are something you need, we may have to admire one another from afar.

At some point I will add a list of useful organisational tags here but for now you can always just browse back through my archives if you're interested.

[bullet-prooflove]

The North Star - Part Two: Case of the Ex - Terry Bruno x Reader

Welcome to mine and @the-hinky-panda The Bronx universe featuring our favs Terry Bruno & Mike Duarte.

This story takes place several years after 'Blood Out'. Terry still lives in the Bronx and works in Manhatten SVU.

Following on from @the-hinky-panda story 'The Dog' Mike has retired from the NYPD on medical grounds due to seizures causes by the attack. He has a therapy dog called Bono and lives with @the-hinky-panda character Meredith.

Tagging: @mysoulisasunflower @legit9thlunaticwarrior @bbyxoo @the-adzukibean @xoxabs88xox @crazy4chickennuggets @beardedbarba @wooshwastaken @justreblogginfics @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @storiesofsvu @anime-weeb-4-life

Part One: Moments

You make it over the threshold of your Squad Room with a few minutes to spare, the conversation from the car still playing in your head as you secure your weapon in the individualised gun locker and drop your lunch bag off in the kitchen. Your actions are mechanical, your body running on auto pilot because you’re struggling to process. There’s a disconnect in your brain between what you want and your prior experiences.

“It’s ok.” Terry had reassured you before you left the car. “I’m not mad, you’re not ready and that’s ok.”

It’s more complicated than that you wanted to tell him. It was an impulse ingrained into your psyche, a remnant of a trauma you had spent years trying to bury.

He turned in the driver’s seat to face you, his eyes meeting yours as he leaned in close. The scent of his aftershave was in your nose, lavender and sandalwood, it clung to his skin as his thumb brushed over the apple of your cheek tenderly.

“It doesn’t change how I feel about you.” He told you with an honesty you felt in the very depths of your soul. “I can promise you that.”

You were in a haze of memories as you made your way to your desk, your thoughts ricocheting like bullets in your mind. Then and now, Paul and Terry, two different men. The past and the present. Sometimes in the dead of night you wake up in a cold sweat and you hear that laugh, that distinctive and hearty sound. It rebounds in your brain and it’s like you can hear it all over again, echoing in your ears.

You freeze, your muscles seizing because you are hearing that sound again, only it’s real and it’s coming from your workspace. There’s a small huddle of detectives lingering in the vicinity, they’re hanging on every word that emits from Detective Paul Russo’s mouth as he perches on the corner of your desk. You have to hand it to him it’s a power move, a way of claiming territory in an unfamiliar battleground. It’s just like Paul, a subtle way of trying to put you in your place. You didn’t see it back then but hindsight in a fine thing and you see it now. The same man, playing the same games, years later.

“Don’t you guys have cases to solve?” You said, breaking up the congregation. “Leads to follow up?”

The detectives scatter like school children caught out on the playground, heading in different directions. Only Paul remains. His blue eyes meet yours, they are clear and vivid, his pupils reactive and normal. He doesn’t flinch from your gaze; he knows what your seeking and he allows you to have it.

“I’ve been clean for over a year now.” He informed you, his gaze still on your face.

“Good for you.” You told him before dropping into your seat. “Now get your ass off my desk.”

He complied, slipping into the visitor’s chair instead. He was still in your proximity, not far enough away for you to be unaffected, it made your skin prickle and not in the good way. You removed the paperwork from your satchel before setting it down upon the surface of your desk, followed by your laptop.

There was a silence between the two of you, you let it hang, hoping he would get the message and disappear elsewhere.

“Aren’t you gonna ask what I’m doing here?”

“You are here to consult on my Robbery Homicide case.” You said, pressing the power button on your work laptop to bring it to life.

“That is the correct answer.” Paul informed you, clearly surprised. “But I guess that’s why they pay you the big bucks Sarge.”

He pronounced the last word with an air of respect, praise rolling off his tongue. It felt like an ice pick being driven into your skull as you twisted your head towards him. His large hand reached out, covering yours momentarily, his thumb trailing over the gold stacking rings that graced your fingers.

“I’m proud of you.” he said quietly. “You said you’d do it, and you did.”

You remembered this version of Paul. Charming and alluring, gentle touches that lingered and a smile that seduced. How easy it had been to fall in the beginning, to get caught up in a man that seemed so handsome, so thrilling. It had been exciting, having all of his attention focused on you.

You withdrew your hand from his, dropping it into your lap because you remembered the other part too. The mania, the blown pupils and the red rimmed eyes, his excitable moods, his excruciating lows. The nights you’d wake up alone, because he was out God knows where, doing God knows what with God knows who.

“Detective Sinclair will take you through the case.” You told him, indicating to the workspace across from yours. “I have to be in court in an hour.”

His elbow came to rest on the corner of your desk as he leaned in close. He was clean shaven these days, his chiselled cheek bones no longer as gaunt as you remembered. Flecks of auburn shone in his hair from the fluorescent lights from above, and you wondered how many women he had corrupted since you. How many more notches lined his bedpost. The scent of his cologne was in your nostrils. It was one of the Ralph Laurens, something with bergamot and sage. It tasted bitter on your tongue.

“We’re going out tonight.” He told you, those bold eyes meeting yours as his voice lowered just an octave. “You, me, that place we used to like. We can see where the night takes us.”

His tone was dark and full of promise. It reminded you of the beginning, slow fingers drawing down the zipper of a little black dress. Fabric falling to the floor as that hot mouth plundered yours. It had happened quickly, your descent into madness and it ended in a storm of agony, blood and broken glass.

“I’m seeing someone.” You informed him, your eyes fixed on his.

“Oh Darlin...” He tutted, the edges of his mouth twitching up into a small smile. “He can’t do the things that I do for you…”

“No.” You said softly. “He does it better.”

It was a low blow, but it was worth it to see the devastation on those handsome features of his. For a moment he looks crestfallen, and you drink it in like a fine wine because what he is feeling right now is just a sliver of the pain, he’s caused you. The scars are still etched into your skin, they play out in your nightmares and invade your thoughts, stealing away your hopes and dreams because you can’t stand to lose yourself like that again. You won’t. What happened between the two of you ripples out from the initial point of impact and it affects everything. You were never the same after that.

“We’ll see.” Paul says as he raised to his feet and fastens the button on his suit jacket. “There’s plenty of time for the two of us to get reacquainted.”

Love Terry Bruno? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[againstacecilia]

First Hunt

Pairing: Din Djarin x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3k

Rating: M, series and blog are E so minors DNI

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, reader's first bounty (they grow up so fast), brief hand-to-hand combat.

A/N: Alrighty folks, we're really getting into it now. New arc, maybe something brewing between our main characters??? Who knows. 🥰 Big round of applause to @creatively-analytical for beta-reading and letting me yell and scream about Shiny Metal Man. 💖 Asks are always open!!

You rise before the sun and get ready to leave, your chest still churning with random emotions from the events from the night before but you do your best to shove it all down. As promised, you wake your parents before you leave and say a simple goodbye; everything you needed to tell them had already been said. 

The walk back to the Razor Crest is crisp in the pre-dawn air. The ramp to the back is open by the time you reach the ship so you head in, determined to act completely normal when you faced Mando. Heading straight for your cot, you drop your jacket and call out, “Mando? You here?”

“Up here,” he calls from the cockpit. It was the last place you wanted to see him but you headed up the ladder anyway. 

“Morning!” you greet him cheerily, placing your bag on the seat across from yours.

“Morning,” he responds, swiveling his chair to look at you. “Looks like the conversation went well.”

“You were right, talking to them was the right move. They were incredibly supportive and told me how proud of me they are, which was exactly what I needed to hear.”

“I’m glad.”

Busying yourself with your bag, you ask, “So, did you get everything taken care of you needed to?”

Spinning the chair back, he responds, “Yeah, Tonis gave me a couple of low-level bounties that we can go after together as a trial period for you. If we can snag these guys, I’ll know you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?” you ask, curiosity pulling your gaze to the back of his chair.

“Ready to be on your own.”

The answer gives you another jolt of emotion. You try not to think about it but rather focus on the future in front of you. “Oh. Okay, sounds good. Where are we going first?” 

“Pasaana. It’s pretty close so we’ll get there in later today.”

You settle into your chair, eyes fixed somewhere beyond the viewport and into the sky above you. “I’m ready.”

Mando punches in the coordinates and the Crest starts to rise. As you take off, you watch your town grow smaller and smaller. You feel this chapter of your life coming to a close and, as the atmosphere of Randon changes to the calm of space, you look away from your old life and forward toward what will be. 

- - - - - - - -

“So tell me something about yourself, Mando.” A few hours after you left Randon, you find yourself thoroughly bored. And curious about your travel companion. Unfortunately, Mando didn’t seem to match your curiosity. He ignores the question, busying himself with the controls.

“Oh come on,” you nudge the back of his chair with your foot. “If we’re going to be traveling together for a while I gotta know a little more about you than ‘always wears his helmet’ and ‘sometimes gives good advice’.”

Mando sighs and stands. He shifts to the other co-pilot chair and faces you, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees. “What do you want to know?”

“I want to know about you. I’m having a hard time figuring you out.”

“Figuring me out?” His head tilts to the side. “Why do you want to figure me out?”

“Because I want to be your friend.” It was a simple admission, something incredibly human. 

He’s silent for long enough that you begin to worry you said the wrong thing. Just as you’re about to apologize and take back your statement, he begins to speak.

“I was adopted by the Mandalorians when I was a child. Both my parents had been killed and I had nowhere to go so they rescued me. I trained for a few years and, once I got my helmet, I fully became Mandalorian.”

You knew a little bit of this already, but the tone of his voice began to shift as he continues.

“I did bounty hunting for a while as a way to bring in money, for myself and for my covert on Nevarro. One day, I took a bounty for an ex-empire guy and had to go get someone for him. That’s how I found Grogu.”

“Your foundling?”

Mando nods before continuing, words tumbling from his hidden lips, “Exactly. Long story short, I brought Grogu back but it didn’t feel right… So I rescued him and spent some time running from a lot of people who were trying to take him. Including Moff Gideon.” The name doesn’t ring a bell, and he notes the look of confusion on your face. 

“Moff Gideon is a warlord seeking the restoration of the Empire. Grogu was a part of that plan, but I’m not sure how.”

“Is he safe now?” 

Another nod. “Yes. He’s back with his kind.”

You smile, “Good. What happened after all that?”

“Not much, I’ve tried to lay low…” His sentence trails off as he pulls at a thread on his gloves. 

“You miss him,” you say, more of a statement than a question. 

“I do.”

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think there was emotion in those two little words. Mando, up until now, seemed a paragon of distance and strength. Listening him talk about Grogu, though, was showing you a softer side. 

“Thank you, Mando,” you reach across and squeeze his hand before sitting back. “And… I’m sorry. For the things I said before we got to Randon. I was saying things without thinking.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You were dealing with a lot.”

“Even so, it was harsh and unfair to you.”

He inclines his head in acceptance just as the proximity alert goes off, signaling the drop out of hyperdrive. As the stars settle back into place you get your first view of Pasaana. The desert planet loomed ahead of you, slightly larger than your home planet. From first glance, you were reminded of Jakku; swirls of tan and brown took most of the surface. But, as you drop into the atmosphere, large buttes of granite and sandstone become clear. Mando lands the Razor Crest in the shadow of one of those buttes and powers the ship down. 

“Alright, time to give you a run down on who we’re after first. His name is Shoan Harik, a low level bail jumper. He isn’t very violent, just skipped out after posting bail for running spice. First offence. We honestly might be able to walk up to him and put him in cuffs, but we should go over what you learned over the last few weeks just to be safe.”

You nod, heading to the cargo bay. Stepping into the fresher, you change into leather leggings, supple, grippy boots, and a light, long-sleeve shirt with a tan base layer tank top underneath. Using a leather strap, you tie your hair away from your face and take a look in the mirror. 

The person looking back at you is you… Almost. Even just a couple weeks of training has given you a glow; or maybe that was from whatever inner changes were happening. Your eyes are clear and determined. It was like looking through a filter, but definitely not in a bad way. 

You open the fresher door and step out to see Mando at the gun cabinet, grabbing your blaster. “Is this okay for hunting bad guys?” You gesture to the outfit.

“Well it isn’t always ‘bad guys’,” he starts, turning to look at you. As soon as the visor meets your eyes, he stops talking. 

“Everything okay?” You begin to feel self-conscious, reaching up to adjust your shirt. “I thought the boots would be good for any running we had to do and the shirt would be light but also keep me from getting a sunburn…”

“It’s, uh, great,” he clears his throat, shaking himself a little bit. “Smart thinking.”

“Thanks.” A little smile plays on your lips as you grab your thigh holster and begin strapping it on. Mando comes over and hands you your blaster; you slide it into it’s place and savor the comfortable weight. 

Mando finishes putting all his weapons in their places and locks the cabinet back up. He walks straight out of the cargo hold down the already open ramp and into the shadowed sand. You follow and adjust your bag as the ramp closes back up. 

“This is a good spot to run through your exercises before we head to the coordinates Tonis gave me.” 

Nodding, you remove your bag and begin stretching. It comes naturally to you now and, after they’re done, you move into punches. Then the few kicks Mando had a chance to teach you. He stands in front of you, slightly adjusting and correcting as needed, and you work up a sweat for another 10 or so minutes before he stops you. 

“Alright, now your blaster.”

Your hand finds the grip with ease and the blaster slips from its holster. Mando instructs you to aim at certain rocks and bushes and you oblige. Most of your shots hit and a feeling of pride swells in your chest. 

“You’re doing well,” Mando’s praise filling your chest even more, “but you still have a lot to learn. I’ll show you more after we find Shoan.”

“Then let’s go.” Determination again comes to the forefront and you slip your bag back over your shoulders. Mando takes the lead, heading away from the Crest and into the deserts of Pasaana.

- - - - - - - -

The sun is as uncomfortable as it was on Jakku, but the wind helps keep you cool as you and Mando walk toward a canyon. It towers over you, ledges and outcroppings dot the inner walls. Your eyes scour the nooks and crannies for clues or signs of life but, so far, the only things you see are gorpions and other desert bugs scurrying along the shadows and cracks. You repress a shiver every time one tries to head your way, but they always seem to change course and duck a different direction. 

Suddenly, a shot rings out and the blast kicks sand up about two feet to your left. Both you and Mando whip around, blasters pointed in the direction the shot came.

“You should go back to your ship, Mandalorian! And I won’t be joining you,” a voice echos off the canyon walls. 

“Show yourself Shoan!” Mando yells back, helmet searching. You assume there’s some sort of computer in there, helping him track the voice.

“Fat chance!” Shoan responds, “There’s no way you’re taking me!”

“Keep him talking,” Mando whispers to you, “If he keeps yelling I’ll be able to find him faster.”

You nod, choosing words quickly, “Shoan, we’re not here to hurt you.”

“Yeah, right! I know what Mandalorians do!”

“And what’s that?”

“They’re hunters!” An edge of fear creeps into the target’s voice, “He’s going to tell me that he’s just here to bring me in and then an ‘accident’ will happen and I’ll be sent back home in a casket!”

“I’m not sure where you learned about Mandalorians, but he really isn’t here to hurt you,” you look at Mando, confusion on your face. He doesn’t look back on you, focused on finding where Shoan is hiding.

Shoan scoffs, the sound carrying over the wind. “Sure. Whatever you say, girl.”

“I’m serious, just come talk to us and you’ll be safe.”

“And if I don’t?”

You don’t have an answer for him. “Have you found him yet?”

“Almost, just a minute more…”

“Shoan, listen to me. You have a chance here, a chance to make things right. Come with us and accept responsibility for what happened and start over.”

“I’m starting over here, if I go with you I won’t get that chance I’ll just go back to prison.” The emotion is still thick in his voice. 

“I know how scary it is to face your shortcomings and not know what the future looks like. I’m starting over, too, and I’m terrified. But you can either look at your life and keep going down a path you don’t like, or you can completely start over and build from a foundation of honesty and truth to who you want to be.” At this, Mando does look at you, and you look back at him. “Sometimes, it just takes someone believing in you for that change to begin.”

Mando nods at you and then jerks his head in what you assume to be Shoan’s direction. You nod back. 

“You don’t know me. You don’t know what my life was like. I can’t go back.” Shoan says. You and Mando creep in his direction. 

“You don’t have to go back to your old life, but you do have to take responsibility for what you did in that life. Once you’re done with that, you’ll have your entire new life ahead of you.” 

As you slowly move forward, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. Blindingly fast, a person comes streaking out of a small cave toward Mando.

Without thinking, you spin in his direction and grab for his arm. Using his momentum you pull his hand behind his back, spinning him to face you. His fist comes toward your face and the world slows; you bring your wrist up inside his fist and sweep it away, just like Mando did that first day of training. Your other hand balls up and your fist makes impact on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and pushing him back. As he’s stumbling, Mando swings around and kicks the back of his knees and he falls to the ground. In the 15 seconds this interaction has taken, Shoan went from rushing Mando to handcuffed on the ground. 

You’re panting next to Mando as he hauls Shoan to standing. “Nice work.”

“Thanks,” you reply, eyes on the bounty. “You okay, Shoan?”

“Why do you care?” he coughs, spitting sand out of his mouth, “You caught me. Can we go now?”

“We’re going,” Mando rumbles, tugging him along as you all head back to the Razor Crest. 

It’s hard not to skip as you walk, the pride in your work capturing Shoan making you feel lighter than air. Mando stomps on, almost dragging Shoan behind him. 

“We could slow down a little, Mando,” you comment, seeing the sweat drip from Shoan’s forehead. “We got him, he’s not going anywhere, let’s not kill him on the way back.”

He doesn’t say anything, but he does slow down. Shoan looks up at you curiously. “You know, you’re not what I expected out of a bounty hunter.”

“I’m not-” you start saying, but Mando interrupts you.

“Stop talking, we’re almost there.”

You give Shoan an “I don’t know” shrug and the three of you keep going in silence. 

The sun is nearly set by the time you make it to the Crest. Mando uses the buttons on his cuffs (“They’re called vambraces.”) to open the ramp and towes Shoan into the ship. You turn to admire the sunset when, suddenly, a loud hissing sound hits your ears. 

“Mando?” you call, running up the ramp into the darkness of the hold. Smoke fills the room and you hear a small whimper, which is suddenly cut off by another hiss.

“Mando!” your heart is racing, wishing you could see through the smoke. It begins to dissipate and your eyes adjust to a strange sight. 

Mando is standing in front of some sort of machine and, behind him, a metal plate hangs from a frame. Inside the plate…

“What did you do to Shoan?” you exclaim, rushing to the machine. Before you get a chance to make it there, Mando grabs your shoulders.

“Don’t touch it,” he pulls you away and spins you around, “I froze him in carbonite, he’s a flight risk.”

“I told him he was going to be safe, Mando, did you kill him?”

“No, it’s just carbon-freezing, he’ll be fine!”

You begin to calm but look over your shoulder at Shoan. His face is terrified, frozen in the whimper you heard on your way in. “He looks so scared…”

“He’ll be okay,” Mando releases you. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. I should’ve known you wouldn’t know what this was.”

You know the comment shouldn’t sting- of course you wouldn’t know what “carbon-freezing” was- but it still felt like just another thing he’d have to teach you about. Another in a long list of your gaps in knowledge. You give yourself a mental shake and step away from him. 

“Okay. Let’s just get him back to Tonis so he can get un-carbon-frozen.”

“We still have to find the other guy first. We’ll go back to Randon once we have both bounties.”

A heavy sigh escapes your lips as you walk past Mando to your cot. “Fine, then let’s get going.”

Mando follows behind you, closing the ramp and heading to the ladder. He stops and you feel his gaze on your back. 

“Hey, look at me,” he says, voice soft but serious. You straighten up and look at him. 

“Yeah?”

“You did well today,” his helmet stays fixed on you. “I didn’t even see him coming and you had him incapacitated before I even reacted.” 

“Not totally, he would’ve gotten the upper hand on me.”

“Don’t minimize your accomplishments. You helped me take him down safely and quickly. You did good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Mando.” He gives you a small nod before ascending to the cockpit. 

You don’t join him, opting instead to settle into your cot. Sitting criss-cross, you pull a book out of your bag and begin to read. Or, rather, try to read. Your eyes skim the words but you don’t really take any meaning from them as your mind starts to wander. 

The day’s events play back through your mind, jumping from moment to moment. The thrill of tussling with Shoan, the sunset on Pasaana, the memory of your face in the mirror, the pause in Mando’s words when you walked out of the fresher… They wind and blur faster and faster. You don’t even notice the whir of the engines as Mando pilots the Razor Crest out of the desert and back into space.

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[helluvapurf]

if you're still doing that ship bingo ask, vaggie x charlie (now that the main show has dropped)?

*cracks knuckles*

Alright, I know I "technically" already covered these two in an earlier ask awhile ago... buuuut as far as my updated thoughts are concerned, with S1 of Amazon's Hazbin concluded:

-Now, okay BEFORE the Cha*ggie fans get at me, hear me out! .w.;;

-Like, initially I did find Charlie & Vaggie an adorable lil pair from the initial Hazbin pilot: the tiny, grumpy protector gf (Vaggie) keeping her taller, goofball princess of a gf (Charlie) safe from harm-

Subtly supporting eachother through the aspiring dreams of the Hotel, esp as Vaggie often stays back to "man the fort" as Charlie takes care of other business (esp following into the main-released show)... but through the end of the upcoming Heaven conflicts in S1, working through those bumps in the road to strengthen their bond together 💜

...and yet, at the same time they just sadly dropped off a bit from my OTP-ranks as I kept watching... :( namely from the show keeping Vaggie more-or-less stuck in the "supportive love interest" role (literally all of her main/major musical moments being in-relation to loving & supporting Charlie... with even their later "lover's duet" being essentially borrowed from Charlie & her father's song? .x.;; ). Not to say its always bad to have a love interest-focused character, mind you... but if its to the point that's basically the entirety of spotlight we're gonna get from said character, it doesn't leave much story potential otherwise, y'know? 🤷‍♀️

-Which also leads me to this other point that I... really, reaaaaaally didn't like the whole "Vaggie is a former-exorcist angel" twist, in-relation to how much it threw a wrench into how her & Charlie's dynamic?? ._.

Like, Vaggie... my gal, whyyyyy would you NOT tell Charlie your secret, for all the literal years since you two have been together?? Sure, maybe if it was a case they had only just met/recently started dating, it'd be a different story... but the fact that Charlie spent SO long trying to make her redemption-Hotel dream a reality, confided in Vaggie (+the others) about her struggles w/ her dad Lucifer (aka: an angel), and was just overall such an open, loving & caring figure wanting to give everyone a chance... it just made me disappointed in Vaggie to be so untrusting of her own girlfriend 😔(+esp in letting Adam & Lute essentially walk all over her via-exposing that truth themselves... smh *sighs* 🤦‍♀️)

I could go on, but... yeaaaaah, that's basically about the gist of how I feel regarding Cha*ggie rn. Still a sweet pair on its own accord, and I'll always have my soft spot for it since their initial pilot debuts... but all-in-all, with Vaggie's stilted writing & other plot holes, they're just not a big OTP for me as of late 🤷‍♀️

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Only Friends or OnlyFans? (I swear they knew what they were doing when naming that show)

Because I was so mindblown, I went back to Only Friends and it truly is a very strong pilot episode. Especially the first scenes before the intro hits. It tells us everything we need to know about the characters and their dynamics.

But first, let's talk about the intro with the legendary OST. We see every character as themselves and every couple we're gonna follow throughout this show. And whilst every pairup is shown, the way they sit or the way light shines on them, already tells us a bit about what we can expect to happen later on. Sand leans down towards Ray as if they're gonna meet somewhere in the middle pretty soon. They change each other. Nick and Boston are very touchy and their faces are close. Nick is a bit brighter than Boston but not by much. They already are at a wavelength they know and like. And then there's Mew and Top on this sofa and Mew is very much in the spotlight. It hits his face directly and makes him look rather 2 dimensional while Top is in the shadows behind him - maybe even in Mew's shadow.

As I was scolling through Tumblr yesterday, many people said they expect Mew to turn out as a pretty badass and outsmarting person and after this rewatch I absolutely see something coming. He doesn't answer questions and is presented as socially smart but wait, I have to sort my thoughts and notes. It's a mess

Introduction

First of all, the first scenes are amazing. We are thrown right into a bar where the friends will gather again to go home. We meet Mew and Cheum and they are going to look for Ray and Boston. A random singer is shown but we don't know his name. Still, he's shown right in the beginning, he's gonna be important and then we cut to the bathroom where we meet Ray as a disshelfed drunk who fell asleep at the toilet. He's someone who knows how to hold his liquor but chooses to drink uncontrolably and he instantly mentions his father for no reason. It gives me daddy issues vibes but I could be wrong. Mew gets Ray before anything more can be said and the singer is left wondering what the heck that was about. Then we have Mew bumping into "the top tier" who immediately starts flirting. But Ray is not having it and protects Mew rather aggressivly which leaves me wondering if something is going on between Mew and Ray or if something once happened or if it's jealousy. The scene cuts and we see Boston flirting and trying to get a hook up but his friends arrive before anything happens and he drops his phone which is thankfully important later.

So, we're very quickly and effectively introduced to the four friends and two of their love interests. It's very intriguing and fast but things unfold later on and the little meetings and introductions of people make sense. Mew is pretty calm and laid back while Ray picks a fight as a compensation for his own issues. Sand, the singer, is feeling provocated by him and snaps while Top is the mysterious cool guy we all don't trust. And Boston is...yeah he's Boston and we don't get to know much about Cheum except she likes to dance.

Contrast

We are introduced to them partying but them standing in Ray's father's house after that humbles them a whole lot. Suddenly, they're just college students, they dream and they want to matter. They try to do something big and maybe bigger than they can handle while staying young and trying not to lose themselves in the process. The show draws this contrast very well. There are many small humbling moments when we see they're just going about their lives. It's nothing much but just lives as twenty year olds and sometimes they know what they want and who they are but in many moments they don't. Boston for example may find it fulfilling to fool around but we can see it's actually one of the only things that give him confidence. His confidence is wavering, just like Nick's. It can be let down very fast and boosted by small things. When they don't get what they want, it's irritating and it's a loss of control which shows Boston and Nick are both not that sure of themselves.

Growing up is learning that we can't always be in control of a situation but we can control ourselves and our actions. It's standing above things other people say about or to you and not waver everytime things don't go your way. Boston tries to control situations while Ray tries to figure out how to control himself but miserably fails. Since they go out partying every weekend, I'm 100% sure Ray knows when he has drunken enough but he feels so left out by himself that he can't control itand ends up half-passed out. I am sure he knew what he was doing when he sat in his car and he was grateful someone noticed. I think having the choice to drive the car even though he was that drunk, gave him some feeling of control again. Something he lost throughout the evening. I wouldn't say Sand makes him understand what it means to be in control of oneself but Sand is gonna be an important factor in Ray's journey of self-acceptance.

And Mew is an absolute riddle to me. The way he is presented differs a lot. When it's him and Top, it's all so calm and sweet and butterflies. But when they're not alone and when it's not his perspective alone, he hints he can "screen people" very quickly and doesn't answer after Ray asks if Top can be trusted. Something is definetly going on and Mew knows what Top's deal is. But the kitchen scene was so different. I wrote in my notes "Mew explains how he's gonna be too whipped after the sex while standing in the brightest light, having the heaviest filter on his face, looking very 2 dimensional...like a scene in a book and Top looks at him with stars in his eyes which I don't know if it's true feelings or what Mew wants him to look like." I've read a lot of posts saying Mew is probably gonna be the one stirring the drama and I totally see his potential in that matter but still, the scenes with Top alone are his perspective. He knows he shouldn't fall but does it anyway. He falls for Top's charms and sees more in the smiles than anyone else. All the other scenes with Top that aren't Mew's perspective are a lot different and a lot harsher in tone. I think at one point, Mew is gonna wake up from that dream of a lovely relationship and then turns 180 degrees to take shit down.

Character dynamics

There are these three people who seemingly don't know each other. Nick, Top and Sand are not part of the friend group but some seem to know each other. The dynamics or short gazes are kinda sus.

When Top takes the mic and makes this big guesture of asking Mew out, there is a very short moment when Sand looks very annoyed like he already knows what's coming. As if what Top is about to do "doesn't mean anything anyway", so...do they know each other?

Nick instantly corrected Boston when he called him "little bro" which indicates, he knows Boston. He knew who he was, he knew how old he is and later, he has a "naked" picture of Boston in his phone. How did he get that picture? Or did they hook up before and Boston just can't remember which would be painful to know but Nick seems to already like Boston... it's one of those "he fell first but he fell harder" stories.

The first scene, when Mew bumps into Top because Ray is not walking straight, Ray picks a fight as soon as Top begins to flirt. Does Ray know Top? Or did he at least hear from him? Or has it something to do with Mew? Ray is very protective of Mew which raises the question in me, if there were once feelings involved. Like was it once a one-sided crush or was it more than a crush and something actually happened between these two? They treat each other differently, there must be something in the past they share. Ray's rolling eyes at Top aren't just pure jealousy, it's something else as well, does he know Top?

Oh yes, of course, the legendary Top and Boston conversations at the side where Top is spilling lines that absolutely urk me and set off the alarms in my head. I love how Boston himself often has this facial expression of "what have I done" which makes me wonder how well top and he know each other. As far as I have seen, Top says something like "one time is enough for us", so they can't know each other that well. But the way they talk hints at some deeper history.

I am eager to know what is about to happen, how angsty and messy this will get and how these couples make their way. I secretly hope for two happy endings and one sad one where the couple doesn't stay together in the end because too much happened and they weren't right for each other after all. I would love that since the characters feel so real to me

[rhysmaart]

A Better ref for lightfoot of lego clash, may re-work his legs slightly I think I drew them a little too thin for minifig proportions here, but this is his official color scheme and outfit design!

Lightfoot is a super speedy hero, blasting through battle titan city daily and helping anyone in need he sees to try and establish himself as the cities newest superhero! When push comes to shove comes to detonate, lightfoot will always be where the action is! Unfortunately, that usually means being where his fresh out of retirement supervillainy dad, wrecker, is too. Oh well, what’s more classic superhero than a battle of good vs dad!

[dru-plays-starbound]

OCs - Who the hell is: Mio

(A short Original Character primer)

Universe:

Starbound

What do they look like:

At ~1.63m (5'4") Mio is of average height for a hylotl. She has cyan hands, feet and face, with sunflower-yellow arms and legs, and a mauve body. She has thin, fibrous tendrils on her head (similar to a terrestrial jellyfish) which she keeps gathered in a bun and secured with sticks.

During her leisure time, Mio usually wears a red kimono or grey training gear. While working, she wears a black Protectorate vest and Tough trousers. While in service to the Terrene Protectorate, she wore her uniform. This continued even after the Protectorate and Earth were destroyed, until the Ruin had been killed.  After this, she mostly wore grey training trousers, a black Protectorate vest and a bandit's hood, occasionally with a black pair of wooden wings.

In the years since completing her grand colony, Mio has started to diversify her clothing again, but mostly wears the vest and trousers mentioned above.

What're they like?

Reserved. Caring. Anxious. 

Mio likes to pretend she has life figured out and tries to project an aura of calm assurance. In reality, she's often plagued by the choices she's made, and concern for those she considers under her care – which, with the New Protectorate, is slowly morphing from "crew" to "the entire Universe".

In a fight, she prefers to take the long-range option and will swap between her rapid-fire rifle, grenade launcher, and bombs, before she'll consider getting up-close-and-personal with the  Asuterosaberu DX.

She's also studious and will spend hours practising her skills, be those fighting or calligraphy. She's reasonably skilled at a multitude of things. Just never ask her to pilot a mech...

Mio likes to relax by tending her small farm (the majority of food from which is distributed to the colony on Altais) and reading by the water feature in her living room.

Can you give us a highlight reel of their life?

Born on Carinae Wake II to scholar father, Kyo, and guard captain mother, Masayu. 

Masayu, a career warrior, encouraged Mio's passing interest in weaponry and the martial arts. Kyo, a former Starbounder, was less pleased by his daughter's pursuits. Fearing they would lead her to ruin, he attempted to steer her away from them to the gentler arts of plant care and art.

Kyo and Masayu fought often about the direction of their daughter's life, with poor Mio caught in the middle, trying to please both parents.

When she learnt about the Terrene Protectorate, Mio initially saw it as a chance to escape her parents' desires, and focus on what she wanted... whatever that was. Masayu was openly thrilled, Kyo quietly less so.

After moving to Earth and spending a year at the Academy, Mio's desire to drop out and re-examine what she wanted waned as it became apparent that not only did she excel at her studies, but she liked them too.

In her third year, her parents divorce amicably, and Mio narrows down her career path to diplomatic linguist with a side of medical training (ultimately following in her Father's footsteps instead of her Mother's).

Another three years later, and Mio is due to graduate, both parents and her girlfriend, Novakid and fellow Protector-in-training, Whip, in the audience...

Mio is at first shattered by the events of the graduation, but there's only so long one can eke out four cans of miscellaneous food before being forced to search for more.

By the time she meets Esther, Mio is focused on revenge against Asra Nox – not that Esther knows this; she meets a polite young hylotl concerned about what's coming next.

By the time Mio has run through the main quest, revenge is forgotten and she is Tired™.

She enters her "emo/ mourning" phase (all-black outfit with bandana). SAIL and her crew convince her to start building the colony she'd talked about; this is accelerated when she meets several displaced travellers who seem keen on settling down somewhere nice and peaceful. 

Altais colony is built.

Mio mellows considerably and exits her "emo" phase. She travels for a bit and finds several camps of displaced humans. 

During this time she runs into a novakid called Nobel who's trying to resurrect a galactic police force. Mio works with him for a while before breaking away to begin the New Protectorate at Nobel's encouragement.

Work progresses on the New Protectorate.

Nobel sends word that Nox has been spotted back to her old tricks with the Occasus Cult aboard the Dantalion.

Mio investigates and finds the Dantalion, but balks at the last moment. After a lot of soul-searching, Mio comes to the conclusion that her time is better spent bringing the New Protectorate up to speed. Yes, Nox will have to be dealt with sooner or later. But Mio is no longer the same girl after petty revenge. She has higher, and bigger concerns now, and it's more important for her to be bringing stability back to the universe. The Nox issue will be shelved for now.

Work continues on the New Protectorate.

Who are the main important people in their life?

SAIL (Ship-based Artificial Intelligence Lattice) - the AI of the ship Mio took to escape Earth's destruction. It's sarcastic with a wry sense of humour but is excellent at diffusing some of Mio's worst traits.

(TBC)

What points in their life are you writing about?

Anything post-destruction of Earth. This includes snippets on builds, stories from the Altais colony and the New Protectorate, and random adventures.

I may also dip into her early life in the future.

Who are they in real-world development terms?

Mio is the first player character I created after the switch from Starbound's Beta to Full Release. I currently have ~1100 hours on record with her.

Most of the stories I'm coming up with are complete fabrications rather than based on any in-game shenanigans because I'm 1) boring in my playstyle, and 2) have a terrible memory and instantly forget any cool stuff that happens. Some of Mio's traits, notably being unable to pilot a Mech, are based on my playstyle (please, someone teach me how to pilot mechs good).

Have some extra Heroforge scenes I made but couldn't fit in the main ref image:

Swimming :D

Gardening :D

[river-muse]

Tai Kemi

Hey gamers I have some energy let me introduce you to my character from the Starfinder campaign I’ve been in for like 5 years!

There is SO MUCH TO UNPACK ON THIS and so much lore I’ll drop it into a cut. I’ll try to gloss over most of it and expand more later if anyone’s curious.

So this campaign, called Travelers of The Stars, is a sequel to a Pathfinder campaign called Plane of Madness (IT’S REALM NOT PLANE SHUT UP) following a group of adventurers calling themselves the Green Griffins. These adventurers consisted of all humans. A human Cleric of Sarenrae named Aithne Sunsong. A Draconic bloodline Sorcerer named Kraid Fortuna. A Necromancer named Quinn Darksbane. And my boy- a Street Performer Bard named Takumi Sonatina.

BUT KOU-

Yes. Yes he was in fact just another Kabaneri AU. At first. Bear with me, because he went through a LOT to be more than just an AU.

These four adventurers, three at first because Quinn joined later, found themselves caught in an almost Alice In Wonderland-esque journey of nonsense, wit, and ridiculous events. A demi-plane where they had to find legendary jokes to keep a being from sucking all the fun/life out of the place. Between that. Things weren’t adding up. Reality having small distortions. Glitches. Takumi trying to see both places where an identical booth should be only to hear over his shoulder “Don’t mess with things you don’t understand.”

They learned where they are, who they are- wasn’t what they’re really supposed to be. They were in a fake world, and someone was desperately trying to get them out.

When they beat the BBEG, freed the land, a doorway of light opened for them, and Takumi was afraid. What if the person he was looking for- didn’t exist in the real world? But the team held their hands to him, they would always be together. They would go as a team. And so they walked into the light hand in hand.

And reality was nothing like the dream they’d been trapped in for two years as captives. With a young human named Lenny who’d been working to rescue them-

we have entered Starfinder.

My boy’s real name is Tai Kemi. 25 years old. He’s a Korasha Lashunta Envoy who was born on Castrovel to a fairly well-known xenobiologist(deceased due to an accident on a research expedition) and a Clergy member for Shelyn(presumed dead). Tai and his childhood friend-a human named Ikoma Lightbringer-used to be a duo of social media content creators. Tai’s content creator pseudonym was Takumi to separate his celebrity life from his personal life even a little. On a trip to Triaxus something happened- and Ikoma left. Tai remembers Ikoma’s body changing suddenly to having draconic features. But in this fight, memories can’t be trusted. In this fight, where a terrorist organization called the Ares Conclave has essentially seized control of the planet Triaxus for nefarious purposes. Where the only team of mercenaries-turned-heroes who’ve gotten the closest to figuring it out have had their memories wiped so many times the frayed edges bleed together.

Tai is not a good person. Not by a long shot. He’s selfish, reluctant. He’s prone to getting caught up in his own emotions and struggles with opening up in the wake of always losing anyone he gets close to. The entire reason the crew met was because he accidentally killed an asshole of a dragonkin at a bar and subsequently stole his ship.

However- he emerged from that time in captivity kinder than before for some unknown reason. As captain of the Green Griffins mercenary company he’s struggling to find his footing while the crew unravels the mysteries of their lost memories.

The crew-

- Kraid Fortuna, Copper Dragonkin Vanguard. Gunner. Partner bonded to Tai initially out of a sense of mutual gain but they’ve genuinely grown close over time. Revealed recently to be a clone.

- Æthne Sunsong, Human Star Shaman Mystic. Pilot. Rescued and raised on the Burning Archipelago by the church of Sarenrae. She’s the kind of person you’ll find with a “Live, Laugh, Love, and wine” sign in her room. Easily stressed and protective of the crew.

- Quinn Darksbane, Elebrian(living) Mechanic. Engineer. They’re the original engineer for the ship before Tai, Kraid, and Æthne stole it. They didn’t really like the original owner so they stuck around with their assistant.

- Lenny [last name unknown], Human Technomancer. Science Officer. He’s a 16-year-old runaway for unknown reasons. The crew protects him and Tai takes care of him like a son.

It’s been a few months since the crew woke up, and there’s still so many empty gaps that what they have recovered causes more concern than comfort. Tai’s stared death in the face twice and come out of it scarred and angry with himself.

The major info Tai knows now is whatever creature is pulling the strings of the Ares Conclave has a fairly unknown motive, the public face of the organization is being held hostage and has been so since before the group grew to the size it is, there’s someone named Zeal who is everywhere and could be any species he wants to be, and Ikoma is working with the Ares Conclave for an unknown reason.

The last time Tai saw Ikoma, he was wearing Ares Conclave gear with a helmet obscuring his face. But his now draconic feet are horribly scarred. It was the only giveaway beyond not having any wings. Tai had reached out with his telepathy, called his name. Only to hear one phrase back.

“Takumi, don’t mess with things you don’t understand.”

[tehamelie]

Community community (1.1)

Cause Hopey loves Maggie more than anything but she's scared it can't go anywhere cause she knows Maggie is going to end up marrying some man and have three fat babies so she all but drives her away, and all Maggie wants is to be wanted, she'll go after guys who make her lady parts go brrr but what matters is she'll come to anyone who makes her feel welcome, the girls could be happy together for the rest of their days if they just. . .

What was I talking about? Oh yes, we're rewatching Community. Back in the early to mid 2010s, as a happy carefree egg, I had a lot of good times watching this show with my friends, for day after day and endless summer nights. Even the gas leak year. Well, that's the only part I only ever watched once. That will be interesting when we get to it. But then, every episode of every season is interesting anyway.

Community was never the smartest or funniest show, not the snarkiest nor the sweetest. What it is, in my opinion, is the most advanced show on television yet. Fifteen years later it still seems like it comes from twenty years in the future, taking its lessons from generations of TV no one's even made yet. Let's see:

Community S1S1: Pilot

We're introduced to the esteemed (or just steaming) dean Pelton messing up a heartfelt inspirational halfway-through-the-first-week-of-the-semester speech to an unprepared and uninterested campus, where he mainly insults several of our main characters with negative stereotypes about community college. A strong introduction to the concept of the show, to the tone it's setting, to Craig Pelton, and to Greendale Community College.

Onto Jeff Winger, a lawyer who cheated his way to his degree, got found out, and has come here to cheat his way back with the use of his good friend professor Duncan who owes him for cheating the court when he was on trial for drunk driving. Jeff is so charming and manipulative, he seems to trick many viewers into thinking he's the main character he himself thinks he is. Don't believe his lies.

And here's Pierce Hawthorne, playing hide the sausage in the cafeteria line. That's not a euphemism, thankfully. Yeah, this is a silly bit of prop comedy, but it sets up Pierce's character beautifully without a word spoken. He's bad at stuff, and he goes to extraordinary lengths to cover up his many failures even though nobody even cares (or at least they were not going to care before he crushed his hot dog into a whole stack of buns), but just to salve his own ego. Pity Chevy Chase is an asshole, but then again, it gives the show a challenge later on when his real life assholishness spills over and needs to be written around for the story; a challenge to which it rises, I think.

And then we meet Britta, or rather, Pilot Episode Britta who's sort of her own separate character from Real Britta. Pilot Britta doesn't really do a lot except be bad at Spanish and put up a sort of cardboard feminist antagonism to Jeff. Look, every show needs a season or two to work out who the characters actually are, we can forgive a few cases of what TV Tropes calls "Early installment weirdness".

Speaking of TV Tropes, I like this lunch lady who explicitly refutes the role of "Magical N***o." I'd like to think they would have cast Aloma Wright to just directly recreate her character from Scrubs for this part, if they could. Or Whoopi Goldberg and her character from Star Trek. Or, yeah, you know, it's a pattern. And Community refuses to follow these patterns.

Some more weird Britta. There's some strokes of who her character is going to be (dropped out of high school to impress Radiohead, was at a protest once) but she's obviously mainly here to be a foil/love interest to Jeff, and looking for more than that is like panning for gold in a haystack. Though in a vacuum, it's fun to watch Jeff try to contort himself into a shape he imagines will make him attractive to her.

Enter Abed, and the deconstruction begins. It is funny how quickly and intuitively he cranks up the self-awarness and self-referentialness of the scene, but I'd like to note there's much more to him. In his first scene we see how he eagerly absorbs every bit of information* about people he meets and leaps at every chance to make a connection, and here he's excited about the first text message he's ever gotten. We could see this as a guy who loves people so much they can't stand to be around him. A sort of younger, unfiltered, unselfconscious Ted Lasso, if you remember that guy who drove his wife away because she couldn't keep up with the intensity of his care and appreciation.

And here he lays the foundation for the Greendale Seven in five minutes while Jeff is away manipulating Duncan. It's possible the joke here is supposed to be Abed is so bad at reading the situation (Jeff faking a study group in order to get face time with Britta) he ends up making the group real by accident, but you know what, screw Jeff. (Or rather, don't.) That narrative hinges on us both understanding his unspoken intentions and respecting them, but I'm on Abed's side of going with this opportunity to create a friend group.

Then we enter what's called in journalist jargon a "period of unstructured discussion". Though it's hard to keep up with the chaos without pausing my DVD every two seconds, it's beautifully coreographed chaos, with each character getting a carefully weighted amount of screen time as first Pierce tries to dominate the conversation and telling far too much about himself in his efforts to introduce the other characters and then Jeff acting as whatever the opposite of a moderator is, trying to excite rather than calm the arguments.

Children get pity but not respect, and adults, they get respect. But they also get the back of their head grabbed and their face pushed through jukeboxes.

I love that Shirley's establishing character moment here has nothing to do with her ethnicity, or her motherhood, or her religion, or her weakness for gossip, or her frequent passive aggression. Just trying to be the adult when the much younger Annie challenges her, dispensing some wisdom of the elder, and getting sidetracked halfway through her bon mot with what they call a suspiciously specific personal anecdote.

Then Pierce says something that could just as well come from the mouth of Donald Trump, but if I'm going to keep count of every time that happens I'm gonna need to take a math class. Troy and Annie's high school history of unrequited crushes and drug problems come back to haunt them (well, just her), things get truly chaotic and on the verge of getting ugly but then Abed saves the day by performing a scene from The Breakfast Club. It's so lolrandom, no, not at all. He enjoys doing it because he feels the study group is like being in that movie, but it's clearly a calculated act of distraction that allows everyone to take a step back and calm down.

Picture me reenacting the shot from the first episode of Firefly where Mal says of Simon Tam "He's my hero!" Cause Abed is my hero and I also like to say things that sound like a joke when they're true but saying them earnestly would make me emotionally vulnerable.

So anyway. Jeff trades his Lexus for Duncan's car that's so tiny you have to try to keep your knees out of your face when you sit in it, because he's just that desperate to not have to learn anything in the four years he's going to go to school. I realize I may be talking Jeff down a lot, maybe even a smidge more than he deserves. Maybe it's that he reminds me of my stepbrother and I can't say too many bad things about him since he's dead. But to be fair, Jeff is going to do a lot of work to redeem himself over the course of the show.

And boy does he need it.

In my headcanon, this is the first time Jeff ever uses his powers for good. Yeah, it's a cheap, shallow manipulative speech, playing to emotions without any particular substance, relying on his force of personality in a way that if you just wrote the words down it would not convince anyone - which is as far as we can see his entire method of making arguments - and he does it explicitly just to win a dinner with Britta by fixing the mess he created, but. Here we care about the results of an act of charity, not its intentions. And the Shark Week speech does even more than tape over the group's shredded emotions and bury its conflicts and dissolve the chaos. It gives these people an excuse to bond together, like we all wish we could. It tells each of them nice things about each other. It makes a fairly compelling argument in general for trying to recognize our fellow humans' personhood and acting in the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

And as we'll come to see, from this moment on, the study group becomes unstoppable.

And then in sort of a coda we get a moral about how cheating doesn't teach you anything (especially when your cheat sheets turn out to be just a stack of blank paper), a moral that even someone like Jeff or Pierce is a human being worthy of regard, a moral about doing things for yourself and not trying to either please or spite other people, a moral about bright kids having a hard time learning how to study cause they don't have to do it until they're adults, and a moral about second chances. I may have missed some. There's just a parade of morals here.

Advanced Community proofs #1: Community does in the first episode what normal TV shows do in the first season, or first couple of seasons. It's not that dense with information (that's in later seasons, where practically every shot gets loaded with freeze-frame jokes and significant props) but it does such an elegant job of blazing through the motions of having an awkward first season and then having to work to reconcile rewritten characters with history they'll have to either keep quiet or just contradict. But here we start off a half note from perfect and hit perfect from from the second episode.

Dang I spent three hours on this. Probably won't be able to do even one episode a day.

*Information is measured in bits of data. Did you know someone proved a black hole's surface area grows by one square Planck length per bit of information it absorbs? Learning!

Episode list: S1E1 (that's this page!) S1E2 S1E3 S1E4 S1E5

[deangirlnotagirl]

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot

Ok so I have probably watched this episode more recently than others but it’s still been years and I only remember some things about it so I’m very excited to get started. I also cannot believe I’m getting back into Supernatural in the year of our lord 2024 but let’s do this. Literally just a stream of my thoughts while watching.

- LAWRENCE KANSAS 22 YEARS AGO

- Mary!! This family before it all went wrong 😭

- I forgot the show started with the fire scene and not Sam at Stanford this is so intense!!

- Oh my god Jared is so young

- The opening title but isn’t there usually a noise along with the title? Maybe they add that later

- Of course Jess is dressed up as a sexy nurse for her first scene 🙄

- Don’t get me wrong she’s still really cute I love Jess just forgot how sexy all the women on supernatural had to be all the time

- Oh wow that is a good LSAT score you go Sam

- Oh my god Jensen is so young

- Ugh Dean thinking the best way to greet Sam on a surprise visit after who knows how long is to break into Sam’s house. Is this a game/training exercise they used to do before Sam left? is this just Dean avoiding emotion by being obnoxious? Is it both? Perfect character introduction no notes

- Oh right the rampant misogyny from Dean he was so sleazy when we first met him

- “Dads on a hunting trip and he hasn’t been home in a few days” the words that started it all I’m so nostalgic right now aaaaaahhh

- This convo bw Sam and Dean being the way the writers drop all the key family lore I love it lmao

- Dean doesn’t want to do it alone!!!

- Sam immediately caving

- Jumping into case solving mode!!! We have a ghost!

- In almost two years!! Have they not seen each other in two years or has Dean just not asked him to go hunting in two years??

- Dean’s reaction to hearing Sam is applying for law school and realizing college wasn’t just a phase, he might just never be coming back. And also that he has so much less chance of finding their dad without Sam.

- God poor Jess she didn’t deserve any of this

- Oh this ghost is legitimately creepy I’m feeling creeped out I forgot supernatural was more of an actual horror show in earlier seasons and I love it

- Sam and Dean’s passive aggressive arguing in the impala ❤️

- The cassette tape collection!!

- “I can’t hear you the MUSICS TOO LOUD”

- All of the things we get introduced to about the way the Winchesters operate like the credit card scams and fake IDs it’s just delightful

- Love this goth teen revealing the town ghost story

- “What do they talk about”

- The way Sam takes over the research and it immediately becomes clear that Dean actually does need him. Sam is indispensable to the operation. Honestly I’d like to think if he thought he could do it on his own he would. Despite what he says I don’t think he think he actually wants to ruin Sam’s attempt to escape. Or maybe not maybe he is using this as an excuse to try just one more time to get Sammy back before it’s too late. I’ll have to think about this as the show goes on!

- Why did John solve the case but then not finish dealing with the ghost? I’m guessing this is addressed in later episodes?

- “Jerk” “bitch” 😭

- I had such intense gender envy towards Dean and I did not realize it at all

- Ted Nugent!!

- Sam is so good at getting information from people I love him telling the ghost story I love when he shows that he knows the business as well as anyone

- Dean picking the lock on his handcuffs with a paperclip is something that can be so personal actually

- Sam getting back into it!! A part of this kid just loves hunting so much

- The special effects are fantastic

- “I’m taking you home!!”

- Why don’t they have any salt they know they’re dealing with a ghost Sam and Dean do you not know about salt? Is that not for ghosts? There was literally salt on the floor in their dad’s motel room

- God this ghost story is very sad if you think about it too much

- I’m one episode in and these brothers are already killing me as they discuss how Sam needs to go back for his interview and he was never going to stay longer than two days both of them just break my heart

- “We made a hell of a team back there” 😭

- Also Dean you gotta try being a little less manipulative buddy but I forgive you bc I know your damage

- THE BLOOD DRIPPING ONTO SAM’S HEAD IN A CALL BACK TO THE INTRO!!, NO!!! JESSS!!!, DEAN COMING TO SAVE HIM AGAIN!!!! OH GOD STOP!!!!!!!!

- “We got work to do” 😫

I forgot how genuinely I enjoy this show wow it’s ridiculous and has so many problems but it’s so much fun

[deanwasalwaysbi]

Dean’s Self Acceptance & Chekhov's Grenade Launcher

If you aren’t here for a deeper look at episode 12x22, metaphors, and Dean being bi, keep scrolling because we’re going to get into that holy hand grenade - Supernatural’s Grenade Launcher, the weapon that Dean has loved since season one but always got shamed out of using; shamed out of using UNTIL 12x22; an episode literally titled, ‘Who We Are’.   

After which Dean loses Castiel and goes into the Widower arc ... ok. ... Cool. I’ll just read nothing into any of that shall I?

(cont under the cut)

Okay first- ‘what grenade launcher? I don’t remember a grenade launcher?’

Dean has a grenade launcher in the trunk that we’ve never seen him use. It's been there at least since episode 1x02. He has assigned a gender to the grenade launcher, calling it ‘she’ like his car.  It has appeared multiple times, but one noteworthy time was two episodes ago when Dean was showing his arsenal to Max Barnes, the openly gay witch hunter, in 12x20. Mmmhmm, nothing to see there. Nothing about the slow progression of Dean learning to accept himself. Nothing about Dean opening his trunk up to a canonically gay man.

Dean often wants to use  it  her, but  it’s  she’s impractical,  it’s  she’s not stealthy.  The thing is unsafe, and other characters are constantly telling him no, put it back, don’t bring it, don’t use it. (See 12x05) 

When Dean lost his memory - when he would have seen no reason NOT to use it, one of the other characters reminded him with a post-it note: this thing that you want to do, that’s a natural instinct for you, don’t do it. (See 12x11)

[gif credit to @demondetox​ & ​ @shirtlesssammy​]

Okay, now that we have a bit of primer - let’s talk about 12x22.  There’s a lot to unpack in this episode.

Mary has been brainwashed and the boys have been locked in the bunker to die.  After trying magic and pickaxes (shout out to “goggles? goggles.”), Dean realizes it is time. Time to tear down his big concrete wall with something, "Big, Beautiful, and Dumb" regardless of what the British lady in the bunker says, and he's getting no more resistance from Sam.

"I have had this thing for so long, I have been waiting for the *perfect* moment to use this."

We've been seeing the grenade launcher for 12 seasons, and in how many episodes and they just happen to have Dean finally use it to break OUT by breaking DOWN walls in an episode titled ‘WHO WE ARE’?!  

Having torn down that wall with the grenade launcher, it becomes time to deal with other, less physical ones.  There are British Men of Letters to fight, Mary is still brainwashed, and there is no magical shortcut that is going to cut through. In a display of how far the characters have come, Sam is becoming a leader in a fight he originally wanted no part in [which the show will drop over and over for no reason] and Dean, well this one’s about Dean for me.

Dean fucked up his leg coming out ... of the bunker, I mean. Finally using the grenade launcher, it hurt, but it didn’t kill him.  An earlier Dean would have joined the fight at the men of letters compound anyway, prepared to die in a blaze of glory.  However, Dean has changed.  Instead he recognizes that going into a fight right now would be idiotic and he stays behind to fight with EMOTIONS instead of brawn.  It’s okay to Dean, and even his idea, to not go into the ‘manly’ fight.  Dean has become secure in himself enough to volunteer to go into the battle that requires being open and honest about feelings.  He initiates the hug and feelings talk with Sam, (only undercutting a lil with a classic 'bitch' 'jerk' call response). No chick flick moments indeed. 

So Dean and Sam hug, Sam promises Dean he’ll come back, and we move on to the most important scene in the episode. Dean has broken through mind control with feelings before, with Cas in season 8 episode 17 when we had the infamous ‘We need you. I need you’ moment (though apparently Jensen Dean  was still guarded enough that this was not an ‘I love you’.) but this time Dean goes into Mary’s psyche; Mary who has been a stand in all season for who Dean was emotionally before his character growth.

The viewer is expecting some big declaration of love, that’s how dean broke through last time.  But no. That’s not what we get. 

Dean finally lets out his true feelings. About his childhood. About John. About Mary’s death.  About everything that has ever happened to Sam. The walls are coming down.   Dean is honest with someone about the resentment he feels (which should be directed at John) about the responsibility that was put on him as a child.   In sharp contrast to his reaction to Mary’s guilt at the beginning of the season, of Dean as the perpetual caretaker, now Dean gets to acknowledge his own feelings, that he does blame Mary and her deal for what they went through.  Watch this scene.  He hates her and he loves her. okay. 

Yes, Dean got to use the grenade launcher, but it wasn’t in a climax of some epic battle.  It was in the ramp up - the beginning of an episode.

No, the climax of the episode was Dean comin to terms with feelings the character has had since season one.   We’ve been looking at this grenade launcher for 12 years, but we’ve been witnessing Dean’s feelings here for just as long & Dean takes his emotional predecessor, Mary, along with him. 

I will skip past the fight scene between him and ketch - which is actually impressive given the horse tranquilizer he’d been given.  Instead, I want to get to 12x23, to his reunion with Castiel. 

Dean has used the grenade launcher. Dean has accepted himself and admitted something to himself that you can’t even really see until you look back at this episode’s placement retrospectively.  Dean is no longer trying to fight with Castiel, he just wants to help him.  Castiel heals Dean’s major knee injury and Dean, well we get an interesting jacting joice: 

in fact, the moment continues with a lil half smile and Dean looking down and checking his knee, I’m just having trouble getting a gif or a video to make one from.  Throughout the entire episode Cas routinely addresses Dean specifically despite being in a group at all times. Cas later makes a run at Lucifer and Sam wrestles a yelling concerned Dean away and back through the rift, just as Dean wrestled him away from Jess in the pilot.

At the end of this episode Cas is killed in front of Dean, who for the first time doesn't continue on in the fight, instead dropping to his knees. This all flows right into Dean’s intense season 13 widower arc.   Dean feels Cas’s death in a way we have never seen him grieve before. 

Ho.ly.Shit.

"Who We Are". 

It gets another use later in the series in the same episode where Dean also wears a live action version of the pink sleeping gown he wore in scoobynatural, but we’ll get to that later.