#he also compares them to clash of the titans

[bluespiritshonour]

Oh my God!

I just caught up with World's Finest: Teen Titans and I absolutely have to write this out:

First of all, I love this cover:

The thing that caught my eye: “you're grounded.”

Not the dramatic “you're fired” as if the motherfucker didn't raise that damn kid in his own damn house for YEARS.

(I know. I know. Bar on the ground, but what would you?)

Also, the anger palpable on Bruce's face and Dick's absolute disregard for it. I'm laughing here y'all. This is what teenagers act like. This is what fights between parents and children look like.

Also. Dick Grayson, I've been missing. You're back from war!

I love how curt he is. The “Get lost” hits in all the right places. We love a strongly-principled character that stands for what he believes in. With all the lukewarm Dick Grayson writing floating around I felt like walking into a coffee shop while it's snowing outside.

More of this writing, please.

I'd been waiting for this moment all through this series.

This conversation.

I compare things all the time. It might not be the right thing in every field but I think it serves well when it comes to comic books. We all have personal “canon criteria”—for example, mine are “Darwyn Cooke wrote this Bruce so I'm taking it as valid characterisation ” or “Every version of Bruce played by Kevin Conroy is valid”. (Minus Bruce Timm bullshit!)

Which was what cinched my hatred for Bruce after reading a Robin short story that Cooke wrote and alluded to Robin: Year One in it. I mean, I might not fuck with Dixon, but am I going to call even Cooke's Bruce OOC? No. It means Bruce is a jerk. Full stop.

Waid is one of the writers I respect (excluding Kingdom Come. I hate it and I can't put my finger on the why. But I just do: I hate it. I hate it for Clark. I hate it for Diana. And I'm a professional Bruce-hater so let's not even go there. I hate it for Dick too.)

And Dick and Bruce's relationship has a lot of baggage from the fact that a) Bruce is himself traumatised and fails to meet Dick's emotional needs b) he wasn't ready to be a father when he adopted Dick c) Dick simply suffers from being the eldest—the test child.

And very rarely have I seen writers manage to walk on the thin line of complicated-but-dedicated-and-strong.

Young Justice cartoon did it. Dick and Bruce's relationship is going strong. But they fight and have different values. And Dick can see all that is wrong with Bruce's approach to vigilantism in particular and life in general.

Grimm (Legends of the Dark Knight #149-154) did it right. Where Bruce hurt Dick deeply and made him feel unwanted all the while overthinking about Dick's well-being. Way to go, buddy! You can see the repercussions it has for Dick while simultaneously stare at this man who's tying himself into knots trying to think how best to parent.

I think that's what most Bruce and Dick comics miss: the excessive worrying. They don't show the worry, make them fight for drama, never address it apart from throwing out a “it's because Bruce's worried” (bitch, where?) and have Dick running back to Gotham at the first chance. It sounds an awful lot like “your parents hurt you 'cause they love you” bullshit.

I think World's Finest manages it well because foremost, Bruce says, in words, that he's worried about Dick's well-being. He's taciturn, he's putting constant pressure on Dick all in the hopes of making him quit Titans. All this makes him a jerk. But I don't hate him for it.

It's between Dick's “you don't trust me” and Bruce's “no, I don't trust them.”

Most teenagers clash with their parents. It's normal. That's what Waid has shown here and I love it. It feels very—normal?

Especially when the Bats aren't normal! Bruce sure as fuck ain't a normal parent. But there was something very bitter-sweet coming-of-age in this conversation.

Bruce does all those things that are bad for Dick and his growing independence. You're not supposed to handle teenagers like that.

He's worried and taking desperate measures. “If I punish him, then maybe he'll obey me and quit Titans and then he'll he safe”—lots of parents who don't know how to deal with teenagers do it.

But the sequence of it: Bruce is worried → Bruce wants Dick to quit Titans → for Dick it means proving himself to be better, to not get hurt (as if he can control that beyond a certain point) → Bruce being alarmed at Dick's insistence to stay with the Titans and taking desperate measures like benching him.

At least it makes sense.

Compare it to Dixon's Nightwing origin story, which honestly, personally I think was lazy writing. Drama for drama's sake. “You’re fired because you're spending too much time with the Titans.” The same writer also had Bruce say that he did it because he wanted Dick to strike out on his own. Blah, blah, blah.

And no matter whatever happens he'd never ever say it to Dick's face that he's worried about him because—well, reasons.

Robin: Year One logic:

I'm worried about Dick's health so I fire him. He runs off and can get hurt? He joins a school for assasins? None of my business. He can get hurt on his own, I don't care as long as it is not on my conscience. Peace.

—Bruce “professional narcissist” Wayne.

So, yes. When faced with this book(WF: TT), I'd call Dixon's writing lazy.

I'm also comparing this to several other instances when Bruce verbally says (never to Dick, mind you) that he loves that Dick's a better person and better vigilante than him. But in the same book he'd yell at Dick for exactly the same thing. (I consider that lazy writing, since BTAS made sure to show a shot of Bruce smiling whenever Dick was happy/not like him).

I like this thing here where he says it to Dick's face. He's still grounding him for “discipline's sake” or whatever—very, very IC for Bruce.

But he also lets Dick know that he appreciates his values, that are different—better—than Bruce's own.

I can stomach that.

Honestly Bruce's writing in this book felt like BtAS writing (pre-Bruce Timm fuckery). That's a compliment.

P.S. Waid's a good story-teller overall. His Superman: Birthright was one of the first Superman comics I read and I fell in love with Clark right away.

Peace ✌️😂

#dick grayson #bruce wayne #batman #world's finest #teen titans #robin #titans #wf: tt #world's finest: teen titans #dc #comics

[lillified]

do the characters, both autobots and decepticons, know primus is essentially their planet or do they view it as a myth? do they see primus as a god or worship him?

hey! that’s a very good question, which leads into the topic of:

Religion

There are several different accounts of the exact details of Cybertronian history, and that is down to several factors: decades of major conflict, information control, the hostile reign of the Quintessons, attempted eradication of language, and many other individual issues to boot. One idea especially in contention is creation.

The account which has dominated discussion for the majority of modern history is one of a divine creator, Primus. The thirteen original Primes, considered to be the first Cybertronians, recall an immense being, Primus, being the source of all life. Many accounts (including Alpha Trion himself) take this literally, depicting Primus as a sort of deity. In this version of events, all elements of Cybertronian history, including the Primes themselves, take on a very mystical quality.

Though the religious angle is the popular one, a different version of the narrative gained interest into the later stages of the Zeta era, especially in scientific circles. Cybertron is not actually a “planet” in the scientific sense of the term—in reality, it is a mass of rock, metal, and space debris encasing a massive “superorganism,” a planet-sized living thing on which the Cybertronians are comparatively microscopic. It is from this organism that all Energon is extracted, and, as far as science is aware, this organism is the only naturally occurring source of it that exists. Its death would inevitably mean the death of all Cybertronian life, in time.

Nobody is in debate about the existence of this organism: what makes it controversial is the speculation surrounding it. Recently, a wave of scientific questioning has posited an evolutionary link between this organism and all life on Cybertron, suggesting that, in one way or another, the superorganism is the last recorded ancestor. The theory suggests that Titans, a class of life on Cybertron, are the closest relatives of the Cybertronians, establishing a direct link to the planet’s modern inhabitants.

Albeit plausible, this theory is extremely controversial in religious circles. Many modern fields of science have named the planetary being the “Primus superorganism,” which, in the minds of many, is sacrilegious. Titans being related to modern Cybertronians would undermine many of the proposed ideas of divine destiny and significance spread throughout history. The Titans themselves are “monstrous” in appearance and behavior, and the idea of Cybertron’s forefather being something so unrecognizable is an existential prospect. In the modern day, these opposing clades of belief, called “divine truthers” and “Titan originalists” clash mercilessly.

While a breadth of modern knowledge supports the latter conclusion, it does beg the question: if this is true, why do so many, including original Primes themselves, dispute the idea? The answer may also lie in history. Alpha Trion fought on the side of Prima in the First War, a devastating conflict which split the original Primes and their people down the middle. Following the defeat of Megatronus and their allies, it was in Prima’s favor to control all accounts of history, writing them to be in his favor as the destined winner of this conflict. Even following his death, and, eventually, the reign of the Quintessons, this reasoning stuck around, finding new life as a way to hold up pre-Quintesson era Cybertron as a wonderful, utopian society. Alpha Trion was not a stranger to omitting and adjusting his accounts of history to make his place in it less controversial. Still, though, there is a very real chance we will never know whether he believes what he says.

#transformers #ask #text post #text #lore #maccadam #sci-fi

[plutoslvr]

also because in canon, tim never LIKED jason. he was touchy about jason's legacy and his importance to bruce, but he didn't like jason as a person or as a robin. he had respect for jason the martyr. then lost any respect he was capable of having for revived jason when he showed up and was nothing but a loser asshole. the fanon relationship built off of that takes away from both of them. while tim and damian was just...mutual dislike and jealousy born out of circumstances. it's petty, but tim never hated damian for long. disliked, yeah, but that’s because damian was antagonistic. and damian didn’t hate tim for long, he was just insecure and protecting himself and tim was always a convenient target. their later dislike for each other didn’t change the fact that they were allies, brothers, it was purely a personal thing, y’know? also, damian’s a kid, and tim didn’t like him, but didn’t fault him for being a kid. wouldn’t leave him for dead. damian and tim properly brawled once and it solved like...half of their issues. they calmed down a lot after that. then in gates of gotham, they were...okay. anyway the point I was trying to make here is comparing tim & jason to tim & damian is an ignorant, unfair comparison to damian especially but also tim.

if i could force people to read something it'd be this because alot of people seem to think that tim and damian are perpetually stuck in red robin 2009 when they really aren't? their dislike of each other was because at that time their situations were incredibly strained, tim with the whole red robin and bruces death and his friends all dying thing and damian being in a new environment which he didnt know how to navigate or know the rules to. and yeah alot of times when they clashed was out of jealousy or pettiness, damian in red robin even says something along the lines of "you didn't accept me" because yeah at the time neither of them were in the space to try and fix their relationship. but then acting like their relationship hasn't improved since then is a silly idea because they have. whereas jason and tim dont have that mutual understanding or base for them to even begin to consider getting along. and a lot of times people like to bring up titans tower incident which is really funny to me since it's the complete opposite of how fanon portrays it BUT ANYWAY damian and tim and jason and tim are two very different relationships and you cant say that it "doesnt make sense" for someone to think damian and tim get along and jason and tim dont.

#long post sorry #tim drake #damian wayne #jason todd #zaf asks

[journalsouppe]

Mwah Mwah Mwah I love you the Adventure of Link <3 You're a tough game but you don't deserve all the hate you get. OUGH yall i love this game so much the soundtrack slaps incredibly hard

Genuinely one of my favorite Zelda games esp in terms of lore and musici, if I grew up in the 80s and played this this game would've been my special interest for sure

The stickers are from the ALTTP sticker pack by Comstock Cafe and I just took the stickers that were the most generic to use for this game and the original Legend of Zelda ^_^;

Writing typed below!

Rating: 8.0 Played: Sp 2023 Port: NES Switch Special Edition (YES I PLAYED THE EASY VERSION I WAS TRYING TO BEAT THIS BEFORE TOTK)

Comments

Initial thoughts: reminds me of the claymation mythology movies (aka Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans)

This reminds me a lot of Joust

little link statue <3

this feels nothing like a zelda game

(in reference to above comment) the mechanics are a little off putting but this is actually a very zelda game, it takes getting used to but i'm enjoying it

I'm actually really obsessed with the zelda II lore and story, love the magic system

omg the iron knuckle

interesting bosses! it would be fun to see them return

damn gooma was so hard

wolfheads can burn in hell

I like how much the future zelda games are insp by this game!!!

how would you ever know how to find new kasuto without a guide T^T

FUCK WIZZROBES

-> they were't too bad in this game bc you can actually block them (I hate top down wizzrobes and hate a visceral reaction lol)

i absolutely love that you can turn into a fairy, this should've been a reused mechanic

"this is the first game where Link shape shifts as well as the first game where the process is voluntary and beneficial" oh my god T^T

I love how Barba/Volvagian returned in Ocarina!!!! LOVE!!

I FORGOT THE CROSS

It's funny how Link can't swim in these games so he walks on water instead

items collected are used in the overworld

I love this game a lot actually

the mega demon looking bubble?? T-T

the regional differences are really interesting

the design of the thunderbird is crazy cool

love the shadow link fight also insane you don't get to heal and replenish magic

zelda and link having 2 different styles is so funny, link looks so goofy

This game had a massive difficulty spike compared to the original The Legend of Zelda game. However, I loved this game so much and you can see how much influence games like OOT and TWW took from it. The music is incredible and iconic, I love the enemy designs and their grittiness, and I love how despite never playing this game before, I had a lot of nostalgia for it bc I played Joust as a kid. This was a great sequel for its time and continued the story well -- Link has gotten 2/3 of the triforce pieces and rescued zelda and defeated Ganon in the first game. Now he has to complete multiple trials in order to get the triforce of courage and save zelda from the past. The end fight being a 2 boss rush AND the true boss being the shadow of youself -- AKA the hardest boss in the series if you don't cheese the battle, it's great what an incredible idea. And OOT used it again with another incredible idea -- reflection, conquer yourself. Are you a true hero if you can't even outmatch, out wit, out last your own self, your own shadow? UGH as a huge OOT fan I just loved this game and seeing all the influence it had. I'd def play it again in the future.

#mwah mwah mwah mwa mwahmwah #love you so muchhhhhh TAOL #journalsouppe #bullet journal #journal #legend of zelda #tloz #loz #the legend of zelda #zelda journal #taol #the adventure of link #zelda 2 #zelda ii

[mlobsters]

supernatural s12e2 mamma mia (w. brad buckner, eugenie ross-leming)

whatever the fuck is happening here, no fucking thank you. evil mol lady in sam's head fucking information out of him? need to tally all the times someone's messed with his head, jesus. being resurrected soulless, having said soul shoved back in by dean via death with a wall, said wall being destroyed by cas to keep the boys occupied, trauma from said breaking causing lucifer hallucinations, becky's love potion, dean tricking him into saying yes to gadreel, am i forgetting anything? (too much plot to keep track of)

CASTIEL Don't make things needlessly complicated, as you humans tend to do. I'll call you.

oh damn, i need to get on that too. keep it simple, stupid

i really like the hair and makeup on mary this time. reminiscent of her s1 makeup

s4e21 sam hallucinating mom (nigh on unrecognizable, i thought she'd been recast!) / s1

MARY That yellow-eyed thing would never have come for him that night if I... I started all of this.

respectfully, what with the being michael and lucifer's One True Vessels, i don't think it matters what you did. which tripped some signal in my brain for a techno?? song with a line 'this has all happened before and it will all happen again'. i keep thinking the messiah album from 94 but hmm. argh. i need to drop this and figure it out later

thought we were done with the physical torture. silly me.

why are we with rowena now. and this dude who's been in a million things but who knows what i recognize him from. could be commercials, for all i know. and rick springfield, right. we're just going on with our weird little goofy plotlines and just cutting to awful torture periodically. sure.

MARY Sam had a chance to get out? And he came back? DEAN When Dad disappeared, Sam and I looked around, and something became very clear. That the only thing we had in this world – the only thing, aside from this car – was each other.

i will take that and tuck it in my pocket. mary looking (understandably) concerned

ROWENA I can't believe I'm once again down some dank hole seeking the devil! When does it end? It's exactly why I'm retiring to Boca Raton. With Ben.

stopped clenching my jaw over sam long enough to laugh, that was a good one

great, now dean's getting a beating too. just go wander about this place that's heavily warded, alone. not making good choices, dean (so we can get mary to come save the day again?)

the wing shadows are always fun and a lot easier to execute well compared to actual (practical or cg) wings but do miss a real wing unfurling from time to time. you know what had great wings?

clash of the titans (2010) that and shiny armor on the gods is all i remember honestly

internet died unexpectedly mid-episode so here i am day 2, again.

i will say. also. i really appreciate spn does cast people that are older for things that could be cool and badass or sexy or whatever. but i dunno if rick springfield was the best choice exactly for lucifer. since we're like, in theory trying to still do mark pellegrino's lucifer, maybe getting an actor-actor would have been a better fit

the way dean replied "hey" so soft and with a hint of a smile, my heart

(back to muting with evil lady)

and yes, to mary saving the day. man, she looks great. shoutout again to the makeup artists and stylists (and good lighting!)

they are really going above and beyond making this mol woman irredeemably awful. not one to encourage them just killing people straight out of the gate but i was hoping mary (or dean) would just shoot her. i dunno if the goal was try to get information or something but she has proven to be exceptionally dangerous time and time again. sam shoulda just shouted out for them to shoot. but less angsty drama so

seen this in meme format and knew it must be from this plotline, didn't realize they'd cropped mary out

gather there must have been some offscreen cas-healing. convenient

MARY But do you still like pie?

reminds me of a gifset i saw recently with jensen talking about his been conditioned to be excited about pie via dean lol

i have a variety of gags i don't love on this show, but dean eating as piggishly as possible is up there near the top.

i can't get over how beautiful she looks. bewitched me

MARY Well, we should call the Internet and find out as much as we can about these people. Did I say that right? DEAN So close. SAM Yeah, it was close.

that was very cute

the crazy awkward i can't begin to fathom for sam, not knowing mary at all (though dean barely did too, especially considering most kids don't retain those very early childhood memories)

SAM Dad's journal. His writing, his words. Helped me fill in some blanks, answer some questions I didn't know I had. And, you know, it – it – it keeps him with us, sort of. MARY Thank you. SAM Good night. MARY Dean said you got out of hunting. SAM Yeah. MARY And yet here you are. SAM Well, this is my family. My family hunts, you know? It's what we do. Mom. For me... just, um... having you here... fills in the biggest blank.

❤️ got me to tear up too - despite the slightly odd music cue for the hug - lyrics yes but not quite the right mood musically to me? (heart's lost angel). i think it works for the montage but the tone feels not quite right for the hug

i hope they're taking more pictures these days. damn bobby for burning the family picture with jo and ellen in 5x10. sam and dean both look at them regularly, should add some new ones

the apocalypse au picture?? had it paused trying to find jdm and then like whaa that's cas being human-apocalypse-casual. 5x04 (which includes some really wonky romantic music when sam and dean reunite, clip included)

and now we're back to cheesy action spy thriller with the whatever, expert assassin torturer whatever the fuck. giving whiplash

--

brief-ish rant. i've complained, often, annoyingly, about the torture in this show. pushing aside the fact that torturing for information doesn't work, i think it's the sheer volume in this show in particular that has me so kneejerk upset about it. most shows or movies i watch (because i'm not going to pick to watch things that advertised to have a lot of torture in them), i can look away through maybe a few scenes and okay moving on. but torture itself became an Important Character / Plot note thing for dean, and with the torture subjects often being not-human there's (presumably) less moral qualms about torturing them, along with just a general standard action trope of using it for information. it's just so common and so accepted as standard operating procedure. and i don't like it. i don't like depictions of it ever, but especially not with this show's frequency, and especially-especially not with my special guys doing the torturing or being subjected to it.

#supernatural #spnwatch #spn 12x02 #sam and dean mush #is best i could come up with a tag for when they say mushy stuff #now to slowly go find my other posts and tag them appropriately #brad buckner #eugenie ross leming #christopher lennertz

[wesavegotham]

Also, I totally get why someone might read my posts, especially the ones about Bruce and Damian, and start thinking I have an issue with characters doing something wrong or drama in general I guess.

But that's not really my issue. In fact I think problems and characters having clashing morals and ideals is kind of necessary to make a story interesting. Even if both characters are fighting on the side of good. The lack of this is why I think some of DC's modern comics are kind of bland.

My problem with how DC deals with some of the problems and conflicts they set up is that they seem to lack the gut to truly deal with them.

Like instead of giving both sides understandable motives one often just acts very weirdly of out character to cause a conflict and when the ensuing fight makes the more popular one look very bad in the eyes of the fandom DC simply decides to act like it was okay, makes weird retcons or simply acts like it never happened.

It's kind of hard to get invested in the drama.

For example, the estrangement storyline between Bruce and Damian changes things like Damian's motives or Bruce's awareness of Damian's problems with him several times. The "solution" to their problems becomes kind of tricky because it has become unclear what their conflict was actually about, but since DC doesn't want Bruce to look too bad, but they were also getting a lot of online backlash for acting like Bruce's wasn't responsible for what Damian was doing, we ended up in a situation where Bruce apologized for creating a situation where "Damian felt like he needed to save Alfred, causing his death" and Damian only doing the terrible things he did during the Glass/Thompson Teen Titans run because he was traumatized from having to watch Alfred die.

Both are retcons. Damian was at no fault at all for Alfred dying, Alfred had lied and Bruce gave him orders, but Alfred's death was also not originally to blame for Damian's actions in Teen Titans. In fact Alfred shows up in one issue of Teen Titans and compares Damian to Ra's al Ghul.

It's a mess.

So when I'm complaining about some DC drama it's not because I hate DC for making two characters clash, it's about how I often feel like a conflict could have been done better.

[hrodvitnon]

Abraxasverse Gigan - My Ideas and Headcanons

So, with 'Abraxas: The Clash of Silver' completed, I'd like to, if I may, share some headcanons and ideas of my own on what I think Gigan could be like in the Abraxasverse. I might use these ideas in a future Recursive Fanfiction in the far future, I might not, just food for thought from me. ;)

-

(1) In addition to how you previously compared him to Albedo, I can also imagine him having a real Pennywise mannerism to him (trigger warning for anyone who's sensitive to kids getting tormented and maimed by a hyper-malicious Monster Clown): YT vid id H2 W7 QW 5p BZ w . Which brings me to...

(2) Gigan has intense psychic powers, and when he's not physically fighting and tearing apart Titans up-close-and-personal, he relishes in using his psychic powers to make little ones go 'Event Horizon' on themselves.

(3) I imagine Gigan has one major set of assets that Ghidorah never accumulated long-term. Whereas Ghidorah Kills Them All sooner or later, Gigan... Sometimes he'll keep a technologically-advanced civilisation around after he's extensively "had his fun" psychically torturing them, and once their minds are permanently reshaped to Gigan's image by what he put them through, then he has them follow him to the stars. The result? Gigan has a fleet of multiple spacefaring little ones accompanying him, varying from vaguely humanoid aliens to Starfish Aliens, all of them having been long ago twisted both mentally and physically out of their species' original shapes into Gigan's Hell Legion. They probably normally stay back while their master has his fun, but once circumstances turn against Gigan and his cowardice kicks in... Gigan can retract and have his Army sweep in to wreak destruction on the ones who've dared to stand up to him. So what Gigan lacks in bravery when the tide turns against him, he makes up for with a monstrous emergency cavalry.

(3.5) I remember there was one headcanon a while ago that Spacegodzilla might have been deliberately implanted with Space Crystal Cordyceps by alien little ones somehow. Who knows, maybe a scouting party of Gigan's Hell Legion brushed by Earth back in the day? Maybe the Titanus Gojira who would become Spacegodzilla got himself infected annihilating the scouting party which delayed Gigan finding Earth?

---

Fascinating ideas... I like the idea of Gigan having his own alien cavalry at his beck and call, and it could have allowed for some tension between him and Ghidorah -- Ghids would've wanted to wipe out the little ones of Gigan's army, but Gigan would always fight back with all his weaponry because these are HIS TOYS, and if Ghidorah wants little ones to fuck around with they can get their own! (oh hi, Zmeyevich!)

I also like Gigan having his own kind of telepathy, maybe more tied to his cybernetics, and the Event Horizon-level treatment it could cause is all kinds of nightmarish; humanity expects aliens to be all sleek and efficient and clean, but these aliens decorate their ships with blood and viscera because that's all they're capable of processing after what Gigan's done to them, they think and they imagine insects clicking around the insides of their skulls, pulling wires just for fun.

And perhaps Ozymandias/Xenilla/Spacegodzilla's infection by the Space Crystal Cordyceps can be traced back to Gigan's Hell Legion... it would certainly give Goji and Dagon all the motivation they need to "avenge" their brother/son (assuming Ozzy's still from the same clutch as Goji that Dagon sired in the AbraxasVerse; it could be seen as a contrived coincidence if all three are related, but if done well it can actually show this is the most badass Titanus Gojira family on Earth, kind of like the Son family of Dragon Ball).

#submission #zerm1v0hg #abraxasverse

[themovieblogonline]

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Review: A Monstrous Mess

Last year, the world was taken by storm by the release of Godzilla Minus One, and for good reason. Up to that point, audiences had been graced with thirty-six movies in the Godzilla franchise and while they're all somewhat entertaining, Minus One set a new standard for how these movies should be made, and to make things even more impressive, it was made on a budget of just $10-12 million. While that's still obviously a lot of money, it's absolutely nothing compared to what budgets are being tossed into Hollywood productions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqrpMRDuPfc For example, the last film in the MonsterVerse franchise, Godzilla vs. Kong, had a budget of $155-200 million. It's not an awful movie by any means, but it's also nothing special whatsoever. It's a big popcorn action spectacle but it offers nothing in terms of real substance like Minus One does. Perhaps that film just set the standards too high, or maybe it's just that Adam Wingard's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire isn't all that good. If you're literally looking for nothing else other than to see these two colossal beasts battle big monsters for two hours, then you'll probably have some fun with this one. But personally, I found myself being quite bored relatively often and couldn't help but wish I was watching Minus One instead. Heck, even Kong: Skull Island is better than this movie. The plot weaves together elements from previous MonsterVerse movies. We follow Kong as he discovers a tribe of his kind in the hidden depths of the Hollow Earth and encounter Godzilla as he polices the balance between humans and titans on the surface. The introduction of a tyrannical ape leader, Skar King, and the climatic-manipulating titan, Shimo, serves as the catalyst for an unprecedented alliance between Godzilla and Kong. This should set the stage for a monumental clash; however, the film becomes bogged down in its own complexities. One of the major issues with The New Empire is its pacing. The first act delves into the intricacies of Hollow Earth with a meticulousness that, while visually impressive, does little to advance the plot. When the story does pick up speed, it often feels rushed, leaving little room for character development or emotional investment. This is particularly disappointing given the strong performances from the returning cast. Rebecca Hall's portrayal of Dr. Ilene Andrews, Kaylee Hottle's nuanced performance as Jia, and Brian Tyree Henry's comic relief as Bernie Hayes stand out, but the script does not provide them with enough material to truly shine. The new characters, too, are underdeveloped. Dan Stevens' character, Trapper, and Alex Ferns' Mikael, are given significant screen time. However, their backstories and motivations remain frustratingly opaque. This lack of depth extends to the titular titans. Kong's connection with Jia, a highlight of the previous film, is underutilized, and Godzilla's character arc feels repetitive. Their eventual alliance, while epic in scale, lacks the emotional punch that fans of the franchise have come to expect. Visually, the film is a triumph. Wingard's direction shines in the battle sequences, particularly the climatic showdown in Rio de Janeiro. The CGI rendering of Godzilla, Kong, and the new titans are meticulously detailed. The film brings these iconic characters to life with stunning realism. The set pieces in both the Hollow Earth and the surface world are equally impressive. Overall: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a film of contrasts. It boasts spectacular visual effects but is let down by a convoluted plot. Fans of the MonsterVerse will find elements to enjoy, and the battles between titans are undeniably thrilling. However, as a standalone film, it struggles to find coherence in its grand narrative vision. It's a disappointing addition to the storied franchises it represents.

[obryy]

Epic Showdown: Greek Gods vs. Avengers - Clash of the Mythical Titans and Marvel Heroes

In the vast realms of mythology and modern superhero lore, two pantheons stand tall—the ancient Greek gods and the mighty Avengers. Let's embark on a journey of divine proportions as we compare and contrast these iconic figures, exploring the parallels and divergences that make them timeless in our hearts.

Greek Gods: The Deities of Olympus

The Olympian Pantheon

Residing atop Mount Olympus, the Greek gods rule with an iron fist and a celestial touch. Zeus, the king of gods, reigns supreme, while each deity commands domains ranging from love (Aphrodite) to war (Ares).

Epic Tales

Dive into the captivating stories of gods like Hermes, the swift messenger, and Hades, the brooding lord of the underworld. These myths, filled with love, betrayal, and epic battles, have inspired generations.

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

The Superhero Squad

Earth's mightiest heroes unite under the Avengers banner, featuring iconic figures like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Their diverse powers and personalities create a formidable team dynamic.

Modern Legends

Unlike the distant and often capricious Greek gods, the Avengers are relatable, flawed heroes. From Tony Stark's genius wit to Captain America's unwavering sense of duty, these characters resonate with our contemporary sensibilities.

Comparison

Greek gods wield supernatural powers rooted in ancient mythology, while the Avengers harness superhuman abilities from science, technology, or extraordinary circumstances.

Thor, the God of Thunder can be compared to Zeus the God of the sky and thunder. He is the only character that is a god (from Norse folklore). Since he is a god and has characteristics more prominent than that of his friends, he has the capability to be the "king" of The Avengers, particularly with the given circumstance in the film. Furthermore, Thor also has power over the sky like Zeus.

Contrast

The gods are distant and enigmatic, requiring prayers and sacrifices for interaction. In contrast, the Avengers are accessible, engaging directly with humanity to protect and serve.

Greek myths have endured for millennia, while the Avengers represent modern mythos. The clash between ancient and contemporary storytelling styles enriches our cultural tapestry.

The Greek Gods are myths from the ancient Greeks, while the Avengers are fictional team of superheroes.

References

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https://greekgodsvsavengersbycamaya.blogspot.com/2021/02/greek-gods-vs-avengers.html?m=1

https://airadeveragallon.blogspot.com/2023/06/blog-greek-gods-vs-avengers.html?m=1

[johnvenus]

How YJ & JL Dark Dropped The Ball With Zatanna (Part 3/5)

Welcome to Part 3 of the post wherein I recap Zatanna’s character in DC comics to compare it with her depiction in JLD and YJ.  

Part One: Zatanna’s Search and early JL appearances    

https://johnvenus.tumblr.com/post/679908146955862016/how-yj-jldark-dropped-the-ball-with-zatanna

Part Two: Sindella’s Story  https://johnvenus.tumblr.com/post/679908715915313152/how-yj-jldark-dropped-the-ball-with-zatanna

Part Three: Zatanna’s new look, becoming chairwoman, meeting Raven and losing her powers:  

By George Perez

The New Look

The next major development for Zatanna happened in JLA #185 written by Gerry Conway with art by the incomparable George Perez.  

The story begins with Barry Allen pondering his life, he’s been through hell in his own title where Iris is dead, so much has changed in his life and he is starting to hit an early mid life crisis. 

He is talking to Zatanna about it on the Watchtower when the latter has an epiphany:  

Its interesting that Barry is the one who inspires Zatanna to create her own costume especially since legacy is so intrinsic to the Flash Family as well as the Zatara’s. I know people make fun of the ‘snake head’ costume that Perez designed but I like it, primarily for the reason why she wore it; she wanted her own identity and not something that defines her by her parents. 

I think the costume, like Perez’s other costumes such as Nightwing and Troia’s, suffers from having too many details and elements. I like the kimono sleeves, the headdress could be a reference to Sindella and the white cape, I could do without the thigh highs or head dress thing extending all the way to the back of her ears. Ivan Reis took a stab at re designing it but I don’t think it hit the mark. I would like to see another artist take a pass at it.         

Also, yes, this would be the real beginning of a romantic subplot between her and Barry Allen. Iris was presumed dead in Barry’s own title during this period and Barry himself is going through a rough patch.  Her taking his cowl and the next panel cutting to the kitchen ware is deliberately meant to be suggestive.   However, in the very same issue we are told that they just ‘talked’ all night.  This was the early 80′s when comics were still experimenting with mature topics. Even in the mid 80′s Dick and Starfire being in shown in  bed together before marriage was considered controversial. 

Still, for two people who just ‘talked’ all night, they sure are awkward about it to the point where even the other Leaguer’s notice:   

   Source: JLA #190  

Side note: I miss when Barry was defined as a thoughtful scientist and not a crybaby who breaks the timeline every time he misses his mommy.  

We still see her stage outfit when she gets a feature in Worlds Finest #274 written by Gerry Conway with art by Don Newton:   

Her stage outfit is for performing by paying tribute to her father and her Perez costume represents her own self.   This is honestly, how I prefer it to be done.   

Raven

1980 also saw the introduction of Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans. A fantastic relaunch of the title that would come to define the team for the next several years. The introduction arc involves Raven seeking out help to stop her father Trigon. She goes to the League first and unlike what the interwebs would have you believe, Zee wasn't hostile to Raven nor does she have any prejudice against demons, she simply warned them because she could sense Trigon’s evil within Raven. This was their fist meeting and they don’t know anything about Raven at that point:

Source: New Teen Titans #5

Later, Raven gathers members of the New Teen Titan to help fight Trigon. We get a brief clash between the JL and the Titans though since this is a Titans, it's them who gets to tell off the League:

You can see Zee is on the adult side.

She is also the one who reveals that Raven had put a spell on Wally West making her fall in love with Raven so he would agree to come along to help:

Source: New Teen Titans #4

This reveal would have repercussions for years and Wally's connection to Raven would be a defining point during his time with the NTT (vol1)  even carrying over to NTT Vol 2.  

Raven and Zatanna didn't have much interaction after that but they were seen chatting during one of the rare get-togethers between the League and the Titans:

Source: Action Comics #546.

Also with Zatanna on the League, Raven on Titans, Dr Fate on the JSA and Dr Mist on the Global Guardians, everything feels so well balanced especially compared to today. I think magic characters work best on teams where they are the only magic users there.   

Losing Her Powers

-JLA #190 (1981) features the return of Starro, Zee's powers start to go on the fritz once the League figures out Starro’s weakness is getting frozen, Zatanna whips up the spells that takes him out:  

In the following issue  (JLA #191)  Zee realizes her powers have begun to fade away and interestingly enough, the first person she confides in with is Ray. Note that her father is still alive and out of everybody she’s interacted with thus far (Barry, Hal, Ralph, Katar, Shayera,  DInah, Ollie, J’onn) she chose Ray. 

Though she is not the only person whose powers are fading, the other Leaguer's are facing the same problem.

Barry asks Zatanna why she didn’t come to him since he is a ‘practical scientist’ while Ray is theoretical to which Zee cites that they have a confused relationship right now and she didn’t think it was a good idea.  (Also, uhh, Barry, you may be smarter than the average police scientist but Ray is a Professor, unless it has to do with the Speed Force or a crime scene, Ray is the best option out of the two of you.)  

The villain of the piece are the Key and Amazo. The latter is able to draw upon the ‘life energy’ of the League to replicate his powers. Key is trapped in a degenrative dwarf state and he is using the energy that Amazo steals to restore his body to it’s normal state   

The League manages to find the HQ of Key and Amazo. This leads to a fight with Amazo and the League who all have half of their actual abilities.

We get a couple of cool moments of Zee relying on something besides magic to help herself:   

The rest of JL (with their fading powers) take on Amazo and starts to get the upper hand, not realizing they were putting Key's life in danger. Zee is the first one to realize this, so she gives him a small portion of her life span so the Key won't die and so he won't threaten the JL anymore.

Sadly, this plot point won't ever be referenced again. And yeah, this is a very selfless act on her part.    Also lol at the Key turning into a Zatanna simp at the end.   

I miss the Zee/Ray Palmer friendship. I think the only time it's been referenced in modern comics was in Joe Kelly's JLA run during the 'Obsidian Age' story arc.

Also, I know most people associate Ray with Brandon Routh but I’ve always heard John C McGinnely who voiced him on JLU and is best known for playing Dr Cox on Scrubs.   

If you're still scrolling through this post and wondering 'wow, there is a lot of and Constantine hasn't even shown up!' that's kind of my point, Zatanna has along extensive history beyond Constantine and it's sad that we get to see so little of it nowadays.

Teaming Up With Wonder Woman 

Of course, Zee still had to get adjusted to her new powerset which leads to this moment in JLA #202:    

I can’t help but crack up at this scene.  Zatanna freaking out over accidentally hurting WW and the latter reassuring her by punching through a steel beam. Yeah, if my female friends had superpowers they would probably do something like this too.    

This was a bonkers issue where Batman was on a routine space walk to fix the space satellite when a malfunction caused an explosion that sent him hurtling into space and created a hole in the League satellite that nearly sucked Hawkman into space (which you see WW and Zee fixing above).  

WW, Zatanna, Hawkman and Red Tornado set out to rescue Batman whose been taken in by alien spaceship that’s been cloaked and hiding behind the sun since the Ice Age. 

Wonder Woman takes more of a leadership role here and the League even have battle plans:

The ship was sent from an alien planet rescue an injured explorer in stasis.  It found Batman instead and turned him into this:    

Anyway, Hawkman manages to subdue Furry werewolf Batman (or should I say Batsaad?) and the fully automated alien space ship manages to restore him to normal.  He wakes up back on the Watchtower and is none the wiser to what happened to him.    

Do you think the League ever joke among each other about the time Batman got turned into a furry space werewolf when Batman is going through his more dickish phases?   

The story ends Hawkman sending the alien ship to the real location of the explorer-in-stasis and I don’t think anybody has every written a follow up to this.  

In the same year (1982), we got a much grander team up in Wonder Woman's own title in WW Vol 1 #291-293 titled 'Judgement In Infinity' written by Paul Levitz and Roy Thomas with art by Gene Colan. The story featured a cosmic being named the Adjudicator who travels to various worlds to judge their worthiness and wipe them out with but a thought if they aren’t. But he is confused about earth since it is at it’s peak but hasn’t destroyed itself yet. So decides to put not just E-1 (where the JL are) to test but also Earth 2, Earth X and Earth -I by sending his Four Horsemen; Death, Famine, Plague and War to judge which earth is worthy enough to survive.

The story line also drew in not just Zatanna but also Madame Xanadu, Supergirl, Phantom Lady (from Earth X), Black Canary, Huntress, Power Girl, Donna Troy, Starfire and Raven as well. Each story involved a different set of heroines teaming up to face one of the 4 Horsemen on one of the earths that's been put to test.

The first story teams up Wonder Woman and Zatanna against Famine in India on Earth 1.

Source: Wonder Woman Vol 1 #291

The second story shows Black Canary, Power Girl and Huntress fights Plague on Earth 2. The third story features Supergirl and Madame Xanadu teaming up with the Phantom Lady of the war torn Earth X fighting against war. The fourth story features Donna, Raven and Starfire fighting Death.

 It all culminates with all the heroines (though mainly WW) fighting the Adjudicator aboard his own ship where Diana realizes that the Adjudicator is not some cosmic judge but the cosmic equivalent of a child playing with various worlds for fun and to keep him from harming himself. The heroines manage to escape just in time before the Adjudicator is picked up by his cosmic overseers.   

Source: Wonder Woman #293

All in all, it's a cool cross over and it does not have the cliche 'Girls Night Out' moniker or a subplot involving all the men getting taken out so the women have to take over which, while well intention ed, always felt vaguely patronizing. No, this is just a cool crossover that just happens to feature female superheroes.

Zatanna becomes Chairwoman + Conclusion of Her Romance With Barry 

In JLA #206 written by Gerry Conway with art by Carmine Infantino (who is once again flexing on his art skills), Zee is elected as chairperson of the League with WW, Batman, Flash and Elongated Man congratulating her: 

Woah, there Ralph.   We also get the conclusion of the romantic subplot with Barry:

Settle down, Ralph.  I like when he was written as a mentor not a perv. 

The story itself is actually flashback narrated by a father to a son in the 25th century. The villains of the piece are the Demon's Three who fought the JL way before Zatanna joined.  

The League members take on the Demons Three, now more powerful than ever but they’re prepared and each League member gets picked off one by one leading to:   

After Batman is taken out, Zee goes all out attacking the Demons Three but when the dust is settled: 

Overall, this is a much better showing against the Demons Three than the one she got in JLD Vol1.  The way magic is depicted is consistent with how Conway has depicted it thus far; magic is an energy, all magic is connected and in balance and its law is similar to the law of thermodynamics.   

At the end of the story, when the son, Gardner (named after writer Gardner Fox) asks his father how he knows all these details, he replies that one of the heroes in the story was an ancestor of his.  Huh, interesting. I wonder which one could it be?

Still, despite all this development, Zee still doesn't have an ongoing. Even Firestorm got one in 1982 while Zatanna only got a back up feature in World's Finest (from #276-278). Although TBF, WF was basically an anthology title during this period. Hawkman, Green Arrow and even Swamp Thing had back up features in WF as well. Her father also had a feature in World’s Finest back in the 50′s.  

The most notable story is from World’s Finest  #276-277 in which Zatanna has to fight an evil doppleganger of herself in order to regain the power she lost in JLA #190-191. The story also showed us that she still wore the classic stage magician costume while performing on stage and also featured the return of her stage manager love interest, Jeffery Sloan. Aside from him, we also meet Blackwall, a normal human who uses stage tricks whom earlier in the story reminded Zee that misdirection is useful even applied to real danger. She would use that to trick her evil doppleganger and gain back the power she lost.

Back to JLoA, Zee being chairwoman is brought up a couple of times, in JLA #207 where we can see that even Superman is adorably respectful of her status:

In JLA #217, we see her advising Superman when they were dealing with a mystical threat:

And in #219 afterwards, we see her acting more like a mentor, which usually involves going ‘Firestorm! No!”:  

She also  guest stared in Blue Devil #4 and #5 and later #13. Dan Cassidy is a stuntman who was cursed by an actual demon to be trapped in his own blue devil stunt suit. After a team up with Superman  the latter takes him to the Watchtower to consult with Zatanna.  

At this point, Zatanna has surpassed her father and cemented herself as the go-to person for magical problems. She also summons Zatara’s ‘Book of Magic’ from her father’s mansion (which I don’t think we’ve seen since Zatanna’s Search ended) to better understand Dan’s condition.   

Unfortunately, even for her, reversing Dan’s curse is difficult.  Still she helps him better understand his condition, they team up to fight a bad guy, oh and there is romantic tension between the two:  

Out of all her romantic options, I like Blue Devil the best. He is in the entertainment business just like her. They are both inherently light hearted characters whose stories can be as light and dark as necessary. Plus they compliment each other; Dan is a physical fight with a power staff who is more likely to throw a punch while Zatanna is a mage and glass canon who fights from a distance and can fill Dan in on stuff he doesn’t know.   

Finally, one notable JLA stories in which Zatanna plays a pivotal role is in JLA #225-227 written by Joey Cavalieri with art by Chuck Patton in which  we see the League take on the Cult of Fialtux; an illumanti like organization with members scattered around the globe and built around the worship of Hellrazer. The latter is described as a ‘demon that not even hell could contain’. How cool is that?  

The story opens with Ray Palmer having to stop some thieves at his university and of course. Which brings him to the Watchtower.  Zatanna is shown to recognize the Cult:    

The quartet goes to one of the cult’s church’s where they are attacked by the followers.   

We get some cool action scenes with Zee, Hawkgirl, Black Canary and Green Arrow which I unfortunately have to cut since I don’t want to end up posting the whole comic. But I swear, this and other instances on Black Canary and Zatanna must have been what inspired Paul Dini to write the two in ‘Zatanna/Black Canary: Bloodspell’.   

They quickly make their way to the place where one of the cult leaders are communicating with Hellrazer which leads us to:  

Source: JLA #225  

Zatanna ends up getting dragged into another dimension by Hellrazer.  We get a cool scene of Black Canary, Hawkgirl and GA deciding to follow her into the portal.  

They eventually find her but unbeknownst to them, she’s been possessed by Hellrazer.    Meanwhile, the remainder of the League are traveling around the globe taking down the other cult leaders until only one location is left.  

Back at the Perdition dimension, we see Shayera reflecting on the differences between her and Zatanna:  

Source: JLA #227

Back then, both Shayera and Katar were depicted as scientists more than warriors.  The 2001 JLU cartoon would portray her as a hot tempered warrior and while I love that version of Shayera as well, I think my ideal Shayera would be a balance of the Noble Warrior and scientist.   

The quartet makes it to the location where the remainder of the League are fighting the final cult leader. Hellrazer frees himself from Zatanna’s body and the scale of the fight gets considerably bigger.  

We also finally get a mention of her father,   after a long time:  

Add Hellrazer to the list of villains Zatanna fought that I would love to see brought back. I also love that we now have a recurring theme of the League just stepping back letting Zatanna save the day.   

#228-230 isn't a Zee centric but it is a pivotal story for the JLA which I recommend checking out; it features the return of Martian Manhunter who has come to warn earth and the League of an invasion by his own people. The most notable fallout of this story arc would be the destruction of the Watchtower, Aquaman disbanding the JL in JLA Annual #2 and J'onn becoming an exile from his own planet. In many ways, this story arc was the precursor to the JLU episodes 'Secret Origins' as well as Starcrossed'.

I will mention again that I will do individual posts for the stories mentioned here. Consider this a condensed version of the ground I am going to cover.

Next up: Justice League Detroit, Vixen,  John Zatara’s Death, Zatanna’s final story arc in JLA Vol 1 and Madame Xanadu. 

Part 4: https://johnvenus.tumblr.com/post/679910087824916480/how-yj-and-jld-dropped-the-ball-with-zatanna-45

#Zatanna #Zatanna Zatara #flash #barry allen #the atom #ray palmer #batman #bruce wayne #hawkman #hawkgirl #katar hol #shayera hol #wonder woman #diana prince #madame xanadu #supergirl #starfire #koriand'r #Donna Troy #raven #Kid Flash #Wally West #new teen titans #trigon #robin #dick grayson

[butterflies-dragons]

do you know if anyone wrote meta about Jon and Littlefinger being foils? like both were raised in a paramount house next to the lord's children, forced out it in their teens thanks to a betrothal, started from the bottom and climbed to the top, wanted to be loved by catelyn. I'm not smart enough to figure out how LF's relationship w Sansa will be a foil to Jonsa by myself, do you know if someone wrote anything?

I wrote about it here and there:

Jon Snow and Petyr Baelish

Jon and Petyr were raised along with Tully girls (Sansa, Catelyn and Lysa).

Jon and Petyr loved redhead girls (Ygritte, Catelyn) that are described as half-fish (Ygritte’s swimming skills and Tully sigil).

Jon and Petyr lost their virginity with redhead girls (Ygritte, Lysa).

Being a legitimate Stark and inheriting Winterfell is Jon’s deepest desire, while Petyr conspired the fall of House Stark.

Jon and Petyr have Bael the Bard imagery around them. Bael the bard abducted the Rose of Winterfell, Rhaegar abducted Lyanna Stark (Jon’s mother), and Petyr abducted Sansa Stark. Bael and Rhaegar were harp players, while Petyr spread lies in his favor through songs (A harp can be as dangerous as a sword, in the right hands —A Storm of Swords - Sansa VI).

Unlike Petyr’s forced kisses, Sansa associates “snow” with lover’s kisses (Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. —A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII).

Unlike Petyr, that has used the godswoods of the Red Keep and the Eyrie, to lie and trap Sansa, and is an awful replacement as a father figure for Sansa, Jon would never lie to Sansa in front of the old gods, like Ned taught him (Jon said, “My lord father believed no man could tell a lie in front of a heart tree. The old gods know when men are lying.” —A Clash of Kings - Jon II).

Littlefinger is grooming Sansa, forcing sexual advances on her, and those started during the snow castle scene. The symbolic image of a giant invading Winterfell also plays as an innuendo (“May I come into your castle, my lady?” Sansa was wary. “Don’t break it. Be …” “… gentle?” He smiled. —A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII). Sansa defended herself with “a handful of snow” (Sansa […] grabbed a handful of snow, and flung it full in his face. Petyr yelped, as the snow slid down under his collar. “That was unchivalrously done, my lady.” —A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII).

From: THE BLACK PRINCE WITH THE WHITE GUARDIAN - Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, the Tourney at Ashford Meadow and the songs about Florian and Jonquil.

* * *

3. Petyr Baelish

Littlefinger was never at Winterfell or the godswood, but he feels a deep hatred for the castle, he always dreamed of Winterfell as Catelyn’s dark and cold prison:

He walked along outside the walls. “I used to dream of it, in those years after Cat went north with Eddard Stark. In my dreams it was ever a dark place, and cold.”

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

Littlefinger is the cause of the War of the Five Kings that killed Sansa’s parents and older brother and separated her remaining siblings. The war also caused the fall of Winterfell that was, invaded, sacked and burned by the Greyjoys and Boltons.

But there is a connection between Littlefinger, Winterfell and the godswood. Littlefinger has involved Sansa in several murders, Joffrey’s and Lysa’s being the more important (Dontos and Marillion also suffered murder and mutilation). The King’s murder was planned in the Red Keep’s goodswood, and Lysa’s murder was a direct consequence of Petyr kissing Sansa in the Eyrie’s goodswood.

Now Littlefinger is grooming Sansa, forcing sexual advances on her, and those started during the snow castle scene. The symbolic image of a giant invading Winterfell also plays as an innuendo:  

“May I come into your castle, my lady?” Sansa was wary. “Don’t break it. Be …” “… gentle?” He smiled. “Winterfell has withstood fiercer enemies than me. It is Winterfell, is it not?” “Yes,” Sansa admitted.

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

The ambitious men that pursed Winterfell through marrying Sansa, also had to take her maidenhead and conceive an heir, in order to consolidate their claim to the castle and the north. So “coming into the castle” also means having sex and making children.      

Littlefinger is too machiavellian, it seems he has used the godswoods not only to trap Sansa but also to reenact his children fantasy of being Catelyn’s love:

I saw you kissing in the snow. She’s just like her mother. Catelyn kissed you in the godswood, but she never meant it, she never wanted you. Why did you love her best? It was me, it was always meeee!“

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

But Sansa, like Catelyn, never wanted and will never wants Petyr Baelish as lover.  

Meanwhile at the Wall…

Jon Snow

Unlike Theon, Jon doesn’t feel rejected by the heart of Winterfell. Jon got a direwolf sent by the old gods that shares the weirwood’s coloring:

Red eyes, Jon realized, but not like Melisandre’s. He had a weirwood’s eyes. Red eyes, red mouth, white fur. Blood and bone, like a heart tree. He belongs to the old gods, this one.

—A Storm of Swords - Jon XII

Unlike Theon that invaded Winterfell and allowed the Ironmen to sack, pillage, kill and rape. And later let the Boltons into the castle to burn it. Jon wants to rebuild Winterfell:

They can’t be dead. Theon would never do that. And Winterfell … grey granite, oak and iron, crows wheeling around the towers, steam rising off the hot pools in the godswood, the stone kings sitting on their thrones … how could Winterfell be gone?

—A Storm of Swords - Jon VI

Winterfell, he thought. Theon left it burned and broken, but I could restore it. Surely his father would have wanted that, and Robb as well. They would never have wanted the castle left in ruins.

—A Storm of Swords - Jon XII

Jon wanted Winterfell, as much as he had ever wanted anything, but unlike Tyrion, Jon rejects the castle in favor of Sansa. And Jon would never forced himself on Sansa if she doesn’t want him as well.

He wanted it, Jon knew then. He wanted it as much as he had ever wanted anything. I have always wanted it, he thought, guiltily. May the gods forgive me.

—A Storm of Swords - Jon XII

I want her, he realized. I want Winterfell, yes, but I want her as well, child or woman or whatever she is. I want to comfort her. I want to hear her laugh. I want her to come to me willingly, to bring me her joys and her sorrows and her lust.

—A Storm of Swords - Tyrion IV

The wording of these two passages (“He wanted it” / “I want her”), the Winterfell references, and the guilt and angst for desiring something forbidden (“May the gods forgive me” / “I want her as well, child or woman or whatever she is”), is way too similar to be a mere coincidence. Winterfell and Sansa are merged in the text.

Tyrion and Littlefinger sexually desire Sansa and used the same Winterfell reference as an innuendo:

"Come, wife, time to smash your portcullis. I want to play come-into-the-castle.”

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa III

“May I come into your castle, my lady?” Sansa was wary. “Don’t break it. Be …” “… gentle?” He smiled. “Winterfell has withstood fiercer enemies than me. It is Winterfell, is it not?” “Yes,” Sansa admitted.

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

Both Tyrion and Littlefinger have giant imagery around them, both even talk to her about the Giant of Braavos, both wanted Sansa politically (Winterfell) and sexually (her body), and Sansa has been prophesied slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow (Winterfell reference). I think that Jon might help her to fulfil that prophecy.

Indeed, Tyrion associates Sansa’s rejection of his advances as icy courtesy and compared that rejection with a castle wall and the Wall in the north:

“You hide behind courtesy as if it were a castle wall.” “Courtesy is a lady’s armor,” Sansa said. Her septa had always told her that.

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa III

Sansa’s misery was deepening every day. Tyrion would gladly have broken through her courtesy to give her what solace he might, but it was no good.

—A Storm of Swords - Tyrion IV

He wanted to reach her, to break through the armor of her courtesy. […] He had always had a yen to see the Titan of Braavos. Perhaps that would please Sansa. Gently, he spoke of Braavos, and met a wall of sullen courtesy as icy and unyielding as the Wall he had walked once in the north. It made him weary. Then and now.

—A Storm of Swords - Tyrion VIII

But Sansa is “stronger within the walls of Winterfell” and Jon at the Wall is “the shield that guards the realms of men.”

Sansa also throws a handful of snow at Littlefinger’s face during the snow castle scene:

The Broken Tower was easier still. They made a tall tower together, kneeling side by side to roll it smooth, and when they’d raised it Sansa stuck her fingers through the top, grabbed a handful of snow, and flung it full in his face. Petyr yelped, as the snow slid down under his collar. “That was unchivalrously done, my lady.” “As was bringing me here, when you swore to take me home.” She wondered where this courage had come from, to speak to him so frankly. From Winterfell, she thought. I am stronger within the walls of Winterfell.

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

A handful of snow… Wouldn’t be awesome if Jon Snow continue the Stark men tradition to beat Littlefinger out?

I was always suspicious of Littlefinger helping Sansa build her snow castle, but since Petyr Baelish has giant imagery around him, it all makes sense after reading this passage:

She looked as if she thought he was making that up. “How could men build so high, with no giants to lift the stones?” In legend, Brandon the Builder had used giants to help raise Winterfell, but Jon did not want to confuse the issue. “Men can build a lot higher than this. In Oldtown there’s a tower taller than the Wall.” He could tell she did not believe him.

—A Storm of Swords - Jon V

Sansa will be certainly grateful if she can take advantage of any help Baelish could offer to rebuild Winterfell, but she will slay him anyway, as in the songs:

“If the tales be true, that’s not the first giant to end up with his head on Winterfell’s walls.” “Those are only stories,” she said, and left him there.

— A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

Unlike Petyr’s forced kisses, Sansa associates “snow” with lover’s kisses:

Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks.

— A Storm of Swords - Sansa VII

Unlike Petyr, that has used the godswoods of the Red Keep and the Eyrie, to lie and trap Sansa, and is an awful replacement as a father figure for Sansa, Jon would never lie to Sansa in front of the old gods, like Ned taught him:  

Jon said, “My lord father believed no man could tell a lie in front of a heart tree. The old gods know when men are lying.”

—A Clash of Kings - Jon II

As I said before, if Jon had accepted Stannis’s offer, he would have had Winterfell, but at an extremely high price: burning the weirwood tree, which, to him, would be sacrilege:

When Jon closed his eyes he saw the heart tree, with its pale limbs, red leaves, and solemn face. The weirwood was the heart of Winterfell, Lord Eddard always said … but to save the castle Jon would have to tear that heart up by its ancient roots, and feed it to the red woman’s hungry fire god. I have no right, he thought. Winterfell belongs to the old gods.

—A Storm of Swords - Jon XII

Sansa feels empty like a godswood without gods, like a godswood without a weirwood tree, mostly because she lost Lady, but also because she feels like a lone wolf without its pack, and a body without its heart due to the extreme disillusionment she has suffered so far.

But Jon Snow has a direwolf that is a symbol of the weirwood tree, Jon himself is a symbol of the weirwood tree. And Sansa has become a symbol of Winterfell and the godswood, but she feels empty without her wolf. Then Ghost might complete Sansa’s empty godswood, and Jon might fill Sansa’s heart again. And together they could be a pack. And together they could rebuild their home. Please play North by Sleeping at Last here.  

So…

…One would have to wonder why GRRM is always comparing and contrasting Sansa’s suitors with her bastard half brother Jon Snow? What is the reason for that? Does that mean that something romantic will happen between Sansa and Jon in the future? Is that just a mere coincidence? If the same thing (Sansa’s suitor being compared and contrasted with Jon Snow) happened three times, can we really call it a mere coincidence? One would have to wonder… Why?    

From:  i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) - Jon Snow, Sansa Stark & Winterfell. An exploration.

#jonsa #anon asks

[anya-grace]

Am I late for Smutty Saturday? But as they say, better late than Petra and Levi never fucking so here ya go 😛

A/N: My brain stopped functioning halfway through writing my succubus!Petra fic lol so here's Levi fucking Petra on top of the wall instead :)

I also don't have a title for this lmao. Wall sex? 50 Meters League on Top of the Sea (of titans)?

Summary: Petra and Levi. Sex. 🥰🥰🥰

It wasn't rare for them to be on night duty. It was one thing that the Corps has a limited number of soldiers, but there was also the fact that they, as the special operations squad, have the duty to learn more about their nemesis. And one way of knowing about them was to examine them up close in their most vulnerable state: at night when the sun is gone and their energy was at its lowest.

Petra didn't mind the extra work though. Even if she knew that the additional task at hand is going to take a toll on her training tomorrow, she certainly wouldn't trade anything for a private and intimate time with her Captain.

She stood next to him, watching the horizon as the orange full moon graced them with its light. She often compared the moon and the sun, and she realized that the heavenly body at night was far more beautiful than the giant ball of fire in the morning.

"Captain," she saluted, "You should take a rest. I can handle this by myself."

She admired the sharp features of the man as the light of the moon touched his skin. Petra breathed heavily when his eyes met hers, and she almost missed the way his mouth moved when he said that he was fine and that she needed the rest more than him.

After arguing that the Captain needed to rest than her, they agreed to take a break at the same time.

They were sitting on top of the wall. The wind was cold but kind, the gentle breeze swayed her hair and coat sideways and she sighed at the peaceful feeling of the night. 

"Do you want to sleep, Ral?" the Captain asked.

"No, sir." She exhaled at the tousled look of his black hair, "How about you, Sir? Do you want to?" 

"No," he said firmly.

Petra nodded and did not initiate any more conversation. Instead, she focused on this wonderful moment. She was mere inches away from her Captain, and although there were titans fifty meters below them, she still thought that this was perfect.

She secretly took a peek at the man beside her. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed on his chest, highlighting his muscles. Petra felt her cheeks heating up and snapped her head in the opposite direction. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her red face between them.

Stupid. Stupid. How can I have the energy to ogle my Captain when we're literally mere feet away from the titans?

She erased all thoughts of her Captain inside her head and sighed. This was going to be a long night…

***

Her eyes snapped open instantly, remembering where she was and what she was doing. She fell asleep while on night duty, and worse, on top of the wall. If she had made a wrong move while sleeping, then it would cost her her life and the Captain.

Speaking of the man, her heart beat faster as she snapped her head in his direction, and she felt a heavy weight resting on her right shoulder.

Breathing calmly, the Captain fell asleep on her shoulder. His hands were still crossed to his chest. The wind blew his hair to reveal his face, his eyebrows were knitted together and his lips slightly parted from each other.

She gave a thoughtful smile as she watched the sleeping man. Was it unprofessional to be in this position? Was it bad that she's obsessed with the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed? 

Frankly, she doesn't care. Petra wanted to savor this moment and drink every inch of detail that she could get in this proximity with her superior.

She was sure that the Corporal was more or less aware of her romantic feelings for him. On more than one occasion, Petra felt his longing stare at her when they were alone. She swore she could feel the frustration in him whenever she's close. And she knew, no matter how hard he tried to hide, that he was attracted to her too.

Her face heated up again for whoever knows how many times that night. 

Gathering her courage, she placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. The captain grunted but did not wake, but his head felt heavier on her shoulder.

The night was getting deeper, and the moon was covered with thick clouds that made the surroundings darker. The air was colder and more threatening. Her behind became too sensitive as the material of the wall became colder, and the long hour of sitting on top of the hard stone made it ache.

With the lack of anything to focus her mind on, her attention was again on Levi. His hands fell into his lap and his face was now buried on the crook of her neck instead of her shoulder. His breathing tickled her sensitive skin and she shuddered as her mind imagined things that will never happen.

Feeling a wet sensation on her neck, she felt the Captain trailing kisses and nipping on her skin. She gasped and instinctively moved away, leaving the Captain's head hanging on the air as his eyes pierced her.

Her hands traveled to her neck, the space between her legs getting wet as the realization hit her. 

"Captain...why did you– God, did you kiss me?" 

Placing a hand at the back of his neck and stretching it, Levi noted her flushed appearance. "Did you kiss me?" He asked back.

"I didn–" her eyes widened, remembering the way she kissed his forehead a while ago. 

"B-But it was different," she defended.

"How so?"

"Yours was sexual and–"

The captain stood in front of her, his shadow covered her face and body as his eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Mine was what?"

Her eyes did not leave his as he crouched down again in front of her. Something was hypnotizing in his eyes that Petra couldn't explain. She gulped as his face neared her.

"Mine was what?" he asked again, this time in front of her face, his breath fanning on her heated skin.

The sound of her heart beating was suddenly louder than it ever was. It reminded her of the stomps of the titan outside the walls, the tingling sound of the signal flares whenever it was fired when a titan was in sight, and the loud cracking of bones whenever someone was caught by a titan's hand.

She snapped the last thought away and focused on the man in front of her. Licking her lips, she closed her eyes as she pulled out courage from the deepest part of hers. 

And in a matter of seconds, Petra kissed her Captain.

The contact was chaste at first. Her lips felt his and they didn't move–not right away. Her lips lingered on his for a moment before she opened her mouth and started kissing him for real.

She moaned on his mouth as he gathered the hair at the back of her head, pressing her more to him. Petra did the same as her fingers gripped his hair, tilting his head slightly upwards to give her better access to his mouth.

She felt her back hitting the cold top of the wall. Petra shivered because of the clashing temperature. Cold on her back, and heat on her front.

Moving his hands to remove her coat, Levi looked down at the woman underneath him. His shadow loomed over her, but he could see the flush of red on her face and the lust shining on her orange irises.

"Do you want to do this, Petra?" His hands moved her coat from her body to underneath her, giving her a soft cushion from the hard surface.

She pulled his face on hers again and started kissing him. "Yes. Yes, I want this," she said breathily.

The fact that they were on top of the wall, the titans waiting for them to make a wrong move, and nothing shielding them from the prying eyes of whoever was still awake at this godly hour, doesn't seem to faze Petra. She opened her dress shirt and asked him to suck on her breasts.

Levi obliged and he heard her moan. The wind took her voice and disappeared through the night. He felt her warm hands removing his jacket and opening the buttons of his clothes.

Petra pressed him deeper on her chest. When they were alone, in training, or in his room, she always wanted to ask him to suck on her nipples. It was her favorite part of her own body: her breasts. And she wanted to see her Captain playing with it.

Panting, she switched their places. Levi tugged at her nipples as she moved, and the man groaned when he lost contact with her tit.

She straddled him as she worked on completely removing his clothes. Petra opened the button of his pants and groaned when she realized that the brown straps of their ODM gear were preventing her from fully stripping him off of his clothes.

Levi did the same with hers. He squeezed her breasts and palmed her clothed pussy. Petra moaned on top of him and ground her hips to his.

The hardness of the wall made it uncomfortable to stay aroused, but Petra was looking at him hungrily, her eyes never leaving his as she pulled his underwear down and his erection sprung free.

She marveled at his dick and the first and last thing on her mind right now was to be fucked by him. Damn the walls and the titans, damn the sleeping residents that may hear her moans, she wanted to feel free on top of this wall.

He removed her on top of him and ordered her to get on all-fours. Petra obliged, showing her still clothed ass to him. He unbuttoned her from the front and pulled her pants as much as the strapped harness allowed him. 

Petra shuddered as she felt the air on her exposed cunt, and she moaned when Levi licked her once, twice, thrice, to feel her wetness.

The sight of her made him lose his mind. She tasted divine, and she smelled godly. Levi stroked his dick before pushing inside of her.

The first contact made her knees weak, and her face almost hit the floor if it weren't for Levi grasping her tits to pull her closer to him. Their moans spurred into the air as Levi pumped into her harder. She could feel him grow more inside of her as her cunt clenched around him.

They fucked as the moon watched them. They fucked as one of the titans moved from one tree to the other, as if switching places to watch them clearer. The thought made Petra shiver. They were out and about someone out there must be watching them as her superior made love to her pussy. She leaned her head back and basked in the feeling.

Petra's ass bounced every time he pounded on her. He could feel her hardened nipples at the palm of his hands as he whispered on her ears how tight she was, how good her pussy felt around him, and how dirty she was letting her superior fucked her on top of the wall.

He could feel his orgasm coming through, Petra reached for her clit and he knew that she was close too. 

With a few more hard thrusts, Levi spent inside of her as Petra did the same. She fell on the floor with a soft thud, and she felt empty as Levi pulled out of her.

Laying beside her, Levi kissed Petra again on the mouth, then her cheeks, and her temples. Petra closed her eyes in appreciation.

While her sweat cooled in her skin, Petra realized what they had done and what consequences it might bring tomorrow, the week after, the month after, or in the longer future. 

She didn't want to spoil this wonderful moment. Petra opened her eyes and saw the moon peeking once again. And for the second time, she realized that indeed, it was more beautiful than the sun.

#rivetra #levi x petra #anya's s saturday shenanigans #smutty saturday 🥳 #if u don't fuck your woman on top of a 50-meter wall then don't talk to me #or to Levi or to Petra ever again #pls gimme title ideas uwu

[thedivinedemom]

An AU of DC with a mass crossover of PS4 properties.

Provisional name: Players Searching for Detectable Changes (Get the pun?)

The setup:

This is the future of DC, a world where the old guard has slowly withdrawn and the newer generations have risen to the occasion. The original Titans in particular, most of which have formed the new Justice League while many other, very similar teams had started to form across the world. One of which was a resurgence of the Teen Titans, led by an older and purified Raven. She wanted to make the Teen Titans something akin as it was for her, a place to belong and learn to use one's powers.

The first 'class' of such individuals include:

Stargirl (of the now-disbanded JSA and still getting used to the Starrod)

Blue Beetle III (Freshly attached to his alien symbiote and freaking out a bit)

Robin V (to work on his anger issues, mostly at the new Batman's request)

Kaldur (a half Atlantean half metahuman who is struggling with his identity and the surface world, Aquaman feels a kinship for the boy seeing their similarities)

Static Shock (a promising new hero but little experience working outside his city or in groups)

Mary Marvel (she's... she's going through alot. Fresh from a coma, her brother is distant as he acts as the new Wizard, and she may be, sorta kinda, being corrupted by Black Adam's gifted power)

The team was rough and there was plenty of head butting (Mostly between Stargirl and Robin/Damian as one is almost the unanimous leader while the other thinks he should be) but they were getting there. They were more of a clean up crew for the Justice League, they did more than the "kiddie missions" that the Outsiders didn't do, and they meant more than the PR grab that was the International team. Though they didn't seem to amount to more than that. They still did their best, pushing past the silent ridicule, as they went about their missions.

This may be why tempers were so high that day.

One day, outside a little city by the name of Weller's Point, the prisoner transport for the villain Plasmus had an "accident". Released and awakened the creature went on a rampage, heading ever closer to the populated area. Luckily, the mentor of the New Teen Titans could teleport. The new team did fairly well in the fight, though they did struggle a bit as Plasmus was not a being where simple brute force would work. It made the fight tricky and more than a bit... messy.

Messy enough that juvenile and emotionally compromised Mary Marvel lashed out against the downed villain but was stopped by her teammates... things escalated from there. Restraint turned blows and the whole team struggled to stop their powerhouse without hurting her. The ones who do the best are Raven, Stargirl, Blue Beetle, and oddly Static.

While both of the former could use their abilities to restrain her to a very effective degree Static was actively draining her of strength, or at least of the electic aura she was radiating and blasting with. Frustrated, done with the situation, and a bit petty Mary launched her largest attack yet by saying her magical word.

SHAZAM.

Virgil did what he did best, he handled that lightning as it came crashing down towards Mary and the Titans restraining her. Well, he tried. The bolt was just too powerful, too unlike anything he had ever encountered. He could not handle it and it was dissipating, if anything it clung to him or tried to jump towards the girl. He had to get rid of it and he had to get rid of it quickly, safely too if he could help it.

He shoved it into the ground, into the power lines. He did it as carefully as he could, trying to prevent overload or flashover as guided the charge into the power grid.

What happened next was a combination of a few things. 1. The Mystic and transformative properties of the Lightning, 2. It is effectively being filtered through a bang baby, 3. The kryptonite power plant owned by, provided by, and operated by Lexcorp.

This interaction, this new charge, cycling through the power grid interacted strangely with a number of devices but none more so than PlayStation 4s and the devices connected to them. This new electricity changed things, literally. It brought fantasy into reality.

Whatever game was loaded into became a part of our reality in a small way. Sometimes TVs, Controllers, and even the system changed to reflect items from the game but the bigger change came with the Players. If a person was playing their console during the surge then they would become a metahuman with abilities based on the playable character they were playing.

The city, the county even, was now flooded by an abundance of metahumans and items of varying power of devastation. Static felt horrible.

He couldn't help but compare what has happened here to what happened in Dakota City but on a wider scale. And this time it was his fault. His sense of responsibility wouldn't, couldn't, let that stand. He had to fix his mistake and his team was dragged along for the ride.

The story to follow is a mix of Final Crisis and Kingdom Come with a bit of the Young Justice cartoon in events and themes, a few twists and likely a bit lighter in tone but to the DC geeks this should give a rough idea… Maybe a bit of Marvel's Civil War but hopefully not the rushed knee-jerk mess that that ended up being.

But it's here that I start having issues with my planning. One part in worry as outside the set up we start to follow the perspective of OCs (something rarely smiled upon) and another part in wondering which OC to focus on.

Now, one thing I love in fiction is progressive powers and the conflict escalating from the different paths people take in said progression. In that vein, I have a pair of protags in mind as well.

The main two/co-protagonists:

The Lawkeeper- a cop before the change and now a member of a task force made up largely of those affected by the surge. A gamer, a man of color, and a believer of the spirit of the law. He doesn't always get along with his fellow officers but he believes in what the blue does. He believes that an organized response is what is best.

His abilities are based on those of Jesse Fades of Control. Meaning he has tremendous psychic potential but he needs 3 things to reach his full potential.

1.Items to bond to so he can generate these psychic abilities. Jesse's used altered items of her universe to get thematic abilities from them (ex: a safe to generate a shield, a carousel horse for a dash ability, ect). Here he can use items generated by the surge.

2. A patron/partner entity to help guide, give insights, and empower. It also let's the user enforce reality, basically becoming an anti reality warper.

3. A bonded morph weapon or a weapon to come to his hand when called.

The knight- a recent college graduate who instantly decided to go the route of the caped hero. She, after figuring out how to get her powers to work, instantly went the route of a caped crusader. Going out to the streets, saving lives, stopping instances of surge item abuse, and (in the humble opinion of the local Police Department) getting in the way of operations. In her opinion they were taking too long to get things done.

Her abilities are based on those of Prince Noctis of Final Fantasy XV. This means she has tremendous physical and magical potential but like the above she has a number of check marks needed to gain access to the character's full power.

1. A gem/crystal to draw power from.

2. 13 magical weapons to boost strength. The generated game weapons will do and I have most picked out in a way that likely would help the plot progress.

3. The blessing of 5-6 gods.

4. A power ring of some king to channel all this power.

I keep debating the two above as I do like the idea of both of them climbing in power and clashing over conflicting ideals of what to do with their power. At the same time, I think that just smooshing aspects of both into one (which is actually where they started, a single character) and play off the different ideologies of how best to help people from within her friend group and precinct along with internal conflict. Maybe have the one be a fellow officer they butt heads with because of the... precarious nature

Another OC I was thinking on, keeping with the theme of what to do when you have power, is a thief who played Persona 5. Like both of the above they would be crippled in their ability to use their abilities without a way to fake the connection to. In this case, without the Mementos App, they would need an item that could affect or enter the hearts of others. Luckily, more unlucky really, there are plenty of items floating around that can do just that. Namely Keyblades.

Most other Players are an odd mix but most are variations of the Shooter build. Peak physical humans who heal quickly and often have bullet time. But there are enough other variations to cause trouble. Demigods of unreal strength, men and women who can easily tap into a patron for powers from the outside, 2 variations of spider powers, cat eyed men and women who can cast magic with simple gestures, and so much more. But the real issue was the first two, the demigods without a parent to protect them and those easily connected to a divine source.

The disembodied New Gods of Apocalypse were very happy with those groups. For how bad this can be please look at what happened to Mary Marvel in canon Final Crisis.

Thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

#dc community #fanfiction #dc fanfic #dc fandom #playstation #mass crossover #orginal character #dc fanfiction #dc fanfiction idea #outline

[thegeneralguy]

The Champion of Olympus - Ares’s Arrogance

By thegeneralguy

Revised by @amalianetwork​

The chariot of the sun was finishing its daily round over Mount Olympus, leaving a crimson trail in its path. The beautiful sky was painted red, the golden rooftops of the monumental temples and lavish palaces reflecting the majestic sunset´s light. In the inner circle of heaven, the faint sound of metal clashes resonated through the cloudy hills, where all the Olympian´s residences stood proudly watching over the vast extent of the celestial realm. The furious battle cries were coming from the dominion of the god of war. The magnificent mansion stood out of the rest of the buildings due to the dark marble composing its solemn columns, along with a vibrant bronze rooftop that illuminated the surroundings in a permanent hue of carmine.

The aggressive cacophony was coming from the inner courtyard, which occupied the biggest part of the palace. Ares was in the middle of a fierce battle against two other gods, wielding his giant golden spear to strike them with fury over and over again. His extremely muscular body did not impede his battle prowess, as he gracefully danced with the spear as an extension of his limbs. Both lesser gods brandished two identical golden swords, masterfully avoiding and countering the bigger deity's attacks. With the might of his enormous arm, the god of war planted his weapon on the ground propelling himself into a somersault and successfully jumping over the two surprised beings. Suspended on the air he then knocked down both his foes with a fast sweep of his powerful leg, landing gracefully on top of them.

"Again."

He said in a gruff bass voice, his fiery crimson eyes glaring down at the two defeated gods struggling to get back on their feet. Just as they were getting ready to clash weapons again, a bright pink flash replaced the bloody red atmosphere for an instant, leaving behind the most beautiful woman in existence. Ares put down his spear and walked towards his past lover, Aphrodite. She stared seductively at her forbidden object for desire. After all the eons resisting the urge to touch again, the mighty god of war still looked as imposing as the first time they fell for each other. His white robe was perched over one shoulder, exposing one half of his titanic chest. The enormous arms he once used to crack the skulls of his enemies rippled with power, thick veins pumping the holy ichor inside of them. His legs looked stronger than the dark marble columns supporting the palace. Many mementos from his previous battles decorated his bronze skin in the form of many little marks left by the few weapons that were able to harm him.

His brutish face was half concealed by a dense black beard and had a big scar that ran across from his hanging brow, through his eye, and got lost in the hair on his square chin. His intimidating appearance was only accentuated by his bald head, along with the piercing red eyes that flared with the rage of a thousand wars underneath. He approached the goddess, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close, only to be pushed back by her slender arm.

"You know how he gets when he knows we're together, Ares."

The beautiful deity could barely hold her urge to make love with the masculine god in front of her, but the fear was greater than any other primal instinct she could feel. Ares grunted annoyed, and let the woman out of his embrace.

"I could take on him you know, and you would be finally free. Free to be with me for the rest of eternity."

Aphrodite looked at her former lover with a deep-rooted sadness behind her dark pink eyes and raised her elegant hand to caress the god's rough cheek. Ares took her hand delicately, like a gorilla grabbing the most delicate of a rose's petals, and planted a kiss full of passion and nostalgia of an immemorial time, when they were together, on her palm. They both stood still for a moment, and then Aphrodite removed her hand from his grip and took a step back.

"You know that can't be. Even though you're the god of war and combat, you're still no match for Hephaestus's might. Remember what happened last time."

Ares's winced for a moment, his melancholic visage quickly returning to its natural angry sneer. Of course, he remembered the humiliation his brother put his own wife and him through, exposing their affair to the rest of the gods. The animosity both of his parents felt for him only increased, making the god even more of an outcast than he already was. Only his desire for the goddess of beauty was stronger than his undying loyalty for his father, trying desperately to gain his favor in every conflict. But all his attempts failed miserably, especially when his sister Athena was involved. Zeus, although prideful and violent, was a brilliant strategist and he always sided with his wiser and more intelligent daughter, often leaving the god of war hurt in his pride. He looked back at Aphrodite reproachingly, wondering what the goddess's visit truly meant.

"What are you looking for Aphrodite? If you know Hephaestus doesn't like to see you with me, what is it that brings you to interrupt my training?"

"I know how these situations tend to put you under too much pressure. I just wanted to ask what you were planning to do concerning the trial of the Champion."

"It's been a long time since father has put a challenge on all of us. This might be my opportunity to prove once and for all that I'm the one he should be turning to in troubling times, not Athena."

The god of war was a force to be reckoned with. His prowess in battle was matched by no one in Mount Olympus, and his sheer force was only rivaled by few other deities. But although he was a fearsome opponent for whoever dared in challenging him, he had one fatal flaw: his arrogance. His thirst for blood and violence, when combined with his superiority complex, bred poor choices in and out of battle, often resulting in the mighty god being ridiculed. All the emotions from defeat were only magnified by his enormous ego, creating a bitter outcast who was often ignored by the rest of his fellow deities. Aphrodite knew that deep inside that glorious body and arrogant demeanor was a deep sadness product of rejection from his own family.

"I know how you feel Ares, but I would advise you not to waste too much energy in this affair. You know how Zeus can be when it comes to a world-ending crisis. I don't want you to get more hurt…"

She then took a step forward to put her hand on his gargantuan chest. Ares quickly turned his back towards Aphrodite, unable to keep the emotions from projecting on his face.

"What do you, the goddess of beauty, know about rejection? Father is completely blind to my superior power, and it's my duty to show him he has the most mighty ally for whatever challenge he might face. I have to eclipse the other competitors to take my rightful place on his side. Especially Athena."

The rivalry between the god of war and the goddess of wisdom was not unheard of in Mount Olympus. Even the epic tales from the terrestrial plane depicted the many victories Athena had against Ares. The big scar on the god's face was an eternal reminder of the goddess's superior abilities, often fueling the god's rage in battle every time he caught a glimpse of it in the reflection of a shield. Aphrodite wasn't very keen on Athena either, often clashing with her because of their separate views on vices and virtues, but it was nothing compared to the strong hatred Ares felt for her. The goddess of beauty then took a few steps forward to stand next to the strong deity.

"I guess there is no point in trying to stop you. I would advise you to be careful though. I don't know if you noticed, but Zeus's demeanor seemed very strange during the reunion. You'd be deceiving yourself if you didn't think the ascension of a new champion is not something out of the ordinary."

The god of war stood quiet for some time, reflecting on Aphrodite's words. It was true that the ritual of ascension was a holy ceremony, reserved for heroic acts of celebration instead of an emergency of this type. The last time he tried to gift a mortal with the divine essence, he watched helplessly as his devotee was consumed by its power, obliterating him. He couldn't even remember when was the last time the ritual was successful. But all these concerns were of little meaning for Ares. Before he stood a perfect opportunity to demonstrate his power and to show his abnegation for his father.

"I already made up my mind, Aphrodite. I will personally descend to the Earth and create the best Champion there is. No one will be able to stand against him, for he will be forged by my superior power."

Aphrodite let out a frustrated sigh, knowing her attempts of dissuading the god from taking part in this ridiculous plan were pointless. This whole plot seemed very suspicious for her, but she couldn't exactly point out what was going on. If Ares wasn't going to help her find out, she'll have to resort to other more extreme means. She then looked at the two godlings standing firmly waiting for Ares's command. Both looked practically identical, standing tall and strong like their father, but their handsome faces devoid of their progenitor's magnificent beard. They also had heads full of thick dark brown curls, encasing their more youthful faces. Their muscular bodies were also covered by numerous scars, mostly done by their father's spear.

"Look at my poor children. What have you done to them, Ares?"

Phobos and Deimos were the twin children of beauty and war, born out of human's innermost primal instinct: fear. Both godlings owed an undying loyalty to their father, often accompanying him in each of his affairs. Ares walked towards them, inspecting every inch of his two soldiers, who stood there firmly in silence awaiting their father's command.

"I made them into what they're right now. Two war weapons capable of sowing despair out of mortal hearts. And it seems I'll make use of their service once again. I'm going to make use of a couple of tricks you've shown me."

"If you already made your decision, it is useless to remain here and try to convince you otherwise. Just a word of advice Ares, don't let your pride be your downfall once again."

The goddess disappeared then with a flash, leaving Ares and the two godlings alone once again. The god of war then pondered on the goddess's words, wondering if he should change his mind and challenge his father, like many members of his family were going to. He remembered an ancient saying from another mortal cult: pride goes before the fall. But he quickly dismissed any doubt circling his mind. An opportunity to gain Zeus's grace wasn't going to present itself that easily again. It was his chance to demonstrate his superior existence, and take Athena's place right next to their father. His rugged face was drawn with a sinister smile. He was going to reap a human from his sister's flock, proving once and for all who the most powerful warrior of Olympus was.

It was an unusually agitated day for Athens High. The days before summer vacation were always received with enthusiasm by the students, and relief by the faculty members. Colorful school banners announcing the graduation ceremony for the seniors decorated the hallways, proudly signifying another school year's death. Every student was filled to the brim of school spirit, enthusiastically signing yearbooks, taking pictures, and joking with their soon to be former teachers. All except one. Leon Machiavelli sat quietly at his desk, tapping his feet nervously while he waited for the ultimate call for freedom that was the ringing of the bell on the last school day.

High school could be harsh for someone like Leon. The 19-year-old always felt like a fish out of water when it came to socializing with his classmates, most of his time spent on furthering his knowledge and improving his chances of getting into an Ivy League college, finally ridding himself of the shackles that an upbringing in a small rural town in the middle of nowhere could bring. The few friendships he managed to make over the course of his years through school were few and far too insignificant to regret his choice in moving to the other side of the country and never hearing from them again. Not to mention his troubled relationship with his parents, who were concerned by their son's more hermit nature. His family had been living in that town for a few generations, owning some small businesses in the surrounding area and establishing itself as one of the most aristocratic families in the county.

The swan song of the school year chimed in the form of the bell's ring, causing excited screams and cheers from all students. Notebooks were propelled into the air, paper falling everywhere painting the floor with white. Girls exchanged teary hugs, immortalizing their last moments in the classroom with their smartphones and guys hollered and smashed against each other in fraternal hugs. Leon swiftly picked up his backpack and made a beeline towards the exit, already feeling claustrophobic in the middle of the chaos. He made his way through the sea of students, already feeling the scorching hot summer air blowing at his face. When he was just a step away from freedom, he felt a meaty hand on his shoulder pulling him back inside. He turned around with an exasperated look on his face, only to find out the hand belonged to Kevin Volker, the varsity football captain.

"Leon, bro, what's up? I haven't seen you all day."

The relationship between the hunky jock and the hermit bookworm was, to say the least, complicated. Both boys practically grew up together, their families living next to each other and going to the same school from kindergarten all through to high school. Childish wonder pushed them to form a very good friendship in their first years of development. Family barbeques, playdates, camping trips, both boys had all the necessary qualities to become the best of friends. The fact that their parents were also friends and business partners was also a good advantage for them to keep interacting almost like brothers. All their years of primary school were spent joyfully carefree, with both boys enjoying the wonder of practically living together and embarking on whichever childish adventure they wanted.

But things got different once Kevin's biological clock sent him spiraling into puberty. The gorgeous blonde boy became an athletic teenager, and his energetic nature combined with his newly acquired physical prowess turned him into a social sensation in school. The allure of the childish fantasies he used to share with his best friend was slowly replaced by the enjoyment a real-life circle of friends could bring. Kevin naturally went up the ladder of the monstrous social scale that was high school. The sports teams didn't waste any time in hunting him down, but it was the school's most prided one that caught him in the end: the football team. After just four years the cute teen had developed into a strapping young man, with an all-American jock face and a body to die for.

Watching his best friend turn into the king of school wasn't easy for Leon. The slow abandonment combined with his frustrations over his very delayed development slowly bittered him. Instead of growing up big and strong like Kevin, Leon just gained a few inches in height, but a lot of pounds in weight. He resented his friend for getting the attention of their peers and leaving him alone to fuel their fantasy world on his own. He resented his friend for gaining the grace of other students, and soon cut all ties to him. The chubby red-head grew up alone in the darkness of his bedroom, while the blonde stud dwelled in the sunlight. His natural curiosity pushed him into pursuing knowledge, far prioritizing the cultivation of the mind instead of the body. His academic achievements mixed in with his hidden frustrations bred an arrogance delusion. Leon convinced himself that he was too good for other people, shielding himself from the pain of rejection. Completely dismissing any attempt of remaining active took a toll on his body, turning the chubby teen into an overweight young man with a disheveled appearance. Every time he saw Kevin, he remembered their lost childhood and caught a glimpse of his true reality. The muscular jock served as a window of truth in Leon's arrogant delusion: his loneliness was a product of his own doing.

"I was just busy getting my things ready for tomorrow's speech. Can I help you with anything?"

He bitterly stared into the jock's blue eyes and saw exactly the look that he hated. Even though Kevin grew dismissive towards him, he never once participated in the occasional bullying red-head suffered, often offering to help out with whatever he needed. His usual cocky gaze hid a deep-set sympathy for the lonely nerd, and Leon hated that. He didn't need the sympathy of someone he considered inferior.

"No, it's all good thanks. I'm going to drive home first to pick up my gym bag, and I wanted to offer you a ride. It's too fucking hot out there, man,” said Kevin with a burst of awkward laughter. His deep voice vibrated on his chest, which twitched playfully from time to time. Leon scanned his former friend with a resentful gaze. The heavily muscled jock was encased in the trendiest designer clothes, his bulging arms threatening to rip his polo's sleeves apart, and the tree trunks he had for legs wrapped in skin-tight chinos, showcasing the deep definition within the heavy muscles. He tried his best not to stare too much into the body and kept his apathetic frown fixed on his piercing blue eyes.

"Thank you, but I'm gonna take the bus. There's some stuff in town I need to sort out first."

"That's ok, guess I'll see you tomorrow in the graduation ceremony then,” said Kevin with a subdued sigh. Leon turned around without saying anything and headed outside towards the searing sunlight. Even though he kept a straight face during the exchange with his former friend, his fists were clenched due to the anger he felt. Even after all those years, Leon's heart still skipped a beat every time the jock was nearby. No matter how much he tried to deceive himself into thinking he was the superior of the two, he couldn't get rid of the feelings he had for his former friend.

"Congratulations on the valedictorian thing by the way!"

He managed to scream before Leon was outside the door. The chubby red-head barely turned around, and with a weak thanks, he was lost in the blinding light.

The little town's main street was buzzing with activity on the hot summer afternoon. Families paraded themselves on the sidewalk, eating ice cream and letting the kids play on the numerous water fountains around the place. Little restaurants and boutiques decorated the sides of the street, offering a colorful option of both local and imported goods to the town's small population. The Machiavelli family owned many of those businesses and almost every convenience store in town. Leon was heading to the family's favored tailor to meet his mother to get his outfit for the graduation ready. After all, the son of one of the town's most important families couldn't show up in his usual disheveled state to his high school graduation. Leon always thought things like fashion and social status were frivolities, intellectually inferior people used to feel better about themselves, so he gave little importance to them. Even now on the threshold of the rest of his life, he could care less about how he looked, but his mother insisted so much that he gave in to her requests to keep her from nagging him any longer.

The little bell on top of the door chimed in when he entered the door, attracting the attention of his mother, who was enthusiastically discussing ties and bows with the tailor.

"Honey, you made it! Step in front of the mirror please, Mr. Schneider will take your final measurements."

No one would think the chubby teenager was related to the elegant woman standing next to the counter. She looked flawless despite her age and dressed impeccably no matter if she was at a charity ball or going to the supermarket. The only trait that tied both of them to each other was their fiery red hair, which she kept in a perfect updo fully solidifying her upper-class status. Without saying a word, Leon stepped up to the little platform surrounded by three body-sized mirrors. The tailor approached him, fully armed with his measuring tape and a set of pins to hold the seams and folds in place.

"What do you think of this tie honey? I think the green would highlight your…"

The excited chatter of his mother soon faded away, as Leon focused more and more on his reflection of the three pieced mirrors. It looked like puberty forgot about him in the middle of the way. He never really grew that much in height, topping at a shorter 5'5. The prominent curve of his stomach was visible through the simple black t-shirt he was wearing, deforming The legend of Zelda's Triforce symbol together with his sagging chest. His stubby arms laid powerless on his sides, and his chubby legs were hidden under a pair of oversized jeans. His pale freckled face was covered by pimples, accentuating his unclean appearance, and it still sported the signs of infancy he never outgrew, with chubby cheeks and a small nose. The most prominent feature on him was his bright green eyes, courtesy of his mother's Irish heritage, along with his unkempt red curls. He had convinced himself long ago that an unkept body was not a problem as long as the mind flourished, so he gave up on any attempt in bettering his appearance. Dwelling in his thoughts he didn't realize the tailor was done measuring and was discussing the suit's finishing touches with his mother, who didn't wait for her son's approval on the rest of the accessories.

"Is that all mom?"

He asked a bit annoyed whilst grabbing his belongings and heading to the door.

"Yes honey, I'll arrange the rest with Mr. Schneider. You will look so handsome tomorrow. I'll see you at home later."

She answered without even looking at him. Leon sighed and headed outside, not wanting to spend another second thinking in tomorrow's ceremony, and made his way towards his house.

The Machiavelli family's estate consisted of a big two-story house, a big garden with a swimming pool, and a small guest house. There was no doubt that it belonged to very affluent people. The mansion's pearl white walls reflected the afternoon sunlight, almost giving it an incandescent glow. Leon entered through the massive oak doors and headed straight for his room. On his way there he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the massive family portrait in the house's foyer. A younger Leon smiled faintly back at him; his chubby body encased in a black suit just like his father. The elegant man looked imposing with his strong physique and masculine features. The only common thing Leon and his father had was their last name because no one would say the pale red-head was related to the mature Italian stud that was his father. His mom looked perfect as usual, leaving Leon sticking out like a sore thumb between his two impressive progenitors. He tried his best to ignore the picture like he always did and enclosed himself in his private sanctuary.

His room was decorated with posters of antique temples, beautiful palaces, and imposing sculptures. Leon's love for fantasy had slowly driven him into researching the origin of human imagination itself, and therefore human's creative history. His ultimate goal was to become erudite of anthropology, teaching and researching in the most lauded institutions on the field and finally gaining the recognition of better people than the small-town folk he loved to look down upon. He sat down on his desk to revise his prepared speech for the graduation ceremony one last time. Despite his parent's best effort to dissuade him, Leon was willing to perform a bitter soliloquy expressing his frustrations against his classmates and solidifying his status as the class' arrogant intellectual. Beneath the snarky remarks and morality lectures written on paper, laid a profound pain product of his loneliness. His train of thought slowly brought the image of Kevin into his head again. Leon was going to finally be free of watching him blossom more and more every day. But even if he moved across the country, he was still unsure he would ever be able to forget the handsome jock. After all, despite the endless hours he spent convincing himself Kevin abandoned him out of malice, he was the only person Leon ever loved.

The chubby red-head barely gave any thought to his sexuality. He considered any kind of lust as a distraction, a primal burden that impeded the full growth of the human psyche. Unlike practically all of his classmates, he wore his virginity as a badge of honor, his mind completely clean of the stain of sex. But despite trying his best to suppress his natural urges, the thought of Kevin always came through inside his head. The connection they shared when they were children still transcended the barriers Leon tried to put up to elevate himself. And the fact that the handsome jock looked like a classical Greek sculpture come to life didn't help the lascivious thoughts leave the nerd's mind. Leon tried to hate Kevin as much as he could because if he didn't, he would become the ultimate shackles preventing him from breaking free from his small-town life once and for all. The last golden rays of sunset light came into the room through the big windows, illuminating the red-head's face. His gaze was glued to the sheet of paper in front of him. This speech was an ode to intellectual growth, and a farewell to the life Leon chose to leave behind. He went into bed exhausted, nervous about the events coming up the next day. It was going to be the last time Leon Machiavelli graced his classmates with his thoughts. Afterward, the only way they could catch a glimpse of his brilliant mind was either buying his future publications or listening to his TED talks.

It was past midnight when Leon was woken up by a shiver down his spine. The pale moonlight illuminated his bedroom, casting out gruesome shadows out of every corner. The nerd had the feeling something was staring at him from the darkness. The entire room was scorching hot, despite the cold night air flowing through an open window. A low animal growl attracted Leon's attention towards the darkest corner in the bedroom. His face went pale with fear when he discovered the two big glowing red eyes staring at him maliciously. A black figure slowly crept out of the shadows, making itself visible thanks to the white moonlight. Leon stared speechless at the giant black dog growling at him menacingly from the other side of the room. His big snout was curled up into an angry snarl, making the dagger sized fangs visible. The terrified nerd was petrified in his bed, unable to muster the minimal courage to even scream for help. Without taking his eyes off of him, the black dog spoke with a deep man's voice.

"When the time comes, follow me. I will give you what you want"

And as soon as it appeared, it melted into the shadows, leaving the red-head alone to faint out of the fear he just experienced.

  The golden rays of sunlight in the late morning woke Leon up, who groggily rubbed his eyes and got up. Despite sleeping through the night, he felt exhausted. He was unsure if what he saw in the darkness had been real or just a product of the stress before graduation. He looked at the clock on his nightstand, only to realize he had slept through his alarm and was already running late.

"Damn it"

He yelled exasperated as he jumped out of bed to get ready for his ceremony. He splashed some water face and combed his red curls a little bit just to hide the mark the pillow had left on his head. One of the maids brought up the finished suit his mother had bought the previous day. It was a beautiful dark grey suit, Italian cut, with an emerald green tie and a handkerchief to match. He quickly put it on, feeling it snug against his body. Despite the suit being tailored to his exact fit, the outward curve of his prominent stomach was still visible, putting a slight strain on the buttons. The emerald green tie did highlight his eyes, just like his mother told him before buying it. He took the cards for his upcoming speech and made sure he had everything ready for the ceremony. On his way out, he looked at his reflection on the big mirror in the hallway. Even after neglecting his appearance today, the beauty of the suit made him look almost distinguished. He felt strong, ready to sever his ties to this town and his past. It was going to be a memorable day, marking the beginning of his new life.

He arrived at the ground floor of the mansion, only to find it empty. A small note was laying on top of the little table next to the entrance.

"Your father and I went to the club for a quick workout. We'll see you later at school. Tell Charlie to drive you there if you don't want to take one of the cars."

He crushed the little note on his hands, feeling a pang of pain due to his parents' absence. It wasn't unusual for his mother to delegate accompanying him to the chauffeur, but Leon thought the day of his high school graduation was going to be different. He quickly dismissed any sorrow from his head, replacing it with a fiery determination. His speech today was also inspired by his aloof parents, who barely gave their only son a second thought. He looked at the big family portrait one last time. With this suit, he might have looked a bit like he belonged, but he knew the truth. His destiny was far away from this little town, which was below his expectations.

The school was buzzing with activity, with teachers running everywhere getting every last detail prepared, and students getting their graduation robes ready for the ceremony. Colorful banners decorated the main courtyard, where a scenario with a podium and a line of seats was built. The many rows of chairs in front of it were already filling themselves up with enthusiastic families, readying their cameras for their children's special moments. Leon scoffed at the scene, thinking how sad it was that this was going to be the only highlight in their offspring's life. He picked up his robe and valedictorian sash and headed towards his seat. In the distance, he saw Kevin arrive with both of his parents. The gorgeous stud was impeccably dressed in a beautiful sapphire blue suit. Every muscle was perfectly framed and enveloped in the expensive fabric, accentuating the dramatic angles his body formed. His dirty blond hair was perfectly styled in his usual messy style, and his white smile beamed stronger than the sun itself. Leon couldn't take his eyes off from his former friend, making an inhumane effort to remain focused on his goal. This day was going to be about him for the first time, not about Kevin.

The ceremony began after all the attendants took their seats, with the principal opening the day with a generic speech about school spirit and class fraternity. Leon fiddled with his cards nervously, the pressure of his big moment slowly starting to overcome him. He couldn't help but ask himself if he was willing to pull through it. After all, his classmates were still people deserving of respect, even if he considered them intellectually inferior. But then the memory of Kevin laughing with all of them, sharing the fabled fraternal bond the principal was talking about, and excluding Leon from their circle solidified his decision. The words he was going to say could be harsh, but it was something he felt entitled to share.

"And now, please welcome the Athens High class of 2019 valedictorian, Leon Machiavelli."

The sound of the applause woke Leon up from his daze, as he stood up and made his way to the podium. All the eyes in the audience were for the first time focused on him. The scorching sunlight made him feel a little light-headed, his hair matted with sweat, and his body sticking uncomfortably to his suit. He looked at the seats below him, squinting his eyes due to the sun's intense shine. All of the chairs were occupied, except two, very close to the front rows. Leon let out a sorrowful sigh, the last ember of hope of sharing this moment with his parents dying. He put his cards down, took a big breath, and started speaking.

"My fellow students of Athens High. The promised day is finally upon us, the day when we will finally take flight and begin the rest of our lives. Most of you don't even know who I am, but after today you will never forget my name. When I was writing this speech, I couldn't help but notice a few ironic facts that I would like to share with you. It is fitting that our school mascot is an owl because that is how I've felt all these years. I've dedicated countless hours to quietly observing your behavior, your desires, and every intricate social structure in our school, and I can't help but feel immense gratitude. Thanks to all of you, I've blossomed into the epitome of human intelligence and wisdom that I am today. And let me tell you why. After a long analysis, I've come up with the conclusion that my greatest fear is becoming as simple as one of you…."

Something beyond the sun's glare caught his attention. At first, he thought it might be a mirage caused by the burning heat, but the more he focused on it, the clearer it became. A shadow beneath a far tree looked eerily familiar. Leon's hands started to tremble in fear, as he recognized the black dog from last night staring at him from the distance, its glowing red eyes visible through the blinding sunlight. His entire speech suddenly vanished from his mind, together with the fleeting empowerment he was feeling moments ago. He fumbled nervously with the cards, only to drop them by accident.

"You….uh…..I…"

The echoes of his nervous words coming from the speakers resonated through the courtyard. Curious eyes focused on Leon, who quickly turned into a sweaty mess. He looked at Kevin in the front row, who had a worried look on his face. He felt a shame he had never felt before. Being humiliated in front of half the town was the last thing Leon wanted. He searched for the dog again, only for it to vanish without a trace. He looked at the public in defeat and managed to scavenge some last words to minimize the embarrassment.

"I want to thank you all for coming. Enjoy the rest of the ceremony."

With those last words, Leon left the podium and sank into his seat, wishing for the earth to swallow him. The principal took the microphone again and followed through with the protocol.

"Thank you, Leon, for those, uh, inspiring words. And now, we will present the students with their diplomas."

Leon sat in his place quietly, staring at the green grass. In his mind, the only thing that was present was the horrible feeling of embarrassment. Everything he had planned; all the preparation and previous excitement had been for nothing. The muffled sound of pomp and circumstance blasting out of the speakers was all he could hear, as the principal went through the line of students calling each of them to the podium and shaking hands with them. One face still stood out from the rest: Kevin's. One thing was failing in front of his classmates, but failing in the presence of the person he wanted to impress the most made everything worse. Now Kevin would never find out how well-off Leon thought he was despite being abandoned by the handsome jock. Somewhere inside the cacophony governing the courtyard, he heard his name, and without taking his gaze off the ground he stood up and picked up his diploma. He gave the principal a weak handshake and quickly slid back into his chair. This moment was indeed immortalized in his mind, but not in the way he intended.

Once all students got their respective acknowledgments, the ceremony ended with Oxford caps decorating the sky accompanied by deafening applause. Families reunited in the whole courtyard, hugging and blasting pictures everywhere. Leon was still in his seat when he saw both his parents approaching him.

"Honey, sorry we're late. How was your speech,” asked his mother without any hint of remorse in her voice. Leon was used to being left behind by his family, but this time he felt actual pain. If his parents were there, the only people with whom he shared some kind of superficial connection, he wouldn't have felt so helpless in the aftermath of his speech debacle. He looked up at his parents with cold wrath in his eyes, tears starting to slowly well up inside them.

"I don't ask much of you. I don't mind when you hide me at your parties, or when you go on extravagant trips without me. I just asked for your presence for one day. One day."

His reproaches were met by the unchanging poised faces of his progenitors. His mother was the first one to speak.

"Honey, not here. People are looking,” She said with a simulated smile.

"I don't care about your deluded picture of perfection, mother. You ruined the last time we were going to connect as a family. And for what? A sauna bath in your pretentious club."

His father's petrified face showed a glimpse of anger. The Machiavelli patriarch had never been very fond of his only child, considering him a nuisance and a liability for their public image. Leon just didn't fit well as the heir of the family's fortune, completely lacking charisma and skill to lead. In his eyes, the only thing his son did was cower behind his infinite collection of books in his room.

"Quit whining, Leon. You should be thankful your mother and I made time to come and congratulate you. Now, let's take a picture. We will discuss this back at home."

Leon's last hope of acceptance from his family died as soon as the flash from the camera was gone, his young heart completely overtaken by the coldness of rejection. His aloof parents then proceeded to greet the rest of the attendants. The young nerd felt completely lost inside the crowd. All he wanted to do was to get back home, pack his bags and leave on the next bus out of town. While he was analyzing the best way to scurry out of there, a sapphire flash caught his attention. He then looked towards it, only to find out the colorful splash of light came from Kevin, who was heading into the school through a side entrance. At first, he didn't pay too much attention to it, but then he saw the black dog from earlier following the handsome jock. After some consideration, Leon managed to conjure the courage to follow Kevin into the building, worried about what that black creature could do to his former friend. He pushed the door and entered the school's auditorium, only to find it dark and empty. The light to the locker rooms was on, so he made his way through the big hall towards it.

"Kevin? Are you in here?"

His nervous voice echoed through the rows of metal lockers. The air in the room felt damp and heavy, the lingering musky smell of sweaty athletes permanently staining the atmosphere. Something else was mixed in the aromas, a metallic scent, like rusted metal. He hesitantly stepped further into the locker room, his only companion being the sound of his footsteps on the tiled floor. The cold lights flickered from time to time, giving the entire scene a very ominous appearance. He turned around the corner and finally found Kevin in front of the sinks. He was staring emptily into the mirror, completely unaware of Leon's presence. The young nerd was terrified but kept approaching the young jock.

"Hey Kevin, are you alright?"

He said as he put a sweaty hand on Kevin's shoulder. He was able to perceive a red flicker on the jock's icy blue eyes, and then Kevin reacted to his touch.

"Leon, what's up? You look scared bro, are you alright?"

He said casually beaming his celebrity smile towards Leon, who just stared completely puzzled at the handsome jock.

"I saw a black dog follow you into the auditorium. Have you seen it?"

"Black dog? Bro, I really think the heat has started to affect you. I just came inside to freshen up a bit, but I haven't seen any black dog."

"But I swear I saw it come inside, I was a bit concerned it would attack you or anything. That thing has been roaming around school premises since the ceremony. I saw it during my...."

He made a pause, remembering the events that had just taken place moments before during the ceremony. The rage product of his humiliation returned to him.

"During my speech. Never mind, I can't say I'm surprised you're unable to notice even the most obvious things."

Kevin's smile faded from his face, his gorgeous gaze gaining the depth that bothered Leon so much because it made him care for a person he had convinced himself was below him.

"Leon, bro, I know things haven't been okay between us for a while. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel bad or something. I was just going with the flow, I never intended to hurt you. But I can't keep myself away anymore. If today is about a cycle, then there is something I need to set straight between us."

Leon's cold gaze lightened up a bit, curious about what he was talking about. He had never seen Kevin this nervous before. The young jock stared at the floor and fiddled nervously with his hands. The words came out a bit forced out of his mouth like someone was making him recite a memorized confession.

"I need to tell you something, but not here. Come to my place tonight for the party. Everyone will be there."

"I don't know Kevin. Parties aren't really my cup of tea…."

The handsome jock put his strong hand on Leon's shoulder and gave him a mischievous smile that not even the nerd's toughest defenses could resist.

"I promise to make it worth your while."

Leon hesitated for a second, completely incredulous for what he was hearing. He had already decided not to go to the party, but the day was not going according to plan. He could feel his heart beating almost out of his chest, excited and intrigued for whatever the jock was going to tell him.

"Sure, I'll see you there."

An eerie spark lit up behind Kevin's blue eyes, but Leon was so dumbstruck he completely missed it.

"Sweet bro, I'll see you later then. Nice clothes by the way."

Kevin then pulled the smaller man up for a hug, smothering him with his strong body. Leon could feel the hardness of his muscles through the expensive blue fabric. The jock then made his way towards the exit, leaving Leon in a disoriented haze. For a moment he completely forgot about the gruesome black dog and his failed speech, all he could see in his mind was Kevin's gorgeous smile.

  The sun was already setting when Leon arrived at the Volker residence. Many groups of his fellow students were approaching the mansion through the extensive courtyard, already with some drinks on their hands. The young nerd hesitated, his social anxiety crippling him for a moment. He still despised the rest of his class and saw no point in trying to interact with them. If he was going to this party, it was for Kevin only. Maybe something good would come out of this terrible day after all. When he crossed through the house's massive portal, he was immediately assaulted by an explosion of light and sound completely overwhelming his senses. A sea of young adults covered the big parlor and the adjacent rooms, drinking and dancing like there was no tomorrow. The big chandelier hanging from the ceiling was adapted to flash beams of light of different colors in all directions, and a DJ booth was installed on the far end of the formal living room, blasting some modern music Leon couldn't recognize. He was an absolute amateur when it came to partying, so he felt lost and scared inside the crowd. He tried looking for Kevin everywhere, but due to his short height, he wasn't able to look past a few heads before him.

Leon approached the drinking table and ordered a soda. He tried to find a quiet corner to drink in peace before resuming his search for his former friend, but everywhere he looked was swarmed by the inebriated guests. He was quickly losing his patience, as he was pushed around by the dancing crowd over and over again. Somehow, he found his way to the big spiral staircase leading to the upper floors and jumping over the barrier to keep attendants on the ground floor, he quickly went up a few steps to get a better overview. Despite gaining the higher ground, his attempts in finding his friend proved unsuccessful. He was about to give up and head back home defeated when something caught his attention through the mahogany banister. The monstrous-looking black dog was staring at him from above, its glowing red eyes visible despite the chaotic party atmosphere. After making sure the nerd saw it, it walked further up the stairs into the second floor.

Leon remembered what the beast had told him the night before, and followed it into the higher level of the mansion. Once he made it to the upper floor, he saw the dog walking through a long hallway and entering the furthest room. The young nerd continued his pursuit and found himself in what he assumed was Kevin's room. The lavish bedroom was decorated with all sorts of trophies and medals, as well as an entertainment system appropriate for an active teenager. Leon's attention was drawn to the row of portraits on the big bookshelf. Pictures of young Kevin in all sorts of family trips and sports events were displayed in delicate frames. One picture, in particular, stood out from the rest. Leon couldn't believe his eyes as he took the silver frame in his hands and stared at the photograph. A young Kevin had his arm wrapped around a young Leon, both sitting on top of a rock next to a river. They were laughing, radiating genuine happiness through the picture. Leon couldn't believe that after all those years, Kevin kept memories from their childhood so close to him. The young man the nerd considered his bitter rival and enemy never antagonized him.

The big glass door to the balcony opened suddenly, letting a warm gust of wind into the room. Leon put the picture back in its place and headed outside. The stunning twilight sky was painted in different shades of red, showering the scenery with crimson rays of light. The hot summer breeze rustled the leaves on the trees surrounding the properties, producing a serene sound that drowned the music from downstairs. The nerd stepped on the balcony, and finally found what he was looking for. Kevin was standing on the edge of the marble banister, watching the beautiful sunset.

"Kevin?"

The handsome jock turned around to face Leon. The only thing the young nerd could see were the icy blue eyes inside his former friend's shadow, his silhouette completely encased in a red halo product of the dying sunset.

"I knew you would come. Come here, I want you to look at this."

Leon stepped forward, taking place right next to the handsome jock. Kevin flashed his regular charming smile at the nerd, who instantly turned red as a beet. For an instant, he was thankful for this unusually bright sunset that hid the blush on his cheeks.

"I wanted this evening to go perfectly. And now that you're here it's finally complete."

"Just tell me what you want Kevin. We haven't talked in years and suddenly you take interest in me. I just want to know why."

Kevin diverted his gaze into the sunset, suddenly turning serious. Leon could see the distress in his eyes.

"I never lost interest in you Leon. It was you who pushed me away. You were the one that decided to stop hanging out with me."

Leon clenched his fists in anger, the painful memories of his friend exchanging him for more popular friends still poisoning his mind.

"How dare you say that! You were the one that went away, that grew into…."

He made a nervous pause, uncertain about what he was about to say. The wrath inside of him made him spill out the words without thinking.

"Into a mindless meathead. Look at us, Kevin. Your physical prowess is unparalleled, that's a fact. But I got what truly matters: a brilliant mind. I have preserved my psyche in the best way possible. I've resisted the allure of petty teenage necessities. And now, I'm in the way of becoming one of the most brilliant thinkers in recent years!"

Kevin turned around to face the angry nerd, who was on the brink of tears due to the pent-up rage he was feeling.

"Is that what you truly want bro? It sounds very lonely to me."

"I don't need anyone. Soon, I'll be where I'm supposed to. I don't mind being alone."

Kevin grabbed Leon's arm, pulling him closer. The nerd could feel the intense heat radiating from the hunk's body. He stared directly into his former friend's blue eyes.

"Are you sure you want to be alone? I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I got all the attention I want, from anyone. When you look like me, it's an easy task."

He said flexing his meaty arm, straining the soft blue fabric on the sleeves of his suit. Leon couldn't take his eyes off of Kevin's body, completely mesmerized by the jock's posing show. He failed to notice his friend's eyes shining in a dark red shade from time to time. The jock's voice turned from warm and concerned, into cold and aggressive.

"No matter how much you lie to yourself Leon, you want to be like me. To finally be accepted by everyone, including your parents. Picture it for a second. Finally, be worthy of being called your father's son. What use is your intelligence to the Machiavelli family, when you lack the courage to destroy your fears? Truth is, you're no more than a resentful dweeb."

Kevin continued flexing, taking off his suit's jacket, his movements starting to take on a seductive flair.

"Stop it. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course I know. I know everything about you bro, including your darkest secret."

Leon suddenly opened his eyes like plates, completely incredulous for what was coming out of the jock's mouth. It was impossible anyone knew how he felt about Kevin, he didn't tell anyone. Kevin smiled with a hint of malice, knowing he had Leon right where he wanted him. His blue eyes now shone in a permanent crimson hue.

"That's right, I know that you like me. Your mind is indeed a complex maze, but no psyche cannot be cracked open. I could feel the fear of being discovered practically pouring out of your pores."

Leon looked down in defeat, feeling the embarrassment bubble out of him. He knew this was too good to be true. Kevin approached Leon once again, taking his chubby face with his hands and pulling it up to face him. The nerd's green eyes were pooled with tears.

"There's no reason to be miserable. The reason I called you here tonight was to tell you I feel the same way about you."

Leon couldn't help but open his mouth incredulously, his mind still registering the words that just came out of the jock's mouth.

"Wha—what?"

"I've also never connected with anyone the way I connected with you. You know the real me, buried beneath this sculptural body. That means I also know the real you. You don't have to be alone."

The young nerd's sad frown slowly turned into a smile. His face was inches away from his friend's, feeling the jock's hot breath on his skin. And then he smelled it. The same metallic smelled he caught in the locker room back at school, only this time it was much more intense. He also took notice of Kevin's glowing red eyes.

"Wait, this is not right. What's happened to you?"

Kevin's grip on Leon's face tightened, his face gaining a sinister flair.

"I'm exactly who I'm supposed to be. The question here is: are you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you who you are supposed to be? I know the real you is buried beneath this intellectual façade. We just gotta pull him out."

Kevin started caressing Leon's overweight body, rubbing his torso over the suit's jacket. The young nerd was giving in to the moment, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of his friend's strong hands on his body. One last glimmer of resistance made him suddenly pull away.

"No. I don't want this. I'm above these carnal sensations. I've never done anything with anyone."

Kevin smiled, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt, exposing the ripped divide of his upper chest.

"I know you're a virgin, I don't have any problems with that."

"But I do. I don't want it to be this way. If it ever comes to it, I want it to be special."

Kevin's confident smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a displeased scowl.

"Look at this Leon. The sunset, the balcony, the hot summer air. You said it yourself, this is the end of one phase of our lives. Isn't this special enough for you?"

"I don't know Kevin; this doesn't feel right."

"Look, it's very simple. I want to be with you, and I know you want to be with me. I just need you to renounce this ridiculous virtuous perception of your virginity. Give in to your flesh, and your body will become what you truly desire."

"My body is okay as it is."

Said Leon embarrassed by the remark of the increasingly impatient jock.

"You know it isn't. All these years you have deceived yourself in thinking you value the brilliance of your mind when in reality it's what has alienated you from everyone. Relinquish that notion, and you shall have everything you desire."

The nerd looked at his friend nervously, completely unsure about what he wanted. He thought he was sure about who he was, but what Kevin said was true. What's the point of intelligence if all you need to be accepted is purely physical? Was brilliant wisdom worth the loneliness? While Leon dwelled in his thoughts, a shadow materialized on the corner behind him. What first looked like a black dog slowly grew into a human form, taking the appearance of an extremely muscular young man, his body full of scars. He planted his crimson red eyes on Kevin, who nodded in agreement as his face grew more sinister.

"I'll make it easy for you. Kiss me. If you do, I'll know you're ready to take the next step and leave your old self behind. You'll finally be better than anyone else, just like you wish. Be warned though, there will be no turning back."

Leon was then assaulted by all the painful memories of his past. The loneliness of growing up as an outcast, the abandonment of his parents, and the disconnection from everything and everyone started crushing him. He had an opportunity to have what he truly wanted, not what he convinced himself he wanted. Hypnotized by the jock's supernatural gaze, he approached his friend with determination. Standing on the tip of his feet, he placed his lips on his. Black smoke started enveloping them, completely encasing the entire balcony and isolating it from the world. Leon felt butterflies in his stomach, as the kiss continued to gain intensity. A scorching hot feeling started seeping into his being, product of Kevin's mouth. When he realized what he had done, it was too late. He was completely under the control of the handsome jock, who started to take on a dominant role, aggressively pushing his tongue into the nerd's mouth. The last thing he consciously realized was what that taste in Kevin's mouth was: blood.

Energy started seeping into Leon's body, slowly impregnating his being. He was lost in the intense feeling his connection with Kevin was causing. The waves of power-hitting his body started making his blood boil, turning his body into an incandescent mass. He was sweating profusely, as the energy coursing through his veins unleashed different chain reactions in his cells, resulting in a vastly increased metabolic rate. The fatty deposits inside of him started to melt away, vaporized to fuel the nerd's body's incredible energy demand. His pants fell, as the rest of the suit started to hang loosely from his body. The formerly chubby red-head was left practically only in skin and bones. Kevin broke the kiss and looked at what his friend had become. His green eyes were dull and lifeless, and his formerly round face was left looking severely malnourished. He smiled victorious, knowing the spell was doing its job. He needed the man in the back to complete the transference, so he called him forward to participate in the passionate scene.

Kevin took his finger, rubbing it on his friend's lips seductively, as the muscular man in the back slowly pushed down the shoulders of the now skinny nerd to the ground. In one swift motion, the handsome jock ripped his pants off his legs, exposing a menacing bulge that was quickly gaining size in front of Leon's entranced gaze.

"Is this what you wanted? To serve and pleasure me?"

Asked Kevin dominantly, looking down at his friend. Even though Leon was still watching everything going on, the sensations in his body were driving him like an automaton. A part of his consciousness still resisted, yelling desperately that he was better than what he was becoming, but it was slowly getting smaller as if it were burned away by the divine energy coursing through his veins. He answered in a stupefied voice, unable to resist the temptation

"Yes."

"Wrong answer."

Said Kevin fishing out his manhood from his briefs and putting it on the nerd's open mouth. The same metallic taste accompanied by other muskier aromas immediately assaulted Leon's senses. He licked and tasted the meaty tube inside of him, desperately worshipping it with his tongue. The scarred man behind him then pushed his head further into the jock's crotch, making him swallow the entire seven thick inches at once. Kevin then proceeded to drill inside his friend's mouth with aggressive thrusts back and forth. Each time the phallus penetrated the nerd's mouth, the pressure inside of him caused his bones to elongate. Each limb stretched several inches, along with his spine, leaving the nerd with over a foot and a half extra height. The hands holding the jock's legs cracked and grew, along with his formerly small feet. Once his skeleton stopped breaking, the scarred man pulled Leon to his feet, his pants staying on the floor. There was a fight between bliss and misery inside of him, causing a blast of emotions that quickly flooded his head. It was like his mind was inside a pressurized pot ready to explode.

"You are the one that has to be served and pleasured. You have to conquer fear."

Kevin lifted the now taller red-head with supernatural strength and flipped him around, exposing his naked rear. Leon fell forward, grabbing on to the scarred man to remain on his feet, and felt the scorching hot head of his friend's member rub menacingly on his crack. He desired him more than anything in the world, his carnal passion completely overtaking his puritanical nature.

"Once we finally break your mind, you'll be able to become the god you were chosen to be."

And with those last words, Kevin impaled his friend mercilessly, getting one last howl of agony out of the nerd. Leon felt as if a dam had broken inside his head, flooding his mind and washing his old self away. Kevin's thrusts started pumping more divine energy into the red-head, which traveled inside his body filling out his newfound emptiness. Pure pleasure caused him to moan loudly. His blood pumped new power into his whole body, causing his muscles to twitch and ripple responding to the strength. His glutes were the first part of his body to expand. The handsome jock's phallus was quickly being swallowed further by two inflating globes of muscle. It looked like he was humping a pair of overgrown watermelons. The growth spread down his legs, filling out his quads and hamstrings with thick columns of muscle, growing as thick as two oak trees. Deep cuts were etched painfully on them, the skin stretched to its limits over the massive muscles. His calves grew to match the upper legs, gaining enough size to rival a football. His feet expanded to accommodate the still coming weight.

The pumped energy seeped simultaneously into his core muscles. Veins started gaining thickness the more power flowed in them, changing the muscle underneath. His lower back took the form of a large spearhead, two pillars of muscle slowly crawling up his back. His lower abs popped into existence, framed by two increasingly large obliques. First two, then four, then six, and ending in eight grenade-sized bumps on his stomach. The muscular pillars on his back started flaring like two flags, spreading growth into the red-head's lat muscles. The suit's jacket couldn't resist the growth for long, shredding itself to pieces revealing the sweaty skin underneath. Kevin grabbed the growing back with lust, feeling the searing hot muscle underneath move and inflate. The man's lats spread wide like a fighter plane, the muscle fibers fighting to fit into the already large frame. Mountains and valleys decorated the expanse of the magnificent back before the thrusting jock.

His chest was the next to grow as if gravity was pulling the muscle downwards. Two massive slabs of flesh etched themselves in Leon's upper torso, increasing his weight and making him widen his stance to find his new balance. The inflating pecs rose higher too like they were trying to reach his chin, while the lower parts expanded themselves reaching the limit of the red-head's anatomy. Once the veins reached his shoulders, these exploded in growth, reaching the size of an ancient Grecian helmet. Divine blood pumped into his arms, his biceps swelling to the size of big cannonballs. His triceps expanded underneath his arms, quickly adding girth to the now powerful limbs, reaching the size of a Howitzer cannon. His lower arms etched themselves with strong sinews, growing as wide as baseball bats. His hands hardened and swelled with new strength, gaining the power to crush the hardest skull with ease.

Thick veins traveled up his neck, followed by thick muscle cords making it seem more like a bull's neck than a human's. Once his Adam's apple finished its transformation, his high moans of pleasure slowly turned into a low manly grunt. Muscle piled into the squaring jaw, giving him a cartoonishly hyper-masculine look. His cheekbones rose higher, and his nose grew and broke, filling in with thick tissue. His forehead expanded further, hooding his eyes and giving him a menacing look. Kevin accelerated the rhythm, reaching the mortal limits of his body.

"Taste true power brother, and take your place above those beings you always deemed inferior."

With one final thrust, he emptied his burning load into the titan in front of him. The divine seed seeped into every tissue, making his body gain even more thickness than before. The muscles gained the strength and prowess of the best warrior the world had ever seen. The essence then corrupted what was left of his being, turning him into a new deity. Blood flowed out of his pupils, forever turning the former green eyes to an intense crimson hue. A new personality engraved itself in his head, growing increasingly aggressive the more he became aware of his existence. His puritanical nature was replaced with an insatiable lust for flesh, either in sex or in battle. His enviable knowledge was replaced by a killer instinct that made him a fearsome foe for whoever was misfortunate enough to challenge him. Eons of battle techniques and combat prowess flourished inside of him, aging him into a man in his masculine prime. The former erudite was reborn in the form of the fiercest warrior in the world. And as such, his nature turned dominant, making him displeased about the situation he was in. He stood up, now much larger than the two other men next to him.

"That's more like it,” He said in a deep voice, flexing his new muscles. Kevin and the other man stared triumphantly at their creation, watching the giant relish in his raw strength. They both felt a psychic bond form with the titan, now that he gained dominion over them. The former Leon turned to face them, his glowing red eyes staring at the scarred man with lust.

"I'm still not quite there yet. Come, brother. It's your time to serve me."

He pushed the muscular man on the banister and grabbed his own still tiny penis. He could barely hold it with his massive hands, the 4 inches stuck out barely enough for his fingers to grab. With inhuman strength he pulled the muscular man's ass apart, exposing the coveted goal for his manhood. He managed to penetrate the scarred man, and another wave of pleasure assaulted him, making him roar in bliss. He started thrusting into the man with such force it started cracking the solid banister underneath. The lesser deity moaned delighted, as he felt the member inside of him grow further, pushing deeper into his body. The titan's phallus grew to heroic proportions, gaining almost 8 inches in length and resembling a thick torpedo. The balls slapping the man's muscular thighs expanded as well, dropping lower to bovine proportions. New hormones started pumping into the giant, altering its appearance even further. Kevin watched smiling as his red curls receded a bit on his head and turned pitch black, along with his eyebrows, which grew thick and arched themselves upwards. His face started taking on a more exotic look, his lips thickening and his nose growing a bit more. The black bubble around the fornicating gods started breaking, dark smoke seeping into every pore of the giant. His pale skin darkened to a light brown, and dark follicles started popping out of his entire body. His manly jaw was quickly covered by a shadow, which grew into a magnificent black beard. The hair was so thick the skin underneath was not visible. A carpet of black hair covered his body, growing thicker on his crotch and under his arms. He kept thrusting with increased fury, feeling his own divine seed churn in his balls. He was drenched in sweat, a manly aroma quickly surrounding him. He smelled like old iron, like burnt gunpowder, like a warrior in his prime. With a powerful roar, he exploded inside the scarred man, fully cementing his new birth as Assad, the king of war.

The scarred man dropped to the ground completely exhausted, leaving Assad standing naked under the crepuscular sky. The jock scanned the titan from top to bottom, savoring every aspect of the new god before him. Assad barely gave him a second look, his old knowledge and memories gone.

"Father will be very pleased."

"Indeed I am."

A bone-chilling voice came out of the shadows in front of them. Assad watched as the god of war emerged from the darkness in his full glory. Ares rarely smiled, but he couldn't help to curl his lips up a little bit once he saw his sons' creation. He was right in delegating his power and the transference to them. Assad immediately fell on one knee, bowing respectfully before his master.

"You bred it into a full warrior, well done."

Kevin just smiled solemnly, accepting the god's compliments. Ares suspected the chosen one had to renounce voluntarily to his virtue to achieve its fullest potential. That is why he let the natural lust do his task for him. He provided the essence; the rest came from the new champion.

"Ready to serve milord.” Said Assad without lifting his gaze.

"And you will. I gave you a new life as a descendant of humanity's most powerful warriors, and in exchange, I own you now. There's something I need you to do. If you succeed, you will be allowed to take a place next to me as a worthy god. I want you to destroy the goddess Athena."

Ares then took his spear and cut his arm open. Ichor fell to the ground, taking the shape of a golden sword. Assad took the weapon in his hand, feeling its power course through him. A shining bronze armor formed around his torso, along with a helmet and a red cape. Ares was satisfied by the look of his new pawn.

"Meet me in Greece, by the feet of Mount Olympus the night of the next full moon."

"Yes, milord. I won't fail you."

With a powerful kick of his legs, the giant leaped into the sky, disappearing in the red horizon. Ares approached the banister and stood next to his sons, watching his creation advance towards his destiny.

"You can get off that meat suit now, Phobos."

Kevin's face produced one last sinister smile, as a dark shadow stepped out of him, his body falling to the ground completely unconscious. The black mass took the form of another overly muscular scared man, identical to the one still laying on the ground.

"This was way too easy, father."

"Don't be arrogant. Influencing a mortal's free will is no easy task. It's different than just persuading them with fear, as you might know."

"I didn't have to do much. This mortal in particular had very strong feelings for the champion. I just had to break his self-control barrier a bit. And I admit I let him feel some of the pleasure too, although I'm sure Deimos there had way more enjoyment."

Ares stood silently staring into the sunset. He made sure he created the best warrior of them all. He proved that the virtues so dearly preached by his stuck-up sister were vulnerable to his raw strength. He chose to let the champion be corrupted by his own desire. This was going to be his opportunity to eclipse his siblings and get his father's acceptance. He looked at his son, able to see the beauty underneath the godling's intimidating appearance. Aphrodite's image came back to him, remembering the unbreakable bond both gods possessed. He wondered if she would be capable of moving against Zeus. The goddess of beauty was not to be underestimated, so Ares spared no effort in creating the best Champion he could to compete.

"So, you interfered with the mortal's love interest. Your mother wouldn't approve."

#musclegrowth #transformation #championofolympus

[samiralula01]

Jason Todd is the Anti-Batman

* A pointless rambling of the relationship and parallels between Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd.

Picture this opening scene: There are two boys in a dark alley.

One is dressed in an expensive suit with a tie his dead father helped him with only earlier that evening. His hands are stained red with the same blood now puddled on the grimy cement. His face is in shock.

The second boy is dressed in tattered jeans and hoodie. His hands are stained with tires grease and are clutching a tire iron. His face is in shock.

Decades later, there are two more scenes to consider.

A seriously injured man sits slumped over in his father’s study. Without warning, a bat crashes through the window, and everything falls into place. He now knows what he needs to do.

Elsewhere, an emotionally distraught teenager is curled up into a fetal position on a hotel room floor. Heart wrenching cries can be heard from him. But it is only momentary. He now knows what he needs to do.

These two individuals are Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd. While they are both broken and determined men, Batman is a hero. The Red Hood is not. He is the anti-Batman and this is why.

Two Boys in an Alleyway

Despite similarities in their stories’ early themes and elements, Bruce and Jason came to walk down very different paths. One of justice, and the other vengeance. Batman is determined to protect the innocent and Jason more so on punishing the guilty. Both their ideologies have intrinsic flaws, of course, and will naturally clash often. But this wasn’t always the case.

Before they became a father and son perpetually in mourning for who they once were and what could have been, Bruce and Jason were remarkably similar. The two are cut from the same cloth and Bruce knows this better than anyone else.

In the Dumpster Slasher three-part story line, (Batman #414, #421, #422) Bruce becomes emotional. Violent. He sits in the batcave alone that night and contemplates his emotions.

“Nearly blew it. I let it get too personal. Lost my detachment...nearly lost control. Almost beat Cutter to death. Wouldn’t have been any big loss.”

Only one issue later, at the end of this story arc, Robin is out on the streets and becomes angry when he happens upon a pimp is threatening a prostitute with a knife. Now, I want you to compare his line here to Bruce’s and note what Jim Gordon said to him as well.

Batman: "I think he’s had enough, Robin. What were you trying to do, kill him?" Robin (Jason): “Would it’ve been that big of a loss if I had?”

It is important to note here that Batman is not worried or upset just because Jason roughs up a pimp. That would be hypocritical considering his own earlier actions. If anything, it’s because one of the main reasons Batman even takes in these kids, these ‘robins,’ is because he doesn’t want them to be like him.

And Jason was acting just like him.

Jason can and has screwed up and failed due to his own actions, but it was never the reason Batman became upset with him. His reactions in the comics when Jason does things like running ahead and ‘jumping the gun,’ are more like this:

He either makes a teaching moment out of it or is attempts to understand Jason’s reasons in doing any such thing. When Bruce does become harsh in his discipline, it’s either when he feels as though Jason has endangered his own life or as I said, he acts too much like him.

While there are quite a few more similarities between Bruce and Jason that makes them alike, such as both being introverted and interested in obtaining all sorts of knowledge that they might not even feel is relevant, they are both, at the core of their characters, deeply caring and compassionate people.

The differences only start to show with how they act on it.

The Not-So Dynamic Duo?

“What happened to you as a child, the terror, the pain, the horrors (...) you were broken, and I thought I could put the pieces back together. I thought I could do for you what could never be done for me. Make you whole.”

Hot take. Jason Todd is a villain and is best written as a villain. 

Not in that campy way like he’s written during Dick and Damian’s Batman and Robin run while wearing that stupid pill-headed hood, (although, I grant he has a few lines that are enjoyable to read) but in all his serious, vengeful and downright brutal motives. 

The Red Hood is the perfect Batman villain because he’s so different from what the widely perceived perfect foil to the controlled and disciplined Bat is...the Joker. 

The Red Hood was vengeance at its purest. It is justice without being tempered by mercy. It is the rage of victims who were forgotten to become statistics. While other vigilantes wait for a cure, hope for rehabilitation, and pretend their system works, the Red Hood is a man of no such faith.

And this makes him a villain. And a damn good one.

During the Red Hood’s time as a crime lord in Gotham, he goes around blowing up buildings. He throws grenades into trucks. He mows down his competition with gunfire. Batman comes upon the bloodied hanged corpse of a man he was finished interrogating. 

But what is so compelling about this all is that before all the murder, all the guns and explosions, Jason Todd was a very different little boy. And all the great and memorable villains start that way.

The Joker is not someone you’re meant to sympathize with or even understand. In fact, I find him more terrifying because he’s unknown. He has no backstory (unless you want to believe the one he gave in Killing Joke, but the clown has a new story for every face he meets) and seemingly does what he does for a laugh of all things.

Jason Todd is in pain. He’s traumatized. Betrayed. Buried. Replaced. He is no one’s son because his father abandoned him.

Once upon a time, Jason Todd was a boy who saved himself. One of the biggest lies that Batman himself perpetuates is that he saved Jason from a life of crime. He tells Alfred that Jason was always dangerous. Bruce simply took him off the streets before he could be any worse.

But I don’t believe that’s true.

Jason grew up surrounded by crime, poverty, substance abuse and yet this amazing kid saved himself everyday by making a conscious choice to be kind and care about school, care about keeping his mother alive for over a year when he was just a child himself. That amazing kid was magic. 

Jason Todd as Robin was magic.

“Jason smiles. A bright smile. The kind Robin, the Boy Wonder should have.”

A good portion of his character’s assassination was in order to push the Tim is the perfect Robin idea. It was editorial decisions. The same ‘suits’ who insisted that Tim Drake be the Robin in the New Adventures cartoon despite having Jason’s backstory and personality. But I digress on that. 

Jason Todd was an introverted, studious, and emphatic person. He wanted to make friends with other kids his age even though he was a loner at heart. He joined the school baseball team and was a class officer, even if his training kept him from most social interactions.

He was also very much in tune with non-verbal cues and small changes in the environment around him. He was a thoughtful person who could be found admiring the stars or passing by scenery. When he teams up with the New Teen Titans, we get to see these aspects of his personality:

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful before. We’re actually riding above the clouds.”

“Every so often, I notice you become awfully agitated...like something was going on you didn’t want to be part of. Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

It didn’t take Bruce long to fall in love with this boy and ask to legally adopt him. He found him to be smart, thoughtful, quick at learning and funny as hell. Their first meeting opens with Batman laughing in the very same alley his heart was ripped out decades earlier. 

Even in the Rebirth canon, (RHATO #48) we see that Bruce is already set on taking in Jason while he’s still with Ma Gunn’s school. He likes this kid. A lot.

“Butler, actually. You’ll meet him someday, I’m sure.”

Jason Todd was happy. Most of the time. Unfortunately, he still wrestled with depression and would sleep all day on occasion and could be found crying hidden away on his own, withdrawn from the concerned Bruce and Alfred.

In A Death in the Family, Alfred and Bruce sit down and discuss Jason’s worsening mental health, particularly after the Diplomat’s Son where Jason becomes witness to sexual assault, suicide and the failings of both Batman and the GCPD to protect innocent people. Barbara, his tutor, someone he cared about and got along with, is also shot a few months earlier.

Bruce thinks Jason has become suicidal. Alfred does not disagree with this theory and supplements it with things he’s observed himself about the ‘lad.’

“I’ve come upon him, several times, looking at that battered old photograph of his mother and father, crying. When he’s seen me, he’s hidden the picture and left the room, refusing to talk.”

It is then that Jason discovers the truth about his mother at the worst possible time, when he’s not even thinking straight, and thus leads way to the tragedy that will be his murder at the hand’s of the Joker.

The Curse of Jason Todd

“Do you have any idea what you have done?! Do you? You have no inkling of what you’ve created -- what you have unleashed! You have set free a curse upon this world!”

Red Hood: Lost Days, which depicts Jason’s dark post-resurrection origin, opens with Ra’s al Ghul bellowing this line, the steam from the Lazarus Pit still rising off of him. 

I’m not going to analyze this line, I’m just using it to supplement a point of mine I hope I’m getting through well enough. The Red Hood is a compelling, tragic villain. He is similar to Batman in ways that Bruce always knew and may have even feared because of how intimately he knows his own deepest, darkest thoughts. Jason is the perfect foil as an antagonist for him because of what he represents to Bruce.

And it’s not his anger, or his rage, or even his brutality. 

It’s his compassion. His caring. His emotions. And how they can open up the worst parts of themselves. 

Both are motivated by preventing whatever trauma happened to them from ever happening to anyone else. They both trained for years with this motivation. And they’ve both acted out on the very person who inflicted their trauma onto them.

Here’s where their paths start to differ, however, and what separates them with a line of morality.

They both get angry. They both care so damn much. About Gotham, about innocents, about each other. They both get too emotionally invested and deal with consequences related to that. To manage with that, Bruce shuts down. He creates all these choices, rules and symbols. He uses every ounce of his self control to keep them. 

Bruce Wayne is not a good person. He forces himself to be with discipline and will. He chooses to be a good man and constantly pushes himself to live up to that. Because it’d be too damn easy to be just like the Red Hood.

Jason doesn’t understand that. Because no matter what Bruce had done or will do, he doesn’t hate him. He can’t. Despite his denial of the fact to different people, he still thinks of Bruce as his father. This great figure that so many others revere and are even intimidated by.

He’s not the only bat-kid to think of Bruce in this light despite the fact that the man is not. It took Dick years to overcome that perception. Tim only just started to begin understanding this true nature after his own father was murdered. 

But even if he did understand his (once)father, he still became the complete opposite of him despite so many early parallels. He doesn’t hold back his words and emotions, he doesn’t go into a state of controlled dissociation or emotional disengagement.

Jason Todd—the Red Hood—is Batman without all his rules and control. In a way, he’s what the darkest part of Batman himself wants to be. Jason does what Batman can’t do when it’s needed.

Because in Batman’s book, life beats out justice. Even if he could take down abusers and murderers, he won’t. He will choose saving and protecting lives over the apprehension of killers...he always does.

Batman is justice. Red Hood is vengeance.

Jason is a victim’s fantasy. He punishes and kills the guilty. Something Batman won’t do.

He is the anti-Batman for better or for worse.

#jason todd #bruce wayne #comic meta

[themovieblogonline]

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Review: A Monstrous Mess

Last year, the world was taken by storm by the release of Godzilla Minus One, and for good reason. Up to that point, audiences had been graced with thirty-six movies in the Godzilla franchise and while they're all somewhat entertaining, Minus One set a new standard for how these movies should be made, and to make things even more impressive, it was made on a budget of just $10-12 million. While that's still obviously a lot of money, it's absolutely nothing compared to what budgets are being tossed into Hollywood productions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqrpMRDuPfc For example, the last film in the MonsterVerse franchise, Godzilla vs. Kong, had a budget of $155-200 million. It's not an awful movie by any means, but it's also nothing special whatsoever. It's a big popcorn action spectacle but it offers nothing in terms of real substance like Minus One does. Perhaps that film just set the standards too high, or maybe it's just that Adam Wingard's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire isn't all that good. If you're literally looking for nothing else other than to see these two colossal beasts battle big monsters for two hours, then you'll probably have some fun with this one. But personally, I found myself being quite bored relatively often and couldn't help but wish I was watching Minus One instead. Heck, even Kong: Skull Island is better than this movie. The plot weaves together elements from previous MonsterVerse movies. We follow Kong as he discovers a tribe of his kind in the hidden depths of the Hollow Earth and encounter Godzilla as he polices the balance between humans and titans on the surface. The introduction of a tyrannical ape leader, Skar King, and the climatic-manipulating titan, Shimo, serves as the catalyst for an unprecedented alliance between Godzilla and Kong. This should set the stage for a monumental clash; however, the film becomes bogged down in its own complexities. One of the major issues with The New Empire is its pacing. The first act delves into the intricacies of Hollow Earth with a meticulousness that, while visually impressive, does little to advance the plot. When the story does pick up speed, it often feels rushed, leaving little room for character development or emotional investment. This is particularly disappointing given the strong performances from the returning cast. Rebecca Hall's portrayal of Dr. Ilene Andrews, Kaylee Hottle's nuanced performance as Jia, and Brian Tyree Henry's comic relief as Bernie Hayes stand out, but the script does not provide them with enough material to truly shine. The new characters, too, are underdeveloped. Dan Stevens' character, Trapper, and Alex Ferns' Mikael, are given significant screen time. However, their backstories and motivations remain frustratingly opaque. This lack of depth extends to the titular titans. Kong's connection with Jia, a highlight of the previous film, is underutilized, and Godzilla's character arc feels repetitive. Their eventual alliance, while epic in scale, lacks the emotional punch that fans of the franchise have come to expect. Visually, the film is a triumph. Wingard's direction shines in the battle sequences, particularly the climatic showdown in Rio de Janeiro. The CGI rendering of Godzilla, Kong, and the new titans are meticulously detailed. The film brings these iconic characters to life with stunning realism. The set pieces in both the Hollow Earth and the surface world are equally impressive. Overall: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a film of contrasts. It boasts spectacular visual effects but is let down by a convoluted plot. Fans of the MonsterVerse will find elements to enjoy, and the battles between titans are undeniably thrilling. However, as a standalone film, it struggles to find coherence in its grand narrative vision. It's a disappointing addition to the storied franchises it represents.