#if marvel can make complicated time circumstances. so can i

[makeshiftcoop]

Misfits - Core Tapes (or my first attempt at game blogging)

Disclaimer: I will update this text with some frequency, and it will be fixed here. I know it's a mess right now, sorry!

So, for a while, im kind of making a game.

Something that can mix my obsession growing up with comics and the newfound success of media that deals with powers and mutations and subverts the "Marvel Style".

So, Misfits is my Post-OSR-Resistance attempt to that. Inspired by stuff that i like from the OSR and Post-OSR corners of the ttrpg designsphere (like Bastionland, Mothership, Songbird 3e, Eco Mofos and Lost Bay), by things from Rowan, Rook and Decard and they Resistance games, and by a myriad of other influences on rules lite games like 24XX, Offworlders, Lumen and etc etc etc

I expect to post more about it here soon but, for now, those are the bones of Misfit. I have to shout it to the void before making other stuff. Hope someone enjoys it's initial vibe:

1. MISFITS MUGSHOTS (Character sheet):

Stats (1 point each and assign 5. No Stat can get to 6):

- Body (Physical experiences, agility, strength, throwing punches, jumping between buildings) 

- Vibe (Social experiences, charisma, etiquette, flirting, bluffing) 

- Weird (Unreal experiences, spirit, soul, sixth sense, your PWRZ, searching metaphysical insight, harming extracorporeal entities)

- Brains (Intellectual experiences, logical thinking, riddle solving, not falling for bullshit)

Moodboard: Pick a few and expand on it's vibe (coming soon, but it's basically a style section. it's important to look cool and pretty) 

Stuff: Important stuff to use or carry around. Things that cause harm have a stress die attached. Other stuff can be used contextually to gain an extra die, success on a action, clear stress, etc.

PWRZ: Cool powers. They usually have a stress (damage) tier, a flavor description and a mechanical effect. (Pick a passive PWR and one for each weird point) 

- Passive

- D4 

- D6

- D8

- D12 

- D20 

Quirk (Some different mechanics of the Mugshot):

2. ACTING

- When attempting an action with uncertain outcomes or where complications could be interesting, roll d6s with the most approriate stat (I think as ways of doing or feeling things).

- Always roll at least one dice. If in advantage or disadvantage add or subtract dice as seem fitting. If disadvantaged below zero, start to roll and pick the worst.

- Stats are meant to be flexible and open to creative problem solving.

- Misfits can throw a knife with their Body, their Brains or even with their Weird after using the knife for years, getting attached and naming it Poco.

- Stuff and people can have complex relations with Stats (seeing status as ways of feeling) that may allow creative interpretations.

- Nothing just fails. Something always happen in the world.

- If an action is too complex to be solved with a single roll or take space and time to develop it's a PLAN. A complexity will be defined in a CLOCK format between 4 and 12 segments, where the Misfit will be able to act to advance those segments until completion. Failing in actions related to the PLAN can start an opposite clock with consequences, expand it's segments or even collapse the entire PLAN with approriate (and possible disastrous) consequences (I see PLANS as a way of extending actions into sequences, helping to streamline the play and also raising the stakes. It's a way I enjoy to play especially solo)

3. DICE RESULTS:

1-3: A failure. But more than that, an outcome that didn't met the expectations. Some complications arrived, the competition was fiercer than it looked like, the stakes are now higher, the context changed. Stress can be suffered. 

4-5: A success with complications. A twist, new element or context can enter the situation as well.

6: Success. Clean success, the narrative moves forward as intended 

More than one 6: Critical success. More stress dealt, more favorable circumstances, sunshine and rainbows.

4. STRESS:

A track that goes to 10 that stores all the Misfit's misfortunes. Everytime you receive stress from any source unless your PWRZ (be it physical harm, a very embarassing interaction or mental overload from a paracausal entity) fill the track and roll a D10. If the result goes under the current stress value, the Misfit suffer a Strike. A concrete manifestation of consequences related to one of the stats. 4 Strikes and you are OUT. If the stress comes from your PWRZ you just fill the track withou rolling for strikes. Your PWRZ themselves can't take you out but they will make you frail.

5. HURTING THINGS (AND GETTING HURT) 

- The combat is dynamic, focused on player facing rolls. 

- The Misfits always go first, unless taken unprepared. 

- Enemies attacks come with results of Failures or Success with complications. 

- The turn goes on in Vibe order. Any action can be attempted. Failing actions in combat usually leaves the Freak exposed to being hurt. 

- Foes have particular behaviors as described on UNEASY THINGS (future zine with threats). When the resistence of a foe hits 0 it's dead. Most will not fight until that point. But some will.

6. THE EVERYDAY AND THE SANDBOX (It's in a new post!):

- What you do?

- Conspiracies and Happenings (to gain Fame)

- Spend FAME to create PLANS and make your Happenings, Factions and know more Faces

- PLANS: Complex actions that require time and multiple efforts (Flirting, Making Friends, Organizing a Party, Creating a Bowling Club, Investigating a Murder, etc)

- MESSY SCENES!: Complex moments with big stakes that deserve narrative spotlight. Like: A Chase, Fighting Big Things, Fucking, Karaoking, Dueling,

- The game can be played with as many complexities as wanted. Some PLANS and MESSY SCENES can be easily diluted to one rolling, simple combat or just roleplaying without dice. But i think those are nice procedures to Solo play and also for some types of Group Play, easing players into narrative control within their MESSY SCENES and framing clearly objectives with the PLANS

7. FAME (you guessed right, coming soon): 

- Solving Conspiracies and helping FACES out in Happenings grants FAME. 

- FAMOUS Misfits can really alter the Everyday, starting factions, throwing up legendary ragers, becoming marketable capers or even starting an revolution. 

8. CREDIT/GETTING STUFF

- Misfits always have enough to get by. Some start with a little more, as can be seen by their Mugshot or Moodboard.

- Credit is abstracted in 6 tiers that follow the PWRZ tiers and can be used to buy stuff, define "loot" and payments.

-Acquiring things that are into your credit tier is mundane and simple. Everything above your credit tier requires either some valuable stuff or you will be In Debt

- While In Debt you can't buy nothing above the misfit tier, and have to get some loot to sell, win some reward for a happening, or go to The Board and find some Job

-To change your Credit tier you don'thave to hoard riches, but get known. The only way to upgrade your credit tier is investing Fame.

TIERS: 1. Misfit/simple (resources with no die value. worthless in trading/selling) 2. Working class (D4) 3. Degree haver (D6) 4. Up and coming (D8) 5. Money mover (D12) 6. Filth rich (D20)

9. WRONGDOING - Every Misfit has already beem accused of some kind of wrongdoing. It can be true or it can be made up. Fact is, a Misfit can't really stay put and live a normal life cause they already have been stripped of the normality.

10. PATH - Also a future exploration here, but the idea is having another layer of personality and a goal beyond "live life, make friends, fight the system" for Misfits. My idea here is to eventually get to something like Beats from The Heart, turning Paths as ways of getting more powerful:

An exploratory list of Paths: - Hedonist - Communitary - Explorer - Revolutionary

#ttrpg #rpg #game design #indie rpg

[sallysavestheday]

9. Your favourite fanon

10. A popular character you actually really like and why

11. Recommend a fic with an unusual/original headcanon or characterisation that you loved

Thanks for the ask! From this list.

9. Glorthelion, always. I can't...stop...writing them. I love the way they balance each other and at the same time make each other more complex. So much angst potential! So much romance! Intensely together for the worst of the Beleriand experiences, then separated for two Ages! The pining! The secret tenderness! The sly competition! The absolute joy! Yes. Them.

10. I'm also very fond of Fingon. But not cinnamon-roll Fingon. Sharp-edged, warlordy, kinslaying, Orc-slaughter-enjoying Fingon who can't sit still and REALLY doesn't want to be king but does the best he can under the circumstances because he is STUBBORN and optimistic and determined to win through to some sort of peace with honor after all he has done. I do endorse a good Russingon, but I'm also happy to read their relationship as a tense but enduring friendship, which is essential to the Long Peace but not necessarily good for either of them. He's complicated: heroic, tragic, terrible, wonderful, god-touched, Doomed. I love him.

11. I adore @cycas' Nimloth. She features in Return to Aman as a very minor but memorable character, and in Heart and Head, in both cases interacting marvelously with Celegorm. Nimloth!!

#asks and answers #fic recs #glorfindel #ecthelion #fingon #nimloth #celegorm

[liz-allyn]

I know I mostly when I read the chapters I take my time and sit with the chapter and think about it and read other people's review of the chapters and then come to you with what I think but I feel like this one deserves an instantaneous reaction from me also because this and pt 18 I'm probably never going to re read again depending heavily on what the ending of this story or the next few chapters of gonna be like let's get to the point now shall we ? I cried.....I cried heavily while reading the last parts of this chapter whatever healing my poor heart might have seen with honey realising her love for Peter and her acceptance of him as he his no changes is completely undone by the ending of this chapter I can say with full confidence no matter what the ending of the story may this chapter was the most painful for me to read and will remain so there were beautiful moments in this chapter too which might get overshadowed or overlooked given how this part ends so I want to talk about those first Peter has the power to simultaneously heal and my heart and hammer a nail in it to break into a million pieces I feel like he has the same power over honey and I'm glad she acknowledges that their relationship dynamic is way too complicated and had way too dependent on circumstance to fully judge who is in the clear here and who is not I have grown to become very protective of honey as a character more than I expected when Miguel was questioning her I was cheering for Felicia to shut him the fuck up and I hope honey learns this too that she has done absolutely 💯 nothing wrong and can do no wrong at least In my eyes she has been innocent has she made a few missepts along the way sure but what ever she has done so far comes from a very rational place you can clearly see if you aren't funking blind Miguel ( according to me ) so yeah her realising that despite the confusing thoughts of wanting to shoot Peter but wanting him to be alive at the same time she is completely irreverently in love with him warms my heart especially the scene where she says she doesn't want him any other way might be one of my favourite moments of them so far Peter choosing to go back to her and Gwen being proud of hum ahhhh this is the good pain the good type like that sting you get in the back of your throat if you drink really aged whiskey it hurts so good it made me feel so emotional ...

...now we must talk about the elephant in the room with the ending let's Disscuss your slow killing me heart and then breaking it apart carefully with a very vert sharp dagger now shall we ? Eddie going away was something I never expected I too like honey was expecting a last minute miracle that would save him but sadly was I mistaken oh boy was i mistaken this was the first stab the tearing apart of heart and tearing up of eyes starts with Nancy why the long face followed but several harsh stabs i don't want to count all the way to Eddie's ending words I cried a lot no joking this is why I've come to love your writing so so much in angst scenes because I love angst but I dread reading it in 's and v cause you've made me so emotionally invested I will say I recognize se that Eddie's death is gonna make honey and Peter avenging his death even more satisfying and raise the stakes even higher than before this doesn't make it any less easier to read this was pain beautiful pain and I relish it but you must also give us an au after this where Eddie is best man at Peter and honeys wedding cause I don't want to live in a world where we don't have that au that's gonna be fully canon in my head I still can't believe we are jnching so close to the ending of this magnificent story you've done such a marvelous job writing youre my hero I love and adore you drink water

🌌

My beautiful beautiful galaxy anon:

I look forward to every one of your asks. I just want you to know!

And I hope the good parts of this story feel like a hug from me to you, because that’s the goal.

Every time I thought about that scene, questioning who it would be and why it was necessary, I kept coming to the conclusion that it’s totally necessary and also horribly heartbreaking. I care a lot about the versions of these characters I made. I love them! And I want each choice to matter. I want their sacrifices and convictions and consequences to matter.

I have such a deep relationship with this story, and much of that is thanks to you, and other very kind supporters who have expressed all the emotions with me.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:

As much as I break you down, I will build you back up.

Love you! I’m gonna get water now

#spoilers for pt 19 #spoilers #💬 sugar and vice #🌌.txt #your comments and reviews have been worth the struggle of writing this #review angels 💜 #spoilers ahead

[dreamlogic]

something i've been working on in therapy that's been really helpful in healing from trauma & re-learning how to trust myself after years of gaslighting & emotional abuse has been practicing accepting multiple difficult truths. for example:

"whether intentionally or by mistake, i said/did something hurtful, and now i need to take accountability & do my best to mend that harm & avoid repeating it" can be true at the same time as "i am a fallible, imperfect human being and it's normal/natural for me to make mistakes. i'm dealing with a lot right now and it's very hard to change deeply ingrained patterns, so i need to have compassion & forgiveness for myself when i mess up."

"i genuinely love my family/partners/friends and have good memories with them. they have treated me well at times and are not irredeemably evil for their faults" can be true at the same time as "this person has hurt me in a way i can't forgive, or they are preventing me from healing and thriving. it is no longer good for me to be around them"

"i don't want this and need to establish firm boundaries around what i am/am not willing to do in this circumstance & with this person for my own well-being. it is good and healthy for me to say no regardless of the impact it has on others" can be true at the same time as "i know that this boundary hurts your feelings and denies you access to something you want/need. you are allowed to be upset about it, and i still care about your feelings" (this one goes both ways! when someone sets a boundary with you that is difficult for you to accept, it's good and healthy for you to feel your feelings about it, and still equally important to respect that boundary!)

the world is full of messy difficult contradictions, and when you've been conditioned to doubt your own perceptions, or otherwise discouraged from being honest with and trusting yourself, that can be a huge source of stress and discomfort. my therapist has been encouraging ways to "expand windows of tolerance," essentially meaning getting more comfortable with ambiguity, and practicing holding complicated truths without feeling threatened by them. it's honestly so liberating to be able to break down absolutist good/evil dichotomies and be able to say "yes, and..." give yourself the gift of being complex and nuanced. embrace your multitudes. find the central thread of your intuition and marvel in all the ways it can interact with the vast subjectivity of the world around you. it will help you be kinder & more authentic to yourself, and more discerning & compassionate towards others.

#do i contradict myself? very well then i contradict myself. i am vast. i contain multitudes. #and so does everyone else! #and that can be liberating instead of threatening! #mental health blogging #recovery tag #idk if this makes any sense but it's been a big help for me to shift my thinking in this way #ctxt

[firesnap]

I think I could write an essay about how ya novels and especially tiktok has contributed to lack of critical thinking in my peers and how these days books aren’t written with a story but rather with a list of tropes in mind that the author has to hit to make the book sell. I hate you enemies to lovers, I hate you dark handsome villainous character. Thats one of the reason imo why cdream despite being unredeemable has this huge following of people that either dont care bc he’s hot or that think every bad character needs to be at least morally grey or some sort of victim because sympathising with the victims presented by the story isn’t woke enough.

Let me tell you how Loki ruined simping for villains in fandom, friend.

Like this whole thing where the obvious villain who is sometimes charming being loved in fandom isn't new. People love a good villain and a villain with complications.

And sympathetic villains and corrupted heroes and people who descend to villainy because of circumstance and personal failing? Yeah that's always been popular.

But then you had Loki. Loki who did horrible shit but had a "I was an asshole before I realized I was adopted but now I'm an asshole with daddy issues" twist.

Loki, who fandom went wild for and woobified, went from "cool motive but still murder" to "ok but he was right and we can justify every shitty thing he does as him just being quirky or sad!"

And Marvel...catered to it. Marvel retconned and shifted shit around and made other characters look worse because Loki was popular.

So now people who are fans of popular villains genuinely think they're going to have a Loki-esque story every time. They think every villain is being set up to have this cool twist where they're a villain in name only but entirely justified in their actions.

Like fandom has become if they're loud enough, and yell enough wrong opinions about a very simple story, they can shift the story into being about their fave's angst when it's not.

Sometimes a bad guy in a story is just a bad guy. They can be interesting, but not every bad guy is going to get some big reveal about how they were capable of being a hero all along.

[corxunum]

(for Izzie & Liv both) 01). Does your character like coffee better, or tea? 02). What sense do they most rely on? 03). Detail one secret shame your character feels. 04). What is their choice of weapon? How do they display affection? 05). What’s their view of lying? 06). If they knew they would die tomorrow, what would they do today? 07). what is their worst flaw and their greatest strength? 08). How emotionally stable is your character?

@wexarethewalkingxdead || Honesty time! [ accepting ]

1. Both are coffee drinkers, Izzie with a splash of milk, Liv prefers black.

2. Not so much a sense but Izzie relies on her gut instincts a lot. As nurse she´s encountered many people in her life in the most extreme personal circumstances, so she has developed a good grasp on others. Liv doesn´t like admitting it but she relies on her vision a lot. She can be pretty superficial and likes pretty things and people. Not so much as to possess them, but to look, maybe touch and flirt a little.

3. Izzie feels the most shame for leaving her family in Italy behind after her mother and brother died. She is conflicted between knowing she should have stayed and comforted, pick up the shambles, and her need to escape her grief. Her own selfishness often chews on her in quiet moments when in fact, it was only a survival move. Liv secretly feels shame for being so much like her mum who never stayed in one place too long, and thus, never was able to create lasting, meaningful bonds with other people. She knows she might overcome it if she only tried working on it, but the world is so big and there is so much opportunity… why would she, unless there was something, or someone, to make her want to stay for good.

4. In her main verse, Izzie has a baseball bat next to her bed. I like to think she´d use that in some sort of Walking Dead verse too (since this is what you and me are writing). Liv would use her fire powers in her Marvel verse, and in her human verse… hm, I´d go so far as to say she would avoid getting into conflict altogether, but I could see a handgun in a dystopian verse. She knows how to use one, thanks to her mum.

5. Izzie will tone down her bite and bark for once (altough she´ll still be bossy as hell I assume), and simply care for you. Stitch up wounds, cook for you, invite you over just to spend time. Once she´s past that stage, she will be very physically affectionate, touching, kissing, holding hands, just generally being close. Liv… that´s more complicated since she´s generally a huge flirt and can make people feel good or just seen by her smile or random touches, or just being friendly (most of the time in a coquettish way). If her feelings run deeper, she usually Is up and away, but if she isn´t, she´ll take you on her late night drives, shows you her photographs, talks about her family. Then, you know it´s serious.

6. Izzie is so bone-deep honest it´s not funny anymore. She´ll tell it how it is. That´s why she despises lying. In her job, she can be empathetic and formulate the truth a bit softer, but that´s about it. Liv on the other hand… a little lie hurt nobody, especially when it´s a lovely night, and the stars align. Or when someone comes too close and you need to make up excuses why you need to leave. A spoonful of sugar, right?

7. Izzie would fly back home, see her family a last time. If she had a SO at that time, take them with her. Liv would know she wouldn’t be able to find her mum at such short notice, so she would look for a nice, crowded bar, have a couple drinks, and go out with a bang.

8. Izzie is strong as hell. She does not allow herself to crumble, and pulls herself up at the bootstraps all the time. Downside: she can be too hard on herself and others because of that. Liv is a master at adapting because that´s what she´s been doing all her life. Emotions, real, honest emotions, come hard to her, and that´s why she might come across as shallow.  

9. Izzie is a damn rock. Ride or die. Super stable. Her weak moments are rare and mostly lived through alone. Liv doesn´t really know stability, so she holds up best she can. PTSD, insomnia and her constantly changing life circumstances make her prone to instability.

#OOC [ mun ] #HEADCANONS [ Izzie ] #HEADCANONS [ Liv ] #[ OMG THANK YOU this was so thought provoking and fun to answer! ] #[ even if it´s been ages since you sent it in :/ ]

[azevedowakefild]

Slim Candy Keto Gummies Reviews - Shark Tank ACV Keto Candies

Weight Loss has a proven track record. We should get too comfortable. It is forbidden. I had divined that I could improve upon it in the future. Are you still looking for a new Weight Loss? What gives? Perhaps someone might say that as it concerns Dietary Supplements and they would be right. It's never too late to repent. I'm going to run with it anyhoo. It's worth taking a moment to take a picture of your Weight Loss. I'm only trying to be a good student of Slim Candy Keto Gummies for Weight Loss.

I'm hardly being objective when I say that with respect to Dietary Supplements. Every week Dietary Supplements will get more better. I don't have marvelous judgment, but It reeks of genius. I have to thank Dietary Supplements for this trick. Weight Loss is not all that complicated since it is the best way around their topic. I do both as soon as a few months ago I was having a discussion with my step-brother on the email referring to that kind of thing.

Anyway, "Three strikes and you're out." Dietary Supplements occasionally appears to take on a life of its own. There are fine lines that you can miss when it matches Weight Loss. Like they say, "To thine own Weight Loss be true." Dietary Supplements is one of the newest arrangements in the Keto Diets business. That is a very easy way. You know, my partner said on Dietary Supplements, "Work smarter not harder." You should keep your passion for Weight Loss alive yet that is a time bomb waiting to go off. As a matter of fact, at least the price was friendly.

I should look into Dietary Supplements. I am not the best Weight Loss user in the world. Under these circumstances, there is a conspicuous reason for that. It's a whole new can of worms. It is the context when we're speaking of Dietary Supplements and I could do a lot better. Here is what ends up happening with that. Dietary Supplements is legendary by me as long as you don't abuse it. You can also do that if you need to find a Dietary Supplements. This is invaluable.

What a deal! I'm going to tell you what they aren't. Let's take on Weight Loss first. This is the perfect accent to Weight Loss. That wasn't well thought out. There may be another one someday. That is how to get a job working with Weight Loss. They have excellent credentials. I've haven't found out bordering on Weight Loss until now. Weight Loss makes me afraid of some leap, but I get over it pretty quick. There's also an addition in applying these rules. That is not the kind of resource folks will turn to for serious Weight Loss inquiries.

You may feel that I march to the beat of a different drummer yet in order for it to be impressive you could use both Weight Loss and this. If you join in with greenhorns, you might adopt their Dietary Supplements habits. I didn't mean to say that harshly and no matter what your answer is to the aforementioned questions, you can handle Weight Loss. What we're trying to find is a group of Weight Loss stores. I checked with Weight Loss affiliates before I wrote that. What's more, this should help improve your Keto Diets. They are so happy.

#slim candy keto gummies #slim candy keto

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022)

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams, Bruce Campbell, Julian Hilliard, Jett Klyne, Keenan Moore, Soo Cole, Topo Wresniwiro, Mark Anthony Brighton, John Krasinski, Anson Mount, Lashana Lynch, Hayley Atwell and Patrick Stewart.

Screenplay by Michael Waldron.

Directed by Sam Raimi.

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 126 minutes. Rated PG-13.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the return of director Sam Raimi to the Marvel universe – and his first appearance in the official MCU – since he pretty much exploded the comic book film with the original three Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies. And yet, strangely, Multitude of Madness is more reminiscent of one of the filmmaker’s low-budget fright films (like The Evil Dead] than a normal superhero film. Hell, there is even a good-natured cameo by Raimi regular Bruce Campbell.

In some ways it works like a charm. In other ways, it can be a little bit disorienting.

Which, I suppose, should be somewhat expected about a film about the multiverse, a needlessly complicated philosophical conundrum that is inexplicably popular in comic book fiction – not just Marvel, but DC stories also often revolve around it.

So, what exactly is the multiverse? According to Brittanica, it is “a hypothetical collection of potentially diverse observable universes, each of which would comprise everything that is experimentally accessible by a connected community of observers.” Basically, in layman’s terms, there are an infinite number of universes, all with the same people and places, but often with vastly different circumstances and histories.

Basically, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) – probably the Marvel character least beholden to normal time, space and physics anyway – has to flit in and out of a whole series of alternative universes in an attempt to save his own. He runs across doppelgangers of people he knows – even variations of himself – in these different worlds.

For the record, we do run across a few favorite lesser-used Marvel characters in the film (including at least two from the Fox Marvel films who are making their official debut in the MCU), but they are really only multiverse variations of their characters. That’s as much as I can say without treading into spoiler territory, although the rumors have been out there for a while.

Of course, the one non-Strange character who shows up here explicitly – and is has been well-publicized – is Wanda/The Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). In fact, Multiverse of Madness is in some ways as much of a sequel to the Disney+ series Wandavision as it is to the first Doctor Strange film. Even more so than Wandavision, Wanda has gone over fully to the dark side. (Sorry for paraphrasing a different Disney-owned blockbuster franchise there…)

Wanda is the wild-eyed bogeyman of the film, an invulnerable force of spite and anger mowing down everything in her way. And she has her eyes set on America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a young teen who has the power to traverse the multiverse. (There has been a bit of controversy about the fact that America is the first major LGBTQ character in the MCU, but it is handled very sensitively.)

Doctor Strange takes America under his wing and tries to protect her from the Scarlet Witch, who follows them throughout the multiple variations of the universe trying to steal America’s powers.

In some ways it is a typical Marvel blockbuster. In other ways, it is nothing like most. It is certainly the most violent of the MCU films (calling into question the PG-13 rating). Visually it is pretty stunning, although often suffused in grays and browns. It’s often a lot of fun, but I don’t think it will ever be considered one of the essential blocks of the MCU.

Still, it moves the MCU story forward until the next Marvel film or series. Someday we may even see where all of this is heading – although probably not any time soon.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: May 6, 2022.

#Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness #2022 #Movie Reviews #Benedict Cumberbatch #Jay S. Jacobs

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Cheers To Eighteen Years, Spider | Post NWH Series P.4

Contains spoilers for Spider-Man NWH

Catch up on parts 1-3 -> Series Masterlist | Marvel Masterlist

Series Pairings & Characters : Tobey!Peter Parker x Female!reader/Black Cat (romantic), Benny Parker OC, Harry Parker OC, Gwen Stacy, MJ Watson x John Jameson, J. Jonah Jameson

Content Warnings: major fluff (like my heart is full), mentions of past pregnancy, kissing & making out, slight nsfw at the end & implications to sex, spoilers for SMNWH, flirtatious banter & sexual tension. Mary Jane slander. Mentions of violence including domestic violence (I’m making it where Peter hit Y/n instead of Mj in that one scene in SM3) | female!reader (she/her)

Ch. 4 Premise: It’s a special day for crime fighting couple Peter & Y/n Parker. Their relationship has had quite the journey including a small term breakup which kinda makes people question if they’ve been together for as long as they say. But despite the obstacles, they preserved and while the marriage has only been half as long, they can say cheers to eighteen years. It’s only fitting the two take a trip down memory lane.

Song that inspired this chapter is ‘Love Song’ by Lana Del Rey (this song always has me crying—like I literally teared up writing the end 🥺 its so soft & I throw in a lyric near the end.)

Note: I’m gonna have to do some digging and get the whole year situation sorted out cause like although tobeys movies came out in 2002, 2004, & 2007, generally the year the plot is takes place is the one before. So I’m working on that and the way I know I want to establish the complicated relationship the two have involves getting those years right. It might be a little confusing at first, but I promise to edit and fix it once I finish both this and the prequel series. Also this takes place in 2023 considering thats when No Way Home is set, so if we go based on that & the way I have the twins born is 2007 then they’d be 16.

—————————

“You knooooow,” the gentle tune of Y/ns voice makes Peter lift his eyes from scanning the menu. Her eyes were still on hers, but there was a curl of her lips as she spoke to him. “Some people would argue about the number of years we’ve been together.”

Peter raises a brow, “Oh really now?”

“Yes,” she finally looks to him, eyes mischievous as always. ��But I’m not one to listen to people when they try to plead the case. You know, like how Tywin Lannister once said ‘the lion does not concern themselves with the opinion of a sheep.’ Although,” she tsks, “I would say in my circumstances it would be a cat and a mouse.”

“How poetic,” he smirks while lifting his wine glass to his mouth—keeping his eyes on hers. “I would’ve been shocked if you did have them waste your time, Cat. It’s very unlike of you.” She shrugs nonchalantly just as the server returned to take their order.

It was date night for the married couple, but not just a typical date night. In fact it was a very special date night—one that involved an anniversary. And no, not one to celebrate their marriage. They’d only been married roughly half of their relationship, and even then it putting an exact date on how long they’ve been together was complicated.

Some would argue they should say its only been sixteen years for them—considering they took a break during Y/ns pregnancy and didn’t get officially back together until the twins were roughly four months. But if one were to erase that break then eighteen would be the true number.

See Peter & Y/n didn’t actually get together almost a year and half—nearly two years until after their identities were exposed. In late 2003 Y/n was still on the opposite side of the law and Peter was just getting over Mj. They remained close friends and allies when Y/n finally decided to leave behind her criminal ways, becoming the vigilante duo keeping New York safe at night.

It’s really how it all started there. Feelings progressed and by 2005 they put a label on things. It was a beautiful time for the two. They both felt the love and happiness they’d desired for so long.

Until 2006 happened.

It was then Y/n noticed how Mj was showing up wherever they went on dates—claiming to ‘catch up’ with them, but really she would only address Peter half the time. Peter never noticed Mj behavior when Y/n was present, but she sure did. The Black Cat saw right through the redheads intentions. It was obvious especially when Mj kept saying how they were pushing back the wedding date of her and John.

But of course lovable, blind, and sweet Peter Parker never thought anything of it.

Until one day he did and it happened to coincide around the time the symbiote entered their life. By this rate Y/n was seconds away from clawing Mjs face if she disrespected her and their relationship again, and Peter was starting to question feelings for both women. Gwen Stacy also entered the picture, making everything more complicated—although Y/n had to give some respect to Gwen.

Gwen at least apologized to Y/n when Peter made that scene in the Jazz club and she couldn’t blame her for the kiss they shared when Gwen didn’t know it was Peter under the mask. Mary Jane, however, seemed to be more persistent about Peter after discovering he was Spider-Man. So much that when Mj found out Y/n was Black Cat tried using Y/ns past against her.

Yeah, she almost got the claws on that one.

And unlike Gwen, Mary Jane never thanked Y/n for taking the hit meant for her when Peter was fighting the clubs bouncers. Y/n had realized Peter was corrupted when she caught a glimpse of the black suit underneath his clothes. He was too far gone to stop and then when Mj tried to pull him back from fighting Y/ns cat-like reflexes kicked in—pulling the redhead behind her in the nick of time. The reaction caused her to take the smack from Peter—and boy was that the last straw.

So it took awhile before things were fixed. 2007 became their guiding light with the birth of their twins—and Peter had made amends with not just Y/n, but also himself.

It’s been sixteen years since they re-established their romance, although Y/n and Peter would argue and still say it’s been eighteen years since they got together.

“You know, babe,” Y/n leaned in her chair, legs crossed giving Peter a nice view of her neckline that was accentuated by the black silk dress and diamond necklace. He kept his eyes on hers, although he let them flicker every once in awhile. They were always drawn to the tiny spider tattoo of his suit logo Y/n had behind her ear—often hidden behind her hair. She always saw him when he did it because it resulted in her smirking. “You should be proud of me.” The man tilts his head, wondering what she could be referring to.

“Oh?”

“I saw my favorite person in the world yesterday,” sarcasm dripped of her tongue. “And didn’t cause a scene.” Peter was no fool, already knowing who the person was. Y/n then lifts a hand and adds, “But you and I both know its never me who causes the scene. She just loves to say I do.”

The man chuckles, taking another sip of his wine. “I know, trouble,” he says the nickname playfully, as if he doesn’t believe her—although she knows he does because he’s witnessed the altercations numerous of times. “What did Mary Jane want this time?” He pauses before adding, “and did it end like it normally does with her crying?”

“You know, Stud, it didn’t.” The tone she had was like she couldn’t even believe it herself. A conversation between Y/n L/n and Mary Jane Watson never ended well—it was always with the redhead in tears cause Y/n clawed into her soul like the cat she is. Even as adults in their 40s, Mj picked fights with the woman like they were still in high school.

“Really?” Peters tilted his head, leaning back in his own chair. “That’s new. It seems like we’ve been full of surprises since returning from our multiversal trip.”

“You’re telling me, Spider,” Y/n scoffed/laughed. “She actually wanted to make amends if you can believe it—I know,” she said when Peters eyes had widened. “I know I couldn’t believe it myself, Peter. I was ready to get the claws out—my mind was already preparing what words to drag her with, but no. Mj surprised me.”

The server returned to refill their glasses making them pause. When he left, Peter leaned forward to place his elbows on the table. “What did she say?” It really did intrigue the man because he never thought he’d see the day where Mary Jane Watson would make amends with Y/n

Unfortunately their children went to the same school as Mj & Johns so they saw each other at functions and events. Although ‘happily’ married—to an astronaut at that—with three kids nonetheless, Mj still seemed to be pressed that Peter chose Y/n. Y/n never gave Mj the time of day and whenever the redhead started something—Y/n always warned her with ‘I’d really think for a moment Watson. Because once you mess with the Cat, the claws come out. But then again you never seem to listen and come back for more.’

Every time something started between them, Peter stepped in. Both to calm Y/n down and to tell Mj off, while poor John is having to apologize for his wife’s behavior. Talk about second hand embarrassment the Parkers had for them.

“For starters,” Y/ns voice went a little low, eyes flicking to the ground which made him nervous. “She wanted to thank me for what happened at the jazz club.” Her words had Peter frowning, eyes falling to the table in shame and guilt as the events of that night played in his mind.

It didn’t matter how much time had passed, he would always be ashamed for putting his hands on Y/n in that way. He may have been corrupted by the symbiote, but that didn’t matter. Peter would never forgive himself—not after the look in Y/ns eyes when her hair flipped out of her face and he could see the imprint his hand left.

“Hey,” her voice reached his ears while her foot hit his leg under the table, trailing the side of his calf. He looked up and nearly melted at the soft look she was giving him. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Peter asked although he knew her answer.

Y/n reached her hand over the table to grasp his, still letting her heeled cover foot caress his leg. “You know,” she looks him in the eye, bringing his hand to lips to kiss. “I forgave you a long time for that, Peter. I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t and you know that.”

Peter sighs, love radiating through his veins and brings the hand she was holding to his lips so he could kiss her knuckles. He let his lips linger for a few seconds, basking in the warmth her palm was giving him. “I don’t deserve you.” He whispered against her skin, eyes closed.

“You deserve everything and more,” she objects, maneuvering her hand so it could cup his cheek. She gently scratches his scruff of hair that had grown in, letting her thumb trail his bottom lip—giggling when he kissed it. There’s then a glint in her eyes and she bits her lip. “I’ll make sure you understand that tonight, Stud.”

If the man could explode he would have with how his woman was looking at him. Like she couldn’t wait for this date to end so they could get home and make love until the sun rose. And that’s exactly what Y/n was planning given the twins were gone for the night to a friends house. Not to mention she wouldn’t have worn his favorite dress of hers if she wasn’t on a mission.

With blushing cheeks, Peter shakes his head—overcome with emotion. When he lifts his head back up, Peter just gazes at Y/n—adoring ever inch of her face just like he did the first time he saw her. “I love you, you know that.”

Y/n smirks, though there is a slight shyness making his heart soar. “I love you too.” Their food was brought out a few seconds later and they didn’t hesitate to dig in. There was a comfortable silence for a bit. Neither feeling like they had to converse while they ate—it reminded them of the scene in ‘Pulp Fiction’ where Mia mentions how you must’ve found someone special if you can enjoy the silence comfortably.

And both had found that in each other.

“So was that all Mj wanted?” Peter asked after several minutes when they nearly finished their plates. Y/n set down her fork, bringing a napkin up to dab her mouth—careful to not smudge her red lipstick.

“No, that wasn’t all,” she took a sip of wine. “When she had said that she also apologized—realizing if she hadn’t went to grab you then it wouldn’t have happened.” Y/n gives him a look when his face falls again—pointing a finger from the hand holding her glass as if to say ‘Don’t do that again.’

She sets her glass down, “Afterwards she proceeded to also apologize for those times she brought up my past to try and sway you to her side.” Y/n let out a laugh, thinking back how in disbelief she was when Mj had said those words to her. “She said it wasn’t fair to hold it against me not understanding why I did it in the first place.”

“Wow,” Peter muttered, setting down his own fork. “I’m really surprised honestly. That was always her argument on why she was the better choice.” He makes a sound under his breath, like it was painful to remember all those times Mj was at his door during the time he and Y/n were broken up—pleading her case to him and why he could never be happy with a former criminal. It honestly angered Peter thinking back on how Mj had been so disrespectful to Y/n—acting like she was some saint although the woman was literally engaged and playing with his feelings cause she loved Spider-Man.

Thank God he made the right choice.

“I know,” Y/n scoffed. “To be honest, Peter, I don’t know what brought this upon her. I mean the woman had sixteen plus years to finally get her act together.” She gives a shrug, leaning back in the chair. “Maybe John has finally had enough and it’s making her realize she’s had everything in front of her that she just couldn’t see. Maybe they are leaving New York and Mj wanted to not leave behind any loose ends.” Y/n pauses, before giving another shrug. “Or, maybe she had a change of heart—wanted to do better.”

Peter couldn’t help but smile at how she used the words he had given Otto.

It lingers in the air for a bit before Y/n lets out a sigh, processing the conversation—which really wasn’t much of her talking it was mostly Mj. “I guess I should be grateful,” she then says. “Its never too late to seek forgiveness for wrong doings. If Mj is truly sorry and wants to have some peace between us,” Y/n pauses, almost like she didn’t want to say the words. Peter was already trying to fight the laugh from her expression which showed she was having inner conflict.

“I guess I should give her a chance,” Y/n finally gets the words out—bring a hand up like she just vomited. Peter was literally covering his mouth because he was in a fit of giggles. Her dramatics always humored him, and this was just the icing on the cake. “—I can’t believe I said it.” Y/n closes her eyes, fighting her own laughs. “I must be out of my mind, huh, Stud.”

Peter finally calms down, wiping a tear that escaped. “Oh, Cat,” he shakes his head. “I’m proud of you—seriously though it takes a lot to give second chances. And the fact its someone who I thought I’d have to bail you out of jail one of these days because of cat fight, shows you’ve come so far.”

There was playfulness in his tone, but Peter was truly happy to hear that Mj had apologized me Y/n was open to accepting it. But Peter would always support her no matter what she chose. He trusted her judgement, always.

“Thanks, babes,” she winked.

They finished their meal while making some more small talk. Occasionally they would talk about the life they shared—including if Y/n was bringing the Cat back. “I don’t know, Spider,” she smirked. “I know how much you love me in that suit—who am I to deprive you of that.” Of course she would have him mad blushing.

Then it switched to their kids. “Benny told me he wants to add cool tech to your suit like the other Peters had.” “Uhh—absolutely not. I’m too old for that and would probably hurt myself first before anyone else.” “Maybe Harry can draw up some sketches. Give you a makeover.” “If Harry drew me a new suit, it would turn out to look like Neo from the Matrix.”

Eventually they finished their plates, bringing their glasses up to give a toast to the occasion. “To you, my beautiful wife,” Peter beams, “—for putting up with me and my shenanigans for so long and always supporting me. Being the best mother to our sons and giving me a reason to do what I do. I couldn’t be this city’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if I didn’t have you there every step of the way. Everyday I make it my goal to continue fulfilling the promise I made to you. I won’t stop until my last breath. And I hope we get to continue this little journey in life until the end of time—because what’s this Spider without his Cat.” Y/n felt her eyes gloss over, warmth filling her soul. “I love you, Y/n. Thank you for eighteen years and here’s to many more.”

Y/n didn’t care they were in a restaurant. She lifted from her chair—hand going to Peters chin, and bringing him into a passionate kiss. He responded with as much enthusiasm, smiling when she pressed several more kisses in between his laughter before pulling away. Sitting back and fixing her seat, Y/n lifted her glass back to his.

“Peter,” she began, eyes gazing into his with love. “You’ve been my rock and reason for putting up with everything thrown at us over these nearly two decades. You’re an amazing father—who I have had the honor of watching grow and be the man our sons deserve. We may have had some obstacles, but we persevered—and I’ll fight anyone who tries to question our relationship.” Peter laughs, making her smile even wider. “You’re my once in a lifetime, Peter Parker. If there is life after we’re long gone from this Earth, I hope I have it with you. I love you. Cheers to eighteen years, Spider.”

Their glasses clinked and they both took a sip before Peter pulled Y/n back to him, capturing her lips with his. It was a softer kiss. One that sent a thousand words to each other, and felt like they were they only two in existence.

When they pulled away, both were staring into each other’s eyes—love and adornment swimming in them. Peter gives her another kiss, just in time for the server to come back with their check. He gives him the card, aware Y/n was back to caressing his leg with her foot.

A signal the night was coming to an end.

“Running out of patience, Cat?” He smirks, adjusting his collar.

Her movements never falter. “Of course when you’re looking like that,” she lets her eyes trail over him. “You know how much I love you in a suit, stud.”

“Just like you know how much I love you in that dress,” he glances to her body clad in black silk—doing wonders for her and making ever curve accentuate.

Y/n chuckles behind mischievous eyes. “The occasion called for it,” she trails her foot higher to where it was nearing his thigh. “You know I’m not one to pass up an opportunity.”

“Oh I’m aware, sweetheart.” Peters hand goes under the table to catch her ankle, letting his thumb smooth over her skin when he pulled her foot to his lap. Luckily when the server returned with his card and receipt, the tablecloth was covering the area—so no eyes were able to see what was happening.

Peter kept Y/ns foot in his lap while he placed his card in his wallet and signed the merchants copy before leaving a cash tip. When he finished, he closed the booklet and returned his hand to her ankle, bringing it closer so he could let his hand caress her calf. “You ready to get out of here, trouble?”

Biting her lip and adjusting her foot so it brushed over his inner thigh—making Peter give her a warning look while trying to fight off a groan, Y/n leaned forward with lust filled eyes. “I thought you’d never ask, Spider.”

Luckily for the two they were met with a empty house—minus Midnight—when they arrived home. Benny and Harry were staying at their friends for the night—well aware it was their parents anniversary and was in their best interest to not be home—so the adults were free to do as they pleased.

And do as they pleased they will.

Y/n barely had time to react when Peter swung them up to the third floor balcony of their home that was right outside their room. His lips were immediately on hers, hands going to her back to clutch the silk clinging to her. Y/ns hands were in his hair, making it a mess of its perfect style and her red lips painted his.

“I love you,” he said against her mouth, flinging the balcony door and pushing her into the room until her back hit the adjacent wall.

“I love you,” she repeated, trailing her hands over Peters chest while his lips met her neck—kissing over the spider tattoo behind her ear. A moan escaped her, tilting her head to give him more space which he welcomed greatly—planting kisses all over her while slightly biting down to creat marks that would surely last for days.

She managed to grab the small remote that linked to her bluetooth speaker and a few buttons while Peter continued his assault on her neck and chest. When a familiar soft tune filled the room, she dropped the remote and wrapped her arms around his neck—bringing his lips back to hers.

Eventually they left the wall, Y/n tugging Peters suit jacket from his shoulders while his hands went to her dress zipper. As the zipper began to unwind, Peter gazed into Y/ns eyes, freezing by how beautiful they looked from the moonlight reflecting of them. “Happy anniversary, Y/n.”

Her smile was dazzling, making Peter feel he was a teenager again silently admiring her from afar. Y/n leaned up to press a sweet kiss to him, caressing his cheek with her palm. “Cheers to eighteen years, spider.”

And as the words from Lana Del Reys ‘Love Song’ played in the background. “The taste, the touch, the way we love—

“—it all comes down to make the sound of our love song.” Peter and Y/n Parker cheered to eighteen years while creating the sounds to their very own love song.

.............................

Tag list: @secretsthathauntus, @eternalharry

#peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker #tobey!spiderman x reader #tobey!spiderman #tobey!peter parker #tobey!peter x reader #tobey maguire #spiderman x reader #spiderman imagine #no way home imagine #smnwh #marvel fanfiction #marvel imagine #marvel #black cat #black cat reader #post no way home

[scarlet--wiccan]

Natalya + Django Maximoff

This is part 9 of my sigil project, where I design emblems, sigils, seals, and runes for my favorite Marvel magic characters. After doing the entire living Maximoff family, I thought it might be nice to design for their predecessors.

These designs were inspired by the dharmachakra, which has become a prominent cultural symbol of the Roma people, and is featured on the international Romani flag. I've also designed a pair of composite-letter name sigils using the Theban alphabet, which I'm using to distinguish "witch" characters from other types of magicians in the Marvel canon.

Speaking of witches, I also designed a similar sigil for Agatha Harkness, who was Natalya's peer and, later, a mentor to her daughter, Wanda. The emblem on the left is based on Agatha's brooch.

I recognize that Natalya is a polarizing character, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts, as a person of Roma descent, under the cut. I'll say up front that I, personally, get something out of bringing my perspective to imagery and narratives that are lacking in authenticity, but I respect that others may not feel the same way

Natalya Maximoff is depicted a Roma woman from a traveling community in the Balkan region. She died protecting her children from the High Evolutionary on Mount Wundagore, and the twins were subsequently adopted by Natalya's brother, Django, and his wife, Marya. While uncovering Natalya's past, Wanda learns that her mother practiced witchcraft as part of her family trade. Natalya was the Scarlet Witch of her time, and Django, who was a spiritual leader in his community, possessed mystical abilities as well. Wanda's magical aptitude is, therefore, hereditary, and we are meant to understand that the Scarlet Witch title is part of her cultural lineage.

This drew a lot of rightful criticism, particularly from Jewish and Roma readers. For one thing, the retcon removes the Maximoffs' Jewish ancestry, and distances them from representations of Romani Holocaust survivors. Natalya and Django are also played straight as mystical "gypsy" stereotypes, which are, unfortunately, more common in American media than any sort of accurate representation. That said, the circumstances of these characters' lives-- such as their lifestyles and the challenges they face-- are reflective of Romani history in that part of Europe. This is very similar to Doctor Doom's family-- under all of the fantasy and genre trappings, these stories demonstrate an awareness of class and race that is rarely afforded to Romani people in American media. Unfortunately, writers tend to overlook these details, which reduces the characters to racist tropes. Nevertheless, Saladin Ahmed's Quicksilver proved that these characters can be used for informative, meaningful representation-- you just have to do the research and be respectful.

The magic stuff is complicated, and I find that Roma tend to really differ on how it should be approached. No group is a monolith, least of all one so diverse and wide-spread. Here's what I know-- witchcraft is a part of Romani history. Divination, folk medicine, and even spellcasting are all trades that Roma families have historically practiced. Some of these skills, derived from ancestral knowledge, have been used for healing within communities, but they've also been used by entrepreneurial folks to make money and provide for their families. Roma have historically faced job and housing discrimination, so this just one way of the ways that they found to get by.

Now, the Marvel universe is a setting where magic is real and tangible, and witches have actual supernatural powers. It makes sense that real-world magical practices would be afforded the same type of power in the Marvel world-- families like the Maximoffs and von Dooms would, logically, exist in that setting. The problem, as always, is authenticity. If we're being honest, I think that Romani witch characters, like Wanda and Natalya, are going to persist in the media whether we like it or not. I'm more interested in creating an authentically Roma image of the heroic witch than I am in stamping that archetype out entirely.

#sigilproject #scarlet witch #natalya maximoff #django maximoff #agatha harkness

[minor-solemnity]

hi omg i love you so much!!!! every time i see you post i get so excited!!!!! if requests are still open can you please write over protective tom! i'm a simp for tom x reader when he is super protective over her! thank you😘😘

Eee, thank you! You’re the sweetest omg <3 I really hope you enjoy this! (We all simp for super protective Tom, don’t we? I definitely do)

Tag List: @naps-and-lemons @jinxqsu @riddles-wifey @cakesarecute @mostlynonsense

The Dark Forest

“Stand up for me, and stay close now.” You follow his instructions, the basket and the flowers lying forgotten at your feet. There is something about the way Tom’s holding himself, his back is a straight line of tension, his shoulders are taught, the grip on his wand rigid. He looks like he’s ready for a fight.

The Forbidden Forest is a strange and remarkable place. From afar, it looks like a solid wall of black that fades into hazy mist regardless of the time of day. You’ve always held a certain fascination with the forest, spending a lot of your free time edging the perimeter and peering in through the thicket, trying to get a glimpse of what lies within. You’d given up Care of Magical Creatures as an elective when you had learnt that Professor Kettleburn had made it quite clear to you that he had no plan to ever lead students inside. It had been one of your favourite things to complain about in fourth year, and your secret hope that you’d one day find an excuse to venture beyond the borders.

You suppose the phrase be careful what you wish for was penned for situations such as the one you find yourself in now.

You trudge along the narrow path, one hand gripping your wand and the other holding onto the wicker basket that Professor Kettleburn had given you to collect the stella syriaca flowers before sending you and Tom off into the forest. The only light source you have is the lumos you’ve cast to guide you through the forest and the pale, white-blue light your wand emits turns the forest into a strange imitation of nature. In this light, at this moment, you can almost convince yourself that the trees and the undergrowth are abstractions of nature, an impressionist’s depiction of what a forest might look like.

This in itself isn’t a problem - you’re not so easily scared that the dark and unfamiliar are frightening in themselves. The problem is that you’re fairly certain that you’re being followed. Not that you’re going to mention this particular concern to Tom. He’s already been dragged out to the Forbidden Forest unnecessarily because of you, you don’t want to annoy him with your paranoid imagination. “Tom, do you have any idea where we are?” You ask, trying to keep your voice and calm. You don’t want him thinking that you’re scared, not when it’s your fault that you’re both in this mess.

“If the directions that Kettleburn gave us are to be trusted, we should be nearly at the clearing,” He responds, and unlike you, he doesn’t sound like he’s pretended not to be scared. He just sounds unbothered by the situation, like this is as normal as a trip to the library or a walk around the lake. He glances down at you and frowns slightly as he takes in your clenched fists and tight expression. In the light of the lumos, his concerned expression turns sinister, strange shadows forming under his eyes and distort his usually beautiful features into something otherworldly and dangerous. When he talks though, his voice is soothing and calm, “Are you alright? I would have thought that you, of all people, would enjoy this particular punishment.” You hum in response, unwilling to voice your current thoughts but unwilling to lie either. Lying never works well with Tom anyway - his talent for spotting lies is as good as his talent for the art itself.

“I’m just sorry that I dragged you into this mess,” You murmur, which isn’t a lie. You are sorry that he’s had to give up his evening to escort you into the forest. “You shouldn’t have to do this just because I was being an idiot.” And the fact that this is essentially all your fault rankles you immensely. The issue is… Well, the issue is that you don’t really have anyone other than yourself to blame. No. No, that’s not entirely true. You can definitely blame the school for your current situation; it’s insane that they would send students out into the Forbidden Forest at night unaided and alone as a punishment. Professor Seprenta’s petty desire to take out her frustrations on her students by sending them into potentially perilous places is nothing to do with you. But the circumstances leading up to your detention?

Well, that’s all you.

You wish you could pass the blame but frustratingly you can’t. You decided all by yourself that it would be a good idea to sneak out after curfew to practise summoning circles. It’s also your fault that you’d (stupidly) chosen an empty classroom that just so happened to be next to Seprenta’s office and had forgotten to cast a silencing charm. She’d found you, chalk dust up to your elbows, scattering bay leaves, lavender, and mandrake roots in the four corners of the room.

Needless to say, she hadn’t been impressed, and you’re still not entirely sure if it’s because she caught you out after curfew or if it’s because Seprenta has a weird grudge against any magic that doesn’t involve the direct use of a wand. Either way, it hardly matters now. What matters is that you had been landed in detention and Tom is the one who volunteered to watch over you, ostensibly to make sure that you didn’t skive off, but in reality, you know that it’s because he doesn’t like the idea of you venturing off into the forest alone and without protection.

Next to you, Tom stills and grabs your shoulder, using his leverage to turn you in place until you’re face to face. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t take responsibility for my own actions, it’s terribly narcissistic of you.” He says and despite the insulting nature of his words, you find yourself reassured. Tom is… not the best at kind words and sweet nothings, not unless he’s employing them to get what he wants that is. When he’s being honest, he has a tendency towards bluntness that borders on rude. It says a lot about his feelings towards you that he is rarely charming and sycophantic. “If I hadn’t wanted to come with you, I wouldn’t have, so please, save your guilt for when you need it.”

With a small, weak laugh you nod, “I’ll keep that in mind… Thank you.” Even in the alien lighting, the small smile that lifts Tom’s lips is pleased and soft and maybe a little surprised. The fact that he so rarely hears honest thanks is more than a little heartbreaking. The pair of you continue forwards, Tom leading the way and you following close behind, ever conscious of the… thing watching from the shadows.

You’d first noticed the thing about twenty or so minutes into your exploration of the forest - a silent shadow, no bigger than a bulldog, that flickered in and out of existence in your peripheral vision. You’d not paid it much attention, to begin with, there were plenty of strange things that lived in the forest, after all, and you’d been confident in your assessment that the professors wouldn’t actually put you in the way of any real harm. That confidence has diminished the further in you’ve gone, even with Tom by your side. Now, when you catch a glimpse of it, the shadow looks bigger - maybe the size of a large sheep and a lot more defined. It melts into the darkness whenever you try to get a better look, but you’re fairly sure that it’s more solid than it had been when you’d first seen it.

You tell yourself you’re being paranoid, that the stories the ghosts like to tell you about what goes on in the forest at night have finally gotten to you, but the longer you walk, the more certain you are that there is something in the shadows. “…Tom? Tom, I think something’s following us.”

“I’d be surprised if there wasn’t, darling. You know as well as I do that these woods are alive with more than just birds and trees.” His words are not at all comforting and you find yourself growing annoyed with his flippancy. What you might lack in foresight, you make up for in common sense and your senses are telling you to pay closer attention to the shadows that encroach and creep and linger all around you.

“Tom, I’m being serious. Something is watching us.” He must pick up on the vaguely panicked edge to your words because he stops again and flicks his wand in a complicated motion and a vibrant flame erupts from the tip, floating just above your heads. You give yourself a moment to marvel at his ability before the matter at hand takes precedence and you cast around to try and catch sight of whatever it is that you’ve been seeing. “It was… It was right behind us,” You say, scanning the trees for any sight of the thing. Whatever it is, it’s nowhere to be found. “I swear it was here.”

He hums in response, and when you look at him, you can tell that he’s sceptical. Still, he sends the ball of flame in the direction that you’re pointing and the light seems to reverberate around the dark forest, revealing leaves and branches and thick patches of undergrowth but no moving shadow. Satisfied, he flics his wand again the flame extinguishes. “Keep an eye out - if you think you see something again, tell me.” You nod and bite your lip, pressing a little closer to his side as you continue your trek. You feel like a small child, huddled under your blankets to hide yourself from the darkest shadows in your bedroom. Fear is a funny thing, it’s an almost tangible emotion, prickling the back of your neck and sticking to you like sand on wet skin. Still, you’re almost at the clearing and then all you need to do is pick the flowers and get out.

The stella syriaca flowers only bloom at night, the tiny flowers growing in spherical clusters. Under the glow of your wand, they blossom pearlescent and delicate, like miniature moons rising from the forest floor. You set the basket down and begin to pick the flowers, careful not to crush the petals as Tom watches over you. “You don’t fancy helping?” You call over your shoulder and somewhere above you, Tom breathes out a huff of laughter.

“I hardly see why I should - this is your punishment, is it not?” He counters, wry humour coating his words and you roll your eyes but laugh nonetheless. Now that you’re in the clearing, you don’t feel so afraid, the knowledge that you’ll soon be out of the forest bolstering your confidence. Silence falls upon you and you get lost in the monotony of plucking the flowers, the repetitive actions lulling you into a daze so much so that you don’t immediately notice the rustling in the trees towards the edge of the clearing or the way that Tom’s posture tenses and his eyes turn to slits.

You startle when his hands brush the top of your head, and you look up at from where you’re kneeling on the ground to see what the problem is. Tom looks… He doesn't look scared, which you think is probably a good thing, but he does look agitated. His expression is shuttered window, no light or levity flickers behind the darks of his eyes, no ironic smile curling his lips. You only ever see this side of him when someone displeases him in a particularly grievous manner and he’s never looked at you with that cold blankness that reminds you of ice storms and black tar. You spare a thought for his enemies because you imagine you’d probably drop down dead in an instant if he were to ever turn this particular expression on you.

When he talks, his voice is tight, “What did you think you saw earlier?”

“A… I don’t really know—” Tom makes a low, irritated sound in the back of his throat and the hand that’s resting on your head tightens slightly. “—It was like a moving shadow out of the corner of my eye. It disappeared whenever I tried to look at it, but I think it was getting bigger the deeper we went.” You can’t keep the nervousness out of your voice as you scan the perimeters of the clearing, trying to get a glimpse of whatever it is that’s got Tom on edge. The darkness of the forest seems to loom and though you can’t see anything, you can feel it watching you, can feel the way it sizes you up the same way your cat sizes up mice in the courtyard before she pounces. You’ve always thought it was cute - the way her eyes would grow large and black and her lithe body would scrunch up before she attacked. You don’t find it cute now, though. Not when you’re the mouse.

Tom hums in response and he almost sounds relieved, though you can’t think of a single reason why. “Stand up for me, and stay close now.” You follow his instructions, the basket and the flowers lying forgotten at your feet. There is something about the way Tom’s holding himself, his back is a straight line of tension, his shoulders are taught, the grip on his wand is rigid. He looks like he’s ready for a fight. “Stop the lumos, darling.” At your noise of protest, he shoots you a quick smile which you think is supposed to be reassuring but in reality, looks vaguely foreboding. “Trust me.”

“Nox. Happy now?”

“Ecstatic.”

“Oh, yeah, you sound really— Merlin, what the fuck?” The shadows in front of you shift, and something big and black and not really there seems to collect in the near pitch black. Vapours in the air that pool and swirl until they coalesce into a shadowy thing the size of a shire horse. For a moment, it just hangs there, waiting and watching and anticipating.

And then it lunges.

In the grand scheme of things, your life is relatively unimportant. You’re not so narcissistic that you believe that the world will be irrevocably changed or diminished if you were to meet an untimely end - sure, your family and friends would be sad for a while, your cat would wonder why you’re no longer around to give them treats and ear scratches, but nothing would fundamentally change if you were to die. You know all of this and still, you’re staring down the proverbial barrel of a gun and the only thing that’s running through your mind is, Dear Gods, why me?

You realise in this instant that you are not made for combat. This shouldn’t be a surprise to you - you’re pretty good at Defence, but you’ve never enjoyed duelling. In contrast to your frozen reaction, Tom responds immediately. The rigidity of his posture melts into something fluid and instinctive, and he’s stepping in front of you in one smooth motion and slashing his wand through the air in the next. Violet light arches through the darkness and the thing rears back, as though wounded before it pushes forward. You scramble backwards, staring in horror at the thing. In the spell-light, you can see now that its body is made up almost entirely of shadows - living, sentient shadows that join and divide around a curling skeleton. The only thing standing between you and the shadows is Tom, who is in his element, a whirl of controlled energy and deft wand movements. You’ve seen him duel before, but only in the relative safety of Defence Against the Dark Arts, and watching him now, in an environment where he doesn’t need to hold himself back, where every ounce of his focus and skill is directed at a real-life foe inspires awe and wonder and fear inside you.

The thing slinks around the two of you and tendrils of shadow and darkness curl out and whip at Tom’s feet. You think it must realise that of the two you, Tom is the more immediate threat. Tom leaps out of the way and advances, seemingly without fear for care for his own safety and you’re dimly aware that you’re yelling for him to get back and away. He either doesn’t hear you over the sound of his own casting or he doesn’t care - he just keeps moving, ducking neatly out of the way of another tendril as he sends a jet of golden light that splinters and pierces the monster’s shadows. You keep a tight grip on your wand, trying to think of any spell that might do something against an incorporeal monster.

The monster lets out a shriek and you’re not sure if it’s in pain or just angry but Tom is already moving again. He reaches for you blindly, not taking his eyes off the thing that is currently writhing on the forest floor. Before it can get a chance to recover, Tom raises his wand a final time and the bright white light of a lumos encompasses the shadow being burning and blinding until all that remains is a charred husk a skeleton that matches no anatomy of any creature you’re familiar with.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” In contrast to the surety with which he duels, his voice is wrecked, a kind of frantic worry lacing his words. When his hands find yours, his grip is tight to the point of it being painful, as though he’s half-convinced that if he lets go you’ll fade into the shadows along with the monster.

A feeling of warmth and affection surges inside of you, far stronger than the fear that courses through your veins and you grip his hand back, clinging just as tightly to him as he is to you. “I’m fine— Tom, are you okay? I’m sorry for dragging you out here with me,” You say, anger at having gotten him into this mess and anger that the school would harbour some kind of shadow demon in the forest forging your voice into something sharp and hard.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” He says and you’d be insulted by the way he brushes you off if it weren’t for the way that his thumb brushes your knuckles as he pulls you closer to his side. You know him well enough to hear the unspoken worry in his words. “This is exactly why I came with you.” You know he’s telling the truth. Since you’ve known him, Tom has always had an uncanny ability to know when you’ll need him, has always been there to help and protect you. Usually, that involves editing your essays and handing out detentions to people who trouble you, but you shouldn’t be surprised that he’s taken his chosen role to heart and would gladly put himself in harm's way if it meant you didn’t have to.

Nestled against him like this, you feel the fear that’s been with you since you first entered the forest fade, leaving behind a tired sort of fondness and relief. He’s still glaring at the place where the thing used to be, still tense and stiff as though he’s waiting for it to rise up and start attacking you both again. Tentatively, you reach up and brush your fingers against his jaw, willing him to turn and look at you, so that you can see for yourself that he’s okay, that he’s still here, with you. After a pause, he grants you your wish and your heart quickens at the ferocity lingering in his eyes. “Thank you,” You breathe and just like that, something shifts in the air around you and the tension leaches out of him.

He leans down and brushes a kiss against your forehead and you wind your arms around his back, one hand splayed firmly against his shoulder blades, the other running through the short dark curls at the nape of his neck. “I’m okay, I promise. Thank you for being here.” And you’re not just thanking him for tonight, though are you grateful, you’re thanking him for every instance he’s stepped in to look after and protect you.

“I’d never let anything happen to you, you must realise that by now.” He murmurs, and in the hushed silence of the forest, you can hear the unspoken promise clear as you can feel the warmth of his hand in yours.

#tom riddle #tom marvolo riddle #tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x you #tom riddle x oc #tom riddle x y/n #tom riddle imagine #tom riddle imagines #tom riddle fanfic #tom riddle fic #tom riddle fanfiction #tom riddle oneshot #harry potter #minific #answers #prompt fill #prompt #request #requests #anon request

[crowfootwrites]

The Boyfriend | Part IV [Taza Romero x Fem!Reader]

The final installment. I like it, and I hope y'all do too! Thanks for sticking with me 'til the end of this one!

Warnings: angst (and fluff); pregnancy complications/references to childbirth complications; hospitals | Words: 1,502

Part I of The Boyfriend | Part III of The Boyfriend

Taglist: @chibsytelford @megapeacelovemusic-blog @est1887

A rhythmic beeping beside your ear burrowed its way into your head. Your senses returned slowly and you gasped at the overwhelming ache in your belly. Panic simmered at the edges of your mind as you were flooded with the last of your memories; it was followed swiftly by the deep smolder of fear for your child. Your eyes snapped open and you squinted at the blinding light above your hospital bed.

Immediately you felt the warmth of Taza’s hand on your arm. You turned your head slowly to look at him, afraid to read the expression on his face, knowing it would tell you what had happened. Your eyes met his and he smiled softly, and that was a good sign. “Mi alma (My soul),” he murmured, pressing his lips gently to the back of your hand. “Tenemos una hija (We have a daughter).” Tears welled in your eyes and you didn’t move to stop them as they spilled over, your mouth curling into a joyous grin.

“She’s ok?” you croaked.

“They’re still checking her out,” he explained in hushed tones, rubbing his fingers soothingly over your hand, “but it seems like she’s a strong little girl. Just like her mamá.”

You breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back onto your pillow.

“What happened?”

“You had a placental abruption,” he admitted soberly. “The doctor said it was severe.” He paused, his jaw clenching at his remembered anguish. “I could have lost both of you.”

You reached a gentle hand out to caress his cheek and you watched as his dark eyes focused on you again. Your eyes slid over his shoulder for a moment, and you blinked in confusion as you registered the presence of your mother and father standing by the door to your hospital room. Your gaze landed back on Taza, your brow knitted in displeasure.

Taza squeezed your arm lightly, reassuringly.

“When you called me, I tried calling your father,” he explained. “I – I just wanted to have someone here for you, and I knew he could get here before I could. But I couldn’t get a hold of him… so I called your mother.” He paused, searching your eyes for any anger or resentment towards him. “I’m sorry if you’re upset with me, (Y/N). I know you two have things to work out… But when I called her, she didn’t hesitate, didn’t question. She just came. She was the first one here.”

Your eyes slid again to your parents huddled worriedly in the doorway, then immediately back to Taza.

“I’m not angry, amor (love),” you said, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

You didn’t know if it was the recent addition of your daughter to the world that had you feeling so forgiving, or the tremendous cocktail of hormones that were sure to be raging inside you, but you motioned your parents forward.

They stepped closer to your bedside, your father looking quite faint and your mother looking completely repentant, an expression you had never seen from her before.

You allowed your parents to hear the words that you hoped would reassure Taza. “No estoy enojada (I’m not angry). I’m just overwhelmed, I guess. I just… I don’t know, I thought this would be different. All of it. I thought I would get to celebrate this huge milestone with my family, that it would be… joyful and sentimental.” You stopped to breathe, speaking a much greater endeavor than you had anticipated. Taza handed you a plastic cup of water and you took a sip gratefully.

“I hoped that people, especially my own parents, would – would be able to see how much we love each other, and how much of a blessing this is for us. That we would get to have our home birth and it would be private and special. And I know that things don’t always go according to plan,” you rushed on, “and that’s fine, but this… our baby came into the world under such traumatic circumstances and I haven’t even met her yet, and it’s just… hard to come to terms with.”

You sighed, pressing your fingertips to your temples. Your eyes felt heavy, but you fought it, desperate to sort things about before you met your daughter. You didn’t want to add to her trauma before you had even brought her home.

Your gaze returned to Taza and you took a deep breath. “Would it be alright if you give me and my mom a minute?”

Taza’s smile was proud and he nodded, squeezing your shoulder reassuringly before guiding your dad out into the hallway. Your mother moved forward sheepishly, taking the seat beside your hospital bed.

“I’m not going to apologize for the decisions I’ve made in my life,” you mused, your mother’s eyes glued to the white sheets of the hospital bed. You tapped your fingers on the bed, capturing her attention, and she glanced up at you. “You did a good job raising me, mom. You can trust me to make good choices.”

You adjusted yourself against the pillows, your insides aching with every motion. “I know that you don’t understand them. I know this probably isn’t what you had imagined for my life. But… I’m happy. I love, and am blessed to be loved in return. And that’s–” you blinked back tears, your mind wandering to the daughter you hadn’t met yet, “it's really all I’ve ever needed.”

Your mother peered back at you and a chorus of emotions flitted across her face. She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, (Y/N).”

Your mother had never apologized to you for anything.

“I want the best for you, (Y/N). Not just better than what I had, but the best that it can possibly be. You’re my child, you’re… you’re precious to me. And I know I’m not always the best at showing it, but you are.” She paused and you studied the way her fingers tied themselves in knots in her lap.

“I am sorry. I’m sorry that I let my opinions get in the way of our relationship. In the way of your happiness.” She placed her hand gently over yours on the bed sheet, and when you didn’t pull away, she gripped it tightly. “I do trust you,” she promised. “And if you’re happy, then I will work harder to try and understand your perspective.”

She straightened in her chair, sniffing and hastily wiping tears from under her eyes. “Apparently, I’m a stubborn mule,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes dismissively, “so it might take some time for me to… rethink the rules I’ve always lived by, honey.” She patted your hand softly. “But I promise, I’m trying.”

“I know, mom.”

She got to her feet just as Taza and your father came back into the room. You watched with a touch of incredulity as your mother pulled Taza to the side to speak as your father came to your bedside. He dropped heavily into the chair, a soft expression on his face as he gazed at you.

“A stubborn mule, huh?”

Your father chuckled and shrugged. “It was about time she heard it.”

“And how much of this,” you began, motioning towards your mother talking in a hushed voice with Taza in the corner of the room, “was your doing?”

You father chuckled, rubbing a hand nervously over the back of his neck. “We, uh – we might’ve had it out a couple of weeks ago, hence the mule comment.” He grasped your hand tenderly, wearing a pensive frown. “You know, baby, I’ve been content, for my whole life, to take a backseat to your mother. Because when she’s in her element, she’s… a sight to behold. Much like you.” He smiled fondly. “But when that fire, that drive, is aimed in the wrong direction? It can be devastating. And I couldn’t let that happen to you. To us. She had to make peace with you. And with herself.”

More tears pressed behind your eyes and you sniffled. “I love you, Pop.”

“I love you, too, baby,” he said, leaning forward to plant a tender kiss on your forehead.

It was several hours later that you were able to hold your daughter for the first time. She had been given the all-clear and when they finally placed her in your arms, your heart skipped a beat, unbridled joy bubbling up in your chest.

Taza rested against the hospital bed, his strong arms wrapped around you and your daughter, tenderly smoothing your hair and running gentle fingers over her tiny hands. The two of you marveled at the incredible little being your love had made.

Your parents gathered delightedly beside the bed, your mother resting her head against your father’s shoulder. “What’s her name?” your father asked, his smile wide as he gazed down at your little family.

“Kasimira,” you murmur, the name you and Taza had agreed on only a week ago. You hum in amazement as the appropriateness dawns on you: “It means ‘commands peace’.”

#mayans fx #mayans mc #mayansmc #taza romero #che taza romero #taza romero x reader #taza romero imagine #mayans mc imagine #mayans x reader

[alexiethymia]

snippet (res ipsa loquitur)

“Look who’s here. Professor Yang’s favorites!”

Professor Yang raises an eyebrow at that, as if to say that he didn’t have favorites, but Professor Kim Eun Sook pays him no mind. Dear friend though he may be, and though she would trust him with any case, his hard-ass act didn’t fool her. He could say whatever he wanted, but his subtle actions belied his fondness for his once-students turned professionals. Just the fact that he regularly invited them back to Hankuk to discuss cases was just one example.

“I don’t know about Prosecutor Han here, Professor Yang’s protégé that he is, but I’m certainly no favorite when I had to be Erica Shin just to get him to eat with me.” Lawyer Kang has certainly grown up to become a balanced professional, but Professor Kim is happy to see that she’s kept that refreshing bluntness of hers.

“If being Professor Yang’s favorite means additional work like getting called back to school, then I’d rather be your favorite.” Prosecutor Han for his part hasn’t changed much either. Although he’s settled into himself now, becoming as calm in actuality as he sometimes presented himself back in school, that teasing gaze towards Kang Sol A was still present how many years later.

Professor Yang just stares deadpan at what he deems to be nonsense from his former students. “I never taught the both of you to be lax as students, much less as professionals.”

“We’re just joking, Professor,” Kang Sol A – Lawyer Kang now – can easily look her once-savior in the eye and smile, as Professor Yang just raises an eyebrow, “You know we’re always glad to help with whatever we can.”

“We must have inherited your curse as a workaholic, Professor,” Prosecutor Han jokes. Even when he was just Han Joon Hwi, and not yet Prosecutor Han, he never had that fear towards Yangcrates. Frankly, he admired him, though it had always been a complicated emotion with the way all their fates had been tied.

“Ehem. Who would have thought that when I asked you to come hand-in-hand to my office so many years ago as students, you’d be doing it again and again now that you’ve become professionals.” Professor Kim is only half-serious. Even then she’d had an instinct about these two – one with the sharp mind and logic and the other with the fiery heart and passion. They would balance each other out, though she wouldn’t have picked up on it if not for Joon Hwi’s propensity to be a knight-in-shining armor for his then frazzled seatmate.

Kang Sol A mock-scoffs before smiling prettily, while sharing a gaze with an amused Joon Hwi. It was good to see that they still got along marvelously so many years later.

Professor Yang stares long and hard at them as if they were a crime scene he was investigating, before going on ahead and asking Joon Hwi to follow. Eun Sook’ll poke at his thoughts later though she’d be lucky if he felt like sharing them.

“See, you really are his favorite,” Kang Sol A nudges Joon Hwi playfully, while he only chuckles. “No need to worry Lawyer Kang. You’re my favorite at least.” Both Eun Sook’s eyebrows raise at that. With time and his new position, it seemed as if Joon Hwi had gotten more direct, if at all possible. Ah but perhaps, Eun Sook thinks while observing how Kang Sol A just laughs in response, rather than time it was circumstances that forced him to change his approach.

A slight movement behind Professor Kim’s desk catches all of their attention, and a doting smile appears on Eun Sook’s face.

“Aigoo. Is this your daughter Professor Kim?” Kang Sol positively beams at the small curly haired girl hiding shyly behind the Professor’s desk. She was so adorable! It reminded Sol of Byeol when she was at that age. Looking sideways, she sees Joon Hwi sporting an equally wide and fond smile. It was no wonder. With how he was with her younger sister, first when they’d met and until now, Kang Sol surmised that he must be ridiculously fond of children as well. Distantly she thinks that he’d be a wonderful father someday, although uncharacteristically cynical, she also has to admit that she doesn’t exactly have any good bases for comparisons.

“Yes,” Professor Kim says, proud, like all mothers are, “Say hi to oppa and unnie here. They work with the law just like mommy.”

Funnily, it’s a race between them for the privilege of lifting Professor Kim’s daughter up in their arms, but Joon Hwi lets her win (much like he always does). Kang Sol A openly cooes, while Joon Hwi hovers closely to the both of them, also introducing himself to the young girl.

It’s such a heartwarming sight that Professor Kim almost wants to take a picture of it, even if it would be inadmissible as evidence later on.

They’re momentarily interrupted when someone enters the legal clinic.

“Ah Miss, it’s so wonderful to see you again.”

“Ahjumma!” Kang Sol exclaims happily upon seeing the lady who ran the Bad FaMa website enter the legal clinic. Seamlessly, she adjusts Professor Kim’s daughter on her hip, before transferring her to Joon Hwi who carries her on his arm. “How are you? What are you doing here? It’s not another defamation case is it,” Kang Sol asks worriedly. Of course, she’d defend her properly this time since she was now a full-fledged lawyer, not only giving half-baked assistance and having to rely on Joon Hwi because she wasn’t prepared yet.

“Ah no, no need to worry Miss – ah my mistake, it’s Lawyer Kang now isn’t it? You sure showed them didn’t you.” She smiles warmly, proudly, at Kang Sol, and Kang Sol gets happy flutters in her heart and stomach, “I volunteer here at the legal clinic sometimes. Professor Kim has been helping me out with lobbying for stricter child support laws, and the other lawyer who volunteers here - Lawyer Jeon - has been helping me with cases of single mothers. She’s been telling me all about you. I’m really glad to see you doing so well.” Though it’s been a while since Kang Sol has seen her – since when she was still a law student in fact – the older woman and that case will always hold a special place in her heart. She considers it as her first case, and though it did cause a slight rift between her and Joon Hwi, she had been the first person outside of smug Second Judicial Exam Passers and terrifying law professors who had genuinely thanked her for the legal service she provided. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Kang Sol owes a lot to her for reigniting her reason for studying law in the first place.

“And Prosecutor Han, I’m delighted to see you’re doing great as well.” Joon Hwi inclines his head at her while responding in kind. Even with a child on his arm, he looks every bit the respectable Prosecutor, and Kang Sol could sometimes shake her head in amused resignation at how flawless her – (Friend? Best friend? Family?), - at how flawless Joon Hwi is. She shakes her head for a different reason this time around, to get rid of that brief interruption in her mind.

Ahjumma smiles, full of maternal care. “What a lovely daughter,” Joon Hwi and Kang Sol exchange wordless glances and smiles, fully agreeing with her assessment – Professor Kim’s daughter with her soft curls, and shy and polite demeanor really was just too cute for words, “the both of you two have,” – before freezing in their tracks.  

Ajhumma seems not to notice the slight disturbance in the force, nor Professor Kim’s silent but far from inconspicuous chuckles, since she goes on, “Perhaps I’m just biased, but I’d always thought that the both of you suited each other well, even back then. And to see the both of you with a daughter of your own makes me really happy. We have enough parents who abandon their kids, but I know you would be such loving parents who would do everything and anything in your power to protect your daughter.” She grasps Kang Sol’s hands in her own and says sincerely, “Congratulations to the both of you.”

Prosecutor Han for all of his brilliance in court seems for the first time at a loss for words. It was a misunderstanding yes, but a reasonable one in Eun Sook’s mind. She would have probably thought the same, and yet for all that Eun Sook imagines they’ll just brush this off and regain their easy momentum, the pause lasts far too long this time around, and Professor Kim suddenly worries.

Kang Sol is frozen, and looks to be a million miles away. It’s to the point that the woman grasping her hands finds her smile slowly falling. There are no flustered denials, nor a hint of red anywhere. Kang Sol is blank, and this worries Professor Kim since the younger girl has always been full of life, of emotion, and to see this is disconcerting. Joon Hwi sees her from the corner of his eye, and Professor Kim is suddenly transported back to that Civil Code classroom so many years ago, for he once again saves her from having to answer, as always reliably following-up after her.

He slowly lowers her daughter down who immediately rushes to her. Upon seeing that, realization breaks across their guest’s face. “She’s not our daughter, but Professor Kim’s,” he explains smoothly, although it may be a bit redundant now. That seems to snap Kang Sol from the daze she’s in as she energetically reassures their guest that there was no need to worry regarding the misunderstanding. 

Eun Sook picks up her daughter and sends a questioning gaze towards Joon Hwi who seems reluctant to meet it. He smiles that characteristic smile of his, the one that seemed to say that he had everything under control, that there was nothing that could trip him, before politely excusing himself from the room to follow after Professor Yang. “He must be tired of waiting.” He doesn’t rush, nor does he run. Both his voice and gait are measured and paced, and though he catches Kang Sol A’s eye in that form of wordless communication that Professor Kim observed was common to him, her, and even Professor Yang, Kang Sol A seems to break it first to rejoin her conversation with their guest and her.

Joon Hwi stares a little longer at her profile before exiting.

The warm atmosphere the legal clinic had when the two had entered earlier seems to have dissipated.

Professor Kim really cannot help but worry.

#solhwi #jtbc law school #netflix law school #joon hwi #kang sol #kang sol a #yangcrates #professor yang #professor kim #fic #fanfic #I will finish this fic #hopefully #eventually #post canon #fic writing #my writing

[loisinherlane]

Bobby first appears in the Uncanny X-Men series, as one of the original five members. Throughout this run, he has a number of moments that come off a little... shippable, especially considering that he later comes out as gay. Reading all of Bobby’s scenes under this lens explains a lot about his relationships with Hank McCoy/Beast and Warren Worthington III/Angel. Of course, back then, Bobby’s main role was playing an icy Johnny Storm (which is a whole nother layer of mutual queer-coding I won’t get into yet), so he didn’t have a solid character arc.

(Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1)

(Uncanny X-Men (1963) #8--This issue is notable for being the issue IMMEDIATELY preceding the O5′s later travel to the future.)

(Uncanny X-Men (1963) #14--Note that Bobby, at this point in time, does not seem to have made an active choice to be a mutant over being gay. However, this scene is recounted in Marvel’s Voices: Pride with a different aftermath. Make of that what you will. Also note Warren’s trans-coding with his binder.)

At this time, the X-Men title had stopped releasing new O5 stories and gone into reruns before Claremont took over and revamped the X-Men into what most people think of. In universe, the X-Men were more or less in hiding, save for Hank, who had transformed himself from his more or less human form into the big blue furry we’re more familiar with. When Bobby and Warren leave the X-Men, they’re shuffled off to found a (short-lived) new team in Los Angeles. Bobby’s character becomes more careful now, as Warren notes that Bobby often hides any feelings under acting goofy.

(Champions (1975) #3)

(I put this here because I felt like this post was the best to be first because it addresses Bobby’s earliest appearances. However, for more information on Bobby’s queercoding and characterization that doesn’t relate directly to other characters, see this post.)

This continues with the other non-X-titles Bobby appears, including his solo and Defenders (1972). At this point, you could easily argue that all of these moments are deliberately written to queercode.

(Defenders (1972) #122)

(Defenders (1972) #125)

This scene may be a little homophobic, as per the time, but it reads massively different knowing Bobby actually is gay--Is he trying to sabotage Hank’s flirting attempts? Is this intentional or subconscious?

(Defenders (1972) #131)

More explicit queercoding comes a little later, with Bobby’s relationship with Cloud. Cloud is introduced as a woman, but due to various circumstances leading to an attraction to Moondragon, a fellow Defender (also a woman), Cloud begins to transition between male and female forms, explicitly stating that they (presenting as a woman at that moment) feels like both. Bobby has very complicated emotions about this situation. (Note: Cloud’s reaction has a degree of homophobia in which they feel like they can’t love Moondragon as a woman, but when they’re a man, it’s okay. Bobby’s reaction has more than a little transphobia AND homophobia.)

(Defenders (1972) #136)

(Defenders (1972) #137)

(Note: In the most faded panel, what Cloud says: --HOLD MY HAND?)

(Defenders (1972) #138)

It’s important to note that Bobby shows no attraction to Cloud until after they begin fluctuating between being a man and a woman. However, Bobby also acts like it’s an affront to his feelings for Cloud when they present as a man.

(Defenders (1972) #142)

(Defenders (1972) #150)

Though Cloud leaves the Defenders (and Bobby) once they remember they’re actually a nebula destined to become a star (and they and Bobby were never in a proper relationship), you can consider this Bobby’s first queer relationship.

Because this is really long and I still need to finish reading X-Factor (1986), I’m going to skip ahead to the next section I’m more familiar with--aka, back to the main X-titles.

In the 90s, Bobby had a LOT of queercoding which is unpacked in my other post. But his old feelings for Hank and Warren continue to surface.

(X-Men (1991) #38--I won’t admit how long it took me to realize Bobby was making a pun on “girl of my dreams.”)

(Uncanny X-Men (1963) #331--Emma distracting Bobby with Hank, after distracting him with his father and ex-girlfriend Opal. Implications?)

One plot of note is that at one point, Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar has a crush on Bobby.

(Uncanny X-Men (1963) #415)

Despite Bobby’s later admission that he didn’t know Jean-Paul was gay (baffling, considering how long he’d been out), he does seem to return these feelings... or at least flirt with him. As he does all of his friends?

(Uncanny X-Men (1963) #415)

The amount of subtext for Bobby’s sexuality prior to his coming out is just... fascinating, and it’s a big part of why I love him so much. Check out the other side of this, where I discuss Bobby’s queercoding outside of his relationships with men or nonbinary characters.

#megan's fan posts #does this read a lot like a manifesto about why you should ship hankbobby or bobbywarren...... maybe #i mean there is that whole chunk about cloud so i hope that convinced you to love cloud #anyway i hope you understand why i love bobby

[caw4brandon]

Loki’s Take on Freedom

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has always been a love-hate situation for me. I for one, love that comic book or graphic novel stories are getting the justice of adaptions they deserve but I am also sick of how boring they feel. At some point, I talked to a group of mates saying: “Marvel will get boring and die” 

But, not matter how I decided that its the end. The MCU has ways to just pull me back. So, I recently watched < Loki > which follows Loki Laufeyson (Duh), who recently suffered a humiliating defeat after the invasion of the Chitauri in New York City. We pick up during the events of < Endgame > where something seems to have interrupted the sequence of events that lead to Loki escaping but was caught on time by a group of people called the [Time Variance Authority (TVA)]

Following his arrest, he caught the attention of a certain agent who believes that his knowledge and behavior on manipulation and deceit, could help their cause. There is a lot of love to hate about Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of the Norse god of mischief. After watching all six episodes, I’ve decided to have a little chat.

- Time Travel Never Looked This Fun -

First of all, let’s cover how Marvel has handled time travel so far. They made it Fun! Upon watching and recounting Loki’s greatest hits in episode one, we learned that he was involved with various events that is significant to mortal history. From the fun fact that Loki is DB Cooper (No, its not a spoiler because its in the trailer) to being involved with Pompeii very briefly.

The show doesn't make time travel complicated. The rules are basically, if it happened. It can be rewritten or be branched out and the TVA’s duty is to prevent the spiral of these “unintended branches” from happening. 

This is the strength of the series. With time travel in shows, its often times played for a what if scenario. [Insert show here] where the villain won and took over the world or a what if scenario in < Doctor Who > where the hero ceased to exist or that events altered to a dark path. One very popular version of this that comes to mind is < Kim Possible > where Shego managed to take over the world and a future Rufus was sent to seek the aid of past Kim to fix the timeline.

Since finishing the series, I’ve been told by several people that < Loki > is the best adaption of time traveling stories because even though the episode itself may feel like something has changed. The changes are never felt in their own respective timeline. Hence, it becomes a branch. As Loki’s new found friend says it;

Because Loki is also a rather narcissistic character. The TVA never ceases to show the various versions of the god of mischief under different circumstances. From a Hulked out Loki to President Loki, to Loki as a traditional 90s villain via [Richard E Grant]. Every Loki shows a different variant of events that transpired and no Loki is the same.

What the creators have done to time traveling stories is that they tear down the selling point of altering main events in MCU but rather, < Loki > strays away to its own insane branch that doesn’t affect the movies at all.

- Burdened with Glorious Purpose -

Since episode one, we’ve noticed the many trigger words that sets the tone of the show. Words like trust, purpose, lies, time (because of course) reason and words that could make philosophers lose their minds and theorise for hours but the word I’m looking for and noticed plays an important role overall is; Freedom.

When it comes to subjects of freedom. It often times falls under the notion that the characters are restricted or controlled in some way. A video essay from [Wisecrack] used the works of the prolific German author; [Franz Kafka] and dissected that like the characters in Kafka’s books. Loki is stuck in the infuriating bureaucracy system of the TVA for crimes that he has yet to understand but is doubtful of the intentions of the so-called [time keepers] The Bosses of the TVA.

In that process and for the sake of not spoiling. Loki uncovers a deep rooted, lie about the TVA and realizes that what he does as a being who is “Burdened with Glorious Purpose” to only be burdened with the harshness of his insignificance and of everything. In a sense, Loki has not only realized that he’s lied and hurt others, but he has also lied to himself thinking that he is bigger than others when in actuality, he is but an insect in the universe he is trapped in.

The show constantly hammers this idea that our freedom to decide is nothing more but a delusion made by the weak to feel better about themselves. Even after the discovery of the TVA’s conspiracy. Some of its agents still cling onto the idea and the intention of their agency to have some form of significance that is for a good purpose. With that said, the show breaks down every important moment of the MCU as nothing but an intended script authorized by the one who is in charge it is definitely not Loki. However, with the existence and explanation of the TVA. The show seems to suggest that we are entering Alternative Universe territory in future MCU movies to come.

In the end, when given the choice to finally be free from the shackles of the intended paths paved for him. Loki abandons that quest to be the hero or back to being the villain he once was but rather, accepts his role to the system and live it to his fullest. On the other hand, the other Loki’s didn’t take it as well.

- I Don’t Want The Throne -

So, what does this have to do with us fable mortals? 

Well, it doesn’t take a time traveling police to know that in the grand scheme of things. Nothing matters. In real life, I’m in that stage of losing passion for being a creative because, with how soul crushing the system is made against us. Over a year of starting Tumblr, I’ve found a lot of like minded people who wishes to speak to the void with their passions.

My intention was to use this platform to develop an audience with the aspirations to be a creative of a different caliber. I never bother too much with the likes and reblogs because I was well aware that those are but small victories for bigger things to come but even that reward has dwindled over the last few posts I’ve made which, not going to lie. Really bummed me out.

Some say its called a [Creative Burnout] some called it a [harsh dose of reality] but personally, I think, as my late 20s rolls to the other side. I may have suffered an episode of [Existential Mid-life Crisis] For too long, I was highly praised and supported by family and friends that I can be the creative I wanted to be and be like the heroes I grew up with on social media. Later in life, I realized that the world still doesn’t understand creatives like us and even worst, they undervalue us with every chance they had.

At this point, I just can’t see myself doing anything else as a job aside from just, graphic design. I hated the fact that for all my rebellious nature of not wanting to end up in a cubical. I have hilariously ended up in a cubical made of cardboard and painted with bright colors. Even if I want to leave this cubical, Like Loki, I felt like there is nothing else for me in this Kafkaesque cycle. 

We as a society have made a good enough maze among ourselves that no matter where we go, we still end up becoming the very cogs of society we vow to reject for the sake of our survival without even realizing it. What I’m trying to say is, for all its fantastical elements. < Loki > has showed us that even though we think we are free to chose and be what we want to be, the cogs will always exist to keep things turning with no way out. Its our choice to either break out into the great unknown or to accept the illusion and be free WITHIN it.

Thanks for Reading

- Caw4B -

#loki #db cooper #mobius #loki x mobius #marvel cinematic universe #loki laufeyson #time variance authority #tom hiddleston #richard e grant #owen wilson #glorious purpose #alligator loki #loki alligator #wisecrack #franz kafka #kafkaesque #mid-crisis #harsh dose of reality #creative burnout #nothing matters #cubical #freedom #norse gods #norse mythology #doctor who

[traincat]

I know the comic piracy debate is a never-ending cycle, but in India where I live, you can't get western comics (or manga for that matter). There aren't comic book stores. Sometimes on Amazon you can find collected editions worth more than INR 1000 at least, for the paperbacks. Most older collections, even from the early 2000s, will be upwards of INR 6000. And sure, it's because the exchange value is so low for Indian rupees, but that's still a LOT of money to Indian citizens. You can get digital editions of random odd issues for approx. INR 150, so that's there. But overall it's really a huge investment to buy a physical comic. So yes, I pirate. But I get so guilty when this debate rolls around, every time. I just don't see any other alternative.

I debated whether or not to answer this considering I haven't really addressed the comics piracy issue before so I'm not sure I'm the right account to talk about it, and also because my askbox is not a confessional and I am not a priest, but then some Spider-Man news broke that I feels ties into it this so whatever, we're going for it. The comics piracy debate comes up every couple of months and will probably continue to come up every couple of months until forever and all of these points have been stated before by others because nothing in this debate is new. First things first, you shouldn't feel guilty. I'm going to suggest actually that nobody should feel guilty, unless you are like, a millionaire and you're exclusively pirating indie books. The prices you're quoting are prohibitively expensive but I have some unfortunate news for everyone involved: the prices are really bad in the US, too. If you want good collected editions, especially in hardcover, they're going to run at similar if not quite equal prices. Comics have gone from a cheap hobby to an overwhelmingly expensive hobby.

This is a good article comparing to the cover costs of American comics since the 1960s adjusted for inflation which I think puts some things in perspective. Comics currently cost roughly $5 USD per issue, which doesn't sound that bad, even though most of my monthly streaming services are roughly that price for a whole month's access to a library of content. But it only doesn't sound that bad if you're not buying special issues (the Marvel Pride book retailed for $10), and if you're only reading one or two books a month. The problem is, American superhero comics are specifically designed so you're not reading just one or two books per month -- this is why we have events! And crossovers! Not for the story potential but because it forces the consumer to purchase more product. This is why there's constantly an event running with a checklist of tie-in issues in the back. So now you're spending probably at least $20 a month. If you're a fan with a lot of interest in different titles, and in different publishers, this can easily hit triple USD digits. It's a money pit. It's not affordable to most people. And this is where that new Spider-Man news comes in, because it was announced today that Amazing Spider-Man is going back to a thrice monthly schedule like it used to operate on during Brand New Day. Which sounds good at first -- more comics, yay -- until you realize that's probably going to be $15 USD a month for a one title. That's $180 a year for one title, not including annuals or special issues. That's not feasible for a lot of fans -- young fans, poor fans, fans with other financial obligations etc. And most people aren't reading just one title. I don't know how the X-Men fans are currently financing their Krakoa habit and I'm afraid to ask. There are services like Marvel Unlimited, which make things slightly more affordable, but I imagine the wait for newer issues to hit the service can be alienating for some fans who want to join in current discussions, the library has some incredibly massive holes in it which is unacceptable when it's coming from inside the mouse house, and I believe, although I could be wrong, that it is not available in all countries. Comics are no longer an easily accessible hobby, if you're paying for everything you read.

"But the creatives deserve to get paid" is the common argument and yeah, they do, I'm not arguing that point. They should absolutely get paid and they should get well. I'm a writer, I'm a published writer even, and I want to be a published novelist, and I definitely want to get paid, and I'm reserving the right to be a complete hypocrite about this, as I do with everything in my life, but this is where the difference between indie publications and Marvel publications comes in: Marvel is owned by Disney. There is absolutely no excuse for Disney not to pay their creatives. If they are not getting paid fairly, it's not because you pirated a book -- it's because Disney has a vested interest in not paying their creators, as evidenced by Alan Dean Foster's lawsuit claiming that they are withholding royalties from him. Fans pirating these books are not the reason the creatives are not getting paid fairly -- the creatives are not getting paid fairly for the same reason that Disney park employees experience homelessness, and it's because Disney would rather put that money into the pockets of their executives. There is no debate on that subject. It's easier and perhaps more convenient to blame fans for pirating comics rather than putting all of their money into what has been for years now a prohibitively expensive hobby to keep up with, but the fact of the matter is Disney could pay all of their creatives what they're worth without hurting their bottom line and instead chooses not to. That is not on you, as an individual reader. You have no reason to feel guilty about that, no matter what your circumstances are, and you do not have to justify your actions to either me or the House of the Mouse. I'm with you, and Disney ultimately doesn't care. They're making that money up elsewhere and then not distributing it fairly to the people who create the properties their media empire is built off of. But especially if you're buying older books, you should know that your money is not going to the creative team -- once it's out of publication, they're not going to get any of the money you spent on it. The argument then becomes that you should be supporting local comics stores which yes, is true, but also doesn't apply to everyone, like anon who doesn't have access to local comic book stores. And again, this can become prohibitively expensive -- collections are expensive. Older, hard to find collections can be very expensive. Once something is out of print, all bets are off on what it might be selling for. Buying single issues is only affordable if the single issue isn't desirable or sometimes if it's in exceedingly bad condition. For the sake of transparency, I have a fairly big single issue collection because it's my preferred format, but I had the time to bargain hunt, access to local comic book stores and large comic conventions, and I'm very good at sniping eBay auctions. The most I have ever dropped on a single issue was expensive for me -- and still under three digits USD -- and it's for an issue from the '60s that is not in great condition.

The problem with this debate is that it is generally a nuanced issue that always gets boiled down to "piracy bad" in a way that makes a lot of well meaning and well intentioned fans, especially the ones with extenuating circumstances, feel bad. It's not your fault. You shouldn't feel guilty. There are a huge amount of reasons why someone might pirate something that are not bad reasons and do not make you a bad person who is personally withholding money from the creators -- because you're not. I don't publicly tell people where to pirate comics, mostly because I really don't think it's that hard to find out for yourselves especially because several creators involved with Marvel themselves have, I suspect accidentally, posted pages of their work to social media WITH THE BANNER OF A WELL KNOWN COMICS PIRACY SITE STILL IN THE IMAGE please learn how to crop, so maybe my standpoint on the issue wasn't well known, but there it is. I think readers should, if they are able to financially and otherwise, support the creators they like, but that it should be acknowledged that this is a more complicated issue than it's commonly made out to be on Twitter and that the largest part of the blame needs to be put on the companies making these comics inaccessible to many and who refuse to pay their creators fairly, not on individual fans. Don't feel guilty, anon.

#traincat talks comics #*replies