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superfam · 1 year

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THE SUPERMAN STARTER READING LIST

SO – you want to read Superman comics, but you’re intimidated by the near-century of history this character has. Or, you’ve read a few comics with him, but you want to go back to the basics to understand his character and the mythology surrounding him. There are so many continuities, origin stories, and standalones – where do you start? Well…

[Image ID: a cropped edit of the Superman ‘78 #3 variant cover by Lee Weeks, showing Lois Lane sitting on the letters of the Daily Planet globe, and Clark flying above her in his Superman costume, reaching out to take her hand. Hand-written next to them is: "THE SUPERMAN STARTER READING LIST", and hand-written in the bottom right corner is: "by MYTHIC / superfam.tumblr.com". End ID.]

This list isn’t intended to be a full, comprehensive guide to Superman’s decades of history, but a curated taster of Clark Kent in the comics medium. It aims to show you a variety of interpretations from different authors of different contexts, but with the broad goal of helping newcomers understand the heart of the character. Not every comic is able to sum up all aspects of Superman, and some could be argued to miss certain points, but each one has been selected for this list for the goal of conveying the history and breadth of his interpretations.

It’s intended to be accessible to both long-dedicated comics fans and people who are new to the DC universe, or even the medium as a whole. As such, new fans are welcome to enjoy each story as a standalone interpretation.

Please understand that this list is built from my own experience with the character, and I don’t claim it to be better or worse than any other – it’s just one way to approach his history. Essentially, I’m attempting to create the sort of list I wish I had access to when first reading Superman comics. I highly encourage the reader to form their own interpretations of each work.

With all that out of the way, please enjoy!

[Image ID: An edit of Gary Frank's artwork from Superman: Secret Origin. A slightly battered Clark in his Superman outfit embraces Jimmy with his right arm and Lois with his left. All three are smiling. The background, which depicts a disaster scene and a defeated Lex Luthor chained to a building, is covered in a translucent blue overlay. Hand-written next to Clark is: "ORIGINS". End ID.]

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1-6 (2009-2010) Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Just a couple years before the 2011 reboot of the DC Universe, a new definitive origin story was created for a Superman post-Infinite Crisis (a major event which had changed the status quo of the multiverse).

Secret Origin is only six issues long, and a great, efficient introduction to Clark Kent and Superman. It focuses on telling Clark’s origins from his own perspective, as a hero but also simply as a person. It also does a good job of setting up important supporting characters including Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and Lex.

SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT #1-12 (2003-2004) Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan

Though replaced by Secret Origin only a few years later, Birthright was written as the definitive origin story to overwrite Byrne’s 1986 reboot of the character. It was intended to bring Superman into the new century, and be more consistent with his modern interpretations. It is also influenced by the popularity of the TV series Smallville.

Birthright is longer and covers aspects of the Superman mythos in further depth, including dynamics between Clark, Lex, and the city of Metropolis, kryptonite, and Krypton in general. Due to its extended length, it also covers more on Clark’s relationship with his powers and heritage.

I highly recommend reading both modern preboot origins to experience different interpretations with different influences and intentions, even only a few years apart.

[Image ID: An edit of Tim Sale's artwork from Superman: For All Seasons. On the right, Clark lies on his bed, looking to the left with a wistful expression and with a hand on his dog curled up next to him. The background, which is his cluttered bedroom in Smallville, is overlaid with translucent grey. Hand-written to the left of Clark is: "INTROSPECTION". End ID.]

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN #1-3 (2019) Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru

This standalone story is set in 1946, and primarily draws upon the Golden and Silver Ages as inspiration. It’s an adaptation of an episode of The Adventures of Superman radio series, “The Clan of the Fiery Cross”, which famously dealt a major hit to the KKK’s operations in America by influencing public perceptions.

The story follows Clark as well as siblings Roberta and Tommy, two Chinese-American kids who have recently moved to the Metropolis suburbs, as they uncover and fight a local chapter of the KKK. The story explores themes of immigrant identity and self-acceptance in Clark and the kids’ narratives – it presents important concepts from Superman’s history, straight from the heart of his character, in a really effective way.

SUPERMAN: FOR ALL SEASONS #1-4 (1998) Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale

This miniseries has four issues, each corresponding to a season and narrated by an important person in Clark’s life (in order: Jonathan ‘Pa’ Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Lana Lang). Tim Sale’s beautifully detailed and expressive art captures the complex emotions drawn out by having your life touched by Clark Kent, which works really well with the personal, confessional style of the narration. It’s a very intimate work.

It’s a great insight into both the triumphs and very personal struggles of Clark through the inner voices of some of the most important people in his life, and captures what makes his character work really well.

FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING (SUPERMAN (1939) ANNUAL #11) (1985) Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

This is a single-issue annual from right before the DC universe was rebooted, and (unsurprisingly for Moore) explores some philosophical and ideological questions regarding the Man of Steel. On his ‘birthday’, Superman falls prey to an alien organism called The Black Mercy, which feeds on its victims while keeping them complacent with vivid hallucinations of their greatest desires. Clark hallucinates a still-living Krypton, which he is a part of – but perhaps not everything is perfect.

SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC (ACTION COMICS #866-870) (2008) Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Before retelling Superman’s beginnings in Secret Origin, Johns and Frank collaborated on this story arc which massively changes the status quo, partially by reintroducing a variety of pre-Crisis concepts including the original Brainiac and the bottled city Kandor. If you liked Secret Origin, you’ll probably like this one.

As this is our first story arc rather than self-contained story, it has more references to the ongoing continuity but is still easy enough to understand without that context. This story also prominently features Kara Zor-El as Supergirl and expands on some cosmic lore and Krypton in general.

SUPERMAN: UP IN THE SKY #1-6 (2019-2020) Tom King & Andy Kubert

This is an accessible, self-contained exploration of the extent of Superman’s moral fibre, following Clark as he attempts to save a single girl who was abducted from Earth and taken into space. It’s quite abstract at points with the questions it asks about themes of compassion and commitment, which I think is conveyed particularly well in the panelling and artwork.

[Image ID: An edit of Frank Quitely's artwork from All Star Superman. Clark in his Superman outfit is flying with his arms outstretched. The top half of his face is cut off. The background is an abstract depiction of the heart of the sun, and has been overlaid with a translucent orange. Handwritten beneath Clark is: "INTERPRETING AND RE-INTERPRETING". End ID.]

THE K-METAL FROM KRYPTON (drafted 1940, restored 2004-2011) Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Studio

The K-Metal from Krypton is an unpublished and unfinished comic from 1940, written by Superman creator Jerry Siegel, and drafted by the studio of the other Superman creator, Joe Shuster. After being lost for decades, the story has slowly been recovered and restored by Superman fans.

Though this one is much more unconventional than the other items on the list, I think it’s extremely important to Superman’s history and generally understanding him as a character. It comes from a time when creative control of their character was being taken from Siegel and Shuster, and though it is unknown why this story was unpublished, that’s a major point of context to keep in mind.

This draft sets up the predecessor to kryptonite in the Superman comics – “K-Metal” – and also contains a scene where Clark reveals his identity to Lois, and they agree to be partners in helping others. This is a major departure from the status quo of Clark keeping his secret from Lois as she tries to uncover it, which would continue for the rest of the Golden and Silver Ages.

The restoration effort can be read online: http://theages.superman.nu/k-metal/splash.php

THE MAN OF STEEL #1-6 (1986) John Byrne & Dick Giordano

This limited series is the immediate post-Crisis origin story and reinvention of Superman. It wasn’t put in the Origins section because I think from a modern perspective it shouldn’t be an introduction to Clark, but rather something you read to understand the history of his character.

It originated major changes in the Superman mythology, some of which have become instilled in it (such as Lex Luthor and Lois Lane’s modern characterisations), and others which have been forgotten or discarded.

One major thing is the great effort this origin made to make Clark American over being Kryptonian… Byrne has expressed great distaste of portrayals of Superman which emphasise his immigrant identity, and that should be kept in mind while critically reading this work.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #1-12 (2005-2008) Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

Arguably the most critically acclaimed Superman comic, this has been saved for late in the list as I believe it’s enhanced with more context of and experience with Clark. This is a series which explores the nature of storytelling and legacy, which was created with the aim of creating a timeless Superman story.

When Superman learns he will soon die, what does he reflect on? What does he change? This is heavily inspired by, and is a love letter to, Silver Age Superman.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? (SUPERMAN #423 & ACTION COMICS #583) (1986) Alan Moore, Curt Swan & George Pérez

Written in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, this is another story about Superman ‘dying’, and is essentially a great mediation on and send-off to the Silver Age incarnation of the character. It refers to itself as an “imaginary” story, and can be seen as one concrete ending for this version of Clark Kent and the rest of the Superman characters, in a medium with few.

It can be found in a collection with For the Man Who Has Everything.

SUPERMAN: RED AND BLUE #1-6 (2021) Various

To finish off our starter reading list, let’s move from Superman’s end to his future. This is an anthology of short stories from various authors and artists, exploring a spread of visions of the Man of Tomorrow.

I think it’s an appropriate end for this starter exploration of Clark Kent’s many interpretations! As with all anthologies, it has its ups and downs in quality, but as a whole I truly believe it captures the heart of this character.

Thank you for reading all this way. I really hope this reading list helps you delve into the character of Superman and inspires you to read further beyond what I’ve suggested here.

Most of all, I hope it helps at least some people grow to love Clark Kent as much as I have.

A PDF version of this reading list is available here.

#it is finally here #my stupid 1600 word reading list #if you requested suggestions then this is your fault lmao #i put all my love of clark into this #i hope its useful #and feel free to send asks with any questions i will be happy to expand #took a long time to edit my ramblings down to this stage lmao #original #reading list #supers #kal #my writing #clark kent #superman #dc #dc reading list #superman reading list #the superman starter reading list

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vigilant-yaksha-asks · 7 months

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Open starter: Nightmares

oh, mod here, trigger warning for self harm and nightmares/panic attack/general anxiety!! the starter will be below the cut

Xiao jolted awake, eyes darting around from where he lay in the branches of the tree that grew around Wangshu Inn.

"You're safe...you're fine..." Xiao ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down.

He stood at the top level of the Inn, folding his arms on top of the railing and resting his head on them. Xiao bit them into his forearms. His sharp teeth dug into his arms. He tried and failed to breathe deeply.

"...why did I have to be the one to survive?"

Tears sprung at the corners of his eyes despite his protests.

"Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry..."

#🍃 at your call #ooc: here guys have an open starter #anyone is free to interact #mod had a shitty day so take this.#tw self harm #tw s/h

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front-facing-pokemon · 1 year

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#torchic #lots of folks don't like this pokémon‚ but plenty of folks also do. i read on here about the story of how this pokémon was created #to deliberately start out cute and then turn into a Weird Guy to see if players would abandon it bc that was common at the time?#no idea if that's true but i read it on tumblr so y'know. i've taken it with a grain of salt. i think torchic is cute but they did it a bit #dirty by not giving it arms AND making it bipedal. yeowch‚ TPC #although torchic is cute‚ they're not the starter i always picked in the hoenn games as a kid. that spot goes to mudkip #and i imagine plenty of folks share that sentiment. but they'll be in a few days! stay tuned. until then‚ here's your ffp fix for the day

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jazzy-art-time · 2 months

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It's somewhat healing to draw the fursona that you used as a child !!

#granted she did get a drastic design change later... I wanted to draw The Classic version before I redrew the other version !!#ive actually redrawn the other version on here before like A LONG bit ago!! its the black/teal version. I used that one the most #but sometimes you gotta pay respects to the cringe ass nae nae furry that got you to the point ur at now #Firetail2 #fursona #sfw #my art #digital art #believe it or not. she was supposed to be a fuckin... fake fire starter for a pokemon region!!#i was batshit insane like GIRL that is a SPARKLEDOG ash ketchum is NOT catching your ass!!!!!!!

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penroseparticle · 20 days

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irreplaceable rant? to the left to the left

My irreplaceable rant is essentially:

When Beyonce wrote Irreplaceable it was like a giant stepping on an ant. Even in 06 she was shaping up to be a Juggernaut. B'Day launched at number 1 I believe? She was blowing up. Well established, producing bop after bop after banger after banger. And We bought Irreplaceable because we, fully, were on board. Beyonce COULD have another you in a minute. The mythos of Beyonce was taking shape. She was Beyonce, you were some guy. To the left.

When she wrote Lemonade it was like. Oh there are stakes now because whether you think Jay Z is great or not or a garbage dude or whatever, he's at least closer to her level than just "some guy".

Like. Of course she could have another you in a minute if you were some dude. But could she have another Jay Z in a minute? No, categorically she could not, and to say otherwise is to tell yourself fun lies because you hate cheaters or men or whatever. I am a firm believer that Beyonce is one of a kind and cannot be replicated in our lifetime as a cultural phenomenon, artist, creator, singer, you name it she is. incredible. But I'm also not going to pretend Jay Z wasn't in some ways just as singularly, powerfully monolithic with popculture just because most of this website understands rap less.

She writes the Sistine Chapel about him because like it or not, she wants to. She looks at him and sees things you could only dream of creating and I for one am just happy to be here, and could care less what you think about Beyonce's specialist boy who is the catalyst of some of the best music I've heard in the past decade, and also someone who MADE some of the best music I've heard in the past 20 years as well.

Beyonce's first solo recording was 03 Bonnie and Clyde, btw. As in, she was a feature on a Jay Z song before even releasing Dangerously in Love. Which. Also prominently has a Jay Z feature. In the lead single. That arguably launched Beyonce's career. Why would she ever write songs about the man who helped her launch her career that she has been married to for 16 years. A damn mystery.

And for the record, if she wanted to make the most beautiful art in the world about literal garbage, so the fuck what. We hate Duchamps The Fountain on this website now? Irving Penn spent years taking extremely detailed, well composed photos... of actual trash. Like Mud Glove. His photos were hanging in the Smithsonian a few years ago. Turns out beautiful art that says something, even something about trash? Still beautiful.

#lowkey the reason folks on here are like #why does beyonce sing songs about... that guy #is because you don't understand Jay Z and his place in the musical zeitgeist and I would be more embarrassed to admit that than you're bein #Like #Jay Z does not need me defending him #for starters #his wife is Beyonce. He definitely like. Won #But come on man. Read like a single article about him #It's giving this film is boring and therefore bad #it's giving I hate rap so it must not have anything to say #it's giving marvel movie levels of taste. In 2k24? Really? You're saying that with your whole chest? Ok.

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thatrandomblogsays · 5 months

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Me when The Lightning Thief Musical has a heartfelt nuanced take about the gods trying to be good parents and messing up and also granting free will and it’s better late than never to reach out

Me when Percy has a positive view to his dad after (1) positive moment

He still owes you 12 years of back pay, stay strong Percy!

#I’m on the team deadbeat dad interpretation so I was not here for this #saving your life is the bare minimum #i expect a check and an excellent divorce lawyer to be delivered to sally as well #and a detailed apology card FOR STARTERS #pjo spoilers #pjo tv show spoilers #pjo #pjo tv show #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson #posideon #mine

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shadowedresolve · 7 days

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God, Toshiro can't remember the last time he hasn't felt exhausted.

It makes sense. The pressure of the elections, the evidence he stole, the fear of discovery and the guilt of not having the strength to take action... it's all been weighing down on him so much that sometimes he feels like he's drowning. And to make matters worse, the stress has developed into giving him physical symptoms, too - headaches that sometimes border on migraines, physical exhaustion with no obvious cause... he's been sleeping like a rock at night, but that doesn't seem to help at all.

But it's strange. He spent so long unable to gather up the courage needed to expose his father. Despite knowing it was the right thing, he was scared - not just of what it would mean for him, but for everyone else, too - or maybe that was just an excuse. ...No, it was obviously an excuse. But when he'd seen the Phantom Thieves show their final calling card to the world... he thought he'd finally found the strength to do what he needed to do.

...And then that strength had been sucked out of him like it was never there at all. It's difficult to explain, and it's no excuse, but it was like his fear itself was rebelling against him, trying to stop him acting out. Sometimes, he's close to confessing everything, but he feels like he can't take that final step, all his worries rushing to the forefront at once. Other times- and more and more often, now - he's struck with a strange apathy, like he doesn't care about anything at all. What's the point? It's not like it'll make any difference, and it'll only get people hurt, so... maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe nothing does.

That's what scares him the most. He really must be losing his mind - or else he's just the world's most pathetic man out there. ...Self-deprecating thoughts won't help him, but it's far too easy to indulge... at least he has this place. Leblanc isn't somewhere he can go nearly as often as he likes, but it's nice to be able to relax and - well, to not think for a while.

...And then, all of a sudden, Toshiro's yelping out in pain as he feels a scorching heat out of nowhere, causing him to almost fall off his chair. What on earth was that? But when he looks down, seeing the coffee now splattered all over his suit, he realizes what must've happened.

"Arrrrgh.... and here I thought my day couldn't get any worse..."

@silver-strings-of-fate ( starter for ren! )

#ic #silverstringsoffate #v. mainverse // pregame.#i'm sorry this starter ended up so long!! don't feel the need to make your reply just as long kfjsdfhdjkf; i kind of got carried away here.#but that aside i am very excited for this thread.......... tysm for plotting with me and i look forward to seeing where things go!

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vendettamuses · 11 months

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Unlikely Alliance In A Lion's Den

⚔️ Closed starter for @dragetunge 's Hiccup! ⚔️

The cold, dark stone walls of the dungeon provided little in the way of comfort for any prisoner. Stale air was heavy with the scent of decomposing plant matter, mildew, and the faintest hint of salt from the sea outside. The distant waves might have been a soothing ambiance if they weren’t accompanied by the distant agonized rumbles of beasts as they rattled their chains, or the click of Deathgripper claws as they scraped against the rocky ground while on patrol.

Grimmel had spared no expense in making this dungeons a truly secure and isolating place. Wrought iron and steel bars, thick and bound together in tightly knit formations of cages matched the chains that dangled from the walls of each cell, their weight more than enough to wear down even the hardiest of prisoners. In this instance, such privilege was granted to the dragon in the cell beside Hiccup’s. She lay there, half-dazed and hopeless as she tucked her wings around herself. Her jaw was wired shut with a muzzle, her limbs and tail weighed down by chains.

Hiccup, for whatever reason, remained unchained. Grimmel felt that any attempt to escape on his part would be useless. He needed little more than but to disarm the so-called Chief of Berk before imprisoning him along the beast. Nothing more. If what he’s heard was true, any attempt by the boy to slip out would be met by a quick response from the patrolling Deathgrippers. And oh how he’d gloated about that fact.

All while sitting at a workbench across from the duo, mixing together samples of venom to create the perfect cocktail to finally end the Night Fury species. “Some chief you turned out to be.” He taunted.

#closed starter : now i escape to a world here with you #dragetunge #( cm : grimmel the grisly )#( cm : light fury )#( v : how to drain your dragon )

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insurged · 15 days

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i'm sorry i'm not here, baldur's gate has me in a chokehold right now (¯▿¯)

#but i will be here soon and write out starters #that i owe #the muse for the two white haired terrors is strong :')#silence gojo and astarion 😩#* ⟢ 𝐎𝐎𝐂 ━ ( clench your asshole super tight & scream it from your heart )

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spiderslvts · 2 months

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some new tags ?? some new tags !! + affiliate tags :]

. 🕸️ HOW OUT OF HAND IT’S GOTTEN ╱ ooc.

. 🕸️ MY FLESH IS LACED WITH SUGAR AND MAGGOTS ╱ asks.

. 🕸️ YOU SAY YOU MISS ME ( I’M RIGHT HERE ) ╱ starters.

. 🕸️ WITH PINK EYESHADOW AND A SOBBING PRAYER ╱ isms.

. 🕸️ ANYTHING COULD BE HOLY UNDER NEON LIGHTS ╱ visage.

. 🕸️ DO YOU FEEL THE EYES OVER YOUR BODY STILL? ╱ promo.

. 🕸️ TO SWEETLY MELT IN SIN ╱ rp memes.

. 🕸️ I DRINK ; I BURN ; I SHATTER MY OWN DREAMS ╱ open starter.

. 🕸️ YOUR FISH HOOK IN MY MOUTH ╱ crack.

. 🕸️ EATEN IN PIECES ; NOT MEANT TO BE KNOWN WHOLE ╱ ic.

. 🕸️ I BELIEVE YOU LIKE A BEATEN DOG ╱ dash games.

. 🕸️ I WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN FOR WANTING ╱ affiliates.

. 🕸️ KISS ME WITH MY BLOOD BETWEEN YOUR TEETH ╱ ships.

. 🕸️ TO BE LOOKED AT &. NEVER SEEN ╱ art.

. 🕸️ TOUCHED DOWN TO THE DELICATE BONES ╱ poetry.

. 🕷 | IN NEON LIGHTS ╱ canon &. main verse.

. 🕷 | THE CALL OF THE ANGELS ╱ overlord verse.

. 🕷 | FEATHER BOAS AND GLITTER ╱ 70’s verse. (ft. sirserpentine)

. 🕷 | OVERSEER OF HELL ╱ zestial’s employee verse (ft. zestials)

. 🕷 | GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVER BOY ╱ human verse.

. 🕷 | LACED WITH BELLADONNA ╱ lost twins verse (ft. spyderdust)

. ♡ DO YOU LIKE THE SHOW ? ARE YOU TIRED OF IT ? ╱ videoaux.

. ♡ THE LAST SHRED OF TRUTH IN THE LOST MYTH OF TRUE LOVE ╱ hellsbroadcaster.

. ♡ I COULD NEVER DEFINE ALL THAT YOU ARE TO ME ╱ r-adio.

. ♡ BUT I’D NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU JUST TO HEAR YOU SAY IT BACK ╱ sirserpentine.

. ♡ I’M PUT TO AWE SOMETHING SO FLAWED AND FREE ╱ dark-ambition.

. ♡ YOUR BEAUTY NEVER EVER SCARED ME ╱ gamblins.

. ♡ THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN / THE FACE IN MONOCHROME ╱ zestials.

. ♡ YOU HATE THE APPLAUSE / YOU CRAVE THE ATTENTION ╱ xluciifer.

. ♡ BUT YOU’RE HOLDING ME LIKE WATER IN YOUR HANDS ╱ oriiginis.

#. 🕸️ HOW OUT OF HAND IT’S GOTTEN ╱ ooc.#. 🕸️ MY FLESH IS LACED WITH SUGAR AND MAGGOTS ╱ asks.#. 🕸️ YOU SAY YOU MISS ME ( I’M RIGHT HERE ) ╱ starters.#. 🕸️ WITH PINK EYESHADOW AND A SOBBING PRAYER ╱ isms.#. 🕸️ ANYTHING COULD BE HOLY UNDER NEON LIGHTS ╱ visage.#. 🕸️ DO YOU FEEL THE EYES OVER YOUR BODY STILL? ╱ promo.#. 🕸️ TO SWEETLY MELT IN SIN ╱ rp memes.#. 🕸️ I DRINK ; I BURN ; I SHATTER MY OWN DREAMS ╱ open starter.#. 🕸️ YOUR FISH HOOK IN MY MOUTH ╱ crack.#. 🕸️ EATEN IN PIECES ; NOT MEANT TO BE KNOWN WHOLE ╱ ic.#. 🕸️ I BELIEVE YOU LIKE A BEATEN DOG ╱ dash games.#. 🕸️ I WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN FOR WANTING ╱ affiliates.#. 🕸️ KISS ME WITH MY BLOOD BETWEEN YOUR TEETH ╱ ships.#. 🕸️ TO BE LOOKED AT &. NEVER SEEN ╱ art.#. 🕸️ TOUCHED DOWN TO THE DELICATE BONES ╱ poetry.#. 🕷 | IN NEON LIGHTS ╱ canon &. main verse.#. 🕷 | THE CALL OF THE ANGELS ╱ overlord verse.#. 🕷 | FEATHER BOAS AND GLITTER ╱ 70’s verse. (ft. sirserpentine)#. 🕷 | OVERSEER OF HELL ╱ zestial’s employee verse (ft. zestials)#. 🕷 | GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVER BOY ╱ human verse.#. 🕷 | LACED WITH BELLADONNA ╱ lost twins verse (ft. spyderdust)#. ♡ DO YOU LIKE THE SHOW ? ARE YOU TIRED OF IT ? ╱ videoaux.#. ♡ THE LAST SHRED OF TRUTH IN THE LOST MYTH OF TRUE LOVE ╱ hellsbroadcaster.#. ♡ I COULD NEVER DEFINE ALL THAT YOU ARE TO ME ╱ r-adio.#. ♡ BUT I’D NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU JUST TO HEAR YOU SAY IT BACK ╱ sirserpentine.#. ♡ I’M PUT TO AWE SOMETHING SO FLAWED AND FREE ╱ dark-ambition.#. ♡ YOUR BEAUTY NEVER EVER SCARED ME ╱ gamblins.#. ♡ THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN / THE FACE IN MONOCHROME ╱ zestials.#. ♡ YOU HATE THE APPLAUSE / YOU CRAVE THE ATTENTION ╱ xluciifer.#. ♡ BUT YOU’RE HOLDING ME LIKE WATER IN YOUR HANDS ╱ oriiginis.

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deathsbecome · 2 months

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@ashenwinds liked for a lyric based starter

"There's no deal, partner," the words have a clear sarcastic bite to them as she glances off. Clearly, not that concerned with any consequences of the rejection. She's seen a bit too much to be easily intimidated, at the very least. "Yeah, not interested. Good try, though."

#OKAY. gonna be real i did stare at this for a while trying to decide how to go about this but!!#first i was kina thinking chi but if youre feeling otherwise that works too #second which is. probably a little obvious from the starter but i went with your general hero ish verse(s) and addy's dc. mostly because.#yeah i dont think addy is fully equipped to handle them otherwise LMAO #but if you want something different or want to just plot out a bit more obvs just shoot me a message on discord #but heres uh. paranoid kinda corpse who was supposed to be an assassin and instead went “no❤️” and is just. fucking around in shady places #idk whats going on entirely but!#ashenwinds #a bird perched on the edge of a knife (verse: dc)

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heavensecnt · 2 months

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" i tasked amaera with something small. i told her to guide ahava to befriend the lannisters. i'm unsure if she's followed through with it, but we'll see. " she's beyond relieved to be sitting across from her brother. sending letters back and forth would have been unproductive. " the events of what happened... we have to work much quicker. " she taps her finger against the table. " i'm pleased you're here, truly, but leaving uncle back home unnerves me. " @steelfyre

#⁺ 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 / convo › klahan.#so sorry for nto replying to your event starter asfhksad #here is a fresh one <3

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nctafraid · 8 months

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@writtenxbeginnings

"Before you ask, I'm okay." Two words that were actually his most common lie. But TK had gone back to work, and Carlos still wasn't cleared by the department. Of course part of that was due to him going against procedure, and the other part was due to everything that had happened at the house. He hadn't really talked to the 126 about it, but he was sure they all knew the major details. And Grace was more involved in it than any of the rest of them. It didn't surprise him at all when she was the one who showed up at their door. After making way for her to come into the room, Carlos grabbed the toys that he and TK had bought for Charlie to play with and set them on the ground.

He was moving a little slower than normal, his body still forcing him to recover from the ribs that TK had broken while doing CPR. But he did make it back to the couch, smiling over as he looked at Grace. "Would you like any tea or coffee?"

#writtenxbeginnings #trust your instincts intuition doesnt lie (carlos reyes main verse)#kidnapping tw #//listen i love their friendship and grace is his big sister #i've only gotten to the episode where carlos was kidnapped so here is a starter based on that #idk if they ever address it (literally that was the most recent episode i've watched) so here is me assuming that they didn't and fixing it

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helldustedstories · 2 months

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Tonight had been a disaster. He had been so excited when Blitz called, had asked him on a date, his first ever! Stolas had fully expected to spend the evening alone, watching his Hell-a-novelas, maybe reading one of his latest books and imagining himself and Blitz in the roles, but that had all changed with a single phone call. He'd gotten all dolled up and ready to go, made sure that he had the perfect outfit, that he looked….as good as he could, considering the canvas he was working with, and he'd portaled over to Lust, not wanting to keep Blitz waiting.

Who had taken him to Ozzie's, of all places, only one of the most exclusive spots in all of Hell, let alone just Lust! Blitz had pointed out that he was overdressed, which had flustered Stolas a little bit, but he'd known that trying to dress up such dull plumage had been something of a lost cause from the very beginning.

Still, he wasn't going to let that dampen his spirits, especially not when they headed inside and were shown to their table. While he'd heard quite a bit about Ozzie's, Stolas had never been inside, and seeing it for himself was quite exciting! It was decadent and luxurious, built to encourage the sensual, and he was here with Blitz!

But Blitz….didn't seem that interested in their date. Stolas had tried to engage him, to ask about his business, to get to know more about his life outside of their arrangement, to show him that he wanted to know him more, that it wasn't just about the sex.

And then everything happened.

One of Blitz's associates had chosen to sing a ballad to his wife, and Asmodeus himself, the Deadly Sin of Lust, along with his star performer, Fizzarolli, had made a mockery of the other imp. Blitz had stood up to defend Moxxie, and suddenly the attention was on him.

Stolas hadn't known what to do, and before he could come to a decision, he was the one in the spotlight. Asmodeus brought up the fact that, to the outside world, it looked like he had broken up a perfect marriage, a perfect family, to have an affair with Blitz. Never mind the fact that he and Stella had been arranged, that they'd never loved one another, never mind the fact that she was cruel and insulting, and he did everything he could to insulate their daughter from her.

It had been the spectre of Octavia that had really gotten to him, though. Stolas was used to being the victim, to not defending himself, and he had hidden behind his menu instead of standing up for Blitz, instead of showing him that he cared, that he meant more to him than just their monthly arrangement, that he wanted more. He had been ashamed of himself…., but he made Blitz think he was ashamed of him.

They had left then, and he had tried to fix it, to invite Blitz in to talk…, but Blitz reminded him that the only thing between them was their arrangement. And Stolas hadn't known how to tell him otherwise, hadn't wanted to push…., and he'd given Blitz his space.

He had sat on the stairs of the palace after that, emotions finally catching up with him, and he had sobbed, letting out everything he hadn't been able to show when he actually needed to. Stolas was so used to bottling everything up that it finally just broke something inside him, and the dam of tears washed over him until he felt raw, hollow.

It was at that point he'd gone for the absinthe, drinking himself into a stupor. Because if he was drunk, he wouldn't feel as much. And if he didn't feel as much, it wouldn't hurt as badly.

But that had been a mistake, too.

He'd woken up several hours later, on the floor, empty bottle next to him, surrounded by his plants, with a pounding headache. He must have gone to the greenhouse to pour out his heart, the way he usually did when he couldn't keep things inside anymore. It wasn't as though he had anyone to talk to here, after all. Octavia would probably listen to him, but this wasn't her burden to bear. She was his daughter; she didn't need to know about this. He would put on a good face for her, and shield her from how utterly miserable he was.

If he was going to manage that, he needed to get up, to take his pills; he was pretty sure he'd forgotten them a couple of times this week, what with everything that had happened.

With a groan, he forced himself up off the floor, head pounding, and made his way into the bathroom. He looked even more of a mess than usual, with his makeup all smudged, but he dutifully took his Happy Pills, absently wondering if his dosage needed an adjustment.

Stolas checked his phone, to see if anything was new, and ended up scrolling through the pictures of Blitz he had, noticing just how …. miserable he seemed in all of them. He had wanted to commemorate their time together, so that he would have something to look back on between when they met up, but….maybe he'd been fooling himself.

He'd looked at it before, but even as he was talking to himself about everything, working through things he couldn't talk about outside of in his heart of hearts, he pulled down Asmodeus' book, opening again to the page about the crystals. If there was going to be any hope for him and Blitz to be together…., then something needed to change. They couldn't keep going on like this…, and he was the one that needed to fix things, needed to give Blitz the opportunity to choose what he wanted. Stolas couldn't have more with Blitz with the book between them, his ability to ruin Blitz's life at a moment's notice if he so chose hanging above them like the Sword of Damocles.

The owl knew he had been just….going through the motions of his life until Blitz had shown back up. He had brought Stolas something he hadn't even known he'd been missing, had brought light and life and passion, had shown him that there was more to life than fulfilling his duties and continuing on for his daughter's sake.

But had he ruined all of that tonight, in one moment of inability to properly communicate, the way he always did?

"Prince all alone upon your throne, your power is so frail," he said, mocking himself, his desire to speak out against his circumstances. That hadn't helped him before, but….., things had changed. "You raise your voice, you have no choice, inside your gilded jail," he mused, gazing out into the garden from the balcony, remembering the night Blitz had changed his life, how he'd stood up to Stella for the first time after that.

And then, as though his thought had summoned her, Stolas heard the clacking of Stella's heels behind him. He didn't turn around, just kept looking down at the garden below, remembering another time he'd actually been happy in this house, twenty-five long years ago.

"The fuck are you doing?!" Stella screeched, having apparently heard him talking to himself.

"Reflecting," Stolas responded, knowing that no matter what he said, it wouldn't matter.

"Well, stop!" came the shout from behind him, and Stolas practically flinched. Her sharp words usually came with some sort of violent action, and with the tone of her voice, he didn't doubt that that would be coming too.

"It's annoying to hear you screeching your silly woes all the time!"

Stolas' back was still to Stella, but he heard her approaching. Normally, he wouldn't say anything, would just take her abuse, the way he always did, but he had finally had enough.

"Why are you still here?" he asked, turning around to face her. "You leave with Via on weekends, but then you stay around the house, despite everything."

Stella didn't even hesitate. "I like tormenting you!" she told him, closing the distance between them. "I want to keep reminding you of what you did," Stella leaned forward, putting herself in Stolas' space, forcing him to either back away or hold his ground.

And this time, he didn't back down. "I know what I did!" he exclaimed, pulling himself up to his full height, refusing to take a step back, for the first time in a very long time. "I would feel bad if I hurt you," he added, "but we both know I didn't do that." There couldn't exactly be a betrayal if there was no love between them, when she had already hated him long before Blitz had come back into his life. "You and I were arranged for one reason: to birth a precautionary heir to the Goetia family. Nothing more!" he reminded her.

Stolas took a deep breath, but he wasn't done. There was so much he hadn't said to Stella, had been biting his tongue to try to keep the peace, but he was beyond finished with that.

"I tried, so many years, to make it comfortable us, to have this family, but it was never enough!" and he had been trying on his own. If they could have come to some sort of agreement, they could have worked together, could maybe have at least been friends. "The only reason I have endured your constant insults and cruelty was for that girl" he gestured towards the house, where Octavia was presumably still sleeping, "to have a normal life!"

And after another breath, he knew what he needed to say, needed to do. "I cannot do this anymore! I want you out. Now!" he said, pointing, attempting to get her to leave.

"What do you mean out?" Stella asked, her eyes narrowed, fists clenched, everything in her posture and tone screaming 'danger.'

"I mean out!" Stolas repeated, his voice raised, stronger than he thought he could be, "Out of this palace. Out of my life. We are getting The. DIVORCE." He should have done this a long time ago, but he had never had the courage, never had any reason to stand up for himself. But a lot had changed in the course of a year, and he wasn't the same person he was even that long ago.

"How dare you!" Stella shouted, poking Stolas in the chest, forcing him to step back, trying to get the upper hand once more, the way she always had with him. "What do you think the rest of the Goetia family will think? And Andrealphus--" she lifted her hand to strike him, not for the first time.

But this time, Stolas saw it coming. This time, he caught her before the blow connected, keeping her from hurting him yet again.

"I don't care what your arrogant brother thinks!" he shouted, standing straight, refusing to back down, "And the only thing the Goetia family wanted from our marriage is already seventeen, so it's over. I'm done!" It had taken him far too long to get to this point, where he could stand up to her, but he meant every word. He couldn't do this any longer, not when he knew there was more now, not when he felt like he could actually breathe without suffocating when he wasn't with her.

For a moment, he thought she was going to try to strike him again, and he braced for the blow. But instead, she pulled away from him, eyes still narrowed.

"Fine," she spat, trying to save face. "I have no desire to stay in the place of a traitorous embarrassment. You have fallen from what little grace you had. And I know you'll pay for it," she declared, but quite frankly, Stolas didn't care what she thought, what she threatened, as long as she left.

And after another moment, she turned on her heel, making her way back through the house.

The second she was out of sight, that he was certain he was alone once more, any bravado he had left him, and he slumped down on the railing of the balcony, exhausted, alone…..the way he always would be.

@madefate // plotted starter drabble thing

#madefate #ᯓ★ stolas / blitz (madefate) : if you trust me with your heart i'd keep it safe like it was mine #ᯓ★ stolas : verse // i will try to make amends #ᯓ★ stolas : ic #long post cw #[WELP this came out more like a drabble than a starter but uh]#[here you go!]

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