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batnatscatt · 5 months

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Eau D’bedroom Dancing

PJHazel: 2.8k

Tags: fair bit of swearing, implied nsfw, autistic Hazel because I say so, they/them Hazel also because I say so, PJ-typical fuckery

Their rings dig into their chin, the feeling somewhat uncomfortable but not enough so to keep them from dozing. Their hand rests under their chin, keeping their head propped up as they drift in and out of the lesson. Another train of nameless meatheads had kept them awake all night, with their hooting and hollering and banging-of-their-mom, something that was getting less and less unusual. It had to have been the third night this week, if their math is right, and its literally only Wednesday. They were already fucking exhausted- add the sound of Mr. G droning away in the background and you have a pretty potent sedative, apparently. They’d feel bad if they could feel anything other than tired; they actually liked Mr. G a fair bit, even found him to be a kind of comforting presence- a fact which almost definitely isn’t helping them stay on this side of consciousness.

“Heads up Callahan.” Fingers wrapping around their wrist are the only other warning they get before their arm is unceremoniously yanked out from under them. Their head connects with the desk with a dull thud, sharp pain blooming in their cheek where vinyl meets a two-week old bruise, probably giving it a new lease on life. The plastic thwack wakes them well enough, scrambling to right themselves and turning to look at the culprit, levelling her with a wounded expression.

“What the fuck, PJ?” Their words come out quiet but pointed, hissed at her in an attempt to not further disturb the class, especially after their face had already done so.

“What? You were like, drifting off or whatever,” There’s a saccharine smile on PJ’s face, hamming up an artist’s impression of something that almost looks like concern or helpfulness, fighting off a grin as she shrugs. “Didn’t want you to miss anything important.”

Her explanation could almost pass for convincing if it wasn’t for how obviously uninterested in the lesson she was, turning back to her handout in order to return to her task: diligently dotting every ‘o’ on the page in order to make boobs. PJ could give less of a fuck about whatever Mr. G was saying, she simply enjoyed toying with them whenever she could, as she always had- that much Hazel understood perfectly.

“Anyway,” she draws out the word as her fingers drum on the desk, seemingly too captivated by her efforts to titty up the page to bother looking at Hazel. “Janitor’s next period?”

That, they understood less. It’s still a relatively new development to their dynamic, one that had left them more than a little confused since the night of the game. Within the space of thirty minutes, they’d made their way all over the map emotions-wise when it came to PJ: annoyance and apathy turning into forgiveness, and forgiveness turning into surprise as PJ pulled them into whatever the fuck that kiss was.

It’s not like they were opposed to it or anything, honestly it was kind of the opposite; it just wasn’t what they had expected from PJ, not by a long shot. For years they’d taken shit from her, they’d accepted that that was their place in the pecking order of whatever small gaggle of dykes they’d managed to muster in their fuck-ass town. And honestly, they were content to stay right there, so long as it meant that they weren’t an outlier. Taking shit from PJ was just another part of their every day, as reliable and consistent as how the sun rises or birds tweet, or any number of other metaphors that fit the bill. Her teasing and borderline negging was something they had their head wrapped around pretty well, but this? The way she’d rip into them in public, only to jump their bones the moment the two of them had any privacy? That, Hazel still needs to do some adjusting to, apparently.

Everything comes back into focus with the sound of a metallic thunk, the thudding of a shoe against their chair leg bringing them back from whatever miniature spiral they’d managed to fall into. The look on PJ’s face is difficult to place as she stares at Hazel, her brow pinched in a puzzled expression as she looks at them expectantly.

“What?” The confusion is evident in Hazel’s voice as they ask, almost losing track of the initial question in their attempts to unpick the bizarre dynamic the two of them seem to have fallen into recently.

“Fucking hell- got your brains knocked out your ears or some shit?” The concerned crease of PJ’s brow is closer to a scowl than anything else now, rolling her eyes at them before speaking slowly and deliberately, sounding out each word. “You- me- closet, yeah?”

Their mouth feels very dry suddenly, the mental picture from her suggestion and memory of the small noise that leaves her when their fingers thread through her hair flooring them, the combination of factors teaming up to effectively sap all the moisture from their mouth. A small nod is all they can offer in return to her question, floundering internally for any other reasonable response.

“Great, yeah- Fucking A.” She huffs out a sigh that Hazel takes as exasperation as she speaks, returning her gaze to the mostly ignored handout in front of her before continuing quietly. “See you then, I guess.”

With that, Hazel is left to their own devices for the rest of the short lesson as PJ finally seems to make an attempt at working through the sheets in front of her, the lack of conversation leaving their mind the freedom to turn the concept over in their head. Whatever PJ actually feels towards them is a mystery, for sure- but they could be content with this, right? ———-

The next period finds them making their way towards the now-mostly-defunct library, the lack of books in the place translating into an equally low amount of foot traffic through the corridor it inhabits. They walk the length of the hallway quickly, their fingers picking at the stitching of the bag slung over their shoulder in nervous preoccupation as they scan the walls for the right door, slowing to a stop as they find themselves outside.

They knock on the door lightly, hardly managing two taps before they have to step back to avoid the door swinging open, a hand darting out to grab them by the front of their shirt and yanking them roughly into the dingy, cramped space. The darkness in the cupboard throws them for a second, blinking rapidly in an attempt to let their eyes adjust to the low lighting as they open their mouth to greet PJ.

“Hey-“

The sentence dies before they have any chance to actually speak, cut off effectively by the insistent press of PJ’s lips against theirs, slightly less clumsy than the first time as she mumbles a muffled ‘shut the fuck up’ against their lips. Hazel responds in kind, letting the rucksack drop off their shoulder as they kiss her back, the bag making a solid thud against the floor as they bring their hands up to tangle in the taller girl’s hair. The action elicits a soft gasp from PJ that makes their cheeks flush red, the sound not so different from the first time they’d heard it, or every time since. They drink the noise in eagerly, even if the way she kisses them softens it somewhat.

Hazel could get lost in this, honestly. They’d thought that every time, almost worried that the press of her fingers against their back might undo them, the touch insistent even through the layers of fabric. They move with PJ as she pulls them with her, letting the girl guide them so that she’s leant against the wall of the closet. They’ve never had any problem with letting PJ take the reigns in their little trysts, more than happy to follow her lead and apparently incapable of denying her of what she wants.

Time moves strangely slowly as she pulls them against her, thick like molasses while she seems determined to meld the two of them together. Hazel groans quietly at the feeling, the contact making their head swim as they pull away to catch their breath for a second. The absence seems to irk the girl, an impatient noise leaving her as she seems almost affronted by the lack of contact, the sound leading to Hazel having to stifle a laugh.

“Shut the fuck up,” PJ whines the words, her head thudding against the wall as she tilts it back in frustration. She looks back at them, huffing impatiently before asking “Don’t you like, have a job to do or something?”

The annoyed tone in her voice makes them feel almost smug, relishing the heady feeling of how obviously frustrated she sounds. They’d take this form of annoyance over her usual any day, preferring it greatly to the general disdain that PJ seems to hold towards them in most contexts. Even so, they find it almost fun to irritate her in this context, cocking their head in feigned ignorance as they speak.

“Not sure- what should I be doing?” They find it hard not to grin as they speak, the corners of their lips twitching with the barely suppressed motion.

The question draws another long-suffering groan of annoyance from PJ, clearly fed up with their shit as she grabs the hand sat on her waist and guides it to the front of her pants. Whatever cockiness that seemed to have possessed Hazel all but leaves them in the moment, their ears almost ringing as she looks at them expectantly.

“Well?”

Words seem to evade them in the moment, instead moving quietly to undo the button there before grabbing the suspenders that hold up her corduroys, the motion bringing a confused look to the girl’s face.

“They get in the way a bit,” The explanation comes out almost distractedly, pulling the elastic slightly as if to illustrate their point. “Like, if you want your pants off, I mean.”

The look she gives them in response makes them almost sheepish, staring at them as if they’d grown an extra head as they wait for her to speak, or move, or do anything at this point.

“Why the fuck would you take them off?” She sounds somewhere between confused and exasperated as she speaks, promptly using her hands to mime exactly what she’d had in mind, the correction making Hazel’s face flush from a mix of interest and embarrassment.

“Oh- yeah, that makes more sense, actually.” They nod as they speak, eager to move on from their blunder as they lean back into her space, pressing a kiss to the skin of her neck in an attempt to gloss over the past thirty-or-so seconds.

Her hands come back up to rest against their back, her fingers bunching in the fabric of their shirt as they kiss her, moving their hands back to where she’d initially placed them. The soft noises that leave her make them think they might’ve gotten away with it, that illusion being thoroughly broken by the sound of her chuckling slightly.

“The fuck were you thinking, anyway?” The grin on her face is almost audible as she speaks. “Gonna go all bush-diver on me or something?”

“I mean- sure, if you’d want me to- I think we’ve got time.” Their shoulders shrug as they speak, somewhere between attempted nonchalance and genuine confidence in the statement.

Their response prompts a surprised expression to pass over PJ’s face, eyebrows raised as she seems to visibly turn the words over in her head. The lack of response makes Hazel sweat nervously, their brain moving a mile a minute as they run through the exchange in their head, doing their best to ascertain where exactly they’d managed to fuck up.

“Shit, Haze- I mean, fuck, why not.” She seems to almost be at a loss for words, her response stilted as she struggles to form a sentence.

It’s almost bizarre to Hazel, the lack of any smart comeback throwing them off almost as much as the unexpected nickname. They can’t think of any other time they’d heard her call them that, but they feel pretty certain in the moment that there’s not much they won’t do to hear it again.

A grin lights up their features at her response, their hands coming back up to rest against her waist, thumbs rubbing small circles over the fabric as they double check.

“You sure? ‘Cause it’s okay if not- I’m good with whatever.” The words stumble over each other as they speak, nerves and eagerness mingling and thoroughly fucking their grasp on the English language.

“No- get your filthy mitts off me you little freak.” The genuinely surprised and horrified expression on Hazel’s face gives her pause, sighing as she seems to remember how aggressively earnest they tend to be. “Jesus fucking Christ- I’m just fucking with you, you’re all good, I swear. Go for it.”

“Right- fuck, okay. Wasn’t sure for a sec there-” Their shoulders sag in relief, whatever concerns they’d had easing as they catch on to PJ’s piss-poor attempt at a joke. Any further speech is killed in its cradle as she pulls them back in for another kiss, effectively shutting them both up before either of them can dig themselves into a deeper hole.

Their lips part at the pass of PJ’s tongue, opening in order to deepen the kiss as her fingers creep under the hem of their shirt, the brush of her nails against the skin of their waist making them shiver. The kiss continues in the cramped environment of the broom closet, with Hazel silently thankful that PJ seems to have learnt not to use as much tongue; even if she does seem hell-bent of mapping the inside of their mouth in great detail, it’s nowhere near the full-frontal assault she’d launched on their face during their first kiss.

The kiss breaks as they move to trail their lips towards her neck, their fingers coming up to tangle in her hair as their lips trace her jawline, pulling the strands out of the way in order to clear their path. Their lips connect with her neck, tongue and teeth moving against the smooth skin as they fight the urge to bite, the idea of leaving a mark unbelievably tempting. As much as they know she’d rip their head off for it, the mental image is rather appealing in the moment, the idea of having to deal with PJ’s usual heckling far more palatable with the visual reminder of the way she sounds under their touch.

Any further ruminations are cut short by the buzzing of a phone, the insistent thrumming making PJ groan in annoyance as they reach for their pocket, motioning for Hazel to stop while they pull it out.

“Fuck- Josie.” She holds up the screen to Hazel as she speaks, turning it to answer the call. “What’s up? This better be good-“

She cuts herself off suddenly, her eyebrows rising quickly in response to whatever Josie has to say, her words too quiet for them to be able to make any out from where they stand in front of PJ.

“What- How the fuck? Right- Yeah, I’ll be there.” She speaks quickly, rushing to hang up the phone with a bemused look on her face, the expression prompting their own eyebrow to quirk in confusion.

“What’d Josie want?”

“Sylvie got her head stuck in Tucker’s cage?” She nods in response to the shocked look on Hazel’s face, their eyebrows lost somewhere behind their fringe as the statement visibly floors them. “Yeah- I’m not sure how either, honestly.”

They let out a long breath, sighing through their nose as they try to process the information, snapping out of their reverie at the sound of PJ’s irritated sigh as she moves push off of the wall she’d been leant against.

“Rain check?”

“Sure- of course,” They nod quickly at her question, moving in order to give her space as she rebuttons her pants and does what she can to make herself presentable. “I’ve got a free house later, if you wanna come by, maybe?”

“Yeah- why not, I should be free.” She shrugs as she speaks, shouldering her bag as she moves to grab the closet door, pushing past Hazel in the enclosed space as she rushes to leave and shouting over her shoulder. “See you later, bush ranger.”

She’s out of the door before they have a chance to reply, leaving them in the dark to ponder her strange PJ-specific brand of nicknaming as they bend over to grab their rucksack. Nearly everything about the past hour had effectively thrown them for a loop, something that’s starting to seem like a reoccurring theme in their encounters if their previous ones are anything to go by.

They leave the closet quietly, doing their best to ignore the weird feeling that PJ’s sudden departure had left in the pit of their stomach as they move through the corridors, deciding to spend the rest of their free period on the bleachers. Whatever fuck had just happened, or nearly happened, Hazel wasn’t exactly sure of- it’s near impossible to tell where exactly they stand with her these days.

#bottoms 2023 #pjhazel #pj x hazel #hazel callahan #hazel bottoms #pj bottoms #ruby cruz #rachel sennott

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cboffshore · 3 months

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with very little respect to that one feral Chima-purity-defender: here's that thing I was talking about the other day I now formally present THE SLOG THEORY.

obviously, this is STUPID rough. In order to make this way more accurate, I'd have to know how many normal days each season of Chima and Ninjago takes, which... not happening. I ain't doing that. This is very heavily rounded and largely for illustrative purposes.

(@ghostwalloper said I was cooking. It's dinnertime, pal.)

The original joke was that, since Chima is such a pain in the ass to watch and feels like it takes forever, obviously time in that realm must be WAY slower than in Ninjago, and only equalizes when The Merge happens and throws everything into a blender. Hence the name Slog Theory. I'm building on the time slowness thing here, because it's FUNNY. I could be entirely wrong - maybe everything in Chima happens in the span of five Ninjago minutes during the first season and they're just sitting around for the rest of the time.

Reading the chart: Blue side is Chima, with season chunks numbered. Red is Ninjago. Please note that the Ninjago season numbers are off to the side, ABOVE their related chunk, due to space. The purple V shape is when the Merge happens well after the end of N15. I drew this on my phone over breakfast, okay? Don't come at me for that. With that being said, I kept all of the time chunks on each side approximately the same just for ease of drawing, because - once again, for the people in the back - there is no way I am going back and doing the math to figure out exactly how many regular days each season takes. That's impossible. There are clues, sure, but WAY too many cuts. Just roll with it, please.

See those green zones on the blue Chima side? Those are our KEY POINTS. There are three, each correlating to some spot on the Ninjago side. They are:

The infamous Possession cameo. My brief research shows that this is an edited scene from EP 15 of C1, which leaves us two possibilities: either the cameo scene with Lloyd and Morro present is canon to BOTH sides, or history repeated itself on the Chima side after the original Eris/other bird iteration, and they all went to hang out on that hill again, hoping to see another fight. And boy did they deliver! Besides that scene EXPLICITLY being an edited version of one from C1, we also know that character lineup is consistent with C1.

The Beaver Portal thing from the second have of N11. It's trickier to place this in the Chima timeline because it doesn't have any of the main characters involved to indicate what season it happens in via armor or lineup, so I just let it fall where it may, which loosely suggests it happens somewhere off to the side between C2 and C3.

The final cliffhanger shot. Following with the time line I've already established with the other cameos, approximately 4-5 seasons have passed since the last one, which puts this after the end of N15 - right around where the Merge would kick off DR. Which would explain why we never see the Chima characters go have adventures down there - reality gets shredded first! Like, right after that shot!

Anyway! It's ultimately all pretty pointless - we're over here fighting over a toy commercial, after all - but I thought that drawing and writing it out a little more thoroughly helped me out, so I hope it helps you all, too.

#lila speaks #ninjago #legends of chima #Ninjago dragons rising spoilers #analysis freak lila back on her bullshit

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whltlock · 2 years

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CHAPTER 1/10 ★ Masterlist ★ Subscribe on AO3

Pairing: Jason Todd/AFAB!NB Reader, Minor Wally West/Reader

Summary: Jason's dead, so how is he in front of you right now?

Tags: vague soulmates au, jason has temporary amnesia, Jason/Reader Endgame, Fluff and Angst, post-resurrection, Sexual Content, Happy Ending, Past Relationship.

WC: 2,154

You take the same route you do most days from work to home. It’s dusk and because of that, the street lights have only just begun to flicker. The ones that work, at least. Usually you tune into the sound of distant ongoings: dog barks, the flutter of bird wings, and the more unsightly ones like glass shatters, shouts, shots.

Tonight, though, those sounds are drowned out by something more pressing. You’re keenly aware that you’re being followed. Even if you can’t hear their footsteps or see their shadow, the goosebumps and raised hair on every limb confirms it. It gets your adrenaline up.

Your gaze sweeps the street as you decide how to tackle your pursuer. They maintain enough distance that you don’t feel them on your heels yet. While the apartments above have lights on, the road is pretty desolate. There’s no one but you and your new acquaintance.

You’re more annoyed than anything. You don’t want to deal with this. You’ve never understood why someone would bother to mug a random pedestrian. They’re not likely to have anymore than you do.

Desperate times, you suppose. Although every third day feels like a desperate time in Gotham.

You duck down a laneway to give them a chance to realise their mistake.

You stop halfway through and look up at the windows with bars above. It’s a painful fifteen seconds before the figure approaches. The first thing you spot is how appropriately dressed they are in the darkest of shades: black boots, black hoodie, black pants, black gloves.

“Man, c’mon,” you sigh to yourself as they advance. Louder this time, you tell them, “You’ve got one chance to rethink this.”

The person—who you assume is a man considering his imposing build—pauses only momentarily.

When he paces forward again, you ready yourself to just get it over and done with. The quicker you put the imbecile on his ass, the quicker your ass gets to bed.

However, the muscles in your legs freeze in place, no longer able to swoop his weight out from beneath him.

It’s his eyes.

Something swims in the sea-foam glass of them.

Recognition of a past life.

Although it’s hard to get a proper look because of the hood, you know his eyes stay on you. Calculating. Confused.

You choke quietly on the two syllables: “Jason.”

His head tilts like he doesn’t quite understand. The knit of his brows draws your attention to the scars that glimmer silver under the moonlight.

Your heart pangs at the ghost in front of you. He looks so different compared to the last time you saw him, no longer a scrawny kid just learning about the gym. You’re not the same height anymore. He’s wider, bulkier. He’d be terrifying if you didn’t know him.

But his eyes weren’t always so green tinted. It’s different. It’s not the only thing that’s different.

You say his name again, disorientated. You watch him as much as he watches you.

His voice cracks as he whispers, “Why am I… here?”

That’s his voice. Deeper, but just as scared.

It’s the meanest trick anyone’s ever played on you.

You look beyond him to the main road. The only thing that comes to mind is shit, you got knocked out back there. Maybe you’re dying in the street right now. Stupid. Stupid, stupid.

“You’re not here,” you say, more so to yourself. But you don’t want his apparition to go. You never wanted him to go. Missing him is entwined in the very fibres of your being.

“I’m not?”

You shake your head sadly. “You’re dead.” Your voice is barely audible, even in the vacant alley.

Jason’s eyes drop to his body. He surveys himself. A hand climbs towards his neck and he pulls at his clothes, uncomfortable.

You pat at your own skull, searching for a bloodied patch. “I wish you weren’t.”

His gaze snaps to you. “I don’t…”

He wants to say that he doesn’t remember. Anything. His mind’s fractured. Deep down, he thinks he knows you. He doesn’t know why. There’s flashes. One of them led him to you.

It hurts. There’s an ache in your chest as much as there’s one in his. His brain hurts, too. Like something hit him, hard.

Jason’s fists curl. You move closer and when his name rolls off your tongue, it slices into him. He steps back, troubled.

Jason must be his name, but he’s not sure he can trust it. Trust you. Even though his body yearns for your compassion.

You look sad. It makes him feel worse. You rub at your eyes, hoping the fog and fumes have just gotten to you. That when you blink your eyes open again, you’ll just have been passed out.

Jason’s still there when you do. Helplessly, he doesn’t know how to proceed. So he just turns and walks away.

You don’t stop him. Instead, you go straight home to bed.

You wait for the stupor to end; for the world to make sense again.

And you wait.

But nothing rights itself.

Jason waits, too.

And he waits.

But every morning he’s still drawn to you, tied to the hook at the end of an invisible fishing line.

You haven’t felt right since your encounter with Jason’s ghost, but you keep it to yourself. What’s anyone supposed to do, anyway? Everyone goes on with their days since his demise, so you have no other choice but to do the same.

You weren’t mugged because nothing was taken. You weren’t hurt, either. And yet, walking the same route makes you nauseous.

You do it anyway.

Despite how awful it feels, you’re compelled to stop in that damned laneway. It’s empty. Dark. Wet. Stinks of trash.

“Dead,” comes a voice from behind you. It makes you jump out of your skin, even though you know its owner. You whirl around. “I’m dead?”

Jason’s much closer this time. Only a foot apart. He wears the clothes you last saw him in.

It both is and isn’t a question. He doesn’t know. Fuck, he wants to know something.

He looks at you haplessly. As his eyes trace your skin from your temples to your collarbone, he feels the breeze of a faraway memory. Softness.

You swallow. “You were,” you whisper. “Don’t you remember?”

His voice is hoarse as he says, “No.” He’s scared, because while his mind might not remember, his body certainly does. Trauma’s laced into every cell at this point. He just can’t connect the dots. He thinks of death in colours: green and orange, black and blue.

Slowly, he raises a hand, palm out, gloved. An offer; another question. You look down. You meet him shakily as your fingers touch his. He’s there. Physical.

“Am I… real?” Jason asks. “Here?”

Dumbstruck once more, you graze over his palm. He holds the weight like a real person would. You prod at him to further test it. He rebounds easily.

“I think… you might be.”

It’s his turn to investigate. Your hands flip. He traces a vein to your forearm and feels your warm pulse. He can’t help but think I know you, even if it’s buried deep.

It’s when your fingertips slip under his sleeve and touch his bare skin that he jerks away like he’s been splashed with acid. He makes a choked sound. You chew on your bottom lip to keep the tears away.

“I’m sorry,” you say, voice strained. “I’m sorry,” you repeat. It’s raw, and this time it isn’t about the invasion. It’s about your failure. It unearths grief and love. “I missed you,” escapes, and it’s painful to hear and painful to say.

Jason’s head tilts. He swallows. The words keep him standing in front of you. He thinks you might mean it. It means something to him, at least.

When you look up, it’s with wet cheeks. He wants to cradle them and wipe them dry. The thought makes his own heat up.

“You don’t remember?”

He shakes his head stiffly. “None of it makes sense.” Admitting it makes him feel like a child even though he’s clearly aged since his last memories.

“Okay,” you say, deflated.

“I… I know you, don’t I?” he offers pitifully. He doesn’t want you to mourn him. “I feel like I do.”

You stare at him for a moment. You’re slow to nod. “You were my best friend.” You look at the ground unsurely before you say, “I can show you.”

Jason agrees. You take out your phone and scroll, then hand it to him. He finds an abundant digital album. He squints as he scrutinises each photo.

But he can’t deny what he sees. It’s him, and it’s you. Us.

A young version of you both. You don’t look as different as he does.

It’s when he scrolls too far that something more stirs in him. The image is compromising and vulnerable. A scan of a photobooth strip; a typical shoot that ends with an impassioned kiss, your hands indented into each other’s skin and tangled hair.

His thumb stays on the screen as he draws over it again and again.

“Oh,” is all he can say as he understands why he wants you above everything else when he’s fresh out of the grave. You’re home.

You’re nervous as you watch him. He looks up, gaze softer. Shockingly, his own nerves have eased, although he doesn’t know what to say.

Instead, you ask him, “Do you trust me?”

It gets caught in his throat on the way out but he says, “Yeah.”

“Come with me?”

“Where?”

“My apartment,” you say. Seeing him hesitate, you add, “You can shower. Or sleep. Eat.”

It’s both a win and overwhelming when he gives a rasped, “Alright.”

He follows you to your building, although he stays a few steps behind. You let him have the space. He probably needs it to absorb what he’s learned.

Jason refuses to shower or sleep but he does sit on the couch with you. You wrap a blanket around his shoulders so he can be more comfortable. It smells like you—like safety. He holds onto it tightly.

You feed him crackers and cheese and water. He nibbles, slowly, eyes moving between your face and the apartment. It’s well lived in. He thinks it must be a while since he’s been gone.

You talk to him in a soft tone like he’s fragile. He is, but it still hurts.

“Did you just… wake up one day?”

He looks at his fingernails. He’s washed the dirt and blood and grime from them time and time again, yet he continues to feel the stains. You notice and it puts a frown on your face.

“Yeah. Down there,” is what he says.

You have so many more questions, but you ask, “Where did you go after?”

Jason shrugs like it’s nothing. “Shelter,” he mumbles. “Old safehouse.”

You sigh, exhausted. Not because of him, of course, but the whole situation is a tragedy. You don’t know what to do. An inkling of doubt hides in the back of your mind: what if you really are imagining all this?

But you owe it to him to take it seriously. Help him. You loved him so damn much, after all. Even if it breaks you again.

“I’m sorry,” Jason whispers, sensing your anguish.

“Don’t be,” you’re quick to comfort. “I’m glad you found me, Jason.”

There it is again—Jason. He swallows. He likes when you say it. It helps him feel more secure.

You peek at him from under your eyelashes. “I… I just don’t know what to do,” you sigh. “I could call Dick?”

The name echoes in his mind. He dredges through cleaved memories to figure out who that is. He must look confused because your mouth forms around the answer, although he beats you to it. He blurts out, “Grayson?”

“Yeah,” you say, surprised. “Do you remember him?”

His face scrunches and his head hurts from trying to recall the man. “A little,” Jason says. “He’s my… brother.” However, as he realises the problem at hand, it sets off panic. “Don’t tell him,” he stumbles, “Please. I don’t—”

“Okay,” you murmur. You place your hand near his.

He looks pained as he says, “Don’t tell my family.” He doesn’t know why yet, but he knows he doesn’t want to see them.

You nod. “I won’t.”

“Thank you.” His fingers brush yours. “I… I wish I could remember you properly.”

“Maybe it’ll come back with time and rest,” you tell him gently. You’re hopeful. Out comes a yawn. “Do you mind if I…?”

“S’fine,” he shrugs.

“Will you stay?”

“Guess so.”

You smile at him feebly. “I’ll be over there.” You point to your bedroom. “Wake me if you need me.”

He nods.

Jason does stay, if only to cut himself on your sobs that last well into the night.

A/N: Weekly updates!

😁 Going to do a one-time tag in the notes for people who have enjoyed my previous works ->->->->

#jason todd #jason todd x you #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #wayne family adventures #jason todd smut #fic*#jtfic*#jtsolace*

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thesandsofelsweyr · 3 months

Text

HIS

《 CHAPTER 4/4 // READ ON AO3 // TAG 》

Jason has been beaten half to death with a crowbar, shredded by barbed wire, strung up for so long his shoulders ripped from their sockets, shocked, starved, branded… It's only a wooden paddle, it can’t hurt more than any of the Clown’s other toys… right?

《RATING》 🔞 Explicit 《WORDS》 2,399

《CHARACTERS》 Jason Todd/Robin, Joker

《TROPES》 Hurt No Comfort, Angst, Whump, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

《WARNINGS》 Humiliation, Forced Nudity, Non-Consensual Spanking, Paddling, Genital Torture, Ownership, Master/Pet, Blood and Injury, Non-Consensual Touching, Scars

《SERIES》 Part 2 of My Arkhamverse, Part 2 of Ruined

《TAGLIST》 @aaliyah-wayne @ladytauria @betty-1880 @hlg8 @plantixst

《NOTES》

This fic is dark so please be aware of the tags

Kudos & comments on AO3, as well as reblogs here, are greatly appreciated 💛

《 READ ON AO3 》 (excerpt below the cut)

“And one to grow on!”

Several minutes passed before Jason realized the beating had stopped. His mind was still consumed by the dull throbbing in his abused genitals. He didn’t know how many times the Clown hit him with that paddle. He remembered the beating ending at 207, but was that the second 207 or the first?

“C’mon kiddo. Ease up. You can let go now. That’s it.” Joker soothed, prying his white-knuckled fingers from the edge of the desk.

He moaned as his limp body slid off the desk and collapsed into a quivering, piss-stinking heap of bloody meat. His tailbone was broken and his backside was bruised and burning from the small of his back to the hollows of his knees. But the agony in his testicles eclipsed all other pain, reaving through his head, dominating his awareness. He clasped trembling hands around them and curled his body in on itself.

“Thank you for paddling me, sir,” he said softly, his jaw working against the grimy floorboards that reeked of piss and shit, blood and vomit. Joker had taught him to be grateful for his punishments, if he didn’t want to be punished further.

The paddle tapped against his ass again and he wailed: “THANK YOU SIR!” as loud as his ravaged voice would allow.

The taps only grew harder. “I heard you the first time, kiddo.”

Fear clutched at his raw throat as shivers raced up and down his spine. He had no idea what he was supposed to do or say. “Please,” he whimpered. “What do you want me to say?” he asked in a small, reedy voice.

“Did I give you permission to move your hands?”

“No sir, p-please. I’m sorry,” he pleaded as he rethreaded his crooked fingers behind his head, praying that his obedience would spare him further punishment. It never does, you fool.

Joker squatted in front of him, placing the paddle across his knees and resting his elbows on the blade. Jason’s shriveled cock and balls drew up tight again, fearing further abuse. He couldn’t take his wide eyes off that paddle. He was terrified of getting hit with it again.

“Aww. Bet those are pretty sore right now, aren’t they, little guy?” Joker asked in that faux-gentle tone of his that sent invisible spiders skittering across his naked skin.

Jason swallowed hard as dread bloomed inside him. “Yes s-sir.”

Joker suddenly leapt to his feet, and Jason recoiled from the man. “Let’s play another game then, shall we? You’ll like this one, yessiree. It’ll cheer you right up, get your mind off that painful nonsense down there.” The rounded end of the paddle prodded at Jason, causing him to draw his fleshless legs to his chest and press his forehead against his bony knees—a futile attempt to shield his balls from more agony. “We’re gonna roleplay, you and me. It’ll be just like old times, like when the Bat and his Bird pretended to be superheroes. But this time will be more fun, I can promise you that. This time I’m gonna play the—ugh, are you paying attention?” Joker huffed indignantly, prodding at Jason again.

“Yes sir,” Jason answered wearily. He hated these games, mostly because he always found a way to lose.

“As I was saying, I’m gonna play the veterinarian, and you’re gonna be my adorable puppy patient. Okay? Now,” Joker whistled twice then clicked his tongue, “up boy!”

Jason slowly unfurled, not quick enough for the Clown’s liking, which earned him a hard kick to the gut. He yelped, struggling not to move his hands from the back of his head as fresh pain surged through him. Then slender fingers twisted in his matted nest of black hair, tearing at his scalp as he was dragged upright. “I said ‘up’ ya dumb mutt,” Joker growled before shoving him back down to the floor. Jason grunted as he landed on a chest full of broken ribs. “Hands and knees, kid,” Joker motioned upward with the paddle. “You know, doggy-style,” he chuckled.

Jason cringed at the creep’s sexual innuendo but dutifully obeyed. Joker crouched beside him, then a fist tightened in his sweat-soaked hair again, wrenching his head back so blood red lips could brush against his ear. “You know Uncle Joker doesn’t like when his little birdy doesn’t play along,” he warned, his voice suddenly low and sinister, his rotten breath hot and humid against Jason’s cheek.

The unspoken threat chilled him to the bone. “I-I know. I’m sorry sir.”

Joker shoved his head back down then flamboyantly whacked the back of it with his hand. “Nuh-uh-uh! That’s not what puppies are supposed to say, silly. Now, what do puppies say?”

#sands writes #my arkhamverse #series: ruined #fic: his #jason todd #joker #robin #arkham asylum #arkham knight #arkhamverse #whump #angst #dead dove: do not eat #jason todd angst #jason todd whump #jason todd fanfiction #dcu

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redyrmes · 13 days

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hhh designing colourzas in the year of out lord 2024 and i have sO MUCH to say about them,, spent the last few days assigning each of them a wingless + winged animal and ended up with this (also! the not underlined animals are the ones not explicitly used in their designs)

ill put my notes about them all under the cut because theres a lot but the big ones are:

- blueza and redza twin propaganda cos theyre the only hooved animals here

- grayzas winged bird is the only flightless one because i thought that would be funny, also the name is just so ominous for no reason which i also thought would be funny

-yellowza is so difficult to find animals for but i settled on peacock pansy butterfly because peacocks are fancy n stuff and hes fancy n stuff, but peacocks are purple, so the yellow bug equivalent is the best i can do for him. I have yet to decide on a winged animal for him lol..also hes sucha bug to me, ik hes canonically a bird but hes such a bug. however if he was a bird he would be a birds of paradise bird, absolutely, no questions asked

anyway heres more notes i wrote down a few days ago

bugs- |||

bats- | (rip redza hes alone)

birds- |||| (counting phil)

sidenote purplezas, redzas and bluezas animals are the only ones that dont match their colours and are neutral colours instead

—Redza is the only bat because he’s the first one who existed i think. also because his vibes match bats and nobody else matches bats but i gotta make it Lore. also he’s one of the only two hoofed+wingless animals, along with blueza, because redza blueza twin propaganda..and hes an ibex instead of anything else because i think the long, straight horns suit him better than others. there was also like. the addax, eland, oryx, ect but i decided goat > antelope because goats are smaller and more gremliny + association with the devil or somthin?? also he gets a funny little goatee

—Orangeza is a red fox bcos fox = cunning n smart idk….and that species because of its orange fur, pretty simple not given much thought but thats okay, it matches him pretty well i think. also i hc that one of his front moth wings (the brown ones, they cover the orange wings) got damaged so he patched it up with orange something because more orange and haha inventor guy fixes things you know. its okay i don’t either

-Yellowza was gonna be a longhorn beetle but they’re too orange. then a bumblebee but he’s not. he’s not a bee. but i finally settled on peacock pansy because peacocks are like. fancy n shit but he cant be a peacock because they’re purple, so yellow butterfly version is the next best thing. ALSO ik hes like canonically a bird and stuff,but MAN. HES JUST A BUG TO ME. but if he was a bird he would absolutely be a birds of paradise bird because Yes. honorable mention to the great tailed grackle.

his wingless animal was a STRUGGLE and i have yet to pick it hahaskmb….also i characterize him as a material girl instead of cheery optimist because there are enough cheery optimists

—Blueza was the easiest to decide lmao, he’s just a deer. either that or a moose, but deer are more gentle also thats like canon so yeah..white tailed deer 🦌 oh holy shit deer emojiand redza blueza twin propaganda, he’s one of the only two hoofed wingless animals here yesyes

his winged animal had to be a bird, preferable a dove because symbolism and whatnot right? he got mourning dove because fluffy lad + theres no white doves in the wild so i cant make him a white dove. probably going to draw him with whiter wings though to match his colour pallet haha, i dunno i haven’t really given him much thought

—it was so difficult to decide if Purpleza was a bird or a bug but i ended up with bird, because he’s a fluffy guy not a bug guy? and then choosing a bird was pain because theres so many pretty purple birds i really like but he’s more of a black bird, emo ass mfer

couldn’t make him a crow, raven felt off, considered grackles bcos they have purple wing shine whatever its called but they’re too social skdhdkfgngcn..solitary caciques had a good chance because they’re black birds that are very antisocial, literally purpleza. BUT I eventually decided on purple honeycreeper because they’re dark purple with black wings, and hang out in small groups with other species of birds, i think that speaks for itself.

and cat because cat

-might change the wingless animal of Pinkza idk axolotl feels too easy? but the only other guys i have are like. naked mole rat and pink dolphin and i cant implement those in a way that makes sense in my head LOL

and he’s a butterfly right, the pink rose butterfly really suits him i think but not his light color pallet. the other pink butterflies don’t suit him really, and the pink moths all have yellow which no. but then i found the pink orchid mantis. who is so soft and gentle looking, but uses its soft and pretty appearance to kill. so yknow the second i saw it i was like yup. pinkza

—Grayza (greyza?? i forgot sob) is the only flightless colorza, i thought it would be funny cos he’s this eldritch horror but he’s the only land bound one haha, also ayem cemani is death omen chicken in my head. and for his flightless animal, he’s a snake he’s very much a snake what do you want from me he’s just a snake

anmd i don’t want to think about whiteza until im done with these dont make me think about whiteza

#colorzas #philza fanart #my art #sketch #this is so funny to me because theres just one single guy posting bout colorzas in the past while #tiny near nonexistent subfandom im coming for you im gonna fucking get uou

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nintendont2502 · 6 months

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thinking about davesprite. i blame you /lh but anyways. any hcs about him that you have Not been able to post because they just. weren't ever topical.

so many. so so so fucking many. i try to keep sdd relatively close to canon characterisation wise but,,,,, fuck i have ideas

this ones just a straight up headcanon thats barely tied to canon but gender apathetic/agender any pronouns davesprite,, big fan of this one in combination with t4t pepsisprite (dsprite is junes birdfriend)

this could be a whole rant to itself but i have. so many thoughts on davesprites relationship with bro and how fucked up it is. to make what could be a whole ass essay short and to just focus on one tiny fucked up aspect of it,,, davesprite associating pain and injury with his brother but in a 'positive' way, because him being hurt has always been associated with 'positive' memories of bro for him (bro training him 'because he cares', bro helping him stitch himself up after a particularly bad strife when he was too young to do it himself, getting his literal wing torn off while bro died protecting him,,, man).

semi related to above but he does exhibit some bird behaviours even if he refuses to admit it - the big one is pulling out his feathers when hes stressed (again, vaguely related to above - davesprite getting stressed about bro and pulling out too many feathers, and that pain simultaneously making things worse *and* calming him down)

my headcanons for a post game dsprite where he somehow makes it to the creation of the universe are either 'he makes it through and gets given a real body and the ability to age :))' or. well. hes a game construct right. hes just. hes an npc. hes meant to be part of the game. ...what if it doesnt let him leave. what if going through the door completely wipes his data and hes just. gone. what if hes forced to choose between being stuck in the session alone forever or disappearing from existence permanently. (this was actually the basis of a fic idea lmao)

as much as i love davesprite dream bubble content.... i dont think hed make it into the bubbles. hes not a person, right. fuck if the *guardians* dont make it then what chance does he have

i dont think he sleeps much.

[slaps davesprite] this sad boy can fit so many identity crises into him

how does he know hes himself. like. how does he know hes not just code programmed to think hes dave and act like dave. sure hes clinging to that old identity that he isnt allowed to have anymore, but what if that was never him? who is he, then?

jesus christ these got depressing

bird mating rituals,, he gives john cool rocks and shiny things and gets really flustered about it because 'holy shit im being so obvious' and johns just like 'haha cool! :B'

he gives davesprite like. a shiny bit of plastic one day as a joke and davesprite gets way too happy about it.

dave and davesprite brothers is so fucking real. to me.

less a headcanon, more a thought i cant get out of my head. davesprite literally keeping his sword in his chest is. fuck man. thats something. the only way he can use it is by taking it out which has gotta fucking hurt,,,, violence and fighting hurting himself just as much as it hurts everyone else

i like drawing post battleship dsprite with the missing wing and stomach hole still because im gonna be so real i dont think sburb would heal that. who cares right. it isnt threatening him at all - sure it hurts a lil but he could get used to it, and it isnt impacting his role, and like. hes just a sprite. who cares

^^ and if it *can* be healed, i still dont think it would by then. look man im just a sucker for emotional and mental healing being represented physically,,, the only time they heal is when he finally gives himself a break and lets himself rest and lower his guard and heal emotionally

again this isnt really a headcanon it just haunts me. davesprite is/was a knight of time right. both serving (and sacrificing for) time and using time as a weapon. thinking about how weapons can both protect and injure, or even kill. thinking about how davesprite probably feels responsible for all those deaths in the doomed timeline. thinking about how he essentially killed himself by travelling back. thinking about how he did it to protect.

...davesprite thinking about what would happen if dave died permanently. hed never do anything. hed never let that happen. but... the timeline needs a dave, right. and davesprite would still be there. hed never do anything to make it happen. but what if that was his chance.

i love the idea that dsprite acts more like dirk and hal acts more like dave (mirroring their text colours). i just think its fun

yall ever think about how the shades john gave dave were so important that when he was literally recreated, the universe still gave them to him? he wasnt wearing then when he was prototyped. because i do. i think about it all the time.

new pesterchum handle. turnedtechGodhead is the only one ive thought of atm but im gonna make more i stg (vaguely related: hals pesterchum is turingTested. that is all)

i swear to god theres more rattling around in there but i cant reach it and this is logn enough so :thumbsup:

#MAN #thanks for the opportunity to ramble i needed it #me.txt #davesprite

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chiefbeifongcanrailme · 1 month

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DVD COMMENTARY (It's Time to Make Time)

“Chief there’s a massive hickey the size of Ba Sing Se on your neck and it’s really hard for all of us to imagine you having a sex life all of a sudden. Just the sight of it paints a very vivid picture of the kind of sex you’re having and the kind of person you’re having it with. Spirits, Chief! It’s purple in color- how are you not in pain? What was he trying to do to you? And no, we know you didn’t sleep well or sleep much last night- because you were having some really wild sex and that mark was not there yesterday and today it’s the first thing anyone can see when they look at you! No but really- what was he- trying to eat and swallow you? Please ask me to stop talking, Lin?” Mako pants.

Lin gawked at him, thoroughly shocked at his guts to it to her face and even more so that everyone now knew that she was probably involved with someone.

“Ha-has everyone noticed?” She managed to get out meekly.

“Yes Chief. Everyone. People are placing bets on who they think you’re sleeping with.” Mako exhales sharply and finally looks her in the eye.

Have fun!

Ah, It's Time to Make Time, my dearest.

This fic was written to be just a one-shot, and second chapter that followed were also supposed to be one-shot that happened to occur in this universe. The third chapter was just because this fic deserved to be wrapped into that perfect little bow with a cherry on top.

So, coming to the very first chapter where this excerpt is from: I believe I wrote this very early on in my fandom writing carrier- I had all these "need to hide our relationship from Tenzin" ideas for Linumi and I was playing around them.

One such idea, that I borrowed from real life events is- Lin getting caught with a hickey. Canonically, I think Lin would be totally intolerant if a lover left a mark on her- unless, they're in a serious relationship and it was an accident and neither party intended on it/realized it. With Bumi and his nomadic wildness, I can imagine him having a hard time taming himself- especially if he's as in love with and attracted to someone like Lin.

In the backdrop of the plot, Lin is seemingly extremely busy. She's been spreading herself pretty thin and being as sedulous as her, she won't half-ass anything- her job or her "casual" relationship.

I wanted to depict a couple of things here:

From personal experience, I know that being the kind of busy where you don't even have the time to catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror doesn't bode well. Sooner or later, there'll be an eruption. Lin does come across as someone who'd be that kinda busy. There comes a time in everyone's career when they're asked to "take it slow" because of their age and such- and I wanted to show that, irrespective of age, if someone's still kicking, they don't have to slow down for that. They could easily slow down to live their lives on their terms- because they've earned it. I've seen a lot of headcanons that Lin retires because of her injuries, or her age- etc, and knowing Lin, I don't think she'd let things like that hold her back. If she does decide to slow down, it's going to HAVE TO be because she wants to and not because she has to. Establishing both these points were a good two birds with one stone.

Being a woman with power at the workplace. It's really sad when a woman at a higher position is reduced to vapid gossip for having something as basic as a personal life. It's only because people fear Lin that they won't treat her the way that one criminal (Raj) did. Lucky for Lin, her subordinates both respect and love her and so she isn't quite subjected to that- which is something very positive about this phenomenon that I got to portray.

Mako and Lin's friendship. I can draw so many parallels between the two: from being the ever-sacrificing, traumatized older sibling to drowning yourself in work to avoid your personal life. I think Lin sorta sees him as her mini me- and she's both proud of and scared for him. It's one thing for him to emulate good qualities, but she hates that she sees her bad qualities in him too. In coming clean about her personal life to Mako, she's showing him that he need not minimize his life in order to serve. Having love in your life doesn't diminish your power.

Lin handling herself. Lin likes to face her problems head on. Everyone has reached a moment in their lives when they're totally humiliated and it's no different for Lin. She learnt the hard way the price of not accepting things coming your way with grace- that if she tries to fight everything that doesn't go her way, it's going to be her down fall in the end. After reconciling with Tenzin, then Suyin, and then her mother, she realizes that had she just accepted circumstances(Pema, scars and mommy issues) for what they were back when they arose, she wouldn't have had to spend all these decades feeling alone and bitter. She didn't need to isolate herself, and guard her emotions with such high walls if she just accepted the situations(move on, forgive and mommy issues). Having likely being subjected to terrible press in the wake of her breakup with Tenzin, I can see Lin wanting to keep this new relationship- one with Bumi, no less- on the downlow. The last thing she needs to relive is the cruel gossip columns and paparazzi outside her window. So, she decides to take it one step at a time.

Sorry, I kinda got carried away there. Now, coming to excerpt itself: Mako is always a little nervous around Lin. He has very confusing feelings about her- he thinks she's cool and hot and he has that "do I wanna be her or do I wanna be with her?" dilemma. But either way, keeping those feelings at bay, he has a lot of respect for Lin as his mentor and cares for her like family. Lin knows he's the only one who'll give it to her straight- that he could be a confidant of sorts and that he is not to be judged by the company he keeps. She trusts him to the fullest, and we see here how it only substantiates that trust when he's the only one to tell her what's really going on, and return, is the only one to learn of her big secret.

Mako kinda gets lost in his rambling of course, because Lin makes him nervous and the idea of her having a sex life only further escalates the "do I wanna be her or do I wanna be with her" dilemma since he gets to view her in a sexual light for the first time. Either way, Mako's a serious guy, and pointedly conveys his exact thoughts until he realizes, physically, he needs to stop talking.

Lin's shock has more to do with the contents of his ramble as well as some to do with the length of his chatter. She knows he can't look her in the eye, but appreciates when he finally does as he tries to sound more comforting. Lin doesn't do well with feeling embarrassed, and Mako knows that- very few people can sense that about her.

I think it's somewhat in this moment, when Lin makes a decision. Old Lin would've immediately broken up with Bumi, without any explanation and sent him running. But as for new Lin, who 1) cared about Bumi and 2) wanted him to know that she cared him, she had to be better. So she not only admitted to herself that she cares for Bumi, but also to Mako that being in love and having a relationship is not a weakness or a vulnerability.

I hope you enjoyed this commentary!

#lin beifong #chief beifong #merkittty answers #linumi #bumi ii

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miss-writes-a-lot · 7 months

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Shiny Leaves and Apple Cider

Dabihawks au//Single Dad Hawks//Cw: fire, being burned alive, depression, chronic pain, mentioned death

Thursday night. A living room full of tall, cream-colored candles on every free surface they have. Two half-empty mason jars full of spiked apple cider precariously sitting toward the edge of the coffee table, long forgotten in favor of slow dancing to a beaten-up record Keigo found at the thrift store one day after work.

Touya's hands wrapped firmly around Keigo's waist, chin resting atop his head. Keigo's ear pressed closely to the center of his broad chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.

They sway slowly together, gently swinging back and forth, back and forth, soaking each other in. Keigo keeps a firm grip on Touya's shirt as they waltz around the living room. Keigo sighs dreamily and nuzzles his face further into Touya's chest. Touya chuckles.

"What's that for, Birdie?" He asks, running a hand up Keigo's back.

Keigo shrugs, "Nothing. Just love you is all."

"Oh, really now?"

"Yup," Keigo replies, popping the p. He turns his head up to meet his shiny, turquoise eyes, "you love me?"

Touya smirks, his eyes going up to the ceiling, "I dunno. I'll have to think about that."

Keigo pinches his side, "Touya!"

Touya snickers, "Kidding! Kidding!"

He turns his head down and pecks a kiss on Keigo's forehead. "I love you, Baby Bird."

Keigo closes his eyes and hums, "Damn right you do."

"Damn right, I do," Touya parrots.

Keigo chuckles, focusing back on Touya's heartbeat. It's the first thing he wakes up to and the last thing he hears when he falls asleep. It's the only way he can fall asleep. He can't remember the last time he slept without feeling the drum of his heart against his face, or without Touya in general. He can’t think of a time when he didn’t have Touya right beside him, right in his arms and molded together.

But something's… off

It’s hot.

No, it’s not just hot. It’s boiling. Scalding. It burns.

Everything about Touya burns Keigo’s skin. He has difficulty prying himself away from his chest because it feels like he’s melted into him.

“Touya, you’re hot–”

“I know,” Touya replies, voice warbling like radio static.

Keigo shakes his head. He finally manages to rip his face away from

Touya’s scalding chest and stumbles back. “No, Touya. You’re actually hot, what–?”

The question dies in his throat as he watches Touya’s entire body erupt into blue flames. They rip away his flesh and bone until he disappears into ash without a second thought.

“Touya!” Keigo screams.

The flames crawl across the floor and up Keigo’s legs. It isn’t long before the entire house is saturated in blue flames. Keigo rips off his denim jacket and smacks it at the fire but it refuses to go out. It runs further up his body, scorching his midsection, and ripping apart his chest until it finally crawls up his throat, and suffocates him.

*•.🍁.•*

Keigo’s drenched in sweat, which isn’t surprising once he realizes that he’s fallen asleep on his heating pad – which is currently at the highest setting. His heart thunders in his ears, but once the blurriness fades and his brain stops swimming, he manages to take a breath. He sighs, peeling himself from the bed. The clock on the opposite wall reads 3:30 in the afternoon – shit – and the room is already starting to develop an orange tint.

“Fuck,” he hisses through gritted teeth.

He peels back the heavy blankets. He swings his legs over the side of the bed and he…sits there for a few seconds. He scans the room. It’s cleaner than it usually is this time of day, so he’s at least done something today. He closes his eyes, draws a slow breath through his nose to asses how much pain he’s in today, and once he’s decided that he could give less of a fuck, he stands.

He switches off the heating pad and starts out the room to the hallway.

Suzume’s probably in her room, most likely surviving off either leftovers in the fridge or snacks she can reach on the bottom shelf – if she’s remembered to eat at all that is, an unfortunate trait she inherited from him.

He’ll just make instant ramen or pasta or something easy and if she hasn’t eaten herself sick on sweets, they’ll have the Neapolitan ice cream they’ve had stuck in the freezer for the past two months.

He comes up to her door and knocks, “Su! I’m up. You hungry?”

No response. Keigo raises a brow.

‘Maybe she’s asleep?’ He thinks, then knocks again.

“Suzume! You okay in there?”

Still no response.

He goes to open it. “Suzume?”

The 7-year-old’s room is completely empty. He looks around the door to see if she’s hiding behind it. He walks inside and looks under her bed and in her closet.

Still no Suzume.

Keigo’s heart rate kicks back up. He starts out of her room and down the hallway, opening every door on the second floor while urgently calling her name.

“Suzume? Suzume! Where are you?”

He opens every cabinet, checks every nook and cranny that Suzume can possibly fit in, but he comes up empty. He starts running when he heads downstairs. From there, he starts yelling.

“Suzume!” he shouts as he turns over the cushions on the couch and races into the laundry room and kitchen, “Suzume!”

He throws open the backdoor. He spots a head of blonde hair past the treeline of their backyard. He races across the grass, blood gushing in his ears. He finds her crouched under a massive tree, rooting through the pile of fallen leaves with dirt-covered hands.

He’s finally able to breathe, “Suzume!”

She whips her head around and greets him with an unassuming grin, “Hi papa!”

He falls to his knees and scoops her into a hug, “Thank god you’re safe! What are you doing out here by yourself?”

“I was getting pretty leaves for Daddy!” she exclaims, holding the pile up to him.

Keigo frowns, “Suzume, I told you not to go outside by yourself – especially when I’m asleep and when it’s past the trees. It’s not safe.”

Suzume’s smile falls along with her eyes, “ ‘m sorry…”

Keigo sighs through his nose, “Just…let’s go inside and get you cleaned up, okay?”

She nods, bottom lip trembling.

He picks her up, watching as her hands start letting go of the pile in her palms. He cups her hands and brings them back toward her. “Keep ‘em. We’ll wash those too.”

She doesn’t reply to that. He walks them back inside, immediately setting Suzume down by the sink. He grabs a salad bowl from the top shelf and motions for Suzume to dump the leaves inside. She does. He sets the bowl aside, gently takes her hands in his, and moves them toward the sink.

She keeps her eyes down and stays quiet as he washes her hands. He works his hand under her fingernails. His eyes occasionally flicker from her hands to her face, her eyes darting away each time he does. He finishes up, shuts off the water, and cups her face in his hands.

“Hey, can you look at me for a sec?”

Her eyes flicker up at him.

“I’m not angry, okay? I was just scared because I couldn’t find you. I thought something bad happened to you.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

“I know, Chickadee. Just please don’t do it again. If you wanna go outside, just wait or wake me up and ask me, yeah?”

She nods.

He smiles, pecking a kiss to the top of her head. “We’re okay, Su. We’re okay.”

“We’re okay,” Suzume parrots in a much happier tone of voice.

Keigo nods, “So, you wanna tell me about the leaves?”

Her beaming grin is back, “Ochaco and Tsu-chan said they can make a pretty flower bow… bow–”

“Bouquet?”

“Yeah, that thing! They said they could make one of those with pretty leaves so I wanted to find some that Daddy would like so I could make one with them!”

He tips the bowl toward him, looking at the collection. Leaves in different shades and gradients ranging from spring green to honey orange fill up the bottom alongside a collection of twigs and dirt, like the stuff Keigo and Touya used to play with when they made forts at school.

He smiles warmly, “Your dad’ll love these. He always liked fall.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But that’s only because fall meant we were closer to winter break.”

Suzume giggles. Keigo’s eyes travel back down to the bowl, settling on a bright red leaf peaking through some of the brown ones.

“Hey, Su. Have you ever tried apple cider?”

Suzume searches the ceiling for an answer, shaking her head when she can’t find it, “I don’t think so.”

“You want me to teach you how to make it?”

Suzume’s smile shines as she hops down from the kitchen counter.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Grab me a pot, yeah? The biggest one you can find!”

She nods, running to the opposite side of the kitchen to grab one of the pots in the lower cabinets while he grabs the ingredients that are surprisingly unspoiled (and there. He really needs to go shopping).

Suzume drags the pot and her step stool toward the stove, “Got it!”

“Good,” he reaches down and sets it down on the stove, “I’ll take care of this. Can you wash those apples for me?”

“Okay!”

Suzume happily takes her task while he boils the water. He lets her dump in all the spices and carefully teaches her how to cut up the apples with her dull, plastic knives and dump them in as well. She does it all with a shining smile.

With his shining smile.

When it’s done, he grabs the mason jars from the top shelf and fills them with cider. He doesn’t give Suzume too much since he isn’t too sure she’ll like it despite her excitement about making it. He gives her his glass while he drinks from Touya’s.

“Careful,” he says as he carefully hands it to her.

She looks down at the dark liquid with wide eyes, “Ooh.”

“Cheers,” he says, clinking their glasses together. He holds it up to his lips, watching as Suzume grabs the jar with both of her little hands and drinks from it, “Careful.”

She starts to take a sip, brows raising in surprise before she chugs it down in one go.

Keigo laughs, “You like it, huh?”

She nods happily.

“You want a little more?”

“I want a lot more!”

“Okay, okay. But I’m not gonna give you too much. Don’t want you spoiling your…?”

“Dinner!”

“Dinner. Right,” So she did eat. Good, “What do you want for dinner?”

“Chicken!”

Keigo smiles, “That’s my girl.”

He reaches across the table and grabs her jar. He goes back to the pot, starts to fill her glass with cider while humming.

“Papa?”

“Yeah, Suzu?”

“Did Daddy like cider too?”

“Yeah. He loved the stuff.”

“Should we bring him some the next time we go to see him?”

Keigo stops, a small but fond smile playing across his lips. He pours the glass and turns back to her, “Sure, baby. We can see him after you make your little flower bouquet. This stuff lasts a while.”

*•.🍁.•*

“Hey, Dabi – woah, are you cooking?”

Dabi rolls his eyes as he slowly stirs the pot of apples and allspice. “No, I’m fucking fishing. Haven’t caught a bite all day.”

Toga skips over to him, looking over his shoulder as he continues to stir, “Is that…cider?”

“Is this ask me stupid questions day or somethin’?”

“Geez, don’t get so hotheaded,” she replies with a grin, “I just didn’t peg you as the kind of guy who’d be into this kind of stuff. Always pictured you more as a hard liquor only guy.”

Dabi stops for a second, staring down at his scarred reflection in the amber liquid. He clicks his tongue and continues on. “Yeah, well –’tis the season, I guess. You gonna want some of this?”

Toga pouts, “Dang. I wanna but the Boss wants me on a job right now.”

“That’s fine. You can have some when you get back,” he pauses, catching another glimpse of himself in the cider, “This stuff lasts awhile anyways.”

#my writing #writing #dabihawks #implied dabihawks #bri writes #bnha #mha #hawks angst #bnha hawks #bnha dabi #touya todoroki #fluff #light angst #dabihawks lovechild #takami suzume #suzume takami #death cw #burning cw

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i-would-get-in-the-water-naked · 3 months

Text

Athena character design and headcanons

the quality is shit I know, I'm sorry :((

(ART BY ME)

istg if Tumblr fucks up again I will throw my PC out of the window.

anyway.

Headcanons

She's an outsider among the other Gods. They tend to underestimate her, sometimes even humiliate her, especially the men - because she's strong, smart, beautiful, and a woman. They feel like she threatens their status.

Ares is her younger brother (they're just a few years apart, which doesn't really matter now that they're adults because Gods age differently and slower than humans). They cannot stand each other. Ares hates the fact that one of Athena's purposes is being responsible for the fairness of wars - because he feels controlled by her.

Speaking of which, Ares often annoys her in any way he can think of. Athena hates that and it often ends up in her beating Ares' ass.

One more thing about Athena and Ares' relationship: they actually care about each other very much but won't admit it to anyone - not even themselves. They might piss each other off, but they'd never EVER hurt each other. They fight a lot but they make sure blood never gets involved.

The only person who has ever shown her any open support was Poseidon. They spent a lot of time together when Athena was young, he trained her in the skill of fighting, which is one of the reasons she's so good at it.

In the modern-day world, you could say she most definitely is on the autism spectrum. She doesn't understand emotion, hers, or others. The concept of love - both romantic and physical - just doesn't make sense to her (mostly because nobody has ever shown her any).

She probably thinks she's aroace in the way "I don't need love or sex" but if someone hugged her and told her they love her, she would either giggle and kick her feet or cry. Depends on the situation.

She hardly ever cries. She bottles up her emotions because she has always been told nobody cared. She overall is very calm and collected until something or someone hurts her pride and/or ego - which she uses as a defense mechanism because she figured that others don't like her because she's better than them.

She has white owl-like wings which she keeps hidden with a spell inside of the two scars she has on her back - she got the wings in a very painful process and they are very sensitive. She can also turn into an owl and she sometimes does it just to avoid talking to people.

Oh, and she LOVES birds. Like. In her chamber in the Olympus palace, she has a whole collection of sketchbooks which she used to draw birds into when she was little. Whenever she finds out any fact about one of the birds she has drawn, she finds the page it's on and writes the fact down next to it.

She's probably panromantic? But she has never gotten the opportunity to find out (and me neither so I don't have any idea what sexuality to give her).

#athena is indeed badass in the arena #finally tumblr let me post this thank you very much #i hope you enjoy #athena character design #character design #headcanons #headcanon design #epic: the fanfic #epic: the musical

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nicodemuslily · 4 months

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Emily's tattoo 2 (AU)

Okay, I'm stil trying to figure out how Emily's tattoo must look alike. What I had in mind is a dark crow (because black is needed to cover Doyle's mark) turning white. It's supposed to be a cover, but most of all a healing tattoo for Emily to stop thinking again about that dark time.

So, here are my first tries. My favorites are the broken crow, the vanishing crow and the fire crow (and my top favorite is the vanishing one even if I had a very good surprise with the broken/shards one). The leaf crow was fun to draw but, maybe its the position, I'm not fond of the result. And the ice crow was a pain in the ass to do and the result is meh, I won't keep it.

BUT all those birds don't fit with the project. XD

And I still haven't figure out which position I'll keep. Not the second and the fourth ones (the second one feels unatural and the fourth one is not clear enough).

What's your opinion?

#crows #tattoo #emily prentiss #criminal minds fanart #fanfic illustration #work in progress #birds #sunday sketch time #sketches #sketchdump

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angeldrawsstuffs · 9 months

Text

So my Movie!Clancee drawing is being a pain in the ass and I’m tired and sad, so I’m gonna talk about the Movieverse element of nature.

So I was talking with @impulsivefanwriter back in May of 2022 and we came up with the idea that the Movieverse element of nature was split up into four parts by the Master of Nature of the previous generation, and guess who that master was?

No, seriously. Guess.

…

Dareth.

Yes, Dareth.

This Dareth.

His Movieverse counterpart is the Master of Nature.

ANYWAY-

For some yet to be specified reason, the element decided to be a bit silly and get unstable. So, to combat this, Dareth split up the element between his three adopted kids (well, one officially adopted and two he honorarily splits custody with).

Who are these kids you make ask?

Clancee, Benthomaar, and Dove/Fugidove.

Anyway, Nature is split into four distinct categories to fit each master-

Plants (Clancee)

Animals (Dareth)

Birds (Dove)

Marine Life (Benthomaar)

So yeah not much else to to story. That’s a HC.

Ig I can talk about what each EM does with their powers, that’s fun.

Clancee mainly uses his powers to grow new plants for Misfortune’s Flowers, as well as creating very pretty decor and arrangements.

Bentho is the most carefree, in that his powers go to making his father and brother coral bouquets, as well as taking care of and chatting with other sea life.

Dareth helps our injured and in need animals when he can, and asks some of the tougher ones to teach him fighting moves (most of which are ineffective against people but he’s trying ok?).

Dove just like running his bird shop (he has one of those btw) and talkin with the birbs. He also feeds birds around the city. He’s very happy with this. Oh yeah and he also summons birds to be a menace to people he doesn’t like.

Anygay if y’all have more questions send them in my ask box because I’m an attention whore /lh /hj.

#ninjago #the lego ninjago movie #tlnm #ninjago dareth #dareth ninjago #ninjago clancee #clancee ninjago #prince benthomaar #ninjago benthomaar #benthomaar ninjago #ninjago fugidove #fugidove ninjago #ninjago headcanons #movieverse headcanons #headcanon

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sublimecatgalaxy · 2 years

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Part 2 of this Eddie fic :)

Uh duh. Thanks to everyone who loved it so much!! Slow burn🤪

I never realized how boring my life is without Eddie constantly bugging me- and flirting with me- nearly every single day.

Since the minute we both hit puberty and had the “birds and the bees” talk- awkwardly- with his uncle, we’d always looked at each other in a different way and we’ve always been bashful and flirty. Always.

But weeks have passed since I've seen Eddie, since I've spoken to him in any way other than quick glances shared in the hallway. This wasn’t us being bashful and giddy around each other, this was genuine fear on both sides to talk about what had happened.

Maybe it was because I implied that I wanted to kiss him- to feel his lips against me in more ways than one- and maybe he got nervous after his uncle came home almost immediately after I openly commented about his talented mouth.

But this is possibly the longest we've gone without talking to one another, even in the midst of the rest of our friend group and at Hellfire.

The group has definitely picked up on the added tension between the two of us, realizing that something must've happened between us but I'm sure they don't realize the extent of what happened. That Eddie openly dirty talked me into a pool of submission and arousal- that he made me want to rip his clothes off then and there, to draw noises out of him that I’ve only dreamed about. I can only imagine that they would never understand the way Eddie spoke to me and how it made me feel- the words he said to me that had my mind turning to mush, the words that play on an instant repeat in my mind.

"I wonder how wet I can get you just by talking to you like this."

"Do you think about my fingers, my rings?"

"So needy, pining for your best friend."

I shiver and turn in my seat to look back at Eddie as he stares down at his history textbook, his tongue sticking out in concentration. He's been trying to do better in all of his classes lately, wanting nothing more than to graduate with me this year, but it's now me who struggles to pay attention in class. My mind is in the gutter and swimming with thoughts of talking to him- fucking him, to be frank.

Suddenly, he looks up and freezes, his lips parting in quiet shock at the sight of my eyes locked on him. I send him a small wave, pulling a soft smile out of him as he shifts in his seat, sending me back a tight lipped smile. I nod towards the door, watching his brows pull together in gentle, boyish confusion. Raising my hand without giving him another moment to ponder, the teacher sighs and she calls on me.

"May I go to the bathroom?"

By the time Eddie finally frees himself of the confines of class and stumbles out of the school, spotting me leaning against his van, he looks frustrated. His hands are shoved in his pocket and his breath reflects in the cold air.

"Are you kidding- get your ass in the van, you're gonna freeze your ass off, kid." He mutters unlocking the van and pushing me into the slightly warmer vehicle. I immediately crawl under the blankets that he has folded in the back, watching him shut the door tightly and relax against the wall. His eyes are demanding yet soft, his gaze trailing over me, almost asking 'well?'.

"I know we've been avoiding each other since, uh..." I trail off, flashbacks riddling my brain as his cheeks flush. He looks away from me quickly, clearing his throat and he pulls a blanket over his lap. "I miss you and I'm sorry if I ruined anything by being pesky." I huff, feeling better after apologizing but feeling even more confused when he looks physically pained at the thought of me feeling guilty for all of this.

"Fuck- you didn't ruin anything, babe- I just didn't know you felt that way about me." My heart leaps at the pet name, my tongue slipping out to wet my lips as they continue to dry. "I didn't know you wanted to know me like that." I crave you like that. There's a soft, bashful smile on his lips and I scoff, shaking my head incredulously.

"You genuinely didn't realize that I wanted you like that?" My question seems to take him off guard, his brows lifting in shock at my forwardness.

"Is that really how you feel?" He asks, moving towards me as he scoots to sit between my legs. His voice comes out breathless, as if he's been holding onto that question for years, a weight lifting from his shoulder as his hand reaches out to rest on my knee.

"I wouldn't have put myself out there if I didn't want you." I whisper, lowering my gaze from his. "I was just too embarrassed to make a move o-or ask you if you felt a similar way-"

"I do- fuck, I always have." He laughs, reaching out towards me to place a hand on my knee. "I've wanted to talk to you, the last few weeks, I mean. But I was terrified that you just closed up on me and would never want to look at me again." He huffs exasperatedly, with a shy smile, his brows twitching anxiously. I bite my tongue for a few moments, looking over his nervous frame wondering where my confident best friend went. Did I seriously turn him into an anxious, boyish bundle of stress?

"I've been looking at you." I whisper, my voice quivering as his eyes lift, gazing up at me through his dark lashes. He waits for a moment, waiting for me to go on and the comfortable silence he offers me only makes me want to go on. "Thinking about you."

"Thinking about what?" He asks, barely giving me a chance to add onto my statement. I just clear my throat and push the blanket off of me, stalking across the van to slide down into his lap. He doesn't argue, just wraps his arms around my waist. He looks up at me with a teasing look but there's a sense of sincerity behind his dark hues.

"Being close to you again." I let out a brief sigh of relief, playing with the ends of his curls.

"What else?" He asks, leaning down to gently press a kiss to my exposed collarbone, a shiver running down my spine but not from the cold- no, I couldn't be more warm.

"You kissing me." I grin, my head tipping back to allow his lips to venture further up the column of my throat. He chuckles against my skin and grips at my waist, my head spinning from arousal.

"Where?"

"Everywhere." I giggle, loving the laugh that rumbles in his chest. He pulls back to look up at me, brows pulled together, feigning confusion with a shit-eating grin.

"Is that an offer?" He gasps, pulling me even more flush against him with a wicked look in his eyes. I just groan, my hands gripping onto his shoulders as words escape me.

"Please."

"Oh so it's not an offer, it's you begging." He teases, his lips skimming against mine ever-so slightly with no intent of kissing me until I tell him what I want- which is him. So simple and so plain but I can't seem to vocalize it, the words getting stuck on the tip of my tongue. Instead, one word comes out.

"Eddie..." He shushes me mockingly, reaching up to takes my cheeks in his hands, his eyes flickering back and forth between mine.

"Patience, sweetheart. You know I'd never leave you hanging."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane2828 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy @steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi

@crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr @aaaaslaaaan @minjix @luvrosee

#eddie #eddie x reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things fic

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ajgrey9647 · 4 months

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"I'm yours. Only yours." Jason x Tommy

Couple Stubborn Asses

Time seemed to slow down and he felt as though he couldn’t draw breath, even as he paced agitated circles about the Command Center. Refusing to power down, the green and white boots clicked a steady rhythm as he moved, first one way and then around the other. Gloved fists twisted, clenched, and unclenched spasmodically.

Despite the other Rangers’ best efforts, nothing calmed Tommy’s panicked fretting.

‘Please be ok, please be ok, please be ok. Jason, you have to live…’

He couldn’t get the awful sound of Jason’s agonized scream to quiet in his mind, couldn’t drown out Goldar’s triumphant cackle. The sight of the Red Ranger dropping limply to his knees before collapsing backward, his sword clattering to the packed stone, the hollow, sickening thud of his body striking the ground.

As the Green Ranger mindlessly shoved and fought his way to Jason’s side, he’d been laser focused on the crimson staining the crisp white of his best friend’s uniform and the smear of blood across his mouth guard. Unable to tell if the Red Ranger was still breathing, he couldn’t stem the enraged roar as he tackled Goldar, pummeling him so viciously that the golden ape had barely managed to drag himself away.

Scooping Jason’s limp body to his chest in a perverse bridal carry, his arms dangling like a rag doll’s, head lolling over Tommy’s bicep had been surreal. This couldn’t be happening. Not Jason, not the Red Ranger, their leader…

‘Please be ok, please be ok… Because I swear to God, I’m going to wring your neck like a fucking chicken when you wake up!’

Why had Jason let Goldar goad him in a fight like that? When Tommy was grappling with Rita’s newest monster of the week? And the others had been unable to teleport to the battlefield, blocked by the evil witch’s magic?

‘Fucking bullheaded, stubborn…’ Tommy swore hotly to himself. ‘Why couldn’t he just fucking WAIT!’

“Tommy?” Kimberly’s voice cut in, her small hand settling on his shoulder like a bird. “He’s going to be fine, alright? Billy and Alpha have him and they’re going to bring him around. You know they will…”

The Green Ranger shrugged her off and growled deep in his throat.

“You need to let Trini scan you, make sure you’re alright,” she tried desperately.

Whirling, the distraught teen snarled, a choked sob of fear flowing beneath the hostile sound.

“I’m fucking fine! Jason’s the one bleeding out!”

The emerald helmet obscured his scalding tears and for that he was thankful.

“Easy, man!” Zack soothed, stepping between Tommy and the Pink Ranger. “Kim’s right. Jase’s in good hands, he’s strong and tough. I just know he’s going to pull through.”

But the Green Ranger wasn’t having it. Hissing, he turned his back and continued his anxious trek around and around, determined to wear a path in the bright blue tile. He chewed and sucked his inner cheek until he tasted the coppery blood coating his tongue. It made him feel marginally better.

“Goddammit!” he bellowed, making the others jump. Kimberly even let out a tiny, high-pitched squeak.

Zordon’s face swam in the otherworldly tube above the Ranger’s, his own expression tight with worry.

“Tommy, you must calm yourself. This isn’t helping Jason. Only serving to keep you isolated from your friends,” the sage advised. “Allow them to be here for you.”

“I want Jason!”

He hadn’t meant to scream at Zordon nor utter such a private sentiment, but there it was. He attempted to play it off as best he could considering the circumstances.

“I mean I’ll feel better when Jason wakes up! This is killing me, Zordon! Waiting and wondering! I can’t bear this!”

He collapsed to his knees, not even feeling the sharp pain as he struck the tile heavily. His gloved hands went to his visor in a bizarre attempt to hide his pain and fear.

Before the others could come to his aid, Billy was rounding the corner, relief radiating from his brilliant blue eyes. It’d been a VERY close call. Jason had lost so much blood, the wounds nearly fatal. But, with Alpha’s assistance, a pack or two of blood, and Ranger healing, Jason had made it out of the woods at least.

The Red Ranger was still very weak, grumbling and muttering angrily like a bedraggled kitten. Jason hated being weak and helpless and he was mad at himself for being so boneheaded. With Alpha’s help, he had managed to sit up on the bed, though the movement left him shaky and short of breath.

“Ayi yi yi, Jason! You need to get some rest!” Alpha scolded. “But Tommy’s out there beside himself with worry! Is it alright to let him back here for a moment? So he can see you’re still alive…”

‘Poor Tommy,’ the injured Ranger groaned. ‘He’s probably about to shit a brick.’

“Of course, Alpha,” he gasped, one hand bracing the bandages to his lacerated belly. “Send him back.”

Scuttling off towards the door, the little robot didn’t have a chance to exit because the Green Ranger was barrelling past him, nearly dropping him to his metal ass.

“Tommy! Ayi yi yi! Everything’s fine,” he tittered in surprise as Billy’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist before he could topple over.

But the Green Ranger was frozen in place, staring at Jason’s pale face, a sharp contrast to his dark hair and eyes, unable to make a sound. Was this just a hallucination? Was Jason really sitting there looking at him like he was daft?

He’d almost lost him, his best friend, his partner, his leader.

His love…

Then his hands were popping the clasps on his helmet as he darted towards the bed. He tossed it absently to the floor where the enamel emitted a sharp crack before it rolled into the shadows. Tommy’s hazel eyes were wide and blazing with an emotion Jason wasn’t able to name.

For a moment, he considered that the Green Ranger was going to deck him, knock his head around for his dumbass actions. But it wasn’t exactly anger glowing there; it was merely a small part of it.

Reaching Jason, the gloved hands briskly glided along his cheeks, cupping his head as the fingers threaded his thick hair.

“You foolish, willful ass!” Tommy hissed, his lip lifted in his signature snarl.

Then his mouth was covering Jason’s in a passionate kiss, his thumb tenderly brushing the Red Ranger’s jaw.

For his part, the injured Ranger sat stock still in stunned shock, eyes wide as his best friend kissed him deeply, pouring every fiber of his emotion into the lip lock. Was this really happening or was this a hallucination brought about by severe blood loss? Perhaps even he was dead…

Pulling back roughly, Tommy’s forehead rested against Jason’s, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Do you know how it would have destroyed me to lose someone I love so deeply?”

The feel of Jason’s soft exhalations ghosting his lips brought him back to reality. At the same time, a gasp behind him made him jump.

‘Oh. My. Fuck…’

Did he really just suck Jason’s face in front of the other Rangers and Zordon and Alpha?

Sure as fuck he did…. And he’d confessed his love all in one fell swoop…

‘I wish I was dead.’

Risking opening his eyes, Tommy looked into Jason’s confused face, his poor dry tongue snaking out to lick his lips in the aftermath of the kiss attack.

“Jason, I… I mean… I didn’t…”

He felt the weight of the other’s eyes squarely on his back. No one dared utter a word.

There was no coming back from this, no way to spin it or play it off as a fever dream. He’d gone and fucking done it!!!

‘Fucking idiot! Jason will never talk to you again!’

Lips trembling, Tommy backed away from the Red Ranger, his legs staggering and struggling to keep him upright. He nearly slammed into Kimberly and Zack in his panic. The two Rangers stared at him, their expressions unreadable.

“Tommy…” Zordon tried but it was too late.

The teen was off and running, scooping up his errant helmet as he dashed out the door, through the Command Center’s main room, and straight out into the desert night. He didn’t even teleport, unsure he could accurately do so while in such a harried state.

Embarrassed tears flowed freely and he was sure that they would all be repulsed by him, would order him to leave the team with his dirty, disgusting lustful behavior towards their leader.

“Fucking hell, Tommy! Will you slow down?” a weak voice rasped.

The Green Ranger spun around to see a determined Red Ranger huffing and puffing his way after him, one hand holding tight to his injured belly, sweat beading his brow.

“Jason, what the fuck are you doing? Why did they let you out of bed?” Tommy yelled, crossing back to catch his best friend before he passed out from exhaustion.

“You should know… better than… anyone,” Jason panted, bracing himself on Tommy’s shoulders. “I don’t… listen… that well.”

Despite the circumstances, the nervous teen chuckled.

“That’s the understatement of the century, Jase.”

Helping the Red Ranger settle himself on the rocky outcropping, Tommy perched next to him, ready to have his ass chewed out mightily for what he’d just done.

“Why did you run from me?” Jason whispered.

The green clad shoulders hunched.

“Because I embarrassed the shit out of myself? I told on myself?”

Jason’s brow scrunched.

“You love me?”

Taking a deep breath, Tommy lifted his face to meet Jason’s gaze.

“Yes, I love you. No, I don’t mean like a friend or brother. I ‘love you’ love you. Romantic love…” he hissed. “You know, the whole butterflies in the pit of my stomach, excited to see you everyday, lost in your beautiful eyes, coming of age romance movie style love.”

Now that it was out in the open, Tommy groaned and dropped his head to his knees.

“So, if you want to beat my ass, scream at me, insult me, tell me how I disgust you… go ahead. I don’t care anymore…”

Jason stared wildly at his Green Ranger. He’d never anticipated that Tommy felt this way about him. He was sure that he had a thing for Kimberly… how the fuck had he been so off base?

Swallowing nervously, he took a deep, calming breath. How did he feel about this? If he admitted he returned Tommy’s affection, what would that mean? How would the others respond? How would KIMBERLY respond? Would they openly hold hands, kiss, cuddle, go on dates? Was he ready for that even with another Ranger? What would his parents say?

Jason shook his head.

‘How do I feel about Tommy? That’s the real question. We’ll figure everything else out.’

He gently placed a hand on the other Ranger’s hand resting on the rocky ground between them.

If he were honest, he’d always felt a pull towards Tommy and he too had felt the butterflies swarming in his belly when the Green Ranger slung a friendly arm around his shoulders or when they sparred in the Youth Center.

‘I do have romantic feelings for Tommy…’

“Hey.”

“Hmmm?” The Green Ranger rolled his head to the side to look at Jason’s flushed cheeks.

Softly, the Red Ranger’s fingers fluttered along Tommy’s hand and up his arm playfully.

“I’m yours. Only yours,” Jason breathed. “If you’re alright with that, Tommy.”

The other teen’s eyes widened and he sat up, turning to face Jason.

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me.”

“You mean… you like me too?” Tommy stuttered, unbelieving.

“I mean… I love you too.”

Tommy looked down at himself in panic, his hands palpating the green silk and golden shield.

“What’s wrong?” Jason frowned in concern.

“Just making sure I’m not on death’s doorstep and imagining all this. It’s too good to be true.”

Grinning, the Red Ranger leaned heavily against Tommy’s side, feeling an overwhelming exhaustion settle over his shoulders.

“Oh God, Jase. We’ve got to get you back inside! You still got turned into Goldar’s personal pin cushion and I’ll kick your ass if you start bleeding out again up here!”

Jason chuckled as one again Tommy scooped him up in arms, only this time he was able to incline his face towards the Green Ranger’s.

“Kiss me again?” he breathed, biting his lower lip.

“You don’t have to ask me twice!”

#boom! comics power rangers #jason scott #ao3 author #ao3 fanfic #tumblr asks #tumblr prompt #friends to lovers #mutual pining #fluff #tommy oliver #boom comics! power rangers #mmpr comic #mmpr #red mighty morphin power ranger #green mighty morphin power ranger #mighty morphin power rangers

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claire-starsword · 9 months

Text

Shining Force 2 Pre-release Coverage

Post on the first game here

Let’s continue our deep dive on old magazines. Again most of my info here are from the Beep! Megadrive magazine, but I did manage to find some footage from old Sega videos as well.

For context again, the game released in Japan on October 1993.

June 1993

Unlike the first game, which showed very few regions during pre release, this one is eager to show a bunch of new places, probably because it can’t generate hype about a unique battle system anymore. Bowie and a parade of peculiar placeholders take a good tour around the continent.

Save for the wall decoration and possibly the colors, it’s hard to judge on print, New Granseal’s castle is pretty much the final version. Same for Arc Valley's escher-like dungeon, as the magazine puts it.

Volcanon’s shrine is also here, and the magazine claims to have seen “a huge monster” on the top of the shrine, so Volcanon is likely already there as well. They wonder if it could be a boss but I think it’s just baseless speculation since it’s clearly not a battle scene, and little story was revealed at this point.

The monument looks wack, the shop signs are huge, and doors are different, but otherwise Hassan looks very close to the final version.

Bedoe is dark, that particular torch is also not in the final version, although there are torches in the town. Would be a pain in the ass to navigate, but might be just a test of the dark effect.

HQ already has the same vibe, but lots of different details, like different tables, cups and flowers vases on them, no stone walls, etc.

But enough of that, let’s stop pretending the Placeholder Force isn’t the wackiest and most amusing thing in these screenshots. What do we have there.

Bowie seems mostly complete, which makes sense as I’ll show in a second that his design was already announced. There are still a couple differences though, his clothes are blue instead of white and his cape has a golden line. His design might have been quickly revised at some point?

There’s a bunny girl NPC. Because of course the first thing these devs hopped to make was a bunny girl NPC. I’m actually more shocked that they did not keep her. Also I’m saying NPC with some certainty because as you can see comparing with Bowie, playable characters tend to have one less pixel between the eyes. So I don’t think she’s a scrapped character or anything.

Mae is here! Because of course it makes sense to use a character from the previous game as placeholder. As opposed to, you know, drawing a whole bunny girl. Her lower body was recolored to orange/yellow for some reason though.

There’s a wyvern sprite that does make it to the final game as an enemy. Curiously that shot of New Granseal shows more wyverns flying around as well. It makes no sense to use flying placeholders for the soldiers that should be there, so I wonder if there were supposed to be birds flying in the scenario or something, it would be neat.

There’s a cute little girl NPC with twintails who sadly didn’t make it. I don’t have anything to say about this.

Finally, true nerds like me fans of this blog will have certainly recognized the warrior sprite as an unused sprite from the first game:

From the side however, it was clearly edited, the helmet losing detail, getting shorter horns, and the whole guy getting shorter as well. My theory is that this guy was on the process of becoming this:

and maybe later Jaha, as this NPC is already very similar to him, and his design was already announced as well. In fact, that’s what we’ll talk about next. Besides these screenshots, there are four characters introduced in this article.

This kid is the protagonist!?

He is the protagonist who will represent you and travel through the world of Shining Force II. It seems he lives in the castle town of Granseal, but has no adventuring experience yet. From here on the both of you will have an exciting journey together!

The princess of Granseal!?

The princess of the country of Granseal, where the protagonist lives. She seems to be the main female character for Shining Force II. Her long hair and beautiful dress are nice. How will she get involved with the protagonist? We look forward to see it.

Jaha

“We’re the side characters!?“

Wielding a huge axe, he’s a bad influence for the protagonist, and a hobbit warrior. Just like the protagonist, he’s still in training and has no adventuring experience. Really bad at studying in school.

Slade

The greatest thief in Granseal. He shares the stolen treasures with poor people. Clearly a kind of Nezumi Kozo.

As the link above says, Nezumi Kozo (rat brat) is the nickname of a japanese thief who later became a kind of Robin Hood-esque folk hero as it was assumed he helped the poor as well with his crimes, and also apparently never hurt a victim. There’s an obvious inspiration here.

Producer Hiroyuki Takakashi doesn’t reveal much of the story at this point, only that it will be a different continent than the first game, and also have more events happening one after another unlike SF. He also says that there would be battles different than the army vs. army setting of SF. There are also talks of how certain details of the system and graphics were being reworked, and already talks of being able to choose between promotions, but it’s all very vague.

Later in this month, a demonstration of the game was presented at the Tokyo Toy Show. I couldn’t confirm it as there doesn’t seem to be a recording of it anywhere, but it’s likely a lot of the footage from here on is from that.

July 1993

Article opens up with an interview with the Takahashi brothers, but there’s not much to note. They mention being in the point of writing the game’s ending, and when asked about the presence of robots and such in the previous game, mention that while the Ancients are always a part of the Shining Series since SitD, this game would lean more into the fantasy vibes.

Also, up to this point, they had been working on both SF2 and Gaiden 2 at the same time. Gaiden 3 released in early July so from here on they’re free to focus on SF2. Or maybe not, because there’s already talks of a Gaiden 3 being planned. For better and for worse, these people could not stand still a second.

(To digress a bit, it’s also peculiar because the Final Conflict strategy guide mentions the game was originally planned for the Mega Drive. The Gaiden series was a Game Gear thing, so perhaps there was a whole different game being considered at this point which got shelved to make way for Final Conflict.)

Back to the topic, we get a few more screenshots with the Placeholder Force.

Most places seen like the final version, but this house/village in front of the ancient shrine was removed.

We then get pictures of what is likely a later build with more familiar characters being worked on.

The Caravan debuts, and we also finally get the first battle scenes.

Taros is already here as the most eye-catching part for the 90′s kids. I on the other hand am loving a lot more how the platform neatly informs you it is a test only. The UI also does not show the character’s class, even though it will in the final version.

And Luke is here! Except maybe not. His name onscreen says Nick. Obviously this could be an issue of them using the rename cheat, but that doesn’t happen for any other character in these pre release footages, and would be a bizarre move. It’s possibly a placeholder name derived from Sonic Co., (like Max is likely derived from Climax Entertainment, now you know). The interesting thing is that this sprite and its palettes in the final game don’t quite match Luke nor Skreech’s design, and Luke is also the only character to not get a sprite change upon promotion, so it’s easy to believe that was some delay or complication in finalizing these guys.

We also get a look at the Grans-Parmecia Shrine map, which is very much done as well. The monsters on the top however is frustrating me to no end because they look very familiar but I can’t remember where from. Anyway, definitely didn’t make it to this game at least.

We also get our first look at Sarah and Kazin, except Kazin is so cut off on this screen it’s not worth mentioning him now, there will be plenty of time to talk about Kazin later. Sarah on the other hand is easy to see, and she’s clearly not herself yet. Her outfit is what will become hers and Karna’s vicar outfit in the final version, but she also has a hat, which only the vicar battle sprite will have in the end.

It’s okay, she’s an important character so i’m sure they will sort this out in a timely manner. Anyway! We do see someone else there who is also from the starting gang and with a complete design. Chester’s design is indeed announced at this point, though with little character info. There’s also a small synopsis of the story by now, which is basically “Slade steals a treasure in the shrine and bad stuff begins to happen”. We then get a map of Parmecia.

I don’t think I’ve posted an official map of Parmecia before, so here it is for comparison. They do look pretty much the same already. Volcanon’s shrine is weirdly not marked in the map, but is mentioned in the text. Lemon and Creed’s names are mentioned as well.

August 1993

The article of this month explicitly mentions the Tokyo Toy Show so that’s nice for reference. While I couldn’t confirm it, by comparing the footage I also think this Sega video (the Shining Force part starts at the 6 minute mark) is from the same month, so I’ll be using footage from there as well.

The demo showed an early version of the jail cutscene with Slade. While the dialogue seems to be same as the final version, Sarah does not have her portrait nor her final sprite yet, and the other characters seem to be just following Bowie in line as opposed to having their own places in the cutscene. The old man NPC also has different colors, and there seems to be someone else in the room.

If you watch further in the footage you’ll see everyone keeps following Bowie, even hilariously clipping through walls at points. I’ve joked about it before but turns out I was right, they did put some good effort into coding the followers’ movement, because they might have intended to use it more, if not through the whole game.

Lemon’s sprite was not done at the time, and the event of the Galam army’s departure was likely simplified since the final version involves not only Lemon, but the king as well, who seems to have no placeholder here.

The Caravan scene is also shown, although using the dwarf village theme, and having Jaha instead of Peter. Given that it’s just one character as opposed to the big team you would have at this point, it’s possible he’s just standing in for Peter and not actually intended to be in the scene. The next one raises further questions though.

The Kraken scene is also shown, and the whole starting team is here. Slade’s text is very much in same vein as Oddler’s in the final version, warning everyone of the Kraken’s appearance, but it’s still different text, as Oddler speaks more politely, so this version was written for Slade himself, no placeholding.

It deeply hurts my heart to consider Slade was supposed to have a bigger role and got scrapped, though I feel I know why this happened. This series really likes to take its gameplay deaths seriously for some reason, and it would probably be too costly to constantly check which characters are alive and have alternate versions of a cutscene to adjust for that. That’s why the first game mostly has just Nova talking (though characters still show up for the ending at least). The Gaiden games go around this a bit more by reviving everyone at the start of every chapter and on endings, and also using characters who just joined the force in the cutscenes as they can’t have died already.

This game made Peter and Lemon, two immortal characters who carry most of the conversations from the moment they join alongside Astral. It also seems to delay some characters joining as playable characters for this reason. For example, Kazin is not playable through the path to Hawel’s house even though he’s following you, because he has to be alive for the cutscene there. Pretty much every instance of a character following you instead of joining the force seems to be because of this.

There are a few instances that show they might have considered other approaches though. There are numerous instances at the start of the game where characters revive automatically, since there’s a lot of dialogue with them. After the first battle, before the jail scene, upon leaving Grans Island, and during the one year timeskip. Of course, they all resurrect during the time Princess Elis is asleep in the ending as well. There’s also as far as I remember a single instance where you must have a particular character alive to progress, if Elric is dead he won’t open the passage to Creed’s mansion.

Of course, they might have felt that characters would have to be constantly revived for do more scenes with that, and it would ruin their game design, and it’s not intuitive to know that you must revive a particular someone to proceed, so they might just have scrapped this kind of plot. Still sucks given that it’s kind of a self imposed limitation, plenty of games just treat defeat in battle as different to death and let the characters take part in the story as needed. But alas, back on topic.

Plenty of other battle maps are shown, albeit with different enemies and different stats. A very minor detail is that the golem sprite has red eyes. In the final version they have green eyes except for Claude.

Sorcerer spells are in, although they don’t seem to be fully implemented yet, in the footage Kazin uses them through the attack command as opposed to an actual spell. Perhaps because of that it is also single target.

Speaking of Kazin, I did say we have to talk about him, now’s the time.

His sprite seems to be much like the final one, but blue. It is possible there are small differences though, because his staff, not in the final version, seems to use at least three colors besides black and white, when all final weapons in the game use only two. This is because the game loads the character and weapon colors into a single 16 color palette, so to have more colors in one you sacrifice colors of the other. Weapons in the first game did have three colors so this might be a leftover.

Small details for big nerds though, as I said the design is pretty much complete, including details like the bag and the feathers he carries around, which are less generic than I’d expect for a placeholder. Perhaps he already had a tentative design floating around.

More than that, the map sprite seen in all these pictures did make it to the final game. As his sorcerer sprite.

It looks nothing like the sorcerer design, so it’s easy to accept it was designed for something else. Let’s compare with the final mage sprite.

Hair changed to be spiky, but everything else is basically the same, including the green staff which matches his final artwork. It’s likely he had some concept art already around, though it wasn’t officially revealed so perhaps there was some intention of changing it. But it’s noticeable that he shows up in plenty of footage while nothing is seen of Sarah, who is not finalized either. He was at least further in the development.

The color thing is also interesting. Kazin does get to be blue as sorcerer, and also as wizard... in the map, and the game’s cover, a rare case of official illustration of a promotion. In battle however his sprite is brown. That palette, though? Is the last one set for the wizard sprite, even though he should be the first wizard. And the first palette for it? That’s right, blue. In the final version it is used for Chaz, who does have the exact same clothes but is the last wizard in the game. It would not surprise me if there was a swap at some point. And of course it makes sense to not use two blue palettes for the same sprite. The question is, why design the characters with the same colors then? I would love to get an answer.

September 1993

Signs of progress, every picture is this article is from a different build, since character classes now show up in the UI.

Sarah still does not have her map sprite.

Her battle sprite and finished design do finally show up in the next pages though, so they might have just not got to it at the time, even if it feels silly to me as map sprites are simpler, perhaps exactly because of that they weren’t top priority. Either way, it just feels wild to me when compared to how Chester and Jaha and even Kazin seem to have been done.

As for the actual point of the picture, that’s Bowie casting Freeze level 4. Normally I’d chalk this up to debugging shenanigans, as the first game and Gaiden I as well give the heroes extra spells in debug mode, but, that generally also comes with jacked stats including 99 MP. Bowie here is at max unpromoted level but his stats look normal.

For further consideration here’s another screenshot of him at level 4 knowing Egress and Blaze level 1. Everyone’s stats look normal so this looks like his actual intended progression. Also while drafting this post and having it blasted to oblivion because tumblr can’t save properly apparently, I realized this explains a bit of the wackiness when it comes to magic progression in this game. Did you know that the Kraken is weak to ice? Have fun trying to exploit that weakness. In the final game, you go a big stretch of the game without access to Freeze. If you promote Kazin to wizard and don’t pick Tyrin at Creed’s, you’re basically locked out of ice spells for most of the game, until you finally find Chaz. That always struck me as very weird, and I’m realizing now it might be because they might have stuck with magical Bowie here for a good time, and didn’t rebalance things when changing it.

Sarah debuts with a proper sprite for once.

Blue Kazin however remains undeterred. You might also notice his staff is switching colors weirdly during animation. I’ve had this problem on my first hacking attempts of the game due to not setting up proper Mega Drive colors, and it’s amusing me to no end that it happened to the actual devs as well. Though I don’t know that much on how animations are done so the problem might have a different origin as well. Anyway, fun.

We also get to see Kazin’s full spell list, and while mostly the same, he has the Attack spell instead of Desoul, much like Tao was the only wizard to have it in the first game. In the final version, only Frayja learns this spell, making this the only classic Shining Force game where it is a priest spell instead of a mage one, so it doesn’t surprise me at all that Kazin was meant to have it.

It’s also worth noting that in the final game, Kazin is the only character who learns Desoul. Either the spell wasn’t in (the article mentions every other wizard and priest spell except for it), or someone else was meant to learn it, or they hadn’t even planned that far ahead.

We get our first character bios in a long time.

Protagonist - Bowie

A boy who lives in the castle town of Granseal. He used to be a mischievous boy, but nowadays is well behaved (?) and studying hard as Astral’s pupil. He’s friends with Jaha and Chester, and they play together almost every day.

The thief Slade

The self proclaimed great thief of justice. But he’s not much of a bad guy, and shares his stolen treasures with poor people. He seems to main culprit behind the story’s beginning!?

Warrior Jaha

Bowie’s friend, and a hobbit who hates studying the most out of all of Astral’s pupils. Really strong in battle.

The knight Chester

Bowie’s friend, and another pupil of Astral’s, but while he’s a gallant centaur, his one flaw is that he’s not very assertive. He often comes up as just a yes-man to Bowie. Don’t you have friends like that too? Treat him well.

Priest Sarah

An elf girl and also Astral’s pupil. She’s helpful and likes taking care of others, being kind of a big sister to Bowie and the others. Pulling out that sisterly authority at times, she might be kind of annoying?

Sometimes I wonder if Sarah went through some kind of rewrite during development since none of her official descriptions bring up her being the actual mischievous kid who plans to sneak into the castle and is not even apologetic about it, but then I remember that this series is uhhhh, ah, erm, oof, hmmmm, about women, so yeah, I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.

Sage Astral

Currently retired, he has now taken Bowie and the other kids as pupils. He’s also a notable person who knows the king personally. At the story’s beginning, he berates these troublesome kids while also giving them a chance to go on the adventure.

Sheela

A mysterious and beautiful human girl. She used to train under Astral, but left for some reason. While she doesn’t have much relation with the story, we look forward to see just how will she and Bowie meet. She’s quite sexy!!

King Granseal

King of the country of Granseal at the south of Grans Island. Bowie and the others live in its castle town. Because the queen passed away too soon, he dotes a lot on Princess Elis. Ooh.

Princess Granseal

The princess of Granseal, she’s a happy girl loved by the king and her people. We’re quite curious to know how she’ll be connected to the heroes. Maybe in the end she’ll be a party member!?

OOF

Kiwi

A new character appears!

The green turtle Kiwi is the mascot-like character this time. Of course he can take part in battles, but he’s not very strong. But he seems to hide some special talent!? What exactly is still a secret for now. He’s kind of cute, maybe.

-The previous game had Yogurt, of famous sayings (?) like “do you like my helmet” and “I don’t get it”.

After the magazine, we get more Sega footage (starts around the 4:45 mark).

The intro seems pretty much done, except for a Gizmo attacking the king instead of Geshp. And it’s easy to think “oh it’s a placeholder”, but in the final version the king is really possessed by a Gizmo and Geshp doesn’t show up until much later, so I’m not sure? It’s not a very important change at least.

Sarah finally has her final sprite and portrait, so this is a different build. This does mean I can finally go bully the final graphics of this game a bit more.

Sarah’s final priest sprite is not based on her artwork, and is instead just a recolor of the vicar spritesheet, which as I mentioned, is from the placeholder sprite we’ve seen all this time. You can even notice some leftover grey shading that doesn’t quite fit with the blue. Compare it with Blue Kazin’s robes that I’ve posted earlier, which use only the two shades of blue in the palette.

This sprite was a massive rush job, is what I’m saying. A lot of map sprites in this game feel the same, learning how to edit graphics is both a blessing and a curse because you can’t unsee these things.

This footage shows up a lot of final battle sprites not seen until now, especially promotions, like Wolf Baron Gerhalt, Hero Bowie, and so on. I find it hilarious that it also brings up Kiwi when everywhere else they were trying to be coy about Kiwi’s promotion.

The weird thing though, is that the footage ends with the sorcerer spell display from the old builds. Did they not have footage of the final sorcerer graphics? Likely. Let’s bully the final graphics some more.

No fingers! Misplaced weapon! His ass was not designed in a sane and timely fashion!

So yes it is fully possible that the sorcerer sprite was not done even as the game was already like halfway through the door.

The funniest part? In this later build footage we only get a vague glimpse of Kazin.

I’m sorry the screenshot is horrible since it goes by fast, but that’s Blue Kazin.

Of course, most characters in the scene seem to be promoted, even special promotions like Brass Gunner Elric. At the same time May and Slade remain unpromoted. So is this Blue Kazin already repurposed as the sorcerer sprite? Or is the mage sprite still not done?

We might never know the truth, but the fact is that the pre release coverage ends here, and we didn’t get a single glimpse of his final artwork. In a sense he might have been a bigger mess than Sarah.

I have more to write but tumblr has already messed up this draft four to five times and I’m tired, so I’m splitting this into two posts even though i didn’t want it just to see if the problem is post size.

#shining force #shining force 2 #shining series #sf2 bowie #sf2 jippo slade #sf2 jaha #sf2 huey chester #sf2 kazin #sf2 sarah #this was fun to research but tumblr is making me want to kill something very hard not gonna lie

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