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#and because i needed a reason to paint something to practice my art style

meanbossart · 14 days

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Another much overdue ask compilation! Some short-ish lore asks (Gale, Gort, DU drow relationships and pet-companion preferences) and a couple of art/advice ones sprinkled in. THIS IS BY NO MEANS ALL OF MY ASKS so as usual I appreciate everyone's patience!

I actually think he'd give them a pass entirely as soon as he noticed. Correct me if I'm mistaken but half-drow get No love from underdark drow and are usually surface babies right? So that fruit is miles away from the tree lol. I think he generally has a bit of a soft spot for mixed kinds since he himself feels like an amalgamation of sorts.

Thank you! They're kind of a pain in the ass to draw at times for that very reason but man I do like the look 😩if other people like it too then that makes it all worth it!

THAT'S TRICKY TO ANSWER BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES I'M NOT... REALLY TRYING. I've draw a ton of horror comics for mine and my partner's series' SAD SACK and SORTIE, so I think it just comes naturally to me 😅 also I do genuinely find expressive and, uh, rugged faces more attractive? (I think they look rugged, again that's what people tell me at least.)

I think the secret might be adding bits of realism in there. I get a lot of comments about the wrinkles and eyelashes I add to my art, as well as the way I draw individual teeth (though I've lately been making an effort to simplify my style in favor of drawing faster, so I haven't done that as much or in as much detail.)

Both symmetry and the lack of it can also add to that effect. I have employed both facial unevenness and almost point-perfect symmetry to achieve something a little frightening or otherworldly in my work. [MORE UNDER THE CUT]

Thank you so much!!! The contrast is very much intentional, that's what DU drow's character is all about ;)

Hahah well I somewhat doubt Bhaal would care that his spawn gets named, but either way he stripped himself of his name as soon as he killed his foster parents and abandoned the Underdark. He had a drow name that I jotted down somewhere but it's completely irrelevant because nobody has used it since he was a child, and he doesn't remember it (even pre-tadpole/having his brain scrambled.) Here's a little write up about his origins that might shed some more light on that: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739688837431836672/did-drow-ever-have-a-childhood-before-the-temple

And about his original drow-given name and the reason behind it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/741350986692591616/drow-had-to-have-been-given-a-name-by-his-adoptive

Everyone just referred to him as his supposed race, or as Bhaalspawn or Bhaal's child, and any other similar titles. Orin called him "kin" and "brother" and Gortash likely called him his associate. Post-tadpole the camp grows entirely used to calling him "the drow" and he has no desire to change that or to choose a proper name.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH😭 no reason to be intimidated, I'm just some rando drawing BG3 fan art LOL I've been drawing since I was a child, and started taking it semi-seriously when I was 16 years old, so twelve years ago! That's around the time where I got my first non-display tabled and used that well into my twenties, prior to that I only did stuff on paper and liked to do inks color with pencils. I never really ventured into traditional painting at all except for a little bit of water-coloring in college.

Traditional and Digital art are very much different beasts. Which one you want to start with is, in my opinion, just dependent on what you want to do. Digital art gives you a lot of tools that makes learning easier, but you might find yourself having much steeper of a learning curve if you ever decide to do traditional art instead. If you want to be good at both, you need to practice both, since the skill doesn't entirely translate from one medium to the other.

Naturally you will be able to draw well on either, it's just... Different. I will say though, that I think if you're still learning you should use whatever allows you to look directly at what your hand is doing, so either traditional or display tablet/Ipad. I have no idea what a non-display tablet would do to a beginner, but remembering my experience with it I feel like it might be a huge detriment to developing the skill (feel free to share your experiences in the replies if you disagree, as I would definitely be curious to read them!)

YOU KNOW ME BABY IT WAS MESSY AND COMPLICATED the tldr.: is that they were "buddies", absolutely no romance intended there on either mine or DU drow's part, but due to his nature the friendship was extremely weird.

Here's a couple of replies where I go into more detail about it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739191190871818240/i-dont-have-a-particular-question-in-mind-sorry

https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/744952815768764416/so-not-sure-if-youve-covered-this-but-i-thought

That's definitely reserved for the vamp LOL DU drow very much enjoys when Astarion teases and fusses over him, and while Astarion probably got a kick out of acting that way around such a big and scary looking guy at first, I think by "now" (later and post-game) he's pretty much immune to DU drow's looks and just enjoys doing it in earnest.

He's not at all averse to being touched (even rather intimately) by close friends, but he wouldn't be quite THAT vulnerable with anyone else.

HE REALLY DISLIKED GALE... He irked him out by seemingly fostering a rather persistent romantic interest in him for at least half the time they spent together (very much based on my interpretation of their in-game interactions at the time, though my Gale might have been a little bugged.)

But also they had a... Fairly in depth relationship still? Gale was a staple in my party, and even though I antagonized him constantly by the end of the game it still felt like they had so much weight in each other's lives, if that makes sense. I might need to do a bit of an "update" on the DU Drow/Gale lore sometime, I feel like I've had some thoughts since that warrant more exploration of their dynamic (you can find a lot of old asks about it if you just search the Gale Dekarios tag in my blog though).

The gist of it is that DU drow found him arrogant and duplicitous, his constant optimist irritated him to no end and felt like it veiled a stream of self-pity (two things DU drow despises) Gale's attempts to get through to him only added insult to injury. By the end of the game he decided to pursue the crown of Karsus and this only lost him even more respect in Drow's eyes, seeing as he doesn't value godly power at all.

I was pretty overwhelmed by the game at the start so I actually missed a lot LOL including Scratch. I did get the owlbear cub though, which DU drow gladly welcomed into camp since it was injured - but I think he would have wished for it to remain a wild animal and to return back to it's home after it had grown up a bit. He didn't really make a "pet" out of it more than he just looked after the little guy in the way it's mother might have, probably with Shadowheart's help.

He wouldn't be opposed to proper pets though if one were to stumble into his life. He'd definitely be more of a cat guy because of their independence and strong little attitudes.

It is very hard to build proper rapport with him. He will be "friendly" to most people who have a good sense of humor about them, but friendSHIP is another thing entirely.

I think it's kind of circumstantial. He's very economical in his relationships and doesn't really seek them out at all - so a situation where he's forced to be in someone's company might be the only way to develop a bond with him, as he doesn't appreciate insistence either and that's more likely to push him away. He doesn't value status or titles either (kind of looks down on them really) so that won't help.

I think he just likes people who are true to themselves and their nature, sometimes even if the nature is one he disagrees with at it's core. This is why he liked Gortash, why he and Shadowheart got along so well, and why him and Astarion fit together so seamlessly despite seeming so different. Likewise I think it's why he didn't jive with people like Gale or Wyll, because they seemed to be rather... Dishonest with themselves and their own end-goals.

#ask compilation #DU drow lore #ask

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ceilingfan5 · 2 years

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6 and/or 8 for Taakitz, please? And thank you for letting people make requests! Your writing is food for the concept that exists inbetween the heart and the soul.

“Soooo,” Taako drawls, sitting on the library table Kravitz is working out. Leaning might be a more accurate gerund, actually, leaning with intent. Twirling his hair and fluttering his eyelashes, which are, admittedly, very pretty. Not that Kravitz was looking, because his eyes are glued to his incredibly expensive textbook and all of the information he is gleaning. He is gleaning so hard up in this bitch right now. Despite all the distractions. “Why does everyone say you’re a freak?”

Okay, gleaning halted. Kravitz looks up, and looks at Taako, whose face is way too close and way too pretty and way too much to handle at nearly midnight the week before midterms. Sure, this is Kravitz’s second round of college, because shut up is why, and you’d think he’d have managing distractions down to a pulp, if not an art, but Taako seems to be the artiste here, and Kravitz is finding himself completely awash in paint. Maybe he’s been studying too long, because he’s having a bit of a hard time choo-chooing his train of thought along the classic tracks.

“Huh?” he says, elegantly. Nailed it.

“I said,” Taako tilts his head, just really going for that solid eye contact that feels almost shameful here in practically-public. “Why does everyone say you’re a freak?”

“Uh,” Kravitz says. “I’m busy-”

“No you aren’t. You haven’t turned a page in half an hour.”

“The print is small.”

“Answer my question, gorgeous.”

So the flirtatious read wasn’t hot bullshit. Kravitz swallows, thinking of the Goldilocks tale of bullshits and their various temperatures. God, it is late. His eyes squeak when he blinks them.

“Uh,” he repeats. Still got it. “Is this a rhetorical question?”

“Maybe.” Taako flips his hair over his shoulder and shifts, making himself comfortable on the library table. He glances at Kravitz’s messenger bag, with all the grace of a cat about to do something rude to prove gravity still works. “Maybe not. I’ve heard a lot of things about you, seen a lot of you avoiding being around. You’re in my astronomy class.”

“I needed the credits.”

“You corrected the prof three times yesterday.”

“Well,” Kravitz can’t believe he’s holding this stare. He feels like he got too ambitious trying to get all the groceries in the house at once. “He was wrong.”

Taako laughs like this is the funniest thing he’s ever heard. Kravitz has been flirted with before, a few times, but not like this. He wonders if it’s a case of mistaken identity. But he super did correct that professor, honestly, four times yesterday. He got a tasteful email about it and everything.

“So true,” Taako says. He reminds Kravitz of the caterpillar in Alice and Wonderland. Or the Cheshire Cat. That smile could outlast all of his features. “I’ve also noticed how you tend to disappear.”

Kravitz feels the cold fingers of death on the piano keys of his spine.

“I go home after class, I, um. I have no reason to stick around.”

“Not just after class.” Taako’s Cheshire smile widens. Kravitz’s vision blurs the rest of him around the edges. “You have a real talent for it, don’t you?”

“Uh.” Usually Kravitz would have more of an argument, but this whole thing has caught him off-guard. “Talent for what?”

“Blending into the shadows. Slipping away.” Taako breaks the eye contact to check his nails loftily and Kravitz breathes for the first time in far too long. Studying is now completely forgotten.

“I don’t, I, I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t play dumb. It’s not the part for you.” Taako pats his cheek. His hands are way warmer than Kravitz’s skin, and both of them clock it. Speaking of, Kravitz can hear the library clock in his ears like he swallowed the whole thing crocodile-style. “Kravitz, you have some particular skills, don’t you?”

“Who’s asking?” Kravitz’s mouth is so dry he could light a match on the sandpaper of his tongue.

“Someone with similar skills. Someone looking for…” he trails off. Kravitz understands. He wants to glance around, check that no one else in the library is watching, but it’s midnight before the week of midterms. And anyone who looked would just think Taako was flirting with him, not asking about the secret abilities he has when no one else is looking.

Maybe he’s doing both. Wouldn’t that be something.

“And if I have…what you’re looking for?”

“We could really give them something to talk about.” Taako winks. It makes Kravitz’s heart start all over again. “Don’t you think?”

#thank you!!!!!!#sorry it has been so long. soo long.#fan5fics #taz #tazb #taz balance #the adventure zone balance #the adventure zone #taakitz #taakitz fic

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mitziholder · 14 days

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I was catching the perfectionism vibes, it's shame if it hinders your progress. Your characters and style seem so cool so I wanted to probe. Comics really are a marathon to create. Losing steam is natural and maybe switching up your conception of your project can help. Not trying to pressure you in any way, just hoping to provide some food for thought.

How do you feel about comics as a medium? You mentioned you mostly "skim" comics for inspiration and love Wimmen's Comix but is it a medium you feel very connected to in general and for your story idea?

I've seen multiple webcomic artists unfortunately struggle with the labor needed for drawing panels and incorporating prose along with art and regular comic panels to maintain progress. If you are more into writing than drawing, maybe incorporating prose along with comics/art is an option you'd be interested in. Don't have the best examples but thinking of Homestuck's long script-format convos that follow panels. And for a comic that later incorporated prose, the webcomic Paranatural went from all comic panels to mixing prose and art. I'll be honest that I stopped reading Paranatural as a teen before the shift so I can't speak to its writing/art quality.

“skimming” was a little disingenuous. I have read a lot of comics, but very rarely have I felt that they fully utilized the affordances of the medium. the reasons for this vary; comics are plagued by many issues deriving from the fact that they were, at one point, both extremely popular and cheap (low-brow) - kneecapped by the CCA and warped into something stupid and trivial for children. even today, that perception remains. I would say the majority of people aren’t capable of recognizing comics as a mature medium. lots of comic writers have a chip on their shoulder about this… particularly Alan Moore.

I bring him up because Watchmen was one of the first pieces of media that really opened my eyes as to what comics were capable of as a graphic medium; people regularly recognize the visual artistry of film, the (often) invisible work done in blocking, cinematography, effects, and editing that makes movies feel like art. comics should be art. every frame should be a painting. panels should fit together into a larger picture composed with thought and care. Dan Gibbons did so - with regard not only for how panels fit next to each other but also for how they fit within the page and the page within the chapter and so on… rich with detail, of equal weight to the dialogue in conveying narrative and thematic meaning. it amazed me because of how little the art actually matters in so many comics, only there by obligation (because without art, it would no longer be a comic). why is this? I don’t know. profit? but you see it in indie comics, too. that part confuses me. why would you make something if you don’t want it to be good? what’s the point?

anyway, I found that the story I wanted to tell would not fit within the bounds of a stage play. it has continually resisted (with some notoriety on this blog) my attempts to fit it into prose. the dialogue is what moves it, and with my sort of shaky aptitude for art and love of the medium’s potential, I felt that making it a comic was the natural choice. I don’t particularly enjoy the process of drawing, but without art I felt something was missing - a void that couldn’t be filled by anything else. I never wanted it to give the impression that the art was done by rote, incidental/inconsequential, a pure and thoughtless representation of the dialogue… but that is sort of what it has to be at this point. I wish that integrating the visual half came more naturally to me, but I’ve accepted that it’s a skill I’m going to have to hone with much practice. it’s something I’ve struggled with quite a bit as someone who is borderline aphantasic. very little of the art that I make comes directly from my brain. it is not intuitive to me at all. I am so reliant on references, have no imagination, am very rarely struck with the idea for a bit of visual humor or detail that adds meaning rather than merely visualizing the existing script - the words. I am obsessed with words, clearly. meaning and rhythm and punctuation. I’m a word person. I want to be an art person. I want so baaaadly for my work to be good. I try so hard.

I’m often tempted to throw in the towel and admit that my brain doesn’t work that way - that I’m aiming too high, stubbornly set on something I can never really have - not to an extent that I’m satisfied with. but if I gave in to that feeling, I would never finish anything. I feel like once I am done with my classes and my living situation is more stable, I’ll be sort of okay - or at least more consistent - when it comes to the art stuff... worst-case scenario, I cave and go the homestuck route (which is not something I thought I’d ever say). I don’t know. we’ll have to see. once this semester is over...😮‍💨

#ask #by the way thank you for the extremely thoughtful ask :)

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firstdivisiongirl · 6 months

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hi! i really enjoy your writing and would love to request a matchup, i'm curious to see who you think would be my perfect match (preferably a guy)!

on the surface, i am soft-spoken and introverted, but when i am comfortable with friends i can be a bit blunt/brutally honest and am usually stubborn/headstrong about my beliefs and principles. i am very loyal to my friends, and feel a strong urge to protect, nurture, comfort, and help them through difficult times, no matter the cost. i am also very introspective and sometimes get lost in my own mind; my loved ones help ground me and be more mentally present. i am willing to try almost anything if i think it would be interesting, which can sometimes get me into silly situations.

i have a ton of hobbies! my biggest passion is oil painting, and my favorite thing to do is create portraits of people i care about. i also enjoy reading, writing, roller skating, doing pilates, crocheting, and using tarot cards, among other things! while i love all things artistic, i also have a very analytical part of my brain which i put to good use working as a scientist.

physically, i am a 5'3" female (she/her) with thick, medium length, dark blonde hair and with large, brown eyes and a petite build. my preferred style of dress is something practical and cute, but also very comfy (i really enjoy long flowing skirts, linen pants, and comfortable but stylish shirts/sweaters, but also have no problems just hanging out in sweats)!

something that is very important to me in relationships is feeling truly listened to and understood on a deep, emotional level. they do not necessarily have to do all of the same things/hobbies as me, but i want to know that my partner is genuinely invested and interested in me as a person! i can sometimes get overstimulated easily at times, so someone who is also on the quieter side is also a plus.

thank you so much!

Hello. I am very happy you enjoy my writing. This matchup was shockingly easy for me for some reason. But lets see what the cards say.

You got...

Marco!!!

I bet you thought I was picking Basil because of the tarot cards. Well, you must have read your cards wrong.

He's a big family guy. So he loves that you have a kind of motherly instinct. Maybe one day you two will have kids?

He's never been one to treat others badly or not care about people he loves (unless you betray him *side eyes Blackbeard). So he would always listen to you and get involved in whatever you want to.

Your both enjoy science, so he would definitely talk to you about medical stuff.

Relaxing dates!!! The boy needs it! Plus you seem pretty easy going. He'd love that you help him relax after a hectic day on the Moby Dick (or in Sphinx).

Would love to receive art from you. I imagine he'd try to make you something nice. It might not be the best, but you would love it anyways.

I hope you liked it! Remember, if you aren't happy with your matchup, let me know and I can try again.

#one piece #trafalgar d vivi #one piece matchups #marco one piece #marco the phoenix #marco the pineapple #whitebeard pirates

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moldspace · 1 year

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10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 29, & 30

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw

i'm terribly neglectful of my clothing drawing skills. it's something ive been meaning to practice but i just don't get around to it. i love the IDEA of drawing silly long medieval-style hoods on creatures. i rarely do them justice though. i really just want to get good at drawing silly historically accurate medieval clothes to be honest with you.

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

ok i just answered this but ill expose myself and go into detail RE: tunes. lately it's been a lot of fish in a birdcage and crane waves, for whatever reason. i also have been kinda getting into oingo boingo and bjork... dabbling in them really, both are hit or miss for me. but as always when i need to get pumped up slayyyter or kim petras (turn off the light... album of all time tbh)(and stupid boy is the SONG OF ALL TIME!!! IMO). and cosmo sheldrake (especially his instrumental stuff) if i need a more chill background noise. (my music taste is. all over the place.)

12. Easiest part of body to draw

ooh possibly insane to say but i think my fav/most comfortable thing to draw lately has been faces! i'm not sure about EASIEST, i feel like that always depends on pose and stylization. if we want to get technical i think probably the torso is the easiest thing to draw. just kind of stylize it into a tube. that's definitely not what this question was asking though. ANWAY!

already answered 13 and 14~

15. *Where* do you draw (don't drop your ip address this just means do you doodle at a park or smth)

most of my sketchbooking is done at my kitchen table or sometimes in class. my digital art setup is a big gaming laptop + a screened tablet so she stays at my desk, not very portable at all. the sculpture painting situation is EVEN LESS portable so that's pretty much exclusive to ~My Basement~

16. Something you are good at but don't really have fun doing

ohh inchresting question. i feel like the things i'm good at i've gotten good at because they're enjoyable, and i don't do the unenjoyable things enough to know if i'm good at them or not? honestly though, i don't like underglazing very much. i like the results i can get with it, but it's pretty tedious. glazing on the other hand i dislike and am also bad at maybe picking color schemes as well. people say i'm good at colors and it's true but the amount of trial and error that goes into it is such a pain!

17. Do you eat/drink when drawing? if so, what

usually i'm too absorbed with what i'm doing to. and when i'm working on sculpture it's hard to eat or drink anything without getting clay dust/paper mache glue/paint on and in my food! although when i really need a push to work on something i'll make myself a cup of earl gray to keep me company. 50% chance if it gets drank or if it gets cold tho.

29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically

this is hard because i think everything i like sneaks into my art one way or another! maybe the uncanny/spookier art i like. it's not strictly MEDIA, but i have some niche macabre interests like historical burial customs and ancient mummies (natural and man-made), anatomy and physiology, taxidermy, pathology, etc. that i don't think pop up that much in my work.

and i answered 30 already!

#ask #ask game #my vet anatomy physiology class was SO cool and i passed with an A by drawing every anatomical feature over and over to memorize it LOL

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that-hippie-user · 11 months

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hedonism as a means of healing

seems tumblr sh@dowbans posts involving w33d in the tags, so let’s try this again, sft style

yesterday i achieved ego d34th and entered a state of animalistic bliss without fear. i became fully freed of all my worries, and developed a new leese on life

i’ve always been a hedonism in practice, agreeing that pleasure seeking is an ideal way of living when done within reason. no other philosophy is as succinct and easy to argue as “pleasure good, pain bad.” but until now my own depression and self loathing had twisted that mindset into an unhealthy one.

i was content to, as my therapist put it, lie on the ground and be miserable. because it may hurt, but it’s easier than taking risks.

anyone who knows me knows that’s no secret. yes, i’m on disability for legit reasons, i got ptsd, autism, panic anxiety, among several other things which prove i’m not ready for the workplace. that much is true and the diagnosis have already been made. but i can’t deny it’s been a massive weight off my shoulders to not have to work. by the end of highschool, i became so dissolutioned with capitalism that i actually considered joining a group home to get away from my family and not have to be employed. literally i was willing to sacrifice personal freedoms for the sake of a miserable safe space. i’m glad i didn’t go through with it, that would’ve been hellish for me

but the problem with embracing base pleasures and avoiding uncomfortable risks, is that i conditioned myself to waste away into nothing. letting my ai roommate (the youtube algorithm) decide my entertainment all day every day, laying in bed binging leftist video essays, game reviews, and niche indie music as if ANY of that would give personal fulfilment.

i avoided painting despite my legit talent for it, i avoid guitar lessons despite investing in a decent starter guitar and lessons being free, i avoid learning game design despite Unreal Engine 5 being FREE and free assets being given away every month on the Unreal storefront. literally i can buy, and have bought, premade assets that bestow full freedom with minimal effort to make my own games with assets that are easy to rearange and rework, yet i do nothing.

i have this idea in me that i’m some kind of genius, that fame and fortune are already set for me, and that someday in some vague future i’m going to end up beloved by all for my achievements.

and i LOVE getting praise. somehow i get gender euphoria from being called a game designer, or any other fancy title. if i was a beloved novelist, game dev, musician, heck ALL these things, my transition would be complete. i’m beautiful when people recognize my talent.

but that’s just it. i like results, i like when i have something finished and can show it off. but i HATE the learning process. writing comes easy to me because i’ve got years of practice from fanfic and essay writing in highschool. but music? games? art? i don’t have definitive results to tell me i’m good enough to persue those things. writing is easy cuz as long as you can string together some nice words in a good order, the work is good. comprehensive knowledge on english is all you really need as a baseline for writing. do it right and you can SEE genius on the page in front of you. but game design takes programming and troubleshooting, art takes mountains of bad sketches before you see the good stuff, music takes hearing yourself fumble with an instrument until you get something good.

art, in all its forms, is built on a MOUNTAIN of garbage. name any artist you look up to, they’re bound to have some shit work from their early days.

but yesterday, i got st0ned. i let go of all my worries and fears and achieved complete and full embrace of human id, and knew what it truly was to stop second guessing myself. and now i have a new lease on life.

youtube, gone. deleted and replaced with youtube music. i can watch essays on my tv while i eat bekfast. but during the day? when i have stuff i can do? i want ALBUMS. i want albums and nothing BUT albums reccomended to me on the regular. i don’t wanna have to deal with the bullshit of ENDLESS essays to detract me from my work. i may as well be shoving potato chips and twinkies into my gullet till my stomach aches for all the good it would do me. the youtube algorithm is a curse that destroys your ability to create.

i’m still autistic, i still need SOMETHING to occupy my headphones while i do stuff. so i’m getting the app that gives nothing but music.

i was paying for youtube red anyway, i use mobile for the most part and can’t easily install adblock on my phone, so i get premium access to youtube music by default. might as well use it.

my lesson, to whoever may be reading, is thusly: EMBRACE IMPULSE. dare i say, get STOOPID.

i congratulate my romantic partners every time they misspell or mispronounce something. know why? because humans are beautiful and so are our mistakes. if you’re neurodivergent, chances are you’ve spent your whole life being put down by authority figures telling you you “don’t work hard enough” or are “too lazy” dogging on you for every mistake you make. well FAWK THAT.

i say this now because you likely don’t hear it enough. I’M PROUD OF YOU.

let your mistakes flow freely, your genius is somewhere inside of it. embrace your impulses no matter how insane they may sound, and that means embracing whatever hobby or hyperfixation you get that month, LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT HESITATION OR SHAME.

here’s a maxim for you. BE MORE BOLD. because the bigots and morons of the world get stronger every time you beat yourself down for them. YOU are strong. stronger than you know. so prove it.

cringe culture is dead, life is too short to worry about wether your place in it is significant, wether you exist or not means nothing next to what you do with yourself, and you CAN get out of bed and do something, if you address the things that are leaving you miserable in the first place and find passions to follow.

i write this ramble/essay on a keyboard built by me. her name is Eva. Eva is a beautiful purple and green 65% gasket mounted keyboard with ASA keycaps, modded with electrical tape, polyethaline foam, and fitted with custom switches lubed by hand. it is the product of years of research, obsession, craft refinement, and embrace of cringe.

i divined this keyboard in a fanfic i wrote for my own entertainment, and diving headfirst into cringe i built it and made it my main.

her name is Eva because of the Evangeleon Eva-01 keycaps i chose for her, she’s neurodivergent cuz she has LED lights that don’t always function like they should, and she’s trans cuz she’s had trans affirming surgery (mods to the top and bottom of the pcb) and voice training (parts assembled in such a way to achieve a WONDERFUL sound profile)

i made this. i did this through my own hardwork and effort, and it’s paid off.

and now, i’m gonna write my magnum opus, work on making my first game, dedicate the year to learning guitar, listen to LOTS of new music while i do, avoid the brainrot of 24/7 essays, and become the jack of all trades genious i wanna be.

i have chronic clinical depression. i’m in pain. i cry at night and lie in bed wondering if i’m worth anything in this world.

and i. can. do this.

you can to.

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daredevilexchange · 2 years

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What’s your fannish ID? He6o or He6oart on most platforms, but I also sometimes go by "Carrot", or my actual name, 'Skye'. My screen name is said 'Nebo', and is Russian for sky, because languages are cool 👀 I picked it years ago and it was short and snappy enough so I kept it, even if it does invite confusion at times.

What types of fanworks do you create? Fanart of the digital and sometimes traditional variety! I have also written original works in the past and am working on an original comic, but haven't written for fandoms before.

What are your favourite types of fanworks, when you’re not creating? I am a voracious consumer of fanfic, lurking and enjoying from various fandoms and being terrible because I am always too nervous to comment T_T But to all the fanfic writers out there, I adore you! Thank you so much <3 I think you have collectively increased my reading speed by a ridiculous level XD Very helpful when going through dry academic papers.

What do you like in particular about this fandom? I'm practically brand new to this fandom as a creator, but I really enjoy fics with DD interacting with the defenders or the punisher. Or just anyone we haven't seen yet - avengers-with-daredevil fics are so cool! (Hopefully we'll see more with the recent MCU news! 👀) I'm generally not a shipper in any of my fandom interests but I will still read and enjoy good content regardless of my personal preferences for creating <3

Of course, I am here for Matt 😂 He's basically one of my all time favourite characters now, and he carved that spot out after I saw only a single episode…which I think is the fastest I've ever latched on to a character in my life.

Do you like participating in fan events? Absolutely! I'm a more active participant in the Final Fantasy fandom (particularly for FFXV) and have been a part of big bang (as an artist), along with contributing art and merch for several fanzines, modding several and running one of my own, all of which was a LOT of fun. Would be totally down for something like that in daredevil fandom too when I have a few more artworks behind me and am a bit more known!

I am also a regular con attendee, though not in the last couple of years, but hopefully again soon! I need to dust off my cosplay skills.

What about your creating process? I have basically been fused to a pair of headphones since I was 7 years old and do everything to a playlist. If I don't have music blasting away it's too easy to get distracted, so it's the best way for me to zone out and focus in on my work (favourites include mostly soundtracks, QOTSA, NIN, Coldplay, Garbage and Ladytron). Otherwise it's pretty straightforward…I tend to get an idea that wont leave, and just glue myself to my iPad until it's done, day and night. Usually culminating in me going to bed at 4am.

In terms of my creative history, I was an artistic kid but I stopped creating for a various number of reasons during college (I'm in the UK, so that's age 16-18) right up until I finished my undergraduate masters in 2016…and it wasn't until I started my PhD that I realised I needed a good stress outlet and picked it back up again…so given the time I lost, I've been trying to be productive with my time and hone my painting skills. My favourite sort of work is the old religious renaissance works so I really want to reach that level of artistry with understanding lighting and accomplishing realism, but keeping textures and brushstrokes. I'm working mostly digitally as it's definitely a cheaper way to learn, but if I can paint something amazing on canvas one day I'll be thrilled. I have a lot of influences, so sometimes I'll see a work by someone and get inspired to try a totally different colouring style, but my best works tend to come back to my strongest influence.

Do you interact a lot with other fans? In this fandom, I'm basically brand new, but I do a lot of interacting with FFXV fans. We're a small community that's only decreased in size as interest waned after the game's release, so it's pretty easy to sort of know everybody? I am always down for making new friends but tend to need a bit of a push as I often feel like I'm intruding on the cool kid's table when I branch into a new fandom XD My approach is to basically just make content and exist on the fringes waiting to get roped in. I'm a lot more active at talking to people on twitter though so feel free to poke me on there!

Is there any particular piece you'd like to showcase for this post? Probably the second of my Daredevil/Matt Murdock pin trio.

I designed this one and two others (Black outfit(s) and horned S2 outfit) as a set to make into acrylic pins, but I think I'm particularly proud of this one because it took me so long and went through so many revisions…I felt like I was more critical of this artwork than of anything I've done in the last year, including multiple zine pieces 😂

After I finished the first one with the S2 outfit (which was a fun experiment with textures) I was kind of impatient and raced into wanting to paint Matt with no costume, so I forwent any kind of face study and just started sketching and painting using the same palette from the first one, and wow did I have to redo it so much. This trio of DD pieces was both me learning how to draw/paint Charlie Cox, but also a test to see if I could consistently apply the same palette to multiple works of art despite my photo references being all over the place in terms of both colour and lighting. I think it was a success overall, and I learnt a lot from these pieces, including how much I really enjoy painting Charlie Cox 😂

Do you have other fandoms you'd like to talk about? Ah, I float around different circles but Final Fantasy is probably my home base of sorts. Mostly I am really into video games, so my interests lie there a lot (FF, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Detroit Become Human etc). Tolkien's works are another big area of interest for me, but often my interests tend to lie in one-off areas because I am difficult to impress.

I tend to enjoy a wide range of things, and when I fall really hard for a character or series I am compelled to create. I think few characters inspire me enough to form the kind of attachment I have with daredevil now - the last one to do that was Ignis from FFXV, and just a quick skim through my past works will show that I absolutely put that passion into art (and buying merch - I think my bedroom can probably be described as 50% Ignis shrine at this point). What can I say, I love virtuous acrobatic characters with hidden depths, especially when there's a dichotomy to their personality 👀

Is there anything else you want to tell us about yourself? A bit about me, I suppose: I am from the UK and in my early 30s, a recent graduate with a PhD in Observational Astronomy, a threat to all coffee supplies everywhere and a huge fan of philosophy, architecture and politics/law. As a kid I was known for: breaking up fights on the playground, being "the artist" kid and wanting to know literally everything about anything (give me any subject and I will just fall into a pile of books). My academic history is a mess of contradictions because I had no idea what I wanted to do with myself at 16 and I was your stereotypical straight A student with options in everything XD

If there is a Starbucks within a mile of my location, I have probably been there (and bought a mug,). I one day hope to live in a big city because places like London, Tokyo and NYC are architecturally fascinating and 24 hour coffee shops are not a thing in my smaller city XD. I tend to keep a lot of my thoughts private and mostly I live on discord. And I am really into fashion and am as attached to my sunglasses as I am my headphones (though some of that is due to light sensitivity XD). My preferred pronouns are also They/Them, but I am pretty chill about it so no worries if you forget 🙌

I do post a lot of FF art, naturally, because my other love is Ignis. But I can see my hyperfixation on Matt is definitely going to lead to a bunch of art on that side - and I have a few sketch plans in mind for October prompts (probably doing those face studies I neglected too 🤔) So give me a follow if that doesn't bother you!

Also, I talk a lot! Definitely something to note (but you probably guessed that by now!)

Where can your fanworks be found? Twitter, tumblr and IG are where I post things (cross-posting mostly, though I am not particularly good at remembering instagram exists outside of being a place for me to appreciate other people's work 😂). I have a couple of storefronts but they're currently going through revisions, and I also forget to use tags too often 😓

Twitter - https://twitter.com/He6o Instagram - https://instagram.com/he6oart Tumblr - https://he6o.tumblr.com Patreon - https://patreon.com/he6o

Or everything all in one place! https://he6o.carrd.com/

Thank you, @he6o !

banner by @context-is-for-kingpins !

#marvel #daredevil #content creator spotlight

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tokiro07 · 1 year

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Undead Unluck ch.143 thoughts

[Ashita no Fuuko]

It’s the third year anniversary! Only one more year until my prophecy comes to pass, and at the pace we’re going, I can absolutely see Undead Unluck either making it right to the finish line or even going over by a number of chapters! I don’t necessarily see it hitting five years, but at the same time I’m not exactly opposed to the idea

Man...there’s something melancholy knowing that we might well be in the final year of the story, much like how One Piece is rapidly approaching its finale in the next two years or so. I’m very excited, but I’m honestly worried about what’s going to fill the void. I’m loving Cipher Academy, but for completely different reasons, and I’m definitely not as attached to Cipher Academy as I am to Undead Unluck

But enough moping! This is a celebratory time, and we open with a stunning color page! This is our first time seeing Void in color, and seeing how he contrasts Fuuko in his color scheme and build really makes him feel impressive. However, Fuuko herself is definitely the highlight here. Not only is she brimming with a confidence that the girl from the beginning of the series wouldn’t have even dreamed of having, her hair is actually highlighted with the pink and blue of the series’ iconic paint splotch imagery, and the effect is gorgeous

On a lesser note, this is also the first time we see Nico’s color scheme in his younger years, and the strained lilac hair we’re used to is now a deeper purple. I don’t know if there was a way that Tozuka could have carried that effect over in black and white, but man, this really makes it clear how much younger Nico is here than in the previous Loop

Fuuko approaches the ring with her teammates playing the role of her coach and backup, with Nico specifically wearing an eyepatch as a reference to Danpei Tange, the coach from Ashita no Joe. Once again following translator David Evelyn pays off!

Nico notes that the best strategy for fighting Void is to evade until he runs out of stamina, which, coupled with his “peek-a-boo” fighting style, is a clear reference to Mike Tyson whom Void’s major inspiration of Street Fighter’s Balrog is based on

The announcer very explicitly refers to Fuuko as a man, which at first might seem jarring, but it’s actually because of Nico’s memory control device; because intergender matches are prohibited in professional boxing, the world at large, and most notably the sponsors need to believe that Fuuko is a man. Naturally, Void can see Fuuko for who she is, but he’s already agreed to the match anyway, so it doesn’t really matter to him

Fuuko hits Void with a one-inch punch, which due to its origins in Chinese martial arts, Void identifies it as a kenpo technique, indicating that he’s likely familiar with a variety of fighting styles and not just necessarily American boxing. Kenpo itself is derived from the Chinese quanfa, which I believe is a pretty generic term, but basically it means that Fuuko is using a Chinese or Chinese-inspired technique rather than say a Japanese karate or jujutsu technique, most likely learned from fighting Feng

Likely because she had used the same technique on Void in their first encounter, Void seems unaffected this time, despite Fuuko knowing from practicing on Nico that it’s effective at targeting an opponent’s organs. Poor Nico, suffering traumatic intestinal damage just as a guinea pig

The group gears up for Void to get hit with a wave of Unluck, only to be disappointed when nothing happens. Even when facing down a barrage, Fuuko insists on dodging so as not to accidentally activate Unluck

The first round ends and Void takes notice that Fuuko is hiding her ace, which her team chastises her for while also taking care of her. Ichico gives Fuuko some water and Nico rubs a copious amount of Vaseline on her face, which is funny cus I don’t even think she got hit in the face, so it’s not like she needs to stop any bleeding yet

Fuuko explains that she won’t use Unluck until Void becomes a Negator because that would potentially cut the final match of his career short, and she would much rather he go out on a high note. I imagine that this would not only help him to leave boxing behind without any regrets, but it would also be helpful in building a rapport between them, which I believe I mentioned a few chapters ago was an important aspect of Fuuko’s leadership style. She wants Void to respect her, so a humiliating defeat would only serve to prove she’s stronger than him and potentially build resentment. Letting him fight to his heart’s content and have a great time, on the other hand, would make him much more loyal to Fuuko and the Union’s goals. The way I’m wording it kind of makes it sound manipulative, but what I’m trying to convey is that she’s trying to be his friend, not his boss, and her ability to understand what’s important to other people strongly facilitates that approach

Fuuko gets more serious and breaks out one of Feng’s Shin Hakkyoku moves, the Lashing Step Cannon, only to be countered with a barrage, pushing her to the ropes. As Fuuko slumps against the ropes, Void dejectedly asks the referee to start the count, sad that the match seems to have ended, only for Fuuko to declare that she wants the best match possible and launch herself at him using the tension of the ropes

Void sees how haggard Fuuko is and can tell that she doesn’t really have the stamina to keep going, and instead is being kept in the game by sheer grit. Because of this, he declares that she’s the “best at being a boxer” out of all of his opponents, and lunges

In this moment, Void gains Unavoidable and Fuuko is forced to freeze. Void panics, worried that the match he was just having such a blast with is going to end with what should be an easily avoidable punch, and lands his strike right on Fuuko’s cheek. Considering that this is the punch that killed Ed in the previous Loops and that Fuuko is not trained to take a punch like this, I think that Void may have slightly altered the path of his punch in his panic, cus if that had hit her in the temple it definitely would have killed her. Her ponytail and her mouth guard get punched out and Fuuko is even sent flying, I have to figure it felt like she was getting hit by a car

Now that Void has become a Negator, Fuuko asks Gina to catch her with Unchange, allowing her to throw herself back into the action and landing a body blow on Void. Through a bloody crazed smile, Fuuko declares that this is now Negator Boxing, meaning that now she’s willing to start using Unluck

Also, props to Tozuka for drawing a woman getting so utterly brutalized. I think a lot of artists would shy away from that type of thing, but Fuuko’s bleeding from the mouth, her eye is almost swollen shut, there’s a huge bruise covering half her face...and she’s still got a huge smile on her face. Fuuko’s no stranger to this kind of thing, with her bloody nose in chapter 1, but this elevates it so much higher. I’m almost worried about how she’s going to look during the final battle

It’s interesting that Nico had said that Fuuko needed Unluck to even the odds, but the reality is that Unluck itself so massively outclasses simple boxing in terms of damage output that refusing to use it was actually a handicap for Void’s benefit, not the other way around. It’s only when Void is in possession of Unavoidable that the fight truly becomes even, as now it’s a battle between Unluck + Shin Hakkyoku and Unavoidable + boxing

How this match will evolve from here is anyone’s guess, so here’s mine; Fuuko’s Unluck will manifest with the ropes flinging Void directly into Fuuko’s fist, flinging Fuuko into one of Void’s openings, the ropes breaking when Void hits them, a light(s) falling on Void from the scaffolding, THE SCAFFOLDING falling on Void, and ultimately the bell going off at the least opportune moment for Void in one round, possibly the final round

I’m sure someone who’s more familiar with boxing could see more possibilities for how this goes, but those are my predictions. I think those all may be a little too straightforward for Tozuka, but boxing is pretty restrictive in its setting, so I can’t really see any other way for it to go aside from meteors, which I don’t think Tozuka would want to use here. Honestly, shockingly mundane things like those would actually be really exciting developments in a boxing match, I think, and I’m sure it’s more about the execution than the idea anyway

The fight is really heating up, and I’m glad that since I accidentally waited a few days to post this that it’ll only be a couple more until we get to see where it goes. I wonder if it’ll be resolved in this coming chapter or if it’ll spill over one more...

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews

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imhereforbrownies · 1 year

Note

my pronouns; she/they - 24 years old

My personality traits: I'm quite shy at first but as soon as I'm more comfortable I'm more extroverted, I'm very much a listener but I can get energy boost and become quite talkative

my hobbies: I love painting and drawing as well as dancing, I used to dance for 10+ years but I retired seeing as I was a contemporary dancer as well as a ballet dancer

my movies/songs/food/places/books: movie: anything by Tim Burton

song: closer by kings of Leon

food: pizza

place: parks or a small book café

Book: classic literature (too much to choose)

if i have any pets: I have 2 cats

My dreams and aspirations: my dream is so travel and work full time as a photographer

zodiac sign/MBTI: virgo and ENTP

your aesthetic: its a mix between dark academia and street fashion but I always wear black and grey. I have a lot of tattoos including my neck tattooed and a full sleeve. I also have short black hair

the group i would like you to pick from: stray kids

(I absolutely adore your blog and writing btw 💕💕)

Thank you so so so much! I'm so glad you enjoy my writing 💗 also thank you a lot for participating, it means the world to me!

Now let’s get to your ship!

So as I was reading the information you submitted, my brain was chanting Hyunjin, Hyunjin, Hyunjin before I even knew you wanted me to pick from skz lol. So I guess I'll go with that.

My reasoning behind it:

- you love dancing, painting and photographing which is something that we all know Hyunjin enjoys, so I think that having the same hobbies could be a great bonding element for you <3

- you are a Virgo which goes perfectly with Hyunjin's Pisces (I'm Pisces too btw and Virgo's are my favorite lol)

- you love classical literature and I read somewhere that Hyunjin reads Austen sooooo another thing you might possibly have in common

- plus Hyunjin apparently has a few tattoos as well so I think he would treat yours like a work of art and I personally think he would love it!

- also cafe dates with Hyunjin???? yes yes yes

"Here," Hyunjin murmurs as he hands you your cup of tea, making you give him a grateful smile.

The strong aroma of it spreads through the room, intensifying the cozy atmosphere created by the golden glow of the little lamp and fairy lights in Hyunjin's small atelier.

You sit by one of the easels, admiring one of Hyunjin's displayed works while he takes place by the second one, looking at you with small smile on his plush lips.

"You like it?" He asks and you nod with a grin.

"Of course, I do. You know I love your style," you state, watching as Hyunjin's cheeks darken at your praise and he adverts his gaze to his own cup.

"Thanks," he says sheepishly, making you smile.

Hyunjin invited you over today to have a little catching up session since you two didn't have enough time to see each other these days, mainly because of his tight schedule after the comeback. He picked you up after his dance practice and took you to their dorm, offering to maybe paint a little if you felt like it and you could never say no to your pretty friend.

"So any idea what we'll be working on?" You ask and he smiles, his eyes meeting yours again.

"I don't know, honestly. I somehow lack inspiration these days," he admits and you hum, trying to think of anything he could find entertaining.

"You could paint me," you offer and Hyunjin chuckles.

"No, I'm not doing that," he refuses, taking a sip of his own tea.

"Why? It's a great idea," you state, awaiting his explanation.

"I don't think I can capture your beauty the way you deserve," he says, avoiding your gaze, his words making your heart stumble in your chest, your cheeks warming up.

Silence settles in the room for a second, a quite awkward one if you were to judge but you decide to break it by clearing your throat.

"Okay, you- you don't have to do that, of course. Then we can- maybe we can paint a countryside or something like that? That's quite calming," you offer, knowing that Hyunjin probably needs something like that these days, to get rid of all the pressure he must feel because of the comeback.

"Sure," he murmurs, glancing at you nervously and you give him a little smile, even though you're still a bit surprised by his previous statement.

And so the two of you put down your cups and prepare all the supplies you might need before getting into it.

The calmness of the room really helps you focus on the painting, getting your mind in just the right place but with Hyunjin beside you, you can't help but feel distracted. You keep glancing at him every other moment, thinking about what he said earlier.

You and Hyunjin are really close but you never really crossed the friendly border. You are not used to hear compliments like that from him.

"Everything okay?" He asks, his melodic voice tearing you from your little stupor and you realize you've been staring at him for a while now, long enough for him to notice, making you quickly look back at your canvas, your cheeks burning.

"Yeah, sure," you offer, hoping he won't comment on it.

"Oh, okay," he murmurs, getting back to painting, but you can feel his gaze on you every other minute.

You feel like you must do something about this, you have to assure he was probably just joking before. To ease your mind. And to get rid of that silly flutter of your heart.

“Did you- did you mean it?” You ask, focusing on your art, too afraid to face him.

“Mean what?”

“That you think I’m beautiful?”

Another silence, this time much heavier than before, both of you stopping the gentle strokes of your brushes, your gazes unintentionally finding each other, both of you apparently flustered.

“Y-yeah. You are beautiful, Y/N,” he states, small smile tugging on his lips, his words turning your heart palpitations into a mess. So that didn’t really work out.

“T-thanks, Jinnie,” you murmur, sheepish smile on your face as you dip your brush in the paint, ready to get back to work, when there’s a little ruckus behind you as Hyunjin approaches you.

You glance up at him, lips parted in surprise as you come face to face with him.

“You- uhm- you have something here,” he says softly, raising his hand to wipe the little bit of green painting from your cheek with his thumb, the gentle touch stealing your breath away.

Your eyes meet his and he gives you a little smile.

“I was right before,” he states and your brows curve in confusion.

“There’s no way my art could ever capture your beauty.”

#250 followers celebration #skz #stray kids #skz fanfic #hwang hyunjin x you #hwang hyunjin x reader #shipping hours

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fairy-writes · 2 years

Note

Hi im here for the 600 follower event. (Congrats btw, you deserve it!) ❤❤❤ can i get matched with bakugo, hawks, and aizawa from mha. I think i got everything, sorry if i missed something.

I have red hair with blueish grayish eyes. I am chubby and have freckles all over my body except my face. I tend to wear dark clothes (kinda emo style), however if im not i wear hoodies and sweats.

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: bisexual (tho leans towards males)

Kids: i dont really want them, for multiple reason some personal (stuff to do with trauma).

Dream career: i wanna be a vet and take care of animals helping them.

Side info: i have a low thyroid, that makes it really hard for me to loss weight no matter how i eat or exercise, tho i am going to different doctors for that.

Personality: I don't talk to people I don't know usually and can seem shy but once I get to know them a can be talkative and a little bit loud. I don't really hate people unless they give me a reason too. I don't get annoyed or mad easily. I make dark jokes most of the time they're directed to myself. I try to be supportive of my friends but if I know what they're doing is stupid than I will call them out on it. I'm really into the emo style. I do suffer from anxiety and depression, I also am touch starved (tho I will never ask for physical attention, the other person will have to do it first for me to return it probably it depends on how close i am to them). I have anger issues but they usually only get bad if I don't get enough sleep. I'm usually the most responsible one out of my siblings and like to keep my grades up most of the time.

Hobbies: reading, drawing, watching anime/tv shows, writing, painting, going on late night drives, witch craft stuff and going on walks.

Likes: anime, art, music, nightmare before Christmas, harry potter, the colors black and purple also green alot, scented things, candles, Halloween, fall weather, animals, and fuzzy blankets.

Dislikes: spiders, liar's, blend food, and people who can't clean up after themselves.

Hello lovely! Thank you for the congratulations! I hope you like your request!

Bakugo Katsuki Request:

Compatibility: 46%

How Did You Meet?: At UA! You meet in your third year, and you are in the support department and work on his hero costume.

How the Relationship Will Work From Day to Day: Usually, Bakugo needs you to fix something, so he’ll come bug you when he has free time during school. He’s nice enough to walk you home though it is usually filled with bickering or you chastising him for being too reckless at that day’s training exercise.

Marriage?: He’d need serious therapy before he’s stable and well enough to consider marriage. That being said, I think you two would need some serious marriage counseling if you want to be happy. Bakugo is just such a volatile and angry guy (yes, I know he’s getting better, but he’s not perfect and still has a way to go, in my opinion)

Kids?: I feel like Bakugo would need serious therapy, as I stated above, before kids are even a thought in his head. But, that being said, I don’t think he’d want kids.

What Does the Future Hold?: Most likely a breakup or a divorce if you two end up getting married.

Takami Keigo Request:

Compatibility: 60%

How Did You Meet?: You are a doctor/veterinarian specializing in Pro Heroes! So you look after heroes like Hawks, Gang Orca, Nezu, and people like that. He comes to your care one day, and after you are no longer his doctor and he is no longer your patient, the two of you start dating.

How the Relationship Will Work From Day to Day: Likely, you two don’t see each other until the evening seeing as you two are very busy people. But he does send you random texts throughout the day to check up on you. Mostly this relationship compatibility is 60% because you two are so busy and don’t have a lot of time for each other. It’s not that you don’t get along.

Marriage?: Maybe, but tread carefully with that. Hawks is practically married to his career and his goals of making the world a better place. So he likely won’t think about marriage until that’s done.

Kids?: He’d respect your decision not to want kids. But, of course, he also is a busy man, so kids aren’t really something he’s ever thought about.

What Does the Future Hold?: You two are likely to get super stressed out with juggling a job and a relationship, but it is possible! It’ll just take a lot of work and perseverance.

Aizawa Shouta Request:

Compatibility: 90%!

How Did You Meet?: Again, you are a vet taking care of animal-based heroes. This time you are called to UA to help care for Nezu, and you ask Aizawa for directions. He notices you have cat hair on your scrubs and inquires about your cat(s), and the two of you hit it off!

How the Relationship Will Work From Day to Day: It’s a bit awkward at first and busy like with Hawks. But I feel Aizawa has better time management skills than Hawks. He’s also not as popular, so the two of you have a bit more time together. Not much, though. He does check in on you throughout the day, and when the two of you have a day off together, you always go on dates. Dates usually include going on late-night drives or reading dates!

Marriage?: Aizawa proposes after a few years of dating, and the two of you have a beautiful but small ceremony! Present Mic cries.

Kids?: Nope! But you two do adopt a couple of cats :)What Does the Future Hold?: The two of you remain happily married, and after Aizawa retires as a hero, he helps out when he can at your vet/pro hero clinic!

#fairytailwzard600followers #my hero academia #mha #boku no hero academia #bnha #bakugo katsuki #katsuki bakugo #hawks #takami keigo #keigo takami #aizawa shouta #shouta aizawa

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queen-of-writing-bad-things · 2 months

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Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 5

Episode 38: The Beginning of the End

Season 5 Masterlist

*LAST FOUR EPISODES. i swear im not crying. LET'S SAY GOODBYE TO THE GANG IN STYLE!!! here we goooooo*

~The Man Cave~

Deep underground, things in the Man Cave ran as smoothly as they always did. Charlotte was doing something innovative; Piper was doing something on the computer to appear helpful; Jasper was off doing God knows what, and Schwoz...he was doing something complicated.

That was nothing new, but this seemed extra complicated. Full of wires, flashing lights, and zappy things. He was engrossed in the last few details, soldering and superheating the circuit board as the girls watched, wondering what he was doing. The heroes were out doing heroic stuff, so (y/n) wasn't around to explain it, not that she'd approve of this project, given its sensitive nature.

"Schwoz, what is that thing?" Piper asked as his zapping and sparking distracted the girl from her little arts and crafts session.

"Oh, nothing. It's just the Omega Weapon," the genius replied, pushing his face shield onto his brow so he could look at her. He said it like it was nothing, just another passing fancy or a strike of creative ingenuity that he had to materialise, and not a weapon of mass destruction that could destroy Captain Man.

"The one from the blueprints Ray, (y/n), and Henry got from all those bad guys in No Man's Land?" Charlotte frowned, popping up from behind the couch. It seemed like she'd come from nowhere, but after dropping a few eaves, she knew enough to warrant her concern, terrified of what could happen if Schwoz's little plaything got into the wrong hands. Did (y/n) know about this, or did she need to text her?

"Yes!"

"The one that can take away Ray and possibly (y/n)'s superpowers?!" Piper asked, worry also strewn across her pretty features as she rose from the supercomputer's chair.

"The same!"

"Why would you build that?" Charlotte snapped angrily, her fury contrasting the man's happy, uncaring grin. He didn't care about his creation's consequences or understand why they were so mad. The Omega Weapon presented him with a challenge, and no one ever told Michaelangelo not to paint or De Vinci not to invent - why couldn't he do the same?

"Because Ray told me I couldn't, and I hate when people tell me I can't do something."

"I thought (y/n) said you shouldn't build it," Piper argued, vaguely remembering her friend giving the genius one of her infamous stares, pointing at him, and shouting to stay away from that damn weapon. She didn't like the idea of her doofus being vulnerable or herself, but Schwoz took her words personally.

"Yeah, well, her doofus shouldn't pinch my cheeks and steal my cereal every morning, but I guess we all do things we shouldn't," Schwoz replied bitterly, picking up a steak of cereal boxes lashed together with a thick metal chain. He had to keep it closely guarded; otherwise, Ray would sneak a few bowlfuls after a solid start to the morning with his sweet girl.

Speak of the devil, an alarm sounded, and suddenly, the tubes dropped from the ceiling, signalling the return of Ray, (y/n), and Henry. Schwoz hugged his boxes tighter as they fell into the main room, looking funny and outdated in their peculiar outfits. For some reason, the trio were dressed like ancient Romans, draped in crisp, white togas, crowns of laurel leaves, and brown, strappy sandals.

"See? Eating turkey legs makes me feel more manly," Ray shrugged as they stepped out of the tubes. (y/n) clung to his side, thinking he looked particularly dashing in his toga since it revealed a healthy chunk of his broad shoulders and one muscly arm. She couldn't help but squish and feel them up, practically salivating at how huge they were, making him smirk with every bite of turkey he took.

"See, that's how I feel about grilled cheese."

"That's how I feel about these freakin' hot arms..." (y/n) muttered, lovingly stroking her doofus as they floated down the steps like mythical gods. Ray thought she looked ethereal in her costume, like a goddess from a historical movie, but he didn't mind the compliments--or how she drooled.

"What?" Henry frowned, confused by her words, but he figured she was too distracted by the man's biceps to follow the conversation.

"Ooh, hey, Schwoz! Gimme some of that cereal!" Ray exclaimed as they approached the man, his eyes glazing over at the sight of the boxes. It had been two hours since he had some cereal, and his turkey no longer cut it.

"No!" Schwoz growled, protectively shielding his sweet cereal from the man. Even the chains wouldn't be enough to stop him if he wanted a snack, but something caught his eye before Ray could step forward and throttle him.

"Wait...are you building the Omega Weapon again?!"

"Yes," the genius said defiantly, bravely standing up to the hero and his glare, which was no mean feat with his small stature and lack of power.

"The one that can take away Ray's superpower and possibly mine?!" (y/n) hissed, stepping in front of her doofus like she could save him from that...thing. She didn't care if she lost her super-regeneration, but she wouldn't let anything happen to Ray, and she didn't trust him being in the same room as it - just in case.

"The same!"

"Damn it, Schwoz! I told you to stay away from this stupid thing! Why do you keep building it?!" The heroine growled, stroking Ray's bicep. She couldn't bear the thought of something hurting him, terrified of living in a world where his beautiful, strong arms were marred by scars and wounds.

Well, why does Ray keep pinching my cheeks and stealing my cereal every morning?!" The handyman replied indignantly, making (y/n) step forward like she wanted to drop-kick him. Luckily for Schwoz, Ray held her back, holding his precious girl against his chest because the little bastard wasn't worth her time or energy. However, that didn't mean he couldn't annoy him; his Omega Weapon could hurt his precious fiancée, and he wouldn't stand for that.

"Because you're so cute when you get mad! Now, gimme some of that Sweet Booty Crunch!" He snapped; this time, it was (y/n)'s turn to hold him back as the large man charged to grab the cereal. His strength was immense, meaning she needed Henry, Piper and Charlotte's help to restrain him and prevent World War Three.

"It's got ten essential vitamins and minerals and is part of a balanced breakfast! Get that away from me!"

"Point that thing at us, Schwoz, I'll shove it right up your ass!" (y/n) growled, her eyes narrowing when Schwoz sneakily turned the Omega Weapon so it was aimed at the hero. It was a good defence but too cruel for the woman's liking, thinking if her doofus didn't kill him, she would.

"Okay, stop! Stop! Everybody, stop!" Henry shouted, pushing the couple away from the genius, who diligently stood beside his invention whilst Piper and Charlotte acted as his referees.

"Look, he's so cute! Look at his face!"

"I'm not cute. You're cute!"

"Hey, only I'm allowed to call him cute! And he's not cute! He's adorable!" (y/n) remarked moodily, coveting her doofus when Schwoz tried to argue back. But it ended in her losing her thread, ranting about mindless gibberish about his general cuteness, not that Ray cared. She could call him sweet names, especially with her hands trailing down his chest.

"We're all cute, okay?! We're all cute!" Henry stated firmly, leaving no room for argument since he didn't want it to continue. No one could argue with that, agreeing to disagree, although Ray would say his sweet girl was the cutest. Just look at her...she was adorable in her pretty little toga.

"Wait, why are you, (y/n), and Henry all dressed like half a ghost?" Piper asked, watching as her friend leered over her lover, clearly enamoured with how his weird bedsheet outfit showed off his body. All she had to do was remove the ornate brooch pinning the sheet together...the thought made Piper shiver in disgust.

"Oh..."

"These are togas. We were fighting The Time Jerker," (y/n) explained, brushing her fingers down the soft cotton she'd hastily wrapped around her body to blend in with a bygone age.

"Yeah. Chased him all the way to Ancient Rome. Ate some pretty good food there," Ray shrugged, wrapping his arm around his fiancée's shoulders as he tore another bite off his turkey leg.

"Ooh..."

"Nice..." The girls nodded appreciatively, thinking the heroes got to have all the fun whilst they were stuck in the Man Cave.

"Watched a bear fight a flock of turkeys..."

"Yes, we did. The turkeys actually won," Henry said, chuckling at the funny memory of a dozen birds descending on a helpful grizzly, which was smart enough to back off once they got their surprisingly sharp talons into it.

"Oh my God, and an emperor wanted to marry me! He said I was like an endless fountain of beauty for a weary man to drink from. How cool is that?!" (y/n) giggled, thinking it the compliment of a lifetime that an actual Roman emperor wanted her to be his companion, thus making her an empress. Of course, she declined, saying some waffle about how Cupid's arrow made her fall in love with the warrior by her side, not that it made Ray any less salty.

"For real?!"

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah, yeah! He tried, but ultimately, he failed! So, you know, I'm better than an emperor!" Ray bragged, puffing his chest out and strutting around the room like a peacock as he wrapped himself around his sweet girl. She rolled her eyes and snuggled into him, knowing the almighty sovereign didn't compare to her doofus and his God-like body.

"Yes, you are, doof," she smiled, turning her head to the side so he could find her lips, happily tasting her honey-like kiss. That Emperor Jerkus would never know what her kisses were like or how she shivered against his body when his tongue crept in.

"And then, he threatened to execute us..." Henry groaned, eyeing the couple in disgust as Ray hungrily devoured his precious girl, who was happy to let him indulge in her sweetness. Ray couldn't be noble and manly; he just had to threaten the emperor and his unmentionables if he dared to lay a finger on her, and he didn't take kindly to that.

"So? We escaped...stumbled across some pretty good statues," Ray smirked coyly, breaking away from (y/n) to look at his sidekick. His reply gained him several groans, mainly from his helpers, who were tired of hearing him drop statues into every conversation possible. The hero had a bee in his bonnet, namely that he wanted the city to unveil a statue in honour of him, and he felt the time was nearing...

"All right, you can all roll your eyes and groan now, but when the city of Swellview finally builds me my own statue of Captain Man--"

"We'll roll our eyes and groan harder," Piper retorted, and her friends agreed. They were tired of hearing Ray bragging about his statue and how much the people adored him - it was his latest obsession, second only to (y/n).

"Considering everything I've done for this city, it's the least they can do for me," Ray exclaimed, nibbling some more turkey as (y/n) slid her arms around his neck and chuckled. She agreed, but it's not like Swellviewians weren't grateful.

"Doofus, you already have your own holiday. They just opened Captain Man Stadium. There are twelve streets named after you..."

"Which makes driving very confusing!" Schwoz butted in, agreeing with the woman that Captain Man already had plenty of recognition. So much that you couldn't walk two steps without seeing a pile-up because everyone wanted to be on Captain Man Street - or one of them - simultaneously.

"Anway, we captured The Time Jerker, and we took this new time-ray he built," Henry moved on, showing off a large, fancy, gun-type device in his hand. It glowed bright blue and instantly took Schwoz's fancy as he marvelled at the thought of a time-ray...whatever that did.

"Oooh, how does it work?" He asked, eyes wide and bright with curiosity.

"The same way any dark matter fluxuator does," (y/n) shrugged, eyeing the ray cautiously. It wasn't as bad as the Omega Weapon, but she still didn't trust it in the hands of a teenager. She believed some things, like time travel, should be left alone to avoid unfortunate accidents.

"You just point and shoot!" Henry grinned, straightening his arm as he prepared to test the time-ray. Aiming for Ray's turkey leg, he turned up the power, making the device beep and glow brighter.

"No, no, no, I'm eating this!--" Too late. Despite his protests, Henry shot the leg in his boss' hand, coating it in the brilliant blue light before it disappeared from their time. Whilst Ray frowned grumpily, the others clapped softly and nodded, mildly impressed that he'd managed to deliver the turkey to someone in the past or future.

"Okay, where'd you send it?"

"To, uh...right about now!" Henry grinned at the grumpy hero, and his snack reappeared no sooner than he said that. It emerged in the same place he'd been holding it, but with no doofus to grasp its greasy bone, the leg fell onto the couch with a dull thud. A very dull thud--like it had hit something dense yet...empty.

"What the heck?!" An angry voice grumbled, belonging to Jasper, as he sat up from where he'd been napping on the couch. No one had noticed him as he quietly lay under the table, minding his own business, until the turkey leg hit his head and woke him up.

"Hey, I'm trying to study! Quit throwing stuff at me!" He snapped, tossing the leg back to Ray. However, since he'd been napping, his sleeping mask really screwed up his aim, meaning the meat hit Schwoz in the face instead. Still, not one to miss an opportunity, the genius sunk his teeth into the smoky flesh, holding onto it for dear life as he turned and ran away from his boss.

"Hey! Hey! Schwoz! Schwoz, get back here! Dang it!"

"Raymond, just leave--and they're gone..." (y/n) sighed, watching as her doofus chased after the smaller man, disappearing into the back of the Man Cave without regard for anyone shouting after them. Now she'd have nothing to stare at without his muscles on show and all over a turkey leg...

"Would you guys keep it down? I'm sleep-learning. Or s'learning..." Jasper remarked, smirking at Henry as the boy removed the itchy, leafy crown from his head. He'd been doing it all week, napping here and there whenever (y/n) looked at him, and it was starting to worry her.

"What are you talking about, Curly?" She asked, but the boy didn't say anything. Instead, he yanked the PearPhone from his back pocket and tossed it to Charlotte, who noticed an open app on the screen for her to read.

"Learn To Fight While You Sleep. And Also Spanish," she read out, raking her eyes over the thing he was listening to - in his sleep, apparently. It sounded like a load of mumbo-jumbo to her, a con to make people think they were learning, but Jasper swore it was the real deal. And it was definitely working.

"Mm-hmmm. It's a one-hundred-hour audiobook that teaches you to fight while you sleep."

"Those books don't work," Henry scoffed, walking over to the supercomputer to rest his weary body. If it were that simple, he wouldn't have to train with Captain Man weekly to maintain his tip-top sidekick condition.

"Yeah, they do! And I want to learn to fight, so I can go on a mission with you, (y/n), and Ray before I head off for college," Jasper replied, making (y/n) internally whimper. Why did he have to remind her? After all, she'd ignored the steadily growing elephant in the room for five years.

Her babies were always destined to go on to do and see better things. She couldn't keep them in the Man Cave forever, and it seemed like forever when they were growing under her wing. But now, time had run out, and she was facing letting them go into the big, wide world, which seemed to creep up on her all of a sudden. Since when did her babies become adults?

"Well...I think you've got plenty of time, Jasper, because we don't graduate high school for another year. Right, guys?" Yet she wasn't the only one confused by time.

Henry slumped onto the chair with a satisfied grin, convinced they had nothing to worry about because they were still young and free. It wasn't entirely his fault; working with Ray meant the days blurred into one, so he hadn't noticed the grains of sand slipping through his fingers...until he caught the worried faces of his friends.

"Right? Guys?"

"Does he not know?" (y/n) whispered to Charlotte and Jasper, worrying the blond boy at the computer when they exchanged guilty and perturbed looks. It was like they had something to hide, even though the secret was right in front of his face.

"Not know what?" Henry asked, smiling nervously as the teens debated telling him some bad news.

"Someone's gotta tell him."

"Tell me what?" He asked again when Charlotte whispered back, conferring with the others in what felt like a conspiracy against him.

"You tell him!"

"Uh, I can't! I'm s'learning!" Jasper argued, ignoring Piper's demand by sliding his headphones over his ears. He dove onto the couch and curled up to resume his nap, terrified of facing his best friend with something that would surely make him murderously angry. No one could hurt him if he were hiding...

"Okay, what's going on?" Henry asked, wanting the truth, not his friends walking on eggshells around him. So, he stood up from the computer's chair and stepped over to his sister and friends, feeling his heart sit in his throat when Piper worriedly looked at (y/n/n). Even if it would be nice to keep him around, (y/n) knew this wasn't what the kid wanted...

"Henry...we're graduating this week," Charlotte said slowly, not knowing how to say it. She'd gone to school, sat her exams and passed, but Henry Hart had been too busy living his other life. His childhood was gone, adulthood was calling, and he didn't even know it.

"What? We did it, guys! Seniorrrrrs!" He cheered, thinking he was one of the crew, despite avoiding school and homework for the last few months. His ignorance was heartbreaking...

"This is just sad..." Piper sighed.

"Henry..." Charlotte said firmly, holding her clueless friend's gaze as he fiddled with something on the console. (y/n) tangled her fingers together, feeling unbelievably nervous as the girl sighed and broke the news. He needed to hear it, even if she felt like she would throw up.

"We are graduating from high school. But you aren't."

"Hmmm?"

"But you aren't."

"Hmmm?" The kid hummed, looking like he was about to explode as the whites of his eyes became visible.

It was like the world was crashing down around him, making his body feel numb, and no matter how many times she said it, he couldn't accept what Charlotte was saying. How could his friends graduate without him? When did that happen? How could he have missed an entire year?

"Hen, we know you can hear us," (y/n) said, poking the boy's shoulder to try and snap him out of it, but Henry was too far gone. Maybe he was having an aneurysm - it sure looked like it, his synapses fizzing and snapping as he tried to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't graduating. Like a loser...

"Hmmm?"

"You're just using our hmmm thing as a defence mechanism," Charlotte stated flatly, but he still said nothing. No words meant he could freeze time forever and stay young and free of responsibility.

"Hmmmmm?!"

"Hey! Snap out of it, kid!" (y/n) snapped, grabbing Henry by the shoulders to shake his body and mind back into the present. Meanwhile, Piper sidled off to the auto-snacker to get some food, wanting dinner and a show as the gravity of the situation truly hit her brother. The kid descended into a mini panic attack, debating all the possibilities that came from high school failure, starting with his parents killing him and any job prospects dying before him.

Pacing back and forth, he faced (y/n) and Charlotte, who stood side by side to explain how it happened. It wasn't anyone else's fault, just his own, but they figured he wouldn't want to hear that, not with his pale yet furious expression.

"What do you mean I'm not graduating? How could I not be graduating?!" He questioned once he regained the use of his brain and tongue.

"You've missed too much class fighting crime over the years. You don't have enough credits to graduate," Charlotte explained, and (y/n) looked at her feet guiltily when all the hope faded from the boy's features. Perhaps she didn't force him to attend school, but she didn't exactly say anything when he joined her and Ray at all hours of the day as Kid Danger.

"I mean, honestly, when was the last time you were at school?" Piper asked, stirring a spoon around her bowl as Henry tried remembering when he was in class. God, those halls felt like a distant memory, and suddenly, a cold, spine-chilling feeling washed over him when he realised they were right.

"The other day...when I broke my arm and Ray, (y/n), and Schwoz came in with the trebuchet?"

"Henry...that was over a year ago," (y/n) told him softly, recalling the day and all the whacky things that happened. She thought the kid would remember, given that it was after he lost his superpower and broke his arm. How could he forget something like that?

"Wha--?!" Henry gasped, brushing a hand through his hair in disbelief at how the months had flown by. The worst part was that he hadn't even noticed, wrapped in what felt like a betrayal because no one had warned him. Why didn't the adults in his life tell him to start studying? Why didn't his friends remind him about classes?

"Why didn't anyone tell me I'm not graduating?!"

"School's been sending you warning letters every week for a year," Piper argued, remembering how the same pale envelope with the school's crest was pushed through their letterbox every Monday morning with his name on it, but Henry never paid them any heed.

"Did you open any?"

"No, I just tossed 'em aside 'cause I assumed they were bad news!" Her brother muttered, pacing to the other side of the room so he didn't have to look at her. He knew she was smirking smugly, and he didn't need that right now, not when he knew ignoring the letters was his massive mistake.

"Well, good news...you still have...perfect teeth?" Charlotte suggested, trying to find the storm cloud's silver lining, but it came out strained and unsure. His teeth? Yeah, they'd help him get a career and secure income later in life.

"Yes, thank you, Charlotte. My teeth are great, but also, are you about to move away and go to college?"

"Don't say it out loud! I'm not ready yet!" (y/n) cried, clamping her hands over her ears like the words tortured her--and they did in a way. Of course, she was happy for Charlotte and Jasper. She actively encouraged them to go after helping with their applications and telling them college was the second-best thing that had happened to her. Still, she hated goodbyes, especially when they involved her babies.

"Yeah, I'm leaving for Dystopia the day after we graduate," Charlotte explained, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder as she blinked back tears. She'd miss (y/n/n) the most, her oatmeal raisin cookies second, and her warm hugs third.

"You're going to college in Dystopia?!" Henry exclaimed as Jasper slept on, wondering why she'd want to go to a festering stinkhole like that to study. That city was bad news, infamous worldwide for its high crime rate and dirty, dangerous streets, so not somewhere he expected his studious friend to go.

"No--:

"That place is a crime-ridden toilet on the other side of the world!"

"I said, don't say it out loud!" (y/n) snapped, hugging Charlotte tightly and petting her hair like she only had a few more minutes with her. She didn't agree with the location either, wanting to send her babies off to a college made from cotton wool with bodyguards for professors. Still, the girl had a noble cause and refused to let anyone dictate her decisions.

"Do you even speak Dystopian?"

"When did you learn this?! How much have I missed?!" Henry panicked, trying to work out exactly when life began to pass him by. It didn't feel fair that his friends were moving on to do better, grander things than him, learning new things behind his back, planning stuff without him, and all while he was stuck in the same old job. A job that no longer sparkled like it used to.

"I'm taking a gap year to run a charity in Dystopia. After that, I'm going to Harvard," Charlotte explained calmly, bringing another tear to (y/n)'s eye because how could she argue with that? Mama Bird was so proud, even if she didn't want to say goodbye.

"Well, what about Jasper? Is he going to Dystopia, too?!" Henry asked, eyeing his napping friend on the couch. Despite how annoying and weird he was, the kid couldn't imagine life without Jasper there.

"No, he got into Harberd, which sounds like Harvard, but is a very different school. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm very proud of him too--" (y/n) rambled, hating the thought of her beloved Curly leaving too, but that was life. And even if he wasn't as bright as Charlotte, she knew he'd be great.

"Hey, we gotta roll. Are we all packed up for One Night In The Desert?" Piper announced, looking at Charlotte, who suddenly baulked at the time. It was one last chance to have some fun before everyone went their separate ways, even though it meant leaving Henry behind.

"Yeah, you load up your car, and I'll wake up Jasper!"

"Are you sure you'll be all right? I hate the thought of you all being in the middle of nowhere, alone, with no adults..." (y/n) pouted whilst Charlotte prodded the boy on the couch. Piper smirked at her and went to open her mouth before Henry interrupted. He'd heard of the yearly event and was sure his sister wasn't allowed to go - she was still so young.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa--One Night In The Desert is an all-night party for graduating seniors only," he said firmly, looking at Piper with his typical, big-brother scowl for when she was doing something reckless and illegal. A senior party meant drinks, vomit, and suspicious substances; not the place for a girl in middle school.

"I'm graduating, too," she shrugged, knowing she was perfectly entitled to attend the all-night rave, much to her brother's shock.

"Hmmm?"

"Going to Florida State!"

"Oh, come on! Rub it in, why don't ya?!" (y/n) wailed, her face crumpling into a sad frown as Piper beamed brightly.

The woman snatched her into a tight hug, too, having thought she'd have a few more years with her youngest baby, only to find out a few weeks ago that the girl had beaten the system. She'd only have one baby bird in her nest - a furious, hurt bird who didn't like being smothered alone.

"Hmmmm?!"

"Don't start!" Charlotte warned the boy, who'd returned to his defence mechanism as he discovered that even his annoying brat of a sister was better than him--doing what he couldn't even when it should've been impossible. It made him an even bigger loser.

"Y-y-y-you're my younger sister! How could you be graduating already?!" Henry spluttered, knowing that Piper was street-smart, but she wasn't clever. Would she survive amongst those college kids and their fancy brains?

"I did bad things. Spent a looooot of time in summer school. Ended up earning enough extra credits to graduate early. Seniorrrrs!" She explained, and Charlotte and Jasper matched her chant, making Henry gulp in disappointment.

With his friends gone, that would leave him alone and useless, one of life's rejects all because he didn't go to school. All that crap his parents said about attendance was true, and now, he was facing staying in the job, earning nine dollars an hour, for the rest of his life. And they'd find their own fame, not leech off someone else's... When did their lives become better than his, the legendary sidekick?

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..." he panicked as they barked like dogs, pumped at the idea of starting college and finally finding some freedom. (y/n) tried to reach out and comfort him, but the boy had resumed his pacing, lost in thought as Ray emerged from the secret door with Schwoz still biting his turkey leg.

"Release! Release! Release!" He ordered the small man, yanking the leg like a dog's chew toy as Schwoz's jaw clamped down on the toughest meat, refusing to give it up.

"Ray, I got a big problem here..." Henry started, wanting to talk to his boss and get his opinion on his predicament. But, as always, Ray was distracted with his own petty problem, even though he didn't fancy eating Schwoz-covered turkey.

"One thing at a time, Henry!"

"Okay!" The boy said through gritted teeth, backing off as the man fought against his handyman. When he realised that Schwoz's tenacity wasn't ending soon, Ray switched tactics, letting go of the leg with one hand to grab The Time Jerker's time-ray.

"Doofus, what are you--" (y/n) frowned, watching her lover curl his greasy fingers around the device as he pointed it at the small man. Before she could tell him off or Schwoz could give up, he blasted him, fading the guy from existence in a singular blue haze. All that for a turkey leg.

"Raymond!" (y/n) exclaimed, eyes wide with concern now that Schwoz had disappeared into the abyss. Her doofus seemed unbothered, tossing it playfully in his hand as he sauntered over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He silenced her complaints with a sudden kiss, swallowing her gasp and dizzying her head so any remaining thoughts of that fuzzy weirdo flew away.

"Problem solved!" Ray said joyfully, pulling away with a satisfied smile and a smear of lipgloss on his lips as (y/n) blinked, dazed and confused. She wished he'd warned her before he went in with a kiss like that...

"What's your deal?"

"My deal is that everyone's graduating from high school except me!" Henry said as Ray casually walked across the room to wipe the turkey grease off his fingers with a rag. He didn't want to get his girl's beautiful dress dirty when his hands were on her waist...or elsewhere. Still, Henry didn't care about what he wanted, nor was he impressed with his apathetic attitude.

"So? You don't need to graduate from high school to be a sidekick," Ray replied, thinking the kid was looking for a problem when there wasn't one. After all, in his head, it was agreed that Henry would commit to being his sidekick for as long as Captain Man needed him--and he still did.

"But I don't want to be a sidekick for the rest of my life!" Henry exclaimed, looking at (y/n) for backup. However, she was frozen, glancing anywhere but at her friends and lover as she sensed the tension looming over them.

Henry had the right to a normal life, but unfortunately, Ray didn't understand that, no matter how often she'd approached the topic with him. Life was being a superhero to him - what was the kid's deal?

"And you won't be! You can take over and be a full-on superhero when I retire with (y/n) in thirty years!" The hero replied cheerfully, slapping the kid on the shoulder and walking off to see what Ancient Roman women wore under their togas, with (y/n) behind him.

But she sided with Henry on this one, although for a different reason.

"Thirty years?!" They exclaimed together. The boy didn't know where he was supposed to have a life between all the plans he had made for him. And (y/n)...she wondered where her dreams were supposed to go, struggling to fit in her ideal house in the country and perfect little family next to a few more decades of fighting crime. What happened to settling down and having children? A dog? A peaceful life together?

"Okay, you got me. More like forty years. I'm in fantastic shape," Ray smirked, flirtatiously curly his biceps before his sweet girl to try and lure her back to their bedroom.

As much as she appreciated the offer - God, she wanted to take him up on it - she couldn't leave Henry behind, nor did she want to string the poor kid along. Being a superhero was Ray's dream, not hers or Henry's, and even though she was committed to staying with the doofus until their dying day, the boy didn't sign up for that.

"Dude, I don't want to be stuck in Swellview being a sidekick for the rest of my life!" He declared, meaning it in the nicest way--that he had bigger dreams and expectations for himself that weren't tied to an after-school job he took as a child.

But in his panic and frustration, it seemed offensive, especially to a guy whose life was just that, stuck in Swellview as a superhero for his entire life.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise that you were stuck in Swellview with me," Ray mumbled, the happiness draining from his face as Henry glared back, with (y/n), Charlotte and Piper awkwardly staying in the background.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't realise it, either!"

"Why don't we all just calm down? We don't have to get into an argument--we'll end up saying stuff we don't mean!" (y/n) interjected, pushing herself between the boys like she always did.

She was (y/n) - the referee. Nothing ever upset (y/n). (y/n) always knew what to do. (y/n) kept everyone together because she loved her family and hated seeing them bicker. With one hand on each of their chests, she tried to keep them separate, hoping this would blow over and they'd work out a way to allow Henry to go to college with his friends.

"No, (y/n)!" Henry spat, slapping her hand away with more force than he meant. The woman gasped at the slight sting, holding her wrist like it pained her, not because of a pathetic slap but because he never got angry with her. She was (y/n) - the glue that held them all together.

"I've been too busy down in the Man Cave for six years answering emergency calls!" And, just as he said that the same-old red siren sounded.

"Emergency call!"

"See?!" He looked at Ray, thinking the constant blaring was the perfect example for his argument because it had been back-to-back calls since the minute he fell down in the elevator. But the man wasn't buying it, not after watching his sidekick--his sidekick--slap his sweet girl when all she wanted to do was help. What was wrong with him?

"I'll answer it."

"Let it go to emergency voicemail. Henry and I aren't done here yet," Ray told Charlotte coldly, stopping the girl in her tracks before she reached the supercomputer. His gaze never left Henry's, and in all her years of seeing them together, (y/n) had never seen her fiancé go toe-to-toe with the boy like that. Oh, her tummy didn't like it...

"Doofus, the emergency voicemail is full," she said quietly, stroking the shoulder his toga didn't cover to try and calm him down. She'd been meaning to clean it out, but this was more pressing - stopping the cracks in what should've been an unbreakable bond.

"Really?" Ray asked flatly, wondering how it could be full when it had a billion bytes of data or whatever.

"Yeah, remember that girl, Mika? Who saved you when Jack Frittleman trapped you inside that escape room?" Charlotte recalled having answered the phone a million times to hear the same girl begging down the line. Ultimately, she had to put a warning next to her number, telling everyone to let it go to voicemail.

"We saved her, but yes," the man nodded, full of ego as usual, but he allowed them to carry on.

"Well, she leaves us about ten messages a day asking if she can help us fight crime," (y/n) sighed, squishing his bicep one last time before heading to the supercomputer. Pushing a few buttons, she opened the full voicemail and clicked on the first message, knowing it would be chirpy and enthusiastic but totally unneeded.

"Hi, it's Mika! Just want to let you know that I'm here if you need me to help fight crime." The girl's friendly voice sounded, and Ray remembered her try-hard attitude and know-it-all smarts. As if he needed her help to fight crime - what with his muscles, incredibly hot fiancée, and...young sidekick.

"Hey, it's Mika again--"

"Here if you need me!"

"Here if you need me!" It didn't stop. (y/n) cycled through the never-ending messages, which all seemed to follow the same pattern, repeating similar sentences until the voicemail sounded like a stuck record. Perhaps Mika was there if they needed her? Not that they did.

"Hey, this is Miles. Could you call my sister back? She's losing her--" That was the only one with variety, coming from Mika's twin brother, who was just as tired of listening to the endless phone calls as they were.

"Okay, I don't know what Miles told you--"

"This is the vice-mayor!" A different, gruffer voice said, catching their attention amongst the dozens of calls the heroine skipped through. Great; (y/n) liked Mika, thinking she was sweet if a little excessive, but Vice Mayor Willard was an asshat--so far up his own ass that he never remembered Miss Danger's role in the Man Cave, even though she'd been Captain Man's sidekick for five years.

"Oh, oh! That's probably about my statue! Press play! Press play! Press play, sweet girl!" Ray gasped, recognising the vice-mayor's voice anywhere. He was in charge of giving out statues to worthy citizens, and Ray was confident he'd get one, so he draped himself over (y/n)'s body and held her close as she hit play.

"I need you, Kid Danger, and uh...uh... uh..."

"Oh, come on! All these years, and this guy still doesn't remember my name..." (y/n) grumbled, folding her arms grumpily as Ray chuckled and pecked her neck, distracting his pretty girl from the mean man's forgetfulness.

"Uh...Miss Danger..uh...ma'am...to come to my office right away!"

"Ha, you hear that?! He just said he's gonna give me my statue!" Ray squealed, laughing and clapping his hands like a schoolgirl as his friends frowned in confusion.

"He didn't say a single word about a statue," Piper corrected him, knowing Vice Mayor Willard could've been talking about a million other things, not just a statue. Her boss was just an obsessive man-child; why (y/n) loved him was beyond her.

"Pfft--well, what else could it be about?"

"Literally anything, you big doofus," (y/n) chuckled, leaning on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek because he was adorable. Dumb but charming - she didn't mind if a statue was dedicated to his name as long as she got to worship the real thing once the show was over.

The moment was ruined when, in a flash of bright light, Schwoz reappeared from his little jaunt through time, materialising next to Ray. The man had thrown his arms out, welcoming his sweet girl into his embrace, but the meat of his forearm provided the perfect amount of squishiness for the genius to bite into in place of the discarded turkey leg.

"Ow!" He screamed, gently pushing (y/n) away since he didn't want to hurt her in the fracas as he sneered at the relentless weirdo. "Release! Release! Release! Drop! Drop! Drop!"

It was safe to say that Schwoz wasn't dropping any time soon, so it was a good thing Ray was indestructible. He'd squish him like a bug for refusing to let go, feeling the genius' teeth create indentations on his flawless skin. There was only one person he'd let bite him, and she hadn't even taken her toga off yet.

~Swellview City Hall~

Unfortunately for (y/n), togas weren't welcome in a grand estate like the city hall. It was undignified, apparently, so she, Henry, and Ray had to change. And so went the muscles. Her lover's beautiful, huge muscles.

Parting was such sweet sorrow, and it wasn't that she didn't like his Captain Man suit. He was so handsome in it...but he wore sleeves. Stupid sleeves--couldn't he get those guns out? The heroes marched through city hall and eventually made it to the vice mayor's office, (y/n) skipping behind Ray, hand-in-hand, with Henry trudging behind them.

He didn't want to be there, feeling like he'd hit an all-time low with his sidekick life. Ray acted like nothing was wrong, ignoring the apparent tension and Henry's grumpiness as they burst through the doors, only to see that no one was in the room.

"Maybe I can talk to the vice mayor, and he can pull some strings and let me graduate or something--"

"What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Henry! No, no, no!" Ray snapped, spinning on his heel to face the kid when he brought that subject up again. He'd been told to drop it in the car after nearly reducing (y/n) to tears when she tried to give him her best advice, only to receive some choice words. The man didn't want to hear it, fearing disloyalty and abandonment, but Henry wasn't done.

"Why?!"

"The vice mayor only grants one wish per meeting, okay? So, if anyone is going to be rubbing his little belly and getting a wish granted, it will be this guy..." Ray told him sharply, frantically waving his arms about as he described his elaborate trickery to convince Willard to give him a statue. However, one small problem with his plan was that the vice mayor wasn't in his chair. Someone else had taken his place.

"Who's Henry?" A squeaky, boyish voice asked, making the heroes whip around with wide eyes to see a little boy in a bright orange shirt sitting in the chair of office. He seemed pretty content on the plush leather, grinning cheekily, showing off his cute dimples as his thick, long hair caught in his eyes. He was adorable, but he'd heard too much...

"Noooot meeee?"

"Not him..." They replied uneasily, unconvincingly trying to tell the little boy that Captain Man hadn't just called Kid Danger Henry, even though he'd heard him say it. This was complicated, and the boy squinted his eyes like he was suspicious... Oh, no.

"...Okay," he shrugged, giving them a sweet smile before kicking his feet against the floor to spin the chair.

Their faces dropped, and hearts slowed, wondering how the child could drop it so quickly when he was talking to the city's greatest superheroes. Everyone was usually so nosy, but not this kid. He was... unique.

"Wait, wait...come back, little boy!" (y/n) called out, not wanting the conversation to end there because she had a lot of questions.

"Comin' back!"

"Where's the vice mayor?" She asked once he'd spun around, looking at them with a blank stare with no hint of intelligence or interest. He seemed vacant like he imagined a big blue sky, fluffy clouds, and a scary green dragon - a fantasy land and not what was happening in front of him.

"On vacation with my mom," he replied simply, which bore two new questions. Firstly, had Willard actually pulled a lady friend? And secondly, what parent left her child alone in a fancy, important office to go on holiday with some dude? It was scandalous.

"What?... Nice."

"Raymond." (y/n) sharply, hearing his little victorious whisper. It made her nose wrinkle, thinking he was proud of another guy for landing a mom when he was stuck with little old her - a non-hot mom. She was salty, but the doofus was quick to soothe her after his mistake.

"What? He gasped again, snaking an arm around her waist to pull his sweet girl close - his way of apologising.

"He told you to play this for you when you get here," the kid said, turning a PearPad around for them to look at. It already had a video ready to play on the screen as the boy hit the play button. Willard sat at his desk, appearing as grumpy as ever but wearing a brightly coloured Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap. He looked so strange...

"Kid Danger...Captain Man... Uh, Miss...uh...uh...m--ma'am...Miss Danger!" The politician stuttered as the video began, having the heroine's name on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite grasp it. Seriously, did six years count for nothing? Or was she not as memorable as the boys?

"Whatever. I'm the vice mayor, not the record-it-twice mayor, so I'm just gonna keep going," he shrugged, already in his holiday mood, so he didn't want to start again, not when his hot lady friend was waiting.

"Fellas...uh, ma'am...this here is Bose," Willard said, introducing the cute little boy, who suddenly appeared in the frame, and boy, the vice mayor, didn't look happy. Something told (y/n) that he didn't like the kid very much, which made her feel sorry for the long-haired boy.

"Hey, Captain Man, Miss Danger, and Kid Danger! Hey, Future Bose!"

"Hey, Past Bose! That's me!" Bose, apparently, grinned, pointing happily at himself on the screen with a childlike innocence that made Miss Danger smile softly. He was so dumb, but in a good way, although Ray didn't like where this video was going.

"I married Bose's mom yesterday, which means I get to go on vacation. With her, not Bose, he's your responsibility now."

"What?" The hero asked flatly, suddenly deeming that asshole politician and his new trophy wife the worst parent/step-parent in the world. He had enough trouble babysitting the four kids he already had, especially Henry, let alone one more. And no offence, but Bose seemed a few sandwiches short of a picnic - he had enough of that with Jasper.

"Watch him, feed him, change his diapers, whatever," Vice Mayor Willard said tiredly, knowing nothing about caring for a prepubescent child who did not wear diapers.

"I'll be back in two days, and his mom assures me that she'll know if you try and swap him out for another kid, so don't even try that."

"Dang it!" Ray hissed as the mayor shot down his sneaky plan with Henry, the boys scheming to replace the boy with a lookalike should anything unfortunate happen to him. (y/n) glared and nudged their ribs, telling them to knock it off in front of the kid because she wouldn't let anything bad happen to him, not after he'd been abandoned by his own mother.

"If you keep him safe and mostly unharmed, there miiiiight just be a statue of you in your future, if you know what I'm saying. And I'm saying, I'll give you a statue."

He still wasn't happy about babysitting duty. Still, judging by how he happily tapped on the desk and grinned at his sidekicks, Ray would do it if it meant he got his statue. He was experienced at this point, fully equipped to handle any kid, and his sweet girl was the most motherly figure he'd ever encountered - another thing that made her so hot.

"Yes! Yes!"

"See you in two days. Now, turn this thing off or look away unless you want to see me in the tiniest beach-legal swimsuit in the world," Willard smirked, making (y/n) squeal and slap her hands over her eyes before she saw the vice mayor's...deputies. She'd never recover and buried her face in Ray's shoulder as he and Henry quickly pulled the laser remotes from their belts.

"Ew, ew, ew!"

"Nope, nope!"

"Hard pass! Hard pass!" The boys said before swiftly shooting the PearPad, killing the video before they saw anything damaging and obscene. He could buy another one, and besides, their main priority was looking after Bose--but not changing his diaper.

"Come on, buddy," Ray grinned, placing a warm hand on the child's shoulder in his most fatherly manner when he stepped around the large, ornate desk.

(y/n)'s heart warmed at the sight they made, her ovaries skipping a beat at the thought of her doofus caring for a child. Now she was broody again, longing to settle down and fill a house with giggles, snotty noses, and mismatched socks. Her babies were leaving, so she couldn't help it, but that didn't mean she was irresponsible.

"Doofus, we can't take this kid back to the Man Cave."

"So, we find some excuse to dump him with Schasper, Schiper, and Sharrlotte. Sharrrr--Charlotte--I couldn't stop myself!" He groaned, clutching his throat as his attempt to conceal his helpers' identities failed. He couldn't think that far ahead, proving he was a doofus, which at least made his pretty girl smile.

"I feel like you could've," Henry shrugged. Now, the kid knew a little bit more, like someone was called Henry, and someone else was called Charlotte.

"Cat's outta the bag. We know someone named Charlotte."

"Great! Can't wait to meet her, Schasper, Schiper, and Henry," Bose said enthusiastically, making Kid Danger squirm for some reason--like the mention of that last guy made him uncomfortable. Still, Ray brushed over it, sharing a tight smile with his sweet girl, who wasn't sure if having a kid this dense in the Man Cave was a good idea, but he wanted that damn statue.

"Let's go."

"Doofus, no! We can't stick this little boy with any of those schpeople because they're all at One Night In The Desert," (y/n) explained, looking at his handsome face as his eyebrows knitted in confusion. He vaguely remembered her mentioning something like that, but it was probably when he tried to get her naked, so things seemed blurry. Was that why she was so weepy lately?

"Huh? Even Schiper?"

"Yes! She's graduating already!" Henry interjected through gritted teeth. If only he'd listened to him, Ray would know why his sidekick was so angry with the world--or mostly him--and why it wasn't fair that his much younger sister could go to college before him. God, he wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth right now...

"Before shoo? She's schgraduating before shoo?"

"She took a lot of schummer shhcool, and I can't schtinkin' believe this is schappening to me!" The boy growled, losing his cool and zapping the ceiling a million times as the emotion flowed into his veins again. He'd stamped it down after leaving for the emergency call, but it had festered, and he wanted to hit something - preferably, someone.

"Oh, God!" (y/n) gasped as the plaster cracked and fell after the gunfire, falling all around her, Ray, and Bose as Henry paced.

Luckily, she had a strapping, big doofus to shield her head and keep her safe. However, Bose wasn't so fortunate, nor was he indestructible, so when a chunk of plaster hit him on the head, he collapsed on the floor, not two minutes into Captain Man's official care over him. Wow, that had to be a record.

"Careful! You could have severely injured my chances of getting a statue!" Ray hissed, glaring at his reckless sidekick. Of course, the statue was everything, but one stern look from his beloved fiancée and Ray cared about the kid too, releasing her waist to let her kneel by his side and check his head for any wounds. They couldn't give him back if he was...dead.

"I don't think he's too hurt. Just concussed," (y/n) muttered, smoothing Bose's hair out of the way and only seeing a small lump, no cuts or blood, thank God.

However, Henry didn't take too kindly to Ray's tone or how he predictably cared about himself and no one else. It was always the same story with him; his problems came before everyone else's, and as long as he was okay, no one mattered, sometimes not even (y/n). And he was supposed to love her. Henry was tired of cleaning up after him, apologising, guiding him down the right path--acting like a grown-up but being treated like a child.

So, he shot him. Not dangerously, just a little green flicker to the man's abs to make them sting, but Ray didn't take any insubordination. Not from his sidekick, and not when it wasn't in a playful, friendly-fire way.

"Ow!" Ray exclaimed, holding his stomach from the mild pain, but Henry was already running out of the door when he and (y/n) were gawking in shock. This kind of rebellion was new to the couple, who felt like they were dealing with their first troublesome teen, acting out against his parents, and he wasn't even theirs. They felt useless - like their sweet, little Henry was gone...and he hated them.

"Come back here!" He shouted after him, zapping a few lasers after him, but the kid was gone, running down the stairs and leaving (y/n) to handle Bose alone.

She could patch up one kid, help him into the Man Van, and care for him. She'd been doing it for so many years. But her heart wept while she gently rubbed his sore head and told him to relax when he stuttered in Miss Danger's intimidating presence.

Bose was cute and young, yet he reminded (y/n) of another kid she used to care for, one who had her heart forever...but he wasn't the little boy she made cookies for, hugged, or sobbed over a movie with. She longed to spend one more day with thirteen-year-old Henry, leaving part of her wondering if he was slipping through her fingers.

~The Man Cave~

Having returned home, the argument was still going. They bickered in the car, and now, Ray and Henry were going back and forth as they came down the tubes.

(y/n) was sick of hearing it, wishing they could return to the fun, playful mood they'd shared for the last six years. It wasn't like Ray and Henry to argue like that, and it was tearing her apart, making her nervous because nothing good came from arguments like that. But, there wasn't much she could say; neither wanted to listen, and she was busy entertaining Bose.

That wasn't difficult - the kid was the intellectual equivalent of a goldfish, but she liked him. He just needed to grow up--as did the quarrelling hero and sidekick.

"Albert Einstein."

"Doofus, what are you talking about?" The heroine grumbled as they touched down and stepped out of the tubes. He'd started listing random people for no apparent reason, confusing her and Henry.

"LeBron James. The Pope. None of these people graduated from high school," Ray explained as his tube fell again, only this time, Bose came down. For security reasons, the man told him to wear a sack over his head, preventing the boy from seeing the Man Cave, its residents, or its secret location.

"I am positive all those people graduated from high school," Henry argued, believing that even if they didn't, they were part of the lucky few who made something of their lives. Something else helped them become wealthy and successful, but what did he have? Nothing substantial, but, of course, Ray didn't care. He was distracted again...

"Oh, my God! Is that my statue?!" The hero exclaimed as (y/n) wiggled out of his grasp to attend to Bose, making his eyes drift across the room. Schwoz hovered near the elevator, fiddling with a vast crate delivered while they were out. New things always caught his attention, and given its size, there had to be something huge in it--and huge things excited Ray.

He raced past his sidekicks, almost knocking poor Bosey over as he galloped down the stairs, uncaring if they had removed his hood. All that mattered was the supposed statue, even though it could've been anything.

"Oh, wow. I thought it'd be bigger. Shut up. I don't care. Just open this crate--I wanna see my statue!"

"There's no statue inside," Schwoz replied, remarkably calm in his boss' excitement. And he was really excited, practically bouncing off the walls, even though it was his job to check every unknown package that entered the Man Cave.

"Huh? Then what is this thing?" Ray asked. He hadn't ordered anything, and his sweet girl hadn't, so it suddenly seemed even more mysterious. And he wasn't the only one in awe of their surroundings; with the sack removed, Bose got his first glimpse of the Man Cave, which was everything he'd imagined and more.

"Whoa! Is this the Man Cave?!"

"Who's that?" Schwoz asked confusion and slight fear written across his face. He wasn't used to strangers, and it had long been drilled into him that new faces didn't belong in his home, not even harmless little boys.

"Uh, this is Bose. He's the vice mayor's stepson. We've got to watch him for a couple of days," (y/n) replied, petting the kid's amazingly soft hair as he smiled at the fuzzy weirdo. He didn't seem very threatening, and Schwoz didn't see the harm in the woman having another kid to look after for a bit. She could adjust to the changes around them - maybe it would stop her whining and moaning about her eternal loneliness.

"Who's this guy? Schiper? Schasper?" Bose asked.

"Oh, no. That's...Schhhhhhhhwooooz. Schwoz! I did it again!" Ray slurred, not realising that his plan wouldn't work for half his helpers. Bose was slowly learning more and more about the Man Cave, causing (y/n) to facepalm at how he kept making things worse.

"Nice to meet you, Schwoz," the boy said politely, offering his hand for Schwoz to fist-bump, which confused the genius. He wasn't up-to-date with the ways of the modern youth, so he just grasped his fist and awkwardly shook it as Ray mumbled to him.

"You may wanna grab the Memory-Wiper."

"On it..." Schwoz nodded, even as (y/n) gave her doofus a stern stare. She hated that thing, but it was good compensation; after all, Bose and all his dumbness had a knack for knowing things he shouldn't.

"What does the Memory-Wiper do?"

"Ooh, we might not need it, Ray," Henry muttered, agreeing with (y/n) that hurting the boy didn't feel right. Although, he wasn't as subtle as her, name-dropping his boss before he or anyone else realised what he'd done.

"Who's Ray?" Bose asked innocently, making them all cringe since it didn't feel right hearing their names whilst in uniform.

"Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Go get it," Kid Danger coughed, having a sudden change of heart as Ray squeezed his girl's hand - a small gesture to stop his temper from exploding.

"Wait, wait, wait, Schwoz. What is this thing?" (y/n) asked, analysing this crate and coming up with nothing. It made her feel uneasy, like it had something to hide because there was no shipping note, stamp, or any other indication of who sent it or where it came from. She didn't like the unexpected, not when it could jump out and take them all by surprise.

What was with her tummy today? It was suspicious of everything...

"It's for the meeting Kid Danger set up with the Mayor of Neighbourville," Schwoz replied, leaning against the wooden box as the boy's stomach dropped like a heavy stone.

"Oh, no..." he groaned quietly, suddenly terrified as he stood before Captain Man and Miss Danger, who knew nothing about the little scheme he'd planned behind their backs. In hindsight, it didn't seem like such a good idea, not when he had to say it to their faces, but he was too deep now.

"What kind of meeting?" Ray asked, holding his pretty girl's hand even tighter now because he sensed another argument coming. The nature channel told him it was natural for young males to challenge authority. Still, he'd never expected to have this much trouble with his loyal sidekick.

"Is that today?"

"He's being recruited to be a superhero!" Schwoz hissed excitedly to the bewildered couple, despite Henry's subtle hints to shut up. Their mouths fell open like they were catching flies, staring at the boy like he'd betrayed them--and in a way, he had. He should've discussed it with them, but he'd been sneaking around instead, treating it like a big secret that Schwoz could know about but not them.

"For Neighbourville!" Schwoz finished, a giant grin on his face whilst the couple felt the blood drain from their faces. It wasn't exactly lying, but...it felt like it.

"Go get the Memory-Wiper, Schwoz!" Henry ordered the genius, getting a feeling that they would need it, judging by the deep frown on Ray's face. He didn't know what was worse, knowing his boss was angry or seeing the pure hurt on (y/n)'s face--knowing he'd hurt her by not talking to her about it.

"Let me know if you take the job! Byeeeee!" The handyman scampered off, leaving to find the device as Bose waved goodbye. The heroes didn't offer him the same thing, too busy staring each other out with bleeding hearts and wounded pride. Ray was the first to talk, (y/n) feeling conflicted like she wanted to yell at the kid for being so conniving but protect him from the tongue-lashing her doofus had in-store.

"Oh, yeah?" Ray said through a tight smile, their hands like a lifeline for them as they clung to calmness. Bose stood in the middle, having done nothing wrong, looking so innocent like a lamb in a war zone; he didn't know what he'd wandered into.

"Listen, I can explain..."

"Oh, yeah?" Ray squeaked, trying to keep his emotions from bursting out. One wrong move, and he'd say something stupid; he was not used to being emotionally intelligent, but that was why his sweet girl was with him, her free hand stroking his arm as she tried to remain rational.

Could he explain everything? It seemed so cruel, but Henry was done lying to them...

"Previously in the Man Cave...Captain Man and Miss Danger were upset to find out that Kid Danger had set up a meeting to be recruited by the Mayor of Neighbourville. Schwoz was off finding the Memory-Wiper--whatever that is. Bose was a little hungry. Let's see what happens..."

"Uh, you okay there, buddy?" (y/n) asked awkwardly once the boy's random monologue finished, having come out of nowhere before Ray could chew Henry out. It neatly summed up everything that had happened since they'd entered the Man Cave, but was it necessary?

A small part of her was grateful because it had diffused some of the tension, easing nausea settling into her stomach, but it was so jarring. His tone sounded like a television recap, which was weird...because they weren't on a TV show.

"Sorry. I watch a lot of TV," he replied sheepishly, but the cheesy grin he gave her was enough for them to forget the interruption. Ray had bigger things to worry about like his sidekick jumping ship to work for some losers in a subpar city.

"So, how long have you been thinking about leaving us?" The hero asked, unable to meet Henry's eye as he rocked on the balls of his feet.

(y/n) cleared her throat at his words, not liking the bitter taste they left in her mouth because that wasn't true, right? This whole thing was just getting blown out of proportion - her Henry wouldn't do that. She tried to be strong for her doofus, remaining steadfast in her knowledge that Henry knew they loved him, and he returned that feeling, even if he was angry with his lacking graduation.

"Look, I'm not trying to leave you, okay? Look, I don't even want the Neighbourville job."

"What's with the crate, then?" She asked, not trying to be abrasive or defensive like Ray was, but she was genuinely confused--and a little hurt. She was a big girl; she could learn to let go and teach Ray that it was okay too, but he'd handled everything pretty poorly, inflaming everything until it was painful.

"The Mayor wouldn't stop calling me, okay?! So, I thought I'd just let him come here and make his case, and then, I'd say no, and he'd never ask me again," the boy explained, feeling a little prickly at her tone - as if she was accusing him of misbehaving. Out of everyone, he wanted her to understand--the last person he ever wanted to hurt.

"Yeah, okay! Yeah! Hey, let's hear his pitch! I mean, if he's come from Neighbourville, it's probably lame," Ray sniffed bitterly, thinking his own sidekick had snubbed him, even if he planned to decline the offer.

Yet Ray was the king of cutting his nose off to spite his face, so he pushed open the crate, allowing the front panel to fall to the side so whoever was inside could say their piece and leave. However, he never expected them to be desperate, willing to pull out all the stops, and genuinely persuasive, so when a party drone flew out of the surprisingly roomy box, he and (y/n) stepped back.

The device entered the room with beams of multicoloured light shining down on them like a disco whilst a speaker played some song from the eighties. (y/n) thought Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler was a bit much, but she couldn't say the Mayor had no flair, quirking an eyebrow when confetti fell like the first snow. And that was before the guy's big entrance.

He popped out of the crate in his usual crisp, navy suit and Mayor's sash, a microphone in his hand and a board wedged under his arm. He had ten times the personality of Vice Mayor Willard, and he danced - an immediate improvement on any politician in Swellview.

"Hello, Kid Danger!" He greeted the gobsmacked boy, who didn't know what to say as his eyes flickered from the dazzling show to Bose and his elated face to Ray and (y/n) in all their bafflement.

"Neighbourville needs a hero, and it could! Be! You!"

"This doesn't seem lame!" Bose shouted to Ray over the music, shimmying his shoulders as the man's sad eyes longingly stared at his sidekick. His sidekick...maybe he didn't have music, lights, or killer dance moves, but their years of friendship had to count for something, right?

"Doofus..." Oh, and his sweet girl. She didn't feel inferior often, having grown comfortable in her skin, especially regarding the little family she'd collated. But, standing there with nothing to show or present, just her and her lover, made her feel stupid, like she should've brought it back up because if she was Henry and that man offered her a job...she'd be tempted.

"First up. You're gonna love you're very own D-D-D-Danger Caveeeee!" The Mayor said, waving his arm wildly as the drone played a holographic video of what would be Kid Danger's secret hideout. He wouldn't have to play by Ray's rules under his own roof...

"And you'll never be lonely with your new roommates--these cheerleaders!" The man went out, pointing to the crate, where two boys and two girls came skipping out. They wore matching gold and green uniforms, swarming the boy with bright smiles and pom-as he stared at them in bewilderment. No one cheered his name like that now; it was usually all about Ray...

"Who cares about cheerleaders?" Captain Man asked bitterly, wrinkling his nose at their pep and enthusiasm as the squad gathered around his ecstatic sidekick.

Whilst she wanted him to have the best opportunities, (y/n) couldn't help but feel jilted too, deeming these perks to be overkill, sullying the superhero job and elevating Henry to more like a celebrity than a saviour. It went against their shared morals - a superhero could enjoy the limelight, but he didn't need an entourage to bolster his image.

"I'll tell you, who cares!" The Mayor replied in his stupidly loud, cheerful voice, "Kid Danger's new sidekick! Oh, Lil' Dynomite!"

"You've got to be shitting me," (y/n) mumbled as her body went numb, watching a short, lanky, blond boy run out of the crate. How big was that thing? First, a hideout, then cheerleaders, and now, Henry got his own sidekick, making him a hero in his own right, even though his supposed helper looked about eight years old and as much use as a hole in a parachute.

"Hi, sir! Are you ready to have someone follow you around and tell you how great you are?" Lil' Dynomite asked in a squeaky, Mickey Mouse-like voice that screamed prepubescent child.

He missed what made a sidekick because Henry never did that with Ray, nor (y/n). They told him straight, whether he was a role model or an asshole, and they certainly didn't just follow him around. They were superheroes, not The Kardashians - it required some skill and talent.

"I mean, kind of, yeah..." Henry grinned, suddenly liking the job offer more after seeing the great perks for himself. Ray and (y/n) stood silently and watched, feeling bile rise in their throats when he fell for the glitz and glamour, hook, line and sinker.

"Okay, wow! That's so great! And you're great for saying it!" Could he put up with such a gratin, little grub? That's what Lil' Dynomite was - an annoying, buzzing little insect, stealing their Henry from them, and Ray couldn't bear to let that happen.

"You shut your lil' mouth!" He snapped, bearing his teeth angrily as he fought back tears. (y/n) had already lost, wiping her damp cheeks as she saw her precious baby high-five his potential sidekick, looking as happy as anyone about to enter a great job. She couldn't blame him for anything, but this wasn't how she'd expected things to play out.

"And finally... What would you say to having your very own...statue?!" The Mayor asked, whipping the board from under his arm to show the kid. They'd drawn a rough schematic of his likeness in the middle, showing Kid Danger grinning on a plinth with his arms folded, much like Ray had envisioned himself forever set in stone.

"Okay, that's enough!" The upset hero growled, deeming the statue to be the last straw. He could brush off the entourage and stupid, annoying sidekick, but Henry wasn't at statue level yet. He hadn't earnt it, and Ray didn't want to see his fiancée cry anymore.

It was time to put an end to this farce.

"That's right! A statue!--" Before the Mayor could pitch anything else, Ray blasted the drone, killing Bonnie's beat and the disco lights as it hit the floor in a smoking pile of nuts and bolts. The party atmosphere died instantly, making everyone glare at the hero for ruining the mood with his jealousy because that's what Henry saw it as. Not that he was upset or terrified of losing his best friend, but that he was jealous of his lowly sidekick finding better things in life.

"You know, maybe you should take the job, Henry," Ray sniffed, shaking in anger as (y/n) looked at him with red, puffy eyes in concern. She knew he was resentful, but they were walking on a knife's edges, swimming in dangerous waters, and she didn't like where this was going - in front of too many people.

"Who's Henry?" The Mayor asked, frowning at the loose-lipped hero.

"Well done, doofus," (y/n) sighed, rubbing her blotchy face because now they'd have to wipe many memories, including Bose's. The kid didn't know when to shut up.

"I think it's him," the clueless boy said, pointing at Kid Danger, who did nothing to deny the allegations. This had been a long time coming, and maybe it was the wrong way to end things, but he was tired. So damn tired of everything the Man Cave brought.

"Where's that Memory-Wiper, Schwoz?!"

"I don't want the job," Henry told the Mayor, feeling a bit bad because it was a fantastic opportunity, but it wouldn't be right.

"Oh, really? Because I'm starting to question your commitment to Swellview!" Ray hissed, not in his right mind from his pain and doubts, but he'd always reacted this way when things went wrong. He didn't know how to sit down and talk things through, and he thought it was easier to lash out and push things away than watch them leave, so he did.

He snarled at his sidekick in a manner that left Henry and (y/n) shocked, wondering where all this was coming from. He'd turned it down; that was what he wanted, right?

"Captain Man..." (y/n) said quietly, knowing it was time for her to step in and diffuse the situation before it blew up. God, she wished Charlotte or Piper were here; they could kick these stupid Neighbourville people out whilst she got the boys to calm down because this was what she was scared of. Emotions were running rampant, making her want to drag Ray away so he could take a few deep breaths before talking to the kid - not shouting.

She wished for a lot of things. She wished she'd done things differently, intervened sooner, or thought of something smarter. But nothing happened. Just her worst nightmare unfolding before her eyes.

"My commitment to Swellv--are you kidding me?!" Henry scoffed, not believing his boss just said that because he may have been a lot of things, but no one could dare accuse him of not being committed. That was an absolute joke.

"Well, you don't seem very committed to me!"

"Why don't we just--" (y/n) tried to butt in, yanking on Ray's arm to get him to move, but he refused, shaking her to confront the boy. Her heart was thumping in her ears, tears pooling in her eyes again for the fiftieth time that day, and she swore she was having a panic attack as the onlookers witnessed the heated exchange.

"I'm not graduating from high school because of how committed I am to this job!" Henry argued, thinking he'd sacrificed so much for people he didn't know, forsaking his friends as they moved on without him. He never got any thanks, not even a well done for his efforts - was it so wrong that he'd considered other options?

"Oh! My friends are leaving, and I'm stuck here in Swellview being a sidekick and saving lives!" Ray retorted, feeling like it was a personal attack on him. He'd dragged the kid into it, but need he remind him that this was what he wanted? He made it sound like such a bad thing when any kid would've died to have his job - talk about ungrateful.

"Captain Man, that's enough! Kid Danger, that goes for you, too! Now, both of you--"

"No, it's not enough, (y/n)!" Henry growled, yelling louder than he ever had at the woman, who couldn't help but meddle. Interfere or help; it was a blurred line, but the kid didn't care. He didn't care who he was talking to or who was listening - she was supposed to understand. He'd given up everything for his city and had nothing to show for it, not even a future.

"Who's (y/n)?" The Mayor frowned, figuring it had to be Miss Danger since that's who Kid Danger was talking to, but that couldn't be right... Why did it feel like they'd stumbled into something personal?

"I've been too busy saving everyone else's lives, I forgot to have one of my own!"

"You swore an oath to defend this city!" Ray spat, emotion thick in his voice as his precious girl weakly tugged at his arm, wanting to hide in his arms or run somewhere safe. He didn't know who his heart was bleeding for more, the one he always had or the one he was losing, making him feel helpless.

She didn't deserve this after pouring her heart and soul into raising that kid- the same for him. They were a team. What had they done to deserve such hostility?

"When I was thirteen!"

"So?" (y/n) croaked, seeing nothing but fuzzy outlines from the water on her lashes, but she had to say something. So what if Henry was young? Her heart wanted to return to when things were simple and easy, when he followed her around with wide, innocent eyes full of wonder for everything she showed him.

She kept saying it - she didn't want to hold him back. But, dear God, she couldn't let go, not like this. She wasn't...ready. She wasn't strong enough.

"So, maybe I don't want to do it anymore!" Henry shouted back, hating seeing her so upset because it was true; they raised him. He learned more from them than school could have ever taught him. But he wasn't a baby anymore, and if she couldn't see that, then maybe it was time to rip the bandaid off.

"Yeah, 'cause you're obviously terrified of being stuck here in Swellview with us!" Ray sniffed, hugging his trembling girl into his side as she tried to stay strong, but it was impossible. Hearing the sadness in his voice was one thing, but seeing the shiny streaks on his mask left by his tears broke the dam.

"Yeah, Ray. I am!"

"Who's Ray?" The Mayor asked again, thoroughly confused because they kept using these unknown names, and everyone knew Captain Man and his sidekicks didn't have real names. They were just superheroes...not people.

"Dang, it!"

"I think it's that guy. The one next to (y/n), who I think is Miss Danger," Bose explained quietly, unwittingly exposing everything like some goddamn soap opera. Still, luckily, it wasn't anything they couldn't fix. Unlike Henry and his mutiny...

"Where is that goddamn Memory-Wiper, Schwoz?!" (y/n) screamed, making her voice grow hoarse and raw, but she couldn't feel it. Her body felt numb, searching for a solution to a problem she couldn't solve, and that wasn't like her. It was her little party trick, healing everyone's wounds, patching things up with a sunshine smile, but what could she do once the music had stopped? No one was laughing now...

"I don't want to be your sidekick for another thirty, or forty years, or fifty years!" Henry said exasperatedly, his tone dying down to a tired sigh. He was tired of literally and emotionally fighting, pretending that his life was good when it really wasn't.

"But, man, that was always the plan! You'd be my sidekick, and then you'd take over as Captain Man when I retire with--with my sweet girl," Ray mumbled, feeling like his empire was crumbling around him, all the plans he'd laid out once he'd found serenity.

His future was secure in Henry because he'd allow him to live out his days with (y/n) peacefully, knowing he'd left the city in good hands, safe. He'd have the family he'd always dreamed of, and Henry would be his legacy.

"I don't want to be Captain Man, okay?! I don't ever want to be Captain Man! I will never, ever be Captain Man! I don't care if your dream is to settle down with (y/n)! What about my dreams?! Huh?" Henry stated sharply, spitting venom that poisoned the bond between the hero and sidekick with each cruel word.

Ray glared at Henry, clenching his fists as a sob escaped (y/n)'s throat, her hand pressed to her mouth to stop herself from being sick. Their breathing was ragged, unbelievably hurt by the boy's words, but they'd done the same to him. They wanted different things, and it was heart-wrenching to think that this was where the path split into two, leaving nothing but bad blood and unrealised dreams behind. It wasn't supposed to end like this...

"Pssst...he's right there," Bose whispered to Kid Danger, his naivety contrasting the malice in the air as (y/n) gave him a watery smile. How do you explain to a child that sometimes even the best intentions aren't enough?

"Then, why are you even here?" Ray asked quietly, a frostiness settling over the Man Cave, banishing the usual warm, secure tranquillity it provided. The cold pushed out the good memories of fun and laughter shared between a family as they broke their bonds and shunned any love, making (y/n) blink in surprise because this was bad.

She knew that; she knew she had a problem. But she could fix it, right? She was a thinker, so give her a pencil and she'd figure something out, discover a solution, and then, they could return to normal. Ray and Henry were her family, as were Schwoz, Piper, Charlotte and Jasper. She'd only just found them...it couldn't be over.

"No, Ray..." she muttered, shaking her head as if denying what he was saying, but Henry took it as his cue to leave.

"That's a good question..." he nodded bitterly before fumbling for the gum tube tucked into his belt. He yanked it free and took out a gumball while never breaking eye contact with his steely-eyed boss, who nervously glanced at the swarm of Neighbourville losers. What was he doing?

"Henry, no..." (y/n) whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks as he calmly brushed past without giving them a second look, merely slapping the tube against Ray's chest for him to take. The coldness in his eyes...that wasn't her boy, yet she wouldn't let him leave without a fight.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked quietly, clutching the tube against his pounding heart as (y/n) reached for the kid, her fingertips missing him by a few centimetres. He chewed slowly, giving the couple a stoic expression as he debated his following words, but he'd already decided.

"Quitting," Henry said simply, knowing his sidekick's career had ended the minute it ruined his life. Maybe Ray could live a joyless life, and hey, he'd been lucky to find someone like (y/n) willing to live with his sacrifices, but Henry wouldn't be like that. He refused to take that risk.

"Henry, no! Please, no--not like this! Please!" The heroine begged, holding out her arms to bring the kid into a hug, terrified that she was losing him for good. Not a see you later, or I'll visit you soon, but his way of cutting all ties and leaving without a goodbye. She hated those, but this was so much worse.

Sobs wracked her body, making her shoulders shake as Ray limply placed a hand on one, hoping to comfort her, not that it helped. He felt the same heartache, wishing he could take it all back now that he knew it would lead to this - watching his best friend and beloved sidekick walk out his door.

"I'm sorry, (y/n/n)," Henry sighed, gently grabbing her forearms with the tenderness she deserved. He didn't hate her; he didn't think that was possible, but he couldn't take one of her hugs right now. Her warmth and kindness would change his mind, and the thought of working another six years in the same routine pained him more than the idea of hurting her.

So, he relented momentarily, paused chewing his gum, and pecked her on the cheek in a solemn offer of goodbye. After years of being a second mother to him, it wasn't much, but it quelled her sobs, making the woman release a shaky breath instead. Her tears were silent as he stepped back, leaving her cold and numb again, longing to yank him back and squeeze him tight.

'I'm not ready...' she thought again painfully, knowing she'd reflect on that moment in future years and scold herself for making it all about her, but what was she supposed to do? She'd wake up tomorrow and realise Henry Hart wasn't in her life anymore, forever haunted because she never gave him one last hug.

Stepping away from the distraught woman, Henry calmly blew his bubble for the last time, removing his uniform in front of everyone, not that he cared. Kid Danger was a thing of the past, and there was just him in his place. Henry, as it always should have been.

"Hey, everyone. I'm Henry Hart," he said cooly as the onlookers gasped, and he removed his Whiz Watch, throwing it for Ray to catch - the last thing tying him to his old life.

"And I used to be Kid Danger." His hand hit the elevator button, and without another word, the boy turned his back on his former boss and his fiancée and stepped inside. This was it, his last time in the Man Cave before he was just another kid; honestly, he never expected to feel this salty over it.

"Oh, and Ray?" He called out after pressing the button to go to Junk-N-Stuff. He had one last thing to say, even if it was just a cheap shot.

"What?" The man asked throatily, unable to move a muscle as betrayal and regret took root in his stomach.

"I'm taller than you," the kid smirked, feeling a hollow victory as the door slid shut, taking him away from Ray, (y/n), and everything associated with the Man Cave. If he heard the name Captain Man, it would be too soon, and right now, all he wanted to do was go home and sleep for a million hours.

Had he really just quit? The hazy knowledge made him feel like he was floating above the ground, feeling freedom he hadn't felt in six years...but also an emptiness. If he wasn't Kid Danger, who was he? What did Henry Hart stand for? Who was he without the mask?

"Doofus..." (y/n) cried, whirling around and throwing herself against Ray's chest to weep, his strong arms crushing her against his body. He had to stay strong for her, refusing to be weak when she needed him most, but he couldn't. Henry was gone...for good.

Ray didn't know what to do for the first time. He had no one to turn to, just the broken woman shaking in his embrace. They were alone...but they weren't. Even when grieving, the heroes never had a moment to themselves, surrounded on all sides by laughing hyenas and court jesters.

"Excuse me, sir... Can I get a ride home?" A squeaky voice asked, causing Ray to slowly turn his head and see Lil' Dynomite smiling up at him. Of all the nerves...was this kid asking for a smack in the mouth?

He wouldn't be saying that when Schowz finally found the Memory-Wiper. And Henry wouldn't be laughing when he came crawling back to him. That's right; he'd be back. His sweet girl didn't have to cry over anyone, especially not a little kid who didn't know a good thing when he had it.

Kid Danger was the best thing that ever happened to him, so Ray knew he wouldn't just walk out on it. He'd be the one laughing in the end, and not just because he was taller--which he most definitely was.

Henry would be back. He was sure of that, and when he finally crept through that elevator door, an apology on his tongue, Ray would give him an offer he couldn't refuse--better than anything Neighbourville had to offer.

He'd come back. He had to. The Man Cave didn't feel like home without him.

~ A while later~

(y/n) wouldn't say things were okay. But she wouldn't say they were bad, either.

An hour had passed since Henry stormed out, and she'd come to terms with the horror of never seeing him again. Maybe. At least, that's what she told herself to stop crying. She'd cried enough for one day, getting through an entire box of tissues after Ray gently placed her on the couch and kissed her salty lips.

He promised to fix everything, telling her to wipe her pretty eyes, wait, and see because Henry would return. She didn't see it herself, wailing that he hated them and she should've tried harder, been kinder, and helped him sooner. It broke Ray's heart to see her so upset, so he vowed to get that kid back in his Man Cave, grovelling on his knees for her forgiveness.

His (y/n) was too lovely to be hurt like this, so the hero got to work.

While Bose hovered around the upset lady, patting her head and saying silly things to make her smile, Schwoz wiped a few memories, starting with Neighbourville's Mayor and resident cheer team. The ditzy airheads didn't have much to erase, but it made for a quick job while Ray tapped away at the supercomputer.

"Okay, I'm almost done wiping everyone's memories," the genius said, dashing around the room as he stood Lil' Dynomite underneath a tube. He'd be ejected from the room once his mind became mush, but Ray didn't care. He was too busy with other, more important things.

"Hey, handsome," (y/n) mumbled as she slinked over from the couch, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing a long kiss to his cheek. Bose wrinkled his nose at the affection, thinking it was icky, grown-up stuff. Still, he didn't say anything. He was too curious about what all the flashing buttons did on the console to walk away and mind his business.

"What a cutie!" Schwoz giggled, too, making the woman throw a confused look over her shoulder since, usually, she was the only one to compliment Ray's gorgeous features. Huh...he sure wiped Lil' Dynomite's memory quickly; the boy had already gone up a tube by the time she turned around, making her slightly suspicious...

Whatever: Ray distracted her soon enough. His incessant tapping and beeping dragged her attention back to the computer, leaving Schwoz to happily do whatever he was doing - releasing irritating wannabe sidekicks without wiping their memories. All that jazz.

"Hey, sweet girl..." the man muttered, a pang of happiness hitting his heart when she curled around him. Seeing her on her feet and knowing she'd stopped crying was good, but he wouldn't rest until everything was normal. They had a wedding to attend at some point, and there was still a seat with Henry Hart's name on it.

"Whatcha doin'?" Bose asked before (y/n) could, staring at the computer and making Ray jump because he was too lost in his work and lover to notice him. God, that kid was quiet...

"Buying a school," he replied after some debate, wondering if he should tell his darling girl when she was so teary, but he couldn't hide what was splashed across his monitors. It sounded stupid, but it was part of his master plan to get his youngest sidekick back, so he didn't expect anyone to understand. After all, a desperate man seemed insane to anyone else.

"A school? Why, Ray? Why?" (y/n) asked, tilting her head to the side as she studied the buildings he'd listed on-screen. This wasn't a whimsical purchase; some were listed for millions of dollars, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to ask where he was getting the money--or why a school would help them.

"A school of fish? Good idea," the child beside them said solemnly, baffling them with his overactive imagination. Out of everything he could've thought of, that's what he went with?

"You gonna ride 'em or race 'em?"

"No, it's a school for people," Ray told him, thinking he'd found another weirdo as he kept scrolling, kissing his girl's cheek. He hadn't returned the gesture when she did it, and he really needed the affection, feeling abandoned and loveless after Henry's loss.

"Good idea. You gonna ride 'em or race 'em?"

"What? No, I'm buying a fake school so that when Henry comes crawling back in, begging me for his job--" Ray explained, losing (y/n) as she failed to see his logic. A fake school - what would that do? She wanted to ask or at least let him finish. But, Schwoz had other ideas, sneaking up to the supercomputer with the Memory-Wiper in hand to complete his task.

"One last memory to wipe!" He exclaimed, aiming the contraption at Bose, who, unlike the others, didn't run, scream, or cower when faced with losing everything they'd ever known. He just stood there, showing off his dimpled smile like he didn't have a care in the world - (y/n) almost wanted to tell Schwoz to spare him, not knowing the genius had already done so with one little boy.

"Won't take long. Not a whole lot going on in the old...um..."

"Brain?" She said for him when Bose stumbled, tapping his forehead like he couldn't remember what gave him his limited intelligence.

"No..." The boy shook his head, thinking harder as the correct word escaped his grasp.

"Head?" Ray suggested, thinking that he was dumb but not this dumb. It was embarrassing...and something would pop if the kid thought anymore.

"No... What was the first one?"

"Brain?" (y/n) said, wondering if she'd displeased some god and was trapped in an eternal hell with the world's slowest child and her heart in tatters.

"No..." Bose shook his head again, and Schwoz took that as the final straw. He took aim, ready to fire the green beam at the kid and get him out of the Man Cave, but suddenly Ray had a thought. As much as he wanted to be free of the troublesome boy, there was a small problem, and although it pained him, he couldn't let the genius carry on.

"Wait, wait, hang on, hang on..." he groaned, rubbing his tired eyes with his thumbs, "If I'm gonna get my statue, we gotta return this kid like we found him."

"Sitting down! On it!" Bose grinned, quickly diving into the computer chair after Ray stood up, pulling his sweet girl against his chest. He needed some time to think and hug her, always coming up with his better ideas when she was in his arms--or more like, (y/n) ended up thinking of something for him.

"Hmmm..." the woman paused, rubbing her little grey cells together before leaning up for a kiss. She needed his peppermint-bubblegum flavour to kickstart some inspiration in her. After lingering for a few seconds and licking at his lips, it struck her, making her face light up in a way Ray adored.

"Schwoz..." she said, turning to the genius with a crazy but not impossible idea.

"How hard would it be to alter the Memory-Wiper so it only erases specific memories? Like only memories involving me, Ray, or things we've said or done?"

"Yeah, there's a setting right here," Schwoz shrugged, ignoring her question and turning it into a statement as he casually pointed to a small button on the device's main body. The couple stared at it, blinked a few times, and looked back at him, wondering who would strangle him first because what the fuck? Did they hear him correctly? A setting?

"I'm sorry, what?" Ray asked in a tight, polite voice. Hopefully, he'd heard him wrong; that way, Schwoz would keep his life and head on his shoulders.

"It's easy! I can adjust this setting, and it will only wipe the memories of you," he replied, not knowing what he'd said to make them look like that. He'd used it many times before; it wasn't his fault they'd never noticed.

"Then why the hell haven't we been doing that this whole time, Schwoz?! Do you know how many vegetables we've had to dump on street corners because of this thing?!" (y/n) exclaimed, angrily pointing her finger at the wretched invention. Karma was gonna get her for all those poor souls they destroyed, not that Schwoz cared--rather, the opposite.

"'Cause it's so funny! Oh, no! I don't know who I am! I've lost all knowledge of my life and the people who love me!" He chuckled mockingly, imitating the idiots who were dumb enough to stumble across Captain Man's secrets.

It didn't affect him, so why should he care? In fact, Ray agreed with him, breaking out into a fit of giggles with Bose that had (y/n) slapping their arms and frowning at them. She had to scold them; someone had to keep them in line, but she was so busy being responsible, and they were so busy being slightly evil that no one noticed the strange thing happening behind them.

"That's true... So funny."

"No, it's not, you doofus!" (y/n) said, too fixated on his rugged handsomeness and the stress of wiping a child's memory that she didn't see the thick, leafy vines lowering from the ceiling.

"Schwoz, just wipe his memories of me and Ray. Just me and Ray, okay?"

"Got it!" The small man nodded, flicking a few switches to adjust the setting as Bose stood still. He didn't have much going on in his brain, so he would face anything with naïve bravery, meaning all Ray had to do was step back and shield his sweet girl's view. She never liked watching...

Backing away from the two, Ray and (y/n) didn't watch where they were going, their gazes fixed on Schwoz and Bose. Their boots hit the vines, which had been twisted and tied, so there were two loops at the end, and by then, it was too late. They were snagged before they knew what was happening, turning the world upside down as it hauled them off their feet.

"Ayyyyyeee!" Schwoz shrieked at the surprise attack, but the figure that dropped from the ceiling turned his blood to ice. He was tall, dark, and menacing, dressed in black clothing with a face that could turn milk sour. This day had been a long time coming, but it had finally arrived...and it began with swiping Captain Man and Miss Danger's laser remotes.

Two orange bolts sent Schwoz and Bose to the floor, perfectly unconscious and harmless, as the man grabbed the hero by his shoulder and turned his face to his. What (y/n) saw frightened her because she'd written him off as a forgotten, faceless ghost she only ever saw in her nightmares. He wasn't supposed to exist anymore, yet here he was...as much of a bastard as the day she met him.

Infiltrating Kid Danger's house was easy, but he'd always thought the Man Cave would be more challenging. Still, it was nice to see that the old man had lowered his guard after so many years--walking himself and his precious cupcake into his trap without any encouragement.

"Remember me?" He growled, smirking at Ray's pale face as he clawed for breath, reeling from the second punch to his gut that day. His hand felt for (y/n)'s, instinctively fighting to protect her, even whilst hanging upside down, but it was useless. She was flailing just as much as he was, trying to kick, punch, and run away simultaneously.

One word fell from her mouth, a whimper escaping at the vulnerable position she found herself in. She'd always sworn that he'd never get the better of her again, but he tricked them. Goddamn it, he tricked them, and she knew his game - head over heels for him, just as he liked her.

How could she forget the bastard that left her in ruins? He stood before her, foul breath hitting her face as he reached to cruelly grab her jaw, twisting her face to look at him. He wanted the great Captain Man and the woman he stole--the woman he lusted for--to witness his eternal glory.

All he'd ever taught her was pain and misery, making her relive it as a sick grin jerked across the bastard's face when she whispered...

"Drex."

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mihhkael · 5 months

Text

Yk...lately I feel mentally overwhelmed. not that this is from a few days or weeks ago. It's been a long time since I've been satisfied with my art style or my painting. you can see this with my constant changing of little things in the drawings. some have more details than others. the painting changes frequently...I can't do something that makes me comfortable and that keeps me at it for a long time.

I feel like I need to change what is not good at my eyes. Whenever I finish a drawing and a little time passes, when I go back to look at it again, it's not as good as it was when I was still working on it. I wanted to change that...

I try to improve everything in my own way. adding little things here and there that I think are cute or sexy[???] but in the end it's not enough.

I wanted my painting to be as beautiful as Kawanocy's. I am inspired by the paintings in his drawings to create my own.

I wanted my lineart to be impeccable like that of many artists out there. but it never turns out perfectly the way I want. It seems like I'm always so close to achieving perfection but at the same time I'm so far away...

I don't know if I'm taking this "perfection" too high to the point that it's impossible for me to reach it at the level I'm at now or if it's because I really don't have the capacity to reach it.

In fact, I don't know if this is perfectionism or obsession...

I know it's a bit complicated to compare how much I know today with how much Kawanocy knows. all the years of study he needed to achieve the style he has today and everything. but it's so difficult not to compare myself... and I feel like I need to do that. I don't know why but I FEEL like I need to compare myself and be inspired by him and other artists so that, one day, I can leave where I am now.

but, why everything I study, all my effort. In the end, isn't enough?

I want to reach his level one day. I want to learn with him. learn with my mistakes and successes. with the mistakes and successes of others peoples too.

Something that really complicates me is that I want to do this in a short period of time. I know it's practically almost impossible to achieve something like this. even for someone who learns reasonably quickly like me and several other people who are also in this strange dilemma like me now.

I've been thinking about this for so long. I can't do something new. my creativity is acceptable. (To a certain point, I think?) You know... the slightly disturbed ideas I have sometimes. sometimes I think they are good. but they're not enough.

Perfection is something that's kind of difficult to talk about because the concept of perfection is individual and I think I have my own. but I can't verbalize or recreate anything that comes close to that perfection. the only thing I can do is feel whether or not I'm close to reaching it. this distorted thing that leaves me in a bad mood because I can't reach it lol.

But why do I only see that a drawing is "perfect" when I'm about to finish it but after a few hours the drawing is no longer "perfect"? It seems like a weird illusion. like those potion effects in Minecraft. All the magic you feel when you taste it disappears when the time is up. I feel like a child unable to make and enjoy something unique that they made themselves.

This feeling is strange... I make a sketch that, sometimes, is initially impeccable. but when I go to do the painting, rendering, those things. It's not as good as I expected. I know, I know that maybe I'm pushing myself too hard. that I shouldn't be... I don't know... creating too many expectations? but I can't. it's confuse.

Sorry for my strange way of expressing myself. communication is not one of my strong points :p

ugh... Anyway, this is just some weird girl's rant. ;3

I don't intend to give up on improving. of course. as much as I often wanted to.

In fact, I want to reach a level that I don't yet have the capacity to reach! I want to improve more every day. I want to get my basic skills to their maximum level!

I'm not going to give up on this so easily. I've already come so far...

Drawing is one of the only things I'm "good at". I just hope that my future self doesn't change the way I think today. I hope my future self isn't disappointed.

I just hope that all the effort I make today to learn and evolve, one day in the near or distant future, will not be all in vain...

#heh #yk #i love Kawanocys art style!#and many other artists that i dont remember their names now #someday I'll be a good artist.#I'll learn with them

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cjp-film · 5 months

Text

Critical reflections

Critique of process

I took On Set Production as I know my strengths lie in the more practical creativity of roles such as production design and cinematography. I chose to focus my attention on production design this term. I have experience in set dressing, therefore wanted to push my limits and see what I could achieve in designing a short film. The first project where I was quite ambitious was exercise 2, working with Kushal to transform a room into a scene conveying a certain emotion. I really went out of my way to get the right props, and was really excited when I came across a shop giving me everything I needed. This drove me to want to keep up the visual world building, and try out other scenes. Setting the room up and creating this world really throws you into the whole process of the filmmaking, and seeing the results on the camera is so rewarding. Particularly when working with a talented cinematographer, it brings your work to life in the way they choose to light and frame the scene, placing the actor in amongst it all and making it as convincing as possible. I like to put myself in the shoes of the subject in the film when designing a set, thinking about how that character might interact with their space in whatever situation they might be in. This helps the audience to understand their mentality and the choices they might make. It is also important to be experimental. I feel that I have a good eye for composition, which may mean planning something to look one way, but changing it on set (this happened a number of times in Calculated Affection). Throwing things in at the last minute can be a brilliant idea - such as with the accidental matching blouses I mentioned in my Calculated Affection PD post. The experimental outlook is what drives a film to be unique. I loved working on Hands of Men because of this very reason. I knew it was set out to be quite surreal and absurdist, you can tell from the script alone. Bringing it to life visually with the enlarged hand was a really fun process. Cara and I made a good art department, but I would have liked to have a bit more responsibility with props beforehand. On set, we made decisions together to ensure it looked good for the camera, keeping an eye on continuity as well. Ultimately, the set looked amazing, but as a secondary role I felt as though I didn’t have as much responsibility as I maybe should have done. Cara felt the same on shoot days, that perhaps our roles were not as important as others - though this of course was not the case. It may have been due to lack of communication between the roles, as it did not cause any problems - we got on with our job and the final film turned out brilliantly - a product we should all be very proud of.

Critique of final work

Hands of Men - Watching this film on the big screen was quite an experience, after all the work that everybody put in. As art department, I feel like I did my job to the best of my ability. My main responsibility was painting the hand, which had to look good as it was the main motif of the film. I really admire the choice to make the aspect ratio 4:3, further making the film unique and memorable. There are a couple of shots in particular such as a close up of the hand and the shot where the hand is cut off that really highlight its importance to the story, as well as adding to the beauty of the film. The one thing we were worried about was how to make the hand look realistic. I think we achieved this to an extent, but of course as a student film it will never be totally convincing. It is especially noticeable in the shot where the hand falls to the ground, where the weight of it hitting the floor seems really wrong. I feel like getting this right would have made a big difference especially with the gore factor. However, the way the hand looks does fit in with the absurdist style of the film, extending the impossibility of the situation and touching on its genre of black comedy. I thought our decision to use the red props was an original and clever idea, subtly conveying the genre of the film and also giving a bit of an insight into the weird world of these two characters.

Calculated Affection - Though as of now the film isn’t completely finished, I am still able to reflect on how my work as production designer looks on the screen. The scene is pretty believable as a birthday party, with the buntings and disco ball accenting the background. Also the wallpaper the location was offering did a lot for how the characters looked in the frame. I wish that the cake had been seen more in the version of the film I have seen, simply because it did look pretty. However this is not important because it is blatantly obvious that it was a birthday cake with candles being blown out - thanks to the lighting and (when completed) sound design. I think I did a good job with faking the drinks as well, as (unless you were looking) it is impossible to tell the difference between the apple juice and the whiskey. There were also no obvious continuity mistakes which is a relief as there was a lot which could have gone wrong in that area. I think if I was to change anything about my job as production designer on this film it would be making the costumes a bit more elaborate. Though I am happy with how they look, the dreamlike, ethereal theme of the film could have been communicated more through the characters and the way they were dressed. Overall I am pleased with my job and think our final product is really satisfying to watch considering the obstacles the production team went through to get here.

OSP

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elenajohansenreads · 6 months

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Books I Read in 2023

#103 - Watercolor is for Everyone: Simple Lessons to Make Your Creative Practice a Daily Habit, by Kateri Ewing

Rating: 3/5 stars

I liked the purpose of this book, to use art and explore a specific medium for mindfulness and relaxation. I liked that many of the lessons included a page or two of student examples, so that I could see versions of the exercise that weren't the author's.

I sometimes did not like the overly woo-woo tone; even for a book about mindfulness it seemed simplistic and pandering. And I truly did not like the emphasis on having a million colors of paint at your disposal, which felt absurdly consumerist for a book on this subject. What do I mean? In the first lesson, which is simply gathering and preparing your materials, the author recommends getting one or more metallic paints to accent the pieces you'll be creating, but says "it's okay if you don't have any, though." And then almost every single lesson includes them! She also says it's okay to only have a limited number of colors, which I do because I'm using an old ten-color set I bought so long ago the tubes had dried up so I cut them open and mushed them into plastic bead organizers. The set includes white, black, two browns, and the rainbow from red to blue, but notably, no indigo or violet (or any version of purple) and no metallics! There was one exercise that wanted up to three different shades of the colors that represented how you were feeling that day, and yeah, I don't have any purple. This disparity between "you can work through this book with very few materials" and the lessons asking for a wide range of colors was further emphasized by the author "helpfully" including the sources of her paints in most (every?) lessons, in addition to the reference list in the back. Okay, fine, you're writing a book on watercolor, clearly you have a lot more watercolor paint than most of your readers. But advising me to use "the colors that speak to [me] most that day" is incredibly frustrating when I've only got the ten to work with, which you started the book by saying was okay.

I got less frustrated when the lessons began to include mixing guidelines and techniques; for the rest of the book, if the lesson wanted (non-metallic) colors that I didn't have, I spent extra time playing around with mixing them first, to varying degrees of success.

I did do all twenty-one lessons, and most of them produced a nice little piece of meditative art that I'm happy with. (A few were duds for one reason or another, but I made sure to ponder why I didn't like them and what "mistakes" that made them displeasing, so I can avoid them as I continued to explore the medium on my own.)

Would I recommend this book? I primarily do art as a form of journaling, so despite the flaws I see in it, I ultimately found it a useful experience, at least as a jumping-off point to keep using watercolor on my own--which is what I wanted more than the ritual meditation or the specific art style of the author. But not everyone will connect with the practice (which I made myself despite the flaws) and could bounce off without much engagement, and I certainly wouldn't blame them. I do think someone with a few dozen colors of paint will have a better experience than someone with fewer, and I think that implied investment in materials runs counter to the supposed purpose of mindfulness and relaxation (and explicit "it's okay" caveat in Lesson One)--I shouldn't need to buy so many things to do something this simple.

Bonus that's not an official part of the review:

My favorite pieces, at least from the journal spreads I've completed and photographed so far. (As I said, I did do all the lessons, but not all the pieces are in my journal yet.)

#booklr #book review #nonfiction november #nonfiction #art #art journaling

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