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temporalhiccup · 3 months

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I'm trying to write about this without getting emotional, but it's pretty hard! Hah!

But it's been officially announced so I can finally talk about it! I'm the Lead Designer (damn) on the official Tomb Raider TTRPG (double damn). Shadows of Truth has a public playtest coming up soon, and I'm excited for folks to see what we've been working on!

It's been a wild ride and a fun time, but this is also the biggest challenge I've had to face as a ttrpg designer. Like many indie folks I've drawn inspiration from the media we love (Apocalypse Keys is proudly Hellboy-inspired, among other things!) while still making it our own unique thing.

Tomb Raider has been completely different, in that I have to do my best to translate some awesome video game history into a ttrpg experience. And I gotta be as true to the source material and experience as possible, while still centering what makes ttrpgs great!

Tomb Raider is also a franchise that's been around for almost 30 years and is a HUGE DEAL. It's hard to describe how much of an impact it's made on action-adventure video games, repeatedly! Lara Croft is easily one of the most iconic characters in video games and the genre, and her Adventures include (several) dinosaurs, wild transhuman demonic Atlantean stuff, and apocalypse-inducing artifacts.

But Lara to me, especially since the 2013 game, has been a truly amazing and conflicted heroine. The last three games that grounded her and made her vulnerable, while still creating intense experiences, really hooked me. I really wanted to honor the journey of Tomb Raider and make a really fun and thrilling ttrpg for folks.

But anyone who knows me, knows that anti-colonial design is in all my games. It's just who I am, and it's not something I consciously did at first. It wasn't even until I started designing ttrpgs, in my 30s, that I realized how important my personal decolonization process was, and a lot of that has helped me discover new aspects of my identity (including being a transmasculine person).

So, I don't need to tell you that a franchise called Tomb Raider has some colonial implications, right?

As development goes on, folks have asked me "How is the game anti-colonial?" or "How are you addressing the colonialism?" I want to start off by saying as a team we conceptualized what that could mean while still being true to the franchise. But since then, as Lead Designer, I've had to make hundreds of decisions that are reflected in countless design and structural choices. I can point to dozens of mechanics and things and describe how this is my personal attempt to present anti-colonial gaming, and I'm grateful for the help our team of consultants and playtesters in guiding me.

It's kind of wild, but in chasing after and reaching for anti-colonial design, I've had to figure out how to implement great tech from other designers, but also come up with lots of new stuff too. There's some really cool Adventure design stuff that is really hard to pull off in a PbtA framework where you play to find out. (Arguably, PbtA itself has a lot of anti-colonial play about it compared to mainstream ttrpgs and it's one of the reasons we used PbtA as a design framework but that's a whole other conversation)

I'm really so grateful for the support from the team! It's hard to feel like I'm good enough and can measure up to Evil Hat's faith in me, but they've been incredibly supportive and open, and it's been stellar. Crystal Dynamics has also been amazing to work with, especially because it was important to me that while we honor how awesome Tomb Raider is, we don't downplay the difficult truths of colonialism and its ongoing effects. And they were so incredibly on board for that! It's so rare for a marginalized person like me to be granted an opportunity like this, and I am determined to give it my all.

We've built a team that's been amazing to collaborate with, and @ostrichmonkey-games has been doing incredible work alongside me. I'm really proud of what we're doing as a team! I can't wait for folks to see it come together.

You can also check out the Polygon (!!!) article about the game, which gives you a sense of some of the cool mechanics at play!

I know it's easy to write off an IP ttrpg based on a really big franchise (and for good reasons, unfortunately). But I really do think we're doing something special here! I hope y'all will give the game a chance and check it out when the public playtest starts up!

#omg ive been working on this forever #this game in its open playtest form is ALREADY BIGGER THAN APOCALYPSE KEYS GOOD GOD #the initial playtests have also been crazy good fun but also like super cathartic for my colonial feelings #am i still allowed to label this as indie ttrpgs #do i want to walk into that conversation #can you believe the tomb raider ttrpg is happening?!

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monsterblogging · 8 months

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Newt Geiszler and John Myers basically have the same uncle (yes, really!)

Yesterday I was looking at John Meyrs's bio by Guillermo del Toro as presented in the Hellboy DVD special features, when I saw this:

Johnny slept most of the way. He woke up in his new room, above his uncle's tool shed/workshop, and there he stayed for the next 12 years. Uncle Thad is - in Johnny's mind - a pair of hands. greasy, rough, and calloused, they were the best ever at machining, putting junk together, and making things run. He was a large, weathered man who smelled of gasoline, nicotine, and paint thinner. He kept everything in little glass jars, labeled with a felt pen and lined up in endless rows, three-deep in his forever messy, ever-changing workshop.

At night, they listened to radio. They never owned a TV. Johnny had to go to his friend's house to watch that. But he liked radio more. The tales were more vivid, the heroes were taller, the dangers more real.

TV was phony.

Uncle Thad always worked with the radio on. He loved to listen to a station somewhere in Europe that - ironically - played mostly jazz and big band music.

And I was like... hey, wait a minute, isn't that also Newt's uncle? So I checked the paragraphs about Uncle Gunter as described in the Pacific Rim novelization, and... yup, here we are:

Newt and his Uncle Gunter had struck the same sparks when Newt was a kid, tinkering in the basement of Gunter’s studio, where fringey techno musicians stood around making sounds and waiting for Gunter to come up with the next innovation that they would turn into the club tracks that pounded out of speakers all over Europe. (p. 95)

Gunter’s laugh, from his belly, roughened along the way by cigarettes. Uncle Gunter who gave people things before they could steal from him. The gear in his studio. A new sound, one that nobody had ever made before. Lines on a monitor danced out the data, expressing it. Ecstasy of sound and idea, endlessly dividing inside Newt’s mind. (p. 117)

Not only are these two guys very similar, but there's a number of similarities here in the writing itself that makes me suspect Alex Irvine was quoting Newt's bio almost verbatim.

There's also another little something in John's bio that fans of Trollhunters might find interesting:

Together they modified johnny's moped when he was fifteen. Boy, how he loved that piece of junk. A true love story. he can tell you about the day he got it, and about the day he cleaned every single part, hell, he even remembers what he was wearing when he first saw it.

If you've watched Trollhunters, you might remember when Blinky helped Jim Lake fix up an old Vespa. So it looks like that element with John and Uncle Theo got recycled into Jim and Blinky.

#pacific rim #newt geiszler #newton geiszler #hellboy #john myers

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talesfromthecrypts · 6 months

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Rules: Bold what is true for you and tag 15 people.

tagged by @anthonysperkins <3 hi michi

APPEARANCE

i'm over 5'5' // i wear glasses/contacts // i have blonde hair // i prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // i have one or more piercings // i have at least one tattoo // i have blue eyes // i have dyed or highlighted my hair // i have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // i sunburn easily // i have freckles // i paint my nails // i typically wear makeup // i don't often smile // i am pleased with how i look // i prefer nike to adidas // i wear baseball hats backwards

HOBBIES AND TALENTS

i play a sport // i can play an instrument // i am artistic // i know more than one language // i have won a trophy in some sort of competition // i can cook or bake without a recipe // i know how to swim // i enjoy writing // i can do origami // i prefer movies to tv shows // i can execute a perfect somersault // i enjoy singing // i could survive in the wild on my own // i have read a new book series this year // i enjoy spending time with friends // i travel during school or work breaks // i can do a handstand

RELATIONSHIP

i am in a relationship // i have been single for over a year // i have a crush // i have a best friend i have known for ten years // my parents are together // i have dated my best friend // i am adopted // my crush has confessed to me // i have a long distance relationship // i am an only child // i give advice to my friends // i have made an online friend // i met up with someone i have met online

AESTHETICS

i have heard the ocean in a conch shell // i have watched the sun rise // i enjoy rainy days // i have slept under the stars // i meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // i enjoy the smell of the beach // i know what snow tastes like // i listen to music to fall asleep // i enjoy thunderstorms // i enjoy cloud watching // i have attended a bonfire // i pay close attention to colours // i find mystery in the ocean // i enjoy hiking on nature paths // autumn is my favourite season

MISCELLANEOUS

i can fall asleep in a moving vehicle // i am the mom friend // i live by a certain quote // i like the smell of sharpies // i am involved in extracurricular activities // i enjoy mexican food // i can drive a stick-shift // i believe in true love // i make up scenarios to fall asleep // i sing in the shower // i wish i lived in a video game // i have a canopy above my bed // i am multiracial // i am a redhead // i own at least three dogs

✨ tagging @aethelreds, @feodor-dostoevsky, @jennathearcher, @finalbabe, @hellboys, @meduseld, @mysteriums

#it's brittany bitch

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ramoth13 · 2 years

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Thoughts on an old love:

Vertigo Comics

With the release of the recent Sandman show (highly recommend!!! Mr. Gaiman is, as always, a brilliant storyteller), I thought it might be time to have a look back on my favorite publisher back in the day. I know a few people (especially towards its final days) didn't really distinguish Vertigo Comics from DC comics, but when I tell you that there was a difference, I mean it was just something that can't be replicated.

I don't exactly remember which Vertigo comic I read first. It could've been The House of Mystery or Hellblazer but I'm pretty sure it was Fables. And that's the thing, they were all so special.

I grew up reading comics because my older brother and my Dad before him had grown up reading them. Shazam and superman were Dad's favorites, Batman, JLA, and Green Lantern (Kyle Rainer) were my brother's. But I had grown up watching the Batman Animated Series, where Bruce Wayne was kind, and Batman wasn't jaded, but hopeful, and the comics started pulling away from that.

That's when it happened, I noticed that the characters kept changing, kept evolving from writer to writer, moving further and further from the ones that I knew. Superheroes had been around a long time and couldn't stay the same. Writers had new ideas, new ways to represent the old. Batman was mean, condescending, and sometimes cruel. If they couldn't be updated, they were killed off. Superman lost his love of Lois. Spiderman killed someone. The characters I thought I knew, no longer looked like the ones I loved. So in 2008 I stopped reading them.

But I missed comics. Later, a friend of mine gave me some digital comics, probably illegally now that I'm old enough to know better, but one of them was Fables. I read over 30 comics in one day. I ate them up. And whichever one I read next, Hellblazer or House of Mystery, I read those too. And then, because of course, I read Sandman which opened me up to a world I was already falling in love with. And V for Vendetta, and the Watchmen, Preacher, American Vampire, Y:The Last Man, and The Books of Magic. These were stories that spoke to my very being.

Anything with a Vertigo Logo was gold. The stories beautiful, compelling, and mindbending. The characters were diverse, intriguing, and mysterious. It was like finding a pillar of magic in a sea of ever evolving stories that could never decide on a true identity for itself, Vertigo knew what it wanted to be. The stories haunted me.

SPOILERS:

From Dream besting Lucifer in the oldest game, to Constantine fighting his demon twin, to Bigby Wolf FINALLY marrying Snow White (And Prince Charming's grand return), to finding out who the REAL adversary was in motherlands, these stories never deviated or changed on whims, they always felt honest, sincere, and true to themselves.

:END OF SPOILERS~

There are many other non-DC/Marvel publishers that I love, from Dark Horse (Conan series and Hellboy), to Image (SAGA, Magdelena, and WANTED), to even smaller publishers like ASPEN and Zenescope. Yet, none of these, nor DC or Marvel will ever feel the same as as Vertigo in its heyday.

DC may have made Constantine a superhero, the Watchmen a series, and added all of the best magical parts of Vertigo into its official brand, but the things that made those stories special have stayed with those original books. Nothing against the writers at DC, they work hard and I have no doubt try to remain faithful to the originals... but contrary to what DC wants you to think with their magical league of superheroes, you can't capture magic in a bottle.

And VERTIGO had magic, in spades.

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evilvvithin · 10 months

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tagged by @stdismas tysm! 🤍

Rules: Bold what is true for you and tag 15 people.

APPEARANCE

HOBBIES AND TALENTS

RELATIONSHIP

AESTHETICS

MISCELLANEOUS

TAGGING @xellnikov @hellboys @josephseedismyfather @alexcabotgf @brandnewhuman @shimichoko & anyone wanting to do this!

#tag games #i have like greyish grey blue eyes does that still count

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snoopybutch · 4 months

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15, 16, 34, and 41 :-)

15: Favorite movie -> eek you know this is a hard answer but based on constant rewatch-ability I’d have to say Underworld, Hellboy, Crimson Peak or Alien

16: I’ll love you if -> we have music in common, you have passions, we have similar politics/focus on volunteering (or helping others in general), you respect other ppl, you like learning and changing and you can accept my #autism

34: What I find attractive in women -> god. What do I NOT?! I love when ppl have a genuine, uninhibited smile, when ppl laugh, like a deep true laugh. Eyes (any color, I can find any feature bewitching I tell you), dark circles, piercings/tattoos (or at least you think these r cool.) I think it’s wildly sexy when ppl have their own sense of style (or at least makes something their own) and own how they look.

41: Where I want to be right now -> god I really don’t know. I wish I could teleport and see my friends and family around the globe. I wanna be (figuratively ig) valued and appreciated

SORRY FOR THIS BEING LITERALLY MONTHS LATE

#diarmuid makes a post #daily life of diarmuid #tumblrino butch antics #thanks for the ask!

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domesticandlovingmonsters · 2 years

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I know you havent written for him in a while but could I have some HellBoy headcanons? With a agent lover that works with them?

Love some Hellboy content!

Hellboy tries to pull all sorts of strings and favors to get the two of you on the same mission. He doesn't have to ask too much, since you're a very capable agent and one of the few that Hellboy works well with.

Over the comms, your code-name is always some pet name Hellboy gives you.

Babycakes, dollface, doll, baby etc.

The other agents attempted to poke fun and use the same names, but they just call you marionette. Since Hellboy gets a little huffy when someone else calls you doll or babydoll.

Other than Abe. Occasionally he'll throw one of those names over the comms and it throws you off hard. But its always a laugh when he calls you babyface.

When the two of you are separated on a mission, Hellboy wants constant updates on your whereabouts. And any route that would get him to you the fastest.

"I'm turning a right corner." "Got it." "Now left. And going down a hallway." "(y/n), I'm about to turn comms off." "There's two doors, a weird painting and- OH MY GOD!" "What? (Y/N)! What is it?!" "Nothing just making sure you're paying attention."

The field teams get excited when the two of you show up together. Not only will the mission go a little more smoothly, but the comm feed is always a laugh.

On the rare occasion you're sent away without Hellboy, you find the mission feels empty without the big red monkey. Everyone is overly professional and no one cracks jokes. Your bed is empty when you go to it and the phone calls always leave you feel lonely. Even when you talk for hours at night.

It annoys you when you can't talk about your day to Big Red. Other than confidential information, you knew Hellboy would transport himself to your location in a heartbeat if he knew where you were. It was too much of a risk at times to have him apart of the mission.

But you wanted nothing more than to talk about what was happening and even get his insight on the investigation. Everyone thought Hellboy was some air-brained, trigger happy, monster; and part of it was true, but he knew alot about the supernatural and occult. Sometimes even more than you could ever guess.

And having someone next to you, that you knew wouldn't run the moment some creature bared its teeth, was a great comfort out on the field. You knew you were safe with Hellboy. Even if the world was cracking in half, he wouldn't abandon you.

#hellboy #hellboy head canons #Anung Un Rama #head canons #character #movie character

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fantomcomics · 2 years

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What’s Out This Week? 6/29

Yeah, we know. Us too. We love you.

Buffy ‘97 #1 - Jeremy Lambert, Marianna Ignazzi & Qistina Khalidah

In this special celebratory issue, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg find themselves trapped... in a '90s teen magazine! But obviously it's not just any old magazine-this one's part of a demon's diabolical plan to feed on teenage insecurities. Meanwhile, in true '90s makeover montage-style, Spike gives Giles a hand with a fresh new look to impress a very special someone! Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Jeremy Lambert (Doom Patrol), artist Marianna Ignazzi (An Unkindness of Ravens).

Mindset #1 - Zack Kaplan & John Pearson

When an introverted tech geek accidentally discovers mind control, he and his friends do something unexpected - they put the science into an app to help users break their technology addiction. But as their Mindset app achieves a dangerous cult following, lies, conspiracies, and murder come to light. Are they helping people or controlling them?

Redman #1 (of 5) - Matt Frank

From the studio that created the cult TV show Ultraman (Now a Marvel Comics series and Netflix Show). Here is Redman, the Kaiju Hunter... Trapped in a desolate and yet somehow familiar world populated with a vast array of the ferocious beasts known as "Kaiju," Redman continues his endless Red Fight, battling tirelessly to cull the monsters. With each fierce battle, the mysterious, blood-splattered "hero" sinks closer to his prey, ready to strike. This while a sinister form watches and records his every move...

The Oblivion Trials #1 (of 4) - Brandon Chen, Fred Packard & Anderson Carman

What mystery lies on the other side of the afterlife? After his own abrupt death, a young boy, Kiko, finds himself whisked to an ethereal world into the boat of Charon, a deity that presents him with a choice that will decide his eternal fate.

Sins Of The Black Flamingo #1 (of 5) - Andrew Wheeler & Travis Moore

OCCULT NOIR. MIAMI SLEAZE. Sebastian Harlow is the Black Flamingo, a flamboyant and narcissistic thief who gets his kicks stealing mystic artifacts from the wealthy and corrupt of Miami's occult underground. When his latest job leads him to his biggest score so far, the hedonistic outlaw discovers something he wasn't looking for-something to believe in.

Power Rangers Unlimited: Countdown To Ruin #1 - Margueriete Bennett, Anna Kekovsky Chandra & Keyla K. Valerio

In the next crucial Power Rangers Unlimited special, calamity looms for fan-favorites Andros and Zhan from the hit series Power Rangers in Space. Discover their past growing up on KO-35, their journey to becoming Rangers, and the epic battle that changed their lives forever... The future of the Power Rangers saga starts here in this exciting one-shot adventure!

What’s The Furthest Place From Here? Vol 1 - Matthew Rosenberg & Tyler Boss

When 16-year-old Sid goes missing in the wastelands, it's up to the members of her gang to discover what happened. But what they find is a whole world beyond anything they could have imagined. Like Lord of the Rings meets Lord of the Flies, or JOHN CARPENTER by way of JOHN HUGHES, this series smashes together sci-fi and fantasy with elements of comedy, horror, and mystery for an emotional coming-of-age story unlike anything you've read before. This extra-length volume collects the first arc of the breakout hit series JAMES TYNION IV has said is "what the future of comics SHOULD feel like."

Hellboy& The BPRD: Old Man Whittier One-Shot - Mike Mignola & Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Trouble runs in the Whittier family! When Catherine Whittier learns she's inherited the family home, she knows better than to go back alone, and Hellboy's experience with the family (in Hellboy: The Whittier Legacy) makes him the perfect one to make sure any unkind spirits are rest. Because in a house with a history like this, "plot" can mean more than just a family graveyard. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is joined by artist Gabriel Hernández Walta to bring readers a terrifying new one-shot in the home of the infamous Whittier family!

Whatcha scooping up this week, Fantomites?

#WOTW #What's Out This Week?#comic #comics #comic book #comic books #Hellboy #What's The Furthest Place From Here?#Power Rangers #Sins Of The Black Flamingo #The Oblivion Trials #Redman #Mindset #Buffy '97

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emilynightshade89 · 2 years

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A, C, K, and U for everyone from the abcs list!

Thanks love! <3 <3 <3

A. Their Full Name

~ Wendy Jessamy Conwell McCoy (Daybreakers) she prefers not to include her biological fathers name on records due to their rocky history.

~ Rosemary Perdita Gonzales (Streets of Fire) Perdita in Latin means "lost" which i think fits with Rose and her journey of finding a true home for herself.

~ August Bartholomew Ripley (Hellboy) he doesn't like Bartholomew much, but it was in memory of his grandfather who had passed on the day of his birth.

~ Augustine Beatrice Ripley (Hellboy) Beatrice in honor of her grandmother who passed the same day she was born. she likes it ok.

C. Height

~ based on their face claims ~

Wendy McCoy (Winona Ryder): 5 ft. 3 1/2 inch. she teeny <3

Rose Gonzales (Natalia Reyes): 5 ft. 2 inch. she teenier, smol and angry <3

August Ripley (Willem Dafoe): 5ft. 8 1/2 inch. a short king <3

Augustine Ripley (Jessica Chastain): 5 ft. 4 inch. tall lady <3 <3 also at this point i think I'm just projecting my own shortness on my babies xD

K. One of Their Pet Peeves

Wendy McCoy: Ignorance in a dire situation. Wendy cannot stand people who don't think about others. She doesn't want to be stuck working with anyone she can't trust which is why she prefers to go out by herself before meeting Elvis.

Rose Gonzales: People asking about her past. You've honestly have got to know her for a pretty lengthy amount of time before she even feels the tiniest amount of security to tell you about her childhood. Much of it is shrouded in mystery and the rest is just too painful to bring up. She gets absolutely furious when someone tries to dig up what she tries so hard to bury.

August Ripley: Situations where things spiral out of control. Weather with his own powers or a fight getting out of hand, August gets overwhelmed and increasingly frustrated when more damage is done than good.

Augustine Ripley: People taking her for granted. She knows herself and her strengths but gets irritated when she gives out advice but isn't listened to and the situation proceeds to get worse. She finds working with the B.P.R.D. to be more troublesome and is more inclined to join Hellboy and the others when they go out without an authorities' clearance.

U. Are they a Morning or Night Person?

Wendy McCoy: Night person, she loves the quiet moments and surreal feelings in time were everyone sleeps, and she still tinkers on in the garage while her music softly plays on the record player.

Rose Gonzales: Night Person, mostly due to her profession as a thief but she prefers to work in the garage during the morning were she's by herself.

August & Augustine Ripley: Morning people for life. They both love getting up to see a sunrise or the fog roll away into the woods as they sit out on the front porch with some coffee. Getting up in the morning allows them both some normalcy before they start to face the oddities they live with.

#thank you so much for the asks!! :D #shut yer face moony #my ocs #wendy mccoy (daybreakers)#rosemary gonzales (streets of fire)#augustine ripley (hellboy)#august ripley (hellboy)

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thenexusofsouls · 2 months

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now that you mention why Nuada likes those who challenge him I realize thats why he seems to respect Hellboy in the movie. but it makes the reason why he finds Mantis endearing funnier cuz now I imagine it like

king Balor's council: *cater to Nuada bc hes a prince/fear him too much to actually speak their mind*

Nuada: *is even more outraged then before*

Mantis: maybe you're wrong?

Nuada: *insert gif of Idris Elba saying "you, keep talking"*

Mantis: anyway wanna come to space to actually save your people and be wrong there as well?

Nuada: wha-? *Nuada.exe has stopped working*

also same, I love Kevin Bacon he's such a good actor. fun fact... he can sing! I had no idea until he randomly sang a Christmas song for the Guardians. you can find the clip on youtube if you'd like to hear him sing. mans talented af 😭

{i am the caretaker of souls} Hahaha! It's so true, though, lol. Nuada likes when others challenge him because he likes when people are genuine with him. He hates lying and disingenuousness and deceit because emotionally speaking he is a very guileless person. But being a prince and being someone who is either hated or feared by many, he can't help but feel a sense of irritation when people try to ingratiate themselves to him, or they're overly polite or brownnosing, because he knows it's not real, they're just trying to stay on his good side. So when someone like Mantis actually disagrees and pushes back against him and his ideas, Nuada feels like that's genuine, because it's not fake flattery or passive agreement.

I love Kevin Bacon too! Tremors has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid. I didn't know he could sing, though, that's surprising. I will have to look, that up! XD

#{ i am the caretaker of souls } ᵒᵒᶜ #muse: nuada bethmoora

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hellboyslady · 8 months

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This beautiful piece of Hellboy/Anung Un Rama & Hillzanora together as he sits on his throne.

Art by a dear friend of mine on Instagram (LINK HERE)

I just might digitally ink and color it once I am done a few other things I am (slowly) working on.

Let my friend and I know what you all think of this piece. I love it and hope you all do too.

~EO

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scottwbeattie · 1 year

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Review: The Incredible Hulk Epic Collection 13: Crossroads

This might be the best Epic Collection that I've read to date

Crossroads begins with a 4-part storyline where the Doctor Strange villain, Nightmare, gets into the Hulk's head as a means of getting to his Defenders teammate, Strange. This causes the Hulk to revert to his most savage, which culminates in the spectacular Hulk #300, where he terrorizes New York and no one--not SHIELD, the Fantastic Four, the Heroes for Hire, or even the Avengers--is able to stop him. Although Doctor Strange knows that Hulk is under Nightmare's influence, he is forced to make a hard decision: he cannot cure the Hulk but he cannot allow him to continue his rampage and so he banishes him to the Crossroads, hoping that his friend can find peace there.

The rest of the collection takes place in the titular Crossroads, a dimensional hub with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of portals to other worlds, which Hulk visits in 1- to 2- issue story arcs.

Under a lesser creative team, this would grow repetitive very quickly, but Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema instead masterfully make use of the dimensions to tell different types of stories--there's an Arthurian-esque romance story as well as a Moby Dick -influenced story involving the energy-consuming Klatu monster--and, more importantly, to grow and develop the Hulk.

A clever plot device that Mantlo uses is that when Doctor Strange cast the spell, he installed a kind of magical fail-safe: when Hulk knows that he can't find happiness or a purpose in a dimension, he is automatically sent back to the Crossroads. In several dimensions he makes a friend or sees the possibility of temporary happiness, only to lose this, often through no fault of his own, and the Hulk quickly becomes a tragic figure. It's a surprisingly emotional turn for a title that I always tended to think of as being more straightforward action. It is also an effective narrative device, because it allows the Hulk to have real character development and return to a mental state closer to where he had been prior to this volume.

Although I enjoyed And Now...The Wolverine (Hulk Epic Collection 7), one of my complaints was that I would have liked to see more of Bruce Banner, because he usually serves as the emotional center of the story. It's a testament to how well Mantlo writes the Hulk that I feel like Banner (who only appears in a few instances) isn't needed.

I'd be remiss if I didn't specifically mention the art. This is the last volume of Sal Buscema's 10-year run on the title, and he goes out with a bang; the work he does on these issues, especially #300, is the best of his legendary career. Part of why the Hulk's regression works is because Buscema draws him as brutal and unhinged. The last few issues are drawn by a young Mike Mignola. While he seems to be finding himself artistically (or perhaps he was instructioned by his editor to draw like Buscema), you can definitely see traces of the future legend who would go on to create Hellboy and B.P.R.D.

Until recently, I didn't consider myself a Hulk fan. Both the character and the stories often felt a bit one-dimensional. While I enjoyed some Hulk comics for what they were, they didn't necessarily make me want to read more Hulk comics. So it was a massive surprise to me how much I loved this collection. If this wasn't the best Epic Collection that I've read thus far, it's certainly near the top, and, more importantly, it's converted me into a true Hulk fan.

#comics #comic review #marvel #marvel comics #marvel epic collection #epic collection #the incrediable hulk #hulksmash #bruce banner #doctor strange #bill mantlo #sal buscema #mike mignola #bret blevins #80s comics

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moxfirefly · 2 years

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Hi erm I'm really missing someone right now. Could you right a fic with Abe Sapien. With the prompts 48 dancing with each other and 50 putting your hand over the others mouth so shut them up. (gn reader would make my day😅)

Love my baby fish boy so yes you most certainly can!

Rated Fluff

A minute ago when he had asked it had sounded so silly, if he could blush she probably would’ve been the entire time. But you were a few glasses of wine in and so was he. You were a giggling mess and he couldn’t stop the nervous laughs that escaped him.

His dear friend had understood what was happening and ever the charmer himself, Hellboy had winked at Abe before tossing Liz over his shoulder to promptly exit and give the two of you some alone time. The two of you had been slow dancing for a few minutes now, the slow Al Green songs must’ve been Hellboy’s doing, he certainly was doing his best wingman job after all. Your redden cheeks hurt, how much you had been smiling and laughing all night was beyond you, but it was a welcome change of pace from the usual work week filled with mayhem and magic.

Abe twirled you gently, his stance that of a seasoned dancer, which made you wonder where exactly had he picked this up. He was careful but elegant, shy but still moved with the confidence of someone who had been doing this for years. The alcohol in your body lulled you, as the soft tune played out of the speakers, you were happy to just exist there with Abe.

“You know…I often hoped you’d finally get the guts to tell me you like me” The bomb was dropped, nothing too eloquent about it but if anything straight forward enough he didn’t have to read your thoughts for. Abe’s rhythm falter only a few seconds, gaze looking elsewhere as if ashamed. Had he been so obvious all this time? Had he done little to hide his emotions from you?

“I like you too, and no I’m not drunk, or at least not drunk enough to be incoherent” Your words left him speechless, the light piano of the current song making him slow his dancing more. He felt awkward, as if anything he could say would be met with more confusion.

Abe was always more a man of words than actions, a true opposite to his friend and colleague. While Hellboy struggled to find words, Abe had plenty to spare, in various languages. He spared a glance at your smiling face, lips rosy and cheeks just as much, your body close to his own and suddenly he felt so at a loss for words.

You opened your mouth to speak but felt his hand press against your mouth. At first you thought he was shutting you up, but those gorgeous bottomless eyes somehow said otherwise.

“I don’t know how often I’ve dreamt of your mouth, of the way your lips must feel…” It guts you, sends a pleasant shiver all over your body.

Even at a loss, he still manages to find something beautiful to say, somewhat poetic.

Something that makes you pull his hand away and kiss him

#iamnotyourmusebitch #ask #abe bprd #abe x reader #abe sapien x reader #abe sapien #abe #abraham sapien x reader #abraham sapien #writing prompts #touch prompts

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oracleact · 2 years

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I needed a more open space to talk about the shape of water (2017) so here I am!

I just watched it for the first time tonight and, not even the slightest exaggeration here, I cried during the last half an hour and continued to sob for the next two hours after the film had finished...and I mean properly sobbing. del toro has always made me feel welcomed; as a kid, I adored hellboy, and now as an adult I’ve found a more mature sense of welcoming through the shape of water - a more mature type of love and warmth compared to the sparkly eyed gaze I held as a kid towards hellboy.

the love in this film runs true and deep, like the depths of unexplored ocean territory. I think the one thing that del toro understands best about monsters in film (in this particular way) is that the focal point of the story doesn’t necessarily need to run along the lines of ‘appearance doesn’t matter, it’s what inside that counts.’ to him, it’s a showcase of protection, affection and understanding. there’s so many beautiful moments of just complete understanding and thinking with care and caution, it was overwhelming at times. for example, in the prominent bathroom scene as giles opens the door to let the water flood out - the way he just slowly closes the door after watching them both embrace each other skin to scales; a drawing of that sight appearing on his worktop later on. I felt like my heart was going to burst. I still worry it might by thinking about it. I’m not sure how to further describe the point I want to make here so I hope these quotes below, when paired with my previous context, can create a better picture:

“now, whatever this thing is, you need it. so, you just tell me what to do.” (giles)

“I’m okay — he’s a wild creature. we can't ask him to be anything else.” (giles)

“shut up! [...] you wouldn’t understand. you couldn’t understand, not if you tried your whole life.” (zelda)

I think I feel extra strongly for this storyline because I see myself in elisa in my own specific ways. the scene where she tries to make giles understand how important saving this creature’s life would be hit a little too hard. to find someone, or something, that can surround me in comfort like that - the thought itself is breathtaking and overly difficult to imagine ever happening. their connection is gentle, no words ever spoken but, at the same time, all the right words are indirectly spoken.

“when he looks at me, the way he looks at me...he does not know what I lack or how I am incomplete. he sees me for what I am, as I am. he’s happy to see me. every time. every day.”

I simply can’t enough of how safe and calm this film is to me. despite the distress of the time period and the lab situation, the love they share is most tender and something I want to immerse myself in completely for as long as possible. love is the greatest warrior and I wouldn’t usually be the type to say things like that I admit my past has made me an inescapable pessimist but this has struck a chord in my heart and soul.

“the only thing that comes to mind is a poem, whispered by someone in love hundreds of years ago. unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. your presence fills my eyes with your love. it humbles my heart, for you are everywhere.”

#thank you doug for your utterly stunning and emotionally impactful work with this amphibian man character ♡#the shape of water #guillermo del toro #doug jones #sally hawkins #monster lover #monster partner #monster friend #monster species #monster x human #exophilia #oracleact chats

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multific · 2 years

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That Special Someone

Hellboy x Reader

Words: 2.5K

Summary: Hellboy is desperate to have a relatively normal life. Even if his job was to hunt monsters, he still wanted a life. And that would include finding that person he can live with.

When Hellboy was younger he thought he could find that special someone, that person that everyone, every movie, and every song was talking about. He hoped he could be able to find them.

However, as he got older and older, the years passed, and he realized, he might not deserve that special someone.

This was the worst time of his life, he just lost his father and although he had his friends it was not the same. He was thankful for his supportive friends, but he wasn't sure what he wanted, he felt depressed. Like no one could get him out of the dark place that he was in at the moment.

No one, but you.

---

They said you came from heaven.

They said you were an angel who came to destroy evil and save the Earth.

But you weren’t sure if that was true.

Everyone talked about you, like they knew everything, but they didn't. You didn't believe that it was your purpose to destroy evil, if it would have been, then why did you fall in love with evil?

The very first time when you met Hellboy was when you were introduced to him in the facility. You were the newcomer you didn't know anyone. Alice and Ben were quite excited by your presence.

You wished you could say the same. You wanted to be happy and try living a life. But you just knew, Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense was just a fancy word for jail.

You were a freak, that’s what everyone called you. And after years of listening to them, you started to believe.

Your power was light. You could produce the light any time you wanted, it could be barely there or more blinding than a car’s headlights. When your powers started to show, you didn’t know how to hide them. You were alone and scared.

A man introduced himself as Professor Broom. The father of Hellboy as you later learned.

---

During your first couple of days, you were mainly in your room, trying to process everything that has happened.

How you ended up here, how they said you will be safe there.

You felt safe, but you also felt lonely. You had your own room with everything you needed. The Professor told you, you can decorate the room however you liked, they will get you everything you will need. You really like the idea of getting your own little place that you can use however you want to.

It didn't take long for you to decorate the entire room to your own liking. Some would call it excessive or even ugly but it was your new home and you intended to be comfortable there, and for that, you wanted a place that you liked, not what other people liked.

Your first week there was a mess. Even though you were in a place filled with people like you, some of the agents still give you looks that you did not appreciate.

You went out to the cafeteria to get some dinner, they had a lot of choices, a lot of them were things that you really liked, so you didn't have a hard time choosing. The lady behind the counter was really nice to you as she gave you your food. You sat down at one of the tables with your tray.

No one sat down with you to eat but you had expected that to happen. You were OK with just observing the people who were there. And then, he entered the room.

Hellboy.

He looked completely annoyed buy something, you didn't know what it was, or who would even dare to cause problems for someone like him.

He greeted some of the agents who were sitting at a table and they greeted him back.

He was loud someone even said obnoxious but something about him interested you, could have been the horns could have been the red skin could have been his attitude you were not sure, but for some reason, you were very intrigued.

Same day at night you were at the library, since you had nothing better to do you were just going to read a couple books. You hoped you would find something interesting.

And something interesting you found.

It was a large very heavy book, talked about all kinds of prophecies, you read a lot of them, they were quite interesting to you.

But the last one caught your eye.

It talked about the apocalypse, about a fiery demon coming to earth to destroy everything and kill everyone, it talked about the end of humanity. It also went into specific details about the demon which you realized was Hellboy. However, it also talked about an Angel coming down from the heavens to save humanity industry the demon.

That Angel was you.

The power matched down to every single detail. But you didn't like this.

You didn't like the idea of being some sort of hero, a hero by killing another being was not something you wanted to become.

You assumed this very prophecy was why you were kept in this facility. You thought the leaders wanted to keep you in close proximity, so if they would ever need you, you would be there. You will never really want to follow any rules let alone what prophecies in an old dingy book say. You know you wanted to change destiny and that you will be able to do it.

You decided to become friends with Hellboy who you now have learned the others called Red.

It was rather easy to become friends with him since he didn't have a lot of options. Sure, there was Alice and Ben, but other than that, no one. And he really appreciated your presence. Although, you were very different from Alice in more ways than one.

First, you were a hell of a lot prettier than her. Nicer too.

There were feelings in him that he couldn't quite understand, and he knew that you were the source of those feelings, at first, he thought that those were your powers, that you were able to control people's feelings. But then during a mission, he found out that was not the case, your powers were not to control people’s feelings but had to do with lights which really impressed him.

You looked like the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in his life. As the light surrounded you and you controlled it with such ease.

He was sure it took a lot of effort for you to learn how to work with your powers.

He wanted to understand those feelings, he needed to. Then he asked Alice about them, all he got was her laughing and telling him that he was stupid.

So, he sat on his own quest to find the answer.

He started to spend more and more time with you. Often inviting you to his room to play video games or to just hang out and drink beer.

You really enjoyed those times it was like you finally had someone you could fully connect with and he also really enjoyed it because he found someone who didn't judge him based on his looks.

The two of you became really close really fast.

Even his father noticed this friendship between the two of you, all he could do with congratulate his son.

Everyone around you smiled and smirked like they knew something, something that you didn't know and it annoyed you. Why did they act like that? What was it that they knew?

It wasn't like before, it wasn't like when you were in high school and every kid gave you a side-eyed look, no, this was very different. It was almost like everyone was silently congratulating you on something that you didn't even do, or you don't remember doing. It was one of the weirdest times in your life.

Until the event, when everything finally made sense.

The two of you ever just chilling out in your room, when an agent came in to tell you that you have a new mission. She said it will be only the two of you because it's a very easy and quick mission.

Both of you were rather annoyed to get your relaxing time interrupted, but you had no choice so you left.

The mission really did seem easy it was basically an in and out type of mission. When the agent explained to you what you would need to do, you know that will be no problem for you or for Hellboy. Even if you were not as used to going on missions as he was, you know you would be able to at least help him.

In the end, you to did a really good job with securing the monster, thankfully you didn't need to use a lot of violence.

You are done about to go home when it all went downhill.

You two failed to notice that there were actually two monsters. And the other one managed to sneak up on you, it wanted to hit Hellboy but you reacted in time and got him out of the way, which resulted in you getting hurt.

The monster hit you on your side making you fly into the wall knocking the breath out of your lungs as you fell to the floor.

Everything hurt.

You didn't even realize what was going on, everything became blurry and muted. You didn't hear the yelling. You didn’t even hear him calling out your name.

It was only later when you woke up in a hospital bed, the doctor told you what happened.

Apparently, you managed to get Hellboy out of the way just in time but as you got hurt two of your ribs broke another one got fractured and your ankle was twisted as you fell to the floor.

The doctor also told you that Hellboy managed to kill the monster. She even told you that Hellboy was extremely scared and angry because of what happened to you.

He was the one who rushed you into the Infirmary and demanded every single person to help you immediately, she told you that he was yelling pointing his gun at everyone.

She said that she has never seen him so scared before.

It really warmed your heart to hear that he had such a reaction to you getting hurt. But you also felt really bad to making him worry so much. You wanted to see him right now.

“Where is he? I want to see him.” You asked as you tried your best to sit up in bed but you felt your ribs really hurting. You groaned in pain as you sat up, the doctor tried to stop you but she couldn't. “I just want to see him that's all, where is he?”

“He just left a couple of minutes ago, he said something about getting a beer or something. I will ask a nurse to go and look for him, you can not get out of bed or your wounds would get worse.” she said and she left the room to do just what she told you.

You were so anxious and scared as you sat in the room, there was complete silence only the humming of the different machines in the room could be heard. You felt your heartbeat in your throat.

Then the door opened with a loud bang and the unmistakable figure of Hellboy entered the room. The nurse behind him closed the door as he rushed to your side.

“Are you ok? How are you feeling? The doctor said a lot of gibberish I couldn't quite understand. But the most important thing is that you are awake. You shouldn't have pushed me away, I would have been fine and now you wouldn't have to be in a hospital bed with broken ribs. You are so silly.” You could tell that he was just as scared as you were.

“The most important thing is that both of us are fine and that we finished the mission just as we were asked to.”

“I don't care about the mission! I care about you, you don't have to put yourself in way of danger to save me, I would have been perfectly fine I survived worse. Promise me you won't worry me this much ever again.” he grabbed your hand, basically he was pleading with his eyes, you could tell just by looking at him how scared he must have been but you knew that you wouldn't have done it any other way. You would have pushed him out of the way of harm without thinking over and over again, he meant too much to you.

“You know I cannot promise you that, Red. I care too much about you, you are my only friend here.”

“But that’s the thing Kid, I don't want to be only your friend, and today really made me realize that. As I carried you back to the car, I couldn't stop thinking that this was my fault. That you nearly died because of my negligence.”

“Y-you want us to be more than friends?” You tried your best to fully understand what he was trying to say even if your mind didn't really want to believe it.

“Yes. I cannot continue to pretend what you really mean to me. Every day and when you came over just to hang out I couldn't stop thinking about... Us. Look, I know I'm not what people would call ‘normal’, but I don't care. I have to admit my feelings. I care about you deeply.”

There were a couple seconds of silence, you felt how heavy it was in the air. Your heart made up its mind the second you saw him, you knew you would not be able to stay only friends with him for very long, but you hid your feelings so you wouldn't lose him as a friend. And now here he was, confessing his feelings being completely open to you.

“I really really care about you as well, Hellboy. I just didn't want to say anything, didn't want to ruin our friendship.”

“Looks like we're both silly then.” He said as he laughed a little, his hands still holding yours, you squeezed his hand making him look into your eyes.

“We are.”

You let him slowly lean in to give you a kiss your lips on your lips. Even though you're ribs and chest were hurting, you couldn't help but feel extremely happy. Not only were you able to admit your feelings, but they were reciprocated.

The gossip about your relationship with Hellboy went around the facility rather quickly, Alice and Ben both came to congratulate the two of you. Many agents also congratulated you but of course, there were a couple of people who made negative comments. To be fair you expected those and you both couldn't care less about what they would think.

You were happy and that's what matters.

And that is how you broke the prophecy, you, the Angel who was supposed to destroy and kill evil fell in love with him. If you were honest you were just happy to live your own life and create your own destiny.

Your own future with him.

Taglist: imreadinggoaway @fleursirvart @v-2bucky ehsebastiancrunch-time-sports @pxstelrainbow ablogbypeteparker liamssmilersmexylemony @greenarrowhead feelingsareharddd @thisismysecrethappyplace @sincerelyfan @theoneanna @aestheticsandmarvel @rororo06 @castellandiangelo @avengers-r-us @destynelseclipsa @spilledinkindumpster celebsimagine @capsiclesdoll snoopy3000 @firstangeldragonranch @puknow crazzyter @alwayshave-faith @soleil-dor @alex12948 scream-kiwi79 @lxdyred @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl @christianbalefanatic

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#hellboy #hellboy 2019 #hellboy x reader #hellboy x you #hellboy imagine #hellboy imagines #hellboy fanfic #hellboy fanfiction #david harbour hellboy #david harbour #david harbour character #x reader #monster x reader #monster imagine #monster imagines #hellboy 2004 x reader #hellboy 2004

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