#also help how does one shade black spandex

[zeazalt]

nightwing but he has a lil dangly earring because I’ve decided to be the change I wish to see in the world

#LetDickHaveEarrings2022 #also help how does one shade black spandex #ref is a photo of tamino. i have a pinterest folder of tamino pics that give me dick vibes lol #dc #dc comics #dc fanart #dick grayson #richard grayson #nightwing #dc nightwing #nightwing fanart #batman #batman comics #batfamily

[river-bottom-nightmare]

Nightwing #81 Review

i swear i actually thought no one was interested so i didn’t write one but a grand total of two (2) people said they wanted to read it, so here it is. honestly, my opinion’s been going a bit downhill, but the art is really cool and there are some decent parts so. holding out i guess? i really hope taylor has an end goal or at least a cohesive plan, otherwise i don’t see this series going anywhere i’ll particularly enjoy

the cover is very straightforward in its imagery, this villain has nightwing in the palm of his hand, easily manipulated, easily controlled no matter the action dick thinks he’ll take. 

what i find interesting is the colour: both previously and heavily in this issue, the colourist has chosen to make pink this villain’s main colour, with different shades of pink as accents. so why the red in the cover? possibly to just make it more eye-grabbing, though one could argue that pink is even more eye-catching than red. maybe to convey a sense of dread or fear that pink won’t fully get across. either way, it’s definitely a decision i’m curious about.

so melinda zucco is in a high enough political position within bludhaven that she is next in line to become the mayor after the previous mayor died and dick just,,,,didn’t have any idea she existed? dick didn’t know anything about her? forget dick’s own brilliant detective skills, forget his doggedness at anything zucco related, you’re telling me bruce never found her and told dick about her? maybe he wouldn’t have now, but back when dick was a young kid, he definitely would have at least made dick aware of her existence, to let dick know and ask if he wanted to interfere with her life or anything.

i have a thought about zucco’s facial expressions. she is very much stone-cold poker face throughout the entire issue. the only time i see her pull a different expression is near the end when dick corners her against a wall with an arm around her throat. 

this is most certainly intentional, what with the varied and intense expressions we see on other characters, dick most prominently. i’m wondering what exactly is the creative team’s reasoning behind this. in these panels, zucco is meeting with the most dangerous, powerful, near-bloodthirsty man in all of bludhaven and becoming the mayor of the city respectfully. in both of these panels, there is barely a hint of emotion in her face: no fear, no determination, no satisfaction. it’s just odd, considering the circumstances she’s in, regardless of any training recieved.

just spitballing here but. like. from what i’ve read so far, dick doesn’t really seem like bludhaven’s guardian angel. more like when peter parker first put on spandex and blindly stepped out into new york.

dick, how exactly can you underestimate someone from one move. so he caught your escrima. anyone with enhanced reflexes can do that. you still don’t know how he can actually fight, and this is shown in the next set of panels. 

i just don’t like the wording here. dick’s “underestimated” him, but beats him up easy in the next page. in addition, i don’t know much about combat, but i would assume it would take more than one move to determine exactly what an opponent’s skill level is, made even more complex when you add physical enhancements and metahumans and aliens into the mixture.

idk my first thought when i saw that he caught the stick was “ah ok he’s enhanced” because obviously he couldn’t have reacted fast enough if he wasn’t (as there are few people trained enough to catch it on human reflexes alone.) then the wording in the next panel, i’ve underestimated him, made me think “oh no ok so he’s not enhanced, he’s just a really good fighter and can give dick a run for his money in a fight.” then, it turns out my first assumption was proven correct in the next panel. it just comes across as misleading to me.

(also sidenote but his curls are cute.)

have i praised the art enough in this series? no, i have not.

i adore the way this is laid out and illustrated. without even having to read the text, the action sequence is visually engaging and intense, and easily followable from one panel to the next. dick’s physical expertise comes through quite efficiently, and i love the special attention shown to draw our attention to dick’s escrima in the bottom right corner.

also that move in the middle row leftmost panel that’s the mcu black widow move to get up off the ground it was the first thing i noticed and it made me laugh; thought it was worth noting

i’m really loving dick’s escrima sticks in this run. they’re just so multipurpose, it’s hilarious and exhilarating. kinda reminds me of bruce’s belt, the way the button in the middle does eevveeerrryyytthhiinngg. 

got a problem? don’t worry! dick’s installed a feature into his escrima that can fix that! (i like thinking dick helped make them it makes me happy and makes my engineer!dick side satisfied)

yawn. your big heart is your one true weakness yadda yadda the fact that you care will be used against you blah blah we get it. jesus can the villains please find a different weakness to exploit, this is getting old.

i need dick’s capacity to empathize and care and love to stop being a weakness that villains sneer about. bonus points if dick saves everyone anyway, either because of or despite his great big heart and the villain is surprised by the goodness of mankind or some shit like that.

i need it to be a strength, right from the get-go. the fact that he cares so incredibly much should be an asset that dick has and will use. he’s a very complex character with years of background, it can’t possibly be that hard to find another weakness of his. 

ooooh this is cool, gosh i absolutely love this.

because what exactly is the reader doing? we are seeing the fear in dick’s face, just as this villain intended. even better, we’re seeing the reflection of it from the villain’s glossy mask, telling us exactly what we’re seeing and exactly what he likes so much about it.

dick’s standing up straight, shoulders drawn back, looking up at this villain’s face with determination and resolve, but his suit is tattered. one eye looks to be swollen. his hair is falling limply around his eyes, as opposed to the curls from earlier. his escrima aren’t even part of the main focus, instead blending into the side of the mask in the outer corners of the mask’s eyes, which tells you exactly how big of a threat they are to this villain.

poor bitewing’s quite alarmed.

also on second thought why would you bring your puppy out like this, when you know you’re gonna end up fighting someone in the suit. a) how many grey three-legged adorable little puppies live in the bludhaven area dick? and how easy will it be to connect the doggo running around with nightwing with the doggo that dick grayson owns? and 2) is this puppers trained? does she have fighting experience? how exactly can you ensure she will survive this highly stressful situation?

dick take better care of your dog 

you know what? i was with tim on this one. why exactly is dick so optimistic and trusting about the people of bludhaven? bludhaven, which has been described as gotham’s smaller, smellier, more corrupt sister city once or twice. it’s not just the corrupt people in power, the entire system needs to change and people need to have faith and hope in order for them to come together, espcially if they’ve been living in conditions like how bludhaven has been described. from how clueless dick is about his own goddamn city, i can tell he hasn’t been here long.

it was a nice moment of hope, i’ll admit. but it was a tad unrealistic for me.

also it was in a weird place in the comic. this sort of confrontation and big get-together of the people to rejuvenate hope in each other feels like it should come near the end of a run, if not the end of an issue. certainly not in the first third of an issue. the pacing’s a bit off to me.

loyal little puppy patiently waiting for her human to wake up. i love her so much.

no it’s not. it’s bitewing.

living for this t-shirt honestly. do comics of dc characters exist in the dc universe? they must if the mug and the shirt are any indication

(now i’m imagining the first batman movie that came out in the dc universe and bruce just. being so offended at who they chose to play him.)

well, yes. but when a group of people are put through hellish conditions over and over again, they soon become desensitized to the pain and terror of their everyday lives in order to both stay sane and keep their life relatively stable, and part of that becomes ignoring or blocking out anything that isn’t directly important to you or your loved ones. having a bleeding heart will most likely get you killed in a city like bludhaven if you don’t have the same skills that vigilantes have.

and of course, people are more than capable of coming together and rallying under their city’s vigilante after seeing the good they’ve done and how they’ve helped the people, but that sort of trust takes time and effort to build. dick also had the whole ric arc and was gone for a while, which has been referenced several times in this particular issue in fact. that’s not going to make bludhaven’s citizens any more likely to trust him.

maybe i’m being a bit harsh but this comic is comic off as a bit too idealistic for the amount of change nightwing can do in a city given the present and past circumstances as well as nightwing’s own abilities. even dick grayson can’t pull off everything.

ok seriously this needs to stop this needs to stop.

right now, dick reminds me of oliver queen in the few episodes of the cw’s arrow i watched. he does the punchy-kicky-fighty and occasionally has smart insights due to the skills he gained from his past that he certainly definitely totally has but only ever exhibits once, while his team does all of the background research and information gathering and actual work.

this is dick’s city. if he has the same intelligence, worth ethic, and stubbornness in this run that he’s been shown to possess all his life, then he knows this city inside out. he’ll have meticulous notes organized in a ridiculously efficient system, he’ll have scouted out zucco long before this started, he’ll have known when anything big happened in the bludhaven political landscape in an instant.

i’m really not liking exactly how much dick’s relying on babs and tim in this series. sure, he loves them and cares for them and likes working cases with them. but he always pulls his own weight, has always been a mentor figure to tim instead of what’s weirdly becoming the other way around, and takes point on the cases in his own damn city.

what kind of weak-ass oracle is this?? redacted fbi files are child’s play. babs used to hack into the fbi for fun. this one particular picture is so out of character i want to laugh.

reading this series has unfortunately made me confront that, despite the tiny fluid acrobat dick that lives in my head 24/7, canon dick is impossibly 5′10 and muscular at that.

mmm. titties.

tim said hydrate or die-drate bitch

love how dick’s doing all this intense brooding and stuff meanwhile bitewing is curled up in a soft comfy post having the time of her life.

you don’t understand i would legitimately kill myself for her.

also the lighting in this one scene is cool. the blue tones come off so well.

they’re just. so multipurpose!! they can become a bo staff. they can cut glass. they can become a grapple hook/line. they can electrify someone. they’re a funky colour. i’m becoming really attached to these things. absolute solid choice in weaponry.

if you’re gonna write up every rookie mistake dick has made during this series to head trauma, then dick shouldn’t be out and about at all, much less in costume.

see this? this is just straight up wrong. dick most definitely should have spotted her, and would have immediately moved to take her down.

scratch that, dick would have done a full check of the building, because he knows not to break into places uninformed, especially if the owner of the apartment was raised by the maroni family. someone as highly trained, experienced, and competent as dick wouldn’t have done this.

and if you chalk it up to head injury, (which is probably true), than his ~love interest~ and his little brother should have done a much better job making sure he stays in his house.

zucco looks so awkward it’s fucking hilarious

are those shadows that mimic a domino mask, to both reflect and hide the fact that his mask is missing? are those bruises around his eyes, to show how, despite what good he’s doing, being nightwing is hurting dick right now? 

(isn’t his domino mask supposed to have an electrifying feature that keeps people from removing them?)

it’s a little odd how the three known villains of this series are all coloured in warm shades, more specifically pink. meanwhile, in earlier issues, dick’s fondest memories were in pink, memories of him and alfred in particular. why has the colour pink changed from signifying something benevolent to something malicious? idk i hope this gets explained later.

this i did like. either it’s just a display of brute force in anger, or dick slipped the ties and pulled them off once untied. both ways, it’s an unintentional display of power, and i think that’s kinda cool.

again. dick is,,,tall? sort of? weirdddd

i’m so glad most readers are unified in the notion that this was the absolute dumbest fucking thing.

i’m hoping this gets disproved or something soon. and i hope dick doesn’t fall for it, because he definitely knows better than to take something as important as this at face value.

what exactly is taylor trying to accomplish here? why is he trying to go back on what we all knew was a happy, loving childhood and throw strife and disharmony and (what i’m assuming will be) infidelity? this will not end well at all.

---

,,,,,this review got way longer than expected lol. and i realize most of it just became me ranting. i guess i didn’t realize how ticked off i was originally. fingers crossed it gets better.

tag list: @woahjaybird @birdy-bat-writes @anothertimdrakestan @subtleappreciation @screennamealreadyused @bikoncon @pricetagofficial @catxsnow @thatsthewhump @xatanna-troy @red-hood-redemption @capricorn-stark @batshit-birds​ @comics-observer

#nightwing 81 #nightwing #dick grayson #dc #nightwing 81 meta #nightwing meta #dick grayson meta #dc meta #river thinks too hard

[aestheticaxolotl]

Lets Talk About Mimebomb

I used two images here because both are priceless and I didn’t know which I wanted to use more.  Let me start with Mimebomb, using the Carmen Sandiego Wiki to break them (mimebomb is non binary fight me) down as a whole, starting with appearance and personality (Excluding the comments around his action in the show, please bear with me once more as I do this).

Mime Bomb is a thin, red-haired young man (*Cough*) who looks like a stereotypical mime. He (*They*) wears a grey and black striped shirt, black beret, white gloves, black spandex and black shoes. His (*Their*) makeup consists of white face paint, black face paint around the eyes and on the brows, and a light red shade of lipstick. 

So I wanna talk about Mimebomb without their makeup first. We see that they are not meant to be an attractive character, and I appreciate that Carmen Sandiego created characters like that. But I digress, red headed males are stereotypically either super hot or super not. And they really tried to go with super not. But failed because I love them anyway and so does most of the fandom. Now, the mime get up is a very strange choice to me, seeing as people are more scared of clowns than global warming, and mimes are very similar to clown, but I don’t think it’s a fear tactic. But more of a ‘hey even Mimes can be cool yall’. 

For personality we do not have a lot to go on as some of the other but we still have SOMETHING, I was forced to reference the books for this so please, if you have no read “Clue by Clue”, check it out.

Mime Bomb has been described as quiet by El Topo and weird by Tigress. Mime Bomb is seen as an opportunist, immediately tattling to V.I.L.E Faculty when witnessing Carmen stowing away on the graduate mission during her holdover year, and secretly hiding a rare stamp in Detective Chase Devineaux's coat when he was on to him. In the Clue by Clue novel, Mime Bomb is said to be skilled in symbiology and cryptanalysis according to Professor Maelstrom. He is also prone to avoiding fights or physical contact when possible. When fighting Sheena in the Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego novel, she easily beats him while he is distracted. When offered a helping hand to his feet by Black Sheep, he declines with a shrug and silent nod. In Clue by Clue, when Le Chèvre and Tigress are fighting Carmen, he stands off in the sidelines and shadowboxes rather than assisting.

Now, let us begin on what I have brought to the table.

Mime Bomb is seen as an opportunist

I have to begin by defining the term ‘Opportunistic’ using the Webster's Dictionary, Opportunistic meaning “exploiting chances offered by immediate circumstances without reference to a general plan or moral principle”. And dumbing it down for myself “They take what is best for theirself rather than the people around them.” Right, so. Mimebomb being opportunistic is CANON and shown MANY times. I will draw your attention to every time Mimebomb has turned Carmen or who ever into the Faculty for not following the rules. I would have loved to stated that this is a ‘teacher pet’ thing but I was surprised when I realized it wasn’t. The Faculty really doesn’t like Mimebomb and are very sarcastic towards them, constantly underestimating them and using them as the butt of the joke! And yet we see them completing missions successfully and with finesse, other messing up the mission they set up so carefully and thoughtfully.

Mime Bomb is said to be skilled in symbology and cryptanalysis

Cryptanalysis is the art or process of deciphering coded messages without being told the key. While Symbology is  the study or use of symbols. This is very telling. Mimebomb studying codes and symbols can allude to selective mutism or even mutism. Personally, I prefer the former, Selective mutism is a childhood disorder in which a child does not speak in some social situations although he or she is able to talk normally at other times. And this can form in adults too. But the implications that they let if form how they preformed in school/college? Amazing, they made a choice and stuck to it for SUCH a LONG time. That commitment is amazing. This is also useful to more historical based mission or where it may lead into hieroglyph or other symbols. I’m willing to wager that these talents are why DOCTOR BELLUM brought Mimebomb on the hunt for an artifact. Because they would know some of the writing and symbols.

He is also prone to avoiding fights or physical contact when possible

Mimebomb being physically weak is not an accidental detail. Far from it! I think addressing that a male character who is more brains than brawn is a detail that needs to be pushed, and as off as Mimebomb is, they are the perfect example of this. They are not masculine and are easily taken down by Young Blacksheep, Chase, and other characters. Mind you it’s halariauous but PLEASE- You are KILLING their JOINTS. I have a feeling the avoiding physical contact is a very... Self protecting action that I feel would have to be more touched on in a headcanon post rather than an analysis post. The best I can come up with is the speculation that Mimebomb refuses to let people become close to them.

When offered a helping hand to his feet by Black Sheep, he declines with a shrug and silent nod

This, this the most telling thing EVER.  Mimebomb refuses a helping hand. They do not work well with others and when they are offered help, the refuse it. They have a self serving bias. A self-serving bias is any cognitive or perceptual process that is distorted by the need to maintain and enhance self-esteem, or the tendency to perceive oneself in an overly favorable manner. It is the belief that individuals tend to ascribe success to their own abilities and efforts, but ascribe failure to external factors. When individuals reject the validity of negative feedback, focus on their strengths and achievements but overlook their faults and failures, or take more credit for their group's work than they give to other members, they are protecting their ego from threat and injury. Mimebomb protects themself at all cost, and that makes me wonder, why? Because they know that they can’t accept others help or their comforts. And they are fine with it. They are okay with being alone.

he stands off in the sidelines and shadowboxes rather than assisting.

I feel like this was originally supposed to be a one off joke rather than an actual trait or habit. But... If you know me by now, I can twist this on it’s head so fast, it’s not even funny. But I can’t here, I can’t except maybe they do this to encourage others? I think when they do work in a team, they do try their best to support who they are working with unless its an annoying slime ball like Neal the Eel (Not hating on Slimebomb, I just noticed they work better as comical enemies rather than a relationship, and i love that)

Now, there was no abilities category in the wiki, and I found this interesting, so i drew from the Trivia section of the page and found out... A lot really, that is interesting. But only one of them made and impression on me and it’s the one I want to focus on for a paragraph or two.

Mime Bomb is actually classified by A.C.M.E. as insane; given he is locked up with Maelstrom in a loony bin. considering he NEVER speaks (by choice), makes sense.

I’m going to take a second to define the term “Insane” using “Wikipedia” rather than a dictionary. “ Insanity, madness, and craziness are terms that describe a spectrum of individual and group behaviors that are characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns.” Hmm....What abnormal pattern are we looking at here. Selective Mutism. The mime outfit doesn’t help. I’ll make note that the official wiki says it’s choice that Mimebomb doesn’t speak, but doesn’t give us a reason why, speculation and theories are in store here and I will reference my V.I.L.E Operative headcanons.

In the end, Mimebomb was and still is one of my favorite characters in the whole freaking show. I enjoyed ever second of them on screen, every caper and ever wacky highjinx.  I’d watch the whole show again just to see them being the awesome character they are. As usual, requests are open and please! I love when requests come in! Stay tuned for the next one y’all!!

[shenlongshao]

GGStrive Redesign Analysis: Leo Whitefang

Welcome to the continuation of the redesign analysis series! The next character is another one who first debuted in XRD SIGN; Leo Whitefang! This will be another long post and also the last one until Anji Mito’s trailer in 2021. Please enjoy reading! LEO WHITEFANG ------------------------------- There’s been some mixed reactions to Leo’s reveal. Positive comments like “Leo Whitefang is back! GG Strive is saved!” “He’s a hot burly man!” “Dream Daddy!” and etc. came from fans of the character. But other comments from those not too happy with his reveal were like, “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!”  XDD   Time to examine his previous look.

Every aspect of this character boldly shows his motif is based on a lion, which I always think is awesome. Leo’s design focuses on the unique and cool factor rather than unorthodox. First is his long, blonde hair and beard that looks like a lion’s mane. Actual fur of the same color can be seen on the collar of his trench coat and at the cuffs. His trench coat bares a brownish orange hue, accented with black trim and unfasten belts that exposes his attire. On the sleeves of his coat is a black cross shaped like the Illyrian one, decorated with 6 metal buttons and a yellow one in the center. Metal Illyrian crosses is also at the corners of the coat’s collar, which they connect by twin chains. Six metal buttons is on each part of the collar, adding up to twelve that gives a hint to a rock metal look. His attire is a black, spandex-type body suit with light orange trim baring cross designs in the middle of his chest. Layered on top is a light orange shirt(or vest?) with two straps hanging on the sides. On his hands is simple, fingerless black gloves while his tight pants also has the style of crosses and detail, though slightly different shade of black. Lastly, his ankle-length boots contains tannish brown cuffs with black trim and three metal buttons on each side. The base color is also black with tannish brown trim at the bottom and dark gray plating on the frontal part. Leo’s design brings something different while still fitting in the world of GG. I love the exaggerated mixture of regal and combat style in his look. It’s one of those designs where I could tell what the character is about from just looking at him. I even like design of his weapons, which I notice their shape is like a German cross. I like how the chosen colors compliment each other, especially since it has a vibrant and warm essence to it. Since orange, black, yellow, and silver are his main colors, let’s examine how it relates to his personality. Color Personality of Orange: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-orange.html With orange as your favorite color, you are warm, optimistic, extroverted and often flamboyant. You are friendly, good-natured and a generally agreeable person. You are assertive and determined rather than aggressive - having a personality color orange means you are more light-hearted and less intense than those who love red. You thrive on human social contact and social gatherings, bringing all types together. As a personality color orange, you enjoy partying and socializing and planning all types of social events - orange people are the life of the party, the uninhibited performer! You are often the loud talker in a group. While you are charming and sociable you do tend to be a show-off. You get great satisfaction from helping others and they find you inspiring with your vitality and positive energy. You are tolerant and accepting of others just the way they are. You are full of life, always on the go, determined and competitive, always looking for new challenges - and this can lead to restlessness and impatience with others who do not have this need. Lovers of orange like to take risks in many areas of their life, particularly in the physical areas. They prefer to explore their outer world rather than their inner world. Patience is not one of your virtues and you can be quite forceful and domineering over others when under stress. You may be an unkind practical joker. When operating from a negative perspective, a personality color orange can become aloof, egotistical, and self-centered. Color Personality of Black: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-black.html Prestige and power are important to you. You are independent, strong-willed and determined and like to be in control of yourself and situations. You are methodical in your work, making sure everything is completed as required, down to the last detail. Color Personality of Yellow: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-yellow.html You have a happy disposition and are cheerful and fun to be with. With a personality color yellow, you can be very critical of yourself as well as others - you are a perfectionist. You analyze everything, all the time, and are methodical in your thinking. You are spontaneous - you are able to think quickly on your feet and make instant decisions. You have a modern outlook. New technology doesn't faze you. You communicate well on a mental level with like-minded people, but can become bitter and sharp-tongued if crossed. You are good at networking and getting information out of others. Journalists often resonate with the color yellow. With a personality color yellow, you can be stubborn but dislike pettiness and spitefulness of all kinds. You like to think you are intelligent and well educated, with knowledge about many topics. Color Personality of Silver: https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-silver.html You tend to be introspective, often preoccupied with your own world. In your search for meaning and fulfilment, you sometimes isolate yourself from others as you reflect and ponder on the deeper questions of life. If you love silver, you are imaginative and creative, particularly in expressing yourself with the written word. Making speeches, writing poetry, and writing novels are three means of self-expression you may be drawn to, allowing you to satisfy your need to fantasize and reflect. With a personality color silver, you are open to trying new things and exploring any new opportunities that are presented to you. Change does not frighten you, in fact you welcome it. Resourceful and flexible, and open to new possibilities, success often comes easily to those who love the color silver. You will try almost anything once! Immediately introduced as the Second King of Illyria, Leo is heavily involved in worldwide affairs. From typical paperwork duties to investigation events surrounding Bablyon and the Japanese Colony, he takes on his responsibilities without hesitation. Throughout the story of Xrd SIGN and Revelator, he displays leadership qualities and knows it takes way more than just giving people orders. He tries to carefully analyze the situation and decide the best course of action, showing compassion and understanding for not only the troops, but others around him. This aspect is really shown when in Revelator 2, when the showdown with Ariels occurs and freeing Elphelt from Justice’s body. King Daryl shows to be technically logical with his plan to go for the attack, though detached from the internal details. However, Leo considers the entirety of the situation and wanting the safety of his allies(like Sol and Ky). There’s also the aspect of while he is very boastful and has high self-esteem, he’s definitely not a narcissist(a word often misused). He’s able to boldly admit his flaws and even having a hearty laugh about it; grading himself a C-(from Xrd SIGN). With Leo’s development as a person and what he has to deal with in the aftermath of Revelator 2, it was time for him to get a redesign!

The essence from Leo’s previous design is kept, though still quite a departure from it. The first is his hair is dramatically cut and his beard is trimmed, instantly giving him a more mature appearance. The concept of the fur trench coat is apparent, such as the Illyrian crosses on the sleeves, except their color is beige instead of black. However, it’s obviously not the same coat due to the style; it lacks the Illyrian crosses and little chains in front. And how his new coat would be fasten by the silver buttons instead of buckle straps. On the new coat, the buckle straps securely loop from under his arms and the fact the hue is a warm brown instead of orange with black trim. The clothing he wears underneath is also different, starting with a slightly opened, white collar shirt layered with a dark brown and black vest. There’s the detail of little silver buttons evenly spread out and a side zipper. Around his waist is three belts in slightly different shades of brown. On his lower body, Leo wears a fitted, beige-colored pants that slightly curtains over his mustard yellow and dark brown dress shoes. Lastly, the pants also has pockets, accented with brown strap in front. Since Leo’s new main colors includes brown and beige with a hint of white, Let’s see what the additional colors mean for him. Brown Personality: https://colorogy.com/brown-color-meaning.html Brown personality people are strong and dependable. The strength is not only strong in body, but also strong in convictions and emotional strength. If brown is your most favorite color, you have a good understanding of your own capabilities. You have the mental grit to stand up to and face the challenges life throws at you. You are a reliable partner and true to your friends. You are loyal and sincere in your relationships. For you, feeling safe, loved, and appreciated in a relationship is essential. You look after your family and gladly devote time to your home and responsibilities. Material security is paramount to you; you meticulously plan your goals and work hard to achieve them. Your career is an important aspect of your life. You have a vision for your career and you will do what it takes to get there. You do your best to succeed in whatever you set your heart on achieving. You do your best to maintain a good reputation. Being seen in a good light is vital to you. You dread the idea of being thought of as untrustworthy in any way. Beige Personality: https://colorogy.com/beige-color-meaning.html You have the ability to grasp new ideas and concepts quickly. You amass knowledge for wisdom and for knowledge's sake. You are interested in everything that goes on in the world and in your areas of interest. You are much in tune with all that occurs in your immediate environment. The efforts you put in towards achieving all that you want in life are consistent. You don't back down; come what may, when you really want something. White Personality: https://colorogy.com/white-color-meaning.html They have a compassionate outlook and are kind. Their kind words sooth, heal, and calm those they interact with. They may attract people in their lives who depend on them for emotional support, as they are good listeners and are wise beyond their years. They are grounded, balanced and practical. They have a deep understanding of the world they live in. It doesn't take alot to make someone with a white personality type happy. They find joy and contentment in small and simple things life. Watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset can make their day. They are free spirited and carefree. They enjoy their freedom and feel unrestricted by conventions. It’s interesting how brown is one the chosen colors for him. I think storywise, it could relate to Leo’s heighten resolve and determination to whatever comes next. It also hints he’s matured since the last game, though he still has his jolly pride and charm he’s known for(especially from his expressions and animations.)

I like how Leo’s design still contains his unique style, even though it’s seemingly more casual in comparison to his previous look. Due to his haircut, it’s easier to tell which is his hair and which is the fur from his coat(in the previous games, I sometimes think the fur collar was part of his hair, lol). Part of me will miss his long hair, but the new hairdo definitely looks great on him. I’m also kind of getting Attack on Titan vibes from his clothing and suddenly imagine him killing Titans with ease, XD.  This is another design done well; time to give it the GG style rating! Rating: S + + + (The Lion King!)

#guilty gear #guilty gear strive #leo whitefang #character analysis #character redesign #I had to look up what dream daddy is lol #it's a crime his zodiac sign isn't a leo!

[thesterekcollection]

The Sterek Halloween MasterPost

Hallow's Warmth by raisesomehale | 6.8K

Derek and Cora own the little coffee shop downtown, Stiles is the regular and talkative client that Derek may or may not be infatuated with, and the cold weather is extremely inconvenient considering it dusts Stiles' cheeks with a rosy shade of red and causes his breath to frost over in white puffs whenever he laughs.

Pining and Halloweenie things ensue.

Just a Little Hocus Pocus by secondstar |16.8K

On All Hallow’s Eve when the moon is round, a virgin will summon us from under the ground.

Stiles lights the black flame candle, bringing three witches back from the dead who need his soul to survive the night.

Little Red Riding Hood (you sure are looking good) by aohatsu | 10.2K

Stiles hangs out with werewolves. Stiles dresses up as Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween. It's supposed to be ironic.

Masque by JenNova |3.5K

Derek's not sure he can remember what he was trying to achieve here.

“That's not really a costume,” Stiles' voice returns, curling into Derek's ear. Derek suppresses a shiver.

“It's a costume,” he says, shocked by how rough his voice sounds. He needs to get out of here.

Disco Cops by GotTheSilver | 3.1K

“You don’t need to protect me, Stiles.”

“Officer of the law here,” Stiles says, his smile twisting into a dirty smirk. “That’s my job.”

“Not in those shorts.”

“How about out of these shorts?”

bonfires burning bright (room in my coffin tonight) by  hito | 12.2K

Stiles may hate Halloween, but he loves working at the Haunted House -- at least until the new girl steals his cushy job in the office. But she also introduces him to the guy he's had a crush on for years, so he supposes she can't be a total witch. That doesn't mean Derek isn't a vampire.

Marked for Later by  hazelNuts | 5K

The Hale and the McCall pack have an uneasy truce. Now, when a witch has been killing people in both their territories, Derek and Stiles have to go undercover and actually work together to stop her.

‘We’ll go as a couple, of course. Then we either ask her if she wants a threesome, or I complain to her about my dick of a boyfriend. That role shouldn’t be too hard for you,’ Stiles grins, delighted at Derek’s horrified expression. ‘Now all we need are costumes.’

‘No.’

always the sidekick (never the superhero) by  mirrorkill | 44.4K

Wherein Stiles wears spandex, Derek does too, and "convince" doesn't mean what Lydia thinks it means.)

And Also, I Love You by alisvolatpropiis | 7.1K

Derek didn’t look at all like Stiles expected. After all, he deliberately chose a school where being a nerd was cool, so he certainly wasn’t expecting his hotter-than-a-thousand-stars roomie to be an actual cool person. 

borders and horizon lines by magneticwave |14.8K

“Let me do this nice thing for you, Derek, no strings attached,” said nobody ever.

Dude, Werewolves by mysecretashes | 29.6K

Stiles gets partnered with Cora for a history project, and they become bros. Also, he kind of falls in love with her older brother, Derek.

Intermediate Braiding Skills by  apocryphal | 10.4K

In which Lydia assembles her Halloween costume, learns to make friends, and shamelessly exploits her father's crush on Stiles Stilinski.

reason to stay by  bleep0bleep | 12.5K

It's the last week of October, and a small town baker has run into his first crush again. Fate might have other ideas. Stiles tries for romance with a little help from what Beacon Hills does best— Halloween.

sure to lure something bad by  lazulisong | 4K

Stiles has the best worst ideas, or so he thinks. Derek isn't so sure about that.

Stiles dresses up as a werewolf, Derek dresses like Red Riding Hood, NOTHING ends in tears.

There is a Brotherhood by minusoneday | 21K

Or, the one where pledge brothers Stiles and Scott start a prank war with Derek Hale's fraternity.

wishing to be the friction in your jeans by thatworldinverted | 3.3K

Stiles is just trying to go to work every day and earn a paycheck. It's not his fault he keeps getting distracted by six feet of muscle and the angriest scowl this side of the Cascades.

I'm Your Boogie Man by  Jmeelee | 4K

Five times Derek and Stiles ended up accidentally wearing couples costumes on Halloween, and the one Halloween they ended up a couple.

Everybody Make a Scene by  skoosiepants | 4.4K

Stiles and Derek have some kind of unspoken Halloween decorating competition that also involves baked goods and flirting.

The One With the Treats by  mikkimouse | 1.6K

Stiles really hadn't wanted to go to Satomi's inter-pack Halloween party. He'd spent the past week trying to summon up a horrible illness or some other excuse, but all he'd managed was a slightly scratchy throat that lasted all of two hours.

Veils and Moonbeams by  kaistrex (weishen) | 2.6K

Because if anyone would become an (illegal) Animagus to surprise the boy they liked, it would be Stiles Stilinski.

Treat Cute by  Cobrilee | 1.2K

Derek loves Halloween because he gets to let his wolf out. This Halloween gives him a different reason to love the holiday. (It gives him Stiles.)

The Accidental Hale Brood by  Julibean19 | 42.3K

The one in which Stiles and Derek have been BCPD partners for years when they are assigned Halloween duty and run into a couple of kids from the orphanage. One fake marriage and two real adoptions later, they somehow become a family.

Little Red Riding Hoodie and the Sourwolf by  SourWolfie (pieprincess_andthe_fallenangel) | 7.2K

The one where Stiles wears a revealing little red riding hood costume to Lydia's Halloween party.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by  Acherona, trulywicked | 13.3K

“I’d rock a dress and heels better than you ever could but no. I have an appointment to watch paint peel.” Stiles started to walk away with Scott.

“Prove it.” Jackson smirked when that made Stilinski freeze.

A Boy in Wolf's Clothing by  kyaticlikestea | 5.2K

Five times Stiles turns to the wolf for Halloween, and one time the wolf turns to him.

Something Spooky, Something Blue by crossroadswrite | 2.4K

Derek sighs and boredly stuffs a handful of gummi bears in his mouth, straight out of a Halloween candy bowl Aunt Olivia insists in buying every year even if they never get trick or treaters this far into the woods.

He tilts his head and tunes back into the boys’ conversation, which has been the prime time entertainment of the Hales for the past ten minutes or so.

Can I Keep You? by  wearing_tearing | 16K

After practically being raised watching Buffy, The X-Files, and Ghostbusters, Stiles liked to think his reaction to seeing a shimmery shadow resembling a seventeen year old boy floating ten inches above ground and glaring fiercely at him wouldn’t be to let out a high pitch scream, try to karate chop him, and then, when that obviously didn’t work, throw a basketball at him.

A basketball that just went right through the boy’s stomach.

or, the Sterek Casper AU.

You’re the Only One(sie) for Me by  mikkimouse | 8.4K

Stiles buys Halloween costumes online and badgers Derek into wearing one for a party at the Preserve, because they're friends now and friends do those kinds of things. It's all fun and games until he and Derek turn into their costumes.

Stiles probably should have done a little more research on the seller.

#sterek #ficrecs #sterek fics #masterpost #halloween masterpost #halloween #halloween fics

[mariisseething]

Analyzing Hero Costumes: Girls of Class 1-A

My obsession has spiraled out of control. Let me roast analyze these babes. I’m dumb. I’m tired. I’m gay. Let’s do this.

Warning: I’m a cynical, lazy-ass critic with no consistent taste. Don’t expect a fair analysis.

(This is just for fun, please don’t get mad at me for being an undereducated weeb! I went into writing this with only the knowledge I’ve obtained through watching the show and reading the manga. I don’t know everything about the costumes, and I don’t want to either)!

Ashido Mina (Pinky)

Babe, imma be frank here.

I love her, but—

that shit ugly.

Funcionality: Mina’s quirk (Acid) comes from her hands and feet. If I remember correctly, she has passages in her shoes that her...foot..acid.....can pass through, and her hands are fully exposed. So her costume is “practical”, and works with her quirk.

Design: As I said before, that shit ugly. The body suit has the worst pattern and color combination I’ve ever seen. (Like if Sully from Monster’s Inc. was turned into a cow and hated it). Her tiddies should be popping out any second now, which isn’t great. Her weird armpit vest with it’s stupid fluffy collar is quite reminiscent of Hawks’ jacket, which leads me to believe that their costumes were made by the same designer. (Many of the designers in the BNHA universe put calling-cards in their costumes). Her white mask is pointless, but at least it matches the fluff on her collar. Her boots, though they have a purpose, are ugly as sin. The pale yellow doesn’t match any other piece in the ensemble, and the Dabi-scar colored purple makes me sad. Hate that.

Total Score: 2/10

Her costume does almost nothing to enhance her quirk, and it’s hideous. The only reason it got two points was because of the shoe holes, and the possibility that it’s connected to my boy Hawks.

Seriously, this is some Seasame Street lookin-ass bullshit.

No hate on Mina, she’s lovely, but her taste is atrocious. (see: her bedroom).

Asui Tsuyu (Froppy)

Okay, okay bitch I see you.

I’m here for this.

Funcionality: Tsu’s quirk (Frog) requires a decent amount of flexibility from clothing. Spandex works for that I guess. Normally, I would automatically fail this costume for having goddamn toe “socks”, but for Tsuyu they’re nessecary. Having her individual toes chiseled out helps her grip onto shit when she’s kicking ass. It looks like her gloves are attached to her body suit, which is rad, but I’m not sure what the purpose of that waist belt-thing is. If anything, the chunky pieces of her costume would make it harder for her to swim. I also have no fucking clue what that head piece is. I once thought they were like binoculars or something, but she’s never put them on her face so...they wouldn’t fit....on her face..huh.....I’m so stupid bro.

Design: Lets start with a positive, the color scheme slaps. Everything goes together, and the dark green even matches her hair. The bodysuit has a cool structure, and I can definitely appreciate the slight turtleneck and boot-esq feature; however, the chunky wrist pieces, belt, neck/chest-thing, and head piece confuse me. I guess they’re there for fashion, gutter fashion. Shitty crap face fashion. Ugly butthole fashion. FILTH! I need to calm down holy shit—

Total Score: 6/10

The look honestly only lost points for the random ass statement pieces. Water terrains are Tsuyu’s specialty, and a clunky outfit would certainly slow her down underwater.

The toe shit, turtleneck, thigh-high “boots”, and color scheme are pretty dope though.

(Also, she only has three toes but frogs have four).

(My Hero Academia: Cancelled).

Hagakure Toru (Invisible Girl)

So, here’s the real question.

Is she naked?

Short answer: I dunno.

Funcionality: So she’s invisible, right? A good costume would emphasize that. I can only assume she wears the boots and gloves for comfort and so her allies can see where she is. If she wants to go full invisible, she just has to take them off. At one point, it was confirmed that she was topless during the sports festival, but we’ve had no further updates on her costume. A few people have theorized that her costume is made of her hair (assuming she has hair). We know that this is possible, as Mirio’s costume is made of his hair so he can remain clothed while his quirk is activated. The only issue would be making an outfit out of something you can’t see. If I were Toru, I would choose to fight nude because, I-uh...hmm, I-I can do what I want SHUT UP!

Design: There’s not much to critique here. The shade of blue on her gloves is cute, and the pink stripes don’t make much of an impact. The shoes are just about the most boring thing I’ve ever seen, like why are they beige??? What are they supposed to match? I just—ugh, beige??? What the fuck Horikoshi...smh.

Total Score: 5/10

Since we don’t know if the “hair-costume” thing is canon, I can’t rate it any higher. If that is true, it would be an 7/10. The outfit does its job, but I’m bored and beige sucks.

(Btw I don’t trust her...)

(Sketchy chick right here).

(Sketchy chick with some ugly-ass beige shoes).

Jirou Kyouka (Earphone Jack)

Aww.

She’s cute!

Look at her little face, d’awwwweeeeee!

Funcionality: The lovely Kyouka’s quirk (Earphone Jack), makes absolutely no sense to me. Like, I get that she can hear better and can eavesdrop really well, but how does she...make loud noises??? With the speakers??? Plugging earbuds into a speaker doesn’t make............noise, and the speakers aren’t part of her body. Whatever, back to the analysis. The speakers on her hands and calves amplify sound somehow, and her earlobes are exposed. It’s works.

Design: The speaker boots are basic, but acceptable. She’s got some comfy looking black pants, and a trendy salmon-colored top. Her jacket is iconic, and she’s wearing a choker. (+1,000,000 points for that). The white gloves don’t match shit, but they’re fingerless so I’ll let it slide. Her headphones almost match....meh. I don’t care. (+10 for the face paint).

Total Score: 8/10

Listen, I’d give her a 10 but this costume just isn’t....gimmicky, enough for me? She’s a superhero for fucksake! Now’s the time to dress your goddamn best! The look is practical, and seems to be her taste, I just disagree with her choices. Sue me. I’d either wanna fight in the wackiest most dangerous getup you’ve ever seen, or completely naked. Either way, I’m getting arrested. Jirou needs to get on my fucking level.

Uraraka Ochaco (Uravity)

I don’t know boys,

it seems like she might be...

round.

Fuck sharp angles!

Funcionality: Ochaco’s quirk (Zero Gravity) only requires her hands to work. More specifically, her fingertips. Uh, yeah those are some nude fingertips. *Ahem* moving on. Actually wait, since she often uses her quirk on herself it would be helpful for her to eliminate as much extra weight as possible, so I’m hoping that all of the accessories are hollow. They better be, or I’m gonna start throwing hands with Kohei Horikoshi.

Design: When Ochaco first got her hero costume she was surprised by how tight it was, even saying that it wasn’t supposed to be that tight. Bitch, how could it have been loose? I don’t...fuck it. I like the colors, I like the boots a lot actually, but who cares about that, I wanna talk about her fucking chastity belt. Who she keepin out? (Jesus Christ she’s a child, tone it down Mari). Do you think it’s comfortable to walk around with a chunk of plastic on your crotch?! I don’t know, seriously, is it? Maybe she’s trying to hide something...a hip dip perhaps?! Jk hip dips are stupid, that’s how bones work, don’t be ashamed. Her wrist...spheres... have handles on them, no comment, and whereas I usually LOVE chokers—that one is stupid and I hate it. Curvy little shit.

Total Score: 8/10

I like it overall, but some things are just too strange to overlook. (i.e. the chastity belt, wrist cuff handles, and the ugly choker). This costume doesn’t really scream Uraraka to me either. It’s a bit unoriginal to me.

I just don’t love it.

(Why are her fists clenched? Is she trying to fight? I could snap her like the twig she is and steal her girlfriend).

(Assuming she has one).

Yaoyorozu Momo (Creati)

Oohooohohohoho

hooohohoho

hoooooo mAN do I have some WORDS for this one!

Funcionality: Momo’s quirk (Creation) does require quite a bit of skin to be exposed, but I’m not sure why that skin HAS to be her boobs. She’s got thighs, a stomach, a back, an upper chest, and arms. Why do her Russian nesting dolls have to come out of her tiddies??? Okay, actually, she doesn’t make that many things with her tits. So....why’re they out? This costume definitely lets her quirk run wild, maybe too much.

Design: The red is pretty, and I can tolerate the sandy yellow. Her shoes are unimportant, so let’s just gloss over those. Now, WHAT is that thing? A makeshift, tan colored, plastic tube mini...skirt? I know she has a shelf on her ass that she carries books on, but doesn’t she have a cellphone? Google? Can’t she just remember the molecular make-up of a cannon? (Because she only makes cannons now for some reason). Have we ever even seen her reading those books? Can she read? A large portion of her midsection/chest is exposed up to another one of those weird chest pieces and a neck jacket. Maybe she should cut the neck coat off and glue it to her tiddies.

Total Score: 1/10

Listen, Horikoshi clearly understands what Momo’s costume needs, but he has no idea how to make that. This outfit IS inappropriate, no matter how you look at it. She’s a minor, and I don’t like the idea that she’s running around 75% naked. The only part of this that I like is the shade of red. That’s not good.

I really like Momo, she’s a good character, it’s unfortunate that we have to sexualize her so much. Can’t girls just be smart without also being eye candy for creepy 30 year old weebs?

——————

That’s it for this analysis. I plan on posting more stuff like this since I enjoy writing it so much! You should totally follow me so you don’t miss my future ramblings! 💖

Unless you hated it.

I wouldn’t blame you.

#sorry for the long post #bnha #anime #gay #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero #boku no hero academia #class 1a #girls of class 1a #Class 1-A #mina ashido #bnha ashido #tsuyu asui #bnha tsuyu #hagakure tooru #bnha hagakure #jirou kyouka #bnha jirou #uraraka ochako #bnha uraraka #momo yaoyorozu #bnha momo #tsuchako #momojirou

[astarlightmonbebe]

☪ ⋆ Table For Two ☪ ⋆

When your friends set you up on a blind date, you’re expecting to hate it, but Han Jisung takes you by surprise.

Word Count: 3.7k

Pairing: Han Jisung x fem!reader

Other members: Hwang Hyunjin and Lee Felix

A/n: this is just a thing that came to mind; hope you all find it cute!

“On a scale of one to ten, how opposed would you be to going on a blind date?” Felix asks, sticking his freckled face right up into yours.

“Firstly, get out of my face.” You say with a look of disgust, slamming your locker shut and throwing your equipment bag over your shoulder. “Secondly, I’m so opposed to that idea that a number one through ten wouldn’t be able to rate how much I’m opposed to it.”

Felix sticks out his tongue at you. “Too bad for you. It’s at seven o’clock tonight, at Scoops For Two, with one of Hyunjin’s elementary school friends. He says he’s super nice, super single, and super cute. Sounds perfect, right?”

“No.” You deadpan, starting to walk towards the double doors. Felix trails after you, chattering away about Hyunjin’s great friend. He’s apparently a musician and he has dyed hair and he talks a lot, so he could totally carry the conversation—you held up a hand right in front of Felix’s mouth, stopping him from saying more.

“Felix, I’m not going on a date with someone Hyunjin set me up with.” You say with an annoyed sigh. Felix’s mouth opens and closes in resemblance with a fish.

“But y/n…” He whines, flinging his arms around your neck and dragging his feet. You try to shove him off to no avail; Felix has all the cling-ability of an octopus, even without little suction cups to keep him in place.

“I’ll pay you.” Felix whispers in your ear. You stop and tilt your head back to look at him. You raise one eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue. “I’m a little broke, but twenty bucks?”

“Yeah, right.” You say with a snort, turning back around.

“Thirty!” Felix bargains. “Come on, mate, I promised Hyunjin that you would definitely be coming.”

“Your mistake.” You reply lightly, pushing through the doors and out into the sunshine.

“Fifty.” Felix says with an air of resignation to him. You spin around, smiling.

“Deal.”

—

Scoops For Two is a popular ice cream shop on the edge of a giant strip mall that’s taken up half of your small town, a small cafe style restaurant best inhabited by high school kids much like yourself. At the moment it’s not occupied by that many people, the dinner rush past, especially for a Tuesday.

You enter it cautiously, tugging at the edges of the dress Hyunjin had stuffed you into. As soon as you had caved in for the blind date, Felix had called Hyunjin and the two of them had promptly taken over your bedroom and executed a mass cleaning as they looked through your closet for appropriate clothes, yelling at you when you tried to interfere, because you apparently ‘had less fashion sense than a human hippo would’—the compliment courtesy of Felix, but seconded by Hyunjin.

It’s not hard to find your blind date: there’s only one single guy sitting at a table for two among the couples scattered across the shop. He looks up at the sound of the bells jangling, eyes alighting on you and—oh, wow—he’s more than just super cute. He’s really cute. No, he’s so handsome it’s making your eyes hurt.

You look away, walking over to him and sitting down across from him. “I’m y/n.” You say, crossing your arms and trying to look as disinterested as possible. “Are you Hyunjin’s friend?”

His eyes fixate on you, a beautiful hazel shade that seem to be kaleidoscoping when you focus on them for too long. His hair is indeed dyed, a violet that is fading into his caramel roots, tousled and messy, falling in front of those eyes when he moves. He has that grunge style you’re kind of into, though you’d rather die than have people find out you have a type. Dressed in a pair of black jeans faded with time and torn with it too, red Doc Martens laced up over his feet, a matching red plaid shirt tied around his waist, his shirt an old Rolling Stones one. You’re not sure if he has the shirt just for the aesthetic or if he really likes them—you won’t judge either way.

Still, his casual style makes you feel extremely dressed up, all cutesy in your little knee length white sundress with the straps that keep sliding off your shoulders. At least you have your combat boots on, the metal buckles catching the light. He’s seen them too, and he’s smiling because of that.

“I like your shoes.” He says.

“Thanks.” You reply. “Name, please?” You’re chewing gum, mint, and you blow a bubble deliberately. He watches it pop, the gum disappearing back into your mouth.

“It’s Jisung. Han Jisung.” He tells you. You like his name, even though you won’t tell him that. It sounds nice. Jisung. Han Jisung. It goes together well too.

“Um, did you eat?” He asks. You nod.

“This is an ice cream shop, dude, not a dinner buffet.” You figure that if you’re as mean as possible, it’ll hurt his feelings and he’ll go away soon. Jisung nods.

“Of course.” He says, more to himself than to you. “So...do you want to go up and order something?” He’s clenching his fingers into fists underneath the table and you realize he’s nervous. Huh.

“Yeah, sure.” You say, rising effortlessly and tugging at the bottom of your dress. It’s a little too short for your comfort, but you managed to slip on spandex shorts underneath in case any mishaps happen.

Jisung follows you up, hanging back. You wonder if you’re intimidating him. Hyunjin had given you strict instructions to seem like the best possible version of yourself, and also to smile lots, because you apparently looked ‘scary’ when you weren’t.

The ice cream is arranged colorfully, labelled on the glass by someone with noticeably messy handwriting. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since you’ve actually had ice cream. Sports keep you busy, and you’re not one for social outings.

“One scoop of mint chocolate chip with hot fudge and whipped cream and a cherry.” Jisung orders beside you, smiling down at the ice cream. You look at him with a raised eyebrow. “What?” He asks, expression souring. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who hates mint chocolate chip ice cream.”

You laugh. “What? No. I just think it’s funny you know exactly what you’re going to order.” Turning to the other worker, you say; “I’d like a scoop of cookie dough with caramel sauce, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry.”

Jisung laughs. “You say that, but you’re exactly the same way.”

“No, I’m simply fast at making decisions. Time doesn’t wait around.” You say back crossly, leaning against the glass and watching the worker drizzle caramel over your ice cream. Jisung leans across from you, smiling again. He never seems to stop smiling. Usually that bothers you, but you like his smile, so you decide to just let him.

“Uhuh.” He says, the grin broad on his face. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.” You scoff at him, then thank the workers as they hand you your ice cream. “I can pay.” Jisung says, reaching into his pocket.

“I’ll pay for myself, thanks very much.” You reply, lifting your chin. Jisung blinks, then slowly puts his wallet away and nods, motioning for you to go first.

As you’re paying, the worker asks you; “First date?” You stop, so that he has to tug the money out of your hand.

“No.” Jisung answers behind you. “Not yet.” You nod along, wondering why you were so caught off guard by the question. It wasn’t like it was anything deep.

The two of you take your ice cream back to that small round table for two, the chair hard against your back. It seems even more awkward than before, so you eat your ice cream in silence, poking your spoon in the whipped cream and watching how it gets stuck. You can feel Jisung looking at you every time you look down, but you don’t comment on it.

“So, Hyunjin says you play hockey.” Jisung finally starts, sitting back. You look back up at him.

“Yeah. Field and ice.” He nods appreciatively.

“That’s so cool. I’m not good at sports at all.” He chatters on. “I make music instead. Do you like music? Sorry, that’s a stupid question, everyone likes music. Well, not everyone. What artists do you like?”

You set your spoon down and sit back. “Hey, Han Jisung.” He blinks at you again, rapidly. “Do you talk a lot when you’re nervous.”

“Uh, no, I, maybe?” He stutters, and you find yourself smiling against your will.

“Forget it, it’s fine. I like producers like CB97 and r&b. I’ll listen to just about anything, though, because you have to have something to occupy your mind with when you work out. What about you?”

“Um, well, like you I’ll listen to anything. I like rap, but also ballads...yeah, I guess you could say my music taste is pretty varied.” He laughs a little, eyes scrunching up, and gosh, that’s kind of adorable, how they become crescents of happiness. You can feel the awkwardness melting away piece by piece, chipped away at with the start of this conversation.

“Hyunjin did mention you’re a musician. Are you like in a band?”

Jisung laughs, covering his mouth when he does. “Not exactly. Mostly I just mess around with like...Soundcloud...I swear I’m not cringey though! There’s just not really other platforms to post stuff on.”

You’re already pulling out your phone as he talks. “What’s your username?”

His eyes widen in surprise. “What? No! You’ll think it’s so bad.”

You hand the phone over to him and he tentatively accepts it. “Username, Han Jisung. Besides, Hyunjin will just tell me if you don’t.” Jisung sighs, accepting the truth of that statement, and passes the phone back to you.

“J.ONE?” You say aloud, tilting your head. He has a lot of music, you discover, as you scroll through it. Like, a lot. Too many to count. “It looks like you’ve been doing this for a while.” You observe.

Jisung gave you a dry look. “I went through a weird emo middle school phase, so please don’t listen to any of my old songs. I’ve been meaning to delete them, but a lot of people have listened to them...and also made fun of them, but that’s not important.”

You frown. “Okay, I promise I won’t listen to your emo phase music, but the rest of it is up for dibs, right?” You grin, and Jisung’s cheeks redden a fraction. He touches them with the backs of his head, looking even more embarassed.

“Whatever you want, y/n.” He finally responds with a sunny smile. “I expect adequate feedback though. I don’t usually give out my music to pretty girls on first meetings.”

“Well, I’m known to be an exception to that rule.” You proclaim airly.

“Wow, confident much?” He asks, but he’s holding back a laugh as he ducks his head.

“Actually, yes.” You answer as seriously as possible, teasing at this point just to see the expression on his face. “No one matches me when it comes to totally unneeded confidence, so don’t think you’ll be able to even come close.”

“I wasn’t even going to try.” Jisung replies, holding his hands up in an I surrender motion.

“Good.” You say, feeling yourself smiling hard, your cheek muscles aching. It’s been a while since you’ve found yourself smiling for so long. This scruffy looking cute boy has somehow managed to quite possibly win a little bit of your heart. Possibly. Only possibly, of course. It’s too scary to admit that completely to yourself.

“Are you finished?” Jisung asks suddenly, noticing your empty ice cream cup. “Because I have something I want to do. Only if you want to, though.”

You are indeed finished, but you look at him suspiciously all the same. “What sort of thing?”

He smiles cheekily at you. “Can it be a surprise? I pinky promise I’m not going to kidnap you.”

You aren’t concerned about that, which is a surprise given your usual skepticism when meeting new people, especially when you’re alone. “I’ll go along with it just this once.” You say as breezily as possible, feeling a faint pinkness rise in your cheeks. Since when did you blush over boys—albeit very cute ones with really nice smiles and Soundclouds?

He pushes open the door, opening up something on his phone, and turns back to you. “Ready?” He asks, hand outstretched towards you. You stare at it, thinking about what it would feel like to hold his hand, and by the time your mind has returned in order for you to think to grab it, its dropped by his side again.

“Wait.” You say, grabbing it. It’s warm and a rough all at once, old callouses healed over, but that doesn’t bother you. Your own hands hold the remnants of what it’s like to clutch a hockey stick year round. Jisung looks startled but in a pleasant way as he leads you down the road, eyes narrowed at his phone screen.

You walk around the corner and down the road before he stops in front of a bike, scanning a QR code to check it out. “Um…” He glances down at the bike, then back at the two of you. You smirk.

“Get on behind me, lover boy.” You state, swinging your leg over the bike. You’re glad you had the foresight to wear those spandex shorts now.

Jisung sputters at the name. “I swear I’m not a player!” He exclaims, sounding so sincere you can’t help but let out a loud laugh, doubling over the handles as your body shakes.

“Chill, dude, it’s just an expression.” You smile from underneath your veil of hair. “I know you’re not a player, Han Jisung, so don’t take offense.”

Jisung runs his fingers through his hair and has the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry.” He mumbles, and you motion for him to get on behind you. There’s an awkward moment when he has to squeeze himself to fit, knees almost up to his chest. His arms find their way to your waist, wrapping around it tightly, as if he considers you his only lifeline.

“Where are we off to, Han Jisung?” You ask over your shoulder.

“The boardwalk.” He answers, voice muffled by your shoulder, which he’s leaned his head against without asking, hair tickling the back of your neck. It’s almost...nice, how you can feel how he’s so relaxed against you, as if he trusts you. Who trusts strangers they’ve just met? Only Jisung, apparently.

“What’re we doing there?” You ask jokingly, and you can feel him lift his head to look at the back of his head.

“It’s a secret, of course. Now get pedalling.” You roll your eyes, feeling the burn in your muscles as you set off.

“By the way, you need to swear you won’t sue me if you fall off and get a concussion.” You throw over your shoulder.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Jisung replies, sounding sleepy, even though your pedalling is rough and messy and there are lots of cracks in the sidewalk. “Besides, I thought you had more confidence than anyone else in this world. Aren’t you confident you can keep me safe?” His voice is soft around the edges, wrapping around you and curling through your veins, warm and tingly.

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to ruin that pretty face of yours either.” You respond gently, and he settles back against you as you spend the ride in silence.

The sun is dipping down into golden hour and you tilt your face up to it, enjoying the breeze against you, a relief from the hot summer days you’ve all been suffering from lately as school draws to a close. You like this feeling, you decide: a comforting weight at your back and the wind in your face and the sun making everything prettier, knowing you’re not really that alone.

The boardwalk is old and rickety but surrounded by sand and water, the fair still in session with its glittering lights and larger than life ferris wheel. You park right at the entrance, and Jisung untangles himself from you. It feels empty without him there, after a silent bike ride that lasted for at least a good twenty minutes.

“Golden hour looks good on you.” He acknowledges, and you toss your hair, even though you’re blushing from the compliment.

“Of course it does.” He shakes his head, but he likes your confidence and you both know it.

“What are we going to do here?” You ask, but Jisung just grabs your hand away and leads you in, showing off two tickets he must have stashed in one of those pockets that are scattered throughout his outfit.

“First, we get accessories.” He announces, leading you right to a small shop filled with souvenirs. “To get in a carnival mood.” He declares, and you laugh, looking it over. You pick out a headband with cat ears, sticking it on his head.

“If that’s the case, then I think this is the one for you.” You announce, examining him with a laugh. He does look cute in it, but he pouts at you anyways, finding one with devil horns and jamming it on your head.

“If that’s the case, then I think this one suits your personality.” He says, half laughing at you. You look in the mirror. He’s put it on lopsidedly, of course, so you adjust it with some self consciousness.

“What’s after this?” You ask, looking out across the fair. “Please tell me we’re riding the ferris wheel.” Jisung swallows and looks up at it. “Please?” You add, because if you’re here, then you’re going to have your way for at least one ride.

“I wasn’t planning on rides, but for you, I’d do anything.” He pulls a finger heart out of his jacket and you swat his hand away playfully, even though your heart feels like it’s pumping an electric beat inside of your chest, threatening to break free of your rib cage and jump right into Han Jisung’s hands.

The line for the ferris wheel is short, and soon you find yourself crammed side by side with Jisung on it, only a bar in front of you preventing you from falling. Jisung turns his head to watch the ground disappear, then settles back against the seat. His hands are in his lap, too tightly entwined for you to dare reaching over to grab one of them.

“Truthfully, I’m only on this blind date because Felix said he would pay me fifty dollars.” You tell him suddenly, and it’s so sudden that Jisung starts laughing, leaning out over the bar with his eyes bright.

“So I’m only worth fifty dollars to you?” He asks, poking you in the shoulder. You brush his hand away, nose scrunching up.

“That’s not what I said! You didn’t let me finish.” You pout, and he mouths a silent apology and waves for you to continue on. “I’ve actually had a lot of fun, though, especially considering it’s the first blind date I’ve been on. It’s been nice getting to know you, Jisung.”

Jisung smiles softly at that. “Thanks, y/n.” The ferris wheel creaks upward, then jolts to a sudden halt at the top, sending you both forward. The bar bites into your stomach, and you groan.

“Oh, come on. Isn’t it a little cliche to trap couples at the top?!” You yell down to the worker, who doesn’t seem to hear you as they fiddle with the buttons. You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“Wow...we’re really high up.” Jisung notes, his voice coming out shaky. You look over at him and see that your date for the night is looking unusually out of sorts.

“What’s wrong?” You ask in concern.

“Since we’re admitting things tonight, it might be a good time to say that I have a very big fear of heights.” Jisung says flatly, craning his neck to look at the frothing ocean only a drop away. “I don’t suppose you have any good distractions for that, do you? Because I can tell you right now just talking to me will not help in the slightest.”

An idea is formulating in your brain, and you smile. “I do, actually. Look me in the eyes.” He does, turning his head, his eyes colorful orbs with the reflection of the ferris wheel lights in them, hair blowing in the wind.

“What are you doing?” He whispers as you stare up at him, concentrating. You hold up one finger to your lips, making him go quiet. He stares down at you and you gaze up at him, everything going quiet except for your breathing.

Slowly, carefully, you reach up. His eyes track your hand as it traces over his shoulder and around to rest against his neck, pulling him down closer. You can tell he has more to ask, but you suck in a breath and pull his face down towards yours, lips connecting.

It’s brief, two pairs of lips brushing against each other, but it makes you feel things you’ve never felt. Han Jisung’s lips are soft and warm, and his mouth parts against yours in a silent exclamation as you deepen the kiss, hand furled into the collar of his shirt.

The ferris wheel jolts back to life, startling the two of you apart. Jisung is staring at you, chest rising and falling, and you smile at him, feeling shy.

“Did that distract you enough?” You ask innocently, and Jisung blinks several times in rapid succession, then nods slowly. He’s tilting his head, looking at you in a different light, and you wait patiently.

“No wonder you have so much confidence.” He finally murmurs. “You’re freaking beautiful.”

And when Han Jisung kisses you for a second time, you think he’s worth more than money could offer. Up among these clouds, surrounded by light, the water washing up against the shore steadily, you think that he’s quite possibly the best person you’ve ever met.

End.

#stray kids #straysunshinesnet #han jisung #han #my writing #hwang hyunjin #lee felix #stray kids imagines #x reader #han jisung x reader #han x reader #han jisung imagine #one shots #uhh lowkey just yeeted the title off the top of my head? #star tries to be aesthetic and fails? #this is short so hopefully people like it and all idk

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Imagine that you were put in charge of a modern, high-budget, well-written Animorphs TV series. What changes to the plot/characters/world would you make while adapting it? (Books that you'd skip, arcs that you'd rearrange, things you would add or outright alter...)

[Important caveat: I have ZERO experience in set design, directing, editing, camerawork, or any other processes involved in TV production, unless we’re going to be super generous and count the bit of scriptwriting and stage-acting I did in high school.  Ergo, these ideas might make no sense in practice.]

Animate it.  I would much much prefer to see an anime-style show to a live-action one for a handful of different reasons:

Battle scenes, morph sequences, and alien appearances wouldn’t be constrained by budget realities.  Although we’ve come a long way from AniTV’s practical effects, in 2019 Runaways still minimizes Old Lace (the sentient dinosaur) and struggles with her somewhat less-than-convincing appearance while she’s onscreen.  I’d like to see real-looking battles between exotic animals and highly unusual aliens.  I’d like to see Ax portrayed as a deer-scorpion-centaur with no mouth who also has complex facial expressions.  I’d like taxxons and hork-bajir that match their descriptions in the books.  CGI for a moderate-budget TV show can’t do that yet.

The characters’ appearances could match their descriptions in the books.  I don’t really care about AniTV’s Jake having blue eyes or Marco having short hair.  I do care about the fact that Cassie is described as short, chubby, dark-skinned, natural-haired, and androgynous in self-presentation… whereas AniTV’s Nadia-Leigh Nascimento is (through no fault of her own and 100% the fault of Nickelodeon) none of those things.  I’d like to see all of the characters drawn in a way that matches their canon racial heritage, and voiced with actors of those ethnicities as well.  For bullshit marketing reasons of bullshit, that’s not as likely to happen in a live-action show.

I’d want the show to convey the frequent mismatches between characters’ physicality and their personalities.  It’s an important motif of the books.  It’s part of the reason that Tobias has been claimed by the trans* community.  It’s a major plot point, lest new viewers think that the vice principal of the school is actually trying to kill his own students.  It doesn’t come off in AniTV, for all that I commend them for even trying (casting Shawn Ashmore’s twin as controller-Jake, portraying Chapman as straight out of Stepford), just because the nature of controller-ness and nothlitization are difficult to convey literally.  Animation has a lot of tricks, from deliberately distorted drawings to screensaver-like “mental space,” that can actually convey concepts like mind control or body dysmorphia pretty well — Alphonse in Fullmetal Alchemist and Aang in Avatar the Last Airbender great examples of body-mind mismatch and multiple consciousnesses in one body, respectively.

Use a cold open for every episode.  I am a sucker for Batman cold opens or any other opening scenes that pick up in the middle of the characters’ everyday lives, because they work so well to convey that there is a crapton of life happening outside of the plot of any given episode.  Several Animorphs books (#9, #14, #35, #41, #51) open this way, to great effect, and I love the way that it gives us slices of life we might not otherwise see (morphing to cheat on science homework, completing entire offscreen missions, having dinner with the family) and help build these characters’ worlds outside of individual episode plots.

Introduce James sooner (and have better disability narratives).  There are several aspects of Animorphs’ social justice consciousness that age okay (Rachel shutting down Marco’s constant flirting) or not well at all (Mertil and Galfinian).  One important way the series could update Animorphs is through having canon disabled characters like James, Mertil, and Loren have bigger roles and not resorting to kill-or-cure narratives.  Maybe James could come in sooner and form a Teen Titans West-esque team with the other Auximorphs so that he and Collette and the others could be recurring supporting characters with unique plotlines.  Maybe Loren could still gain morphing power, but remain blind and brain-damaged so that the hork-bajir need to work with her to figure out accommodations while sleeping rough.

Modify Jake’s and Cassie’s parents to account for the contemporary setting.  The fact that the kids so often disappear all afternoon or even overnight without anyone worrying just wouldn’t translate to a contemporary reimagining of Animorphs.  Tobias and Ax are each other’s only family on the planet whereas Marco’s dad and Rachel’s mom are both overworked single parents.  Jake’s family, however, and Cassie’s…

Cassie’s parents are so freaking cool in canon that they would definitely start to worry if Cassie went for an entire “weekend at Rachel’s” without answering any texts or calls.  Maybe there could be some scenes with them talking about how they have this super-mature responsible daughter whom they can trust not to get into trouble even if she does hate cell phones, but oh well because they’re not big on technology either.

Jake’s parents are… less cool, but they still try their best.  The show might explain their lack of concern about either of their disappearing kids through upping the hippie factor from his mom, maybe until she practices Free-Range Parenting.  (Why yes, it is true that Jake’s family would have the necessary privileges to get away with free-range crap while Cassie’s family would not, because yes it is the case that black families have been arrested for leaving kids alone for 10 minutes while white families are allowed more passes under the law.  Yes, that is a steaming pile of racist bullshit.)  The other way it could go is by having Jake’s parents completely checked out, which could get in the way of plots like #31 that hinge on them genuinely caring about their kids, but could also introduce an interesting dynamic if it partially parentifies Tom.

Include at least one Rashomon plot.  The TV series would by necessity lose the first-person narration, with all its brilliantly subtle shades of bias and misinterpretation.  One way to try and bring that back in would be to convey the same events from multiple points of view with subtle differences in the way that each person perceives what happened.  This could happen somewhere in the Visser One plot, with Rachel interpreting the scene as a straight Animorphs-vs-yeerks battle, while Visser One interprets it as Visser Three incompetently sabotaging her as Animorphs ruin her life, while Marco interprets it as a struggle to protect his mom and also save his friends, while Visser Three interprets it as the andalite bandits flagrantly plotting with Visser One, while Jake interprets it as Marco going off the rails from stress… and the only witness who has a sense of what actually happened is Eva.  Other possibilities abound.

Start with a plan to make one episode per book… and modify as necessary.  There are areas of the series I’d like to see expanded (#50 - #54 covers a lot of ground in relatively little space) and areas that I think could afford to be compacted (#39 - #44 feature a whole lotta nothin’).  But instead of adding or discarding an entire book, I think you could spread out many of the plots by simple virtue of TV shows not being constrained by first-person narration.

Certain books just wouldn’t get straight-translated today anyway (#40, most notably). I don’t think any books are so bad or useless that they couldn’t be modified into decent television episodes.

The ramping-up that leads to open war happens mostly in the background of #44 - #51, but a bunch of scenes with just controllers talking to each other could go into that process in a lot more detail.  This content could help fill out plots like #44 and #48 that frankly don’t have a lot else going on.

The entire plot of Visser happens over a nonspecific period of time between #30 and #45, so instead of getting one book we could get an entire running Yeerk Empire subplot with major consequences for the main plotline.

Similarly, the andalites’ decisions happen mostly offscreen but have major consequences for the Animorphs.  The consequences for the Electorate after the events of #38 could also run for a whole subplot that sets up their decision to nuke Earth in #52.

The biggest absence from the last couple books is Rachel.  Her last book is a friggin’ dream sequence, she acts out of character in #52 especially, and the narration order cuts off directly before giving her one last book.  It wouldn’t be necessary to add an entire episode just to rectify this oversight, when #51 could still be Marco-centric but also show her and Jake on their sabotage mission, and #52 could have the same rough plot but with a few scenes between her and Tobias thrown in for good measure.

Anyway, maybe the various Chronicles could be a handful of Doctor-lite episodes where the Animorphs themselves are incidental and Elfangor or Aldrea has the helm.  Maybe the events of the Chronicles could come out organically over the course of the show, for instance by expanding the memory-dumps Tobias gets in #1 and #33 or having Jara tell Dak’s story in #13 or #23.  The Megamorphses, on the other hand, could pretty easily just occur as regular-series episodes, albeit possibly as two- or three-parters.

Lean into the comic-book aesthetic.  Animorphs is written very much in the style of a graphic novel, from its “teens with superpowers save the world from aliens” plot to its heavy use of onomatopoeia.  Even the use of hypertext symbols around thought-speak hearkens back to the comic book convention of using pointed brackets around alien languages to convey translation.  The show could homage this motif through having dramatic transformation sequences, “uniforms” of multicolored spandex the kids use to morph, an opening credits sequence that emphasizes the power of each animal, and other superhero-comic elements throughout.

Have the violence be consequential.  To keep the examples from earlier: in Fullmetal Alchemist, as well as in Avatar, characters that get hurt stay hurt.  A character getting shot or stabbed is portrayed as a potentially life-changing event.  Characters’ injuries do not disappear between episodes, and even alchemy and waterbending are not portrayed as total fixes.  Characters scar, they become disabled, they spend entire episodes in recovery, they accrue trauma, and they do not shrug off life-ending injuries.  Animorphs helps to justify the idea that six kids could (mostly) survive (most of) an entire war against a friggin empire through making the protagonists nigh-unkillable thanks to their healing abilities, but it nevertheless shows that shooting someone will result in that person bleeding and screaming and possibly dying.  Having a sci-fi or action show meant for children isn’t actually a valid excuse for portraying violence as cool or funny or inconsequential the way that (Avengers Assemble, Teen Titans, Kim Possible, Dragonball Z, Pokemon, etc.) too many children’s sci-fi/action shows opt to do.

#animorphs #anitv #racism mention #long post #asks #anonymous #animorphs meta #ableism mention #teen titans #avatar the last airbender #fullmetal alchemist #Anonymous

[recentanimenews]

Ranking The Top 10 Best Costumes In My Hero Academia

Nearly everyone who’s seen My Hero Academia has dreamed about what it’d be like to be born with an awesome quirk. And if you’ve thought about that, you also must have considered what your costume might be. Quirks are one thing. You can’t really control what power you are born with, and if you get stuck with the ability to shoot worms out of your nose or something, then I guess the world is just going to have to put up with NoseWurmz saving it. Costumes, though, are all up to you. They are not only an expression of your super abilities but also your character.

  But which My Hero Academia characters have the best costumes? To answer that, I decided to look at their Uniqueness, Functionality, and Usefulness, and this is what I’ve arrived at:

  10. Yuga Aoyama

    Although kind of resembling Liberace performing at Medieval Times, Yuga’s costume makes totally sense given his power. As the Shining Hero who shoots a laser out of his navel, he is easily propelled by the force of his tummy blasts, so wearing protective armor is pretty smart. As are the glam rock shades, which stop him from being blinded by his own  attacks.

  Yes, the costume is a bit flashy but so is Yuga’s entire personality, and it’s admirable how much he owns it. Also, notice that despite the fact that overusing his laser upsets his stomach, Yuga has opted NOT to incorporate a diaper into his costume, unlike some other heroes (named Minoru.)

  9-8. Backdraft & Tsuyu Asui

    The key to disaster relief superheroics is crowd control. From the second you arrive on the scene, you have to establish yourself as an authority figure whose directions people will want to follow, and Backdraft’s costume does exactly that. As a hydrokinetic hero specializing in putting out fires, his costume just screams “guy in charge.” If you got caught in a blaze and the lovechild of a fireman’s bunker gear and a hydrant came to your rescue, the only question you’d have for him is “What do you want me to do?” whereas with a guy like Death Arms, your first question would probably be: “Sir, where is the rest of your shirt?”

  Tsuyu/Froppy has a similar thing going on with her costume. You only need a cursory glance at her wetsuit/flipper combo to get exactly what she’s going for: “Oh, she’s a frog. Bet she’d be good during an ocean rescue or something.” Ultimately, Tsuyu’s costumes makes you feel like she would be right in her element in the water, and if you were drowning/lost at sea etc., that’s the kind of thing you’d want to see in a superhero.

  7. Kamui Woods

  The world needs more wood-themed superheroes because Groot cannot carry that burden alone. In a world of spandex, plastics, and metal, Kamui Woods stands out as a particularly stylish hero who, other than being seemingly made from wood, also adorns his costume with a wooden mask, belt, kneepads, and shoes. So aside from looking cool, his costume is also simple and straightforward, not getting in the way of the hero’s complex attacks and also being in line with his no-nonsense personality. Wood job! (I refuse to apologize for art.)

  6. Present Mic

    Leather is actually a horrible material for superhero costumes. It’s not great in inclement weather, it doesn’t breathe, and it doesn’t allow for a lot of movement, which is another way of saying that it only works for Present Mic.

  As the U.A.’s resident rock-n-roll-themed teacher, Mic can get away with wearing an entire cow and a half over his body, immediately scoring him a lot of cool points. Mixed with the high-tech voice enhancer around his neck, he comes off as some kind of Cyborg Rocker, almost like a near-perfect embodiment of the ‘80s. But, ya know, in a good way.

  5. Katsuki Bakugo

    If Katsuki’s costume hadn’t been loud, excessive, and generally a bit too much, I’d have thought that Kohei Horikoshi doesn’t understand his own creation. Fortunately, he put Katsuki in a faux-military get-up with two gigantic grenade gauntlets that are great at generating grievous aggravation.

  On literally any other hero, this would have looked ridiculous but for Bakugo's specific brand of outrage, it all works and helps strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. Although I still have no idea what that explosion decal is on the back of his head. Is it made from cardboard or…?

  4. Power Loader

    Imagine you’re a bank-robber robbing a bank, as you would, when suddenly the ground underneath your feet splits open and you’re faced with a shirtless guy in a techno-dinosaur helmet and metal gloves. Before this human Graboid could even say anything, you’d probably surrender yourself to the police faster than you can say: “Can I get a change of pants please? These ones aren’t clean anymore.” That’s the sheer power of Power Loader’s costume.

  3. Thirteen

    Thirteen’s costume is absolutely perfect for a hero specializing in saving people. Although we don’t really know if it’s an actual space suit, it seems like it could withstand anything: heat, cold, freezing waters, even the vacuum of space. The puffiness of it also softens the hero’s image, making them appear calm and gentle, which would put people at ease during a rescue op.

  Additionally, the costume creates a barrier between us and Thirteen’s devastating Black Hole Quirk, which sort of makes it like a cellphone cover for a Nokia 3310: it’s there to protect the outside world from its contents, not the other way around.

  2. Tenya Iida

    At first glance, Tenya’s costume seems very practical. As one of the fastest humans alive thanks to the engines in his calves, you would assume he’d need armor to protect himself from becoming a wet spot on some wall. But it turns out that his armor is very lightweight and offers little protection. Instead, it’s there to cut down on air resistance and make Tenya even faster, assumingly putting him at more of a risk. That is just awesome and speaks to the character’s powers of concentration and control of his Quirk.

  1. Deku (Shoot Style)

  The great thing about the latest incarnation of Deku’s costume is that it does… everything. It reflects his character as an All Might fan with little tributes to the hero here and there. It’s perfect for a combat superhero with all the additional protection that makes it seem like he knows that he’s doing. And finally, it shows you the journey of the character. If you’ve been following Deku from the beginning, then you’ve seen how he went from a rabbity- All Might tribute that was a bit silly to a refined costume that was forged in the field.

  Elements of it like iron soles for better kicks or braces and support gloves to protect himself during punches etc. were added to it out of necessity and they mirror Deku’s impressive growth as a hero. The costume is basically an entire hero’s journey in textile/metal form, and I can't wait to see if it changes again on My Hero Academia, which is completely available on Crunchyroll. 

  Which MHA superhero costume is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section!

---------------------------------

  Cezary writes words on the internet. You should follow him on Twitter.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[dreaming-in-seams]

Organization XIII Dress: Tutorial

A little bit ago I posted pictures of my Xion cosplay, and they got good reception, so here is a tutorial on what I did in case you want to recreate it yourself!

WARNING!!!! THIS IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS. I RECOMMEND YOU ONLY DO THIS IF YOU HAVE A GOOD GRASP ON CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION AND HAVE SEWN QUITE BIT.

If you have any questions as you are reading this or as you are making this, PLEASE ASK ME!!!!! I would be happy to help!!!

In truth, this was not that hard. However, fitting it is rather specific to your body type. Also, it was just rather touch and go for me because I was experimenting as I went. If you want to try this yourself, it may require a bit of experimentation as well.

So here is the initial design I did of the dress.

Now this isn’t a very good design, but it kinda communicates the cut of the dress at least.

And I won’t deny, the sleeves are kinda inspired by @kingdomsaurushearts Nyoomine....(which if you haven’t seen that look it up, it’s adorable.) And come to think of it, this dress can totally be a Nyoomine dress if you want. ANYWAYS...

Also, this is another useful tool I learned about in school:

This is called a flat, and designers use it to show their stitchers how the garment is supposed to be made. I didn’t really use this while I was making the dress, because I was experimenting as I went, but you guys can use this as a guide when making your own version of this dress.

Step 1: The materials

    Item 1: The dress--

So I did NOT make the entire thing from scratch. Instead, I bought a dress on Amazon with the right cut and augmented it. This is the dress I bought:

The material is a cotton/spandex blend, so it has some stretch to it. As such, it fits very nicely. (To be honest, if you just want to make an Organization coat in general, I would recommend starting with a dress pattern. It fits so much better than a coat pattern does.) However, beware that when you wash this, it needs to be washed in cold and hung to dry. This sort of material can shrink a bit when washed.

If you can’t find this dress, I recommend finding a dress with a high neckline, like this, and a raglan sleeve.

This is a raglan sleeve. That’s the kind of sleeve you find on baseball cut tees The sleeve goes over the shoulder and becomes a part of the neckline.

     Item 2: The pattern:

Next is finding a pattern for the sleeves and the hood, as those are the only things you’ll actually be coming out of fabric.

This is the pattern I had. It is a fairly simple hoodie pattern, but I don’t know if this one is still available. If not, it should be easy enough to find a hoodie pattern with a hood and a raglan sleeve.

Now I recommend a raglan sleeve simply because that it what I used, and that was the sleeve pattern I had available. If you have another type of sleeve pattern, or can only find a dress with a regular sleeve, just make sure that the sleeve of the dress and the sleeve pattern you have are the SAME CUT.

     Item 3: The fabric---

Now you’ll need to find the right fabric for your sleeves and hood. I recommend waiting until you have the dress and taking that dress with you when you go fabric shopping so that you can match the black (because yes, there are different shades of black).

Sooooo I don’t remember what the fabric I bought was called...BUT!! I know it wasn’t purely cotton. It was fairly light and draped nicely. It is also a fairly common fabric at Joanne’s. I decided to go with that rather than a cotton or spandex to match the dress because I wanted the sleeve and hood to drape nicely.

This is a very bad picture but this is the fabric I used. It was a nice black tone that matched the dress, but it frays easily, so beware.

     Item 4: Accessories---

You’ll also need a crazy long, obnoxious zipper. Amazon is a good place to look, because obnoxious zippers don’t exist in fabric stores.

This is the one I bought. Now whether or not you buy this one, your zipper needs to be long enough to go from the neck to the hem of the dress. Measure your dress before you buy the zipper. The 36 inch one here worked for the dress I bought. Also, it NEEDS to be a separating zipper, like the kind on hoodies, otherwise it won’t go in correctly.

You’ll also need to get some jewelry stuff for the weird dangly charm thing-ma-higgers on the Organization coats.

This is what I used, plus a magnetic clasp. I’ll show how these go together later, but I found all of these at Michael’s. The chain needs to be very long, and your cylinder charms need to be able to go over it.

I also bought sea-shell charms for my dress, because it is a Xion dress and shells are her thing. The charms are where you can really personalize the dress for whichever Organization member you are doing.

Also, if you want it to poof, get a petticoat!

This is mine. I love this petticoat. It packs well and has great floof. Highly recommend you buy this one. There are cheaper ones, but they tend to be less poofy the cheaper you go. This one is also very comfy.

Step 2: Cutting!!!

Time to cut the fabric!!!

You will have to augment the cut of the sleeve if you want it to be big and flowing and adorable. The best way to do that, I found, was to first decide how long I wanted the sleeve to be (keeping in mind seam allowances), and then drawing a line from the underarm to the extended hem.

Also, I had to extend the sleeve by quite a bit because the sleeve pattern I have has a cuff on it, so I just measured the length of the cuff plus seam allowances and hem and added that to the end of the sleeve, and measured from there to the underarm. Really, the important part to keep the same is the raglan part of the sleeve. Unless you aren’t doing a raglan but ANYWAYS... There’s also the hood cut out. I only cut out two piece for the hood, so it’s not exactly like an organization hood, but it has the same shape.

(Also ignore that little extra piece. I almost put in a pocket but decided not to. You can if you want.)

Now...TIME TO SEW!!!!!!!

Step 3: Alter

I don’t have pictures of this step, but had to alter the neckline of the dress a bit so that it would fit me nicely. So, before you cut or sew ANYTHING on the dress, MAKE SURE IT FITS YOU. Put it on, fix the neckline, the side seams, whatever. But do that FIRST.

Step 4: Sleeves

It is probably best to start with the sleeves, since they will go into the hood seam (again, raglan sleeve). It is also probably the trickiest part. This doesn’t have pictures, I greatly apologize!!!!

Before you remove the old sleeve of the dress, measure the distance over your shoulder from seam to seam. On a raglan sleeve, you will be sewing in a dart, and that dart will need to be adjusted to fit over your shoulder just right. Measure the shoulder width of the dress and save that measurement. Next, you’ll need to sew in the dart. keeping in mind seam allowances, measure the distance from seam to seam on the new sleeve and determine what width your dart needs to be to make it the same width as the original sleeve. The length of the dart doesn’t need to change.

Now you can sew it into the armscye of the dress. Pin it carefully to make sure you have it centered. Once you have it sewn in, try it on to make sure it fits right. 

A bad picture, but you can see how the raglan sleeve lays.

Keep the sleeve open like so until you have the shoulder sewn in correctly.

Once the shoulder is in right, you can sew it closed.

Hem it with a double rolled hem. Unless you have a serger (if you do, I am so jealous...)

Step 5: Zipper

Time for obnoxiously huge zippers!!!!!

First , if there is a zipper in the dress already, like there was with this one, take it out and sew closed that seam. You don’t want that zipper getting in the way.

Gosh, black is so hard to see...So you’ll need to carefully measure all the way down the dress to find the exact center. DO NOT just fold it in half and cut it. It will not end well if you do. Trust me. I’ve done that before... Lay it out and measure down and across evenly to find the exact center from the neck to the hem.

Now cut up that center line!!!

Sewing in the zipper is like sewing in any other separating zipper, which if you don’t know how to I recommend looking up another tutorial. Because I am lazy. Just make sure that the waistline is matched on either side, as well as the hem and neckline. This will ensure that the zipper lays right on you. Also, put it in from bottom to top. The zipper will be longer than the dress, but the top can be hidden. You can’t change the bottom. So, bottom to top it is.

Don’t finish the zipper, however. Only sew up to the bust line, because next it the hood and that needs to go in before the top of the zipper. We just had to put in most of the zipper initially to make sure that when you are trying on the dress for the hood, the hood will lay properly.

Step 6: The Hood

Now the hood in this design is not like the typical organization hoods. One because their hoods make no sense and you can’t see out of them, and also because this dress is supposed to be softer and more feminine in design, and a simpler hood looks nicer on this dress.

Sewing in the hood will require that you know how to make a french seam. If you don’t know how, look up a tutorial. It’s fairly simple, but requires more time and measuring. A french seam hides the raw edges, and since the hood will be down more often, and therefore the inside showing, you’ll want the seams to be finished and nice.

I did the French seam, and then  I pressed it to one side and sewed it against the hood so that the seam wasn’t flapping around back there.

Next is sewing the hood to the dress. One thing I forgot to say, if there is a yoke around the neck, like there was on this dress, take it out. It should be easy enough to remove.

ANYWAYS, you’ll also want to sew in the hood with a french seam. Next, press the seam towards the hood and sew it to the hood so it also doesn’t flap around.

Like-a so

It should look like this on the outside.

Next you need to hem the hood (I know, hemming SUCKS). Just do a rolled hem, so as to hide the raw edges again. Now the hood is in! Put it on to make sure it lays how you want it to.

Step 7: Finishing the zipper

Phew! Almost there! Now you can sew up the rest of the zipper. The zipper will be long than the dress, but don’t worry!

You’ll want to fold the top of the zipper to lay along the seam where the hood attached to the dress.

Now you’ll need to hand stitch it in.

You’ll want to stitch-in-the-ditch. This is where you stitch right into the seam crevice, so that your new stitches disappear. Make sure you really catch the excess of the zipper so that it doesn’t stick out awkwardly. I’m using a special kind of thimble that is softer and conforms to your finger. If you do a lot of sewing, or any hand sewing, this is a great tool to keep from hurting your fingers when pushing a needle through tough material.

It should look like this from the outside when you’re done.

Look at that! The dress is done!!!!

Step 8: ACCESSORIZE!!!!!!

Time for the dangly weirdo thingies!!! You’ll want some jewelry making tools, like wire cutters and those clamp things that curl metal rings together (I don’t work with jewelry, this was the most confusing part for me...)

These are the materials I used. On the left is a magnetic clasp.

I strung the cylinder charms on the metal chain, then attached the magnetic clasp with metal rings. I had to clip the metal chain in the middle for the magnetic clasp, so be careful with that. The magnetic clasp is the same size as the cylinder charms, which I was really lucky to find, and make it so that the danglies can be unclasped when you put it on, and reclasped once it’s zipper up.

Also, that is all one chain. It was about a yard long.

The charms at the end of the chain, I had to attached with thin metal rods and metal rings. I dunno, they’re actually attached really badly because I don’t know what I’m doing with jewelry tools, so honestly good luck with that part.

You’ll notice that I added little sea-shell charms, since this is a Xion dress. You can do any number of charms to personalize this for you. The charms is really where you get to be unique with the dress! So have fun! (And again, good luck because jewelry person I am not.)

Finally, I attached the chain to the dress with some really heavy duty thread. Don’t just use regular sewing thread. Get some thick stuff, like for jewelry making or highmark thread. It’s gotta be heavy so it will stay on. I attached it right where the sleeve seam meets the hood. It pulls it down a little, but not too much.

After much sweating and crying and bleeding, hopefully you have an adorable cosplay dress!!!

Now just find a beach and take some pics!!!

If you do make this, I would LOVE to see your results! Also, if you have questions, please ask! I would be happy to clarify anything and walk you through what I can!

#xion #Kingdom Hearts #kingdom hearts cosplay #cosplay tutorial #xion cosplay #nyoomine

[unlikely-allies]

****SPOILERS****

5/5

Adrian watched Nightmare die, or did he? He continues to replay the events at Cosmopolis Park in his mind, but he can’t seem to shake the idea that Nightmare isn’t really gone. Without Nightmare, Adrian has switched his focus to questioning Winston Pratt, the Puppeteer, who is in Renegades’ custody. Adrian is sure that the Anarchists know who killed his mother, and he is determined to bring that person to justice. Adrian remains conflicted about his role as the Sentinel, whom the Renegades have deemed a reckless vigilante and not the hero that Adrian had intended.

After having successfully infiltrated the Renegades and having earned the trust of her teammates, Nova’s next mission is to find Ace’s helmet. Her request to begin working part-time in the artifacts department is approved, and the helmet remains under very minimal security, but retrieving it will have its own set of difficulties. Captain Chromium was unable to destroy the helmet, instead he secured it inside an indestructible box made of chromium. Nova must figure out how to get the helmet out of the box and out of Renegades headquarters without the theft being traced back to her.

The Council calls a meeting to unveil a new resource in the fight against evil, Agent N. Agent N is an antidote derived from Max’s blood samples that has the ability to permanently strip a prodigy of their power. Each of the patrol unity will be equipped with a means of administering the antidote should it be required, but no one (except Nova) seems to be putting much thought into the ramifications of having such an ability. For Nova, the idea of Agent N immediately sparks questions about prodigy rights, and the potential for patrol units to abuse their power.

Nova and the other Anarchists meet with Ace to discuss the new threat surrounding Agent N. It becomes clear to Nova that Ace is dying, and that he will not last much longer without his helmet. The desire to save her uncle expedites Nova’s plans involving the helmet. Ace also asks that Nova continue to earn Adrian’s trust. Nova is conflicted when it comes to Adrian. Ace wants her to win Adrian’s affection, but Nova realizes that the feelings that she is feeling for him may actually be authentic. Nova must remind herself that these emotions don’t matter, that Adrian will have nothing to do with her once her identity is revealed.

The Anarchists plan to steal Ace’s helmet while most of the organization is busy at a fundraising gala. Nova is the one to sneak into Renegades HQ, but the mission quickly escalates and a battle ensues. The rest of Nova’s team is lead to the ruins of the cathedral, where they discover that Ace is alive and they take him into custody. Back at HQ, Max is injured during the fight and Adrian arrives just in time to rush him to the hospital. Convinced that Nightmare is responsible for Max’s critical condition, Adrian vows to destroy Nightmare and asks Nova to help him.

Archenemies ends with several cliffhangers. It is made clear that the Renegades plan to publically neutralize Ace, and Nova does not plan to let that happen. Max’s condition is also left open-ended, and both Nova and Adrian still have their secret identities intact, though suspicions are rising. Archenemies sets up what will no doubt be a huge battle and several crucial reveals that will occur in the next novel. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Novemeber for Supernova.

Archenemies was just as good as Renegades, with the perfect amount of superhero kitsch and science fiction-based thrills. Nova’s struggle between hating the Renegades, but liking her friends (and even possibly loving Adrian) is felt throughout the novel. Her increasing tension and turmoil reinforce her character’s insistence that not everything is black and white. Nova believes in a world of shades of gray, and its possible that Adrian is beginning to feel the same way. Meyer’s fun and unique characters are relatable as well as fantastical, and the world she has created is one that I very much enjoy. I highly recommend Archenemies, as well as Renegades, to anyone looking for a fun read that is unlike anything that have read before. Do not let the superhero theme dissuade you. Meyer’s take on spandex and capes is completely unique.

#ya #ya fantasy #ya fiction #ya lit #ya reads #ya books #young adult book #book nerd #book nerdigans #bookish #booklr #book lover #book life #book blog #book aesthetic #bibliophile #book review #book recommendations #book reccs #booknerd #booknerdigans #booklover #booklife #marissa meyer #renegades #archenemies #nova artino #adrian everhart #nightmare #the sentinel

[ladymacbethsspot]

Roots

A tattoo parlor wasn’t exactly the kind of place you’d expect to find Erwin Smith on a weekend. To be perfectly frank, it wasn’t the kind of place Erwin expected to be.

But a lot had happened in the past year and a half that he hadn’t expected.

Mike had recommended the place through a friend of a friend and had come with him to check it out. The small storefront emblazoned with double wings was tucked neatly up against the elevated tracks, in a neighborhood full of converted warehouse apartments. It didn’t look shabby or old, just tiny. When they walked in the place felt even more compact- there was barely room for the little front desk and a few chairs to wait. Bare brick walls were covered with large canvases- huge versions of designs that Erwin supposed the artists had made. He spotted intricate winding floral works, something that looked like a Mayan snake god, and occasionally the repeated motif of wings or feathers.

“Can I help you?” asked a bubbly petite redhead at the front desk with an off-shoulder top and an elaborate tattooed yoke of black roses around her neck.

“Oh, I’m here for a consultation appointment. Erwin Smith,” Erwin answered, walking over to the desk.

“Ah…” The woman trailed off, clicking around her computer. “Oh, yeah, I’ve got you here. Huh, I guess that does make sense…” She seemed distracted, looking at the reservation information.

“Is there a problem?”

“Not really. It’s just that you’re meeting with Levi.”

Erwin frowned in confusion. “Yes,” he responded, “when I spoke with someone on the phone that seemed like the best choice, and Mike recommended him as well.”

The girl looked up, flashing Erwin a big smile. “Oh, it’s a great choice, he’s amazing!” She reassured him, standing up and walking around to the edge of the half-wall separating them from the tattooing area. “He’s just… not exactly a morning person.” She turned with a flip of red hair and gave Erwin an apologetic smile before disappearing behind the wall, yelling “LEVI!” as she went.

Erwin and Mike exchanged uncertain glances and took up residence in the largest of the little chairs they could find.

A minute later the man named Levi appeared. He slouched around the half-wall glaring and Erwin got the very distinct impression that he was not, in fact, a morning person. Everything, from his scuffed sneakers, to his hoodie, to the hasty dark ponytail gathered above the hair shaved up above his ears screamed ‘screw you and your little dog too’. His flat grey eyes looked sunken, ringed in dark, and he clutched the rim of a steaming mug in one hand.

Erwin’s rational brain registered all of this.

Unfortunately, Erwin’s animal brain was far too distracted by Levi’s pectoral muscles above the top of a loose, low-cut tank. And his legs. Christ, Erwin didn’t think he’d ever seen a man pull off spandex running tights before.

Levi collapsed into a chair across from them with a sigh.

“What do you want?” He asked, voice flat and deeper than Erwin had expected.

“You,” Erwin breathed out, then stammered as Levi looked at him sharply and Mike’s mouth fell open, “ Y-y-ou to help me decide on a tattoo design!” Levi rolled his eyes. Erwin winced internally.

Somehow, he managed to make it through their consultation without putting his foot in his mouth again. The sketch he’d brought had impressed Levi, something the redhead at the front desk later told them was not easy to do. Levi had agreed to use it as a starting point for his design and do the tattoo over a few sessions.

The evening of his first session Erwin debated calling Mike. The place had looked fine, impeccably clean, they'd both agreed. Levi had been professional, if terse. The updated design he’d sent Erwin had been breathtaking- better than anything he’d envisioned. There were no outward signs that should have made Erwin worry. But he was worried. A gorgeous man was about to stick a needle in his skin. Repeatedly. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time.

He ended up going by himself, the potential benefits of alone time with Levi winning out over the comfort Mike would provide.

The appointment went well for the most part. Yes, he had ogled Levi’s pert ass in tight jeans. Of course, he’d stared plenty at the strong shoulders and upper arms covered in intricate feather designs. Sure, he may have blushed when Levi asked him to take off his shirt. And admittedly, the realization of just how small Levi really was when the chair had been lowered until he felt like he was almost sitting on the ground had made him more aroused than he'd like to admit. But it had gone well, and the black outline of winding branches up the side of his back that spread over one shoulder hadn't hurt nearly as much as he'd feared. Levi had been quiet, focused on his work, and Erwin was still too embarrassed by their first meeting to initiate any real conversation.

Erwin’s second appointment went more smoothly. By now he knew what to expect, the way Levi’s gloved hands held his skin taut, the strange scraping sensation on the skin, and the slow progress of the outlining- the tree’s trunk making its way down to roots that wound and spread over his lower back. It also felt more intimate, Levi’s hands travelling lower toward his belt, his touch sure and gentle.

By the third appointment they were talking more easily, and Erwin found himself distracted from the boredom and strange combined sensation of slight physical discomfort from both the tattooing process and his own embarrassing crush. The time passed with ease, and he was pleased with the progress of the tree’s detailing.

His final appointment arrived and Erwin almost felt a pang of regret. It was unlikely that he would see Levi again, at least for a while. But this was something he wanted to see through, had promised himself he would do. As he sat in the chair one final time, Levi’s deft fingers on his skin, he found himself opening up to the man. After all, it was his last chance, there was no harm in it now.

“So, why did you choose this?” Levi asked. He was shading and detailing the bark, fine lines and delicate gradients to create texture and depth.

“Does it look bad?”

Levi didn’t speak for a moment, and Erwin couldn’t tell if he was collecting his thoughts or just concentrating on the work.

“No. It looks great. It will look even better when we finish today.”

Erwin nodded absently. So, Levi wasn’t judging his originality, that was encouraging.

“But you didn’t answer my question. Something this large, I assume you’ve got a reason. Everyone does.”

“Oh,” Erwin replied, “Yes. I do. It’s to remind me.”

“Of?”

Erwin appreciated that Levi didn’t guess. That he could supply whatever information he was willing to. “Of my father.” His answer was soft. He opened his mouth to add more, but the words didn’t come, and Erwin felt the slight pressure and prick of something in his eyes. Even though he was finally doing this, it didn’t make it any easier.

“I’m sorry,” Levi murmured, “I hope it helps you,” as though he knew exactly what Erwin meant.

As Levi continued his work in silence, leaning close, Erwin swallowed. His throat felt heavy, constricted. But the repetitive motion of Levi’s touch, the sensation of the needle going over his skin lulled him away from the darker versions of thoughts he’d had many times before. There was no need to go over it again and again, no need to spill out every painful memory he’d collected. Maybe that was why he felt himself unwinding, telling Levi more than he’d intended.

“My father was a teacher.”

Offering no judgement, no opinions, Levi simply made noises of acknowledgement. Simply listened.

“And he taught me many things.”

“A good man?”

“Yes. Probably too good, I’ll always be in his shadow.”

“Hmm.”

“He held my family together. Not just my mother and sister, but all of it.”

The hypnotic sensation continued, the slow journey of the needle over his skin beginning to provide just enough bite to take the edge off his thoughts, to ground him in the present.

“When he passed away, it all fell apart. I did what I could to put it back together, but I worry that I forgot a lot of the things he taught me on the way. About how to be a man. That’s why I wanted this. To remind me.”

Levi hummed. Erwin wondered if he was just listening in a professional capacity. Just allowing Erwin to unburden himself. But when Levi spoke, he realized the man had been paying attention to more than just his words.

“So, you chose a tree. Knowledge, stability, life. Roots for connection and family, a trunk that’s weathered and worn, and branches reaching up to the sky towards the future.”

It was true.

All of it.

Levi had put into words things Erwin had only thought about vaguely, only felt instinctually when he decided on the design.

The rest of the session passed in silence. When Levi finished, he declared the tree done as well.

Erwin slipped his shirt back on carefully, taking one last look around the workspace that had grown familiar. This was his last chance, and after such an intimate discussion, he felt he had nothing to lose. He might as well bare his entire heart.

“Levi, would you like to get coffee sometime?”

Levi frowned slightly, and Erwin looked down, hiding any disappointment he felt at the rejection.

“I don’t like coffee. But I drink tea.”

Erwin looked up, and smiled when his eyes met Levi’s- grey and tired, but sincere. “Great,” he sighed, “I’ll call you?” Levi walked over to his neat desk, pulling out a business card and writing on the back.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” He slipped the card into Erwin’s hand as he shook it; the firm handshake felt more personal than any he could recall.

As he walked toward the front of the shop he heard Levi call after him.

“Erwin.” He turned. “That tree. I know it’s still winter now, but someday it won’t be. Someday it will leaf out.”

Erwin nodded.

And smiled.

 Levi was right.

#eruri #levi ackerman #erwin smith #snk fanfiction #aot fanfiction #i messed up the tags the first time #whoops #also this was way more emotional than i intended #and theres and abrupt mood shift #a lot of whoops #drabble #my writing

[iartuniversestuff]

I never want to see another type of boys post

Weighted blanket boy: Tired, can’t form a coherent sentence, hates clothes but also wants to wear soft comfy pj’s, has lots of ideas that would get him killed but thankfully doesn’t have the energy to ever act on them, likes to cuddle a lot, communicates with cats (and people) via blinks, always has soft hair regardless of when his last shower was, wears themed socks that don’t match, always tells you about his latest dreams, falls asleep in cars, makes you hot cocoa in your favorite mug.

 Grind boy: Sweaty, does like ten sports and always tries to get you involved with all of them, only wears black spandex but makes it work, listens to driving punk rock, shows affection by teaching you things and play punching your shoulders, “anything you can do I can do better” is his motto, can’t sit still long enough to have a proper meal so he lives of protein shakes, gives you lots of motivational talks about anything, would probably fight the sun if given the chance, hikes up mountains just to do push-ups, probably watched the rocky movies once a week as a child.

 Twitch boy: Always moving, binges Netflix shows all day, never does homework but will spend all day doing very elaborate and very unrelated projects, gets upset at fictional characters when they aren’t making good logical decisions, wants to be helpful but doesn’t know what to do, eats only chocolate but worries about it, apologizes to much, never asks for your advice just a listening ear, can’t function without music in the background, shows affection by flopping on you, falls in love with random people on public transit, must re-sort the order of colors in a box of art supplies every single time.

 Pop boy: Has an Adam Lambert poster in every room and probably one in his car too, wears heels around his house, sings to every fuckin’ thing even if he doesn’t know the words, drinks only Coca-Cola (never water), wears tight pants and no one knows how he gets them on in the morning, will call you nicknames to boost your confidence, tells everyone to “just be yourself, you got this,” sleeps in novelty boxers and crop tops, gayer than intended, probably has black nail polish on, knows all the dance moves to High School Musical, would make an excellent personal stylist/fashion consultant.

 Leather jacket boy: Thinks he’s more badass than he is, knows an unhealthy amount about murderers, wears only combat boots and leather in shades of black and red, probable blood/knife kink, has a laugh that is intentionally unsettling, watches horror films a 3 am and then wonders why he has an unhealthy sleep schedule, pledges to protect you from everything, obsessed with the occult but naysays all of it, has probably doodled pentagrams in his sketch book for the aesthetic before, once took you camping on Friday the 13th, most likely he has better eyeliner game than anyone else, watches buzzfeed unsolved to unwind, always sleeps with the light out.

#for star #i hope you like it

[sonipanda]

And back into Leg Avenue we go. It’s been so time since I’ve reviewed this brand as they tend to normally be a ‘one-size fits all’ – which does put me off now and again. However, when I saw these I just had to add them onto the wishlist to try out!

These were originally gifted from Amazon, however they are no longer available to purchase so I have got another link for you all if you wish to get a pair 🙂

The Spec

Colour: Nude / Red

Style: 1111

Size: One Size (UK 6-12)

Denier: Around 20

Materials: 90% Nylon, 10% Elastane

Price: £ 18.95

Website: Essex’ee Legs – Leg Avenue Contrast Heart & Bows Cuban Heel Stockings

My Outfit

Keeping it all funk and simple, I decided to go all wild with colours. I wore my yellow over-sized jumper dress with these and added Timberlands to finish off the look. I decided not to include them in my set of images!

My Deets

Jumper: Pull & Bear

Stockings: Leg Avenue

  The Review

From The Website: Hearts, bows, Cuban heels perfect for stocking lovers. Team these gorgeous stockings with your favourite garter belt.

Sheer nude leg with contrasting heart and bow seams, stocking tops, Cuban heel, with contrasting colour underneath foot, and finishing at toe. Striking suspender stockings made from the highest quality yarns.

90% Nylon 10% Spandex Hand wash Genuine Leg Avenue item LA-1111 Colours: Nude-Black, Nude-Red One Size: UK 6-12 Height up to 5ft5 inch (165cm), Weight Up to 9 stone (90-160lbs)

  The Packaging: very simple, but effective though. You’re totally focused on the model wearing them with a mini skirt. The front is very basic, with the back hardly having any info on it. Not a bad thing I suppose, as at the bottom it gets right to the point:

“sheer contrast cuban heel stockings with heart and bow backseam”

  Getting Them On: when you get them out the packaging, you will find that these are flat packed, so there are no creases to help you line up at the back. I used my gloves for this one to make sure I don’t snag them to begin with! These were easy to roll over anklets too!

So as you’re trying to roll them on, make sure you stand in front of a mirror to do your line up as mine kept going so wonky! I have no idea why as normally I can get them straight on and job done, but with these, I found them to be a little more difficult.

    On The Legs: so the first thing that comes to mind is the shading isn’t right or my legs. They look a little pasty with no colour to them (I mean they’re trying to be generic), but with the flash on, they look fab. I hate it when hosiery does this as you’re not gonna constantly have flashes of light at your legs during the day to keep that gorgeous colour!

The denier is thin, and works really well in terms of being breathable. It gives a lovely light coverage on the legs, which I know a lot of people tend to go for.

The quality is pretty decent too; I didn’t get any snags in these whatsoever which I am dead happy about and they feel good on.

In terms of fit and feel, these are fab. They look great, they feel smooth and soft on the legs and the fit is amazeballs. They sit so well on the legs, so you don’t need to worry about any gapping when you’re all strapped up!

The design is the most cutest thing ever! I love how I got red instead of black to give a bit of colour to the outfit. I know people don’t normally do red with yellow, but I thought it was super playful and worked so well! It works from a sole panel to a cuban heel and then into the backseam. I wasn’t too pleased with the design being slightly bent around the heel, but what can you do hey?

  The Toes & Ankle: so toes I found to be slightly big. There was plenty of wiggle room and extra material at the sides of my feet as well, which makes it difficult to wear with tight fitted shoes (especially if they’re pointed). Otherwise these (I hope) are reinforced so it gives you that extra support with longer nails.

Around the ankles, these sat really flush against the skin, so I have nothing else to say!

  The Band: now the band is my favourite. It’s a lovely thin strip band, which the clasps just grab and hold up. I don’t have much to say here apart from they hold up really well – and it’s not suspender belt dependent either as it’s a more thicker material.

    My Thoughts?

Apart from the big toe area, I think these are super cute and a playful pair to invest in. They’re a cute statement pair and the cuban heel can work with so many shoes – it gives that added hint of sexy to the outfit!

The design and quality are also great as well – something that I don’t tend to come across with Leg Avenue, but did this time around 🙂

Leg Avenue Contrast Heart & Bow Cuban Heel Stockings And back into Leg Avenue we go. It's been so time since I've reviewed this brand as they tend to normally be a 'one-size fits all' - which does put me off now and again.

[nearmidnightannex]

Eurovision 2018! commentary as it happened

Reposting from something done elsewhere. It is very very long, what with the competition lasting, you know, FOUR HOURS, so there is a keep-reading tag below.

No idea who the performers were, but I really liked that second number leading into the beginning and the parade of nations.

Interesting that Ross and Shangela felt the need to explicitly state that they will not be talking over the performers. I'm guessing that they had comments about that in previous years. (Also, totally forgot that Celine Dion got her start with Eurovision. And also somewhat confused, what with her being, you know, Canadian. Then, there are random Americans here this year, and I think Norway’s performer last year was actually from Australia, so.)

I do not remember the Ukranian boy band hosts from last year doing the instructions in English and French. I'm guessing in part because as they stated they were very new to English, so handling both would have been a bit much.

And here we go!

Melovin, Ukraine, "Under the ladder". Had a few problems wandering off key at the start, but then the number went insane and he was fine. Seriously, that ending was kind of nuts for a song that really wasn't all that intense. Didn't like it that much, meself, but we shall see.

Amaia y Alfred, Spain, "Tu Cancion". Surrounded by a sea of phone screens on one side, and a stage of things that aren't phone screens but might as well be on the other. It's actually the sort of very sweet ballad that wouldn't tolerate Eurovision-standard overproduction, so the lack of LED screen probably doesn't hurt them at all. No sense of whether or not it will do well, but the audience (and Ross and Shangela) seem to love them. (Cat Valente on Twitter: "Oof, Spain's only special stage effect was heterosexuality.")

Lea Sirk, Slovenia, "Hvala, ne!". A song and performance with attiTUDE, at the least. And about ninety million more flashing laser lights and spotlights than any song needs; I'm not epileptic, but I literally could not watch the chorus because it hurt. I can't imagine how difficult it was to be in the room.

Ieva Zasimauskaitė, Lithuania, "When we're old". A very very small and sweet ballad. If we didn't have the example of last year's winner, I wouldn't think a song this small would have any chance of making it through. Given that there's no projection screen on stage with her, I'm guessing that the images of couples we see next to her can't be seen in the auditorium, so they're aimed squarely at the juries and viewers, all of whom are watching on television elsewhere. And that staged ending, however hokey, was really sweet.

Cesar Sampson, Austria, "Nobody but you". I like the sound of the song, although I think it may have a shade too much repetition. His pants are ... weird. (People, if I, the fashion-impaired, am wondering why his spandex pants have a crotch at his knees, something is decided ODD.)

Elina Nechayeva, Estonia, "La Forza". Oh, Opera. Or at least operatic. And she gets around the LED screen restriction by wearing her own. Man, that skirt is MAGNIFICENT. It also provides all the motion, which is good, because she can't possibly be able to move without screwing up the screen. (Um ... were those sperm cells zipping around on her dress for a hot minute there?) I do wonder how much the auditorium can see, though; the main seating/standing level is all below stage level, and the balconies are all very far away.

Alexander Rybak, Norway, "That's how you write a song". A previous winner performing again. And again, effects that the audience can't see because they're composited into the camera. And it was fun, I guess, and I suppose that's how you write a song, but ... eh. Whatever.

There is a LOT more direct outreach to the auditorium audience this year than there has been in the past. The Slovenian grrrl group asking them to sing along, the Austrian guy saying  "How are you, Lisbon" in a song that really didn't tolerate it, Norway throwing his jacket into the audience ... I wonder how much this is a reflection of them compensating for the LED effects they don't have.

Claudia Pascoal, Portugal, defending champeeen, "O Jardim". Apparently, Portugal has decided that "small and quirky" is their niche, and they're going to OWN that. That said, the song built a little, in a way that last year's song never did, if only a very little.

And now a bit of business, both literal and figurative, in which the entire world sprints for the bathroom. Plumbing system managers around the world are thinking, "What the ... must be a break in Eurovision."

SuRie, Great Britain, "Storm". A very energetic performance, in which some rando grabbed the mic from her to get political. It was handled expeditiously, to put it mildly. She was able to get the audience back with her pretty quickly. Intrusions aside, the song was ... OK, I guess.

Sanja Ilić & Balkanika, Serbia, "Nova Deca". Cant understand a word, of course, but I like the sound and staging. Also the studmuffinly lead singer who set sail on a shorter version of the SS Kaftanic.

Michael Schulte, Germany, "You let me walk alone". It's a very nice, low-ish key song. Again, very simple staging accompanying effects ... although, judging from the reflections on the stage floor, unless the floor itself was part of the effects, the audience actually could see those. I wonder if management changed its mind about the LED screen ... or if he somehow brought his own with him. (EDIT: judging from later acts, the latter.)

Eugent Bushpepa, Albania, "Mall". Very dynamic. I mostly liked the sound of it, although I could have done with less of the falsetto blasts. Back of his jacket was ... odd. And ... that's it. That's all I got.

Madame Monsieur, France, "Mercy". So ... being able to kinda sorta just a little understand parts of the song are throwing me. Not least because it took me a couple rounds to catch up with the concept of "My name is Mercy", and not "My name is Thank you." Not helped by the fact that they were actually playing on that confusion deliberately. That aside, the song was ... very very French.

Mikolas Josef, Czech Republic, "Lie to me".  It's a fun song -- why is he wearing a backpack? -- but good lord, there's a lot of just standing more or less in place this Eurovision. (Well, OK, until the end of the song, for him. Bopping about with dancers and the occasional backflip off stairs is not “just standing in place”, no.) Also, it would have been helpful to have established the context that the other dancers were standing in light boxes bseside him; it looked on screen like they were somewhere else entirely at first. It's one hell of a dynamic performance, I'll give it that.

Rasmussen, Denmark, "Higher ground". Selected to perform the song because he looks like a viking. Which cannot be denied, really. Also, putting him in all black makes him look simultaneously undead and slightly terrifying. (Cat Valente on Twitter: "The lead singer for #Denmark looks like undead bearded Jared Leto when he hasn't had lunch yet.") The choice to stage with a bunch of long-haired burly trenchcoat-clad guys sorta kinda marching around is ... interesting. The song is sort of monotone; the performance is making a LOT more of it than it is, which is saying something. (And again, the appeal to the audience: "Come on, walk with us!" Which explains the marching.) Not quite sure what the snow effects have to do with anything. (The stagehands and crew for Eurovision must be both very good and feel very put-upon by the end.)

Jessica Malboy, Eurofied Australia, "We got love". It's dynamic, and it's ... fine. Although this is as close to typically Eurvision staging as we've had in a while. She did go badly off on her big glory note near the end, but she had a fair amount of song left to recover with.

And another break for business, and for business. The bit with the Serbian ... whatever he was, was very cute. The bit with Cesar Sampson was also very cute; hope he didn't hurt anything. And the bit with the Portuguese pod was also very cute. Cuteness abounded.

A very brief "in memoriam" bit to the first Eurovision winner, who passed away earlier this year.

Saara Aalto, Finland, "Monsters". Weirdly, I mostly like this song a lot. I think parts of it needed ... something, but I have no idea what. It just felt a bit off in places. (Not helped by the fact that nerves pulled her off key a bit here and there.) But that aside, it was energetic and interestingly staged. No sense of how well it might do.

Equinox, Bulgaria, "Bones". A motley of a group, with random Americans, according to Ross. Staged -- and presented -- as a really stark music video, sort of. Everyone in black. (My, this is a grim Eurovision this year.) That said, the blond woman singer does look as though she apported in from some completely different futuristic video. The song was ... fine, I guess. Can't quite see it going anywhere, though.

DoReDoS, Moldova, "My Lucky Day". Clever staging -- VERY clever staging, fifties doorway farce translated to music. Not that fifties doorway farce would have involved quite so much groping. It was really a lot of fun. It's so relentlessly out of anything even vaguely popular that I have no sense of how well it will do, but if there's any justice, that should be at least a top five finish.

"It's a very good chicken, sir."

Benjamin Ingrosso, Sweden, "Dance you off". And apparently some performers did indeed find their own projection stage solutions. Song is ... fine. (Saying that a lot this year, but that's all I got. It's not awful, it's not outstanding, it's FINE. If he were on the US version of The Voice, he would probably win.)

AWS, Hungary, "Viszlát Nyár". Um ... well. It's ... dynamic. Yes. It is ... that. Also apparently a fire hazard. And the lead screamer was barefoot. And the electric guitarist/bassist (couldn't tell which) decided to use Eurovision's audience as a mosh pit. (I bet the lead screamer can't talk after concerts, if he tries do to whole sets like that.)

Netta, Israel, "Toy". I really do love this song. Even the first few seconds have graduated from "intensely annoying" to "kind of growing on me". (They also sound MUCH better without autotune.) Not quite sure that the HEY light board thing really translated. Other than that, the staging is kind of lunatic, in initially small-scale Eurovision tradition. Oh, hey, sparkle shooters! And then the lighting went utterly insane! And then fire! And smoke! Ah, Eurovision!

Waylon, Netherlands, "Outlaw in 'em". A country song. Huh. I wouldn't expect that to do well at Eurovision -- an American-style country song being, you know, not even vaguely Euro-anything -- but as CW songs go, that was fun. Although you can tell that this was European, because he would have been Strongly Discouraged From That Staging here. The black guys having angry violent fits around the white singer was ... yeah. THAT. (Probably deliberately, given that the lead singer had lived in the US for a while, but still.)

Ryan O'Shaughnessy, Ireland, "Together". Low-key, lovely mid-tempo ballad. And I think he’s also been to Eurovision before, so he was able to keep his falsetto strong and on-key until near the very end. A nice all-male romance portrayed by the dancers on the stage and bridge. (Weirdly, given that the song itself is very clearly about the breakup and not the romance. Reportedly, the semifinal performance was censored in China, and the Eurovision broadcasting team promptly yanked China’s license to broadcast the grand final and blocked them.)

Eleni Foureira, Cyprus, "Fuego". It's fun, but still not seeing how this song is one of the favorites. To repeat myself: It was FINE. Lots of fire effects at the end, which, given the titlte, were rather required.

Ermal Meta e Fabrizio Moro, Italy, "Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente". Lyrics in many languages pretty clearly composited directly to camera -- they must have been in a complete panic when they discovered that they wouldn't have a big LED stage to work with. The song had sort of a nice build that they played with. Beyond that ... it was (say it with me!) FINE.

Honestly, I'm kind of clueless about what to expect. The staging was very low key. Very few of the numbers stood out. At a guess, my picks, vaguely in order, would be:

Israel Finland Moldova Austria Serbia Estonia Ukraine Ireland Cyprus Czech Republic Lithuania Slovenia Spain Portugal Netherlands Norway Sweden Italy Eurofied Australia (Yes, that's right, outside the top ten for the first time) Albania Denmark Bulgaria Hungary France United Kingdom (may do better with sympathy vote for rando invading the stage) Germany

I think the top three that I listed will actually be the top three, but beyond that ... I have no clue. And, to be scruplously accurate, I don't expect Israel to win, although I think they should. I think the geopolitical moment that we're in, which kept Russia out of the final for the first time ever, will also keep Israel from winning.

And now, the interval acts! The first couple singers are really nice. Can't understand a word, but the songs are still lovely.

The skit about the journey to Portugal's win was ... interesting.

And Salvador Sobral himself returns to the stage (sans last year's manbunnage) to sing another "I won't do Eurovision style" song at Eurovision. Which, to be fair, is a very nice sounding lament ... which his movements on stage do not at all match -- I wonder if he usually performs with a guitar or something and just has no idea what to do with himself. Or maybe I'm missing a lot because I don't speak Portuguese. Either way, he just looks odd up there.  ... oh. And now the song acquires tempo as he plays the piano like a drum. (In all seriousness, this is the most Eurovision-style performance I've seen from him; adding in a certain dynamism along with a certain amount of "What is he DOING?") And then he performed his Eurovision-winning song with a person who I guess is his idol. And the audience sort of sang along. (I wish I liked that song more, and I did like it better than last year’s Eurovision performance. Because that was a Moment.)

Interesting that Ross and Shangela, when they picked their top five, had almost NOTHING in common. They both had Israel and Germany in their top five, but nothing else.

And now: the jury vote! And judging from the early vote, the juries are going to be all over the place; Israel, for example, has been in second on one ballot, third on another, out of the top ten on the third and fourth jury ballots, first on the fifth; Cyrprus has a first and a few random other points; France has one first place (...the hell?), and not a single top ten vote anywhere else, and so on. But apparently the pre-competition love for Cyprus was justified; they're doing very well. But countries are bouncing all over the rankings in ways that they haven't the past two years. (Barring a massive televote result, it does seem clear that Eurofied Australia will indeed finish outside the top ten this year.) Unfortunately, Moldova is getting hammered in the jury vote, so they won't finish in the top five. SO UNFAIR!

Halfway through the jury vote, a pause for whatever reason, in which they cover the Eurovision young musicians orchestra very briefly. Israel very narrowly leads Austria and Cyprus. A pattern is emerging, slowly, that if Austria, Germany, Cyprus, Israel or Sweden isn't shown in a particular national jury's top ten, they will usually be the first place vote. Usually. But not always. (Hungary gave their 12 points to Denmark. And again: the hell?)

The green room for Eurovision is MASSIVE. For some reason, I thought all the pods were somewhere front of house. Also, Cesar should forego mentioning his Twitter password methods on international television.

Russia's jury got booed in the auditorium during the jury vote. (I do not have the slightest idea what Shangela was talking about when she said there was a hush in the auditorium.) This may go some to explaining their first-ever shut out from the Grand Final.

Unlike the past two years, at the end of the jury vote, it was utterly unclear which country would win. Last year, Portugal would have needed an unprecedented collapse in the televote to lose (it won the televote, so it didn’t matter); this year, it could easily go to either Austria or Sweden having a roughly equal shot, and Israel, Germany, and even Cyprus (which dropped back to fifth) having a not-unreasonable chance.

And now, the public televote results! Sweden, shockingly, finishes well down the public vote, so now their chances depend on Austria and Israel getting hammered. (Which does not happen.) And the public televote is ... weird. Seriously, how did Hungary do so well? And Austria does not win the televote, or even do particularly well! Serbia does well in the televote! But does not do well enough to matter! Ditto Norway! Moldova did very well in the televote, indicating that some people out there had decent taste!

Weirdly enough, as soon as they announced the fifth highest score, it became apparent that either Israel or Cyprus was going to win, because Austria getting hammered in the televote meant that they couldn't maintain first place. Italy, somehow, miraculously, managed a top three televote result, but finishing third meant that they couldn't win, because they got hammered in the jury vote.

Second place in the televote goes to ... Cyprus!

ISRAEL WINS! ISRAEL WINS! WOO-HOO! 

I only got one of top three (and two of the top six) right (and Germany kind of epically wrong), and it was (sort of) the winner! Woot! And other nonsense noises! (Cat Valente on Twitter: "YES YES YES WEIRD #EUROVISION RETURNS TRIUMPHANT TAKE THAT BLACK SUITS AND EARNEST BALLADS ALIEN CHICKEN MUSIC FOREVER!")

Next year's Eurovision will be in either Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, belike. That should be ... interesting. (I'm guessing probably Tel Aviv ... although one of the announcers did just say Jerusalem. Well. That may be ... fraught.)

While I am glad that Netta won -- I really did think it was the best song and performance -- part of me was secretly wanting Austria to win so that next year we could have Conchita and Cesar co-hosting. But I am really happy about this result.

One of the things I both love and hate about this type of competition. "Hey, Netta, you have just won the biggest competition of your life! Now, get it all together and perform for us! RIGHT NOW! No, you can't take the trophy with you ... Oh, all right, take the trophy. LOOSE THE CONFETTI!"

#eurovision #eurovison song contest #eurovision 2018

[sevenbirdsinflight]

Tres Hero Boys

@questbedhead’s post inspired me to write arcswap fic because it’s such a great concept. this was definitely supposed to be short and then it spiraled out of control

Their first mission goes pretty terribly.

The man they’ve been asked to subdue doesn’t look like much. He’s tall and thin, dressed in the most ridiculous costume – a shimmering black cloak over a long, purple dress emblazoned with a black spider symbol. The staff in his hands also has a spider at the top of it, and Taako has to give him points for sticking to his theme even if it does look tacky as hell. (Not that the matching red spandex uniforms they’ve been forced into are much better.)

The man himself doesn’t look like a threat – he’s even smiling and waving at them as they approach – but behind him stands a massive, black spider with dozens of angry, red eyes, and Taako takes one look at it and thinks fuck this.

He signed up to get super powers, not get eaten by a giant spider.

Luckily, Magnus looks enthusiastic enough for the both of them, so while he and Merle rush towards the man, Taako hangs back. The captain reminded them that they have to stay in range as they were leaving, so he sticks around instead of running, but he keeps as much distance from the fight as he possibly can. 100 yards is pretty far, though; he figures as long as he keeps them within sight, it should be fine.

Magnus leaps straight into the fight and tries to literally wrestle the giant spider to the ground while Merle sends some tree roots at the man. The spider manages to push Magnus away, and he slides a few feet across the ground and into the side of a parked car. He jumps up quickly, then picks up the entire car and holds it over his head, ready to swing down on the spider as a makeshift weapon.

Taako can’t help but grin gleefully from his spot on the sidelines – this is one of the most ridiculous things he’s ever seen, and Magnus may be a hotheaded dumbass, but he sure is entertaining. Taako steps back to lean against the wall behind him so he can enjoy the show more comfortably, but the minute he moves backwards, he feels something inside him snap.

The little bundle of power he’s felt inside himself ever since the transformation vanishes instantly, and then he hears Magnus start yelling as both he and the car topple over, the weight suddenly too much for him to handle.

“What happened?” the captain asks. The three of them sit across from him in his office, still dressed in their stupid red uniforms. Magnus has a sling around one arm and an entire half of his body is purpling into a painful looking bruise. He has some dried blood smudged under his nose. Merle has a black eye and fairly bad road rash down one arm.

Taako’s absolutely fine.

He feels several eyes drilling into him, but he ignores them, studying his nails. The polish has chipped, so he resolves to repaint them when they’re done. Maybe blue this time? Or should he match it to their uniforms?

“I would have had him if Taako hadn’t run away,” Magnus says, and both his teammates bristle in response.

“You would have?” Merle barks. “I was there too!”

“I didn’t run away,” Taako argues, because he might be a coward but he doesn’t appreciate Magnus accusing him of it. “I was giving you the space to do your thing, my man.”

“Yeah, too much space,” Magnus says, his voice much too loud in the small office.

The captain pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “I told you your abilities wouldn’t work if you weren’t within 100 yards of each other.”

“Well, I didn’t bring a yard stick with me,” Taako says. “I misjudged the distance.”

“Then I have a suggestion,” the captain says. He lowers her hand and directs a steely-eyed stare at him. It’s more intimidating than Taako would admit, especially since the captain is like half his height. “Stick closer to your teammates next time.”

It doesn’t take Magnus long to get over the whole incident. He grumbles and glares at Taako for the rest of the day, but by breakfast he’s smiling and cheery again, describing the dog he saw recently with great excitement and wondering aloud whether the captain’s “no dogs in the ‘Burg” rule has any exceptions while Taako tries his best to ignore him.  

It’s far faster than it would have taken Taako to get over it, but he suspects Magnus might actually be incapable of holding a grudge – though he does insist Taako do everything he can’t do one-handed as an apology. He accepts this without argument, because opening a few jars is far better than having to actually apologize.

When Magnus’s arm finally heals, the captain forces them through more training before he sends them out in the field again. They get paired off against Team Sweet Flips, and surprisingly manage this fight a lot better than they had the real one.

They still lose, but at least they manage to take out Carey before Noelle grabs their flag.

Taako gets more involved in their second mission, but it’s only partially because of the captain’s orders and mostly because he really enjoys taunting their opponent.

“Can you do anything?” he laughs as Jenkins fails once again to hit him. “Because I can do this!” He lets his body grow and stretch, reshaping into a new form that towers above the man before him, and he hopes his smug grin remains even as a T-Rex.

Jenkins pales, and Taako lashes his sharp teeth a few times just for the affect. He feels powerful and badass, and it doesn’t even matter than Magnus and Merle are focused on subduing the monsters Jenkins create instead of helping him, because Taako’s got this. He’s good.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Magnus dart away from the rest of them, charging determinedly towards something Taako can’t see, and dread pools in his stomach as he realizes what’s about to happen just a few seconds before it does.

Taako tries to yell at him to stop, but forgets he can’t speak in this form. Magnus keeps moving, and then there’s a snap, and Taako’s back in his normal form.

Jenkins stares at him in surprise for just a moment, before his mouth pulls up into a delighted grin. “Who’s a shitty superhuman now?” he taunts as another monster appears behind him. Taako can’t even duck before a massive, meaty fist punches him right in the face.

The black eye is almost impossible to hide with makeup, but Taako still tries. He’s pulling out a new shade of cover-up to try when there’s a knock at his bedroom door. He doesn’t even look up to yell, “Go away, Magnus!”

His teammate had been far guiltier about getting Taako hurt than Taako had been after their first fight, and he’d been hovering over him since they got out of their debrief with the captain, until Taako yelled at him to leave him alone and barricaded himself in his room. If he hears one more apology, he’s going to scream.

The door swings open anyways, and he turns to yell at Magnus before he realizes it’s Lup.

“Woof,” she says. “That’s quite the shiner.”

He deflates as she jumps up on his bed. “Yeah, Maggie got out of range and let me get my ass kicked.”

“That’s the one that calls himself ‘The Hammer’, right?”

“That’s the one,” Taako says, then sighs and throws the cover-up down in defeat and moves to sit next to his sister, dropping his head down onto her shoulder.

“You guys still having trouble staying in range?” she asks as she brings a hand up to card gently through his hair. “What happened this time?”

“Magnus saw someone in trouble or something and ran after them.”

“Well,” Lup says. “Can’t fault him for that, I guess.”

“I can,” he says stubbornly, and Lup snorts, then flicks him on the forehead.

“You’re still beautiful, babe. Don’t worry.”

He smiles at that, then asks, “How’s your group?” Lup groans dramatically.

“They paired me up with two nerds, Koko. I don’t know who’s worse. Mr. I-Wanted-To-Be-A-Conductor wants to play classical music during our training, but Barry thinks ketchup is spicy. Ketchup, Koko.”

She sounds truly pained by this, and Taako can’t help but laugh.

“Barry’s pretty good in a fight, though, even though he really doesn’t look it, and we’ve been kicking ass so far, but Kravitz yelled at me after the last fight for starting a fire. He gets that’s like my whole thing, right?”

“He sounds like the worst,” Taako tells her, hating the guy just on principle.

“And Magnus sounds like a dumbass,” Lup adds.

“They should have just put us together.” It’s sort of a joke, except that he means it with his whole heart.

“Nah,” Lup says, grabbing his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You couldn’t keep up with me.”

Their third fight is successful.

Taako stays with the group this time, though he still hangs back as much as possible. Turns out that as long as he stays within range, Magnus still does most of the work. Merle sort of helps, though the vines he sends at Marvee seem to trip Magnus up more than the bad guy.

Still, they manage to successfully subdue Marvee with relatively no injuries. Magnus get a few cuts on his face, but they’re more superficial than anything and he actually seems pretty proud of them.

The captain even tells them, “Good job,” after their debief.

It actually feels pretty good to come back victorious, and Taako goes to find Lup to rub their victory in her face. Looks like hers isn’t the only team that can kick bad guy butt.

The next time they get sent out, they’re supposed to track down a giant worm. Taako’s not even kidding. A fucking giant worm that spits fire and has been terrorizing the city’s citizens. What the hell has his life become?

They track the worm to the subway tunnels it’s using to get around, and Taako takes one look at the stairs down to the subway and changes his mind about being a team player.

“Okay, here’s the thing,” he says from the top step. Magnus is already almost to the bottom, Merle not too far behind him. “I’m not going in there. You chucklefucks have fun. Taako’s good out here.”

“But Taako you have to come with us,” Magnus argues.

“Nope. Uh-uh.” He folds his arms over his chest and points his face stubbornly in the air. “You do what you want, but I’m not going down into a dark, underground tunnel to get eaten by a worm. Taako’s not going into that walking death trap, no thanks.”

“How the hell are we supposed to fight it then?” Merle asks.

“I don’t know, throw some vines at it?” He shrugs. “Or whatever you do? I’ll stay within range so you can do your thing, but I’m not going down there.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense!” Merle starts to argue, but Magnus storms up to the top of the stairs and grabs Taako before he realizes what’s happening, throwing him over his shoulder.

“Hey, what are you doing!?” he yells as Magnus starts walking back down the stairs. “No! Put me down! I said I’m staying out here!” He pounds his fists on Magnus’s back, but the man doesn’t even flinch.

“And then he picked me up like a sack of potatoes and just dragged me in there, even though I told him I wasn’t doing it.”

Lup laughs so hard she nearly snorts the soda she’s drinking out of her nose. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. “Oh, that’s great. I gotta meet this guy.”

Taako flicks a piece of potato across the table at her. “Whose side are you on?”

“He’s an action first kind of guy. I can appreciate that. So did you find the worm?”

“Yeah, we found the worm,” Taako exclaims. “And it tried to eat us! And we had to all run away because, surprise, it was much stronger and bigger than us!” His voice goes up a full octave as he talks, getting squeakier and threatening to crack. “And I nearly died because Magnus rushes in!”

first TAZ fic I’ve written, so I’m still getting used to everyone’s voices

so headcanons for this little au:

Taako is a shapeshifter and doesn’t have a hero name or secret identity. Magnus has super strength and goes by The Hammer. Merle controls plants and I’m not sure what his hero name is yet. They have red uniforms.

Other teams are the Reaper Squad who wear black uniforms. Lup can control fire/turn herself into fire and goes by Phoenix. I haven’t decided on Kravitz’s powers yet, but he goes by “Reaper”. And Barry can turn into a spectral spirit, and I haven’t figured out a name for him yet.

Team Sweet Flips wear blue uniforms. Killian can transform into essentially the Incredible Hulk, though it’s by choice; no clue what her name is. Carey can turn invisible and goes by “Rogue” because I couldn’t come up with better. And Noelle can control electronics (and her catchphrase is “hero time!”)

#taz balance #taz fic #arcswap #the adventure zone #the adventure zone fic #magnus burnsides #taako #taako tacco #my fic #tres hero boys