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ginnsbaker · 7 months

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Bulletproof (10/10)

Part Summary: After figuring out your feelings for each other, you and Wanda return to the Avengers compound to determine your future.

Chapter word count: 4.1k+ | Tags: Smut (18+ only), Fluff, Steve being Steve, A little reunion with everyone else | Ship: Wanda Maximoff x Gender Neutral Reader

Author's Note: Another series comes to an end! But wait there're more--the alternative ending which will be posted tomorrow (or the day after tomorrow at the latest!). I had so much fun writing "Bulletproof" and it wouldn't be possible without the anon who initially requested a oneshot. Thank you to all who commented, reblogged, liked and read this mini series. Many of you are unaware that this blog was primarily a fanart blog before I started posting fics here, and I've been thinking about whipping up a short comic strip of a scene from Bulletproof, so watch out for that :)

Series Masterlist

As the morning sunlight filters through the window, Wanda stirs from her slumber. Blinking open her eyes, she's greeted with the sight of you, peacefully sleeping next to her. She can't help but remember the previous time she woke up with you beside her. That morning realization, that she had fallen for you, had sent her into a panic, eventually causing her to slip away to her room before you could wake up.

But this time is different. There's no urge to run, no lingering fear. Instead, there's an overwhelming sense of contentment and a desire to push closer to you. Wanda reaches out, letting her fingertips trace the curve of your nose, moving down to trace your slightly parted lips. A soft smile graces her face, watching as your brows furrow in mild annoyance at being disturbed.

She doesn’t think she’s ever felt this way for anyone. With that conclusion, rather than pulling away, Wanda leans in, her lips brushing against your forehead in a soft, chaste kiss.

When your eyes flutter open, they're met with Wanda's gentle gaze, filled with warmth and adoration. “Good morning,” she giggles happily.

Your lips stretch into a sleepy grin before your eyes travel down her naked form. “Mmm, it certainly is,” you mumble, pulling her closer, nestling her against your chest.

Wanda's eyes glitter with a mischievous spark as her fingers gradually drift down from your waist. The slow, deliberate journey of her fingertips over your abdomen has your heart rate quickening, and her touch alone makes your skin prickle with anticipation. By the time her hand settles between your thighs, cupping you softly, the drowsiness that once weighed down your eyelids is entirely forgotten.

A gasp leaves your lips, your body instinctively pressing into her touch. The sensation of her fingers teasing over the sensitive skin makes warmth pool in your belly, the heat of your arousal becoming impossible to ignore.

Wanda's tongue traces the contours of your ear before playfully nipping at your earlobe. Her breath is warm as she whispers, “Did I wake you?” Her tone is dripping with innocence, but the mischievous glint in her eyes tells a different story.

You swallow hard, finding it difficult to form words with her hand expertly coaxing out your desire. “You... have a unique way of saying 'good morning',” you manage to reply, a lump forming in your throat as her hand continues to move deliberately between your legs.

Wanda's smirk is devilish, full of promise. “I thought you'd appreciate it.”

“I do,” you reply, voice husky, as you shift to sit up against the headboard. Wanda takes the cue, momentarily halting her touch, only to move herself gracefully and straddle your lap. As she does, the sheets cascade from her waist, revealing the tantalizing wetness that's gathered at the juncture of her thighs. Your gaze locks onto the dampened patch of hair above her core, and you can't suppress a smirk, realizing she's been aroused for some time—perhaps the entire duration you’ve been asleep.

Locked in an intense gaze with Wanda, your fingers precariously trace her inner thighs, until they finally meet their intended mark, lightly brushing over her slick entrance. The mutual sensation prompts an audible sigh from both of you: Wanda, overwhelmed by the electrifying touch, and you, awed by the fervent response of her body as she dampens your fingers even further.

She’s so wet and so eager for you. You can’t believe how lucky you are to have her this way.

“Shit, baby, you’re gonna be the death of me…” you trail off before claiming her lips into a heated kiss, while Wanda keens against your mouth at the term of endearment.

With each light, teasing touch, Wanda's breath catches, soft whimpers escaping her as your deliberate pace keeps her on the precipice of desire. For a moment, she seems content with the languid rhythm you've set, a mix of frustration and pleasure playing on her face. But as the minutes tick by, that patience wanes. Her hips begin to grind against your hand, trying to draw you deeper, to elicit more than just a graze. Each time she attempts to capture your fingers within her, you deftly pull away, drawing out the dance and stoking the fire of her desperation.

The room fills with her ragged breathing and soft pleas, a sob catching in her throat as her need grows more pronounced. Recognizing the edge she's on, you decide it's time to give in—but not entirely on her terms.

Guiding her, you position her over your waiting fingers, the slickness making for easy entry. Whispering sultrily into her ear, you urge, “Ride me.”

The command ignites something in her, and Wanda starts moving, her rhythm gaining momentum as she rides your fingers, the sound of wetness and her moans filling the room. You take the opportunity to explore the canvas of her skin with your mouth. You suck, nip, and kiss, marking her pale, porcelain skin with more bruises to add to the collection from last night.

The fervor in Wanda's eyes intensifies, her movements becoming more frantic. You can tell she's on the edge, so close to her climax, and that's when you decide to change the game.

“Stop,” you whisper, and Wanda freezes, her eyes wide and pupils dilated. You carefully slide your fingers out of her, and she whines from the sudden emptiness, her eyes pleading. With a smirk, you bring your wet fingers to your lips, savoring the taste of her.

Wanda's breathing is ragged, her chest heaving as she looks at you, equal parts frustration and desire evident in her gaze. “Why?” she breathes, her voice almost a whimper.

“You'll see,”you reply cryptically, instructing her to lie on her back. Wanda obeys, and then you position yourself over her, placing a leg between hers. Your eyes lock onto each other as you lower yourself, allowing your centers to meet, the sensation immediately sending jolts of pleasure through both of you.

Surprised by the overwhelming feeling of feeling her against you, you wait for the tightening in your stomach to subside before you start to move, grinding your hips against hers. The friction between your sexes is intoxicating, driving both of you wild. Your hands find purchase on Wanda's hips, guiding her to meet your thrusts. Her hands wander up to grip the sheets, her knuckles white as she tries to anchor herself.

Your rhythm builds, each thrust deep and unyielding, fucking Wanda further into the mattress. The intensity of your movement eventually pushes her to find purchase in you, and as you feel Wanda's nails dig into your back, you can't help the low growl that escapes your throat. The blend of pain and intense pleasure from her touch makes your head spin.

“I'm sorry,” she breathes out when she feels the wetness of blood under her fingers.

But you shake your head, urging her on. “It's okay,” you assure her, a wicked grin on your face. “Feels good. Do it again.”

Her fingers once more find their way to your back, and each time she scratches, the sensation of your skin repairing itself serves to heighten the pleasure for both of you. It becomes a dance of sorts—Wanda marking you, you healing, both of you lost in the deliriousness of the exchange.

Her moans become more frantic, her mouth falling open as you drive into her again and again and again. “Don't stop. Please, just like that.”

And you're more than happy to oblige.

In a bold move, you shift your weight, seamlessly flipping Wanda beneath you without breaking contact, the newfound angle allowing you to delve even deeper, each thrust meeting her sweet spot, causing her to gasp and cling to you desperately. Her legs wrap around your waist, pulling you closer, urging you to go faster, harder.

You can feel the build-up, the familiar pressure that signals an impending climax. “Wanda,” you gasp, your voice heavy with need.

She responds with a keening whimper, her walls pulsating against you, urging you on. The two of you move in a frenzied manner, chasing that peak together, moving as one. The feeling is so intense, so raw, that when you both finally shatter, the pleasure is all-consuming.

As the aftershocks ripple through you both, you collapse onto the bed beside her, both panting heavily.

After a few moments of silence, you turn to her, the weight of the moment pressing down on you. “Hey,” you begin, swallowing hard, “I know it might seem too soon, but I can't help how I feel.”

“What are you saying?” Wanda asks, looking up at you, chest still heaving and you think she’s redder than she was just a few seconds ago.

“I’m saying I love you,” you answer with a soft smile.

Tears pool in her eyes, catching the morning light in a shimmering dance. She reaches out, cupping your face, and whispers, “I love you too.”

You might not recall much of your past self, but somehow, you wouldn't change this present for anything.

The two of you are nestled on the couch, mugs of steaming coffee in hand. Every so often, your eyes meet Wanda's, a smile forming on both your lips as the remnants of the morning's escapade play on repeat in your minds.

Soon, however, the serene atmosphere is interrupted by heavy footsteps approaching the front door.

“Were you expecting a visitor?” you ask.

Wanda shakes her head, placing her mug on the coffee table. “No…”

The apprehension in her voice is evident, and the two of you exchange worried glances.

“Hide,” she whispers urgently, her eyes darting to the bedroom door.

“Why? I've got my powers back,” you argue, rising to your feet.

Wanda's lips press into a thin line. “You might not remember how to use them,” she whispers urgently. “You could get hurt.”

You smirk, rolling your eyes. “Pretty sure I can take a bullet or two.”

Wanda looks like she's about to argue further when the front door slams open, the force of it sending it crashing into the adjacent wall. Her reflexes are instantaneous: Scarlet tendrils of magic emanate from her fingers, weaving a defensive barrier between the intruder and the two of you.

However, as the dust settles and the silhouette becomes clear, Wanda's magic falters, her eyes widening in recognition.

“Vision?”

Vision, slightly wary or Wanda's immediate defensive response, raises his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Sorry for barging in unannounced,” he says.

Wanda lowers her hands slowly, the red magic dissipating. “What are you doing here?”

“Steve has ordered both of you to return to the compound immediately.”

Wanda narrows her eyes. “Why?”

“He didn't specify, but it seemed urgent,” Vision replies, his tone indicating that he's as much in the dark as Wanda.

“Is it about the organization that's hunting Y/N down?”

Before Vision can answer, the sound of soft footsteps signals another arrival.

“They've been subdued,” Natasha declares without preamble, her eyes locking onto yours, a recognition in them. “The organization was kidnapping ex-agents who chose to live a normal life. And when your powers resurfaced, Y/N, they were hellbent in wielding you into a weapon.”

Wanda's protective instincts flare up. “Nat, I'll only return to the compound with Y/N if you can guarantee they'll be free. They've been through enough.”

Natasha hesitates, shifting her weight on one foot. “I can't promise freedom, Wanda, but I can promise safety. We need to ensure that no one else poses a threat to Y/N, or to any of us.”

Wanda looks torn, her eyes darting between Natasha and you, weighing the options and the promises. After what feels like an eternity, she exhales deeply. “Alright, but the moment Y/N is in any danger, we're out. Understood?”

Natasha nods. “Understood.”

She then takes a moment to glance around the room, an appreciative smile forming on her lips. “I must admit, you two found quite the hideout,” she comments, observing the tasteful yet cozy decor, the soft lighting, and the clothes thrown carelessly on the couch.

With the bedroom door ajar, Natasha's keen gaze settles on the slightly rumpled bed, a few candles still burning around it, and a teasing grin crosses her face. “Although,” she tilts her head, studying the two of you, “It looks more like a love nest than a hideout.”

You can feel the heat rising to your cheeks at her words. Though she doesn't say it outright, the implication is clear, and it's even more embarrassing given how accurate her observation is. You avoid her gaze, feeling slightly guilty as you remember the passionate moments shared with Wanda just the night before and again this morning.

Your face fails to hide anything and Natasha chuckles at you knowingly.

“Aren't there better things to spy on than our personal lives?” Wanda asks, the tips of her ears turning a pink hue.

Natasha laughs lightly, her arms crossed over her chest. “I can’t help it when the evidence is all around,” she teases, while you groan in embarrassment, hiding your face in your hands.

She then pretends to sniff the air, prompting a flustered Wanda to hurriedly nudge her towards the door before she can make any more cheeky remarks.

Steve is not happy.

But he isn't frowning either.

He has that ever-present solemn look on his face, and the only giveaway that something's off is the small patch he missed while shaving his chin earlier. Just as Vision is about to mention it, Natasha silently warns him off with a subtle shake of her head.

Steve leans forward, resting his hands on the table, his knuckles white with tension. “Wanda, seriously? Again? I can't keep covering for you every time you break the rules.” The disappointment in his eyes says more than his words ever could.

Wanda, defiant, steps forward. “If I hadn't been breaking those rules, Y/N would be in some corner of the world right now, being used by those monsters for their wicked games.”

“That doesn't justify your recklessness. We have protocols for a reason.”

Wanda's eyes flash with determination. “And sometimes, those protocols fall short, Steve. Y/N needed protection, and I gave it.”

Steve drags a hand through his hair, attempting to keep his composure, but it's slipping away with each passing second. “It's not just about the safety of one individual, Wanda. It's about the safety of the entire team. If we don't trust each other to follow the rules, then how can we function as a team?”

“Oh, cut the bullshit, Steve,” Natasha says sharply from behind them. “Half of these rules are outdated, and you know it. If Tony came up with these, you wouldn't agree to half of them anyway.”

Steve's eyes narrow at Natasha, a silent question in them.

She doesn't flinch. “Wanda did what she thought was right, and she's not the only one bending rules around here. Some rules are meant to be questioned, especially if they compromise the safety of our own.”

“But I’m not one of you right?” you chime in, surprising everyone, but Wanda most of all. Throughout the ride back to the compound, you'd been uncharacteristically silent, leaving Wanda tempted on more than one occasion to delve into your thoughts, seeking answers.

“Y/N,” Wanda mutters, but you raise a hand, stopping her, your eyes trained on Steve.

“I understand the need for rules, for protocols,” you say, your voice steady. “But this entire conversation assumes that I'm just some defenseless outsider. Wanda did what she did to protect me, yes. But she also did it because she knows what I'm capable of and how my abilities, and the knowledge I possess, could've been misused.”

Taking a step forward, Wanda catches a fleeting glimpse of the person you once were in the way you now stand before Steve. “The truth is, I'm not sure where I belong—here or anywhere else. But I do know this,” you say, pausing to look at Wanda and smiling. “I belong with her.”

Wanda meets your smile, her eyes shining in the wake of your confession. If the choice were hers, the two of you would be anywhere but here—maybe in a distant place where you could learn to find happiness, unburdened by duties and weight of the world.

Natasha, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, comments, “Well, this day just got a lot more interesting.”

Steve's shoulders sag, and for a moment, he appears older than his years, the burden of leadership is evident in every line of his face. “Wanda, I understand more than anyone the pull of duty and personal attachment. It's not always about the bigger picture, sometimes it's about the person standing next to you.”

He looks directly at you. “You still don't remember everything, Y/N. And with your powers resurfacing, it complicates matters. You can't just be thrown back into the role of an Avenger. You're essentially starting from scratch. There will be evaluations, both physical and mental. Training. Reacclimation. The compound isn't the ideal place for that.”

He then turns to Wanda, “But Wanda, you belong here with us. You're an Avenger.”

“Perhaps,” Wanda says before standing next to you and interlacing your fingers together. “But I also belong with Y/N. If I have to choose, then—”

“Maybe you don’t have to,” A voice from outside announces. The room's automatic doors slide open, revealing Tony Stark.

Steve regards him with a short nod. “Tony.”

“Interesting conversation we're having here,” he says, glancing at the group. “I think I might have a different approach.”

Everyone looks to him expectantly. But he turns to you and says, “What if we could get your memories back, Y/N?”

Wanda straightens up, her attention immediately drawn to Tony's words. “What do you mean?”

Tony taps a holographic tablet that suddenly appears in his hand. An intricate blueprint springs to life in the air, hovering above it. “While you guys were deep in your heart-to-heart, I've been in touch with T'Challa in Wakanda.”

“Wakanda? What do they have to do with this?” Steve asks.

Tony continues, “They've developed a technology that accesses areas of the brain we've barely touched on. Something that's way ahead of anything we've seen or worked on. If Y/N's memories are locked away somewhere in there,” Tony gestures to your head, “I’m not promising anything, but they might have the key.”

You swallow hard, Tony’s proposition sinking in. The idea of venturing to Wakanda, a place both unfamiliar and undeniably imposing, is overwhelming. But if it brings back your memories…

“I’ll do it,” you tell them.

“I’m coming with you,” Wanda says.

Steve hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck. “Wanda, it's not that simple. It's a highly sensitive mission, and with everything that's happened recently…”

“Steve,” Wanda cuts in, “I'm not asking for permission. I'm telling you.”

He lets out a weary sigh. “Tony? What do you think?”

“Why are you even asking me, Cap? You're the captain here. And if I remember correctly,” he adds with a smirk, “I'm not the one who can assign Wanda a 'mission' to formally accompany Y/N to Wakanda.”

Wanda catches onto Tony's implication immediately. “That's right. This can simply be a mission assignment. Y/N's retrieval of their memories is crucial, and who better to assist and protect them than me?”

“She's correct,” Vision interjects. “The restoration of Y/N's memories is of utmost importance. Wanda is uniquely qualified to help and ensure their safety.”

Natasha chuckles from the back, “Looks like you're cornered, Rogers. Majority rules.”

Steve looks between you and Wanda. After a moment, he nods slowly, a hint of a smile appearing at the corners of his lips. “Alright,” he concedes. “Wanda, you'll accompany Y/N to Wakanda. It's a mission.”

Wanda exhales, relief flooding her features. She turns to you, squeezing your hand, “We'll do this together.”

Tony, satisfied, adds, “And just to be clear, I'm always up for a trip to Wakanda. Count me in.”

From the doorway, a grin appears on Bucky’s face. “Great timing,” he comments, sauntering in. “I’ve been meaning to make a trip back to Wakanda. Now I can hitch a ride with you all.”

Natasha, already with a sly smile, says, “I’ll make the sandwiches. Wakandan cuisine is great, but I know how some of you are with new food.”

Sam, who’s been eavesdropping with Bucky, rolls his eyes from behind her. “Speak for yourself. Last time you tried their spicy dish, I thought we'd need to call in a medic.”

Steve looks around at his team, utterly confused. “Why is everyone suddenly so eager to go to Wakanda? This isn't a field trip.”

Bruce, peeking from behind Sam, adds, “Well, I’ve heard they have some impressive labs. Wouldn’t mind taking a look myself.”

Steve throws his hands up in mock surrender. “I give up. I can't control any of you.”

You laugh, nudging Wanda playfully. “Looks like it’s going to be a full house.”

Rather than reply, Wanda tugs you aside for a more private moment. “You do have a place here, you know? With all of us, as family, not just beside me.”

“It doesn’t feel like I’ve earned it,” you admit.

“You have,” Wanda says softly, leaning in to place a tender kiss on your cheek. “You just haven't realized it yet.”

Before you can react further, the door bursts open again and Daisy storms in, her face lighting up when she sees you. In an instant, she's wrapping her arms around you in a tight embrace. You stiffen slightly, taken aback by the sudden gesture from someone you don’t recall knowing. But not wanting to be rude, you return the embrace lightly.

Wanda clears her throat pointedly, and Daisy's eyes widen in realization. She pulls back, a sheepish grin forming. “Sorry, I got carried away. I just missed you,” she chuckles, but the apologetic glance she shoots Wanda suggests she remembers very well whose territory she's treading on.

“Hey, I’m Daisy,” she says with a grin, extending her hand to you. “We’re friends, you know. Actually, you’re my favorite teammate.”

From the corner of your eyes, you catch Wanda's expression, tight and slightly guarded. You smirk inwardly, amused by her obvious display of possessiveness.

Taking her hand, you give it a friendly squeeze. “I’m sorry, Daisy,” you mutter, letting go. “I don’t remember.”

“Don’t worry about it. On the bright side, at least you won’t remember all the embarrassing moments we’ve had together.”

Puzzled, you ask, “What moments?”

Before Daisy can answer, Steve yells over the growing chatter in the room. “Alright, everyone! Thirty minutes to pack. We're headed to Wakanda.”

Before you can process what’s happening, Wanda’s hand wraps around yours, pulling you towards the door. You're yanked forward, stumbling slightly in her rush. Glancing over your shoulder, you manage a quick, “Sorry, Daisy. See you soon?”

Daisy just chuckles, shooting you and Wanda a knowing, amused smile.

The sun dips low over Wakanda, painting the city and its green expanse in rich gold. The past couple of days blur with laughs, music, and dance as everyone celebrates the homecoming of old friends. But as the last aircraft departs, leaving a trail of smoke behind, the compound becomes eerily silent, except for the two of you.

The suite you're given overlooks the heart of Wakanda. From the balcony, the lulling sound of the waterfalls adds to the allure of the den you and Wanda have created within the room. Time seems to lose meaning. You seize every moment, every opportunity, tasting and immersing in each other fully.

The days merge into nights and back into days. You emerge, mostly together, to grab a quick meal. The only other commitment you hold is to work with Shuri, who is eager and hopeful that her technology can unlock your memories.

On one of those ordinary nights, you lie on your back, gazing at the ceiling. For once, your mind is at peace, void of its usual chatter, because you've never experienced contentment quite like this before. Beside you, Wanda lies, her skin bare and glistening, evidence of your ardor still evident between her thighs.

Wanda traces patterns on your arm, her fingers light and feather-soft. “You know,” she begins, her voice husky from recent activities, “This is the best mission I've ever been on. I don't want it to end.”

Turning to face her, you take in her flushed cheeks and tousled hair. Your hand reaches up to tuck a stray lock behind her ear. “It doesn't have to end, Wanda,” you reply, locking your eyes with hers. “With or without my memories, with or without my abilities, I'll always stay by your side.”

She pulls you closer, seeking comfort in your embrace. “Promise?” she murmurs.

You smile, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. “Promise.”

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piracytheorist · 9 months

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Yet more adaptation thoughts!

This time Imma talk about the difference between manga and anime in the last scene of chapter/episode 1, in particular, Twilight's reaction to realizing he fell asleep in front of Anya.

The manga gives more comedic vibes. It's more exaggerated, mostly thanks to Anya's O.O face and the way Twilight's jolt dramatically throws her from the couch. Twilight is, as usual, over-the-top panicking, nearly hyperventilating from the shock of realizing he *checks notes* fell asleep in front of a five six-year-old kid. It's also a hard cut from the cute, big panel of Anya snuggling next to him. One panel he's fast asleep, in the next he's jolting away.

Frankly, it's on par with the entire story. Comedy is one of the main focuses; we're not meant to take everything 100% seriously all the time in it. And since it's at the end of the first chapter, it's like Endo establishing that this relationship between the uptight spy and the carefree child is promising, among other things, a lot of laughs for the audience.

Meanwhile, the anime took it more slowly and also, I feel, more seriously.

We see Twilight wake up and realize what state he's in. It takes him an actual second or so to go from "I fell asleep?" to "I FELL ASLEEP IN FRONT OF SOMEONE??!" It's not a hard cut from the previous snuggling shot, and it's not exaggerated. Anya stays lying on the couch, and so our focus is directed more onto Twilight's reaction.

He's not hyperventilating. He's still upset and shaken, but it's more to the point - a spy like him needs to be aware of his surroundings 24/7, ready to defend himself against an attack at any moment, and make sure to show as little vulnerability as possible even while asleep.

If anything, to an angst hoe like me, this change brings forth a few sad feelings. I cannot imagine the stress of not allowing yourself one single moment of vulnerability in front of anyone, not even a little kid. And Twilight's reaction in the anime makes me go all 👀👀 yes please show me how angsty your life is, I will enjoy the hell out of it thank you.

Yet, the anime takes the chance to sway the mood into comical once more, by playing the "Crisis of my home" track as Loid realizes that his troubles are so far from over, right before the episode ends.

This post isn't meant to compare and pit the two versions against each other. I think, as with most scenes from the story, both mediums use their strengths to the maximum to provide for a well-presented story with feeling and character. I just find it interesting to analyze in what way each version brings that out.

Also I don't read further in the manga than what the anime has already adapted, so please don't spoil me for later chapters.

#Spy x Family #sxf meta

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chickenkupo · 3 months

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Treasure Hoard

Summary: As Neuvillette returns from his spontaneous trip from Liyue and delivers some gifts to Wriothesley, the duke starts to notice odd things happening around their shared living space. More objects keep appearing in their bedroom, treasures that don't make sense to Wriothesley such as shells, trinkets, gemstones and even various different type of tea cups. He swears up and down he hasn't been the one to purchase any of these goods, and when questioning Sigewinne about it, she's just as lost as he is.

What exactly is going on, and why does Neuvillette seem so pleased with himself?

Recommendations before reading: This little short story is a continuation of I Promise and Now For the Next Act. But, if you don't feel like really reading those, just know that Wriothesley and Neuvillette are mates, and they live together in a little sanctuary in Fontaine that was created for Neuvillette specifically by the Focalors.

Also, I'd highly suggest playing through the Lantern Rite event. I did most of it tonight and it was amazing and the adorableness of Neuv and Wrio was just MMMMM.

Warnings: This is a tame work, a little cute fluff treat. I told ya'll I'd be keeping you fed the week of Valentine's, and I meant it, so take this as a little sweet treat for you all. A Tumblr exclusive, if you will. You all have been wonderful to me here, and I'm glad to bring some entertainment to your days.

NOTE: This has not been beta-read, and I'm literally just typing this up on the Tumblr page thingie so it's gonna be a mess, but we are going to have some fun.

Wriothesley scratched his head as he took in the sight before him. In their shared bed lied a copious amount of seashells, scattered in every direction. Some were small, others almost comically large, but all of them unique in their vast differences in coloration and patterns. In fact, a lot of these shells were ones that he had never seen along the shores of Fontaine before, so he began to wonder just where exactly did this come from, and who would have done this.

Okay, let's be real. Neuvillette would have torn up anyone that had dared crossed into their chambers that wasn't himself or Sigewinne. Wriothesley had already confronted the Melusine about this, thinking that this must have been some sort of prank against him after he told her about how much tea Neuvillette had brought back, as well as the stone slate that contained a legal codex. It confused the man at first, but taking into account how loyal Neuvillette was to his position and status, it took a moment or two for him to realize that such a gift from Neuvillette was a great thing. Hence, why he did make a little section of his office in the Fortress of Meropide to house it, something that he could stare at everyday to remind himself that he was always on Neuvillette's mind.

So, Wriothesley concluded the only logical answer was that for some reason, Neuvillette had began to hoard all sorts of trinkets he must have found on his now random outings. The duke and the traveler made sure to convince him to take more breaks and to go out and see the world as much as he can, and it looks like the mighty dragon took their words to heart and had started doing just that. Only, it seems that for some reason, Neuvillette had begun to bring back all sorts of things he found during his outings. The young man only prayed that Neuvillette would break out of this mood soon, but didn't mind allowing it for now, just as long as the dragon was happy on his adventures and seeing Teyvat for what it really was, in all of it's mysteries and splendors.

As much as he wanted to daydream about how his man would look during different locations, such as the grassy hills of Mondstadt, the electrifying peaks of Inazuma, or even how the Sumeru sun would reflect beautifully off of the elegance that was entirely Neuvillette, he had to bring himself back to reality.

This was all getting ridiculous. The shells on the bed covered it almost completely, and he had no real room to put them in, maybe some storage containers they had from where Wriothesley's belongings had to be moved once he began residing there. The duke sighed as he grabbed an empty container, getting to work and putting the myriad of shells into it, tired from the work of the day and just wanting to relax in bed for a bit for a quick nap. He made sure to keep the box of shells close by, knowing that it would crush the dragon if he had tossed whatever he had decided to collect.

Yawning, Wriothesley removed his coat and clothing, stripping down and getting dressed in a pair of simple black boxers, before he snuggled underneath the soft sheets of their bed. He had been craving a nap all day, no amount of tea drinking seemed to deliver enough caffeine into his body to keep him awake. Surely a small nap wouldn't harm anyone, right? Besides, if he slept in too late, he knew that Neuvillette would wake him up and demand attention from him in one form or another.

Yeah, a nap sounded pretty good right now.

As the young man started to awaken from his slumber, he began to stretch out his limbs with a loud yawn as he normally did, until both hands and legs seemed to crash into something, the sounds of various things falling off the bed as he continued to stretch out his limbs. This startled the duke who immediately woke up in a state of confusion, causing his limbs to turn and twist more, causing even more items to fall, crashing into the floor.

What the hell was going on?!

The man arose, being careful not to make anymore sudden movements until he could gather exactly what was happening. His eyes widened in further confusion and panic as he saw just how stuffed the room was now. Sure, the area where the water surrounded the bed was clear, but the pathway out of the bedroom and around the bed itself felt like some sort of ancient loot hall from a temple of old. Dozens of gold and silver trinkets littered the floor, statues and plates, necklaces and gemstones of various colors and details. There seemed to also be random boxes of tea scattered around, as well. Some were new boxes that Wriothesley had become recently familiar of since the Steambird's articles began releasing after the Lantern Rite event. Others seemed like old brews that were, at this point, probably more for show than for actual consumption.

There were other goodies laying about as well. Books that dealt with true crime or laws of old, scrolls that were in languages that Wriothesley was very unfamiliar with, but there was one thing that seemed to stand out to the duke. It appeared that the bigger gold and silver pieces were placed near or on the bed, as if he were the one that was sleeping in a treasure vault and taking joy in all of the splendors, the further away the goods were from Wriothesley, the less vividness and preciousness the items seemed to hold. It was as if Neuvillette kept his closest valuables towards Wriothesley, with the duke himself seemingly being the most valuable one.

As Wriothesley was about to get up and try to figure out what to do with all of this, he heard the door connecting the bedroom to the living room open, Neuvillette walking through with even more goods in his arms. This time, it appeared to be various fruits and wrapped baked goods, a large smile appearing on his face as Wriothesley took in the scene, a slight glare in his eyes.

"Neuvillette, what the hell are you doing?!" the young man growled out, still stuck in place as he was afraid to move and make anymore of a mess.

The dragon put the items down in one of the few free spaces still left, his eyes never leaving his mate, as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh? What do you mean? I saw how happy you were when you received those gifts from Clorinde and I, and I couldn't resist. I was awful before, never thinking to shower you in actual physical possessions, because of my ignorance and fear of leaving my position for any sort of leave. Now, however, I have all of the time in the world to make up for it. See, here even, I ventured out all the way to this bakery on the outskirts of Fontaine, the breads appear to be truly delectable, at least that is what Furina told me. Here, you can see-"

"Neuv! Honey, you don't need to do this you know!" Wriothesley uttered out as he shoved away the trinkets and treasures near him, so that he could create a path for himself to reach his ridiculous lover. Neuvillette merely paused, blinking in confusion as the duke wrapped his muscular arms around his dragon, hugging him tightly and sighing.

"W-Wriothesley?" the dragon questioned, obviously welcoming the hug as he began to return the favor, wrapping his own arms around the broad chest of the man, as best as he could.

"You can be such a big idiot sometimes, you know that? You know every law of the land, every crime with every punishment to match it, laws old and new never forgotten by you. But you just don't get the simple stuff sometimes, do you?" the young man asked, kissing Neuvillette on the cheek, which made the dragon blush, still blinking with questioning eyes.

"Listen, Neuv, love, I don't need all of these things. Sure a gift here or there is nice for anyone, but I never held it against you that you didn't really do that before. We're both busy men with schedules that drive us insane sometimes. Look, just being able to come home to you and spend time with you and being able to look into those eyes of yours every night before I drift off to sleep, and waking up to look into them too, that's the best gift I could ask for, okay?" Wriothesley relayed to his mate, in such a calm manner that it almost seemed like a whisper.

The dragon's eyes widened as he listened to his lover, holding him tightly as his mate continued explaining. In a shocking show, small droplets of tears started to form at the edges of his eyes, before a few started to roll down his cheek, which Wriothesley wiped away, smiling softly and understandably at his mate. As much as Neuvillette was such a stoic and strict man, Wriothesley knew that he was starved for genuine love and appreciation, and even though his life was forever changed by this man and his want to keep him at his side forever, it was now more of a blessing to him than a curse would ever be. If he now had an eternity to live, then he would spend every waking moment of it showing that Neuvillette is appreciated and loved dearly, in return.

"Now, let's try to clean up this mess so one of us doesn't trip and break our necks just trying to get out the door, okay?" Wriothesley chuckled, planting a few more kisses on Neuvillette's cheeks, loving the way that his man's blush would deepen with every kiss received.

Neuvillette merely chuckled as he smiled a most gorgeous, heartfelt smile that he had ever mustered, in all of his centuries of existence.

"Of course, my most precious treasure."

#genshin impact #wriothesley #neuvillette #wriolette #ao3 writer #ao3 #neuvillette x wriothesley #writing #tumblr exclusive #genshin fluff #genshin drabbles

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thescribblings · 2 months

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Long post ahead! I type a lot .^.

Here's a lil something I've spent some time on! I'm definitely nearing my goal of being able to draw comics! .^.

However, keep in mind that I'm very much an amateur artist, so there will be imperfections😅.

Here, I've drawn a lot of new (and scary) poses, expressions, perspectives, and clothes! I never draw clothes! I've also never even tried to draw them in the same clothes from different perspectives like this before. I also mainly draw without references

And i know i know, it's always better with references but i always just get distracted while looking for a good reference and most of the time i give up before i even find one and just draw it without anyways, lol

Rant over now! Promise

Here's a page I've been working on non-stop for literal days. It was a lot of fun! And it helped me try out a new art style :]

Individual pictures and context under the cut! i will be referring to future leo as nardo or leonardo, and present leo as, well, leo!

Here we have the doodle that started it all! I did use a cat as a reference, and i personally found that hilarious

Anyways, leonardo is being held like the cat that he is. Meanwhile, leo is held next to him vibing, not a thought behind those eyes

✨️co-existing✨️(with iced coffee)

They decided to have a day of leo to leo Bonding and got iced coffee for the occasion, probably spending some time clothes shopping and going equally crazy over a random article of clothing with a unicorn on it

This one has a bit more story behind it, they went on a day outing with the fam, nardo had grabbed a map of the city and they decided to stray from the group to explore, and they quickly got lost.

Leonardo helped leo get on his shoulders to see if there were any familiar landmarks around, and while leo enjoyed being roughly 12 feet tall, nardo texted the others asking where they were and looked around the area.

(Shirts lovingly made by mikey)

Entirely lost, leonardo decided to ask a pair of yokai ladies for directions. They turned out to be extremely helpful, one of them pointing out where on the map they were and where the landmark raph had sent them is.

Meanwhile, some backstory here: ever since leonardo had stopped staying in the lair 24/7 and actually started coming with when the others went out, leo had become an expert at keeping flirtatious yokai of all shapes sizes and genders away from his eldest brother

Leo noticed one of the yokai women was trying to make a move on him and stepped between her and nardo, making for a hilarious scene when he told her to stay away from his clearly adult brother

Leonardo is entirely oblivious as to the amount of yokai that find him attractive, which is exactly how leo wants it to be, for some reason

It's even funnier with the fact that leonardo is, in fact, very gay.

They thanked the yokai (leo doing that gesture where you point at your eyes then at the person as an unspoken "i got my eyes on you" behind nardo's back) then stepped away from the crowd and planned when and where everyone would meet up (they quickly decided on a food spot that accommodated everyones needs, and they had often gone there for lunch or early dinner in the past)

While they waited, the two decided to browse some stores, window shop etc.

Leonardo bought himself a backpack and proceeded to purchase knickknacks, snacks, and gifts for the fam, including some that he snuck in there for leo without the teen noticing (he was the greatest ninja the world had ever seen, once, after all)

While nardo walked, leo was chatting away happily on his shoulders, the elders tail wagging along as well, especially when leo told a pun or two, once a leo, always a leo. (Leonardo chipped in with some puns as well)

(leonardo personally believes his tail is pretty damn useless since it's so short. He has stated, "The only thing it's good for is waggin' " in the past. However, the rest of the fam think that's a perfectly adequate reason to have a tail)

They spent the entire day out having fun and walked around with just a handfull of breaks, so i think it's safe to say they'd be pretty drained by the time they got home

On another note, nardo being a war veteran and all that, I'm not 100% sure how that works but i like to imagine he'd get rather overwhelmed by all the crowds, different smells and loud noises (in other words overstimulation) so i think he'd be WAY more drained than everyone else by the end of the day (save for maybe mikey, i bet he'd be pretty drained too)

Either way, nardo basically just flopped onto the nearest plush surface and went out like a light while everyone else went to bed like regular people. This is a common occurrence after long, exhausting days

But sometimes...

Sometimes he dents the floor

(Bonus doodles)

I don't even know why this came to be, but it did

Thank you for reading!

Have nice day

#rottmnt #save rottmnt #art #third season #my art #rottmnt future leo #rottmnt fanart #sffl(wg)#future leo #amateur artist #rottmnt leo #rottmnt leonardo

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2stepadmiral · 1 month

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So I’ve been getting back into Bionicle lately, I loved it as a kid and I’m on a whole nostalgia trip right now, rebuilding my Toa and Bohrok and rereading the comics/watching the movies, and as much as I still love it, it makes me sad for anyone who didn’t get to experience it as it was coming out.

Like take the MCU, for example. If you weren’t old enough to start watching the MCU before the first Avengers came out, you could still experience the MCU in its golden times. And if you have young kids, who are just getting to the age, where they can start the MCU, they can still kind of experience that by watching the movies in order and building up to Endgame. It obviously won’t be the same, but I feel like if you do it the right way and paste it right, you can kind of re-create that experience in a reasonable proximity.

The same goes for Star Wars, you can have your kids, watch the original trilogy, then show them trailers for each of the prequels before letting them watch those to get them. Excited, then let them go back and watch clone wars and rebels, and let them read the expanded universe books at their own pace. It won’t be the same as growing up with the prequels coming out and being excited to see new Star Wars movies after seeing the original trilogy when you were little, but it’s still a fairly decent facsimile.

But with Bionicle, that feeling cannot possibly be re-created.

You can’t recreate the feeling of being 11 years old and finding out that Mata Nui is dying, and that the Toa Nuva, your traditional heroes, were defeated by the new villains, and that the six Matoran you grew up with since the franchise started are the new Toa who have to pick up where the Nuva left off.

You can’t recreate the shock of finding out that the eccentric village elders who have advised your heroes for three years were once Matoran themselves who became a team of Toa a thousand years earlier, defeated the main antagonist, went through a Jekyll and Hyde mutant phase, and then turned into the Yoda type elders.

You can’t recreate the horror at finding out that Makuta won in the end, his convoluted, millennia long plot resulting in himself gaining control of the universe. You can’t recreate the disbelief that the story abandoned the Matoran on that dark note to explore an entirely new planet with entirely different characters, species, and culture. You can’t recreate the relief when Mata Nui showed up, his presence, carrying the promise that the original storyline would tie into the new one sooner later, and the grim ending was only a temporary pause. You cannot re-create the excitement at seeing the story climax with the final showdown between Mata Nui and Makuta. A final battle that you had never imagined possible, but one that only feels right and full circle.

You cannot re-create the horror and sorrow when Matoro failed to reach Mata Nui with the Mask of Life in time to save him. You can’t re-create the disbelief and terror at wondering where the story can possibly go after that point. You can’t re-create the disbelief and sorrow and morning as you read the pages of that comic, as you see Matoro put on the mask and start to become part of its energy. You can’t re-create the stunned, heartbreaking silence that you felt as the death of Matoro, who you would known for six years, who you had at least peripherally grown up with, whose journey you had watched unfold as he went from a simple but well-known and even iconic Matoran, to a new Toa of Ice, unfolded on the pages of that comic in that curious new art style that you would never quite gotten used to. You can’t recreate the feeling of mourning you share with his friends as they learn that Matoro has died, that feeling of almost being part of this universe as you share in the sorrow of the characters (Matoro’s sacrifice was way better than Tony Stark’s, sorry but not sorry).

And above all, you can’t re-create the feeling of having to wait two months for the next comic or the next book, or the movie to find out what happens next, and filling that time by making up your own storyline, and acting it out with your own toys.

Largely because the story unfolded through books and comics, and through the new wave of toys, and through the movies in some years, trying to re-create, even a close facsimile of that feeling just isn’t possible. And it breaks my heart for any kids I might have one day that I’ll never truly get to share this wonderful franchise with them.

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room-surprise · 4 months

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Delicious in Dungeon Anime Season 1, Episode 2 Review

Spoilers for season 1, episode 2 below the cut! There may also be mild manga spoilers so proceed with caution.

This episode was great! I think it was a big improvement on the first. Honestly no real complaints... I do kind of wish both Marcille and Chilchuck could have had stand-alone episodes dedicated to their character development, to allow for a deeper focus, but I understand why they didn't do it, and the pacing was still excellent. I do still sometimes feel like the show is in fast-forward at times, because with 3 meals in one episode, it feels like the characters finish eating, and we jump cut to them saying that they're hungry again, without anything to help really impress upon viewers that time has passed. Makes it feel a bit like we're reading a collection of short 4-panel gag comics instead of a continuing story… which, early Dungeon Meshi DOES have that as part of it's format, but it changes with time, as we get into longer individual stories.

During the Basilisk/Doni and FIonil section, I really do miss some of the dry humor from the manga. ("Hurry, he's getting cold!" "Move him closer to the fire!") The hilarity of slowly preparing a meal while someone is dying of poison has unfortunately been lost, which makes Doni and Fionil much less memorable characters…. But it benefits the other 2 stories in the ep to have more time so I think it was the right choice to make. It also gives people something to go back and read the manga for, since it's a little different! If you're reading this and you're an anime only, consider reading the manga while you watch the anime! I promise it's worth it. I'm excited about next week because I think they'll devote the entire episode to Laios and the living armors, which is me and my spouse's favorite early DM storyline, and the part where we both said "Oh, I LOVE this manga..." and got really invested. It's 2 chapters in the manga so it could be an entire episode…. which also would make sense, if that's why they needed to crunch 3 chapters into episode 2. Just like the first episode, animation was fantastic, and as usual the weakest points are when characters are just walking or talking and not doing much. Everything more dynamic is just bouncy and adorable and full of life. Very rarely is anything animated in a dull or flat way. They're doing their best to use "move a drawing around" or "zoom on a drawing" for comic effect and I think it's working well so far. There's some great animal animation in this episode, the bat flying around and the basilisk chasing Marcille in particular. Translation was better this time around, no dumb modern or game references in the dub ("newbs" "as if" etc.) … But there are differences between the subtitles and the dub script that change how easy it is to understand what's happening. When Senshi tells Chilchuck to cut up the giant bat, the subtitles make it hard to understand what he's telling him to do, and the dub makes it a lot clearer. In the subs when Senshi calls Chilchuck a half-foot child, the subtitles say "I'm not a child" and the dub says "I hate it when people call me 'kid'"… The latter is more interesting for keeping the mystery going for things that happen later in the story. If the show continues like this, I think the English dub may be the more satisfying way to watch it (even though the Japanese performances are great), mostly because the subs are very literal and sometimes miss things that the English dub somehow manages to include. And for some reason Netflix isn't including translation of Japanese signs on-screen during the subtitles, but they DO provide them when you watch the English dub. A lot of Dungeon Meshi's humor is sometimes in those background signs so completely missing out on them sucks. Anyway those are my thoughts for this episode! See you next week Meshiheads.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #dunmeshi #my stuff #chilchuck #chilchuck tims #marcille donato #marcille #dungeon meshi spoilers #spoilers #anime #anime review #review

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jajanvm-imbi · 2 years

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Alright it's almost Hispanic Heritage month again yall. Here's a list of Animated characters that I, a Latina, cried over when I found out they were Latin American

For clarification, "Found out" means, having no previous knowledge of said characters and within the context of the show/movie they are confirmed Latin American.

(From the perspective of a Costa Rican 🇨🇷 specifically)

The entire Madgrial Family (Encanto)

The moment I saw the teaser trailer for Encanto I started crying. I was so BEYOND EXCITED to see real, true, positive beautiful Latin American representation in a Disney movie. I'm not even Colombian but seeing something like this become so popular made me so happy. Being able to fully understand "Dos Orugitas" in Spanish just hits so different, its not the same in English. It's such a beautiful step for Latin American representation, and I'm so excited to see what comes next for us. (Still holding out for my Latina Disney princess tho. And no, Elena doesn't count) I've also been told I look just like Mirabel and seeing a character that looks like me in a Disney movie just made my heart soar.

Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Bruh a bisexual Latina with mommy issues AND she's bilingual??? She's just like me fr.

Lance McClain (V*ltron Legendary Defender)

He was my absolute favorite character in V*ltron and I will NEVER forgive them for ruining his arc and making him sad forever. He deserved a happy ending. He's NOT "just a boy from Cuba", he's so important and lovely.

Miles Morales (Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse)

I'm not a comic book reader, so Into the Spiderverse was the first time I met Miles. Finding out he was Afro Latino made me heart soar. He's a sweet boy, such a good character in the movie, and definitely deserved the Oscar. Can't wait for the sequel.

Claire Nuñez (Tales of Arcadia)

Claire is literally such a badass. She's amazing, an amazing character, her story with Jim is beautiful. Love it when she's speaks Spanish. 10/10 character (Watch Tales of Arcadia it's really good)

Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera (Ducktales 2017)

King of my heart. Wholesome dork. Voiced by Lin Manuel Miranda.

Gosalyn Mallard (Ducktales 2017)

What I literal icon. I really really REALLY hope that the rumored Darkwing Duck reboot uses the DT 2017 versions of the DW characters cause this Gosalyn is a QUEEN

Hector Nieves Aka: Hi-Five (Glitch Techs)

Glitch techs was such a cute show it deserved to keep running. Screw Nickelodeon for canceling it just as it was starting to get interesting. Anyway this dork is adorable. Bilingual gamer king.

Troy Sandoval (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts)

Hi this cutie patootie is a literal king. He and Benson are so cute together. (GO WATCH KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS ON NETFLIX I PROMISE YOU'LL LOVE IT)

Honorable Mentions:

(From top to bottom, left to right. Tumblr only allows 10 images at a time so I had to combine them)

• Señor Hueso and Capitan Piel, who together make the icon Don Suave (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2018):

I literally laugh my ass off whenever I watch the episode "Hidden City Job" and they do the whole Don Suave bit. Like it's so over the top yet accurate to telenovela characters that I can't help but laugh every time. When they first introduced Capitan Piel, I instantly laughed so hard before they even translated it because they did the whole Skin and Bones bit and I just thought it was so clever. 10/10 duo I'd love to see more of them. (GO WATCH ROTTMNT PLEASE THEY NEED ALL THE SUPPORT THEY CAN GET IF THEY WANT A SEASON 3)

• Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel)

People were giving Vivziepop shit accusing her of making Vaggie the "angry Latina stereotype) and I couldn't disagree more. Vaggie is perfectly fine as a character, and I can't wait to see what they do with her in the official Hazbin Hotel series!!

• Isabella Garcia-Shapiro (Phineas and Ferb)

Phineas and Ferb was the first fandoms I was ever in, and Isabella holds such a special place in my heart. Love her to pieces

• Marco Diaz (Star vs. The Forces of Evil)

Svtfoe was also one of the first fandoms I was in, so seeing one of the leads be portrayed as Mexican made 12 year old me so happy.

• Miguel Rivera (Coco)

Coco is such a beautiful movie, and I ONLY watch it in Spanish. Miguel is such a sweet and special boy, he really brought the joy of music back into his family.

• Soos (Jesus) Alzamirano Ramirez

Gravity Falls was ALSO one of the first fandoms I was in (PnF, GF, and Svtfoe were my main 3 for a time), and finding out this loveable goof was Latino made me really happy

• Princess Elena Castillo Flores

Now she may not be an official Disney princess (she doesn't meet all the requirements to be part of the franchise) but that doesn't mean she isn't excellent representation for young children. Although the show doesn't represent one specific Latin American country/culture, the show does have bits and pieces of many different LatAm cultures, and even some indigenous inspiration here and there with all the mythology aspects. It isn't perfect, but I do still appreciate Elena's presence in Disney.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month everyone!!!

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damianbugs · 11 months

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i know you love the dynamics between bruce and his kids as they are, but alot of it is also due to iffy writing lmao.

in your IDEAL scenario, what would bruce parenting look like? would he still be as abusive as he is in canon? CAN he even change?

the short answer to "can bruce change?" is... no 😭 but let me try and explain!

its not because of who bruce is as a character or batman as a hero, but because it is basically impossible for a popular character like him to have any consistent writing. we've seen it before where he's a great father and mentor for a few issues, and then less than six months later he does something horrific and takes ten steps back in that regard.

it's why this conversation (to me) is a very complicated one, because i can't for sure say who bruce is as a person without taking into consideration the literal decades of almost hundreds of different writers, runs and universes. of course, he has made some terrible and very harmful decisions, but again, so much context is required to truly comprehend those situations. that doesn't remove the fact that he has hurt his children, both accidentally and purposefully.

do i think bruce is a bad dad in canon? no. do i think he is a good dad? also no. depending on where in time you're reading him, who's writing him etc — he acts like completely different people. my head spins trying to come up with a simple answer to this otherwise simple question.

a good example i think is the current zdarsky batman run. arguably some of the best bruce wayne as a father introspection we've had in a LONG TIME, the story doing well to remove the 'child soldiers' narrative that frank miller infamously popularised to main continuity despite it not being from the canon timeline. but who's to say this sort of perspective will last before being completely disregarded by the next writer?

it's no secret i pick and choose what i (personally) view as canon, my own personal bias against Certain writers making me ignore their writing entirely, but i am also not ignorant to the fact that bruce can and desperately NEEDS to improve as a parent.

sorry for rambling but back to your original question about what my ideal parent bruce would like and to that it's two very simple words; honest and communicative.

that's really all he needs to do. almost all his shitty decisions can be linked back to him lying or purposely evading the truth and just refusing to communicate to his children, which in turn makes them not want to communicate with him. this then leads to much larger problems and much more devastating outcomes.

bruce needs to realise that his children don't owe him anything more than the very little he's given them emotionally. this whole "soldier-team" mentality that he adopts when he's batman filters into his dynamics with them as family and as bruce wayne, and that is why he keeps hurting them and not taking responsibility for it.

they should not be vigilantes before they are his children. but to do that, writers also need to make the distinction that batman is also bruce wayne, but that is an entirely different conversation.

again, current batman writing (mark waid batman vs robin, zdarsky batman, ram v detective comics, tom taylor batman etc) seems very promising in giving bruce a chance to be a better father, so we can only hope it continues this way. maybe, we'll even get bruce actually holding himself accountable one day.

i try not to discuss this topic too much because in my experience it's far too nuanced to explain in short text posts on the internet but i hope this answered your questions <3

#bruce wayne #batman #dc meta #character meta #saki anons

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belovedstilldear · 11 months

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ENTRY NUMBER EIGHTEEN Finally... Some actual art for my AU!!! :D

Here's a kind of summary of what it'll be about without any type of spoilers ↷

Entry Number Eighteen

In this timeline, there has been a total of 100 resets. 40 pacifist, 40 genocide, and 20 neutral routes all together. Frisk had taken this final pacifist reset into their own hands, changing the story all together. Now, the monsters are still in the underground because Frisk had suggested that they should stay instead of breaking the barrier.

Sans and Alphys are studying different timelines and universes, their side project was to bring back Gaster to help them. Alphys suggests to Sans to take a notepad and take notes about the things they're working on.

So while he's walking home he encounters someone that looks almost like him. The skeleton introduces himself as Ink. He tells Sans that there was a way that he can help him with traveling to different universes. Sans hesitantly agrees but only if he's allowed to take Papyrus with him.

The next morning: Sans, Papyrus, Ink and Frisk travel to Underswap. There they meet Swap Sans (Swap), Papyrus (Paps) and Chara. Ink decided on Underswap first because Swap could help Sans with his notes.

Within the same day, Ink suggests that the group should go to Farmtale. However, Ink made the mistake of teleporting them to the wrong AU, Underfell. There they end up fighting Fell Sans (Fell). The fight ends with Fell noticing that Sans is much weaker than him, so he runs off. But that doesn't stop Sans from asking him multiple questions about him and his AU.

And to not spoil anymore of the AU: Sans, Papyrus, Frisk, Swap, and Fell all (sometimes) travel to different AUs like little pals and fellas!! hooray!! I kind of plan on writing the entire AU on AO3 and then POSSIBLY (I DON'T PROMISE IT) making a comic about the entire thing.

If there's questions about the AU my ask box is open :o)

#belovedstill dear #belovedstill dear art #entry number eighteen #undertale #undertale au #undertale alternate universe #ut #ut au #alternate universe #utmv #undertale multiverse #sans #papyrus #ut sans #ut papyrus #undertale sans #undertale papyrus #entry sans #entry papyrus

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paladin-of-nerd-fandom65 · 2 months

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Pretty good answers! :D

1: since being half-aliens, have they ever been treated “differently”? (Like the x-men/mutants in marvel)

2: how did they get into Dragonball? I say Kon & Tim introduced it to them (plus Jon)

3: how does one become a member of the titans of tomorrow/Star Knights?

4: what’s their opinion on the Netflix adaption of avatar the last airbender?

5: what’s their bedrooms look like? (I know Jake’s)

6: what does the members of titans of tomorrow/starknights look like? (Besides the duo & mar’i) do you use canon appearances?

Thanks Man, it’s really appreciated @pin-crusher2000 👍

1) While on the whole the two are respected quite well and even have some popularity at their respective schools, even now and then, especially in their earlier elementary school days, they would get picked on by some bullies for their little quirks as pertained by their origin points. Sure when in the field as heroes they can get intense scrutiny and even some bigotry based on their alien and technically mutant trait, it’s not really a thing that truly affects them as they’ve faced it beforehand and it really doesn’t matter as much as their real angsts in life

2) Oh my beyond doubt it was Kon and Jon to an extent that introduced the Duo to Dragon Ball, mainly after Jon got a manga volume of the original series when he was shopping for Naruto ones. Chris was interested in it so Jon went ahead to get it for his big brother and shortly then Jake looked up the original series online and once the two were able to sit and watch the series from there, the Duo’s fandom began in earnest.

3) Initiation comes with first proving yourself a trustworthy, reliable and honest type of hero that wants to hang out with them, basically earning their friendship which isn’t too hard. Honestly, both teams aren’t necessarily strict nor they ever relied on tests or the like unless the newest recruit requests them. That being said if you wanna be a true permanent member a lot faster for the StarKnights in particular, you are dared to spend a day wearing a blue and pink tutu and later last through eating there entire bowls of Brussels sprouts.

4) At first Chris and Jake were genuinely enthusiastic as the look of the show and the effects promised something that would be faithful in its own way to the show that started it all. Overtime though with each new announcement made to change the story and character details which are true deviations from the source material, that enthusiasm quickly gave way to caution and weariness. They can only hope it’s not as bad as that live action movie which was the first attempt at adapting that show.

5) I picture Chris having redwood hardwood floors couple with orange carpets and rugs laid out all over, his Queen sized bed next to the window, two glass sliding doors for his closet, a small two shelves dresser next to said bed, drawers and cabinets on the opposite side of the bed which on top of one is his TV and video game consoles, his action figures, and even a Straight Ally flag. At one empty corner would be his electric Bass Guitar and inside the closet and dresser are his comic books. Finally in the bed itself, he has a grey and white comforter which is topped by his favorite Sky Blue Blanket with an S Shield on it.

6) Well, for Jasper Logan in particular since he’s an OC created by an old mutual of mine and a fan art, this link here should help you get a visual on what he looks like

Otherwise, fudging with the ages a bit, the StarKnights and the Titans of Tomorrow have their physical appearances based on canonical forms. Only tiny change I can think of being for Irey and Jai having Dark Yellow and Lime Green respectively as part of their super suits to help distinguish them.

#chris kent #jake grayson #starburst duo #dragon ball #connor kent #jonathan samuel kent #avatar #Jasper Logan #team StarKnights #titans of tomorrow

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applestorms · 11 months

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was having a conversation the other day about free will in the stanley parable, and between that & rereading the malo jake necro post (& betweengenesisfrog's response) i'd like for this next astronaut ramble to be a look into the ways that homestuck treats the ideas of agency & free will, both in a meta sense (vriska constantly hogging the spotlight) & a social dynamics sense (jake & patriarchy). TW for vague references to questionable kinks & the effects of extreme patriarchy on women under the cut.

ok, so the idea of free will in the context of video games is interesting since by nature most video games (if not all, depending on how you define what a "video game" even is) involve a pretty clear goal/set of goals and some sort of process intended to get you there. as such, in video games you can kinda categorize two different kinds of free will: free will where you have (full/partial) control over the means, the process by which you get to the end, & free will where you have (full/partial) control over the ends, or the ultimate goal/end state.

for example: TSP mostly allows you free will over the end goal through your decisions, but once you get on a path it's not really possible to change the code the developers originally wrote. you can veer off track towards a different ending, but you can't change the process of getting there by nature of how the game functions. in contrast, deltarune (at least from what we can tell w/ 2 chapters) does kind of the opposite of this, giving players free will over the process (do you encourage noelle, or viciously control her?) but promising that the ultimate end state is going to be the same no matter what. thus, "your decisions don't matter," in terms of what ending you'll get, but the process by which you get there is certainly going to change, at least if ch.2 is setting a trend for the rest of the game.

this doesn't apply super cleanly to real life, however, where it's a lot less clear what should be considered an end state or process. it's also very individualistic, focused entirely on the impact of the player's decisions, where in real life you have to deal w/ the choices of everyone else too. i'm thus inclined to call the social dynamics/less theoretical side of free will "agency," & agency is super important when talking about the ways that any piece of media deals with patriarchy. my video game example here is analog: a hate story, since that game delves straight into the ways in which women are forced to negotiate w/ a social structure that frankly fails to even recognize them as people, much less beings with agency (a society which translated "sick daughter" as "pale bride," if you don't get the picture. highly recommend playing analog btw).

homestuck, w/ all of its video game logic & (attempts at) social reflection, deals w/ both of these sides to agency & free will. i believe optimistic duelist already has a lot of good explanations of how hs deals with the latter, particularly w/ the light aspect/vriska stealing the spotlight, as well as how free will in paradox space is based on the idea that every individual will ultimately achieve their goals no matter what, so i won't repeat all of that here. really, it's the social dynamics side of agency that interests me here, particularly for the characters rose, dirk, & especially jake. but before that:

homestuck is fundamentally a queer comic. not only does it spin on an axis of gay teenage drama, lord english himself as the ultimate villain of homestuck can be read as representing patriarchy itself, which is particularly obvious when observing the arcs of the striders (pre-scratch) and dirk & jake (post-scratch) and how they are negatively influenced by lil cal & caliborn respectively. interestingly, since hs takes on a script of flipped gender stereotypes wherein many of its female characters are active agents in the plot while the male characters are more likely to deal w/ the story's emotional core (mean girls & fluffy boys, as deltarune likes to say), you can generally see the influence of patriarchy much stronger in the cast's male characters, and there is no one for which this is more true than jake.

so, getting back to my original motivation for writing this post: as i stated in the tags here, i think it's notable that jake's fascination w/ blue women ultimately does not work out in the slightest in his real life relationships, specifically because of the ways in which said blue women take away his agency, as demonstrated in both the game over timeline & a lot of the post-canon content that shows more of jake's relationship w/ jane. to break shit up a bit here:

jake, jane, & jender

for all his stated interest in "blue women," & the posters all over his room, jake really doesn't have a good track record w/ homestuck's actual blue women. jane & aranea are the obvious candidates here, but jake's parallels to tavros (through the lying down beaten up visual, page title, etc.) also shed some light on his potential connection to vriska (who, imo, is basically the ultimate standard of hs girls w/in that flipped script i mentioned earlier, similar to how jake is the ultimate homestuck boy).

to summarize: not only does jake manipulate jane into friendzoning herself (in the best conversation of the entire comic), aranea & jane are the two most prominent characters that tear jake a new asshole in the game over timeline, specifically in that they completely take away his agency by treating him in the stereotypical way that women are in media. as these posts so beautifully outline, not only is the gender script flipped for jane & jake, it's flipped specifically in their relationship to control & how others view them; in some ways, they still adhere quite strongly to their traditional respective feminine & masculine gender roles, with the whole 50s housewife vibe jane gives off & jake's gentleman schtick.

it's thus not a massive jump to me to see jake's interest in blue women as just another fantasy that he holds onto while still isolated from the rest of humanity, but ultimately doesn't play out the way that he wants it to in reality, something that fits very well into jake's established use of escapist fantasies. jake's fantasizing about a relationship w/ jane can potentially be read as nothing more than compulsive heterosexuality (GT: I consider you [jane] to be a lovely lady of the highest caliber and i really think any gent worth his salt would be a huge bozo to let the chance to go steady with you slip through his fingers. A6A2:4588), & jake's interest in aranea is largely limited to his initial reactions to seeing her.

while this style of image is used to show light romantic interest, the fact that jake's heart uses a ? rather than a 3 even to start makes it clear to me that his initial interest in aranea is quite superficial & questionable even to him. (A6A2:4584)

to clarify, this isn't really meant as an argument for or against the jake necrophilia debate from that post, but just pointing out that his interest in blue women is largely another superficial fantasy, & one that in the end actively works against him once his agency is forcibly taken away from him during the game over timeline.

also, sidenote: the parallels between the game over timeline (& thus terezi's initial killing of vriska) & the epilogue's decision between meat & candy is also striking w/ regards to how homestuck deals w/ the idea of free will, particularly in how it's implied that in the end, the initial decision doesn't work either way. here's some quotes from the very end of hs^2 to clarify that connection since i've mentioned it quite often (HS^2:406):

CALLIOPE: bUt, paradoxically, the critical moment which determined its capture within the black hole happened *after* that point. CALLIOPE: i refer of coUrse to yoUr decision not to retUrn to the mediUm and fight my brother. JOHN: wait, wait. JOHN: you mean, the meat and candy thing? JOHN: oh my god. JOHN: you mean i actually DID make a mistake that day.

ROXY: your choice literally didnt matter ROXY: the whole thing was symbolic in the first place ROXY: literally symbolic in the case of the picnic i mean come on ROXY: it was just some steak and a plate of candy suckers

CALLIOPE: i mean, i wouldn't go so far as to say that the meal we shared was unimportant, given the sacred significance of the two options i presented. CALLIOPE: but yes, yoUr choice of snack was infinitely less important than the choice which it presaged. CALLIOPE: and even then, calling it a choice woUld be sorely misleading. CALLIOPE: think of it like a coin flip. CALLIOPE: the series of events that led to Us being trapped beyond the event horizon of an Ubermassive black hole could be considered "tails", while the events which would have occUrred otherwise could be considered "heads". CALLIOPE: since both were possible, and paradox space is the way it is, they actUally both happened. and we jUst "happened" (hee hee) to get tails instead of heads. JOHN: you mean we ended up with the bad possibility. CALLIOPE: not at all! since both possibilities depend on one another's existence, it really doesn't make sense to call them "right" or "wrong". they both just "are".

2. corpses & agency

in rereading the jane friendzone conversation, one particular line from jake stood out to me again:

GT: I know its hard to believe but i know dirk pretty well and... GT: Well im more than a little sure he likes me in that way if you catch my drift. GT: And what with how he is... GT: Just so relentless and aggressive about everything you know? GG: Yeaaah. GT: So i just start to wonder deep down if maybe its inevitable.

usually i read these lines from the perspective of dirk's insecurities about feeling predatory in his relationship w/ jake, but this line from malo has made me rethink it from jake's pov:

I think you are correct that Jake has a “theme of irresponsibility”, but part of that motif is in the way he acts as a living Burnie Lomax -- Jake pretends to be a corpse puppet, emphasizing the interests of others as a way to downplay his own interests, passively achieving his desires. This is true even in Jake’s apparent resistance to Dirk’s advances!

which. honestly complicates things even more lmfao, though i suppose it all fits into the idea of jake fitting the stereotypical role of a woman, negotiating for his agency by manipulating others since he feels like he can't say what he wants outright. his motivation might be more along the lines of social anxiety, but it still fits how women are often socialized to be less direct about their desires (i don't have a link for this, but recommend the paper social influence & gender by linda carli for a formal approach to this idea, if you can get your hands on it). i suppose the conclusion here is that jake does in fact want agency, he just doesn't want the responsibility that comes with it. roxy does make this joke after all (A6A5A1x2:5812):

GT: You almost scooped my boyfriend out from under me in one fell proposal. TG: oh DID i TG: from under u eh? ;) GT: Wait. No i mean... TG: ;););););) wonks 4 eternity GT: WHOA NOW WAIT A MINUTE!

(though of course, the real real conclusion here is that bones of black marrow has the best interpretation/implementation of this idea.)

3. puppets & dirk (ft. tentacles & rose)

ANYWAY. while it's slightly different, i do think there are some potential parallels between jake, dirk, & rose's respective relationships to a lack of control, particularly in a fetishistic context. rose's tentacle thing, dirk's puppet thing, jake's dead thing(s). homestuck's a lovely comic when you start looking past the surface.

to be honest, i don't have a ton of conclusions to draw here, mostly just noting more of the connections. i think i mentioned elsewhere the connection between dirk & rose as following the convention of the human kids matching their chumhandle-initials counterparts the most closely, but jake & rose have a lot of weird parallels that i'm not sure how to make sense of. just to list a few: they both have a connection to the creation of the first guardians through writing the MEOW & BARK codes, their theme songs on the LOCAM album link them through the horrorterrors (rose's song is "orchid horror" & jake's is "emerald terror," also linking them through their shirt symbols), & their connection to dirk feels particularly notable w/ regards to the events of post-canon stuff.

they also can be considered the most intelligent out of their respective groups of human kids, rose due to her status as seer of light & jake due to sheer subconscious will, meaning that they are on par w/ the other omniscient/semi-omniscient narrators that homestuck loves making its villains. more specifically, i guess that means they're both aware to some degree about the nature of the world of homestuck itself, which is often the most important kind of intelligence in homestuck (it's what light basically comes down to, right?) since it's so goddamn meta all the time. (you could also make the connection there w/ dirk a little bit, since he's got that connection to plato & plato loooves talking about how philosophers are the most intelligent people ever because they are aware of the Forms, as seen in his metaphysics from books V-VII of the republic. can you tell i'm getting sick of reading the republic by now lmfao.) so, yeah.

#astronaut rambles #not really a distinct conclusion to this one just compiling a bunch of thoughts #still thinking about connections between john & jake btw #that interpretation of 'homestuck' as 'trapped in your own head'/immaturity is very validating to my john post #and there's definitely more to the weird ass relationship the prospit kids have to corpses as someone mentioned not long ago #homestuck #jake english #hs

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brainysmurfofficial · 2 years

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Evolution of Brainy Smurf, Part 2: The Early Comics, Continued

Years covered: 1965-1973

Picking up where we left off in 1965, we have “The Smurfony” as it is titled within the Smurfs Anthology books! Brainy exclaims that he can’t wait to hear the “Smurf Symphony”! He also certainly seems to know his music terminology:

And then in 1967, we reach the Smurfette comic! When the smurfs grow tired of Smurfette, Brainy is shown to be a participant in the mean prank they all play on her. But once her appearance becomes modified, Brainy gets carried away just like all the other smurfs when it comes to fawning over Smurfette.

(I see those love hearts, Brainy. I SEE EM)

Not to mention the picture from the start of this post:

And funnily enough, at one point he’s so focused on Smurfette that he does not stop to listen to Papa Smurf!

But when Smurfette’s ties to Gargamel are revealed, Papa Smurf designates Brainy as prosecutor in the trial of Smurfette! :D

There is something potentially to be said for that. It’s entirely possible that Brainy was only chosen at random to be the prosecutor because he simply happened to be standing nearby. Or perhaps Papa Smurf deemed him suitable for the role as well.

Whichever it is, Brainy indeed gets very into the role. He launches a staunch offense on Smurfette, and is pelted with produce in return. He also objects when a not-guilty verdict is reached. But he does look sad along with the others when Smurfette leaves the village.

Next we have 1967’s version of The Hunger of the Smurfs! We’ve already looked at the mini-story version in Part 1 of this post series; now we get the expanded-upon version. One difference is that this time we can be sure when Brainy is in a scene because he has his glasses now; and Peyo does have him present throughout the story, although the colour of his scarf is totally inconsistent, with him sporting a bunch of different-coloured ones throughout.

One item of note is this little bit here:

In the mini-story version, there’s no smurf saying “Don’t push!” in this bit. While situationally appropriate, it ties into his overall penchant for regulating others’ behaviour and purported mindfulness of the “what one should and should not do” in a situation. Yes, that’s a bit of a stretch to apply that here – it’s just one quick line in a panel – but it still ties into that theme when looked at in conjunction with everything else; a throughline.

In 1968 the expanded-upon version of The Smurfs and the Egg is published, which had originally been published in 1960. Just like with Schtroumpf Noirs, an originally Brainy-less story is updated to now include Brainy, featuring his presence for three panels at the start and then nothing further for the rest of the story.

The expanded-upon version of The Fake Smurf was published the same year, having originally been published in 1961. Again, nothing much of note development-wise for his character occurs, though this panel again reiterates his tendency to try and enforce behaviours for other smurfs, as well as enforcing the authority of Papa Smurf:

Next up we have the updated version of the Hundredth Smurf comic. Interestingly, despite being consistently called “smurf with glasses” in French ever since the name changeover, the updated version of Hundredth Smurf still refers to him as Schtroumpf Moralisateur. That singular panel in the Hundredth Smurf comic is the only early example I’m aware of where he gets labelled with that name! Otherwise, it’s typically Glasses Smurf. [Edit: @schtroumpfcurieux has since advised me that he’s also called “Schtroumpf Moralisateur” in 1971′s The Apprentice Smurf as well!]

1968 was also the original publishing date for the comic Smurf Traps. At the start, Brainy warns the others not to cheat at the hide-and-seek game they’re going to play, because cheating is bad.

Gargamel sets tailored traps for each of the smurfs, and what manages to first captivate and then capture Brainy is a very large book promising to be a lengthy Treatise on Morality, showcasing the character’s preoccupation with moral/proprietary rules.

Now it’s time for The Smurfs and the Howlibird, published 1969. Brainy’s character is very well-established at this point; there’s also a layer of irony present when he’s bossing the others around. In the Howlibird story, he’s so caught up in talking about how they should take aim at the Howlibird with “rapidity and precision” and urging the others to hurry it up that he’s ultimately delaying them, and is very particular about the placement of the stone, convinced that only he can fix it up the right way and that the others would be helpless without him.

Then there’s The Astrosmurf, from 1970…

Yep. There’s that most encapsulating word that we keep circling back to: sanctimonious!

In the French panel, the word used is moralisateur, like from his original name;

(Image courtesy of @schtroumpfcurieux)

Another thing that’s quite well-established at this point is that the other smurfs really aren’t big on Brainy. He’s generally a go-to target…

In The Weather-Smurfing Machine (published 1970), Brainy prudently brings along an umbrella, just in case.

And he also has this overdramatic little scene:

And just… gets up straight away, ahahah.

He’s someone inclined to insert himself and try to take charge of situations;

Brainy also follows/suggests following guidelines even illogically so or in a manner lacking common sense;

After all, that broken umbrella isn’t exactly going to do much against the rain. You could try adjusting the shape, but it’s pretty hard to do once they wind up like that.

When “The End” of the comic is announced Brainy rushes in to interrogate this supposed cut-off point as an ending. He declares that “a story must smurf a moral”! Well, they didn’t say he’s a moralisateur for nothing.

The effect of the speech bubble covering Papa really reinforces just how talkative he is.

In the one-page comic of “Master Smurf was Smurfing in a Tree”, part of the one-page comics published in 1971-1972, irony once again becomes involved: Brainy is so wrapped up in warning a smurf that they are sitting on the wrong side of a branch they are sawing off, and instructing them to be prudent, that he himself is now making the same mistake. In the other one-page comic “Careful, The Little Smurf Will Come Out”, when they’re all trying to get a photo taken together, he’s the only one who seems poised:

The comic “Be Smurf To Animals” from the one-page comic collection of 1972’s Histoires de Schtroumpfs seems to be among the first instances where he’s been casually depicted with book in hand, something that would become so iconic to the character:

In 1973’s Smurf Versus Smurf comic, Brainy’s go-to to attempt to resolve the linguistic disputes is to consult his “grammar smurf”:

But… He doesn’t even seem to realise what he’s reading out since he starts going into totally irrelevant stuff:

Brainy continues consulting and reading from the book into the evening, even as a play is being put on for the smurfs. And when the rules of a smurfball game get modified, Brainy immediately intervenes to say Wait You Can’t Play Like That! He’s very much about rules and enforcing them. Rules, rules, rules!

Brainy’s blabbermouthing busybody behaviour escalates the situation before the comic’s end, as he informs both the Northerners and the Southerners of the others’ plan to hold a demonstration.

And I’ll leave this post off here for now! It may come across as a bit abrupt, but we have quite a bit happening on the horizon. In the next post, we’ll look at some more of the comics and then we also have the animated feature film first released in 1976, and then the smurfs franchise beginning to turn their eyes to other countries and looking at becoming more well-known globally... and what that means for Brainy’s character.

Thank you so much for reading! Looking forward to getting to Part 3 of this in the next post. The groundwork is quite solidly laid for the character now, so let’s see how it evolves going forward!

#Brainy Smurf #The Smurfs #Smurfs

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