are we in the circus or something???

alright! we got one whole person interested, so here's my hot take:

the first "how to train your dragon" movie is WAY better than httyd 2.

i know everyone loves like, the cool warrior mom design, the romance and the "epic animation moments" in 2... but can we for a moment be honest and say the whole "hiccup becoming a leader / which dragon is the Good Alpha" plot was dumb as hell? also, the villain sucked?

the original httyd is pretty good about keeping the structural problem grounded in real societal fears. namely, fear of the unknown and of beasts. it makes sense for any ol' village dealing with such a problem. it was intelligently designed around a solid premise.

httyd 2 is like. actually, dragon taming is a big thing, even outside berk. and theres a Scary Foreign Man dragon tamer who is bad and just wants power. it's okay to other him. being a good guy is about being a protector instead of an evil, power-hungry guy... which hiccup never was anyway... so no real growth there. just be good instead of bad. wow. what a theme. very thought-provoking.

people act like httyd 3 being bad came out of nowhere, but httyd 2 was the original sin to me. it totally dropped the societal themes in favor of generic good vs evil fights and "worldbuilding" - despite having no more interesting stories to tell.

it also kind of ruined hiccup for the sake of developing him. like. his whole thing is that he can't fight, so he has to find other ways to contribute to society. he's the anti-macho hero. which ends up being important in convincing the village that dragons can be peaceful. he's empathetic to the other, because he's been othered.

meanwhile in httyd 2, hiccup's like. Cool Warrior Man, who needs to step up and be the hero king when his dad dies. he can fight just fine, because he has a cool dragon to fight with. so he's just like any warrior, but one who fights with weapons instead of brute strength. aka most fictional warriors who arent just "the heavy."

the first movie isn't beyond criticism, obviously. the animation was a little meh compared to httyd 2 - i get why visually its seen as an upgrade. plus, httyd 1 also did the thing of having like a last minute evil dragon to defeat... but that wasn't the point. the POINT was the village and its fears. the POINT was overcoming that.

whenever people list why they love httyd 2 and consider it superior, its like... lists of details. like, look at the upgraded character designs, the cool flying scenes, the affection between hiccup and astrid, or the clever way hiccup's prosthetic leg is designed.

but these are film *details*, not fundamentals.

if you told me the sequel to httyd was going to have a much more generic story, ignore the themes of the original and makes its deliberately lanky and weak protagonist into Handsome Hero Warrior Boy, i'd be like. that sounds kinda bad. but the Animation Details (tm) i guessssss

i know hiccup is still "himself" in 2 to some extent, btw. he's an inventor, he's intelligent, and he initially tries to talk to the villain. but none of that ends up mattering. its arguably looked down on by the movie, which really, really wants him to step up to be the warrior king like his dad. aka a generic Hero Strongman.

i'm not totally against evolving the themes of a work to fit new conflicts, btw. sequels should generally be different from the first movie. that's fine. that's expected.

but while the new conflict in httyd 2 IS born out of the results of the previous movie, that evolution feels very literal, not thematic.

namely, the evolution is "more people have dragons now." it builds the conflict from there. its based on worldbuilding, not on theme.

i don't think a very interesting evolution.

it kinda went from, in httyd 1: "the theme is fear of the unknown. how prejudice/ignorance manifests, educating oneself through compassion, the dangers of worshipping violent masculinity, and the importance of questioning what you're taught by society."

to, in httyd 2: "the theme is dragons. who has them? what they want with them? how can the Good Guy humans protect dragons from the Bad Guys? also, being a Good Leader means being a strong Hero Man who protects his friends," without asking any deeper questions related to the themes of the first movie.

and i'm like. guys. guys.

the theme shouldn't just be "dragons."

the theme of the first movie was NOT just "dragons." the first movie could've been about people being afraid of unicorns. or large birds. or unusually intelligent bears. it was not just about literal dragons, it was about societal fears and trying to overcome our base gut instincts.

i think this is what really plagues httyd 3: it builds on the themes of the second movie, not the first.

httyd 3 asks further questions that only really revolve around the literal relationship between humans and dragons. it does not understand any broader themes of what that relationship represents.

it clearly thinks its very intelligent for asking "what do the dragons themselves want?", but that question is not respected enough to be explored in any thematically coherent way.

the only real weight its given is the argument that there will always be "bad humans" out there, and so, dragons are safer in the wild. which sure is... an argument. but its a very "othering the problem" kind of argument.

it acts like its caring about the agency of dragons, but its not really. dragons were not actually portrayed as "oppressed" in berk society after the first movie, nor lacking agency. they were only at risk of "bad individuals", to which that solution is stupid. the racialized bad guy in httyd 2 didn't steal all his dragons from berk. he caught and subjugated them, mostly from the wild.

all while looking like... this, by the way. i feel like we don't talk about that enough. all the good guys are white nordics, while the only man of color is scary, domineering and cruel. in a series of movies that was once about having empathy for the other.

MAYBE if berk had been really oppressive towards dragons in httyd 2, we could've had a theme. maybe if they treated them like a dangerous commodity that must be tightly controlled despite their nominal acceptance and inclusion, we could've had a thematically tight 3-movie arc about like fear and oppression or whatever.

but that would require, yknow... making the movies be about broad societal problems, instead of just evil individuals. and only the first movie cares about making any real societal critique.

also, the solution in httyd 3 would've still sucked. these movies, in terms of writing, really decrease in maturity from 1, down to 2, to the plummeting depths of 3.

there is no relationship of oppression that is solved by completely segregating society and going our separate ways (httyd 3). just like there is no oppression that is solved just by defeating bad individuals (httyd 2). we have to learn to coexist as equals, to educate ourselves and be compassionate to the other. even if we're afraid.

that's the dream only the first movie kept in its heart.

In your opinion, what makes a good spider-variant design? I'm trying to avoid the pitfall of "bunch of normal ass clothes over the suit" I typically see, but also struggling to come up with anything that's clearly a spider-man when you look at it and doesn't confuse with peter parker's spider-man

That's a good question! So good that I'm going to bust out the proper capitalization and everything.

I'll give you a freebie right off the bat, because this is probably going to be a long post: one easy way to distinguish your character from Peter Parker is to draw them with a different body type. That way, even if their costume was similar to Peter's, it would obviously not be him.

Now, before getting into what I think makes a good Spider-Man design, I feel obligated to speak on what makes a good superhero design. Namely: Keep it simple, stupid! The best superhero costumes are pretty easy to draw, probably because they were designed to be drawn a million times by a million different artists. These costumes are simple enough that they can reduced to bands of colour and stay recognizable.

I promise that keeping your design simple will undoubtedly make it better-- or at least more superheroic, because this applies to Spider-Man, too!

Onto making a Spider-Man costume that is recognizably Spider-Man, but clearly not Peter Parker's. Obviously this costume is going to look different than Peter's classic costume, so we could start by figuring out what about that costume we can change. Thankfully, they already stripped Spider-Man down to the essentials in 1984.

Mike Zeck's black costume identifies these necessary elements of Spider-Man's costume:

Those luchador eyes

The front and back spider emblem

Form-fitting tights

The rest of the costume (the segmented colours, the web pattern, etc.) are basically fine for you to ignore or change at your leisure. Okay, maybe not... you could just draw Green Lantern and put a spider on his chest and back, and that probably wouldn't make for a great Spider-Man. But it's a place to start, at least. As long as you're putting serious thought into this costume, though, you should be able to ignore pitfalls like that.

Hey, speaking of thought, I thought I should cover some of those extraneous details Ditko included in his iconic Spider-Man design! Namely the way he chose to segment the reds and blues, he actually put loads of thought into it:

Namely, the high-rise gloves and boots help Peter's costume remain invisible beneath his civvies. I actually think these logistics are important to consider when designing a Spider-Man costume (or really any costume).

Anon mentions the "bunch of normal ass clothes over the suit" trend in spider-design in their ask, which I was happy to see because it means I can talk about something that really bugs me about recent Spider-Man stuff: How does Spider-Man stick to walls through regular shoes? No, seriously? Think about it for a second! When Miles wears Jordans over his Spider-Man costume and tries to stick his feet to a wall, wouldn't his feet just stick to his shoes instead?

Ditko rationalized this by deciding that Spider-Man can stick to walls through thin fabrics, but that rule has basically been forgotten. Despite how I sound, I'm mostly fine with this change (this is a textbook 'rule of cool' case), but these kinds of things are worth thinking about.

In that vein, keep in mind that Spider-Man's superpowers really lend themselves to acrobatics. Your spider-character probably shouldn't be wearing a suit of armour, or something that would greatly restrict their movement or sticking ability. That's why I labelled "Form-fitting tights" as a necessary characteristic of a Spider-Man costume earlier on in this post.

Before I wrap this up, one more thing you can try doing if you're stumped is looking at real life for inspiration. Whether that's going back to the old strongman outfits that gave way to the original superhero costumes, looking at modern day equivalent athletic wear, or even looking at actual fashion (as long as you're not just putting that fashion over the suit), there's bound to be something that could give you ideas.

Hey! Big fan of your stuff - just wanted to mention about your art: I really like how you draw figures without defaulting to thin-waisted silhouettes, especially with Superman!

It reminds me a lot of Curt Swan's depiction of the character, which is fun since he played such a momentous role in defining how the character would look for decades to come, but like a modernization of it? While still being its own unique and good thing, of course. :)

Always looking forward to more!

Oh what a kind thing to say!! Thank you! :')

My design of Superman is more or less lifted from Gurihiru's design (from Smashes the Klan) which is based on a classic look. I just added arm hair, haha.

I like Curt Swan's version too! I'm a fan of Superman designs that still have the broad shoulders but keep the strongman stomach!

Thanks again, I really do appreciate comments like these :>

Your buggy design is so excellent because not only does he have that „Has a good amount of body fat but you also KNOW he’s fairly strong and muscular“ kind of Strongman physique, but I also can see him being the type of guy who people don’t expect to be as agile as he is. Like, even without chopchop powers. People see him and think „I’ll just need to move faster than him and tire him ou-„ and they already got hit with a pretty nasty fakeout right hook. Not even mentioning how surprisingly fast he can move, even if lots of said movement is him trying to run away from something and accompanied by silly noises. You look into one direction for one second and see something approaching, before turning to look at him only to see a Buggy shaped dustcloud and realizing he’s already half a mile away from you.

🤡 💨

(Also I don’t know why but I love how your Shanks looks almost the opposite. Someone who’s strong and physically fit in some ways but also sounds like… someone tapdancing on a bag of potato chips every morning when he gets out of bed and stretches. It’s all just really good shit I gotta say)

this is such a beautiful analysis of how i draw them im nodding in agreement as if im not the one who depicts them this way. so true bestie sooo so so fuckin true. right on the nose (HA!)

basically my thoughts for buggy when im drawing him are “i will make this guy into someone who i am so attracted to” and thats basically it. i want that fat boy. also yeah hes strong to me like he detaches his arms to use as body part “canons” but im under the assumption that he’d still have to be able to pack a decent punch himself if he wanted to deal true damage w his devil fruit. kind of in the same vein of how i believe robin is so lowk jacked bc i think her flowered limbs are only as strong as the originals. anyway buggy works on toon logic as you said with the dustcloud. it may seem impossible for him to pull off but if its funny enough for the bit well he can do anything he sets his heart to. i truly believe this

as for shanks well yes i dont have much to say you laid it out pretty perfectly. that guy does not have a graceful bone in his body he lumbers and grunts and scratches his ass . hes like a mountain beast or some sort to me. hes strong and fast but you’ll know when hes coming hes not much for subtlety. buggy values his means of escape and i think with his devil fruit comes a certain elegance to it if i can be so forthright. well whatever i think im just in love with that clown and it affects the way i percieve him maybe im crazy

Doctor Wylde's character sheet

Name: Cedric Arlo Wylde

Alias/titles: Aldia Entrati (deadname), big guy, old fart, Doc, Doctor, The Good Doctor, General, Master, Enlightened One, Midnight Sun, Slayer of Lord Demogorgon

Race: Orokin

Sex: Male

Age: 10,948 years old

Height: 7 feet (2.1336 meters) while disguised as a mortal, 2,000+ feet (610+ meters) in his true form

Weight: 350 pounds (158.757 kilograms) while disguised as a mortal, ( 2.6 * 10^11 (260,000,000,000) tons in his true form

Physical appearance:

Additional characteristics: Despite his extreme age, he looks like he's merely in his late 60s to early 70s. His body is completely covered in countless scars, ranging from claw marks to lightning burns. He has the physique of an Olympic strongman and calloused hands that never so much as quiver under even the most stressful of situations and possess a vice-like grip that's almost impossible to escape from. His sharp nails are actually retracted claws, and are capable of rending flesh and metal alike when fully extended. His eyes are a rich golden color with red accents, and sport slitted, reptilian pupils. His ears are elongated and elf-like. His teeth are razor sharp and the canines are elongated into vicious fangs. His face is weathered and rarely shows emotion, but if you look closely there are clear smile lines. He has both crow's feet and dark circles under his eyes. Most of his hair has turned grey, but some still possess the coppery red of his youth. Though almost never seen as he's extremely good at hiding them -though the reason why is unknown - he has a pair of draconic wings with black and gold scales sprouting from his back, a draconic tail of similar coloration, the tip of which is bladed and impossibly sharp, and a line of bone spikes that protrude from his back and run along his spine. Much like most of his family, he has an Irish accent.

Profession(s): arcanologist, biomechanical engineer, licensed arms dealer, CEO of Wylde Labs, religious leader

Allied factions: the Orokin Empire, the ASF, the Drone colonies of Copper 9, Humanity

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: Demiromantic omnisexual

Relationships: @theblackcubeofdarkness Cube, @emily-and-friends Clown - spouse (polyamorous relationship) Evelyn, Emma, Oswald, Ruby, Lucy, Lily, @theblackcubeofdarkness Oliver - biological father Cyn, Delilah, @emily-and-friends Emily, @solvar-the-drone, @nate-doorman-elliot, @thad-the-jock, @p3nny-bakes-cookies - adoptive father Agent Arrow - master and mentor Slyvan - pet owner Natah - son Janus - host Margret, Tessa, Abby, Odin, Belnar, Alice, Sarah, Cephalon Eda, Elizabeth, Asmodeus, @emily-and-friends Mikan, @sea-slug-in-a-sweater, @r4m-has-horns - employer Andy - Champion Serial Designation J, Yeva, @emily-and-friends Serial Designation O, Adele, Valentine, Vivien, Koki, Mimi, @asknoridoorman, @roseamongrobots - close friend and associate @asf-director-turner - contracted employer Ko, @emily-and-friends Serial Designation V, Korrina, @serial-designation-mj, @worker-drone-alex - (potential) future father-in-law

Personality: He is extremely adept at hiding his true emotions, creating an illusion of perpetual calm. Though he never reveals this information to anyone but those closest to him, in truth he is haunted by his past and suffers from PTSD so severe that he's developed an irrational fear of falling asleep, for he knows the only things waiting for him on the other side are vivid and horrific nightmares. He has a bit of a smoking problem, though he usually only smokes when he's particularly stressed. He loves his family dearly, though can be a bit overprotective of his children - especially Ruby, his firstborn. He is known for harboring extreme hatred and prejudice - bordering on flat out speciesism - against demonic entities, with exactly one known exception. Contrary to popular belief, he does have a sense of humor. Though rarely seen, he is known for having a sadistic streak and is not above torture if the situation demands it. Though he loves the thrill of combat and is very much driven by honor, he is not above "cheating" or "playing dirty;" he can and will exploit your weaknesses at every chance he gets, and he never fights fair. He has a bad habit of consuming the souls of those he kills in order to steal their knowledge and power. He is deeply religious and has an unwavering sense of duty to keep his culture alive, as his home world is gone and he is among the last of his species. He's very slow to trust, and is extremely secretive. Not even his two spouses know all his secrets. He's a complete workaholic and loves his job.

Important lore tidbits: Like many of his kin, the Doctor's true form is incompatible with the comprehension of mortals, and so he devised a plan to hide it. He tracked down a human scientist named Cedric Wylde, killed him, and stole his name, flesh, voice, and even his very soul. The new Doctor Wylde now wears the old one's skin like a costume, though how he fits inside is unknown. He has worn this skin for just over 50 years, and once it finally gives out on him, he'll have to shed it and repeat the process. In order to keep himself from sinking into the ground as its crushed under his immense weight, the doctor is constantly using gravity magic to make himself lighter. At this current point in time it's become second nature to him, as effortless and automatic as breathing, and sometimes he forgets he's even doing it. He is a veteran of a great war known as the Fell War, and it is the cause of not only his PTSD, but also his prejudice against demons. Over the millennia he's developed a split personality; a twisted version of himself named Janus. Pray you never meet him, and that if you do the meeting is brief and nonviolent. Janus only emerges to "play" when Doctor Wylde nears his breaking point mentally. He is capable of allowing parts of his true self to temporarily break through the skin suit as "mutations" if needs be. He can also contort his body at inhuman angles at will.

Additional lore trivia: In his youth, he had a bit of a superiority complex and this obnoxious "holier than thou" attitude that only got more infuriating when you realize that he's right. Such things were snuffed out of him during the Fell War. Though fully ambidextrous as an adult, he was born left handed. Do NOT challenge him to a drinking contest, as not only does he already have a drinking problem and by doing so you're encouraging him, but the alcohol content needed to get him even slightly tipsy is enough to kill several people from alcohol poisoning. He absolutely despises the word "moist." His favorite color seems to change every few days. This is because his favorite color is actually outside the wavelengths of visible light for humans, and he's trying to find one that's the most similar.

Drip:

His theme song:

show .us

I haven't drawn one of the two yet cuz i didn't have motivation. I'll show my evil circus ocs though

i made these ocs back in like 2022 and my art style improves at a rapid pace, so they're well over due for redesigns. here are the performers/workers though :3c

- cirque de lumiere / circus of light is a french circus upholding a reputation of it being one of the greatest in france, with performances consisting of a giant cheshire cat, world's tallest man, even one of the most spectacular magicians. though, more sinister things happen under the big top

fratellini / The Saint or "Saint the Fool" (knife-juggling clown, she/her). she's very silly and likes to mess with the other performers. montblanc is her best friend

françois / "François the Great" (magician, he/him). flamboyant fuck that does all the "mind-controlling" at the circus. he likes to bother aesop, working with him to steal other's belongings when they're not looking

aesop / "He Who Talks to Crows" (crow tamer, he/him). obviously, he tames crows. kinda like a lion tamer, but his crows steal jewelry from the audience when they are too busy being enamored by the show

^^^ this drawing was made 2 months ago, just haven't got to coloring it. it is a redesign for them though, the names on the bottom are their former names cuz i changed them (or their stage names)

montblanc / "The Cheshire" (cheshire cat, he/him). veery giddy kitty. his voice claim is of course, sterling holloway (voice actor of the cheshire cat in 1951 alice in wonderland). he loves surprises and often dismisses questions, liked by everybody in the circus

apollon / "Big Top" (strongman, he/him). i haven't got to redrawing him yet so the anatomy is off ^^; it's the original drawing. anyways he's cocky and a big show-off. yes he's half spider

as you can see montblanc is also a recent drawing which i haven't colored yet

cassius / "Cassius the Warrior" (stuntman, he/him). he isn't really developed that well, but he performs dangerous stunts for the audience, though he's very jumpy. works well with montblanc and jack

mister (or wilheim) / "The Living Nutcracker" (nutcracker idk what he does, he/him). he's also Severely underdeveloped. made him as a christmas special and revealed him on christmas day last year. he lives up to the whole british soldier thing, he does whatever he is told to do n stuff

vivienne / "Black Widow" (vaudeville/cabaret?, she/her). she's kind of a flirt, she puts on performances for the more mature audiences. i like her and this drawing just made me realize how tall she is

now THIS is old. vivienne is the only one i drew recently, i'll be putting her at the end. also cassius' design was designed by a friend:3

chono (ringmaster, he/him). he's the lead of the circus, very very evil

nato (he/him) is chono's assistant. he's on high alert a good amount of the time

jack (or jacqueline) / "Jack-in-the-Box" (surprise performer, she/her). she loves to surprise people when fratellini cranks the handle on her box and she pops out. she can be foul-mouthed and rude, always getting in people's faces n' such

...yyeaah this one is also old. though i made some adjustments to the colors a few months ago, the style and stuff is still old

vanitas (or nicolaes) / "Memento Mori" (puppeteer, he/him) is the nicest circus performer. he puts on puppet shows, when he speaks he adapts the personality of what puppet he's using, and he'll often make up a conversation. his puppets are commedia dell'arte characters. when not using any puppet, he talks normally + he's polite. his 'face' is a mask by the way

this drawing i made like 3 days ago lol. it's his redesign concept, his original one i just went head-first and i still don't like it >.>

and last but not least these two. first we have baroness (or marie-christine) / "Dangerously Yours" (singing entertainment, she/her). she also puts on shows for the more mature audiences, in which she'll sing on a stage. her songs are often quite dark, the audience never realizes it though. her design is also by the friend who made cassius

and on the right is primadonna (or marcel. mime, she/her) who is, of course, a mime. i think her face is her actual face. my sister helped design this one

i made these doodles like, a month or two ago. just concepts so i can get their designs down

that's Allll for the circus performersssss ^w^^^^ hope u enjoy them. Oh and there's this other one who's been stuck in concept stage (i haven't even drawn them yet), their name is El Lissitzky, based on the real El Lissitzky's paintings. think they're gonna be a painter as well

onto old/new pieces... wwweeew

^ here's that vivienne piece i mentioned. i posted her to this blog already...

the original designs and how they're supposed to look when colored:3c also this montblanc is a slightly updated version of his original drawing to make his fur look better

and finally vanitas' original design... yeaahh. wanted to go for a jester-like look, his design is somehow simultaneously too much and too little. i never really had a proper concept for him beforehand, just the silhouette of what he was supposed to look like. strongly disliking the colors thou

also recent apollon i did as a style test:3 all of these circus performers have a voice claim BTW :P

...I think this was a reaaaalllly long post

A moot of mine (@tabsters) asked about my LMK Circus AU, which gave me the motivation to write something about it.

The Circus Crew

Qi Xiaotian, (nickname: MK), isn’t a performer, but he hopes to be one. He is the artist who makes all of the circus posters and advertisements. He is the adoptive son of Pigsy and looks up to Sun Wukong as a role model due to his status as the Star of the Circus.

Long Xiaojiao, (stage name: Mei, the Dragon Horse Girl), is a member of the trick riding team. She used to be a part of a rich family (the Dragon Family) before she ended up joining the circus.

Sun Wukong, (stage names: The Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven), is the star of the circus show. He does an aerial silk/aerial hoop performance as well as a tightrope balancing act.

Macaque, (real name: Liu'er Mihou, Macaque is a shortened version of his stage name, The Six-Eared Macaque), head of trapeze team and one of the circus's best trapezists (and one of the first to be a part of the circus).

Rumble and Savage, (those are their stage names, with their real names being Haoyu and Zixin), are a twin act (much like Jin and Yin) who perform a tightrope/juggling act. They were originally orphans living on the streets and performing for money before they were brought into the circus by Macaque.

Jin and Yin, are a human cannonball act on top of being physical comedians.

Nezha, is a trapezist and a fire performer. He was the one who taught Red Son about fire performing and brought him into the circus in the first place.

Red Son, (real name: Hong Hai'er) is a member of the fire performers. He is the son of the Demon Bull Family and ran away from home to join the circus. His parents may be looking for him and this may cause trouble for the circus later down the line.

Kui Mulang, is one of the head dancer and does a duo act with Chang'e. He wears star-themed outfits when he performs.

Chang'e, is one of the head dancers and does a duo act with Kui Mulang. She wears lunar-themed outfits when she peforms.

Hou Yi, is a trick shooter and the husband of Chang'e. He used to perform in archery contests prior to joining the circus to be with Chang'e.

The Spider Queen, (real name: Zhilan), is a trapezist and an acro dancer. She is rather prideful and proud of her skills, to the point that she will boast about herself to the other performers.

The Huntsman, is a knife thrower.

Spindrax, (real name: Lirong), is a member of the trick riding team.

Sandy, the circus strongman act and the owner of Mo and the circus cats. One of the kindest members of the performance team.

Mo, one of the many circus cats and Sandy's therapy cat. The cats of the circus serve as performers in their own right and as "designated therapy cats" for the performers when things get particularly stressful.

Tang, is the financial manager of the circus.

Min, (Jin and Yin's Demon Accountant), is Tang's assistant and helps him deal with the finances and general management.

Pigsy, the cook of the circus and the adoptive father of Qi Xiaotain.

Syntax, is the equipment/special effects manager.

Tianli, (the Scorpion Queen), is the head of the makeup team.

Yaling, a member of the makeup and costume team. She is the girlfriend of Kui Mulang.

The Strong Spider, (real name: Qiang), is an equipment handler.

“Jiabeng”, (The (not) Mayor, does not currently have a stage name), is a contortionist. He makes everyone a bit uncomfortable and he straight up just appears out of nowhere sometimes.

The Lady Bone Demon (real name: Mu Xue), the ringmistress of the circus and a perfectionist when it comes to performances (not that you don’t want to put on a good show, but she takes it way too far)

Other Characters

Erlang Shen, a rich elite of society.

Princess Iron Fan, the mother of Red Son and the wife of Demon Bull King. A rich elite of society who runs the Demon Bull Family Industries alongside her husband.

Demon Bull King, the father of Red Son and the husband of Princess Iron Fan. A rich elite of society who runs the Demon Bull Family Industries alongside his wife.

Demon Bull Clones, the actual servants of the Demon Bull Family.

The Jade Vixen, one of the reasons for why the marriage of DBK and PIF have recently been on the rocks.

Some Stuff About LBD

None of the circus crew actually knows her real name and just refers to her as "The Boss" and "The Ringmistress".

Incorporates a bone theme into her attire (hence her title) and has various different outfits, but they all have the same theme.

Speaks and acts in a calm and clear way, but there is something underlying her tone, which is condescension.

Most if not all of the circus crew (minus Jiabeng) agree that she gives an "off" vibe and either become uneasy and/or uncomfortable around her.

Like with her real name, no one knows much about her past, which she keeps under lock and key.

Is a perfectionist and expects the absolute best from her performers at all times, even to their own physical and mental detriment.

Has a certain mentality about picking up "rejects" or those who are unable to find any other work and try and mold them into what she needs from them (even if that mold isn’t who the person is nor how negatively it may affect them).

Sun Wukong is the most "perfect" in her eyes. Refers to him as her "Champion."

She isn't above intimidating and outright hurting the performers or any part of the crew if they "act out of line" or don't adhere to her standards or just do something that she doesn't like.

Other Info

The circus is a traveling circus and travels to various places, some getting frequent visits and being usual places of performance.

It has similar elements to The Greatest Showman setting, though there may be a few modern aspects added to it.

Bai He is not a member of the circus, but she is a regular member of the audience whenever the circus visits her town. She brings her cat with her to the shows.

Rumble, Savage, Jin, and Yin form a group called "the Chaotic Quadruplets" by the other circus members.

Everyone looks like how they do in the show, with Sun Wukong and Macaque still being anthropomorphic monkeys. Though, some may have a few different things about their physical appearance (just me applying headcanons), along with different attire.

Sun Wukong and Macaque will sometimes perform a double trapeze act called "The Hero & The Warrior". Though, they don't do this in every show.

QXT has a crush on Red Son and tries to be subtle about it to varying degrees of success.

Rumble (Haoyu) and Savage (Zixin) are currently the youngest members of the circus crew, with Savage being the older twin.

LXJ and Spindrax have a sort of friendly rivalry.

Sun Wukong does have stage fright, but he does a few things to help himself deal with it.

Sun Wukong helps take care of the circus horses and is quite attached to them.

While DBK and PIF married for love, their marriage has been on the rocks as of late and hasn't been entirely smooth sailing even before that.

The two opposing blocs in Bulgaria’s coalition government – GERB/United Democratic Forces and We Continue the Change / Democratic Bulgaria – appear at a dead end amid a tense government rotation.

On Thursday, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said his party would give its partners one more day to accept its ministerial list which was announced on Tuesday. Also on Thursday, WCC/DB demanded that GERB come up with a new “plan, adequate to the crisis you’ve created”. 

Bulgaria is in the midst of a planned power rotation after the parties in power agreed on a strategy that would see the first nine months governed by Nikolai Denkov of We Continue the Change with GERB’s Mariya Gabriel acting as vice PM.

The two would then switch positions in March.  But the transfer of power has triggered a series of clashes, more noticeable since Monday, when GERB received a mandate from President Rumen Radev. 

GERB has been criticised for announcing a line of ministers not coordinated with WCC and DB despite long discussions. WCC leader Kiril Petkov claimed Borissov is not even answering his calls. “I then left him a message saying fear is not a good advisor,” he said in a TV interview on Wednesday. 

WCC has hinted that GERB is also clearly reluctant to discuss further measures around Bulgaria’s judicial reform. “After all, a working judicial system would see Borissov arrested,” Venezia Nemsova of WCC said on Wednesday.

Developments have caused a fresh row with designated PM Gabriel. So far, she has acted as a mediator between the blocs and had a good working relationship with outgoing PM Denkov. But last week, Gabriel changed her tone. GERB’s draft of the cabinet would see Gabriel acting as PM while retaining the post of Foreign Minister – which WCC and DB find controversial. 

WCC co-leader Assen Vassilev called Gabriel “the beautiful new face of the mafia”:  “We never left the negotiation table, it was GERB who did this … and announced a cabinet without the people on the list knowing that they will be nominated as ministers; I honestly could not believe what was happening,” Vassilev said in a TV interview on Wednesday. 

Although the ministerial offerings are not that different from those who have served since June, a major sticking point between the parties is that GERB wants the pro-Western, pro-Ukraine Defence Minister Todor Tagarev of WCC replaced.

GERB has not explained why it is eager to oust Tagarev, or why it is putting upfront a rather unknown figure, Hristo Gadjev, who has been climbing the party ranks since 2007 and was previously a secretary in the Defence Ministry (2010-2013). 

GERB member Vladislav Goranov, who in 2023 was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act, told Bulgarian National Radio on Thursday that “it’s unlikely that talks will continue”.

But if the current mandate is returned unfulfilled, it will be then handed to WCC and DB, which would have no chance of parliamentary support and that would lead to snap elections. 

A 2021-2023 stalemate yielded five general elections in Bulgaria, with different parties matching the nation’s thirst for change after GERB’s long dominance of politics since 2008.

The stalemate has produced new fixtures, with pro-Russia Revival improving its turnout in every election, and newcomers There’s Such a Nation winning the popular vote in July 2021, before then fading.

Pro-Western reformist parties We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria found increased public trust and won elections at the end of 2021 only to be ousted by the GERB-led opposition in 2022 and, in order to break the cycle, reluctantly siding with GERB in 2023. 

This has led to the reinvention of GERB, while strongman Borissov has given way to new players like Gabriel. GERB returned to power last June when a coalition was established between GERB/UDF and WCC/DB, under the leadership of WCC’s Denkov over shared ambitions for Eurozone and Schengen area entrance. 

every time i see a fat man i physically have to go on a gender heist. frothing at the mouth my king

holy shit look at his fucking PANTS!!!!!! he made those HIMSELF!!!!!!!! skinny people u fucking wish u had the tenacity of stylish fat masc people u have to fucking fight in the TRENCHES to dress sexy. and we do anyway.

coffinboy69 cough up the gender my liege. those thigh tattoos are so fucking amazing man. imagine having the grim reaper tattooed on your thigh wearing black jean short shorts and clipping on a keyring. he said rights

the FULL FACE MASK!!!!!!! good lord the full face mask!!!!!

you KNOW how i feel about black and white button up shirts. he has a collection of hawaiian shirts that fills me with vicious genvy ALSO he’s a STRONGMAN aka the sexiest kind of man. if i ever get my ass in gear long enough to get on t i will simply be forced to try a strongman workout program bc look at this man. i want his arm muscles so bad it’s physically painful

look at this. look at this. let’s just take a second here to look at him again. my blood is genvy looking at this man.

hi, sir? fuck you for this one. the way you popped your collar button had more gender than anything have ever seen

you can’t see the back of his sweatshirt but it says trans joy is resistance in THE sickest design. legend. love orange. soooo genvious of the stubble it’s so cool

hi 🥰 where the FUCK did you get that jacket. i need it so bad it’s unreal. you’re so fucking cool king. 80s movie roller skating protagonist. NOT to be confused with another one of his outfits that i lust for. i have genvy gust gonging for this outfit

i’ve run out of images and this post got out of hand immediately but like. fat men do u know that you invented style gender and genviousness. nothing but respect love and admiration

who are the barbarians?

as I was finishing this new season of vikings valhalla, I was really struck by the portrayal of the pechenegs in the penultimate episode, and I wanted to throw some (half-formed) thoughts out there about the recurring figure of the barbarian in medieval shows and other media: the danes in the last kingdom, the pechenegs in vikings valhalla, the rus in vikings. while the exact identity and nature of the barbarian varies depending on the media, there are certain common tropes that appear again and again. the barbarian comprises the outgroup; he draws a clear line between “us” (the protagonists) and “them.” some typical features: 

- the barbarian rules by violence and is violent by nature. his violence is often random and excessive; he enjoys torture. he (and it is almost always “he”) is violent towards members of his own group as well as outsiders, and he is often sexually violent towards women. violence committed by non-barbarians, in contrast, is often justified in some manner by the narrative, or presented as being within reasonable bounds.

- the barbarian is interchangeable with his fellow barbarians. he lacks a distinctive personality or motivation, and there is little to distinguish him from his peers. they function as a homogenous blob. one barbarian is very much the same as the other, and certain stock characters appear season after season. the names and circumstances may be different, but they’re really all the same guy.

- barbarian society is poorly defined. apart from some sort of strongman leader, social classes and other such distinctions are unclear. however, it is heavily male/patriarchal, heavily skewed towards warriors, and often tribal or semi-tribal. there are far fewer women and children than men, and they may only appear in the background on occasion. non-barbarian society is more individualistic and balanced in terms of gender and age; there are clear social and legal rules that govern behavior and more definite social classes.

- the barbarian is a capable warrior but has limited intellect. they are good at fighting and may be good at strategy, they can be cunning, but they are intellectually uncurious. (intellectually curious barbarians are exceptional and outside the norm). they have no literature or philosophy. they are fundamentally uninterested in world around them, apart from dominating it. they are foolishly superstitious and struggle to adapt to change.

- the barbarian can only be met with violence. apart from the few exceptions that prove the rule (see, for instance, guys like sigtryggr and erik in the last kingdom), barbarians cannot be reasoned with. they will not respect any compromise without the threat of force behind it. therefore, killing barbarians is an acceptable solution--and maybe the only acceptable solution.

- the barbarian is not a fixed group. the designated barbarians in one season may be different from the next. they may sometimes be danes, sometimes be rus, sometimes be welsh, sometimes be pechenegs, but not always. the critical point is that the barbarians are whoever the writer needs them to be in that particular moment, to be defined in opposition to the protagonists.

TMNT 2012 characters in Halloween costumes

Happy Halloween everyone! To celebrate, I decided to share my vision of what costumes some of the TMNT 2012 characters would wear for Halloween. This would also be set after Trick or Treat Tussle, the Halloween themed video game that had Leo as Captain Ryan, Donnie as what I believe is a troubadour (Mickey Mouse Three Musketeers reference anyone), Mikey as SpongeBob, April as a ninja turtle, and Raph as the famous fairy princess.

So, this is what I got!

Leonardo as a masked warrior/swordsman (inspired by our lovely blue dragon warrior here)

This was one costume idea I struggled with the most, but I ultimately decided on this remembering Shin-Ah from Yona of the Dawn. I just think it'd be cool to see Leo dress up in something related to his combat skills while still looking like a badass/dork. Complete with a bathrobe, some of his usual gear, and a paper mache mask, Leo is ready for Halloween.

Donatello as a scientist

This was one of the first ideas I had for Donnie, and I feel as though it's perfect. The overall inspiration is from Donnie's design in tigerfog's 2003 fan comic, NMT Gaiden. I just really liked the eyepiece Don wore, complete with a lab coat. Add in some protect gloves and liquid filled bombs (filled with dyed water and soda!) to the equation, and you get Donnie's costume.

Raphael as a body builder (inspired by Doug from 50 First Dates)

What's funnier than Raph deciding to dress as a strongman? Raph dressing up like Sean Astin from 50 First Dates. The outfit itself is RIDICULOUS, but I do see Raph wearing that mesh shirt. 🤣 Add shorts, gloves, the red baseball cap, and yes, even sunglasses, and you get Raph as Doug Whitmore. Oh, and make sure he gets some Reese's in his treat or treat bag.

Michaelangelo as Ice Cream Kitty

For quite a while, I've been stuck on what costume Mikey would wear. Like... there are SO MANY GOOD IDEAS. I turned to Instagram and asked peeps for suggestions. I chose his favorite ice cream cat, because he'd go all out with face/body paint, the classic cat ears, and even make a bowl to wear. I just think that's overall, a very Mikey costume that isn't a character from another existing franchise.

April as a simulacrum news reporter

The overall inspiration comes from BOTH a judge's costume I saw in Halloween Baking Championship (a ghostly news reporter) and that April in the 1987 series is a news reporter! I didn't want to go with the jumpsuit, so April would be wearing something a bit dressier like what female news reporters typically wear. I then thought she'd be a different creature as opposed to being a human news reporter. I settled with a simulacrum, or "frankenmonster", because the thought of April having the same mint green skin with scars like Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas is a good Halloween look (especially with her naturally gorgeous red hair),

Casey as a serial killer

Like in the Halloween arc, this is just an excuse for Casey to dress up in his usual vigilante gear. However, it's Halloween, so he has to be a bit more creative. So, Jones would whip out some older, dirtier, and wrecked gear like a broken mask, a baseball bat (taking a bit of inspo from Negan from Walking Dead), and red paint. Lots and LOTS of red paint.

Karai as a masked vampiress

I remembered a long time ago, someone compared Karai with her snake eyes/fangs to a vampire when her mutation first happened, and honestly, I can see it! That brought me to come up with this idea for Karai's costume. Imagine it being an old European/gothic look on her with a black dress with frills, a beautifully decorated black mask, and gloves. Safe to say that Shini has likely helped Karai pick out the right clothes for the look, and even do her hair and makeup.

Shinigami as a cat witch (inspired by Blair from Soul Eater)

This is one I just thought of as a fun idea. In Soul Eater, Blair is a recurring character who appears to be a witch girl with cat ears, but she's actually a real cat! Because Shini is a witch and cats are basically her spirit animal, it just makes sense for our underrated Foot Clan witch to go that costume route. Shini might as well be capable of casting a spell to give herself cat ears underneath a witch hat.

Slash as Raphael

This was just a cute idea that came to me. Slash wouldn't do much, but since he was Raph's owner before his mutation, I just thought it'd be sweet if Slash went as him for Halloween. All he really needs is a red mask and a giant pair of Sai.

Leatherhead as Frankenstein's monster

This one was from a suggestion by @fabuloustrash05 (out of a few options), but I think this one was the best fit for Leatherhead, because of the similarities between the two. He probably wouldn't be able to dress in costume, but that's why doing makeup is an option. I can see Mikey giving his gator friend some fake stitches/scars and neck bolts to make him the coolest franken-gator ever!

Mondo Gecko as an 80s rock star

The amount of times our skater gecko has this rocker guy personality, from using his skateboard as an air guitar and even his speech pattern, I just think this would be a fun costume idea for Mondo. Also would mentioning that his voice actor Robbie Rist is a musician.

Mona Lisa as Morticia Addams

This is something I borrowed from FabTrash, but for those who don't know, Sean Astin's father was Gomez in the live action Addams Family show from the mid 1960s. Since I didn't think to have Raph dress as Gomez, I'm making up for it by having his girlfriend Mona dress as the beautiful hag Morticia! Well, with just the iconic black dress and a bit of dark makeup. But just because Raph isn't Gomez in this list of characters in Halloween costumes doesn't mean he won't wear a Gomez costume for Mona.

Renet Tilley as Michelangelo

I always saw Renet as a big Ninja Turtles fanatic, and because her close bond with Mikey, it's beyond safe to say she likes him the most. I just think it's cute that Renet would wear a ninja turtle costume like April did in the Trick or Treat Tussle game, and she'd choose Mikey of course.

BONUS: Alex as a Dragon

I didn't want to leave out my Ally-boy on this. The idea was suggested by @xartisticmdx, so a dragon is the best one for Alex. He'd wear one of those pull-over masks with the mouth open that looks like a dragon's head and a tail to match. I would also think Mikey uses darker green body paint to give Alex scales, and even tape the wings and spine spikes onto his shell.

Ok ok, taking inspiration from your horror carnival idea, I thought a bit of how Disney villains would be in a carnival.

The magical villains can be the magical acts. Fortune telling, magicians, you name it they got it. Maybe even trying to one up each other (I definitely want to see Jafar and Mal go against each other. Dragon VS giant snake).

The hunter gang could be like animal tamers (good luck with that when they have to deal with Scar or Shere Khan). And Gaston definitely is doing the strongman work on the side.

Other villains who happen to just be, mostly, regular people, like Cruella and Sykes, or the twist villains like Hans and Ernesto, could promote the carnival with their fame and money. Maybe Hades as well since I guess godhood technically counts as royalty?

Yzma and the Evil Queen SOMEHOW wound up being in charge of the food, as well as their performances. I wouldn't advise eating the candy apples or drinking the drinks. Fortunately Silver is the head chef too so he can double check the food before it goes out.

Frollo is that one manager that nobody likes. If there's one thing they all can agree on, is that Frollo is a dick.

The weasels (not just the TP, but we're focusing on them now) and villain sidekicks can be the stagehands. They make sure everything runs smoothly behind stage. They have to know SOMETHING about this stuff if the villains trust them all to help them with their plans (dear God, imagine Greasy trying to sneak in the woman's dressing room as a stagehand. Frollo would not be pleased).

That's all I could think of for now. What do you think? Do you think this carnival has potential or will it fall apart? XD

I LOVE THIS IDEA!! All of this is just-

You know the circus is in town when you see Chernabog hanging over the whole damn town 😅😅😅 Just follow the giant winged satan and you'll find it XD

Imagine at shows Hades sits in a big throne (A sort of seat of honour I guess) and he releases a lotta smoke when the show is about to start- just hyping everyone up and giving the acts something cool to come creeping out of. Like you notice the show is about to begin when you see the glowing red eyes of Jafar's staff coming out from all the smoke in the middle of the arena, the mystical green light emitted from between Mal's fingers, and then big, fat, slightly terrifying tentacles start to creep out from the smoke, too.

Hades sucks up all the smoke again back into his body and everyone watching knows the show has begun.

Ohhhhhh! I love the thought of thr hunters gang being animal tamers!! Especially with Scar and Shere Khan (And Zira? Oh!! And Brutus and Nero!) being the animals XDD Goodluck to them. That'd be a good show to see! XD

Oh!! "Come and see the Pure Paragon- Sir Gaston! He can tear a log in two! He can lift 10 men! He can fight a Wildebeast! How does he do it? We dont dare ask... Come see for yourself!" Gaston would love the attention.

I loveeee the idea of the high profile villains promoting the carnival!! That's oddly wholesome and it makes my heart warmm! Like Cruella could have pamphlets made and tucked into the clothes she sells or set on the seats at her fashion shows, Ernesto might do something super extra by having thousands of the pamphlets dropped on the audience at the end of a show ("Be sure to visit 'La Casa de las Voces'!- that is my tent! I hope to see you all there, mi familia!"), Hans using his prince-hood (?) to make sure the carnival gets to set up camp in primo positions in cities, Frollo announcing the Carnival's arrival to town and having his guards wear the carnival's logo somehow (It is his circus after all! It has to do well), etc.

Imagine also Cruella creating costumes for the carnival!! Like she's not strictly apart of the carnival, she's not act or anything, but everyone knows she's the designer and fits in there just as easy as anyone else.

Oh thank goodness Silver is there too XDD I also love the idea of those 3 being a team! Like there's the older, matriarchal one- the unstable crazy one- and the one that talks the other two into not poisoning everyone XD

And!! The thought of all the sidekicks running around making sure the show goes smoothly even though they're kind of bumbling fools is so cute and fun XDD They're doing their best and most of the time it works out... but there are definitely moments where, like, the wrong rope gets cut or some animals are released too early because they growled at them and scared them 😅😅😅 Imagine Iago and Sir Hiss and Co-Stagehand Managers!! <3<3

Greasy get your creepy ass BACK to the stage, Ernesto the drama king is having a meltdown again and we need you to translate.

Ahhhhh, this is such a good idea, I love it!! I hope you didn't mind me adding 😅 You can ignore any or all of it if you want XDD I think they could make it work, as long as they all try to remember they are on the same team here. I REALLY WANT IT TO WORK.

A Sonic Fusion of Potential and Groove in Daniel Strongman's "Big Brudda" The soul of A-town has found its pulsating rhythm through the youthful vibrancy of one of its talents. The dynamic Atlanta-based artist, Daniel Strongman, proves his growing reputation as a musical force with his much-awaited second single, "Big Brudda", cementing his standing among the fresh-progeny of afro hip-hop artists rising from the South. https://open.spotify.com/track/2zSO51rvZIuS2oSoWS7HIS Describing the tune merely as “super catchy” would be an understatement. Continuously proving himself more than capable in blending aesthetics and elements from varying genres, Strongman's "Big Brudda" emerges as a compelling fusion of afro-hip-hop infused with some mid-tempo Afrobeats funk that lures listeners into dancing right off their seats. Yet it is upon reaching the infectious hook where "Big Brudda" really zeroes in on your attention. It creeps up on you like a rhythmic phantom — subdued yet consistent until it engulfs you completely causing involuntary head bobs or an uncontrollable foot tap. This showing is indeed further testament to Daniel’s prowess in weaving hooks laden with earworm qualities. Strongman’s lyrical delivery is equally commendable - succinct but full-bodied. His laid-back vocal style invites casual introspection, breathing life into the intrinsic theme presented by "Big Brudda". In essence, it’s an exploration and acceptance of one's future potential within the present self, a commendable concoction of motivation and self-realisation bundled in a feel-good arrangement. [caption id="attachment_52177" align="alignnone" width="1125"] A Sonic Fusion of Potential and Groove in Daniel Strongman's "Big Brudda"[/caption] Yet, what ultimately distinguishes this track from being just another blip on the radar is its evocative power. "Big Brudda" paints vibrant pictures of joyous barbecues and sun-bathed boulevards of the Atlanta streets while being emotionally engaging. Like a summer breeze, it manages to be invigorating and calming simultaneously. All things considered, "Big Brudda" works as both an earnest introspective anthem for self-actualization as well as a meticulously crafted soundtrack perfectly suited for those fond of a hip-swaying, dancehall vibe-fest. It stands tall as an eloquent testament to Daniel Strongman's emerging capacity as an artist that stretches beyond conveyor-belt formulations of mainstream music. "Big Brudda" isn’t merely another beat-driven number designed for immediate consumption but rather serves itself up as a considerable feast — thoughtfully prepped with intricate nuances to peruse upon each revisit. Served hot on today's music platter by chef Strongman himself, your ears are in for a dish you’ll savor time and again before eagerly anticipating his next course. Follow Daniel Strongman on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Prince of the Seas - Chapter 2

Oh yeah.  I’m dumping 13 chapters on here today.  It’s happening. 

Pairing: Bucky x Ruby / Some Bucky x Killian

Summary: Things did not get better for Bucky Barnes after he and Sam had their adventure. They got worse. After years of living only through stolen moments of his own life, he is given a chance to build a life in a whole new world. The catch? That life is going to be a very, very long one. This is the tale of the life built in the Realm that will one day be known as Misthaven, or the Enchanted Forest.

Warnings: Depression, Anxiety, suicidal thoughts, violence, Sexual content

With no regard to traffic laws, Bucky made it home in record time.  He pulled up to his little townhouse, on it’s mostly quiet street, just as the sun began to set.  He sat on his bike for a moment, just watching the colors in the sky over the trees.  Tearing his eyes away, he pulled off his helmet and placed it delicately on the seat, careful it didn’t bounce off.  He took the keys off the mangled kitty cat key chain Peter Parker’s great granddaughter had given him about ten years ago, and hung them on the hand break.  He gave the bike one last pat then turned to cross the sidewalk.

His townhouse wasn’t very fancy, but it was still a huge upgrade from the closet of an apartment his first four handlers had allowed him.  It was on the outskirts of New York City, in a decent enough neighborhood.  It had a brick front, and even a small patch of fenced in back yard.  He worked too much to use it for a dog or anything, but he was still able to make a simple garden work, considering the relative ease of watering on a timer.  His simple home with it’s beautiful back yard full of flowers had been his only safe haven for the last fifty years.

He took the steps into the house three at a time, and let himself in, the proximity locks opening as he approached the thick oak door.  He gently closed the door behind him and gave himself a moment to just look around.  He breathed deeply the familiar smells of home as he looked at all the pictures on the walls.  As a whole, his life had been overwhelmingly shit.  First Hydra, then after only a few brief years of freedom, this whole new legal form of slavery invented just for him.  The real kick to the balls was that if they had just asked him to be an Avenger, he would have.  Despite all the years of torture, he had never wanted to die.  There was so much he hadn’t had a chance to do yet.  He had enough people he loved and happy memories to not want his world to end.  The few good memories he did have, he treasured deeply, and kept them, like some old sentimental grandma, on his walls.  

There was one of him and Steve in Wakanda before the whole thing with Thanos, Bucky laughing hysterically at how red Steve’s face was getting from eating something way too spicy.  Steve kept trying to smile for the camera, even though he was also trying not to cough.  Shuri had taken that photo.  Next to that was a picture of Shuri herself, when he had gone back to Wakanda to replace his arm at one point.  She had grown into a fine woman, her own daughter working to learn how to run the lab for the eventual day Shuri would retire.  The three of them posed with silly strongman poses to show off the new design Shuri had made.  She not only gave him the arm that day, but also the schematics, and a manual on how to create and install them.  She said she was going to die someday, and he deserved the right to give a limb to anyone he deemed worthy.  She had never made the tech in his arm public, considering his arm’s strength far too dangerous to give to just anyone.  He had memorized it, then burned it, knowing his handlers would have eventually found it otherwise.  Shuri had died only ten years after.

He slowly made his way down the hall, allowing these memories to stay on the surface of the ocean that was his mind.  America Chaves standing triumphantly the very first time she was able to knock him on his ass, Peter Parker letting him hold his third kid the day she was born, Deadpool and him singing karaoke, and a dozen other silly little things. The hall transitioned to the dining room, and more memories jumped out at him.  Loki pretending to be a snake again to stab Thor (a joke which never got old), Morgan Stark attempting and failing to out drink him, Phil Coulson’s daughter’s wedding.  As the years went on, there were less and less of other people, and more of the Asguardians, until they left, then there was mostly just Loki.  The picture of he and Loki fishing during some down time on a mission about a year ago was hanging just by the archway to his kitchen.

He sighed.  The photo next to the one of him fishing was of Red Flare, aka, Richard.  Bucky had called him Dick, and in returned been called Asshole.  They hadn’t gotten along at first, like most of the more recent generations of Avengers.  The entire rotation of the team tended to refresh about every ten years, either through retirement or death. Admittedly, death was more common.  Like with Dick.  The Avengers tended to have a pretty low life expectancy, with the only exceptions being the few titans who were just too damn hard to kill, or impossible, in Deadpool’s case.  The rest tended to flash bright, then fade into the darkness and obscurity of that eternal slumber.  

Bucky grabbed the picture of Dick from the wall and made his way into the kitchen.  He stopped on entering, noticing a delicious smell.  On his little breakfast bar was a steaming plate filled with steak, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts.  It was a classic meal, and Loki always made fun of him for it, but it was his favorite.  It was what his parents had made him the for dinner the night before he had been shipped out to basic, and it always made him think of them.  There was a familiar golden envelope next to his plate, which he picked up as he sat down.  He put the picture of Dick down so that he could look at it as he ate, and cracked open the envelope.  The paper inside was filled with a familiar flowing script.  Bucky didn’t need to read the sign at the end to know this had Loki written all over it.  

James,

I hope you forgive me for not being there to support you during your hearing.  Again.  It is simply too barbaric to watch.  I hate that you have to sit through them, almost as much as I hate sitting through them myself.

I know you like to be alone after these trials, so I have gone to New Asgard to visit my brother.  I will tell him and Valkyrie you said hello.

I don’t feel the need to ask how it went, because I fear I already know.  Their reluctance to free you honestly makes me wonder if they even remember how to, or if they truly are just that cruel.  To be honest, if it weren’t for you, I would have lost all faith in your species some time ago.  Thor has been hounding me to come home more often, but I am hesitant to leave you with that new crop of Avengers.  They reek of incompetence.  The last one with any brains was Dick, and ever since, none of them seem to be able to put two and two together, even to realize that they are being taken advantage of.

Despite your protests, I am using my time here to look through the magical libraries.  I know you say you don’t want to waste my time, but I am quite determined to find a way to undo whatever spell Strange used to lock your chains.  Bloody arrogant sod should have left a manual behind, like Shuri did.  Instead, his carelessness left you bound to a task not of your choosing for the rest of your days.  

AND… because I am such a great friend, I have even given you something you certainly will love.  Magical armor.  It’s just like mine.  I left it in your bedroom.  Once you put it on, it and your weapon will phase into existence upon your command forever more.  I guess I should mention it is technically also a gift from Valkyrie, Thor, and the rest of Asgard, but it was mostly my idea.  And my magic.  We just wanted to make sure they don’t put you in something substandard AGAIN for some stupid budget cuts.  Now, you can always be protected, as a man of your greatness deserves.

My friend, I know this is hard, but you will be free someday.  When that day comes, you will be welcomed into your place in Asgard as the glorious warrior you are. You have long ago earned your place among the gods.  Just know that your friends know that you deserve to be in a place that understands the sacrifices you have made, and where people will appreciate you for it.  

I will be coming to see you soon,

Loki

He set the letter aside carefully after reading it through twice.  Decades ago, he would have never guessed that Loki would become his favorite extra terrestrial, now he could almost not imagine his life without him.  Loki had been with them ever since the time wars, and during that time they had grown a close friendship.  They had a surprisingly similar sense of humor, and both were loyal to a fault.  Neither of them trusted many people, but once they did, they would break mountains for them.  They both also had a similar fighting style, or at least similar in the sense that they didn’t shed tears over the deaths of their enemies.   Too many of the young ones still had guilt over the bad guys dying, while Loki and Bucky were able to find humor in the occasional delightfully ironic deaths they bestowed upon them.  Loki was Bucky’s best friend, and admittedly, also his biggest friction point with the newer Avengers.  

He looked between the letter and the photo of Dick, his brow furrowing as memories raced through his head.  He cut a large bit of his steak and brought it slowly to his mouth, taking his time to smell it before letting it dance across his taste buds.  He chewed slowly, the rare beef now qualifying easily as the second best experience of his day, just after that prosecutor.  He looked at the photo while he chewed, letting the bittersweet beauty of the memory wash over him as he ate.  As usual, every bite was glorious.  A perfect meal, spent looking at two wonderful gifts given to him by people he truly cared about and respected.  

When he finished his meal, he left his plate where it was and grabbed the letter and the photo and made his way back to the dining room.  He hung the photo back in it’s place, careful to make sure it was straight, before taking one last look at it.  It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, and he was the only human who got to see it.  Only Loki had stood by his side as they watched Dick’s final moments as he sacrificed himself to save his planet from thousands of destroyers in space.  His power flared through the solar system, a phoenix of pure light, exploding his enemies into sparks of multicolor fire, until all they could see were the sparks of his power creating a path out into the galaxy.  Bucky hadn’t even thought about snapping the picture, he had just done it.  It had just seemed like the right thing to do.  One more photo of something beautiful on his wall.  Something which should never be forgotten.  Dick’s power had been so much more than fire tricks, it had been a true marvel and wonder of pure magic.  A purifying, unquenchable flame, directed by his very soul.  Bucky felt honored and humbled to have witnessed the full majesty of such a display, even though it was through the death of his friend.  

He had seen so many friends die over the years.  Some, like Steve and Sam, had died peaceful deaths.  He looked over to the shield still prominently displayed over his mantle as he walked by on his way through the living room to the stairs.  Sam had given Bucky the shield the same way Steve had given it to him.  Other deaths had been tragic, leaving barely a whisper that a life had even been lived.  Like Yelena.  As a spy, he only even had one picture of her.  They were at Cony Island together, eating cotton candy.  Like him, far too much of her life had been taken from her, and they had spent a good eight years dedicating as much time as possible to building new, happier memories.  They hadn’t had much free time, but they had used it very wisely.  Then, one day, she went out on a mission, only a pile of bloody rags and viscera came home.  They buried her next to her sister, Natalia.  

He remembered a conversation they had had many years ago, when he had first joined the Avengers after that clusterfuck with Sam had landed him in legal trouble.  Yelena had told him that so long as even one person remembered her for her, she didn’t mind that the world only knew the Avenger, or the spy.  Spies lived their lives in the shadows, but she wanted to live her life like her sister had.  With a friend.  He had happily become one of those friends, just as her words had become part of his soul.  Ever since her death, he had done what he could to make sure he lived, so that he could remember.  

He continued up the narrow stair and went back to his room.  Just as Loki had said, his bed displayed a very nice set of armor.  It was matte black leather, so dark it was almost hard to look at.  The leather was thick and sturdy, but still very malleable.  He had seen Loki’s armor in action enough times to know that this armor would easily stop most small arms fire, and would regenerate over time if it did take damage from something.  Instead of a ridiculous helmet, there was a hood and a mask.  It wasn’t entirely unlike his old Winter Soldier armor, but this was much higher quality.  He stripped down to his boxers and a thin black t-shirt, and began to put on his armor.  Ten minutes later, he admired himself in the mirror, moving in various ways to test the fit.  Naturally, it fit perfectly.  It was even comfortable.

He looked down to the slight bulge under the right boot where he knew his explosive device lie.  He pursed his lips, then thought about his weapons.  The bomb was certainly one, albeit one he would rather go without.  His shield was definitely something he would like to keep, though it would be nice to have it recolored so it was a little less flashy.  The rest weren’t really important.  

He shook his head at the thought.  All these years and everything he had done, all the blood he shed, and of all his prized possessions, and there were many, there wasn’t a single weapon.  No matter how many people called him a monster, a killer, and any other number of horrible things, he had never actually enjoyed killing people.  It had always just been a job, and his weapons nothing more than tools.  He had never been sentimental over any weapon, same as a carpenter had likely never cared personally for an individual nail or staple.

He smiled softly as he went to his closet to get the black leather back holster for the shield.  He buckled the straps into place, then looked at the entire ensemble in the mirror.  It was impressive.  He looked deadly, which was a good look for him.  He put on the mask and raised the hood to get the full effect.  He tilted his head and squinted.  He would need to blacken his eyes for it to look right.  Then he could really be a sneaky bastard.  Or maybe just check all the boxes on his aesthetic, as Loki had accused him of many times.  As if Loki were one to talk.

He chuckled to himself before his eyes again flickered down to the ankle bracelet.  

He regretted nothing. 

Next Chapter

Chapter List

if you don’t mind me asking, Will there be characters that fulfill other circus roles? Like the Ringmaster, Strongman, Etc? Or are all roles just simplified to being Called clowns?

I call them all clowns, but they DO have their individual talents. In the Dream Circus so far there’s a strongman, magicians, aerialists, a mime, a puppeteer, some normal good ol’ fashioned clowns, and a few other roles. There can be more than one clown with the same talent, I just put them all to perform in one group.

Would I consider Marx to be the ringmaster? I mean, I guess so… he DOES open every show, so he might as well be. I should give him some kind of special accessory to wear, or even design a new jester hat for him!

Thanks for the ask!