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canonmisogynyvictimstournament · 9 months

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PROPAGANDA

AGENT TEXAS (RED VS BLUE)

1.) okay so tex is an ai based on the memories this one dickhead dude has of his dead wife, allison. there's also an ai based on the dickhead dude himself, his name's church. all the stuff with the ai's and the different versions of her is kind of confusing to explain but she sort of dies twice- first sacrificing herself for something that has very little narrative weight, and being absorbed into a kind of . monstrous mesh of other ai's (including the original church ai) that then is erased, with basically no mention of tex, it's all about church's death.

then, there's another version of both church and tex born from the original church ai's memories (epsilon-tex and epsilon-church). epsilon-church's arc is basically about learning to move on from his past and let go of tex, because he's kind of obsessed with her and it's preventing him from progressing. so, epsilon-church 'forgets' tex, deleting her for good. tl;dr she dies, again, basically entirely for church's development.

when i was a kid super into rvb i was always really disinterested in tex and looking back it's because er story just.. isn't resolved satisfyingly at all. basically all of her story is hitched so tightly to church's story and development that tex barely gets room to be more than a memory of the director's dead wife- she never gets to move past the circumstances that created her and become her own person entirely divorced from the director or from church- allison died and we never knew anything about her besides that the director god sad about it. beta-tex died unceremoniously and without mention. epsilon-tex died for church's character growth.

quoting church's own words from the show: ""She died in her real life, and that's all the Director ever remembered of her. So now, no matter how tough she is, no matter how hard she fights, she's always going to fail, because that's what she's based on. No matter what she's doing, or what she's trying to accomplish, just when her goal is within her reach, it gets yanked away. Every. Single. Time." and she just never… actually overcomes this. she just dies.

and quoting now-inactive tumblr user epsilontucker from 2015 who put it better than i could: "Tex’s whole life was spent fighting for agency. Freedom from what Omega wanted her to be (O’Malley), what the Director wanted her to be (Allison), what Church wanted her to be (his). Epsilon-Tex wanted to know who she was and why she was and she wanted to dismantle everything Church ever built. Especially because he built it for her.

And this character arc about freedom and agency, about a chance to define herself on her own terms, is resolved by… Church deciding to delete her.

Because everybody always seems to know what’s best for Tex."

this is also to say nothing of the treatment of her character on just, like, an episode-to-episode basis. rvb has a big problem with basically treating "bitch" as a personality trait for female characters, and tex gets some of the worst of it. if you made a drinking game of how often tex gets called a bitch, or a huge bitch, you'd die of alcohol poisoning. also at one point andy the bomb makes a bunch of transmisogynistic jokes at her because she's suppsoedly mannish (she's not masculine or feminine really everybody in this show is a multicolor master chief. she's just good at fighting) and then calls her a dyke. the end

2.) Some background (spoilers): Tex is introduced as a badass mercenary from Project Freelancer, and the ex girlfriend of Church, the main character of the show. It is eventually revealed she and Church are both Aritifical Intelligence programs; Church is an AI copy of the Director of Project Freelancer, and Tex is a copy of the Director's late wife.

Firstly she is straightforwardly the victim of misogynistic "jokes" for the first several seasons. She is called misogynistic slurs, shamed for sleeping with other men besides Church, she cannot work the entertainment stand at the base bc she's female, called lesbophobic and transmysogonistic slurs bc she is a competent soldier, and blackmails another female character out of jealousy bc she is the only other girl in the group.

Even when these jokes go away, and the show transitions from comedy to drama, her writing revolves around the male characters around her. Because she is the personification of the memory of the Director's dead wife, and his perceieved failure to save her, she explicitly, in the text, will always fail at what she sets out to accomplish no matter how strong she is. She wishes to be free of the cycle of being resurrected bc Church can't live without her only to fail and die again, but lacks the agency to end it without Church. Church's arc about learning to let her go ends not with her being free to exist as her own person without him, but with him forgetting her. Since she IS his memory, this ERASES HER FROM EXISTENCE. She literally cannot exist without this guy.

This would all be easier to swallow if she wasn't the ONLY prominent female main character for 8 whole seasons. It's a beautiful story about how grief can fester into anger and a need for control, and how that pushes away the people you love, but it's a story entirely centered around Church's development, in which she is a prop that stops existing when the story is over. I love her but she deserved so much better than she got.

3.) girlboss

KAMALA KHAN (MARVEL COMICS) (CW: Racism)

1.) One of the most prominent brown women in all of comics, beloved by the fan base. Recently killed in a PETER PARKER SPIDERMAN COMIC (despite being much closer with Miles Morales and having basically no relationship with Peter) in what's probably the name of MCU synergy, which nobody wanted (she'll probably be resurrected as a mutant, erasing her unique and interesting history as an Inhuman). She was using her shapeshifting powers again despite having stopped in her solo as she got more confident in her own skin and identity as a Pakistani American girl, died disguised as the very white Mary Jane as a fake out/last minute replacement for killing off MJ. I fucking hate it here. A cheap trick to drive sales. L + Misogyny + racism + are you fucking kidding me

#polls #round 1 #week 1 #new #cw racism

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shitpostingperidot · 5 months

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Kamala Khan’s bookshelves

Kamala’s room in The Marvels is an absolute treasure trove of little details to zoom in on, and I’ve identified so many books on her shelves!

Shelf 1, top to bottom:

1. Landmark Experiments in Twentieth Century Physics by George L. Trigg

College-level book about experiments that helped us learn about x-rays, lasers, isotopes, superconductors, and all kinds of other things I don’t understand. Meant to be more practical than theoretical since it talks about the actual methodologies of these experiments. Could be for school, or for Kamala and Bruno to run their own tests of Kamala’s powers. The first of many books in the Khan house that come from Dover Publications.

2. Space Time Matter by Hermann Weyl

“An esoteric initiation into space time physics” -Amazon reviewer. I’m gonna be real, I don’t understand half the words in this book description, but apparently it’s famous for introducing gauge theory, which was later reborn as phase transformations in quantum theory. I can see this being something Kamala reads to try and understand the bangle transporting her to the Partition. Also from Dover.

3. A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

A graphic novel about a high school girl’s basketball team learning to work together despite their many differences and conflicts. Also it has a gorgeous color palette. Seems fairly self explanatory why it’s in this movie. I’ll definitely be borrowing this from my library! Like my friend Kamala recommended a book to me herself.

4. The Good Immigrant anthology edited by Nikesh Shukla

21 essays from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people in the UK about their experiences. It was crowdfunded initially, extremely critically acclaimed, and has gotten spinoffs and sequels. Riz Ahmed, who is British Pakistani, is one contributor, and a fun fact is that Rish Shah (Kamran from Ms. Marvel) worked with Riz Ahmed in an Oscar winning short called The Long Goodbye. Also, the editor, Nikesh Shukla, is currently writing the Spider-Man India comics series!

5. Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam

A coming-of-age story about 3 young adults with complicated family, friend, and romantic relationships between them. They have to travel from Brooklyn to Bangladesh together one summer and thereby discover a lot about themselves. I haven’t read it, but there seems to be a ton of complex representation of LGBTQ, POC, immigrant, and Muslim characters. I wonder how much the three main characters can be compared with our three characters with complex relationships in The Marvels, and I wonder which character Kamala most relates to!

6. I can’t tell! The font is bugging the hell out of me because theoretically, with that amount of contrast, I should be able to read a word when I get two inches from the TV and mess with the settings. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7. I also can’t tell, but I’m being easier on myself because the title is written in white on a yellow background. It’s not the only book I know off the top of my head with this color scheme (Yellowface by RF Kuang) because the title is definitely multiple words. Help!

Shelf 2, right to left:

1. One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

A YA romance where, through a convoluted series of events, a teenager must face all of her insecurities in one night. I can see Kamala devouring this as brain candy after wrestling with those advanced science books, or using it as fic inspiration!

2. Can’t tell, but love the color scheme!

This next one is a weird one, because I am 100% sure of what book it is, but I cannot find a picture of a matching edition.

3. Wizard at Large by Terry Brooks

It’s definitely, without a doubt, this book (where a character and a magical medallion are accidentally transported to Earth from another realm and switches places with an evil genie). Like those are the words on the spine and the plot of the book is an obvious choice for this movie. The fonts match on the audiobook, the ebook, and the next two books in the series. But try as I might, I cannot find any proof on the internet that the physical book that appears in Kamala’s room, that uses those two fonts and that spine formatting, exists. This is haunting me…

4. (On the other side of the box) It’s not The Twilight Saga Eclipse, but I definitely thought it was before I could watch in high definition. I think it’s a journal or sketchbook of Kamala’s; there are a bunch scattered throughout the room.

Shelf 3:

I’ve only identified the bottom book, which is Einstein’s Theory of Relativity by Max Born (Dover Publications). The third one up is HAUNTING me, it looks SO identifiable and yet!

Living Room Side Table:

1. Amateur Astronomer’s Handbook by JB Sidgwick (from Dover Publications)

2. Cosmology by Hermann Bondi (also Dover)

Both of these seem less difficult than the science books in Kamala’s room, but reviewers note that it helps to know calculus when reading Cosmology. Idk which member of the Khan family is reading these, but I love their family’s connection to the stars 💫

Tbh I’m having so much fun doing this! And I really wish we got to see Monica’s living space so I can analyze her books 😭

#the marvels #kamala khan #ms marvel

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indigosabyss · 2 months

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Unexpected Baggage Pt 4

They had scarcely been fished out of the ocean and given towels to dry themselves off when Charles was already herding Erik towards Raven.

"This is my sister." He explained quickly, as the two sized each other up. She's like us, he added mentally, sensing Erik's defensiveness.

Erik pinned him with a look, "Is that your only trick?" He asked.

Charles shrugged, "More or less, I can read people's thoughts."

He didn't spend much time dwelling on the more malicious uses for his abilities.

Erik continued looking at him with a considering look, gears turning in his head.

Before he could give into his urge to look deeper than just vague impressions, Erik asked him outright, "Is there a range? For how far you can read a person?"

"Uh, well, I never tried to experiment much, but I'd say a mile? Maybe??" He hazarded to guess, unsure what Erik meant by the question.

"Why're you asking?" Raven asked bluntly.

Erik looked at her again, "I need help finding someone."

Charles licked his lips, "Well, in that case, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I know what you'll do to the unlucky fellow when you find them."

Erik huffed a laugh, "I'm not going to kill them. I know how to find my targets by myself. This is a favor to someone else."

"Someone not hellbent on vengeance?" Charles asked. Somehow he doubted Erik socialized much outside of that circle.

"Yes." Erik agreed emphatically, "She's waiting on the docks and needs help from someone like you. I'll introduce you when we get back to shore."

Raven and Charles looked at each other, and Raven shrugged in whats-the-harm way.

[this got longer than expected, so the rest is under the cut]

Back on shore, Charles convinced their CIA escort to let them slip away from the hubbub, letting Erik lead the way towards the dark containers.

"She's around here somewhere." Erik assured them distractedly, cupping his hands around his mouth, "Kamala!"

A consciousness nearby sparked in recognition at the call. Charles turned at the right time to see a person walking up to them.

On first look, she was a young girl, perhaps in her mid teens, and on the shorter side if that. She was also radiating amusement.

"Hey, Erik." She said between laughs, "I saw the Coast Guard got called in. What happened to me being a liability?"

"The Coast Guard wasn't my fault." Erik told her crisply, "And you would have alerted them faster if you came with me."

"Alright, Mr 'I Am The Night, I Am Vengeance'." She put on a growly voice before collapsing into peels of laughter.

"I never said that." Erik ducked away to clarify to Charles, before shaking his head at her, "I brought these people to help you find your friend, but if you're just going to laugh at me-"

"Wait, really?" The girl gravitated towards them, hopping slightly in place, "Hi! How're you planning to do that? Why's Erik trusting you with this? What're your names? I'm Kamala Khan, by the way."

"Raven." She was grinning as she shook the new girl's hand.

"Charles Xavier." He repeated the greeting, "And Erik has been very accommodating of us because we all have a commonality."

Kamala squinted at them, "You all... hate Shaw." She guessed.

"No." Though goodness knew the man deserved to be hated, with what he saw in Erik's mind, "We all have a mutation in our genes which allows us incredible powers."

There was a faraway look in Kamala's eyes as she muttered, "Holy shit. Bruno was right?"

"Kamala has powers too." Erik cut in, "There's a lot going on with her except that, too, but she's a mutant."

"Oh?" Raven cocked her head, "What can you do?"

Kamala beamed, and held up her right hand into a fist.

A layer of purple light began to flow over the hand, fluid for barely a moment before it was crystallizing into a brightly glowing solid. A translucent shell under which he could still see the normal flesh and blood.

But it didn't end there.

The glowing fist began to expand, until it was about the size of a bowling ball. Kamala frowned in concentration as she opened the fist, flexing each finger, before stretching it forward to poke Charles.

The construct was a sharp contrast of warm and cold, and the contact was surprisingly solid, sending him stumbling back an inch.

Raven let out a shocked laugh, "That's a good trick."

Kamala beamed again. Literally, this time. The purplish glow had formed a halo around her face.

For the last eighteen years, Raven had been his only proof that there were others like him in the world. That mutants weren't a far off hypothetical. And now in short order Charles had found five others, two of which were on his side.

It was a heady feeling.

#ibis ficlets #kamala khan #ms marvel #fanfic #erik lehnsherr #magneto #charles xavier #raven darkholme #mystique #x men first class #x men movies #x men #mcu #the marvels

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traveler-at-heart · 2 years

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Spy Kids

Summary: A sort of sequel to “Oy with the rookies already”. Maria asks you to train Kamala and America.

Natasha Romannof x Super Soldier Fem!Reader A/N: Mentions of blood, some violence, Reader being a babysitter (lol). And, so much damn fluff. -

It must be a mistake

“Questions?” Maria says, hands on her desk. She’s smiling as if she didn’t just give you the worst news possible.

“Yeah, just one. What the fuck?”

“Agent…”

“Maria! You want me to run a summer spy camp for two teenagers”

“No. I want you to train two enhanced individuals to make sure they are safe” you hold her stare and she gives up. “And also evaluate if they’d be good assets for the Avengers initiative”

“Oh, so now we’re collecting them like baseball cards?”

“We need to know their abilities. And make sure they can at least be safe on their own, if they don’t want to join us”

“Isn’t one of them the founding member of the Carol Danvers fan club? Of course they’re going to join the Avengers if you ask”

“I’d still like to know what they can do. And given your success with Agents Belova and Bishop…”

Damn it. Who knew that would come back and bite you in the ass.

You think of all the plans you had for the summer. For the first time in years, it seemed like you’d have time off. Until now.

“And if I say no?”

“No one else has the time or capacity to do it” Maria shrugs her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’m sure a 15 year old with powers and no training can hold her own.”

“Ugh. Fine” you snatch the file from her hands.

You just hope this time you don’t actually have a heart attack.

Natasha took the news surprisingly well. She thought it was cute that you were the designated babysitter for the summer.

“It’s good practice for when we have our own kids” she had casually mentioned, making you blush furiously.

She couldn’t possibly know…

You put those thoughts aside, plastering a smile on your face as soon as Kamala Khan walked to the foyer of the Avengers Compound… followed by an endless line of grown ups.

Relatives, perhaps?

“Will you be in charge of my beta?” a short woman approaches you. You’re at least one foot taller than her, but her gaze makes you feel small.

“Mom” Kamala hisses and then turns to you. “Hi. Sorry, I’m Kamala and this is my mother, my father, my brother, his wife and my friend Bruno”

“Well, nice to meet you all” you think of a way to politely remind them only Kamala can stay, but her mother pokes your side again.

“Listen closely. She will go to bed at a reasonable hour, will eat her vegetables and make sure you respect prayer hours. And no boys. Nod if you understand”

“I…” she raises her eyebrows and you shut your mouth, moving your head up and down. Before she can give you a new set of rules, a portal opens behind you.

“Alright, kid” Stephen Strange says, allowing America to go through the portal. He looks at you and gives a short nod. “Y/N. I trust everything will be going smoothly”

“Is this the Harry Potter man you mentioned?” Kamala’s mother points at him.

“Mom! That’s Doctor Strange”

“And I’m America Chavez” the girl offers her hand and you smile. Every member of Kamala’s family goes to introduce themselves and you end up tangled in a sea of names and waves.

“Alright!” you say, a little hysterical. “This is getting crowded. Say your goodbyes and follow me for a tour of the place and some quick team intros”

Everyone finally leaves and the two teenagers follow you, giggling excitedly.

Yeap, you’re definitely the nanny.

“Fighting stance” you say, stretching your limbs with a satisfied smile. Kamala raises one of her legs, like the dude from Karate Kid. With a simple push of your hand, she falls to the ground. “Congrats, you’ve been successfully kidnapped or killed. Whatever you want for this scenario”

“I’d prefer neither” she grumbles, standing up.

“Chavez?” you turn to the other girl. Her fighting pose is better, but you dodge her fist easily. Two more movements and she’s down on the floor.

“Alright. We’ll work on some basic balance and defense moves. Once we do that, you’ll teach me how you actually use some of your abilities and incorporate them to combat”

“Oh! Are we going to learn to use weapons?” Kamala asks excitedly.

“Absolutely… not. Let’s get to work, kiddos”

Two hours later and at least they’ve learned to duck when you throw a punch. When Natasha finally enters the gym, she finds you with your hands behind your back, counting the number of reps the girls are doing

“At ease, soldier” she chuckles, her chin resting on your shoulder.

“Hey, baby” you turn around, happy to see she’s back from her mission with Kate and Yelena. “How was the Rocket Team?”

“Blasting off at the speed of light, as usual” Natasha wraps her arms around your shoulders and you melt at the proximity.

“Yeah, well, prepare for trouble and make it quadruple” you sigh, turning back to the girls who are still doing push ups.

“You’re not playing mean with them, are you?” Natasha tsks and you actually feel bad. “They’re just kids, detka. Play nice”

“Yes, love”

She pecks your lips before stepping back and you want to whine at the loss of contact.

“I think you’ve had enough for a day” the Russian speaks to the two girls and they stand up, eyes wide.

“Yes, Agent Romanoff” America pushes the words out and Kamala catches the last part, echoing the words.

“Call me Natasha” the redhead winks and then turns to speak to you, loud and clear. “Catch you later, honey pie”

Blushing at her words, you look back at your new trainees.

“Only she can call me that, understood?”

“Yes, Ma'am,” Kamala mock salutes and you smile.

“I’m not sure this is what Maria had in mind” Natasha admonishes, but still smiles, leaning on her outdoor chair.

“Well, all I wanted to do this summer was relax so we’ll just have to compromise, won’t we?”

You’re both sitting outside, a cooler with beers and a plate of guacamole on a table between you. Natasha sighs and stretches her arms.

“The sky’s very pretty today” she peers up, her beautiful green eyes shielded by a pair of sunglasses.

“Very pretty, indeed” you agree, looking at her legs. You love it when she wears shorts.

“Eyes up here”

You both laugh, until a figure covers the sun on your side.

“Hey, Hill” you say with a cheeky grin. Her all black outfit is a very stark contrast to yours and Natasha’s shorts and tank tops.

“Just wanted to check how Chavez and Khan are doing but I see you’re taking it easy”

“They needed resistance training and I wanted some time with my girl” you smile. “It’s a beautiful day out, so why not do both?”

“Right, where are they?” the woman looks around, trying to find the girls. You pull out your phone and unlock the screen.

“They’re currently at… yeah, they’re finishing their second lap around the Compound. I set an obstacle course and all they have to do is get through it. See? Easy” your smile fades as soon as you see the girls coming back, looking like they’re about to pass out. Well, shit. Trying to distract Maria, you call her out again. “Hey, have some guac”

“No, that’s ok”

“I insist”

“It’s really good” Natasha chimes in, trying to control her laughter.

“Fine, weirdos” Maria grumbles, taking a chip and then dipping it in the guacamole. Her eyes are wide open when she tastes it. “Holy crap! This is really good!”

“Told ya” you smirk, frantically signaling for the girls to sneak behind, back to their rooms.

You exhale when they’re both out of sight, plopping back down on your chair. Natasha squeezes your shoulder, chuckling.

Ok, maybe you’d go a bit easier on them starting now.

All you bring back to the kitchen is the cooler with the empty bottles, since Maria decided to steal your plate.

Kamala is sitting at the kitchen island, facetiming her mother.

“I gotta go” she rushes to hang up as soon as you walk in.

“No, don’t stop on my account. Your mom will think I’m keeping you locked up”

“That’s ok, she can be overprotective sometimes” the girl rolls her eyes, but you can tell it comes from a place of love.

“Nothing wrong with that. It’s sweet”

“Not when you’re sixteen” Kamala laughs and you sigh.

“Boy, I was sixteen such a long time ago” you remember the music and the outfits with a distant smile.

“You’re like 30” Kamala says, confused and you snort.

“I’m a super soldier. Our aging process is a bit… slower” you explain and her eyes widen.

“Sorry, I forgot for a second”

“No worries” you clean around, making sure everything’s in place or you’ll never hear the end of it from Grandpa Steve.

After a few seconds, you feel the girl staring at the scars in your arm and legs, usually covered by your suit or everyday clothes.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Kamala. It’s ok” you sigh. “Listen, a lot of the people here didn’t get to choose this life. We were forced into powers or skills we didn’t want. And it’s a lot to carry, but we try as best we can. Remember you have the chance to decide, ok? I don’t want anyone taking that away from you or America”

“Thank you”

You nod, feeling a bit exposed. You’re usually much more guarded around people you just met.

“Right, see you later for movie night?” you’re definitely not expecting Kamala’s squeal of joy. She runs back to her room, asking if she can pick the movie and wondering if there’s enough candy in the Compound.

“Movie night? Why am I not invited?” Yelena says, her accent thicker than usual.

“You’re always invited, little widow”

“Great! I’ll bring the vodka” she struts down the hall.

“They’re underage, Yelena!”

“That’s ok, I’m not sharing”

Later that night you find Yelena, Kate, America and Kamala sitting on the floor, giggling. You squint your eyes at the cups they’re holding.

“What is that?” you point to the two teenagers, eyes trained on Yelena.

“It’s soda. Gosh, you’re such a panty pooper”

“It’s party pooper, Yelena” you pinch the bridge of your nose. “And I am not”

“You can be” Natasha joins, kissing your cheek and smiling. She looks at the group. “Are we expecting anyone else?”

“No, Sam is visiting his sister, Steve and Bucky left on a mission”

“Girls night!” Kate and Yelena shout at the same time.

The next minutes are a blur of screams to coordinate the rest of the evening.

“I wish they were this effective for mission planning” you say, amazed. Girls night includes a lot of snacks, face masks, makeovers and in the end, an improvised race.

Kamala has created a sort of sliding board with her powers and now they are all taking turns going down the hill around the Compound’s green area.

“Are you sure you want kids? Seems like we already have enough children under our care” you say, looking at Yelena and Kate roll around in the grass after jumping from the board.

“Yes. I want to see you change diapers and read bedtime stories” Natasha says, leaning against you.

Kissing her temple, you go back to watching the girls. Now the four of them have climbed on the pink and purple board, hoping it will take their combined weight.

“Be careful” you plead. Natasha pinches your side, but a minute later you’re proven right. The group slides down at full speed, on their way to hitting a tree.

“I got this!” America shouts, opening up a portal… that leads right behind you and Natasha.

“Shit!” you cover Natasha with your body, her back on the ground. Four bodies fall on top of you, but you hold yourself up to not trap Natasha. “Everyone ok?”

“Yes”

“Great, now get off my back. Pronto” little by little, the weight you carry diminishes. Yelena is the last one to stand and you’re about to get up, when Natasha pulls you against her.

“Not so fast” she smirks as you land between her legs. Natasha takes advantage of your surprised gasp, meeting your lips in an open mouthed kiss.

“Baby” you moan against her neck, caressing the leg that is wrapped around your waist.

“Sooo gross, ugh” Yelena runs in the opposite direction, followed by the rest of the group.

You laugh against Natasha’s lips, happy that she’s always with you to make everything better.

“Clear” Kamala says, opening the door to one of the rooms.

“Wrong” you appear behind the door, shooting her with a Nerf gun. “One down. One to go” you turn to America but she’s faster than you expect, opening up a portal so the dart you shoot ends up hitting Kamala again.

“Dude!”

“I’m sorry”

“Ok, you can take a break. And then we’ll keep practicing until I’m out of darts. But hey… you’re both doing great, ok?” you encourage and the girls nod. You’re taking what Natasha said at heart and you are trying to be nicer.

When they get to the kitchen, they find a distressed Natasha.

“Is everything ok?” America is the first to speak, expecting a national security crisis.

“Oh, yeah. I just forgot a couple of things from the grocery store. Silly me”

“We could go if you’d like” Kamala offers.

“No, you’re busy training”

“Y/N gave us a break… and we’ll be fine. We have powers. And I’ve traveled through dimensions. What’s a trip to the grocery store?” America insists and Natasha smiles.

“Well, alright then”

The girls are giddy with excitement. They obviously take a little detour to grab ice cream, chatting as they reach the grocery store.

America adds a couple of snacks that were definitely not on the list and just as they’re arguing over which M&M’s are better, another voice chimes in.

“I think we should get both” you say and Kamala nods in your direction.

“Y/N is riii… what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’ve been following you since you left the Compound. Not once did you notice my presence” you smile, leaning against the shelf.

“Have we failed all tests?”

“Relax, you’ve been training for two weeks. It’s a process. Now hurry up so we can go back in time for dinner” you wink at them and they smile.

“About the M&Ms?” America grimaces and you roll your eyes.

“Bring both, but don’t tell Kate, because I always make her choose”

And yeah, you were testing them but maybe, just maybe, you wanted to make sure they were safe as well.

Kate and Yelena are actually great teachers. You smile as they teach America and Kamala some of their own moves.

“That’s good, yes America Chavez” Yelena compliments and the girl smiles.

“Why, thank you, Yelena Belova”

You let them go on for another half hour, until you look at your clock. There’s something you need to pick up before the shop closes.

“Alright, cardio and then hit the showers, stinky minions” you say and the girls laugh.

“That would make you Gru” Yelena points out and you show her your tongue.

“I just need to drink some water” Kamala asks, reaching for her bottle. She spits a second later, coughing. “Oh, my God, this is definitely not water”

“Sorry, that’s mine” Yelena says sheepishly.

“Nice, vodka for training. You ok, Double K?”

“Double K? We never got cool nicknames” Kate whispers.

“Am I drunk?” the girl yell whispers and you chuckle.

“No, you’d need a lot more than that… don’t tell your mom, though. She’ll kill me”

“Let’s get you up” America offers her hand. You’re about to say something else when Maria walks into the gym, a grim look on her face.

“Agent Y/LN. There’s an urgent mission” she says and you sigh. Yelena’s head snaps up.

Lately, you only go on missions if it’s really bad.

“You can read the report on your way there” Maria says.

“That bad, huh?”

She confirms with a nod and you sigh.

“Hey, Yelena? I need to ask for a favor” you say with urgency and she nods.

“You’ll be back soon, right?” Kamala seems alarmed, but you smile.

“Yeah, no worries. I’ll be back in a day or two, kiddo”

The girls nod, but Yelena knows better.

Still, you wish for it to be true.

Two days turned into six.

By the time it was all done, you were operating automatically, trying to lock away everything that happened somewhere very deep down your mind. A place where all the terrible memories lived.

You could have gone to the Compound directly, but you didn’t want the girls to see you like this.

Unsurprisingly, Natasha had anticipated this and was waiting at the safe house. When you first opened the door and your eyes met green ones, clouded by concern and fear, you wanted to turn back and run away.

But you had promised each other to be open. And trust.

So you trusted, stepping inside the small house.

“You’re…” she says, her voice small.

“It’s not my blood. I’m gonna get cleaned up. Ok?”

“Ok”

The suit stays on as you turn on the shower. You stand there for twenty minutes, watching as the blood and the dirt get washed away.

“Detka. The water is cold. Come here” she pleads, removing your clothes and trying to get you to snap back.

Hours go by.

Everything comes back as you look down at your clean hands, a stark contrast to the mess they were before.

They’ll never be clean.

You cry and hold on to Natasha. She’s the only one that understands.

“I don’t ever want them to feel like this” you whisper into her hair and she knows what you mean.

The next morning, you go straight to Maria’s office.

“I don’t need a debriefing now” she says, her voice soft.

“The summer camp, whatever the hell you called it. Stops now. I won’t actively encourage them to go through this”

“You saved an entire city” Maria reminds you.

“A family… didn’t make it. You know that”

“So you’d rather not save anyone at all?” she questions you. “Hell, even if you don’t train them anymore they could ask to be in the team when they grow up”

“It stops. I’m out”

You both stare at each other for a minute, and you know she’s sizing how serious you are. Maria sighs defeated. There is no middle ground, not anymore.

“Fine. But you’re telling them”

“Ok”

Yelena finds you in the hallway.

“You ok?” she squeezes your arm and the gentleness of her voice makes you want to cry, so you only nod, looking down. “It’s safe in my room, for when you need it, ok, seestra?”

Oh, shit.

“I completely forgot”

“Come find me later and we’ll think of something. But you should really get to the kitchen now, yes? Eat something. Papa says it’s good for you”

“Thank you” you pinch her cheek and the playful move makes her smile, comforted at seeing you joking.

There’s another surprise waiting for you in the kitchen. Kamala, America and Kate are cooking breakfast; they turn around and their smiles are bright at the sight of you.

Now you understand why Maria asked you to tell them.

Damn her.

“Hey, kiddos” you approach slowly. Natasha eyes you curiously, sipping her coffee and reading the paper. She’s the only one that knows about your talk with Maria.

“We missed you. And thought you’d like some breakfast” Kate smiles.

“We have chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs with bacon…”

“I made carrot pudding. It’s kind of like a comfort food for me” Kamala explains shyly.

You’re pretty certain you’re about to cry so instead, you drag the three of them to your arms and hug them.

“Oh, wow, she’s really strong” America says, struggling to breath.

“We need air, soldier” Kate pleads and you let them go.

“Hey, let’s fly the Quinjet today” you propose and the teenagers squeal.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun. But don’t throw up or anything” you grimace at the thought.

“Can I be copilot?” Kate says, pretending she’s cool if you say no, but you nod and she dabs. “Yes”

You roll your eyes, going to sit next to your girlfriend. You bring her hand to your lips, a silent thank you for taking care of you.

“Are you going soft?” she whispers and you chuckle.

“Maybe. Don’t tell anyone, though”

“Your secret is safe with me”

Choosing to inform Maria the training will continue over text is better. You know how smug she gets when she’s proven right.

Later that day, you find Yelena at the gym, the rest of the team training as well.

“Troops, I’m calling for a meeting”

Kate, Yelena, Kamala and America gather around you.

“I have a mission for you”

It’s a beautiful day outside, and a perfect excuse to drag Natasha to Central Park Zoo along Yelena, Laura and the Barton bunch.

Steve, Sam and Bucky are carrying some of the tables while Kate and America hang the fairy lights around the trees.

“Looking good” you give them a thumbs up and walk over to Tony, setting up the last of the mini golf course. “Everything good, Stark?”

“Mechanism should be ready” he points at the little course, four separate roads leading to four holes. “Each time Red gets a ball inside a sign will turn”

“Signs are almost ready!” Kamala interjects, working her design magic.

“You nervous?” Tony slaps your shoulder and you nod.

“Well, it’s only one of the most important moments of my life”

“Don’t worry, we’ll all be watching from inside, cheering for you. And judging you if you screw up”

“Nice, Stark” you roll your eyes but smile.

By the time Natasha’s back, everything is ready and you steady your breathing, acting as if it’s just another afternoon.

“How was the zoo?” you greet when she walks into your shared room.

“Yelena tried to steal a penguin”

“So, the usual”

“I’m really sorry, detka. I wanted to stay with you today but Lila and Cooper gave me those puppy eyes”

“It’s fine. Got some work done. Want to take a walk around? It’s still nice outside”

Natasha eyes you a bit intrigued but agrees, so you go out after taking a quick shower. You offer your hand, leading her to the front entrance, away from the setting. There are a few things you need to say before you get there.

“Remember our first date?” you finally speak and she laughs.

“I remember how you asked me”

“Oh, yeah” you snort, blushing at how bad that was.

“We’d barely made it out of that Hydra base, battered and bruised”

“And I asked what was the one thing you always wanted to do but never got around to doing” you reminisce.

“I said playing mini golf. And you…”

“I said all I ever wanted was to ask you out on a date”

“As if it was so scary” Natasha rolled her eyes.

“It was at the time. Trusting someone, opening up. Love. But you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me”

“Stop” she blushes and you laugh.

“There’s something I want you to see”

You finally reach the spot and it looks amazing with the lights on. The little mini golf set up is on. You look up, the entire Avengers team eagerly waiting by the window.

“What’s this?” Natasha says, looking around. Then her eyes land on you and you shuffle, anxiously. “You are going soft”

“Oh, well. Now, come on. I want you to play”

“Mini golf with a trained spy? My aim is impeccable, you know”

“Especially when you’re pissed. But you’re not now, are you?”

“No, just very happy” she pecks your lips and you blush. “Alright, watch me beat your super soldier ass, babe”

“Oh, nice one, Tasha”

Natasha chuckles, hitting the first ball. It ends up going to the last hole. A sign turns around.

Me?

Another ball goes, hitting the second hole.

You

“You, Me?” Natasha reads, trying to make sense of it. Fortunately, she hits the first hole and there’s a new sign.

Will you ___ me?

“Baby”, she turns around, her arms going around your neck. “All of this to ask me to fuck you?”

“What?”

“Will you fuck me? Such a romantic” she chuckles against your lips.

“Stop being a smartass and finish the game, Romanoff. There’s one more sign to go”

“I love you” she whispers against your lips.

She knows what you’re about to ask, that’s for sure. But you let her finish the game anyway, kneeling when the last sign turns.

“Will you marry me?” you ask, and this is the most terrifying thing you’ve ever done. You hold the ring Yelena kept safe before you left for that last mission.

“Of course I will” Natasha answers, breathlessly.

Your hands are shaking when you slip the ring down her finger and she smiles, admiring it.

“I love you” you pick her up, kissing her, hoping she understands she’s your entire world.

Everyone joins you then, congratulations going around. You pretend you don’t see Kamala and America toasting with that very expensive champagne Tony brought.

Natasha is showing the ring to Laura and Lila, speaking about how she had no idea you were all planning this.

“Is that why you tried to steal the penguin?” Kamala chimes in.

“Uh… sure” Yelena nods unconvincingly.

You roll your eyes, as the team keeps celebrating with food and drinks.

“Glad you made it” you greet Maria, who is once again enchanted by your magic guacamole.

“So this is what you were planning on doing with your summer? I would have totally understood, Y/N”

“Don’t worry about it. It ended up being perfect” you say, turning to the girls. Apparently, this is the first time they’ve met Peter and America is asking for proof that he doesn’t shoot webs out of his butt.

“They have a long way to go, don’t they?” Maria smiles.

“Yes. But I’ll be there every step of the way. And maybe, the world will be a lot kinder to them”

The rest of the night feels like something out of a dream.

Natasha Romanoff will be your wife.

Before the Bartons leave, Tony sets the helmet at one of the tables, programming it to take a picture.

“Family photo” he announces and everyone gathers around.

“America, Kamala, get over here, quick” you ask, pointing to the spot next to you. The girls beam, hugging each other.

“At the count of three, I want everyone to say…” Tony instructs and you all laugh.

“Assemble!”

#Natasha Romanoff x Reader #Natasha Romanoff x you #Natasha Romanoff x y/n

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themarysuep · 7 months

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Headcanon Carol flies in for dinners with kamala's family and fury space zooms them too

I see this. It would start off as Carol telling Kamala that she doesn't want to disappoint her parents by not showing up but eventually Carol starts showing up without an invite bc she's always welcome. Carol being introduced to desi food would also be a fun time.

Fury would definitely join to catch up with the Khan's. And everyone would want updates on the cats.

I see Fury, Carol and Kamala sitting together after dinner when Carol visits NJ and brainstorming ideas on how to get Monica back and discussing where they think she is. It just becomes their little routine.

#ms marvel #kamala khan #captain marvel #carol danvers #monica rambeau #nick fury #the marvels #asks

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nerdby · 8 months

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I don't know about you peeps, but at this point I'm going to watch The Marvels just to piss off all the incel dubebros who are whining about Marvel being woke cause they've never picked up a comic or any other book before in their life.

Heads up, boys

Captain Marvel has been a woman since 1982 with Monica Rambeau being the first and Carol Danvers taking up the mantle in 2012, and leaving the mantle of Ms. Marvel to Kamala Khan in 2013.

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samasmith23 · 8 months

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Viewing Kamala Khan as a mutant through a queer lens

I’ve gotta say, after having read Issue #3 of Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant miniseries yesterday, one of the elements that I’ve really grown to love about this book is how well it functions as a metaphorical coming out narrative for Kamala Khan! In addition to the previous issues showcasing Kamala struggling with the newfound pressures that being a mutant comes with, especially during a time when anti-mutant bigotry is at record levels following Orchis’ genocidal attack on Krakoa, during this issue’s dream sequence we’re introduced to the idea that Kamala’s hesitancy to accept her newfound identity as a mutant and inability to access her new powers is all due to a mental roadblock inside of Kamala’s own psyche. However, when the villains try to force Kamala to accept her mutant powers before she is ready by invading her dreams (as part of a Trojan horse to activate a psychic bomb against other mutants), Kamala refuses her “dream-self’s” offer upon realizing that only she alone can decide when she’s ready to define who she is, countering Orchis false anti-mutant narratives and defining her solely by her latent powers by proudly proclaiming, “It’s not about the powers. It never was. It’s about the why we fight. The who we fight for. My powers don’t define me! They aren’t the testament to who I am, in here! I was afraid that being a mutant meant that I was no longer anything else. But that doesn’t erase any other part of me. It just makes me more… me. Who I am — that’s up to me to decide.”

Kamala’s story has always been one about identity, self-acceptance, and intersectionality. This has been evident since her initial run by G. Willow Wilson & Sana Amanat, where Kamala was at a crossroads in regards to figuring out who she was as Pakistani-American Muslim from an immigrant family who had just obtained Inhuman powers, eventually deciding to embrace the best aspects of each part of her respective identities.

Discovering that she now also happens to be a mutant doesn’t erase those previous aspects of who Kamala is, but simply adds to them. Additionally, several X-Men stories in the past have framed the mutant allegory through a queer lens, and there’s a lot you can read into Kamala’s journey of self-acceptance as a mutant in regards to both queer theory and intersectionality. I’ve mentioned before how the recent spike in anti-mutant bigotry amongst the general public following Orchis’ attack on Krakoa Island bears a lot of real-world parallels to the recent upsurge in homophobic and transphobic legislation by Republican politicians here in the US, and Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #3 further expands these parallels. Similar to how Queer people of color are the groups most severely affected by homophobic and transphobic legislation, Vellani effectively demonstrates how Orchis anti-mutant hate campaign significantly impacts Kamala as a woman of color who just found out that she’s also a latent mutant. Orchis’ attempt to try and play on Kamala’s fears of being rejected by her non-mutant superhero friends while framing mutants as inherently arrogant beings with god-complexes, feels eerily similar to how Republicans have recently tried to push false “groomer” conspiracy narratives in order to frame LGBTQ+ people as inherently “predatory towards children,” further isolating an already vulnerable community by falsely defining them solely through the lens of sex. But similar to how sex & sexuality does NOT entirely define a gay or trans person’s identity as an individual, mutant powers do NOT solely define the sum of Kamala’s identity either. It may be an important aspect of who she is as a person, but it is NOT representative of the whole of her identity. Just like how being a Muslim from an immigrant family is an important facet of her personhood, but it is not the sum total of her personality. People are more complex than the narrow-minded stereotypes that bigots like to falsely project onto them, and Kamal effectively demonstrates this by accepting her newfound status as a mutant as merely another facet of personhood. She’s a mutant, as well as an Inhuman, a Muslim, a woman of color, second-generation Pakistani immigrant, nerdy fan-fiction writer, and a compassionate human being who simply wants to help others in need!

From Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #3 by Iman Vellani, Sabir Pirzada, Carlos Gómez & Adam Gorham.

#ms marvel kamala khan #ms marvel #kamala khan #iman vellani #sabir pirzada #carlos gomez #Adam goham #x men #queer allegory #lgbtqiia+#comic review #marvel comics #intersectionality #g willow wilson #Sana Amanat #adrian alphona #ms marvel the new mutant #orchis

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clueless-fan-critic · 2 years

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Wakanda Forever: A Tribute to a Fallen Brother

As the final film in the MCU’s Phase Four and an anticipated sequel after the death of Chadwick Boseman, the film has a lot of hype and expectations to live up to for their fans.

After watching the film, it was very interesting to see how self contained and mature it portrays the themes of colonial powers and the overall power struggle for Vibranium. There were just as many epic fight scenes as quiet moments of self-reflection within the characters.

Shuri’s Journey as the Black Panther

Shuri has been portrayed as the comedic younger sister of the Black Panther T’Challa in the first film, but now we get to see a newer, serious side to her after the death of her brother. One scene that stuck out to me was her interactions with Kilmonger in the Ancestral Plane as Shuri has the same pain and suffering that drove Kilmonger in his crusade. This interaction creates a sort of conflict within her of whether she wants to seek vengeance or protect her kingdom.

Namor the Sub Mariner

So, I’ve never really heard of or followed the story of Namor the Sub Mariner despite his legacy of the first mutant introduced in comic books. This version of Namor takes a much different turn in how they portray more Aztec culture and heritage with an aquatic blend. Namor has shown a level of complexity that makes him both a sympathetic villain and a ruthless man. He does genuinely care for his people, but willingly sees the necessary actions for portecting his kingdom.

Riri Williams, the Ironheart

Riri Williams, in my opinion, felt like a lackluster copy of Tony Stark in the comics with being black as a major draw-in for comic reader without any personality to back her up. She doesn’t share the exact type of impression as Kamala Khan in both the comics and her tv series, but isn’t a bad character, just under-utilized in aspects.

In the movie, she’s the “macguffin” that makes her a target by the Talokanil, basically Aztec Atlanteans. In her first impression, Riri is a no-nonsense MIT student who strives to outsmart her own professors. Other than that, she’s the fish out of water dragged into a big storm, the scientist responsible for making technology that locates Vibranium.

Other Characters

There are a lot of great characters that stand out within the film, particularly Queen Ramonda played by Angela Bassett and Nakia played by Lupita Nyong’o.

Ramonda becomes the perfect blend of strong command and calm wisdom who takes on the responsibilities of ruling Wakanda with strong, decisive force. She demonstrates this authority when she strips Okoye of her rank and role in the military as she laments the possible loss of her family while all the sides of the world are slowing trying to take down her kingdom.

Nakia returns in the film as a teacher in Haiti who gets pulled back into Wakanda after Shuri gets captured by Namor. Nakia is a sympathetic ear for Shuri to lean on where Nakia tries to show her the sides of the fight that could end in devastation on both sides.

M’Baku, played by Winston Duke, does have a surprising level of development from a brute to strong warrior who acts as consul to Shuri during her transition into Black Panther.

The Story

Wakanda Forever deals with the aftermath of T’Challa’s death from an unknown disease and the rising war between the Talokanil and Wakanda. The story felt almost natural that allowed for strong character moments. The scene between Shuri and Namor making a truce for the benefit of their people highlights how they are willing to put aside their grudges and make each other allies facing the threat of the other countries trying to steal from them.

Afterwards...

Wakanda Forever doesn’t end in an epic note, but a somber one that creates a level of ambiguity for what may come for Black Panther and the possible third film that could follow in the future. The film’s ending gives a sense of closure for T’Challa’s and Chadwick Boseman’s journey in the MCU through Shuri’s perspective.

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whetstonefires · 1 year

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Why do you think Kamala Khan, Miles Morales and Sam Alexander were given their own Teen Titans-equivalent team (the Champions) rather than simply having them join the Young Avengers, who were already popular in their own right?

Bunch of reasons!

Age bracket. Miles and Kamala were introduced in their early teens and had reached their mid teens when the Champions were formed; Young Avengers were by this point college aged.

Tone. The Young Avengers had a long sprawling soap-opera type team history that encouraged relatively meandering interpersonal drama focused storylines, where the team was often its own biggest problem to a higher degree than is usually true of superhero teams. Champions ran to a much faster, punchier narrative that could be fit around the fact that some members had other books they were mains in. And their concept was to do cleaner heroing less tied down by baggage than the Avengers, who'd just shat themselves spectacularly with Civil War II, while the Young Avengers are literally a team about baggage despite none of them initially being real legacy heroes or even having met the Avengers they were riffing on.

Geography. Miles is from Brooklyn and Kamala is from Jersey City and afaik the Champions operated primarily around the greater metro area. It would be weird to write the Young Avengers like that, but disruptive to find a way to keep involving those two when the story didn't stay put. Sam didn't have this limitation, and neither did Viv or afaik Amadeus, but they weren't the big draws.

Marketing. The point of putting Miles and Kamala in the same book, with other heroes their age, is they're the hot new thing people are into, in particular people who were not already part of the Comic Book Purchasing demographic. Young Avengers content is catered foremost to nerds who have been engaged with comics for 20 years; Champions was meant to work as an entry-level title.

Related to all of the above, writing logistics would have been such a pain, trying to satisfy multiple audiences with different stakes in the title and allow Miles and Kamala to headline while also being the babies of a group where they didn't really fit in. Awful idea. Editorial was so correct.

In summary: Did you ever see that short Titans run I believe just after Flashpoint, where DC put Damian on a team mainly staffed with characters from the NTT era for nostalgia cred, so you know people around Dick's age cohort, and had Damian lead it and made characters like Beast Boy happy about being micromanaged by this rude little twerp? Unreadable.

My question was how Marvel had the balls to launch the Champions into a market where they also had a teen-team-style West Coast Avengers book out, the new Wasp running an all-girl team, and a new Runaways book. Actually idk which came first but that's not the point. Like four very different narratives being done but it was still four youth team titles at once, way to splinter your base. Was Disney just running tests on market saturation?

#ask #hoc est meum #Anonymous #comics #marvel #the champions #i feel like ironheart was skipping between Nadia and the Champions a lot?#i do wonder what the numbers were on these #Pretty sure Champions was still running #when Teddy and Billy got married in space and settled down to run an interstellar empire together #like you do not want to overpopulate your book with characters #whose stories can't interlock smoothly #young avengers #i really don't think of myself as a marvel fan but i got some receipts huh #funniest member of the Champions definitely Young Scott #i didn't mention this in the post #because it seemed too obvious #but Young Avengers were broken up at the time #like you'd have had to get the team back together to put them on it

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jadore-adanna · 1 year

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✧ Princess Shuri Comic Reading Guide! ✧

The one and only Princess Shuri of Wakanda has long established herself as one of the most important players of the Black Panther franchise since her comic debut back in 2005. An heiress to the throne, a proficient warrior, and a genius to boot, Shuri is light-years away from being known as just "T'Challa's little sister". Can't get enough of her? Get to know her in the comics with this reading guide!

please note: this doesn't detail every shuri appearance, but rather the ones i feel are must-reads for shuri stans with some fun ones thrown in as well! 💜