#but otherwise an absolutely excellent movie

[evilwriter37]

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a masterpiece that makes me cry.

#like… yes… there was one tiny bit of transphobia in there #but otherwise an absolutely excellent movie #being adopted myself it does just really make me cry #especially the ending #kfp #kfp 2

[evilminji]

Broadway :3c

And I hear ya. (Insert spooky joke here) There is a sprawling WEB of central hubs, for The Arts. For trade. For getting drunk and having a good time. The Zone is large and it is endless. You'll NEVER reach the far end. It can never reach you.

All things, in gentle sweeping waves, across eternity.

So when folks want to have "a market" or "a movie theater" or "the waterpark"? You gotta PICK a point on the endless map. Figure if you are close or far enough away for others like it, to make it worth the effort to build.

You might even be the first to do it for GALAXIES in any direction! People might fly for WEEKS to come to your place! Move their Lairs to be closer too it. Like dust gathered by gravity, slowly creating planets and stars. A mega Lair. A CITY.

They rise, they fall, the Zone shifts all the while.

But!

Does the dead starlet stop singing? Does getting gunned down, stop the show?? I think NOT! Where is her STAGE? What musicals? What dramas? What operas and tragedies and forms unknown to human kind??! Ballet dancers who CAN defy gravity! Singers who have no NEED for air! The haunting blend of instruments, that could never in life have met! From empires long turned to ASH!

The greatest show in DEATH!

Ember was a world wide hit. Yes, her voice was hypnotic. But that could be FOUGHT. It was SKILL that carried the game. And she was hardly "I was Literally The Greatest My Planet Ever Produced" skilled. She was good, great even. Not "I was Born For Greatness" Excellence.

And like?

.....eventually? Danny's gonna ask after "cultural-y" Culture stuff. Clothes and food. Music and the arts. To help his parents get used to the whole "our son is half-dead" thing. To show he's not some mindless monster now.

And? Ghostwriter? Probably an absolute legend. Does he know where you can find some CULTURE? Oh THANK ZONE! He thought you'd NEVER ask! You unsophisticated-! *fist fight in a library* Still a dick, though. Always and forever.

And just? Imagine Broadway stretched out into a floating city. That never sleeps. Never stops. Shows ever changing. Some on a cycle, some only once. Dream-like. Beautiful. Eye catching.

And yeah, Danny didn't think he LIKED musicals. It was more of a Jazz thing. But? This was important! Gotta get the whole family in the Speeder. We're going to see a play, guys! We'll pick when we get there! Family road trip! Educational! We can make notes!

His parents are trying to be supportive. Big, fixed, strained grins. Trying to pretend to be excited. But they... DO seem reluctantly intrigued? And Jazz is all but vibrating in her seat. It's basically her "before you go away to college" present. And she is THRILLED.

The longer she excitedly speculates? The more into it she gets their folks. This IS gonna be new! Exciting! Never before seen Ghost Culture! Music! As a FAMILY! Think we could find souvenirs? Ooooh, wonder if they sell CDs??!

Then? They GET there. And it's... it's like seeing the Las Vegas strip for the first time, except multiplied into a city. Made of even MORE styles and eras. At angles gravity would never allow.

The air filled with laughter and excitement, people rushing to shows or humming bits of tunes. Street stalls. Fountains. Flowers growing everywhere.

They could stay for months and not even reach a fraction of these buildings. His parents are taking countless photos. His sister squeeling with joy as she races for an information kiosk like they just arrived at Disneyland. He, at least, remembers to lock up the Speeder. Grab their day bags.

When did HE become the responsible one?

The argue over shows. Obviously. Wouldn't be Fenton's otherwise. HE wants to see the alien one. It's from mars! But it's his sister's trip, as his dad points out, so she gets to choose. She picks a musical set during the Fall of Krpton. He's... reluctantly kinda interested. I mean, EVERYBODY likes Superman, right?

It's... it's amazing. Terrible, but amazing. I mean? A coming of age story cut tragically short? Oof. Hello, massively projecting then getting FEELS about it! Yeah, sure, rip my heart out why don't you? He's fine. No, really! Just drowning in his own emotions over here. The refrain of "A Life Well Lived"? *gargling dying whale noises* he's FINE. Not grappling with anything! Go on without him!

Thankfully?

They DO sell CDs.

He... he may end up, kinda, getting a bit of a collection. Going on the weekends, hoping show to show. Wandering to whichever catches his eye in the moment. Buying the CDs for one's he likes. Which? Honestly is a lot of them. Even though there's all sorts of genres and languages. Cause it... it RESONATES you know?

The grief. The anger. The "I have died but I wasn't FINISHED. It isn't FAIR.". And? Something about ghost speak flows so BEAUTIFULLY in song? It's hard to explain. But he... he needs them.

A pair of headphones, a CD, and a clear night sky? Nothing touches it. It's like a trance made of light. Like he can just drift.

The problem? Is the CDs are kinda... Zone made? They're radioactive, for one. Nothing a Fenton CD player can't handle. But... they? Also? Kinda fuckin GLOW? Like... very, very noticeably. And not in a "ha ha, cool glow in the dark paint!" Sorta way.

.........but like FUCK is he leaving his music behind when he goes to college. Gotham will have to deal. It's already a burning shit-nado, it can handle this. Probably. He'll put um in a lead lined box. Actually, speaking OF.... he needs to get a few more of those... *goes back to packing*

Which? Is how? The Bats are treated to some of the most HAUNTING music they've ever heard, belted and crooned from Some Guy's speakers, out an open window, on the "stop for a mid-patrol drink of water and a snack" building. It's one of the intersections of their patrol routes. And THAT? That is some dude listening to a Romani ballad about death and the circus. Now it's a musical about the trenches of an obscure war.

Okay, that was DEFINITELY Kryptonian. Like... coherent Krypto- *Bruce gets a call from Clark on his "work" number DEMANDING to know where that is coming from. Who is that voice Bruce?!* huh.... Well Then.

@hdgnj @hypewinter @nerdpoe @lolottes @babbling-babull @spidori @mutable-manifestation @the-witchhunter

#dpxdc #dp x dc #dc x dp #dc x dp prompt #danny phantom #minji's writing #broadway of the Zone au #Danny's music au

[dresshistorynerd]

Ranking Men's Costumes in Renaissance Period Dramas - Part I: The Bad

Part II: The Good

I have a bone to pick with Renaissance costuming of male characters. Films and TV never seem to understand French hoods or the concept of tied up hair but the crimes committed with female characters costuming seem to pale in comparison with those committed with male characters costuming. It would be easy to find some atrocities that should be brought in front of the Hague from the bottom of the barrel shows like Da Vinci's Demons and Reign, both of which costuming is basically black leather jackets, pants and boots. If we're lucky, they have some vaguely Renaissance details imitating doublet or jerkin. But these shows make absolutely no effort, even the women's costumes are straight from modern fast fashion shelves (often literally). But I have noticed that even costuming that has some effort otherwise put behind it, still costumes male characters with the most boring costumes and minimal effort. The Tudors didn't have good costumes, but there's some effort towards historical immersion, even if quite lackluster, but the men's costumes are still so sloppy.

My theory is that they think men's Renaissance fashion was too goofy and embarrassing to fit their cool and sexy main male characters. Also men dressing up and taking care of their appearance? That's obviously homosexual behavior, and these hot men who the main female characters are fawning over are Manly and Heterosexual. So they don't dress up in fancy clothing or colour!

To give a fair change to the costuming, I will be selecting only shows and movies which have good costuming for the female characters. If they are not even trying, it feels kinda pointless to point that out. I have selected 10 period dramas. I haven't seen all of them so I'm not going to analyse the costuming any deeper than how good and well made they look and how well they evoke the historical setting. I don't demand historical accuracy, but I will be more harsh on that front if the women's costumes are succeeding in that. But one of the point of period dramas is to immerse into a historical setting, so if the costumes can't evoke that feeling, I think they have failed. Obviously this is not some objective ranking, but my opinions. This is in two parts (because of Tumblr image limits), so I'll start with the five worst costumes in order of best to worst.

5. Ever After (1998)

Ever After is supposedly set in Renaissance France, but the costuming resembles late 15th century and early 16th century Italy much more. It's not very historical, and clearly not really trying to be, going for more of a fantastical style. It works, I think because they make it cohesive and very pretty.

Men's costumes resemble also resemble Italian styles. The Lombardian style sleeves, short doublets and tight pants land it right there. The men's costumes are much more boring than the fun and fantastical women's costumes, but they got the least worse spot in this worst costumes list for several reasons. The pants are actually tight and they have codpieces. The sleeves are actually really great I love them. And there's no leather pants or doublets.

And look at this, at least one doublet is closed with lacing!! (I apologize for the very low image quality, it was the only picture I found of that costume.)

The biggest gripe I have with the costumes are the boots. Just let these male characters show of their calves. At least not everything is black but the lack of colour is still disappointing too.

4. Becoming Elizabeth (2022)

The female characters have quite excellent costuming. The fabrics are rich and gorgeous, the bodices are extremely smooth and crisp, some of the best I've seen, partlets are on point and correctly used. My only complained is the occasional open hair and yet another case of the weird upward pointing crown-like French hoods.

French hood didn't have any crown shaped thing, it was a hood and the headpiece is actually several headpieces made to reveal the lining of the hood in a crescent shape. So it is very much flat against the head. (I've written about French hood's construction before.) And sure they look more early Tudor fashion, the sleeves should be much more dramatic and the bodice elongated. Like here's a portrait of the actual young Elizabeth. But I think the detailing, great construction and good looking materials make the costuming beautiful and feeling enough like Tudor era.

So how does the men's costuming hold up? Pretty okay, which is why this show is so high up in the list. I haven't seen any leather pants on anyone. Leather jerkins were an actual thing, they just weren't black, and though the leather jerkin in the show was dark brown and not smooth hide, it was not black so that's something. Edward VI does have actual stockings and Renaissance shoes, which is great, but he is a kid and I didn't see any grown man rocking that style which is very cowardly behavior imo. There's some colourful silk jerkins in there too. And they even could get away with all black since that was very fashionable at the time. They are all wearing slashed trunk hose. AND! They have actual accurate codpieces sticking up! That is so rare especially in this period when the codpiece was not just a flat piece of fabric.

Unfortunately this is where the good things I have to say end. All of these court people are for some reason wearing riding boots inside and everywhere all the time. The hose are way too long and the jerkins are way too short. The hose should be just peaking under the hem of the jerkin. Obviously none except the kid uses thigh high stockings. One of the worst things though imo is the lack of structuring in the men's costumes. The women's costumes are so well structured, but the men's costumes are just wet rags hanging on them? The doublets were heavily structured to create a pigeon chest and hourglass effect.

In conclusion, there's clearly some effort made, some very nice historical details, but the overall look is very costumy and sloppy because of the lack of structuring and lacks the historical silhouette.

3. Mad Love (2001)

The movie is set around 1500 Neatherlands (and Spain). I think many of the costumes are gorgeous (like the examples below), though overall the costuming is quite inconsistent. Most of it fits at least okay to the time period and setting, though the red dress here is more along Italian styles, but not entirely off either for early 1500s Low Countries. Some costumes though are 50 years from future. Of the women's costumes alone, this would probably be the worst costuming on this list, though I think better than most Renaissance costuming, which is why it still ended up on this list.

The men's costumes resemble more early 16th century German fashion than Low Countries fashion, which was more similar to French fashion than German. In the red ensemble there's some weird jerkin looking overgarment, but jerkins were not a thing yet and they were never in this style. I will excuse the lack of codpiece since in Low Countries' fashion it was hidden under longer overgarments, even though in this more German style it would have been left in view. The hose are no where near fitted enough, and the boots should not be here at all. Overall this is kind of a mess, but it is better than the last two. We have skirt, we have weird sleeves, open neckline and most importantly, we have colour. Also while this shoulder-length curly hair wasn't in fashion outside Italy at the time, I still appreciate the sluttiness of it.

2. The Borgias (2011-2013)

Now we are getting to the territory, where the lack of effort is starting to be very obvious. Like the costumes till now were not particularly good, but clearly they at least attempted, even if not very hard. So, The Borgias. The show is set in the early 1500s Italy. The women's costumes are gorgeous. Not always the most historically accurate, but at least close enough and very pretty.

The men's costumes however... a deep sigh. Some of them are not that bad, like this first one has kinda Lombardian sleeves and a too small doublet showing off the lacing (in Italy the lacing was almost always ladder-lacing though regardless of gender, but it's something I guess). Most of it though, especially of the leading men, who are supposed to be cool and hot, is absolutely garbage. The same black leather jackets and pants seen in the bottom of the barrel shows. Like the costumes of the female characters and some of the male characters feel like they are from two completely different shows. Like sure they have codpieces, but their pants are so loosely fitted they wouldn't even need the codpieces. (I explain the use of codpieces in this post). And of course they have boots. Of course. In Italy it was even common to not wear shoes at all, they just sewed leather soles at the bottom of the hose. And even the men's costume that have tiniest bit of effort, are so dark and lacking in colour, when the most fashionable young men at the time wore these wildly multicoloured hose and doublets. The feeling I get the showrunners were so god damn afraid of giving the cool male characters any elements or details that could in anyway seen as feminine today, they stripped all the historical elements away. Like they couldn't even give Cesare lacing, they had to make it Manly Buckles?? It's such an insecure performance of masculinity. I admit the last image here is the worst offending example and there were some with a bit of color even, but in other ways most of it is exactly this bad. I will have to hand one thing to them though. They did manage to get the slutty shoulder-length hair right.

If this man is supposed to be sexy, prove it to me by showing his ass with lovingly fitted hose.

1. Rosaline (2022)

This is roughly set in the same time in Italy too as The Borgias, based on women's costumes, I'd say at the very end of 15th century. And those women's costumes are honestly great. They even have hand-sewn eyelets, ladder-lacing and cartridge pleats. Even some of the most high effort costumes don't get these details right. Honestly I only have issue with the hair, the hair goes from okay or outright terrible. They even made this super historically accurate Renaissance apron for a maid.

This got the lowest ranking so you know what comes next. The men's costuming is absolutely unacceptable. I feel like it would be excessive to even describe all the ways these costumes fail since to me they are so obviously bad. The difference between these women's dresses with such gorgeously crafted details and these men's costumes that give absolutely nothing is so stark and gives such a massive dissonance. They are just wearing modern skinny-ish pants, all the colors are so muted and dark, there's no shape, no structure, no codpieces, just sloppy bland jackets and pants. Even less effort than men's costumes in The Borgias have. Except one thing they have over The Borgias, they were able to ladder-lace that doublet. Otherwise these are just bland, boring and actively ugly. And it's so weird that they took this "gritty gruff "realistic"" route, when it's a comedy about Romeo and Juliet? You afford to be a little goofy with a comedy and yet you did this.

Extreme disappointment, do better.

Part II: The Good

#historical fashion #period drama #historical costuming #costuming #period film #costume drama #renaissance fashion #renaissance costuming #historical fiction #ever after #becoming elizabeth #the borgias #rosaline 2022

[omgthatdress]

Extremely pissed off this year about the Golden Globes's ridiculously loose definition of "comedy."

Okay studios have ALWAYS stuffed their middling dramas that are okay movies but not good enough to be serious awards contenders into the comedy or drama part of the Golden Globes just so they can have "Golden Globe Nominee/Winner" on otherwise forgettable bullshit.

But this year I'm actually fucking pissed off about it because this year has given two genuinely superb comedies that absolutely deserve recognition: Barbie and Bottoms.

Yes, Barbie has a ton of nominations and is likely to win a lot of them and honestly probably deserves them all. But here's the thing. Fucking Charles Melton's stunning and heart-breaking DRAMATIC performance in May/December (which despite having a level of camp and a few jokes in the script is NOT A COMEDY if ever I saw one) is pressed against Ryan Gosling's superb and hilarious performance in Barbie, which is an actual fucking comedy that deserves recognition for being an excellent comedy.

Charles Melton's performance is probably the best performance I've seen this year. An actor whose previous claim to fame was a minor role on Riverdale went into this movie and fucking stole the show from Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. BUT IT IS NOT A COMEDIC PERFORMANCE AT ALL.

Ryan Gosling, on the other hand was not only hilarious, he managed to turn the personality-less Ken into an actual person with emotional depth and a sense of reality. It's and extremely skilled performance that he clearly put everything he had into and it is so good.

DIFFERENCES LIKE THESE ARE WHY THERE ARE SEPARATE AWARDS FOR DRAMA AND COMEDY. Both actors deserve awards for their work. And Charles Melton is probably going to win because well he'd probably win best actor anyway. In a movie that is only good because the acting is superb and wouldn't be nominated for anything outside of acting were it not for the fact that they could stuff it into the comedy nominations.

Comedy is so under-valued and it infuriates me. Bottoms is one of the funniest movies I've seen in years, full of wicked, clever writing and outstanding performances. I want to see movies like this, which take incredible skill and talent to make get fucking recognized. AND IT'S NOT NOMINATED FOR SHIT.

You know what is nominated?

Air. Fucking Air. Fucking Ben Affleck being rewarded for yet another deeply mediocre movie.

For real people have no appreciation for how hard it is to be funny, and the skill and talent it takes to make an outstanding comedy. It deserves recognition, but it almost never gets it.

[captainofthedauntless]

When Life Gives You Lemons

Rise Donatello x Reader imagine

Info + Warnings: Reader's at the Lair to help Mikey in the kitchen. Mikey's caught up in something else. Donatello gives Reader a way to pass the time. No gendered language, pronouns, or Y.N used for Reader. Vague not-friends to might-be-friends with feelings. Set a few years post movie.

Commentary: He's much harder to write for than a certain blue menace. IDK if this even sounds like him.

It's easy to think Donatello doesn't care.

Well... that's not true. You've seen him unveil his latest and greatest inventions- he cares so much it's impressive.

But it is easy to think he's extremely (impressively) neutral on you.

It's a kind of intense neutral that you haven't seen anywhere else.

He's polite. Or his version of polite, anyway. It's not like he avoids you, he just is neutral in a way that somehow pulls on your attention.

You can't explain how or why.

You're just aware of it the same way you're aware of his family's fondness for you. His near-apathy has the same volume as Leo's jokes and Raph's warm support and Mikey's excited integration of you into their schedules.

You call it Hamato Intensity, in the privacy of your own mind, the way they all are. It's shapeless and beyond definition, and you really shouldn't think too hard on it because it simply is the way that gravity just is, but you almost can't help yourself.

They just have a presence.

Maybe it has something to do with that Ninpō thing Mikey and April tried to explain to you. It's like magic, but it's not magic, but it's kinda magic? But then Donnie had cut in to explain that it was absolutely not magic and he had a whole PowerPoint and everything got very derailed very very quickly.

You were more confused at the end than you were when the conversation had started.

So you try not to think about it too much. You get that they're glowy and dangerous, and it has something to do with ancestral connections, and you think April's haunted, and that's just going to have to be enough.

It's a lot like how you don't quite get Donnie.

You're pretty sure he doesn't dislike you. Over the few months you've known the family, you've seen him dislike several people, and it is always extremely clear. It's sharp and hazardous and can be a little (lot) intimidating- and he's never been like that with you. He's just dry. A little reserved.

The weird part is that it isn't really... awkward?

Like, it should be. It so should be. Right now, with you sitting at their kitchen table waiting for Mikey to get home so you can help him with his latest culinary adventure (per his request) and Donnie silently brewing coffee and typing away at his gauntlet, it should be awkward.

It isn't.

It's comfortable, in a strange way.

The realization is a surprise- one only trumped by the surprise of him speaking.

He says your name in way of greeting, and your head whips around like he'd screamed.

"Yeah?" You say, confused.

You think it might be the first time he's said it to you.

He stares at you for a beat like he's studying you, just long enough for you to start to feel out of place. "Still waiting for Michael, I presume?"

"Yeah," You repeat, no less confused. More confused, you think. "He's grabbing ingredients. Apparently Leo ate the end of something and Mike's making him portal them around to replace it," You explain (over explain? You can't tell) with a fond amusement. "Said they couldn't find it at the first place they tried, so they're making extra stops."

Something dings on his wrist, and he drops his eyes to type something into his gauntlet again. "Excellent," He says neutrally, still typing. "That leaves you free to assist me."

You blink at him, confusion growing. Again.

He seems to notice, his hand stilling on his keyboard for an almost imperceptible moment. "If... you are not otherwise occupied, obviously."

"Um, no. Nah, I'm free," You respond, finding your footing again and deciding that much stranger things have happened, really. "What's up?"

"I require an extra set of hands in the lab, to hold a circuit board in place while neither crushing nor breaking it, which- despite his best efforts and gentle demeanor- makes Raphael a less-than-ideal candidate," He explains, his typing hand coming up to twirl once in midair in a very Donnie motion of simultaneous acknowledgment and dismissal.

It occurs to you that this is the same lab that may-or-may-not have some sort of nuke tucked away in it, depending on who you listen to.

The thought is brushed away by the realization that your curiosity outweighs your caution (again).

You slip out of your chair, nodding at him. "Sounds... uncharacteristically simple," You say, testing the waters with a gentle joke at his expense.

It seems to pay off as he nods. "I assure you, the end goal is extremely characteristic," He says, and it takes you a second to realize he's- it's not joking, but it has a self-aware, playful edge to it. It's subtle, but it's there, and it catches you off-guard as two robotic arms reach out and pour a mug of coffee without him looking.

"Then lead the way."

He turns without a word, retracting one metal arm as the other brings the mug to his hands before disappearing into his shell.

You follow him to his lab, hesitating just outside as he slips right back into his element.

You've been in the lab before, but it's rare, and usually with the company of his entire family. Here, you have no cues to follow.

He glances back at you and raises a brow.

"Do I... need to take off my shoes or anything?" You ask over the synth and bass filling the room, only half joking. It feels like walking into an operating room, like you need to sterilize your entire being before you breathe on any of the impressive technology.

"No," He says simply, turning back to his workbench, "The floor is cleaned bi-daily by SHELLDON. Bi-daily, in this case, being twice-per-day- not every other."

You nod at his back. Of course it is.

You walk towards him, not quite able to resist the urge to look around. You settle for keeping it subtle.

"Here," He says, pulling your attention from an organized mess of cables and metal hanging on the wall like technologically-advanced macrame. "Hold this over here, at roughly a 59.6 degree angle."

Taking the circuit board- a foot square and heavier than you expect- you nod again, trying not to laugh as you step to his side and lift it up to rest against yet another unintelligible pile of technology. "Right. 59.6 degrees."

"Roughly," He amends, the start of a smile visible in your peripheral. He reaches out- into your space- and nudges the board into a sharper tilt, presumably finding that approximate angle for you as his metal arms grab things from the tool chest behind him.

"Like this?" You ask, trying to hold still as he pulls away.

Oddly, you almost miss his space in your own.

"Roughly," He repeats dryly.

That's alright. You aren't striving for perfection.

Roughly is fine.

You feel compelled to strive for perfection.

You swallow the urge.

He's back, hands full of drill and screws and metal hands holding more metal pieces that you can't quite see around his battle shell as he crouches slightly to look at the underside of the board in your hands.

"Slide it to the left- your left, not mine."

You nudge it gently.

"More."

You nudge it again.

"More- too much, back the other way."

You cock a brow at him- or more accurately, at his red-and-blue goggles, which show you your own reflection. You can't see his eyes, but he must see you, because he mimics your expression.

You nudge it back the other way.

"Adequate," He says in something close to approval.

It's nicer to hear than it probably should be.

"This will be an unpleasant sound. It will jostle the board. If it slides out of alignment, we'll have to reset you."

"Alright."

He's correct- as per usual. It's a very unpleasant sound, metal on metal combined with the whir of the drill, followed by clanging as his battle arms hand him extra pieces and parts.

He ends up entirely beneath the metal monstrosity, supported by the two metal arms as he leans back to look up at the machine's underbelly.

You end up in a long-abandoned rolling chair. You tell yourself it's just because Mikey isn't home yet.

Eventually, Donatello calls your name.

"Yeah?"

"Four-point-five millimeter hex key."

You glance over at the little work table he'd rolled over earlier, and spot a tray of neatly organized hex keys. A closer look reveals perfectly placed labels.

One reads 4.5, so you slip it out of its slot and roll forwards to pass it to him.

"Thank you."

You hum a little acknowledgment, and kick your chair back slightly.

"-and for some insane reason, he decided to catapult himself-" You wave an arm out in emphasis, mid-story as Donnie meticulously wires together the plates you had installed, and a third metal arm darts out to gently catch your wrist.

You stop speaking, and you stare at each other.

"Hotplate," He says after a beat.

You glance over your shoulder, and your hand is being held just shy of a metal platform on the desk behind you. There's a little red light on the front, and a bright purple sign plastered neatly below it, warning Hot. Do Not Touch. Do Not Use As Microwave.

"Thanks," You says softly. You can feel heat wafting off it now, enough to give you the impression that had he not interceded, you'd be nursing a nasty burn.

He hums and retracts the hand, tucking it neatly into his battleshell. "You were reminding me of Nardo's foolhardy ways?" He prompts, attention already returning to the project in front of him.

Eventually, you hear Mikey holler from outside the lab, calling you.

"I guess that's my cue," You say.

Donatello does not look up. "Agreed. I appreciate your assistance."

"Any time," You say casually.

As you turn to leave, you're absolutely dumbfounded to realize you actually mean it.

You've enjoyed your stint as his lab assistant.

"How was the lab?" Mikey asks, a little too playful for your tastes.

"Hazardous," You quip dryly, replaying the hotplate incident. "No wonder he's so protective of it."

You miss Mikey's response, mentally counting metal hands.

Donatello's battleshell has more than two.

You're pretty sure you've seen him with five before.

...So why did he need help?

"Hello?" Mikey asks gently, an innocent- too innocent- smile on his face.

"Sorry, flashbacks to my near-death experience." It's not quite a lie.

He doesn't quite buy it.

"I said if he asks you to test fit a helmet, say no," Mikey repeats.

You nod slowly. "Speaking from experience?"

"Don't worry about it," He chirps, slipping an apron over his head. "Speaking of experiences, are you ready for Angelo's All-You-Can-Beat Eggstravaganza?"

"Absolutely," You grin, happy for the change of subject.

And excited for lemon bars.

Win-win.

"You're telling me-"

"Nardo, don't-"

"I teleported all over New York and the Hidden City-"

"You are in the way-"

"So that you could get your wrenches passed to you?" Leo exclaims, the picture of incredulity as he stands between Donnie and the equipment you'd helped with. "That was your grand plan?"

"I had no grand plan," Donnie responds, stubbornly sidestepping his twin. "Michelangelo had a grand plan. I was a victim, dear brother, same as you."

"Oh, of course, of course," He says, hands coming up in dramatic surrender. "Because spending time with someone you have the hots for-"

Donnie taps at his gauntlet, turning his music up over his brother while sliding back beneath his newest baby.

"-Is exactly the same as stopping in thirteen stores-" Leo continues louder, undeterred- "for a niche lemon species you eventually start to think Mikey made up!"

"And did he?"

"He might as well have, for how deep into Witch Town we ended up!"

Donatello rolls his eyes sharply, adjusting bolts above himself.

They don't need adjusting.

"If you don't come out to try their lemon bars- and sing their fucking praises- I will come in here and haul you out myself," Leonardo proclaims, ducking into Donnie's space. Persistent, unyielding, obstinate. "And I will tell everyone- everyone, you heard me- about last month and the rollerskates-"

"You are a monster."

"And I will do so in detail," Leo finishes, a smug grin on his face.

Donnie glares at him.

"We're not kids anymore, hermano," He says matter-of-factly. "You've taken on supervillains, aliens, ancient mystic entities, and all of NASA's cybersecurity-"

"Allegedly."

"-You can handle a direct conversation without hiding behind your tech."

Donatello does not respond.

Leo pats the metal chassis they're hunched beneath in lieu of touching Donatello himself and takes his leave.

The kitchen is loud when you and Mikey present a tray of perfectly sliced, perfectly proportioned lemon bars, each presented in an adorable white paper liner and covered in a light dusting of powdered sugar.

It's loud and happy and sounds like love, and you find yourself marveling at that Hamato Intensity again as Raph and Casey bicker about the wrestling match they both watched the night before and Casey Jr excitedly asks Mikey all about the bars and April and Leo and Splinter sneak in closer to the tray, only freezing when Mikey fixes them with a dangerous glare over Junior's shoulder.

It's a lot. They're a lot.

It smells like citrus and sugar and coffee.

The coffee reminds you of the smell of steel, which reminds you of the clanging of metal, which reminds you of whirring drills and gentle nudges and self-assured sass from beneath a machine you still don't understand.

And then you're jolted from the surprisingly warm memory by Mikey sliding a lemon bar just under your nose, happily saying something about chef privileges, and the bars taste every bit as good as they smell and he's grinning broadly and your heart feels warm all over again at the happy sounds from the group you love so much.

Metal claws dip into your vision, dangling your keys in front of your face like a worm in front of a fish. "Missing something?" Donatello asks dryly, quietly, from behind you.

"Where were these?" You ask, cupping your hands beneath them and catching as the metal claw releases.

"Workbench," He says simply, his claw- and another- darting forwards and grabbing two bars by their liners. He drops one in your hands and takes the other, tucking his metal extensions away. "How did these turn out?"

"Why don't you try it and find out?"

"I like to know what I'm getting into."

"I'm biased," You shoot back, your voices similarly amused. "As a man of science, you recognize the issue here, no?"

"Touché." He takes a bite, chewing slowly, thoughtfully.

"...So?"

"It appears you are more-than-adequate in the kitchen as well," He says, and it feels like a compliment.

It feels like a big one.

You nod, playfully smug. "I'm happy to hear it."

You are.

The realization makes you feel a little brave. "If you find yourself needing an assistant again..."

"I'd have to be able to steal you away from Mikey."

"I think he can share."

"In that case," Donnie says, amusement in his voice as he speaks beneath the noise of his family, just to you, "I will keep you in mind."

It doesn't sound half bad, really.

#*writing #tmnt imagine #tmnt x reader #donatello x reader #imagines #donatello #2018 #rottmnt x reader #x reader

[writerblue275]

Brief Valentine’s Day Plans with Heartsteel

Inspiration: Hahahaha I’m so very single (I’m really fine with that. I gotta focus on myself at the moment) but I love LOVE so you all get this. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Champions: Heartsteel

Genre: Headcanon

Type: Fluff. *small sigh* I restrained myself.

Gender: Gender Neutral Reader!

TW: Swearing because I swear. Otherwise it’s fluffy time! ☺️

Aphelios

I can’t see Phel doing anything super out there or dramatic. That just doesn’t seem like him. But you know what I can see him doing?

Getting your fav takeout and throwing a cute little couples game night for the two of you. Cards, board games, video games, etc. Music he made in the background to set the fun vibe.

I have to think Aphelios is a gamer. Like I’d be so shocked if he wasn’t. Besides card and board games I’m thinking he’s both a pc and console gamer and he’s a big Nintendo guy.

He loves Smash Bros, Mario Kart, or Splatoon, and you two are working through Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom together. And while Phel’s super competitive in multiplayer games, he’s been teaching you tricks! (You’re the only one he’ll teach. Everyone else can just deal.)

It’d just be a lovely night. Hanging with your favorite person and having a great time doing something you enjoy together. Frankly those are some of my very favorite types of dates.

Ezreal

Very fun and very sweet. Heart fluttering. That’s what Valentine’s Day with Heartsteel Ezreal would be like.

I’m imagining a mix of like classic romantic gestures with some fun “young love” type vibes. Like he’s getting you flowers and taking you out to a nice dinner….

And then afterwards both of you go to an arcade/arcade bar and just have a fucking blast together. God help you when you try and take Ez on in air hockey or ski ball though. His AIM. Or in DDR? He’ll absolutely distract you so you don’t beat his score. (Distract him back!!)

But it’s fine because all those tickets he’s winning, he’s spending on you. Or on stuff that both of you can use. Like matching plushies or fidget toys. (So cute oml.)

Just an day/evening of fun moments, sweet kisses, and that feeling of young love, even if you’ve been with Ezreal for years.

Kayn

You might think Heartsteel’s resident bad boy is not very romantic. But, I truly believe Kayn can be, just in his own way of course! I don’t think super sappy romantic gestures are his thing. But having experiences with you is something he treasures.

I can imagine him picking you up and taking you somewhere far outside the city at night. A surprise location in the country. Somewhere quiet and peaceful.

And what does Kayn have planned? Well he packed pillows, blankets, your favorite drinks, and…a picnic basket! He’s planned a surprise picnic under the stars!

I feel like Kayn is really great to have deep conversations with, but you have to be someone special to have such talks with him. Him being so vulnerable indicates the extremely deep level of trust he has with and love he has for you.

Enjoy star gazing, cuddling, and chatting the night away with your person. What a super sweet way to get even closer to each other, no matter how long you’ve been with him.

K’Sante

Oh this would be an excellent Valentine’s Day with those classical romance vibes. K’Sante is fully about to wine and dine you, baby. Enjoy that shit. You’re getting spoiled like you absolutely deserve.

Buys/makes you a whole new outfit because you deserve it. If he doesn’t make you a full outfit he at least helps make part of it. Like accessories or something.

Reservation at one of the nicest restaurants in the city. K’Sante always thinks ahead and made it months in advance. (See why he’s one of the leaders of HS?)

Afterwards driving to an overlook and just watching the lights and talking about anything and everything. Moments filled with soft words and even softer kisses.

Just the classic movie-esque romantic night and I’m all for it (lmao I’m such a romantic). K’Sante definitely knows how to make your heart beat faster.

Sett

(Lord help me I gotta stop myself from going off the rails but he’d be so damn good at this.)

You want romance? By fucking god Sett’s going to give you ROMANCE, darling. He’s a gentleman.

He’s making a full meal from scratch (it’s your favorite meal of his that he makes), and also setting the ambiance. Table set, candles, lights low, flowers/other presents he knows you’ll like. The whole nine yards.

Sett’s not letting you lift a finger either. The most he’ll let you do is help pre-rinse some of the dishes after dinner. He’s in full Prince Charming mode and it’s excellent.

You thought the night ended at dinner? Wrong. Bubble bath with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Fluffy bath robes. Doing each others skin care. All the sweet shit.

And afterwards? Well just be patient and see where the night takes you. 😉 But overall what a lovely and romantic night with Sett, your gentleman of a partner. (I’m swooning just thinking about it.)

Yone

Your love/relationship with Yone isn’t loud or bombastic. It’s steady and unwavering. And that vibe is how Valentine’s Day is for the two of you.

He picks you up and brings you to his studio where he’s spiffed it up! Your favorite flowers in a vase. Both of your favorite take out (the place he took you on your first date) on a table w/ candles.

Yone’s got music playing softly in the background (a playlist he made just for you for Valentine’s Day of course). It’s every single song that makes him think of you. (When you ask him out of curiosity how long the playlist is, your ever-stoic partner turns a little pink as he mumbles, “o-over 4 hours….”)

During the slow songs Yone will even dance with you a little because he loves how it makes you smile. While dancing, he’ll rest his chin on your head if you’re short enough. And once you’re done dancing, you two can cuddle on the couch in his studio and do/talk about whatever.

It’s not over the top. It’s not grand. But it’s an intimate and personal night with the love of your life and truly nothing can be better than that.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Whether you’re a single pringle like myself or you are celebrating Valentine’s Day with someone, I hope your day is filled with love! 💙🥰

#heartsteel #heartsteel headcanons #heartsteel x reader #reader insert #headcanon #heartsteel aphelios #heartsteel ezreal #heartsteel kayn #heartsteel k'sante #heartsteel sett #heartsteel yone #league of legends headcanon #heartsteel fluff #happy Valentine’s Day from your local single tumblr fanfic author 😂

[larryatendoftheday]

This year I craved stories that transported me somewhere else. So in addition to my usual weakness for angst, I sought out fics with surprising plots and excellent world-building. These were the ones that really stuck with me. Thank you to these creators and to everyone who shares art or writing or creates fic rec lists. You have been and will continue to be a fantastic gift to so many. Thank you <3

Note: The fics in this list were published in many different years. They are not in a particular order. The main pairing is Louis/Harry unless otherwise noted.

Party Lines by nonsensedarling @absoloutenonsense Explicit | 25k | Phone Sex Operator

Several of my all time favorite fics are phone sex operator AUs, and this fic is an iconic addition because Louis isn’t even actually a phone sex operator. He’s pretending, and he gets attached. Full of sexy, sweet, and funny dialogue and the appropriate amount of suffering and uncertainty, this fic will transport you to an excellent alternate universe.

War Of Hearts by BoosBabycakes @boosbabycakes28 Explicit | 80 k | Enemies to Lovers / Non-traditional ABO

I live for a well-executed enemies to lovers arc, and this is it. Believable, sweet, funny, angsty, and oh so satisfying to read. Alpha Harry doesn’t fit his gender’s stereotypes, especially in private. His arch-nemesis Louis knocks on his dorm-room door in the middle of a pampering self-care night and sees the side of Harry that he keeps hidden. What follows is a fantastic gAyBO story about repressing, exploring, and accepting your true self. There is a strong cast of OT5 and related people that keep you laughing and believing. Honestly, I need to re-read this right now.

Men of Steel, Men of Power by Stria (Asia117) @nooradeservedbetter Explicit | 58k | Political Revolution / ABO

Get ready to be absolutely consumed by this parallel universe and the angst-ridden reality of Louis, pretend alpha and head of security, and Harry, feminine alpha and new-hire. There is enjoyable intrigue, mystery, crying, sex, political philosophizing, and some spy movie shit as Louis attempts to right wrongs and push back against those in power. OT5 pop up in surprising and satisfying ways. However, perhaps most notable to me was the attention to detail in how Louis deals with pretending to be a gender he is not. (Perhaps don’t read while in your gender dysphoria feels but do read to feel seen.)

what's left of my halo's black by LiveLaughLoveLarry @loveislarryislove Explicit | 22k | Friends with Benefits / Angst

If you love pain, this fic is for you. A heartbroken and emotionally damaged Louis manages his problems—such as being a wedding planner and the impact of his abusive ex--by secretly fucking his coworker Harry. It turns out this doesn’t actually solve his problems, though, and new issues emerge from what was supposed to be a simple friends-with-benefits arrangement.

turn me up by turnyourankle  Explicit | 3k | Hanky Code PWP | Louis/Luke Malak

I found this while searching for @1dhankyfest content, and I love it. There’s something about unabashed gay sex culture that revives my soul.

Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings @greenfeelings Mature | 112k | Fake Dating / Enemies to Lovers

Hollywood actor Harry Styles is gutted when the man he can’t stand gets the Scorsese role he wanted. It gets worse when their teams conspire to set them up in a fake relationship to promote the film. I read this fic in the first days of 2023, so the details are a bit blurry in my memory. I know I loved the enemies to lovers arc, the strong Ziam subplot, and Harry obsessing over his unavailable crush (which isn’t Louis). In my comment, I wrote, “My heart absolutely ached with the pining and angst, and the sexual tension was so palpable.”

Gonna Dream of How You ... by therogueskimo Explicit | 4k | PWP / Canon-compliant

This canon-based fic was so steamy and tender. Photos of Louis performing in a tanktop get Harry going. What follows is some long-distance edging and fun. It features soft Dom Louis and desperate Harry and just really hits all the right notes in my opinion.

Almost Misheard by tommokat @tommokat Teen and Up | 4k | Friends to Lovers / ABO

This is a comfort fic. It’s got hilarious fluff about best friends who realize what their inner alpha and omega knew all along. (The rest of the gang might be in on the secret too.) I’m almost amazed by fics that manage to pull me in with believable characters and storylines without any angst, and this one delivers on every front. You’ll be grinning the whole time.

Coax the Cold by MediaWhore @mediawhorefics Mature | 86k | Mermaid / Historical AU

Professor Tomlinson is fascinated by the occult. When a circus advertises a unique sea creature, he decides to go undercover as a janitor to get close. He plans to write the paper that will finally prove he was right about the existence of fantastical creatures. This author expertly builds the world of this fic – 1800s Britain, academia, and freak shows. I loved the believable cast of characters (OT5 and more!) and the stakes that are set, including the horrid antagonists.

fondre ton absence by scrunchyharry @scrunchyharry Teen and Up| 41k | Amnesia / Historical AU

Harry and Louis childhood best friends who grew up and discovered love together in a quiet village. Harry manages asthma and chronic illness that often leaves him homebound with his books, but Louis always keeps him company. Their simple life is turned upside down when Louis is drafted in WWI and does not return home. Then, when Harry finally finds him, Louis doesn’t remember anything. This story was a tearjerker but so beautifully written. I adored that portions of the story were told in letters and that Harry often referred to literary works. Bonus: This fic has amazing visuals by whenthebodiesspeak.

be a good boy, Harry by stretchmybones Explicit | 1k | PWP / Pet play

Harry wants to play, but Louis is busy watching football, so he asks Harry to wait. I haven’t stopped thinking about this domestic and sexy little slice of life since I read it in January of 2023. My comment said “simple and perfect,” and I still agree.

The Heart's Home by homosociallyyours @homosociallyyours Teen and Up | 10k | Squiddry

Someone wrote the Music for a Sushi Restaurant fic of my dreams. Half-man, half-squid, with the voice of an angel, Harry is quite the catch. Louis, an exhausted and lonely restaurant employee, is tasked with keeping an eye on the special find. This story was so entertaining and sweet. It filled me up with good vibes and left me happier than I started.  

~~~~

I always include my favorite fic that I published that year at the end of these lists. I didn’t publish much, but I really enjoyed this one.

In His Rightful Place by larryatendoftheday @larryatendoftheday Explicit | 2.7k | PWP

Harry reunites with Louis and gets to reclaim his role as the person who fucks his boyfriend best.

#favorite fics of 2023 #mine #fic recs #thank you all!!! <3

[a-risk-to-take]

….you posted your tattoo (sick) and linked to house of dirk and i read it all and its unfinished. if you hadn’t posted i may have lived my life without getting fanfic blue balled for the first time since 2015. if you have any sympathy for my loss you would give me fanfic recs >:[ /lh

I feel your pain believe me 😭😭 I’m sorry I didn’t warn you at least. I’m low-key hoping the tattoo image gets to imarriedacherub and inspires them to continue the story - obviously not likely but it’s nice to dream!

I got recs for you though! I’ve got hundreds of bookmarks on my ao3 but here’s the HS stuff I love the most:

The epics:

Dayvhe’s Broken Diamond Club and everything by @unda-dsk: DBDC is my personal fave of theirs, and the best treatment of troll culture in any fic ever. If you know HS fic you are probably aware of MC Escher That’s My Favorite MC, and that one is absolutely excellent and completely deserves its status as one of the very best. And then there’s Alternate Universe, which is a perfect and beautiful magic school story. All of these are absolutely top-tier - I cannot stress this enough. They are epic and very long but some of the best stuff I’ve ever read—fanfic or otherwise—and they changed me when I read them. Despite the length, DBDC is very episodic so you can read each chapter as its own story and easily take breaks in between them without losing the flow, so you might want to start there. I promise it’s worth it!!

so we don’t kill the ones we love by @callmearcturus: I’ve never read anyone who can create an atmosphere like Arc can - this one is kind of a John Wick AU but in a really refreshing and elevated way. The characterization is so on point. Lots more I could rave about but I’ll just add that Arc’s Karkats are the hottest and most based out there. Again all his stuff is really good - this one is my favorite, but don’t miss this really cool magic artisan AU also.

The meteorstucks:

Aahhh there’s no way this is gonna be complete because I’ve read like hundreds and I get them confused but these are some that stand out. In case you haven’t notice already this list is gonna be very davekat centric!

Keep It Down by sburbanite - chef’s kiss concept and execution just read it

A Xenological Exploration of Music and Language by superbloom - super fun and well written with neat headcanon - and turned me on to some great music

I’m actually gonna just declare this section unfinished for now - I need to revisit these and remind myself what’s what - stay tuned!

Illustrated

Since you liked HoD you might be looking for more comic-y stuff with art. Definitely check out @chthonicarcher’s amazing davekats! Such as That’s All We Are

Dream a Little Dream of Me by koroke - this is just a little dream bubble comic but it’s simply the loveliest and I’m massively envious of the art style

Gonna Need Some Windex by the End of the Year by magniloquentChanteuse - more artistic storytelling just neat!

More

It’s About Time by @laurasauras - this is a sweet cute lovely little time travel davekat that I actually sent to a friend to read who knew nothing about HS and successfully led them into the fandom. (Followed by AU by Unda). Laurasauras is prolific and there are so many great fics written by them I can’t list them all here but they are one of my absolute favorite authors. Their understanding of the strider psyche is absolutely impeccable

The Worst Goddamn Movies Ever Fucking Made by writerbot - this fic brought me so much hilarity and joy I can’t even tell you. The Karkat voice is perfect and delightful and the social media interludes are so fucking funny and impressive. One of the first fics to show me how creative and funny this fandom can be.

I’m surely going to add to this - there are so many more meteorstucks and other authors I know I’ll think of after I post this - but I don’t want to spend too much longer on this now when you could be reading some of this great stuff! ENJOY!!

#homestuck fanfics #homestuck #davekat #fanfic recs #fan fiction

[animereviewsbykyranskye]

My current top 15 Anime and why

Because why the fuck not. I'm doing top 15 so that I have some variety behind it. Otherwise I would just be gushing non stop XD

Apparently numbers go big now - AND THEY GO SMALLER IF YOU TRY TO TYPE IN THE SAME LINE AS THEM???

comparison:

15

15 -

DA HECK????

(Edit: I was going to colour all the numbers because I wanted a rainbow. WHY THE FUCK FOR THEY CHANGE TO SMALL WHEN YOU COLOUR THEM??????)

Guess the titles of the anime get a small heading. Anyways. Onto the actual list!

15

Technoroid OVERMIND

Ayo. Starting out with a really random one. So if anyone were to look at my Anilist then they might be a bit confused. I decided I'd keep movies out of here as well as anything I haven't specifically finished. Also takt op. Destiny needs a re evaluation.

Anyways. This premise is so sick and I feel like they managed it really well. The characters were all really fun and the music was fantastic which is honestly the most important thing about Idol shows. I really like idol shows but often struggle with the stupid drama in them that just leads to seasons upon seasons that didn't need to happen or wouldn't actually happen.

In this they're just androids. The fantasy twist works so well for the genre and I honestly don't know why it isn't done more often. This way they can bullshit the drama and it actually makes sense.

Honestly my favourite character was Kite. He was great and his voice always gave me shivers. Especially his piece in the closing. Damn.

I don't want to go into full reviews with this, rather just gushing about things I like and stuff. I really don't think this got the recognition it deserves - probably because of it's deviation from the norm - but it would be cool to get some sort of sequel.

(Edit: There's a manga releasing apparently. Imma check that out.)

14

UniteUp!

Continuing on with the trend of idol animes apparently. UniteUp! was so good. As I mentioned in my Reviews while I watch of the show, it felt so grounded and real that other idol shows just don't seem to capture. These were all real people with real problems dealing with real life.

I also like how we had such a large cast of characters but it never really felt overwhelming as they focused on group dynamics and specific individuals rather than trying to cram every single person into their own arcs.

Once again the music was fantastic and by god was this show pretty gay. Honestly I don't know what the sentiments of others are, but the Anela duo definitely weren't straight and neither were Akira and Daiki. That bath scene says it all.

Anyways. If you want a fun time with a really solid idol anime, please check it out. I saw earlier that we're getting a season two soon. I am so looking forward to it.

13

Trigun Stampede

Damn! I don't even know what to really say about this one. The visuals are absolutely stunning - there is no doubt about that. The score and the characters are excellent. And how dare they leave us on that cliff hanger.

I have absolutely no history with this story and still need to watch and read the originally but I am really looking forward to seeing how the story adapts between the three.

You can ask my partner. I've already said we're watching everything trigun related as soon as we are done with our current show.

I'm really looking forward to season two. And especially seeing how this all pans out. Apparently there will be tears according to the fandom. Concern.

12

Re-main

Damn this show came out of nowhere for me. I watched it quite awhile ago and have been meaning to rewatch it again.

The premise is definitely a sports anime but honestly so different. All because of one thing. The fact that he is an amnesiac is such a fascinating concept to work with - especially with how he was before (trying not to spoil - can't remember when this comes up in the anime)

And then the ending?? Damn. They seriously set up that cliff hanger and I really hope this show gets a sequel.

I really can't say too much about it without giving away some spoilers but damn does it change up the formula and do it so fucking well.

11

Given

Given is great. Such a pure but heartbreaking portrayal of love on one side with such conflicting but also nurturing views on the other. Having the different realtionships throughout this is really well done how they all bounce off of each other. Especially when they entertwine it with the music.

As it is said. That is how they communicate - through the music.

I'm busy catching up with the manga and really hope the anime continues with it.

Also the fucking is just fucking gorgeous. It has no write to hit you that hard.

Also - something else that shouldn't be allowed to hit you that hard. Damn Mafuyu has had a difficult past. We love how he learns to heal and grow with Uenoyama at his side.

Anyways, moving on.

10

Bakuten!!

Okay. Who said a sports anime could be this pretty.

I love the art style and the music throughout all of this. I love the portayal and the evolution of these character - seriously all their arcs are great. The interactions of the team is so tangible and real.

I watch a lot of sports anime and I often struggle with some of the drama used within the sports - it feels like the only thing that ever fuels the story is the matches. Whereas in Bakuten - the character seriously fuel the story. You can understand their motivations much more than just - I want to play this sport and be the best!

I also feel like they really captured everything really well in the movie. The whole concept of wanting to sore is great and really well executed.

I also love the interactions they have with the other team. It's not just a once off competition or practice match that they face each other. We actually get tangible characters for the whole team and see how much they two teams are similar to one another. It's a very healthy rivalry that isn't normally this expanded on in sports anime.

9

Sasaki and Miyano

Yesssssss. These two are just absolutely amazing. Their whole story arc and relationship is just tooth rottingly sweet. They bounce off of each other so well.

And I love the fact of how slow the actual story is. They meet at the start of Miyanos first year (from what I know - I still need to read the novels) and sasaki's second and they only end up confessing just before graduation happens. It really plays out well and is so healthy.

There is no problematic elements like in so many BL stories which is such a breath of fresh air. And the fact that sasaki is very specific about making sure to maintain boundaries to ensure that miyano is comfortable is also excellent.

On a slightly different note - I still need to see the Hirano and Kagiura movie. Been dying to watch it. I've been keeping up to date with both manga and both of these stories are amazing. I love the dichotomy of the two stories and how they are coming to their own realisations of their feelings in honestly very different ways.

I also recently watched the dub of the anime due to some videos on tiktok. Fucking hell it is absolutely hilarious. Kellen Goff as Sasaki has no reason for being that good. Seriously. Damn.

8

Link Click

On a completely different note. Damn this one makes you questions your own morals and reality as you know it.

I really don't want to get into this one much as I do believe watching it blind is the best way to go.

The art style is fantastic and that opening hits like a truck it is so good. The characters just click (pun not intended) and you just understand their motivations and don't know which side to side with most of the time. It brings about such high moral dilemmas that will seriously mess with your brain sometimes and there is one episode that will likely make you cry.

Anyways. Season 2 has just started airing and I am so ready for it.

7

Buddy Daddies

Why did a show about two queer platonic dudes who adopt a child while beings assassins hit so damn hard.

The show jumps between episodes with backstory and episodes with them just being good dads and it is balanced so well. This anime won't end up getting a sequel most likely with how it ended but damn I wouldn't say no to one.

Rei is my favourite character and I relate to him far too much. His interactions with the world are so fascinating and his whole arc with Miri is honestly some of the best media I've seen.

I absolutely loved watching this show weekly and it always brightened up my day when I realised a new episode would be up.

If you would like further thoughts on this one then check the Reviews while I watch on it for more chaos.

6

No Game No Life

So. This was the first ever anime that I ever watched. It was a random recomendation from a friend. Look at where we are today.

This show is honestly just so fun. The characters are silly and the whole plot is just absolute chaos. I really enjoy the games aspect and how it was all incorporated into the world.

I can't even really say much about it. It is just a guilty pleasure of mine and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also. Please can it just get a second season already.

5

Assassination Classroom

So. Unlike everything else on the list - this one I only finished really recently. My partner and I were watching it together. And to put it out there straight away. I cried. That ending was far too emotional.

I really enjoyed the humour throughout the whole thing as well as the constant underlying dread of the whole situation.

They also really played out Koro-senseis backstory really well. The teasing to it was excellent. I must say though that one of the twists seriously came out of left field. Like damn.

I've just recently bought the boxset and am reading through the manga. Once again. It's absolutely amazing.

Also the openings of them all jumping are absolutely fucking hilarious and you can't tell me otherwise.

If you want to know what officially sold me on the show was just in the first episode. (Note we watched in dub)

Don't ask me why but I found this to be the most hilarious thing ever. The absurdity and the line delivery was magnificent. I annoy my partner by quoting it atleast once a day.

4

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

Speaking of comedies. This show has no right to be this good. The absudist dead pan comedy in the middle of whats meant to be a TV show is such a random premise but just works so well.

Due to the nature of the show, the characters are extremely relateable. I especially love Kumatani and Kikaku.

If your on the same side of anime tiktok that I am then you have definitely seen/heard snippets of the dub.

I think this was the first anime that I originally watched in sub and then tried it in dub and actually enjoyed it. (I often find that whatever I originally watched it in is the only one I can watch it in - it's very difficult for me to change it)

The voice acting on both sides just works perfectly for the show. And that final episode and how they did it was the best thing ever.

Please just give it a try.

3

Angel Beats

Okay. Time for a hard hitter. This comedy like assassintaion classroom is fucking excellent but will make you cry, like damn.

In complete and utter contrast to No game no life, this was the second anime I had ever watched. I had found a video that gave some suggestions and thought I would give this one a try. When I say it destoryed me, I mean it literally. I constantly think about the end of this and I absolutely love revisiting it.

The twist and turns along the way are fascinating and I love how each one alters the characters and the narrative. Each of the characters feel unique - even the lesser developed side characters - with fascinating and complex backstories.

The whole thing just makes you question your own place in life.

2

Moriarty the Patriot

Another one I just randomly tried because I saw a video on tiktok. The first episode immediately pulled me in. I thought it was just going to be some simple detective story (At the time I didn't know much about Sherlock Holmes and who Moriaty was so I didn't have any of that to guide me into this story.) But nope.

I keep saying this but in this one I really mean it. The characters are built so well. The dichotomy between William and Sherlock - as the fandom would probably agree - is just amazing. How they bounce off of each other - i don't even know how to really descirbe it.

Honestly just go watch it.

And if you enjoyed the anime - please go check out the manga too. If the anime was done well - then the manga is done to lamost perfection.

This show was what got me into reading and then eventually buying manga. I now have every single one that is out.

1

Yuri!!! on ICE

Did I make the title gay? Yes.

Okayyyyy. This is just going to be me going on about how much I love this show. Bare with me.

So I was in an anime watching slump just before I picked up this show. I had been seeing some videos popping up talking about it and decided to give it a try (this was in 2020)

I immediately fell in love with this show. Literally everything about it. I ended up rewatching it three times over the course of a week. It got to a point where I was so upset that there wasn't more content for it that I just cried for half a day. (Ask my partner - it was chaos)

This show is the reason I now read fanfiction - all because I found a way to technically have more content for it.

This show holds such an important place in my heart that I sincerely cannot express it properly.

If you've never watched it - go give it a try. It would mean a lot - and hopefully one day we might get a season two.

----

Thanks for reading, if you managed to get to this point. I find it interesting how my explanations managed to slowly get shorter throughout the list as I just started becoming more emotional than factual.

I hope you enjoyed it and maybe grabbed a recommendation or two. If you'd like to know more or hear me ramble on more about anything in particular then please let me know.

#anime #review #kyranskye #reviews while i watch #technoroid overmind #uniteup! #trigun stampede #re-main #no game no life #given anime #bakuten #sasaki to miyano #hirano to kagiura #link click #life lessons with uramichi oniisan #buddy daddies #assassination classroom #angel beats #moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #yuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice

[greeeengoblin]

Aint that Batman comic the one where the writer made the Waynes, a canon Jewish family, work with Nazis in WWII? And used self harm solely for the sake of it being an offensive plot device to boost up Joker's character so he could just white knight for the fake Harley and patch up her wounds and kiss the bandages or something? And that desperately tries to convince the readers that Jokers a good dude actually and it's not his fault he's been abusive, it's just his brain. and Harley's a good person for forgiving him and understanding that it's just not his fault he's violently hurt her before? That has Harley tell their kids "Your daddy was a good man. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." about a dude who's been her abuser since the beginning of her character's history and a pairing that has a repeated pattern with DC (and their shippers) romanticizing their content together and brushing off or completely downplaying the abusive nature of his part in the relationship? Idk, I don't feel like the best Batman comic is the one that goes out of it's way to make Batman's most vile enemy a sad boy white knight and ignores the extensive history he has throughout many many universe of being an abusive, incredibly sexist maniac with one of his most famous comic plots being The Killing Joke, where he paralyzed Barbara, stripped her naked and took photos of her (aka sexual assault)

I apologize first for my bad English (i suck) and thank you for articulating the issue so clearly and extensively. Wow, buddy, you're absolutely right, but you're being too objective. My conclusion wasn't based solely on the content of the story; it was actually based on the quality of the artwork and writing, so it was a result of that rather than the 'best plot.' I didn't say 'best comic plot,' I said 'best comic.' Considering that, there are plenty of other series/movies/comics written with the aim of portraying a sadistic character like Joker in a positive light. Besides, this comic is already designed as an 'Alternate Universe,' so I have nothing to say about it, and I respect the author's perspective. Similarly, I'd like to express my respect for your perspective as well. As I said, there are many Batman comics with quality storytelling and presentation, and while I find them all excellent, White Knight stands out for me because of its charming panels and artwork. ♡

and... I LOVE HARLEY QUINN!!! OMG LOOK AT THIS!!!!

#alternate universe #batman x joker #dc joker #batman white knight #white knight #batman comics #dc batman #batman and robin #batman #the batman #black bat #harleen quinzel #harley quinn #bruce wayne #dick grayson #dc nightwing #jack napier #harley quinzel #dc comics #comic art #comics #comic books #detective comics #original comic #i think #batfam headcanons #dc universe #dcu #dc comcis #au

[stitchthesewords]

I'm about to get real sappy fair warning. Sappiness ahead.

Anyway I just. Love. How often and WELL disabilities are protrayed in mcyt fanwork, especially Hermitcraft stuff. Like, for example, I normally hate superheroes because of how often the genre bulldozes out a character's disability by giving them powers. In fact I hesistated on interacting with superhero stuff in Hermitcraft for a long time because of the fact that it happens SO often in superhero movies and shows and stories and then usually hc superhero stuff involved Scar being hotguy, at least for right now - but. The way its done in fanwork here is excellent. GIHASM? One of my top ten HC fics. Kitsuneisi's Superhero Story? Absolutely incredible. Neither shy away from the fact that Scar is disabled. His disabilities become a part of his story instead.

Even outside of that, Scar's disabilities are embraced, sometimes turned to represent other forms of disabilities even. Sometimes he's wheelchair bound. Sometimes he uses a cane. Maybe he just has a limp, or something else going on - but. More often than not he's still disabled which is incredible to me. Everyone is so willing to incredible, research, and even extrapolate on disabilities in fanwork here.

And even outside of Scar! Disability headcanons are endless, disabled characters are everywhere in MCYT - Doc's prosthetics, Iskall's prosthetic eye, Ren's prosthetics from s8. The Life Series giving characters permanent disabilities. The Hels to Pay AU by lunarcrown and aquaquadrant, where Tango is recovering from torture in a way that reads, to me at least, as a metaphor for recovering from a temporary disability - it's everywhere. And it's wonderful.

This is not the first time I've said this but getting into Hermitcraft fanwork is the first time I've ever seen disability rep be everywhere. People are so willing to research how canes and wheelchairs work, or they're otherwise seeing themselves in characters and projecting that into their fanwork here - I've never been in a fandom before where people were so willing to see a character use a cane. ESPECIALLY one where people understand that disabilities are a spectrum, a range, of different attributes, and whats true for a character one day may not be true the next. Like, in Rift AU, Scar doesn't always need a cane, and no one bats an eye at this. I've been in fandom spaces before where even just having a character use a cane was frowned upon so this is just...huge for me.

Anyway this is all to say that I love seeing all the disability rep. Admittedly, I'm mostly into Hermitcraft and the life series, but I see it in other SMPs too - headcanons for characters from empires and dsmp and even Rats! That's just incredible to me. So, you know, from the bottom of my heart thank you for finally letting me see myself in a character in a way I haven't gotten to before.

#Hermitcraft #MCYT #Stitch Talks #Disability #the life series #salgkagsd im just feeling sappy #between this and the charity event where so much money was raised for kids in hospital care to get video games #i just #thank you so much for not forgetting about us #you know? #lfsakdfh idk #im just feeling emotional about it #safe to reblog btw #feel free to add on

[haven-of-dusk]

Alright, it's come to my attention that there are those who do not understand the raw babygirl energy of Richard Montlaur. So here are some Janchard headcanons to right the wrongs that rive my heart.

- Jan was (privately, he'd never show it) nervous about Richard's body count when they started dating, until he found out that it's all a media exaggeration. Less than 10% of Richard's dates result in sex because he's gentlemanly enough to just go with whatever the person he's spending time with wants to do. Just eat a big meal and chat? He's down. Drink wine and watch Pixar movies? He's your man. Scroll through each others' dating apps? He's an open book. If you want to have the hot steamy sex? He'll give you a transcendent experience. So when Jan's nervous about possibly rushing things, he's pleasantly surprised to find that Richard is immensely patient and respectful.

- I mean the sex is still wonderful once they start, Richard is as much an animal in bed as he is a deadly warrior on the pitch, but again, only when and to what extent his partner wants to.

- Richard insists on big spooning sometimes, which more often than not just looks like they fell asleep while Jan was giving him a piggyback ride, but neither of them mind.

- There's one night a week where Jan gets to cook dinner, mostly because it's cuisines Richard is unfamiliar with (and most of it is Dutch Food). Otherwise, it's Richard's kitchen.

- With the other notable exception that Jan makes excellent pastries. He doesn't even remember where he learned the art, but if Richard ever opened a resturant/bistro, Jan would be in charge of all the baking.

- The wine cellar is split into three sections, usable for any occasion, private collection (the good stuff), private collection that can only be consumed when with Jan and only Jan(the exquisite stuff). Dani once brought up the wrong bottle and almost ended up in the treatment room.

- For mutual annoyance and enjoyment, Richard constantly calls Jan 'Mijn Geliefde' and Jan constantly calls Richard 'Mon Amour'

- At one point old private photos of Richard got leaked, and in response Jan attempted to do a press conference nude. They were barely able to stop him, but the whole team saw everything. Richard initially felt horribly guilty for this, thinking he'd inadvertently pressured Jan somehow, but Jan assured him that it was entirely his own idea and if anything Jan was just mad he didn't get to 'keep Richard to himself' anymore. The one unfortunate consequence was forgetting to tell Will not to touch anything in the boot room prior to them getting a chance to...*ahem*, clean up.

- They have the absolute nerdiest couple costumes (think like dressing up as Alan Turing and the Enigma Machine level dweeby).

- Richard thought Jan's family wouldn't like him, so he brought multiple gifts of food, beverage, and other stuff to compensate. Some of it went to waste because it was forgotten in favor of the Maas family excitedly showing Richard every baby picture and sharing every embarrassing story they could collectively come up with.

- The team got them 'Maas-Montlaur' jerseys as an anniversary present (before they were married ftr) in jest. Chris Powell and Arlo White were very confused when the jerseys began appearing regularly during matches.

- Richard falling asleep while Jan's giving him a piggyback ride is not an uncommon occurrence. And just in general, Richard finds Jan's hair to be a very comfortable pillow (bus rides, hotel rooms, literally anywhere).

- Richard slipping into French whenever he gets emotional, upset, or even just excited became MORE frequent because Jan took over translation duty from Zoreaux and was so good he could even sometimes predict words before they were spoken.

- Jan is unable to sleep on bus or plane rides unless Richard is seated next to him and already asleep.

- One time, an on-site commentator heavily criticized Jan's defending and even attempted to coin the term 'the Flopping Dutchman'. The day ended with a red card for Richard and a pattern since of commentators choosing their words VERY carefully when discussing Richmond's defense.

I have more, but I'll stop here for now.

#janchard #jan maas x richard montlaur #richard montlaur #jan maas #afc richmond #richard 'babygirl' montlaur

[silverynight]

How to ask a cheerleader out

<---Previous

Chapter 6

He's not going to lie, Izuku is a little bit nervous, but in a good way; his heart is beating inside his chest like crazy and when he notices the color on Katsuki's cheeks when they get out of the school, he can't help but giggle.

He lets Katsuki take the lead; he takes him to a cute cafeteria, one Izuku has been inside before, but with his friends.

He still can't believe Katsuki asked him out, being friends with him again was like a dream come true for Izuku.

Although, a date doesn't mean they're gonna work as a couple... Izuku bites his bottom lip and looks at his own lap as he sits in front of the blond; what if he ruins everything between them?

No, he shouldn't be thinking like that; besides, if they're not compatible there's not a lot he can do about it.

Izuku takes a deep breath and thanks the gods for sending the waitress. It's an excellent distraction.

"Oi, nerd!" Katsuki scolds him lightly, poking the tip of Izuku's nose gently as soon as the girl goes away to get their order ready. "Everything's going to be fine. It's not that different from that day at the shopping center."

Katsuki is right, but not entirely and he knows it, otherwise he wouldn't look as nervous as Izuku. But the green haired boy finds that absolutely endearing.

"Okay, Kacchan!" Izuku giggles when the blond nods, blushing to the tip of his ears again.

However, that's enough to get him to relax; Izuku offers him a bite of his muffin and as soon as Katsuki grimaces and complains about how disgusting sweet food is, it's like everything is back to normal.

Then, Katsuki moves to the other side of the table, to sit right next to Izuku (assuring him he needs to show him a video of "dunce face" making a fool of himself in front of a girl) and lean completely into Izuku's personal space.

It's alright, Izuku enjoys being close to Katsuki.

"Kacchan..." he stops when he feels Katsuki's hand in his and notices that the other boy is looking at him instead of the video on his phone.

Another giggle escapes from his lips before Izuku gathers the courage to lean forward too to give Katsuki a kiss on the cheek.

Katsuki freezes, turns completely red as he slowly touches his own cheek like he can't believe what just happened.

It's not until they're outside of Izuku's room that Katsuki takes his hand again and asks the question:

"Would you like to be my boyfriend, Izuku?"

"I'd love to!" Izuku beams, and for a second, he thinks that maybe it's just a dream after all.

This time it's Katsuki the one who kisses him, but right on the lips; it's a quick kiss, barely a touch, but very soft and gentle.

Izuku known he looks like strawberry at the moment, but he doesn't care, he's too happy.

"I'll see you tomorrow, nerd."

"See you, Kacchan!"

Izuku jumps on his own bed and muffles his own giggles with a pillow; he's so happy he can't believe this is true or that it'll last.

Usually in romantic movies this is the sweet calm before the storm; good thing he's not in one.

***

"You know I have to interrogate him."

"No! Uraraka, please!" Izuku resists the temptation to bang his head against the table he's sitting at. He's glad Katsuki is not around or his friends for that matter.

"He's your boyfriend now, I have to make sure he's a good guy and doesn't hurt you," the girl says without hesitation in her voice.

Despite being terrified of what she could do, Izuku can't help but feel happy after realizing how much she cares about him.

"Please, let me handle it this time," he insists. "I assure you, Kacchan is a good guy. Besides, he's changed; he's very kind to me. I believe him when he says he cares about me."

"He's right, Uraraka. Besides, it's his relationship," Iida cuts in, making a chopping gesture with his hand; he does that every time he wants to be serious about something.

Uraraka sighs, before taking Izuku and Iida's hands.

"Fine! But if he makes you cry, I'll kill him!"

Izuku chuckles and jumps from his seat to go to the other side of the table and hug both his friends. They've always been very good to him.

"Stop being adorable, you three!" Ashido smiles, before pulling Izuku towards her. The green haired boy notices Todoroki behind her and smiles at him. "Sorry, guys, but I have to steal the cutie for our afternoon practice. We have another game in a couple of days and we need to be ready."

"I'll see you in a few hours!" Izuku chuckles before Todoroki takes him by the arm and starts leading him towards the gym.

"Ashido says you're dating Bakugo. Is it true?" Todoroki asks as soon as they reach the gym, which prompts the whole team of cheerleaders to look in their direction before pretending to do something else.

Izuku blushes, but he doesn't scold Todoroki for asking him in front of everyone; the poor boy has never been good at interacting with people, mostly because his father have been keeping him from making friends the majority of his life.

"Yes," he sighs. He shouldn't feel like this, besides, he has the feeling that the whole school must know by now. It's okay, he wasn't planning on hiding it anyway.

"See? I was telling the truth!" Ashido chuckles, poking one of Todoroki's cheeks when she notices that he's pouting. "Why the long face?"

However, instead of answering her question, Todoroki keeps staring at Izuku, this time with a frown upon his face.

"Be careful. I don't trust him."

"You're so dramatic, Todoroki!" Ashido rolls her eyes, although she seems really amused. "Listen, Bakugo is a gremlin and yes, he's constantly growling like an angry pomeranian but he's a good person and he loves his sweet green bean."

Izuku feels himself blushing and when the girl notices, she squeezes his cheeks.

"Your gremlin is head over heels for you, don't forget that!"

Still blushing, Izuku can't help but beam. It's good to hear that Katsuki has feelings for him, even though he already knew; that's why they're dating after all.

"Just be careful, Midoriya," Todoroki insists, still not very convinced about what Ashido said.

It seems that none of Izuku's friends trust Katsuki completely, but it's okay because they'll realize how good he is soon.

He's sure of it.

***

Katsuki can't help but growl when Monoma approaches him; even Kirishima and Kaminari are narrowing their eyes at him.

"What do you want?" He bares his teeth, feeling tense suddenly as soon as he notices the other people around.

If he's being honest, he doesn't want to be seen with him; he doesn't want anyone to associate him with Monoma. It'd be terrible if someone hears about their bet.

Izuku can never find out. Katsuki is not sure if he could forgive him after something like that.

His heart hurts just to imagine it; he'd feel devastated if he lost Izuku.

"I just wanted to congratulate you," Monoma grins, although for an instant, his smile disappears and a frown replaces it. "It seems you managed to convince the cheerleader to date you. Which I'm honestly shocked to hear. Did you offer him money? That'd be cheating of course–"

"SHUT UP!" Katsuki growls, grabbing Monoma by the jacket and pulling him outside; Kirishima and Kaminari follow them. "Izuku likes me!"

"First name basis, huh?" Monoma grimaces before smiling mockingly at him. "How did you manage that? You don't seem his type at all."

"I'm going to ask you again: What. Do. You. Want?"

Finally, Monoma pushes him away before fixing his jacket. He doesn't seem pleased with the situation, but that's probably because Katsuki is clearly winning. "You still need to go with him to the dance, otherwise you'll lose."

"I'm going to win."

"Sure. And then you can break up with him."

He won't, but Monoma doesn't need to know that; Katsuki has the feeling that he almost wants him to break up with Izuku. But that's ridiculous, because Monoma doesn't want him to win.

"Unlike you idiots, I have important things to do," Monoma adds after a while. "But I'll see you later to make sure you invited him!"

"FUCK OFF!"

Kirishima looks from the place Monoma disappeared to Katsuki quickly. The grumpy boy doesn't like the concern in his eyes.

"I don't know, man... Something's off. You should be careful. I have a bad feeling about this."

Katsuki does too.

***

Next--->

Patreon

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #bkdk #bakudeku #bakugou katsuki #izuku midoriya

[kitausuret]

would you be willing to recommend me some venom comic runs? i'm a comics guy generally but i've never read venom. recently watched the movie and it was baller.

Hey there friend! So, Venom is coming up on 35 years as of 2023 (wow!) so you have a lot of options. There's pretty much something for everyone out there, but given that you liked the movie, I can probably point you in the right direction...

If you can get your hands on trades (or even just use them as a guide for your favorite Digital Comics Avenue) that's gonna be your best bet. The Epic Collections (link to Wikipedia) are really comprehensive. The chart even has them in order! Handy!

If you don't want to be flipping between fifty different Spider-Man series, though, you can definitely start with some of the Venom-titled books! I've tried to pick ones that don't require a whole lot of backreading.

So, easy starting point is going to be Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) #1-6. I strongly recommend reading Amazing Spider-Man #373-375 first if you can, since #375 is the first appearance of Anne Weying. LP is to this day one of my favorite series, and it has some of the best Venom and Spider-Man moments. All are written by David Michelinie, and pencils are by Mark Bagley or Ron Lim.

If you like Anne Weying, Venom: Sinner Takes All and Venom: Along Came a Spider are the two miniseries that feature her the most. Both are written by Larry Hama. The latter has art that is... kinda rough in my opinion, but if you can look past it, they're both neat. The other thing to keep in mind is that with ACAS is that it does take place in the middle of Spider-Man Clone Saga (well.. after Ben Reilly has taken up the mantle) so it's not as new reader friendly but it IS fun. I like when Anne whacks Ben.

Are these comics good? Eh... "Sinner" is probably the stronger story of the two, but when you like Anne, you can't be too picky about what you get, unfortunately!

I also absolutely have to recommend the Planet of the Symbiotes event, which immediately follows Venom: Separation Anxiety (one of my personal favorite series). I recommend "Separation" First and then just checking out a collection of the PotS event, like this one here (link to readcomicsonline). Otherwise you have to sort out which Super Specials to read and it's annoying and dumb. The nice thing about PotS is that it's an excellent story by Michelinie with.. hmm.. let's say inconsistent art, but it's very fun and even if you're a little lost by the Clone Saga stuff, don't worry about it!! You'll be fine.

And finally, if you're looking for something a little more wacky, you can't go wrong with Venom: The Madness (W: Ann Nocenti, A: K. Jones) and Venom: Carnage Unleashed (W: Hama, A: Wildman, Nichols)! They are both very 90s off-the-wall insane and just like. Absolutely bonkers-nuts. The Madness also has the distinction of introducing Eddie (and Venom's!) first love interest since Anne. Mwah! 😘

If you'd like more modern recommendations, or if you're willing to check out other hosts, I'd be happy to provide those as well! But this should be a good starting point for some fun books. Happy reading, and if any other Venomaniacs have recommendations, feel free to add on!

#venom #reading guides #comic reading guides #eddie brock #carnage #spiderman #kita talks comics #asked and answered #also sorry not recommending anything past the 90s because i've been feeling particularly grumpy about modern venom as of late lmao

[gm-bl-cult]

The BL novels with such excellent plot, that you are sad it has BL in it, otherwise you would force just everyone to read it.

#1.  The Earth is Online

Great Sci-fi novel with ‘alien intervention’ theme. Usually such plots has big problems with endings, but The Earth is Online managed to get a nice wrap for this very difficult theme. High-passed and absolutely interesting. What to expect: super smart MC, super sick brainteasers, unlimited flow, manly couple, twisted fairytales, uncommon special abilities. 

Warning: this novel has very weak romance line (you could probably just made it a friendship and almost nothing would be lost), but this is a great book nevertheless.

#2. Supernatural Movie Actor App

Best horror BL-novel I read. Every movie plot is stunning and quite uncommon and ingenious. Movies never has only one main theme - author interweave several into complex, deep, interesting narration with unexpected reveals and explanations. The overall plot is great too - it is type of the book where everything mentioned have a reason and place in a plot. Absolutely superior read. What to expect: super smart MC (explained in the plot), great horror stories, quite a bit of gore, unlimited flow, love between two personas in multiple personality disorder (explained beautifully in the plot), mysteries solving, manly couple.

Warning: the BL part is rather small, but really warm and nice to read.

#3.  Mist

The plot is insane - it is very smart, atmospheric and has great ending. Also it has a really strong balance of the plot and romance. There is CONSENT! And respect! FINALLY! Seriously, when ML asks MC even before hugging and they actually have conversations - even without supreme plot I would already loved this novel to the moon and back. It really hard to say anything about this novel without spoilers - it is mind-blowing. Period. What to expect: time agents, time loops, time paradox, complex plot, a bit (?) of gore, smart MC, great couple, a bit of ‘from enemies to lovers’ mood.

Warning: expect to burn a lot of your braincells to understand the time loops.

#danmei #chinese bl novel #bl novel #supernatural movie actor app #the earth is online #mist novel #bl review #bl recommendation #horror novels #underrated bl novels #unlimited flow

[heranubis]

monster cod (dullahans version) ft. 141, kate laswell, alex keller, farah karim, alejandro vargas, rodolfo parra, philip graves

John "Bravo 0-6" Price

where many people mistake mactavish as a werewolf, it's actually price. he has excellent control of his wolf, and is capable of shifting at will rather than relying on the moon cycle.

all of his senses are heightened and his strength far surpasses a regular human. anyone who tries to call him "alpha" gets a growl and eye roll - he find's it annoying and only the rest of the 141 (& kate) can get away with the joke.

is capable of masking his identity of a werewolf, except his eyes will sometimes flash a circle of amber around the pupil - a sign his instincts have been triggered and his wolf is present.

his teeth are incredibly sharp, even in human form. he's not a fan of dentists nor are they a fan of him.

his wolf form more closely resembles a grizzly than an actual wolf - and he definitely uses this as an intimidation factor.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

was actually human, once upon a time. it was a mission gone wrong, a desperate deal made and soul taken away. his body was transformed into a hellhound - think of the ones from chronicles of riddick.

he actually prefers his new hellhound form to his human one! will only be human when absolutely necessary - otherwise you can often spot him prowling around in the shadows, dew claws clicking as he stalks and observes.

his neutral scale color is a faded, smokey gray. when he is content, his scales flush to a lighter, not-quite-white. it's when he's hunting that his scales take on that signature black color - though his face still retains the skull markings similar to the mask he wears as a human.

capable of canid vocalizations in either form, and capable of human speech - he just prefers remaining silent. he also rattles his scales to announce his presence around those he respects or considers pack. everyone else get's a jumpscare when they turn around and there he suddenly is.

will only tolerate pets (read: hard shoulder smacks) from johnny or price. kyle tries, but he doesn't pat hard enough for simon to register through the scales. the effort is appreciated, though.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

a seraphim - or the closest anyone will get to one. four sets of wings, all made of a metal not found on earth. he prefers folding them tightly to his back to avoid accidentally slicing someone.

please don't talk christianity or catholicism with him - he will bolt. he has no issue with religion or anyone being open about it, he just (quite frankly) get's tired of answering the same questions repeatedly.

actually grooms his feathers regularly! though made of metal, they can be very pliant and soft when his body feels like it isn't under active threat. nobody is allowed to sit within his wingspan on horror movie nights unless it's simon, whose scales can't be sliced by the feathers.

if you ask him why he left the clouds - his answer is always the same. his sense of justice was too strong - he wanted to make a change in the world, and he wouldn't wait to do it.

does not have an eternal lifespan and can be killed, but it's incredibly hard to do so. he still hates helicopters and thinks they're pointless (salty that he fell out of one twice).

John "Soap" Mactavish

a kelpie! actually a hybrid between two different species of faer, kelpie is the easiest to identify with. unlike the typical three forms, john only has two: human and horse.

his horse form is a large dark bay, almost impossible to identify it's breed at first glance. the most you'll ever see are those blue eyes and his suspiciously sharp teeth before he pulls you beneath the murky waters.

has a very strong affinity for water, and despite his love for demolitions he will take any chance possible to be submerged. not as big of a fan of salt water than he is fresh or brackish, but he'll take whatever he can get (except chlorine. that is hell and he hates it).

doesn't use his horse form on base - it has a subtle air of influence that tends to draw people in. after a few unfortunate incidences, it's more of an unspoken rule that he can only shift on leave or on field but never on base.

kyle is the only one who has ever been able to sit on his back and his skin not trap him - something about the heavenly blessings? john was a little too stunned to truly pay attention

Kate "Watcher" Laswell

a proper dragon - half of her heart, soul, and lifespan split with her wife. golden scales that grow in patches (like alex, found below) - more like snake skin than harder scales like a crocodiles.

her pupils are slit and while she does have horns, she keeps them short at her wifes request (hard to bonk foreheads comfortably if they get in the way xoxo). her tail isn't super long but that makes it easier for her to keep close and out of the way.

both wings are in tact and she is Not a fan of anyone touching them outside of her wife (and maybe kyle, since she see's him as a good friend and he knows the struggle of cleaning wings).

can absolutely breathe fire, and will do so as a warning.

Alex "Echo 3-1" Keller

a snake hybrid of some sort, specifically a king cobra. patches of scales, fangs that are capable of tucking into his gums, spectacled eyes. he can see in infrared and often finds it annoying when in cold enviornments.

has a forked tongue and absolutely uses it to mess with people. his tattoos and preference for long sleeves actually mask his scales pretty well, so it's easy to mistake him for a human at first glance. he's been known to trick people in the past by randomly flicking his tongue or even unhinging his jaw.

yes, he knows hes larger than a mongoose. yes, they still unsettle him. claims it's natural instinct (he thinks they just look... really weird). hisses as a defense when startled or annoyed, no he will not acknowledge it.

big on seeking others out and sticking close for body heat. farah, price, and kyle are his favorites because of their higher body temps.

has never elaborated on what exactly he is - will give a different answer every time you ask.

Farah Karim

suggested by my beloved noji @blighted-lights, farah would be a harpy or otherwise bird adjacent! i personally see her as some sort of falcon - small and mighty and underestimating her is your very last mistake.

she doesn't bond easily but when she does? she will do absolutely anything for you. she especially loves when you help her preen, it's something she only allows when she feels utterly safe with you.

chirps and coo's when she feels particularly emotional (positive).

she has one of alex's scales and he has one of her feathers. it's a sign of their deep devotion to each other. regardless of romantic or platonic, they are incredibly important to each other and an equal exchange of something so important cannot be ignored.

if you manage to be farah's favorite person? it would melt her heart if you fashioned her feathers into jewelry and even made matching pieces.

Alejandro Vargas

hear me out, but i think he would be a cadejo! a dog shaped creature whose eyes change color depending on it's mood - often seen as either protectors and bringers of good will or the incarnation of the devil.

he stands around the height of a cow, and though his fur is black - alejandro is only a protector of his community. rodolfo often jokingly teases him that he smells like a goat so he very much invests in colognes.

though he doesn't have any visible chains, the sound of them dragging behind him can be heard on especially quiet nights. alongside the sound of his hooves - these are the sounds of safety to the people of las almas.

very much prefers his human form and can mask himself incredibly well.

the most you'll ever see that tells against him being human are his sharp teeth and the subtle color shift in his eyes.

Rodolfo "Rudy" Parra

another shifter, like price! his canid form is actually a Xoloitzcuintli. not a lot of hair and more on the 'traditional' side of hairless. his skin in this form is as dark as his hair as a human, which allows him to blend into shadows better.

much like price, all of his senses are heightened, though he has to be more careful due to little to no fur protecting his skin in altercations (plenty of small scars from chasing after suspects and not being super careful in avoiding obstacles)

yes, he can stand as a traditional werewolf. no, he doesn't do it often - it scares the shit out of ajelandro and while it can be funny, he'd really rather not deal with it.

has exceptional control over his shifting and honestly doesn't have a preference over what form he uses most - just whatevers convenient at the time.

has absolutely pretended to be a regular dog for the sake of an op - has since learned he's a bigger fan of belly rubs than previously thought.

Philip Graves

somewhere between undead and genuine zombie. no he doesn't know how it happened, no he doesn't want to figure it out. no he doesn't want your brains, yes he will bite if you keep bothering him.

constantly smells like rot and sulfur, and his eyes are always just a bit cloudy. his body doesn't fall apart nor does he suffer from rigor mortis, but the cold does not mesh well with him.

incapable of permanently dying - yes he can be put down, but bury him shallow; he Will come back.

please don't call him a zombie, it'll just aggravate him and that's not a fight you want to pick. shadow company is protective of him and vice versa.

has complete cognotive functions alongside physical functions - can very easily pass as a regular person if you look past the more... obvious signs pointing otherwise.

#heranubis #call of duty #john price #simon riley #kyle garrick #john mactavish #kate laswell #alex keller #farah karim #alejandro vargas #rodolfo parra #philip graves #modern warfare 2