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bogkeep · 5 days

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Would you recommend the SSSS comic? I know little of it beside the very beautiful artstyle and premise

to answer the question of if i would recommend SSSS as a comic: yes, yes i would.

a description for those who don't know: Stand Still Stay Silent is a post-apocalyptic horror + adventure webcomic set in the nordics (norway, sweden, denmark, finland, iceland) that have been isolated from the rest of the world and gone back to their old gods. the the world outside of safe zones is full of trolls and beasts - humans and mammals that got infected by a horrible virus and turned into monsters. the story follows a ragtag crew that ventures into the old world (derelict denmark) on an expedition to collect books.

the comic updated every workday until it concluded in 2022, and consists of two Adventures. the creator had plans for many adventures with these characters in this world, but ended it after two when she wanted to take a new direction with her life.

what i love about it:

- the art is GORGEOUS. it's been a huge source of inspiration for me. open any page and it's a masterpiece, and you will ask yourself "how the FUCK did she update this FIVE DAYS A WEEK"

- the characters are wonderful and endearing. i just, i love them so much. i am so thankful lalli hotakainen exists he is one of my #1 blorbos forever

- the world is so cool. the blend of chunky sci-fi and norse mythology fantasy magic slaps. it goes so hard. i fell so hard for this comic when i got to the big ferry ship with a viking style dragon head prow added to it. it's everything

- it really really gets nordic cultures. it's difficult to explain all the dynamics and nuances but it just gets it. it brings me as a scandinavian a lot of joy to read a story that speaks to my heart this way. the attitudes, the language barriers, the cultural differences... it was so refreshing to me in a media landscape dominated by american stories. when the pandemic hit, i decided to reread the comic because i found such an odd comfort in seeing how it depicted the scandinavian countries reacting to, well, a pandemic.

- there's kittycats

what i don't like about it:

- the most glaring and obvious flaw is that everyone in the comic is white. there's not a single character of color anywhere, not even i background shots or the prologue. there's no mention of the saami people (the indigenous people of northern europe), either. i believe this was done in ignorance more than malicious intent, but the implications are Extremely Bad and it's been bothering me (AND MANY OTHERS) since day 1. that is the number one caveat i will give to anyone wanting to check this comic out. i've been in the discourse trenches and i am not going to excuse this. it's just bad!

- you can tell in the middle of adventure 2 that the creator has kind of lost interest in the work, around the time when she found jesus i guess. like, very few people can keep up work on the same creative project for years and years and years and i think it's fine that she wanted to drop it, but it's a bit sad to see the comic dragged to its end like a limp corpse, and feeling like the creator no longer really cares about the characters.

- minna sundberg has said and done some questionable things, presumably gotten somewhat radicalised over time, and has also converted to hardcore christianity which is what her new works are about. there's nothing about this in SSSS - there is a moment of christianity represented in the story in a sort of mythological sense, just like the other religions, but this was written before minna's conversion. her new works... are a Choice. i have much to say about them, and i have, and im not gonna rehash it now.

SO YEAH hopefully this will help you take an Informed Choice! i got into this comic in 2015 and was deep in the fandom and it's for better or for worse part of my soul foundation now.

i also recommend A Redtail's Dream, minna's "practice comic" before SSSS, based on finnish mythology and the kalevala.

#stand still stay silent #might as well tag this if i wanna dig it up later

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mazeinthemiroh · 1 year

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third impressions.

Genre: Crack, slight angst??, romance

Word Count: 2.4k

Requested?: Yes

Synopsis: Bangchan is introduced to a new choreography, who he makes a horrible first and second impression on. Is there any way he can recover?

Warnings: Cursing, comical violence/slapstick??, Minho being his iconic self

A/N: This was very fun to write indeed. This is my first Chan fic! Can you believe it?? My bias and I've only just written a fic about him?? Don't worry, there will plenty more to come. And umm, yeah, that's about all I have to say to you guys. I hope you all enjoy, please let me know what you think <3

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

As a natural planner, Bangchan had never planned or expected things to go oh so terribly wrong.

A few comebacks under the teams' belt had Stray Kids bubbly and excited for the next. As their leader, Chan did well to make sure everyone had their input and contribution to the comeback. There was a lot to prepare for, but that was okay. He had done this plenty of times. Writing lyrics, producing, coming up with the theme of the album, singing the parts, organising the choreo, etc. There was so much to think about. And he did it every time, without fail.

Only this time was different.

"Has everyone gotten a hang of the choreo?"

Your voice echoed off the walls of the practice room after you had gone through the choreography for Stray Kids' new title track.

It was clear that Chan looked at you with interest. He was intrigued by you. Why had Minho brought you to them? It was usually the same choreographers each and every comeback. And here you were, a newbie. It felt kind of off to him. He would of at least wanted to meet you first but now it felt like a confrontation. Making your acquaintance was a goal for him; being the leader meant that building rapport was important.

The members could sense that Chan's brain was going haywire because he was very quiet. It wasn't that anything was wrong. Things just felt like they had fallen out of the same usual routine, and Chan didn't like that.

"How about we take a break?" You said cheerfully, sensing there was some sort of tension, but you couldn't pinpoint who it came from.

The members went to drink some water and stretched their muscles carefully.

Minho splashed water on his face and wiped it over his skin with his palms. He then looked over to Chan, whose eyebrows furrowed with thought.

"What's up with you then?" Minho poked at his side, "don't like the new choreography."

"It's not the choreography" Chan muttered, shaking his head. "It's the choreographer."

"What's wrong with Y/N?" Minho felt slightly defensive, "hey I only choose the best of the best for our team, so if you have a problem then you need to deal with it yourself."

"It's not that," Chan gulped down his water, "I just wished you'd introduced me to them before. I feel like it's awkward without getting to meet someone and work with them closely."

Minho grinned slightly. "Ahh, that's right. You're all politeness." He took another swig of water before sliding the cap on, doing an elegant bottle flip in one swift movement and landing it perfectly. "Go talk to them, then."

"What, now?" Chan exhaled a chuckle and looked at his friend, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Go for it. Say your hellos and whatnot. It gives us a longer break, at least," Minho placed a hand on Chan's back and pushed him towards your direction.

Chan watched you from the other side of the room. You were alone, and he didn't feel that was fair. You were like their special guest, after all. So, after taking a deep breath, he did as Minho said, walking over to you casually.

"Uh, hey," were his first words. He immediately cursed himself. Did he sound dumb? Gosh, why was he overthinking everything?

"Hey," you smiled at him, fiddling with the water bottle in your hands.

"I'm Chan by the way, nice to meet you" he extended a hand for you to shake. Why was he being so formal and rigid? Where was the carefree Chan gone?

You laughed at this, sensing his nervousness. "I know who you are. Nice to meet you though. Officially, at least."

He chuckled at this, gazing at the floor. Why did his cheeks feel warm? And gosh, he couldn't stop smiling, dimples on full display.

"Are you okay with the choreo or did you come over here to tell me you hate it?" You teased playfully, drinking some water for yourself.

"No no nooo no no I like the choreo it's very good very dynamic and.. yeah."

Wow, such a way with words. Chan scolded himself internally.

"Really?" You quirked an eyebrow up. He didn't sound very convincing. "Because you were messing up quite a bit back there," you said gently, hoping he would appreciate your honesty.

"Oh gosh, really?" Chan's heart dropped a bit, discouraged. "Where did I go wrong? Was it the bridge part? I feel like it was then. The footwork there is very quick and it's hard for my body to move like that, I think it'll take some getting used to-"

"Hey don't worry about it," you shook your head and reached out, placing a hand on his forearm to soothe him, "we've only gone through it a couple of times and we've got so much more practice time ahead it's really nothing to worry about."

Chan felt electric shocks spike through him when your skin slid in his. Suddenly he felt a bit dizzy as more warmth rushed to his head.

"Thanks," was all he could let out, looking deep into your eyes. He couldn't believe he could even hold eye contact with you for that long before he tore his eyes away and cleared his throat.

"I should, uh, probably stretch more" he gestured behind him before shuffling away after you withdraw your hand from him.

You licked your dry lips as you watched him stretch his body again. You sincerely hoped you hadn't upset him with what you said.

Chan lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. The blue and pink lights attached to the wall pulsed like a heartbeat, illuminating his neat, dark room.

It wasn't like Chan to have a crush so quickly. Gosh, he didn't even know you. But the way he acted today... it could only mean one thing. Chan had the feels, indeed. And they weren't going away anytime soon.

He couldn't let the immense awkwardness of today show in tomorrow's practice session, oh no. That would be mortifying.

He needed to loosen up. He needed to just be himself and have a fresh start with you. First impressions weren't everything, and you seemed like the agreeable type, not one to judge so quickly. Chan had a chance, right?

Hope swelled up in his heart. Tomorrow is another day. Let's make it count.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8"

You watched the group work through their routine. It was coming along nicely. They were such quick learners, being quite deep into the game. It was amazing to see their progress since yesterday's session. You watched on with pride.

Each member had learned their individual parts and came together as a group, like pieces of a puzzle, to fit one whole routine that would be sure to make fans fall for them all over again.

The song conclude and they all held their ending poses. There were a few tweaks to be made here and there, but otherwise, you had very little complaints. They truly were amazing.

"Well done everyone," you applauded them and they all did the same, breathing heavily and smiling at one another. "Very clean work, guys. Very good."

Jisung slipped to the floor and Hyunjin followed, spreading himself out like a starfish as they panted. They still started a conversation and ended up chatting away like they usually would.

"There's just a couple of little things. Uh, Jeongin" you gestured for the youngest member to come over near you. "Your dancing is super clean and all your moves are on point. Right before the last chorus ends I want you to make sure you keep your footwork as tight as possible, like this," you demonstrated and he followed on, mimicking your feet. "That's it, perfect. If you remember to do that then the whole routine comes together."

Jeongin nodded along to your feedback and smiled lightly, thanking you for your help.

"And Chan," you tip-toed your way over to the leader, who had just caught his breath, "this is just me nit-picking but-"

You made his way over to him as he watched you with interest. You circled around him and caught his hand in yours.

"When you spin around at the start, extend your arm more and roll out your hand. Feel the music run through your arm up all the way into your hands, like a wave."

He nodded as he watched you extend his arm with your hands.

"Maybe give it a try now?"

And so he did, going through the steps before the big spin. And when he spun, his arm extended bluntly and in a rough manner, and as you saw this, a hand came flying your way and collided with your face.

"Oh shit!"

The other members who weren't paying attention at the time turned around to see what had happened. Felix and Minho glided over to you in concern.

You held the side of your head and held back the tears that gathered at the bottom of your eyes.

"I'm okay it's absolutely fine don't worry," you said loudly to Chan trying to reassure him so wouldn't have a meltdown. But he was panicking.

"Are you okay?" Felix placed a hand on your lower back and tried to comfort you the best he could whilst Minho went to get a staff member.

Soon you were sent to a separate room. You were given an ice pack to put in your face, which seemed to numb the pain a bit. The other members left you alone as they didn't want to disturb your peace and wanted you to rest.

Chan was freaking out in the practice room.

"Well, I didn't think you were going hit them, not gonna lie" Minho joked to Chan who had a guilt-stricken look on his face.

"I'm going to hell" Chan rubbed his temples "I fucking hit them in the face. Of course, I did. That's what any normal human being would do."

He paced backwards and forwards and breathed heavily. The other members began to be affected by this.

"Wait... so you meant to hit them in the face?"

Jisung asked, clearly confused. He was only half aware of what was going on at the time.

"Of course I didn't I was being sarcastic!" Chan exclaimed before going back to pacing.

"Chan, this is a perfect situation for you" Minho commented, settling down on the floor, cross-legged, a satisfied smile on his face as an idea formed in his head.

Chan stopped walking up and down and looked at his friend like he was an alien.

"How on earth is this a 'perfect' situation?"

"Well, if I have to spell it out for you..." Minho trailed off teasingly before getting back to the point, "you can use this as a good opportunity to have a good laugh. Make a joke out of it. Be your charming self and woo them over."

"'Woo them over'" Hyunjin snorted at Minho's phrasing, finding it hilarious.

"Do you wanna be punched in the face too?" Minho turned to Hyunjin who immediately shut up.

Chan couldn't believe he was actually considering Minho's crazy idea. I mean, really, what had he got to lose now?

You heard a gentle knock at the door, already sensing the presence of guilt from the other side.

"Come in~" you chimed in a sing-song voice.

The door revealed, as expected, Bangchan. He had a stiff, awkward smile that lay on his features as he settled down in a seat next to you, closing the door behind him as you did so.

"I... didn't realise you'd fall for me that quickly."

You erupted in a fit of laughter at his cheesy pick-up line, taken aback by his joke. Suddenly, all of his nerves seemed to disappear all at once. Your laughter was music to his eyes, quite literally.

"That was smooth" you commented with a grin, eyes sparkling as you stared over at him. You loved the way his shoulders lowered a bit more, becoming more relaxed as he sensed your cheery mood.

"How are you?" He winced slightly as he asked the question, hoping you weren't in too much pain.

"I'm fine, Chan, really" you reassured him.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N" he bit his lip nervously. You didn't want to mood to lower any more than it needed to be.

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't even entirely your fault" you shrugged. "I stood way too close to you when you were trying to do the move. It was more my fault than anything."

Chan shook his head, wanting to take responsibility. But you were right. You were standing really close to him. And by the time he realised that, he then came to realise how close you were to each other now, here, in a small room with no one else around.

He cleared his throat and grinned slightly, his heart fluttering in his chest.

"Well, that's very sweet of you to say," Chan's eyes glittered as he dove right back into yours. You lowered the ice pack you had held up to your head all this time, staring intensely into his eyes. You felt dizzy, and you didn't know whether it was the ache in your head or the ache in your heart this man made you feel.

The was a moment of silence, but it wasn't awkwardness. Rather, the room was filled with thick tension as you both remained eye contact, leaning closer and closer and closer.

Until your lips collided, rougher than Chan would've liked for someone he had just accidentally hit. But hey, if you liked it rough, he was going for it. Your lips moved in perfect synchronisation with his, finding a rhythm almost immediately as you began to explore each other's mouths.

It was like choreography, this kiss; a dance of passion and tension and everything in between, improvised and executed in the most perfect way possible.

Chan slipped a hand on your thigh as you reached for his hair, weaving your fingers through his hair as you groaned into the kiss slightly.

That's when you both pulled away slowly, looking intensely into each other's eyes. A smile played on both of your lips, mischief and passion sparkling through your veins as you both caught your breath.

First impressions were overrated. Second impressions, too. As it turns out, it was the third impression that counted the most.

Chan seemed to find that out in the best way possible.

tags: @hanstan127, @iamgodandthisismyreality, @cutiepiebangchan, @hakunamatatayah, @strawberrysandwitch

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booksandabeer · 1 year

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Hey,

I love your blog and I love how much work you put in when someone ask you to recommend fics for them, you’re truly beyond AMAZING! Just getting that out of the way.

And now, can you please tell me your favourite underrated stucky fics. I know this might be too big of an ask because there are SO MANY out there, so just tell me a few if you don’t mind.

Thank you so much ❤️

Hello Stranger!

Thank you for the ask and your very kind words! ❤ It's so nice to hear that people like my rec posts because they really do take a surprisingly large amount of time to put together. Anyway, I'm not complaining & this is a lot of fun for me, so on to the recs!

I struggled a bit with how to define "underrated" and I think everybody has their own ideas of what exactly that means. Also, the Stucky ship has been around for more than a decade (even longer if you count the comics), so creative output and reader interest will fluctuate and ultimately decline over time. A Stucky fic posted after 2019--no matter how insanely good it is--will never do the numbers it would have done in the Golden Age of 2014-2018. So, for the purpose of this list, a fic written in 2016 with 15K hits or less does qualify as underrated, while a fic posted in 2021 with 10-15K would not.

Also, as always, this list is by no means an exhaustive one.

the wrote and the writ by declanlynchsrack | G, 10K

Author's summary: Bucky’s crying before he’s off the boat and he’s the least surprised out of anyone to realize it.

He’s always been a softie, a leaky faucet, and the war hasn’t changed that, so he doesn’t know why the sob that smacks him startles him bad enough that he grips the strap of his bag doubly hard, ready to swing it around like a battering ram, ready to find that cloying, invisible enemy. He’s not being ambushed, on his belly in the muck and camellias, cypress hanging low, moonlight casting an eerie smile upon Lake Como like it’s enjoying the hell out of muffled gunshots and the wet grunt of lifeblood spattering onto the undergrowth.

That’s done. He’s safe.

An AU in which Bucky--minus one arm--comes back from the war and Steve never got to go, and never became Captain America. A scrappy little story that is at once full of emotion and yet completely unsentimental. This story socked me on the jaw, tackled me to the ground, and then sat on me while twisting, twisting, twisting my arm behind my back. It also has one of my favorite descriptions of the SteveBucky dynamic I've ever read: "They’re all roughed up, the two of em, a pair of old marble statues weathered by time and harsh touches, but they know each other’s chinks and foibles and can side-step them with grace while still treating the other about as delicately as they’d handle a sack of potatoes." !!! If you prefer, you can also listen to it here: [Podfic] the wrote and the writ by quietnight

Hollywoodland by romanticalgirl | E, 69K

Author's summary: In 1930s Hollywood, the world is run on the studio system. Stars are told who to date, what to wear, what to say, and how to look pretty doing it. The only way you can really do what you want is if you don't get caught.

Steve's dating Peggy, which works out because she's married to Sam, even though it's not legal. But it's the perfect cover for the fact that Steve's gay. He's managing just fine skirting the system to find companionship, but then he meets James Barnes and life gets a lot more complicated.

If you know anything about me and my love for Golden Age Hollywood, then you won't be surprised that this pushes all of my buttons. This is loosely inspired by the real life relationship of Cary Grant and Randolph Scott (the exact nature of which we will probably never know, but let's just say it was most likely not strictly platonic). Is the world the author created here entirely realistic? No--and it's not intended to be. While it is indeed rooted in many of the horrible realities that queer people and POC have faced in the past (and are still facing today), it's a slightly kinder version of it that allows for a hopeful, if not a strictly happy ending in the traditional sense. A sumptious story with gorgeous art.

make progress together by frankoceansmoonriver | E, 24K

Author's summary: He feels like Steve’s mistress. He feels hollowed out. He feels like a jammed gun still trying to go off. When he’s not with Steve he convinces himself he’s ruining Steve’s life, and though he tries, he’s too selfish to stop. When he’s with Steve, he’d fight God himself to keep it, this tangible perfection that makes him drunk and anchors him in ways he did not know existed.

Or, the one where they both survived the war, Bucky loves Steve now, has loved Steve since he was fifteen, and the year is 1945.

This is a story that I have reread many, many times because it is the perfect wish fulfillment fic for me. It's the slightly unrealistic, or one could also say: optimistic version of what I imagine would have happened had Steve and Bucky both survived the war. That's not to say that this fic doesn't have its very angsty moments, but ultimately, this is a story about love and hope triumphing in the face of adversity, and sometimes you just want to see good things happen to good people. I know some readers may find the formatting and the non-linear structure challenging, but this is a beautiful story and I really urge you all to give it a try!

I'll Light Your Way Home series by BeaArthurPendragon | M-E, 69K, 5 parts

Author's summary: Two lost Vietnam vets find each other in a Hell's Kitchen gay bar one hot September night. This is how they find their way home.

A pattern emerges! Can you tell I'm really into (No Powers) AUs set in the early to mid 20th century? Well, here's another one, but we're actually moving into second half of the century, specifically to 1969, for this one! Bea is quite possibly my favorite Stucky writer and I have recommended her stories many times to anybody who will listen to me. It's debatable whether or not she actually counts as "underrated", I guess, but it is my personal opinion that her fics should have ten times the kudos/comments/hits they do and that she deserves to be up there with the "big names". This story in particular just completely won over my heart with its gorgeous (but not ostentatious) writing, its confident and mature characterizations, and great eye for historical detail. I *cannot* recommend her fics enough. /unabashed fangirl moment over.

The Northern Lights by ThisChairIsMyHomeNow | M, 21K

Author's summary: “I can’t feel my face,” Steve shivers.

“I can’t feel my left arm,” Bucky says, deadpan. Steve barks out a laugh. It’s all white puffs of vapor in the chilly air.

“This the spot?”

“Nah,” Bucky pants, breath ragged from the long ascent up a mountain. “Almost there.”

A post-CW canon-divergent story that the author jokingly describes in their author's note as "gay superhero reluctantly gets therapy in the jungles of Wakanda, then goes on a covert road trip." And yes, maybe I wouldn't put it quite so flippantly myself, but it's not... untrue. And yet there is so much more depth to it. If you like a Bucky who takes back his life, his identity, and his future on his own terms, a Steve who isn't reduced to being his recovery prop but instead gets to shine in all his glorious, intense, stubborn Steve-ness, and a Sam & a Natasha who aren't just window dressing for the SteveandBucky-Show, this is for you! Cap Quartet Road Trip where all four members get their moment to shine--what are you waiting for?

Misplaced Pencils | T, 13K & and our words would take us 'round the world | T, 13K by Somanywords

Author's summary:

Steve and drawing throughout the years. Also Bucky.

Bucky is two years old when he learns to talk.

I've spent a good 30 minutes debating with myself which one of these two I should include here, and then I just threw up my hands and said "why not both? Both is good!" So here they are, two beautifully written mid-length full-arc (childhood to sometime past TWS, where they diverge from canon) fics that I love both equally. These are standalone stories and are not set in the same universe, but they do read and feel like companion pieces to each other because both stories are told through the lense of Steve and Bucky's respective artistic sensibilities and how they use their art as a framework to make sense of the world. Misplaced Pencils gives you artist Steve who, from a very young age on, has always tried to understand the world by taking it apart into its visual components & falling back on a fixed set of questions that help him to categorize and compartmentalize the people he encounters and the emotions he feels for them (just like he will later do in other areas of his life). Only that there is of course one person who's always refused to fit neatly into just one of his categories. and our worlds... on the other hand, gives you storyteller Bucky who's constantly talking, singing, writing. Who, in the end, can't help himself but narrate even his own fall and who is later delightfully affronted by his own narrative arc in a "if I had been the one in charge, I would've written it better!" way. Both of these stories are very dear to my heart and they deserve a million more hits.

+ Bonus!

Fics that definitely could/should be on this list but that I've recced before:

You are here by dharmashark

A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall by DisraeliGears

Prisoner One by ancientreader

As Time Goes By by Trouble_With_The_Snap

new topography series by brideofquiet

What I'm Looking For series by TessaBennet

Welcome Home, Son series by BeaArthurPendragon

I'm slowly working my way through my rec asks, so please be patient with me! Next up: Road Trip fics!

#stucky #stucky fic rec #stevebucky #stevebucky fic rec #steve x bucky #steve x bucky fic rec #stucky rec list #stucky fic recs #stucky fanfic recs #stucky fic #rec list #asks #my recs

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bluejaysandblackbats · 3 months

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Five Little Ducks

Fandom: DC Comics, Batman

Summary: Bruce finds a magically de-aged Jason.

Chapters: 5/13

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Zatanna Zatara

Additional Tags: De-Aged Jason Todd, Magic, Babysitting, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, POV Third Person, Bruce Wayne is Not Okay, Bruce Wayne Tries, Jason Todd Has Issues, Childhood Trauma

Chapter Five: Borda

Jason knocked on Bruce's door at two in the morning. Bruce groaned, forgetting Jason was seven years old, and he answered the door. He was so exhausted he never thought to look down. "Mr. Wayne," Jason whispered, "I did a bad thing."

"Oh? What did you do?" Bruce questioned, still not opening his eyes.

"I threw up," Jason mumbled. Bruce blinked hard and looked down at Jason. Jason had a greenish pallor, and his eyes were red and puffy.

"You threw up... That's alright. Are you done?" Bruce questioned. He was still half-asleep.

"I threw up on the rug," Jason mumbled. Bruce reached for Jason's hand, and Jason flinched.

"I'm not gonna hit you. Do you wanna be picked up?" Bruce questioned. Jason rubbed his eyes and nodded. Bruce scooped him up and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry that you got sick."

"I can clean it up... I was just-. I-. I got scared that I'd get lost," Jason stammered.

"You don't have to do that," Bruce whispered. Bruce imagined Jason's eyes were puffy because he probably fretted over the mess, crying out of fear of punishment. "Accidents happen, Jason... Okay?" Jason hid his face in Bruce's shoulder as they entered the room. Bruce turned the light on to assess the situation, and he nodded. Sure, enough, there was a little clear puddle in the center of the rug.

"I'm sorry," Jason whimpered. Bruce held the back of Jason's head in his palm and put some bounce in his step as he walked to the hall closet to grab the cleaning supplies.

"It's alright... It's nothing little baking soda and seltzer can't fix," Bruce whispered, "Jason, I've gotta put you down now-."

"Just a little bit longer... Please," Jason whispered. Bruce nodded and bounced from one side to the other. It was so hard to remember that Jason wasn't a baby. He was so small and easy to hold onto. Easy to hold onto. Jason hadn't been easy to hold onto in years. For years they'd been caught up in a violent struggle of push and pull. It felt good just this once to be needed. "Nobody picks me up anymore..."

"Well, I'll pick you up anytime you want," Bruce promised, "I don't care how big you get... I'll always try-." His voice broke. Bruce was bombarded with images from Jason's death. He took a steadying breath, and after a few moments, Jason pulled away.

"You can put me down if you want... I'm tired now," Jason whispered. Bruce nodded and tucked Jason into bed. Then, he tended to the mess on the rug. Jason lay on his side, staring at Bruce. "Mr. Wayne... I really am sorry," Jason apologized again.

"It's alright... Do you feel better?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded. "That's all that matters..."

"Is Dick your son too?" Jason asked. Bruce nodded. "Why did he go away?"

"He had to go home... He doesn't live here anymore," Bruce explained. Jason blinked hard.

"You live all by yourself?" Jason questioned. Bruce nodded. "Aren't you lonely?"

"Sometimes," Bruce answered as he finished cleaning up. "I'll be right back." He put everything where it belonged and returned to Jason's room.

Jason waved at Bruce. "My dad told me a scary story the other night because he was mad at me... He said his dad told him the same story," Jason whispered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded.

"My mommy says if something's scary, sometimes you have to tell the story to someone else so that it won't worry me anymore," Jason explained.

"Alright," Bruce replied.

"Can you turn the light on first?" Jason asked. Bruce nodded and turned on the lamp with a remote. "If it's foggy, I'm not supposed to walk to school unless he's with me... But I went anyway because it was library day. So, when he got home from work, I wasn't there. He grabbed and shook me, and I wanted to cry, but I didn't." Bruce nodded.

"Did he take you to school?" Bruce asked. Jason shook his head.

"He told me kids shouldn't go out in the fog without their mommies and daddies because of the Borda. Do you know what that is?" Jason questioned. Bruce shook his head. "She's a scary witch with a blindfold that kills kids with ropes for going where they're not supposed to." Bruce nodded.

"Were you upset when he told you that?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded.

"But he didn't stay mad... I told him I was sorry, and he took me home. We played the lock game, and he got his money back from our neighbor," Jason replied.

"What's the lock game?" Bruce asked.

"We played it in our building... Sometimes he'd forget things in people's apartments, so he showed me how to unlock doors with different stuff, so we don't have to bother anybody," Jason explained, "I can unlock a door in less than a minute."

It took everything in Bruce's power to hold a straight face. He was furious. How could Willis trick a child as sweet and innocent as that into breaking and entering into apartments? And Jason was none the wiser. "What's the matter?" Jason questioned. Bruce shook his head. He knew Jason had to learn to steal from someone, but he had no idea this was how it all started.

"Did you play any other games with Willis?" Bruce replied.

"Um... The police game. Mommy didn't like that one," Jason replied, "I had to sit in the car when he'd go shopping and honk the horn when I saw police. I have to smile and wave at the police, and if they stop and wave at me, I win."

Bruce swallowed hard. "You don't play checkers or anything like that with him?" Bruce questioned.

"Oh," Jason yawned, "Sometimes he'd play the drums on my stomach while dinner cooked... I like that one. It's my favorite."

Bruce made a soft noise as Jason closed his eyes. "Any other games?" Bruce asked.

"It wasn't a game, but when he reads-. When he used to read the paper, he would let me hold one side while he held the other... I liked it because he always gave me a kiss instead of telling me to turn the page," Jason replied. Bruce kissed Jason's forehead.

"Thank you for sharing your stories with me," Bruce whispered.

"Thank you for holding me," Jason mumbled. Bruce tried not to seem sad, but he couldn't help but feel pain in the pit of his stomach. Willis's love for Jason was there, but it was selfish. Jason accepted that as it was. Jason accepted scraps of love when he deserved much more. Jason deserved the world, and even Bruce failed to give that to him.

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endless-ineffabilities · 2 years

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Ineffable (Dream of the Endless x f!Reader) - Chapter 1: Daydream

Masterlist - Playlist

best to read the *preview* first before this one

previously on Ineffable....

"Listen. I have a... request. And as such, it is up to you whether you will accept it or not," he mutters deeply, his voice a mere whisper yet I have a feeling it can reach the farthest corner of this room.

My eyes stays locked onto his blue, and I realize I've held my breath for a minute, reeling from what he said.

"Go on," I implore. I want to add, For you - anything.

But I bite my tongue, and wait.

-----------

He pauses, as if rethinking his decision. I wonder what it could possibly be concerning, if he did not bring it up with the others in the room.

"You're not getting rid of me, are you?" I jest, although there is a tinge of worry in the pit of my stomach, some part of me thinking that he would actually do that.

Well...even if he does, I certainly won't go without a fight. I am valuable here. I belong here. For once, I no longer feel as if I'm running away from something, or towards some impossible goal. I've got my feet firmly planted in place, and I know who I am.

A year ago, I was just a normal student living in a shared house in the London suburbs. As normal as can be, that is. For someone like me, that was a feat. It all started when I was 5, one afternoon when I spoke to my father. Nothing out of sorts there, one would think. But I was speaking to him without uttering a single word, while I was in the room upstairs with my door shut.

"C'mooon Dad, I wish you'd please bring back pizza next time. I'm bored of the salads and all that."

"Sure thing, hon." his voice echoed in the kitchen, "Although, you still have to get some greens every now and th..."

He had whirled around, expecting me to be there. But I wasn't.

I came downstairs an hour later, and he'd chocked the incident off to exhaustion. I was too young to understand what I'd done, but the more it happened, the more wary dad got around me. Thankfully, he didn't really end up treating me any differently. My dad said I was special and it reminded him of my mom. And soon thereafter, we developed a game out of it. I'd figured out that in order to communicate through thoughts, I have to be the one to first direct a message into another person's head. Then, I can hear their responses to me. It's not the same as reading minds, no, and I for one am utterly grateful that it isn't. Not long after, I developed other... powers too - which initially did not manifest in the best way, and so I tried to stifle them for a long time.

It came as second nature to me, I thought other kids could do it too. Up until 1st grade, when I repeatedly asked Marianne if I could borrow her crayons, and she'd started crying and yelling at me to get my voice out of her head. Since then, I'd learned to reel in my thoughts and not cross into other people's heads. But I do slip up sometimes. The results of which are either comical or downright infuriating, on my behalf and theirs.

And at 21, while trying to make ends meet as a student and bookshop clerk in London, I met Fiddler's Green. Gilbert, he called himself.

He had walked in the shop, his towering stature and curious demeanor appearing to announce his entrance. I tiredly looked up from my post, and took him in as he tipped his hat in my direction.

He strolled over to Fiction, and began his perusing. I let him take his time, looking over at him again a few minutes later, and noticing Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys in his hands.

"Hmmm... sadly I haven't read that one, but I have to say Good Omens and Coraline were impeccable works of his. I'd happily recommend this author..." I sat up, startled, my thoughts had clearly pushed over to him. Please be busy, I thought to myself. You did not hear me. I am simply thinking to myself, that's all there is to it...

"Is that so?" he thought out to me, "Well, I suppose I'll be giving this one a try then."

I wanted to apologize, or to give some sort of excuse, anything. But something told me that he didn't mind. He had this steady smile that was just comforting, that I nearly forgot about my slip-up altogether.

Until... "Don't worry about it, dear. Our thoughts can escape us sometimes. That does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. On the contrary, your advice truly helped. I'm in for a great read, indeed," He jovially comes up to the counter, "So I'll be taking this one, please."

It's safe to say that nothing was ever the same after that day. And I had Gilbert to thank for it. I'd ended up moving in with him, and his wonderfully eccentric collection of flatmates after I was shortly kicked out of my flat, and never looked back.

From then on, I'd learned more about myself and my abilities. Rose Walker and Gilbert were the first people, after my father, to truly see me and accept me for who I was. They understood my abilities, for they too were like me.

And so, if Morpheus thinks I am going to give up this life easily, he is sorely mistaken.

But...

"No," he seems surprised, "Why would you think that?"

Oh, I don't know. You barely speak to me, for one. Apart from when we discuss important matters that relate to the safekeeping of the Dreaming, or when I throw a question your way that you act like you're answering purely out of courtesy.

"I just... what do you really think of me?"

"I...," he starts, and I can see that he was caught off guard, but in plain Morpheus fashion, he tries to appear unaffected.

I stare him down, not letting the question dissipate between us.

"I find you... intriguing," he says after what seemed like the longest pause, "I mean... you're certainly someone who has become important to the Dreaming. I know Lucienne, among others, has grown quite fond of you. And her judgment is one that I hold in the highest regard."

"Hmmm," I am pleased at this, but dare I press on? "But, have you?"

"Have I what?" He asks slowly. Did I stray too far? I may have gotten cocky there, but I hold my ground.

"What I mean is... I have made friends here. No... family. Lucienne, Merv, Matthew, Rose, Gilbert...." I search his face, "Almost everyone, but... you."

His expression loses its signature stoicism, and he gives me a look that is tortured and amused at the same time.

"Am I not a part of that?" The corner of his lips lift slightly.

"Of course you are." You may be the most important of them all. The most captivating. The most perplexing. I add, "But sometimes I feel as if... you'd rather not be."

The silence weighs heavy afterward. But for some reason, I don't feel weary. Not even anxious. I've said what I wanted, and simply being able to be so candid with him like this, strangely gives me calm.

"I... apologize if I've been rather... cold... towards you. If you've felt overlooked or unwanted, it was not my intention," He whispers, "You are...important... to me."

I feel arrested in my seat, all the blood rushing to my head making me feel lightheaded, if that were even possible in this realm.

"Thank you," I manage, "It's okay..."

"No.. you have to know that..," he pauses, "that it's not easy for me. It never has been. These...things."

He stands much closer now, looking down at me, his gaze keeping me in place. When did he get up from his seat?

I take a deep breath, and rise, decreasing the gap between us further.

His eyes flit from my own to my nose to my... lips. He looks pained.

"Especially with you... I...can't..." His words are barely discernible.

"Can't what?"

Another pregnant pause. He rests a tentative hand on my shoulder, as if testing the waters.

And as if this moment was never so pressing, he turns away.

Well, that was something. Nevertheless, this is probably all he can give me right now. In my time around him, I can see how being the literal Lord over an important aspect of the human condition can take its toll.

"You had a request for me?" I try to steer the conversation into a neutral area, "Is it about the mission I have with Gault?"

"About that. I've just decided that I will come with you instead. I need to show you something."

This was a surprise. The two of us have only gone on a mission alone once before, and this resulted from all the others being occupied with their own thing.

"But it can wait," He turns back to look at me, "You should rest."

"Well, technically, I am dreaming," I smile at him.

"You know what I mean," He gives me just a hint of a smile and then starts to leave.

"Morpheus," I voice out in his thoughts, he pauses in his step, "You're important to me too."

He turns back halfway, and I swear I can glimpse a full smile over his shoulder.

"Sweet dreams, y/n."

End of chapter one.

Neil Gaiman reference! I just had to..

Thinking of adding some *spice* to the main plot, and seeing as I'm a sucker for some jealous!Dreamboat or jealous!Reader-- which do y'all prefer? A bit of Corinthian x Reader, or slight Dream x OFC??

Worry not! The Reader's abilities/background will be more fleshed out in the coming chapters.

Also, this fic WILL contain angst. However, I want their relationship to develop healthily and naturally, to some extent. We'll see!

#morpheus #morpheus x y/n #morpheus x reader #the sandman x y/n #the sandman imagine #the sandman #morpheus imagine #dream of the endless x y/n #dream of the endless imagine #dream of the endless x reader #dream imagine #neil gaiman #dream of the endless #dream x reader #ineffable dream

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mewtwoandme · 9 months

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Is there any other fandom you would like to make a comic about; in the future?

Honestly, theres a few I've considered, but I don't know if I ever will. I'm not as fixed on them as I am with pokemon. I'd have to say my second fandom after Pokemon would be AVATAR, especially after seeing The Way of Water. Even when I saw the first film back in 2009 when I still drew traditionaly, I always tried to draw the na'vi but wasn't very good at it back then lol. Now though, yeah I've done like one or two sketches before, but again, I'm not as fixed on it as Pokemon, so those sketches have been left unfinished for several months now. The one thing I've managed to complete was an avatar head bust. My desire to draw for that fandom randomly comes and then disappears.

Another would be the Monsterverse cause for any og followers out there who found me before my Mewtwo blog, I was heavily into Godzilla stuff and had a blog dedicated to kaiju art. But then I got rid of it and deleted everything when I slipped out of the fandom. I still love the monsterverse, I just no longer feel the desire to make art for it. Though I'm not opposed to maybe drawing old man Goji in the future, reconnecting to my Tumblr roots lol. A part of me does miss him.

Lastly, Dragons. Just dragons in general. I have been tempted in the past to make a blog dedicated to dragons. Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon, Dragonheart, Wings of Fire, Eragon, Httyd, you fucking name it! But...I haven't gone through with it for the same reason I've deleted my old Godzilla blog. It became too overwhelming for me to manage 2 blogs, so one had to go. I realized I could only focus on one blog at a time.

So if I ever do another blog focusing on another fandom, it'll be after my Mewtwo/Pokemon blog stories are finished or I begin to lose the spark for the pokemon fandom and decide to branch off to something else.

#answered ask #copperstar1

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monstrifex-art · 6 months

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During your art challenge stuff like Vivid Shadows, how do you typically keep up motivation to continue doing it every single day? Because it’s been a struggle to keep writing stuff every single day. Granted this is my first time doing this, but I was wondering if you had any way you prevent creative burnout from doing these.

I have thoughts on this lol. There's a few ways. First a disclaimer, I started working on these Vivid Shadows pieces about a month ago. I have up through day 19 done right now (cough see them early on patreon cough). So I've been spacing these out a bit more than one every other day. I have done the challenge day by day before, and it's doable. But I'm a busy adult that needs to pay bills, and I like to give myself some cushion. But with that established, here are some thoughts I have. 1. Collaborators and Witnesses I doubt I could find the motivation to do these kinds of big projects if I didn't have friends and collaborators doing them with me. This is different for everyone, but I find I'm much more productive when I have someone else to bounce ideas off of, send WIPs to, and honestly to judge me when I don't meet my goals. This can be a friend you're working with, or a discord server where you share updates, or any other online community that you're a part of. 2. Effort Budgeting For big series like Vivid Shadows or longer comics with a lot of panels, I do not put all my effort into every piece. There's just no way. I consciously choose to half ass some things, and tell myself "eh, good enough" even if I know I can spend more time polishing. It is infinitely better to finish a piece at 60% of your full power than to pour all your heart into a project that never sees the light of day. If you feel up to it, you can spend more effort on some select parts that really make you happy. But those should be the exception, not the rule. And the more projects you finish, the better your half-assed work will become. 3. Creative Limitations You have to define some bounding rules for your project, or you'll get stuck with decision paralysis and scope creep. For Vivid Shadows, the rules I use are pretty simple. Each day has a prompt, one color to use, set dimensions and a hard deadline. I mostly use a limited palette (3 colors + black or white) because I know I can spend hours and hours shading and coloring otherwise. Limitations foster creativity. If you have a tight frame around what you can do, your brain comes up with way more ideas. 4. Keep an eye on the clock Part of what I like about projects like Vivid Shadows is that they have built in deadlines. I know I have to wrap things up by a certain day and time, and if it isn't perfect then so be it. I've done enough creative work to know roughly how much I can get done in a certain amount of time, which is very helpful for planning. The program I use for drawing has a built-in clock that tracks time spent on each document, which is a godsend. 5. Find your own methods This is all just stuff that helps me, but everyone's brain works in different ways. It absolutely takes practice to enter creative mode at will, rather than when the stars align and you feel inspired. Start with small projects, and as you train yourself you can eventually finish larger ones. Remember, something small and finished is always better than something grand that never gets done. Also worth mentioning, find the things that light up your brain. Personally, I've found that making my art horny is a powerful motivator for my creativity. In addition to the obvious neuron activation, I find it very satisfying to explore the boundaries of what I find attractive, like a mad scientist or detective. 6. Keep it fun! None of this will work if you don't enjoy the project. There may be parts you don't enjoy, but overall the project should bring you joy. If the project isn't fun, change it or drop it and start one that is. You don't owe your past self anything. Even if you abandon a project, the work you put into it is good practice for your next thing. Make work you like, and move on. Hope this helps! Good luck on your project 🙌

#ask

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fernsnailz · 7 months

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also if it's not bothering i'd like to ask you if you have any tips on how to make a zine/fanzine? i've been wanting to for a while but i am unsure how to and it feels kind of intimidating

yeah no worries! the good news is that personal zines are pretty easy to make because you can put basically anything into one and make it any length/size you want. they also come in a lot of different forms - you can make one that's just a digital pdf, post some loose pngs online, draw it out on some sheets of paper that you staple or fold together, have it printed at a professional printing service, or create an entirely new method that works for the zine you're making. it's up to you and depends on what resources you have or what zine you want to make - which is always the first step! start with an idea or general theme you want to make your zine about, which can be quite literally anything. is it a fanzine about some characters you like? a personal comic? a various collection of your art, writing, or other creations? again, can be literally anything.

i can help most with digital zines because that's what i've made and participated in so far. really the biggest hurdle with any zine is just making the stuff that goes in it - i was very ambitious to make dance in fire over 30 pages, especially since it was my first solo zine. i say start small, zines can be as few as four pages if you want. if you do want to make a longer zine, something i did that i highly recommend is finding old sketches or unfinished/unposted art that you can use as a starting point for some pages. or just keep them in an unfinished state! sketch pages are always a welcome addition imo.

another thing i recommend if you're making a long zine (though is entirely optional) is keeping a tracker with the pages you want to make or have already been completed. this is part of what my tracker spreadsheet looked like for dance in fire - just a way for me to log when things are done, what things needed to be changed, any info i wanted to keep written down. this was a HUGE help for me personally since i was dealing with a lot of pages of just. stuff.

with digital zines, you don't necessarily have to make every page the same size, but i suggest sticking to one page size to keep everything cohesive. for dance in fire, every page is about 7x10in (with a little bit extra added for print bleed). once everything is done, there's a couple of different ways to combine everything into one pdf. sometimes you can export multiple canvases as a single pdf depending on the drawing program you're using - my version of clip studio can't do that, so i uploaded 37 individual pngs of the pages to an online pdf converter and just downloaded that lmao

last thing to figure out is where to host your zine - if you have a pdf, there's a few online file hosting platforms you can share them on. i used itch.io which is mostly for indie games and creators, some other people i know use github. these are good places to host your zine if you want to sell it, but you can probably also do that on ko-fi or patreon if you wanted? idk i don't have experience with those

that's all i got for now! there's some tricky stuff to figure out if you're printing a digital zine, but i'm still in the process of figuring that out myself so that might have to be a guide for another time lol

#everyone should make a little zine about whatever they want at least once in their life #fernasks #long post

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ask-tay-relic · 9 months

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"She was young, but patient with my outburst. Hindsight is perfect as they say, and I wish I could thank her for the lessons she later taught me."

-----

[First] // [Prior] // [Next]

The full Archive is posted here; The Leyline Athenaeum

(Updates Fri/Sat, [hopefully] Bi-Weekly)

Commissions / Sale / Comic Coms available Here!

[Sent Asks may be held for use in Comic/Cameo! Please keep in mind when sending questions! :D]

---

As you can probably tell! This update isn't quite like the others;; I've given it quite a bit of thought (A few months really) and have opted to change my work to how I actually draw in my comfort. I'll go into this a bit more under the cut!

TLDR: Updates here forward will probably not be colored and the style may be 'rougher' and not as cute or pretty as it has been prior! I hope this is alright! Thank you for your time!

I've spoken on this lightly in the past, but I actually have a great difficulty with the style that I've used for past pages. It takes much more mental effort and is a far longer process for getting things done.

I am a horror artist first and formost, I draw monsters and skeletons, bones and organs, paint backgrounds and objects with ease. Doing a more 'simple' style with less detailed in the lines, that isn't something I can do easily and I find it fascinating! I adore others work like that! I just find it :( difficult.

This is why updates have been so very sparse, I have been trying to work in a 'kinder' or 'more appealing' style overall for the last handful of years due to many comments of my work while I ran other blogs through 2013ish-2017 - So, I tried to change my work to be more ''clean and anime'' or however it may be called, and as you can tell! I am not very good at it! Despite practicing for so long it just isn't in my wheelhouse! (It is not -bad- of course, but It is not my forte)

Same with color. I'm colorblind so trying to color each page was always difficult to figure out 'are these the same color?? do these conflict?? does this look nice??' -- I am used to doing lineart basically as it's own thing. I'll be doing less color pages unless it's something important, Or you may see me adjusting the next few updates trying to find a balance on how I will be using colors (Or Tones).

For now, these pages are still kind of similar to the other style, and I can tell that the more I let my anxiousness (Of my Actual Style being called 'ugly' or 'disgusting' like it was before) go, it will probably change.

My forte being 'horror' also brings to note that this comic as a whole will involve darker themes [violence / gore / NOT Sexual Content] So if that is something you are uncomfortable with please keep yourself safe first and foremost!

Thank you for your patience! And I hope to be able to work more and faster so that I can share this story with you!

I'll also be answering asks [ones that are not used in the comic] within this style as well.

#[febella]#mlp comic #mlp ask blog #Act 1: Four #Page Eighteen #[[I am very anxious of posting this due to the mentioned 'using my OG Horror Work style made people say It was Ugly' fears again]]#I hope that everything is okay and I will do my best!]#[After all - the advice friends gave was to draw for myself not for others]#[and I would say the same to anyone else so I should do the same]#Plot Point Page

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jezmmart · 8 months

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Unwarped version of the photo from the very end of the Summer Special for funsies.

No more jokes or avoiding questions about exactly how long it's going to be, the Summer Special is truly over now! Thank you all again for reading. I hope it was enjoyable for those invested in the characters and those who just tune in each week for a quick chuckle alike.

It's been a fun challenge to write my first longform story for the comic, as it's far from something I'm confident in. All together it clocked in at 85 pages (though shave a few off in spots where I just used negative space for dramatic effect rather than filling the longer pages with panels all the way down). With the average page taking me 3-5 hours to make, that's about 14 days of work. If I just didn't sleep I could've cranked this out in less than a month, dang! Well, next time.

I've had the jist for this story in my head for a fair few years so it's been nice to finally realise it. I'll get into the nitty-gritty when the trivia posts get this far I'm sure, but while it's still fresh in my mind, here's some off-the-cuff bits regarding the broad story for fun:

(Spoilers for anyone who hasn't read it yet!)

* I originally envisioned this as a thing I'd secretly work on behind the scenes and drop in its entirety for download, framed like a traditional "summer special" magazine. But unfortunately I just don't have that kind of time, and knowing that it would be years of work to do it alongside my other output, paired with the fear that not every reader would necessarily ever get around to reading a longform thing when they're used to just tuning in for a 30 second fix once a week and moving on, it became a no-brainer to just make it a "special" in spirit only and make it part of the main comic. And I know myself, the only way this was ever getting done is if I just posted that first one and then locked myself in to having to finish it, one week at a time.

* The fact that I did it in 2022-2023, and the pacing of the story for the first half, was entirely dictated by the fact that Chamomile's update day was due to land on Christmas Day in 2022. If I wanted to make that inappropriate Christmas Day comic joke, it was now or never, and because it needed to be a standalone ridiculous one comic scene in juxtoposition to the rest of the story-driven special, staging it as a dream sequence between the two days had to be the time for it.

* To that end... when I began working on it, I didn't have the whole thing planned out. Day 1 of the trip was more or less sorted but I still had a ton of comics that were just scenes with no jokes yet, and Day 2 was a big question mark that somehow had to lead to Vi's dramatic reveal to Bri and realisation/meet-up with Sam at the end of it. Day 2 was only fleshed out and finalised by around December last year, when everyone was going to bed on Day 1! The idea to more thoroughly conclude Brianna's story in an extra epilogue, segregated off from the rest of the special so Sam and Vi's scene would still feel like a "climax", and also allowing the summer special to continue through this year's summer rather than ending right beforehand, only came to me early this year, and finalising the particulars of it came right down to the wire, with all the comics involved fleshed out and ready to go basically when I began drawing the first (or maybe even second, lol).

* On the note of Brianna, her story here is a lighter version of a story idea I had for her back before Cammie even existed and I was considering making a comic about her - a story in which someone returns to their hometown or a special place to find solace but instead finds out that everything has changed and has to learn a hard lesson about how nostalgia can't save you from adult life overwhelming you etc. In my head it was to be a relatively sombre mood, but tbh I don't know where to begin writing something like that and have it be engaging throughout. All I know is how to do jokes!! So I mourn the loss of that imagined version but I'm happy I made something of it at last. It's impossible to make stuff to your initial vague vision, it was always bound to change!

* While weekly updates meant I never had the time to flesh out their pre-relationship friendship as much as I'd always imagined I would... Sam and Vi have been destined to happen since Sam was introduced to the comic. Been playing the long game in trying to make them inconspicious but shippers gonna ship and plenty of people saw it coming, but that's fine, haha!

* The elongated search for a 20p coin to get into the public toilets and then it turning out that contactless card payment could have been used the entire time was a real thing that happened to me and my partner during our 2016 holiday in New Forest. It was really really funny and I've been sitting on the story in order to use it in Chamomile at some point for years and years.

That'll do for now! Please look forward to the return to regular ol' classic Chamomile antics from Sunday!

#jezmm #art #chamomile comic #chamomile comic trivia #original character #character art #vienna #samantha #chamomile #brianna #layla

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commander-erwin-smith · 11 months

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Spoilers under the cut for those that haven’t watched season 2 of Sweet Tooth yet. I'm super late making this post because of unfortunate life events but here we go.

Season 2 was really good. I managed to have the energy to watch it upon release and it didn’t take me long to get through. I ended up finishing it only a few days into May.

It was nice to see Gus’s relationship with the other hybrids, though most of them that were there at the end of season 1 obviously were killed off and it’s odd that they forgot about all of them except for Roy. That was a shame. I can’t remember many of the surviving hybrid kids’ names, but the raccoon girl, Tommy Turtle, the bird girl, and the owl (?) girl are my favorites.

I was disappointed that Johnny was killed and I was hoping that General Abbot missed his shot and didn’t hit something vital. I was expecting Johnny to be found and actually help them against Abbot and be the one to kill him. Am I the only one who started shipping Johnny with Rani? I think they would have been a cute couple because it seemed like they maybe were starting to like one another as both he and Adi started going through their own mindset change. I wish Johnny and Rani would have ended up together.

I also started shipping Aimee with Jepperd. I was surprised that they killed her off. I was a bit disappointed, but it makes sense because her role will be Bear's now to fulfill. I was hoping that Aimee would have ended up with Jepperd, but I had a theory that the one Last Men guy lied to him about his family being dead and gave him some random people's bones and that his family was somehow still alive. I figured that Jepperd would find them alive again next season or a later season (which would be more likely), but then Netflix confirmed that Sweet Tooth was canceled after season 3 which sucks because the comics were apparently much longer and they could have made the series longer. Now I feel like Birdie and Jepperd will end up together perhaps.

Bear and Wendy's reunion was very nice. She'll do anything for her sister. Now she has the rest of the hybrids to protect and it will be interesting to see how their life unfolds with Bear. They've all been through so much and deserve happiness.

This brings me next to the Animal Army. I wish they could have gotten more screen time after Tiger had them betray Bear. They were an important organization and deserved more time to shine before they got killed off this season. I was happy that Tiger and Bear were reunited and that she could get her little redemption arc. Tiger died doing the right thing and was able to warn Bear that the Last Men were coming. I wish she could have lived longer.

Also, that teen boy Bear met when she snuck into the Last Men. I've already forgotten his name. I wonder if he survived and if we will see him next season. I feel like he could have been an important piece this season. He could have been one that could have been brainwashed and come to realize that hybrids aren't the bad ones. He could have seen the light if he would have stuck around Bear. They both could have been important to each other's character. I also started shipping them too. I wonder if we will see him next season and if we will get a reunion between them.

Season 3 is going to have a lot of shoes to fill: Gus and Jepperd's journey to find Birdie, Birdie making the cure, whatever Adi will be up to, whatever Rani is up to now that she's off on her own, Bear and the hybrid kids, and the woman who will take over as the villain for season 3. I wonder how they will get everything done in around 12 episodes. Maybe they will make a few movies?? Who knows. I can't wait to see what happens. I enjoyed this series a lot and I don't want to see it end so soon. I'm such a sucker for found family elements.

#sweet tooth #sweet tooth spoilers #sweet tooth netflix #netflix sweet tooth #netflix's sweet tooth

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harukadrawsthings · 7 months

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EDIT 7/10/2023: Wow, in less than 24 hours I already got the 5 slots filled! Thank you to everyone and my apologies to those who didn't manage to have a slot in time. There's always a next time! As soon as the replies become ready I upload them but there's no deadline. Stay tuned!

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Original post 6/10/2023:

Hello, everyone, hoping that this start of Autumn is being good for you!

I've been a little busy dealing with mental health and quotidian stuff but over two thirds of the next part of the comic of Soul(mate)s of Light has been already developed. Thank you for your patience once again, expect its upload in the near future once it's ready to show.

In order to maintain the focus on the comic strips creation I'm re-opening the Ask box for a very short time once again. This post will be updated as soon the inbox gets closed.

After validating the questions of 5 different users made that include at least one to AU characters I'll temporarily close the Ask box once more. First come, first served. So if you were saving questions in the meantime, hurry up and ask them now while slots are available!

BEFORE SENDING AN ASK:

Last time in August when I was checking the pending messages and validating the questions that were suitable for replies I’ve observed a few things that I want to bring out some attention, as well reminding about a few factors:

There were users not respecting the “Maximum three character-directed questions per user�� rule. Please consider there are other people that send questions and it’s not fair for them to have to wait longer because somebody made more asks.

For a better management of posts, I also want to ask to please make those three questions in a single post whenever it’s possible instead of sending them separately.

If someone sends me more than 3 character-directed questions per wave of replies, I’ll either only respond to the three first questions and suppress the others, or select the best 3 questions of that message.

Please don’t ask the characters questions about crossovers with IRL IPs unrelated with Pokémon. It’s 99% certain I won’t answer them. I reinforce that I reserve the right to not reply to questions that I find them inadequate to my AU standards or for other reasons not listed in the rules.

Although I don’t forbid questions done to characters that aren’t part of the main/secondary cast of the AU story, please consider that questions made to characters outside that circle are subjected to be unanswered if I conclude that replying them doesn’t bring anything relevant either to the readers or to the AU itself.

If the Ask Button isn’t available it’s because I’m not accepting character-directed asks at the moment. Do not use this thread to send character-directed asks. Please wait for a reopening and save your questions for next time! 😊

Author-directed questions are quicker to be replied than character-directed ones (especially if there's no character-directed ask included in the entire message). If I see it helps to speed up the inbox cleanup I can consider giving priority to answer this type of questions.

A reminder about the original rules to also be considered

Be polite, don't use foul language/swearing.

SFW asks, only! NSFW asks will never be replied.

Gore scenarios are very unlikely to be replied or if it involves a trigger subject that requires a real graphical depicting as well.

I reserve the right to not reply to a character ask if I find it inappropriate or for any other reason not mentioned here.

Maximum three character-directed questions per user. If author-directed questions are included alongside with character-directed questions, please don’t surpass 3 character questions and 2 author questions (making it a total of 5 questions per user).

Due to my personal life and the development of a new comic, replies to the asks won’t have a fixated deadline to be developed and published. Please be patient!

If I find the asks to be suitable for replying I might take some time to draw the character answers since it's something I have to do in parallel with ongoing projects like AU comics or illustrations (and there's my personal life to consider as well, of course!).

The more questions in the same ask message I receive, the more time I'll need to draw them as well since I have to submit every answer on the same post!

I give priority to draw answers for the asks I receive first in my inbox. Asks sent after someone has done it first will be in the drawing queue.

While I don't discard the possibility of drawing replies to questions directed to characters that don't have much relevance to the AU I can consider to do them if I conclude it's doable. However, I recommend that the questions are done for characters that are more prominent to the story.

I highly advice that the questions are asked in English, although I understand questions done in Portuguese or Spanish without having to use automatic translators for other languages.

Thank you in advance!

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garoumylove · 7 months

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Forgive me OPM darlings for I have sinned...

I see a few people reading and interacting with my posts lately which makes my heart super happy but I think it's time to come clean.

I have committed the cardinal sin: I do not like the ending of the MA arc or the way Garou is characterised post his fight with Saitama.

I'm sorry...I'm sorry if this lets you all down. I know that this is not the Done Thing in the OPM fandom but I just...can't.

Now let me be clear because confessing to this comes with so many assumptions.

-NO, I DO NOT HATE THE MANGA. I fell in love with Garou through the manga. He become the light of my life during the A-Class fight. I think the manga did an amazing and brilliant job of capturing him and his spirit up until a certain point.

-NO, I DO NOT THINK THE MANGA SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 1 TO 1 CARBON COPY OF THE WEBCOMIC. While I do think the webcomic did a better job of Saitama vs. Garou and its aftermath than the manga, I don't think it should have been a straight up copy of it.

So what don't I actually like?

I stopped loving it after Garou got to the surface after the long hiatus of us not seeing him due to the Psykos fight.

Ever since he re-emerged he was not the same cocky, decisive, independent , threatening character. He was completely softened up to the point where, to me personally, his personality was no longer recognisable as the Garou I fell in love with.

I've had many discussions with people who feel similar to me and people who feel the complete opposite. The deal is that Garou since then has been really pure, way more than before.

I'm not upset because he's happy, I always wanted him to be, I just don't like the pure, age regressed Garou. He seems more naive and comical than before. To me, he feels more like Luffy now than Garou. It's not that I wanted him to be depressed and angry all the time, I just wanted him to be happy but more of a cocky young adult rather than the kid-like Garou we have now. I didn't want him to submit to authority so easily and for Bang to treat him like a small naughty child. I wanted him to reconcile with Bang and have a more mature mentor/mentee relationship and probably not so soon after his defeat.

I don't want to get too much more into this because I know this is a very sensitive topic and people get really upset about it as I've learned through personal experience. But I just wanted to be completely honest with anyone who may be reading or interacting with my posts.

I understand why so many people do like this much softer, child-like Garou and I think it really comes down to personal preference and unfortunately, that just isn't mine. I will continue to write and draw Garou as I see him, the Garou that I have built up in my mind based on everything up to the surface fight. The Garou that I fell in love with.

It's just my preference, just like some people like soft and fluffy fanfics and some people prefer darker, more brooding stuff.

I think there's no question that Garou's characterisation has changed to become more of a sweet comic relief and that's just something I'm not that attracted to.

I respect everyone's preferences and opinions and headcanons of Garou and other characters but these are mine.

I'm just going to keep doing what I've always been doing but I wanted to be honest with this because some people take this very seriously and this debate has ended friendships.

Please love the Garou that you love and enjoy what you enjoy. I guess I am just a heretic and will continue to be so. I'll go say my ten Hail Marys now ;)

#confession #garou #garo #opm #garou meta #opm meta #one punch man #text post #text

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dailycass-cain · 8 months

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I really tried to like this run, I really did. The seeds were planted in the Failsafe arc, then there was a tiny bit with the next arc (Red Death), and the way this one began.

Yeah…

This is just my preference, but I enjoy a comic book story if the writer clearly has a passion for all the characters involved.

When it comes to Batman?

I just ask if you're gonna use Cass. Use her wisely.

Don't use her as a "prop".

It's why I left Tom King's Batman run after Batman #81 because that's what Cass was in that run.

I came back to Batman because I truly did enjoy James Tynion IV's style in his Tec run. Yes, he played it safe but it was a FUN kind of safe.

Even if they were cheesy, Tynion's Batman and later Joshua Williamson's runs were fun. So was Mariko Tamaki's Tec run. They treated the characters involved with respect and gave some standout Cass moments. They didn't seem like a "prop" and somehow always figured into the story.

Why I SOOOOO checked out hard when Future State: Gotham did this too (so much so I totally have forgotten who wrote the story). Cass wasn't a character in that (among others). She was just a prop to showcase how "far" Nightwing had gone.

Now, this current Batman run by Chip Zdarsky has done this too. I really did give this run a fair chance. For his "Failsafe" arc the ideas were there but---

There was never any follow-up. No payoff to the ideas introduced in the arc. Cass jobbed but it made sense. Because at the very least "Failsafe" was made to be counter to Bruce and the Family. But…

We got zero payoffs to Cass/Duke doing anything in the arc or anything out of Gotham being lorded over by a machine.

Compare this to what's going on in Detective Comics by Ram V.

Yes, Cass is a minor presence but the writer pays at least some payoff from plots that he introduces the character too. There's consistency.

I see 0 consistency from Zdarsky from point A to B. Take today's #137 issue for example. We spent a setup with Cass getting zero motives as to why she (and Duke) are siding with the rest.

They just are.

0 characterization and 0 payoff from point A to B. What do we get for Cass in the issue? She jobs hard to Bruce. I just don't see any reason why as a fan of Cass I should care about this run?

I mean yeah, Zdarsky dangles the "happy" family in front of us in #136, and also tells us that bad things are coming for Bruce and the Family.

Buuuuuut… where's the characterization? The panel that tells us what Cass sees?

You could've easily had Cass in #136 just a mere two panels glance at Bruce and him back at her. Him knowing she knows something is wrong.

Nope. We don't get that. Just cute fun (we get that via Dick instead).

It would bridge to her being against him in #137. If that was the case I probably wouldn't be angry over the issue. Cass doesn't feel like a character in the story, just a prop. And when a writer goes that route I CHECK OUT.

The other problem I've been having with this Zdarsky run is the "word play" as well. Dick, Tim, Jason, and Damian all get name-dropped as "sons" to Bruce. Note who isn't mentioned.

AND YET...

But that is me just being picky and fandomy. But the other stuff I can't overlook. I will miss this run. I really REALLY love Jorge Jiménez's Cass. Like he understands the assignment ANY time he's asked.

Just that, good art has to accompany a fun or thrilling story. We're getting none of that from my point of view. Maybe this changes in a few issues. Maybe it'll be longer.

I just can't read this comic any longer. It's not a read I enjoy. So until then bye Batman. It was fun.

Anyway. I said my peace. I just want to vent this out of my system. 🙏

#cassandra cain #dc comics

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gunnerkriggcritical · 10 months

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A Personal Reflection On Gunnerkrigg Court (by @kestrelknight)

I started reading Gunnerkrigg Court at least by the time of Chapter 20. I was in elementary school, and obsessed with a number of webcomics. Gunnerkrigg Court was among the two that I persisted in reading up into college. It has been a foundational piece of media for me; it was one of my models for good visual storytelling, for pacing, for mystery and atmosphere, for kitchen-sink fantasy. I even made a single page of a comic in middle school, heavily based on the "spooky magic girl in abandoned industrial setting" concept. I loved it.

I wouldn't care about Gunnerkrigg Court so much if I hadn't loved it for so long. I wouldn't be this frustrated, and hurt by the comic, if I hadn't loved it for so long, so much.

There were always a few little bits that made me uncomfortable in the comic, though I had difficulty articulating it- mostly the way young girls wound up being sexualized, or having romantic teases with older men (humans or magic wolves). None of it ever really impacted my enjoyment of the comic; I tried not to dwell on it. While I was frustrated by Annie's perpetual tolerance for her father's neglect, I assumed this was just the beginning of her character arc- that the point would be her coming to process and reckon with the fact that he had not treated her well, and that she was allowed to be angry about it.

The point at which I started having misgivings came at the same place as for many people: The Tree. This chapter hit me very hard, and very personally. I've never been in a situation similar to Annie's. I have been in situations similar to Kat. I was so affected by each individual update, I read more than the top comments- and was deeply disturbed by how many people tried to justify Tony's behavior, especially as comeuppance for Annie for cheating. From that point on, the comic was a source of stress and worry for me. I bore with it, because I loved it, and had faith that Tom would deliver catharsis at some point- that there was a point to all this, that he had something to say about the nature of neglectful and abusive parental relationships. He was writing one, after all.

Annie and the Fire meant so much to me, as someone who's struggled with anger, and a desire to please and placate others, to the point of struggling deeply with dissociation for years. It resonated with me to the point of being hard to read; but I kept with it, and accepted that Annie's journey wasn't done yet. Tony's remorse did very little for me, but it didn't kill my hope in Annie's development. Just because Tony feels bad doesn't negate what he's done, and what he's failed to do. That's obvious. I waited longer.

The moment where Kat suddenly turned face and decided Tony wasn't so bad a guy after all caught me completely off-guard. It felt like a betrayal- and I thought that was the point, that Annie's astonishment at this character change was the point. That now, Annie couldn't offload her own resentment onto Kat- she could no longer rely on someone else to get mad on her behalf. I hoped she would try to convince Kat, even indirectly, of why she should still be mad at Tony, and so come to realize she herself was still angry at him. Something. It didn't happen- but I was willing to wait. Tom had unfolded an incredible, dynamic slow-burn of a story for years and years. I had faith in him.

The second point came with Loup's arrival. Ysengrim and Coyote were some of the best characters in the comic, characters that had defined the dually humorous and sinister tone of the world. To have them both killed off, and replaced by a worse-designed, boring, Chaotic Stupid deviantart wolf without even the honesty of a glitter and rainbow color scheme? Yeah, hated it. The way the plot bucked and heaved, gaining and shedding momentum just as fast did not do it any favors.

I think I stopped reading during the Two Annies arc. I've never been a fan of stories that introduce time-travel or multiple universes late in the story, so it was never going to be to my taste. Combined with Loup, it just felt like the comic was off the rails. And since the plot was all over the place, there was little motivation for me to keep. waiting. To keep putting myself through this constant anxiety, reading every individual update- waiting to see if Annie's relationship with her dad would ever have the pay-off I wanted.

I was nervous it wouldn't come. I really couldn't tell, at this point, what Tom's intent was. But I didn't want to make assumptions prematurely. This was a story told a page at a time; it would be silly to get upset over a narrative resolution that wasn't even going to happen! But I realized that it was doing me no good to keep waiting around for the story to end, one way or another. I stopped reading sometime around 2019, having read for maybe a decade.

There was another layer to my discomfort with the comic, one more related to real life events and relationships. To put it bluntly, the main other GC reader I knew IRL agreed with Tom's framing: Annie was immature, headstrong, and was facing the just repercussions for her actions. Not in those exact words, but close enough in sentiment. I didn't have anyone else in my life to discuss the comic with. I was getting old enough that while I could see how Annie had made mistakes, and was a flawed, messy person- she was also a child, surrounded by uncaring or passive adults, in an uncaring system, constantly reprimanded for taking matters into her own hands while also burdened with immense responsibility. She was treated like a kid while being expected to act like an adult. There were very few adults in Gunnerkrigg Court that I could even like anymore. Even the kind ones frustrated me by their inaction. Obviously, you don't need to like the characters in a story to enjoy the story, but it did stop me from enjoying GC. I realize now that it was because the framing was leaning more and more into Annie being the problem, not the system and adults around her. Which, is horsepiss.

Every now and then I came back, and read several chapters in one go. It was a disappointment pretty much every time. Something felt off, and the parts of the comic I cared about weren't really the main focus. I dropped it again, picked it up, dropped it. There are still whole chapters of the comic I've not read, or only skimmed through. My family owns the first four volumes of the comic, some of which are coming loose at the binding for being handled so often. I've barely reread anything past The Tree.

Some point a few months ago, I was stewing over the comic again, and wanted to see if people on tumblr were talking about it at all. I found some fanart, and one or two critical posts that validated my feelings. I kept coming back to the tag, looking for more of both- and eventually came across gunnerkriggcourtcritical. I've gone through the backlog of this blog multiple times- every time my memories of the comic frustrate and upset me. It's comforting to know that other people feel the same way, underwent the same disappointment, even betrayal, reading this comic.

And finally, it was closure for Tony and Annie's arc. Not the closure I wanted- but at least I know now what Tom was planning. I don't regret giving him the benefit of the doubt. Now I know for certain what the point of it all was. I was disgusted by The Mind Cage.

I've been in Kat's situation: watching my best friend be ridiculed in a public place by their parent, helpless to do anything to help them. Listening to another friend make constant excuses for their parent, idolizing their worst aspects, wanting to be more like them, so they can feel in control. I've been like Annie, so horrified by my own anger, so unable to process my emotions, that I just cut them out and sent them to another country. I've washed my face in that mirror, the restroom unrecognizable around me.

Annie deserved better. There are no heroes or villains in Gunnerkrigg Court; there are abusive parents, and neglected children. There are no readers who keep up with the comic, just to complain and hate it for the sake of hating; there are readers who saw themselves in Annie, in Kat, and who are still trying to process what the hell happened.

Authorial intent does matter- but a good author understands that readers will always get the last word. Stories are a reciprocal process, especially episodic ones like webcomics. Tom had all the opportunities in the world to observe reader responses, and adapt his story to be both consistent with what he had already written, and sensitive to what dynamic he was portraying.

I still love Gunnerkrigg Court. I'll probably reread those volumes again, sometime. It's still what I point to, when I want to give an example of how simplified style can be more effective in comics. It was my model of a beautiful, effective webcomic, both in story and artwork. I'll never forget how Gunnerkrigg Court shaped my art and my stories.

I'll also keep thinking about how it ultimately failed to recognize the story it was telling, and turned to mean digs at its audience rather than reflect on its own content. I'll keep thinking about what a wretched message it is, to imply that being neurodivergence is the cause of child neglect, to point at Annie doing all the work in her relationship with her father and say: that's fine, and you're stupid for thinking that isn't fine. I'll keep dunking on Loup/Jerrek, because he sucks.

I'll never forget how Gunnerkrigg Court let me down.

#submission #gunnerkrigg court critical #gunnerkrigg #gunnerkrigg court

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