#⟢ ﹐ whizzer’s creations ◠◠

[mormism]

　。　　　kevin 　　　 ₊ ⊹

　　　　　　 ◟　ₒᵣ　whizzer

　 　。　　⊹　◟ 　 he　)　books

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　　　　　　 &　masc-nb

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　　　　　　　◞ 　 open　/ closed 　 ₊

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⟢ 　﹐　 talking ; chess 　 ◠◠ ; talking !

⟢ 　﹐　 whizzer ; talks 　 ◠◠ ; replying to asks !

⟢ 　﹐　 whizzer ; posts 　 ◠◠ ; posting duh !

⟢ 　﹐　 promo ; love 　 ◠◠ ; reblogging promos, pls @ me in them!

⟢ 　﹐　 whizzer ; sings 　 ◠◠ ; being sad & depressed abt whiz

⟢ 　﹐　 what wld i do ? 　 ◠◠ ; thinking about whizvin.

　　。 　　　 ⟢ 　﹐　 taglist: @jiraillilu @fluffettis @oathem @septick @duplitism @chokingonchairs @xhiffon @aescola @starry-anarchy @pr-nceknight @sharkzzx @pueriled @soulbounde @scythidol @tillpilled @graficscard @avenisim @qioberry @piinkseraphiim @cutelvr @deertism @fawncure @phantasyze @dwollies @haloviianz @shinjui @moemiji @foxlorist @angefrill @iidolnurse @cannispouse @broken-dollhouse @masobutch @uncannity @baselessbatter @curwsed @yansimss @smilepilled @bandagewastern @swensitive ◠◠

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[nemyzilla]

A collection of my worst alton towers puns

• What do you call a fashionable smiler?

The styler.

• What’s thirteen’s favorite season?

Fall.

• During the day, it’s obliviON. At night, it’s obliviOFF.

• Evil runaway mine train be like: runaway yours train.

• What do you call a feline moj worker?

An advocat.

• What do you call a happy spinball whizzer?

Spinball wheeezer.

• What did the corkscrew say before getting demolished?

“I’m corkscrewed.”

[morphean42]

Falsettos unpopular opinions because two people asked for this and honestly I don’t give a fuck anymore. I want to state this isn’t in response to anyone in particular, though, and if you get offended by any of these think about why. For a good reason? Please tell me and I’d love to debate it, truly. For a petty reason? You’re simply part of the problem.

1. They are Jewish. End of story. If I see anything related to Christianity or Christmas or whatever the fuck with them… shut up. Yes Whizzer is half-Jewish, yes in the revival Cordelia isn’t Jewish (WHICH BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER POINT ILL GET INTO LATER), yes they are most likely secular as evidenced by Mendel’s “religions just a trap” and ‘Days Like This’, no this does not give you the right to ignore their ETHNICITY AND CULTURE.

2. It’s okay to like the revival more. It’s not okay to ignore the original just because you get blinded by conventionally attractive men. Going to my Cordelia point, she’s Jewish in the original, her line ‘Shiksa caterer’ is ‘Kosher caterer’. Again it’s fine if your headcanons and fanfics and fanarts are based on the revival, I love it too, but stop acting like it’s the only version.

3. Whizzer’s entire personality does not revolve around being gay. He’s not a sassy twink. He’s a full grown man with issues that need to be addressed. Again, I reiterate, he is not a twink. Stop. Drawing. Him. Skinny. And. Hairless. I don’t care if ‘ oh but but that’s just my art style!’ Shut up.

4. Correlated to the above point, here are things Whizzer is not: a prostitute, a drug addict, relying on Marvin for everything, a twink (saying that again to get it through peoples fucking skulls), innocent. I’m 100% positive if the people who had these headcanons watched the OBC version of the show they’d never continue to advocate for them… once more I’m begging you guys to look past Andy Randy’s beautiful face and actually use critical thinking skills when it comes to Whizzer.

5. Short but (not) sweet: don’t claim to understand Marvin if you haven’t watched In Trousers. Just don’t.

6. If you flat out hate any character in the show, you’re wrong. Yes I’m still mad about the Mendel thing; if you think any one character is worse than the rest and isn’t just a fully human person with flaws and nuance, you don’t understand the musical as well as you claim.

7. It’s not the ‘gay’ musical. If you like falsettos for Whizzvin and nothing else, please, just… I don’t even know. There’s so much more to it than ‘ooo boys kissing.’ Please grow up, this leads into a whole other point but fetishisation is never okay, no matter who does it.

8. So many people treat Trina as either a perfect angel or just the side character in the way of the gay people. She’s an entire person, an entire character with flaws and hardship and terrible actions done by her and to her. Treat my homophobic queen with the respect she deserves, and acknowledge her faults too. It’s more misogynistic to treat her as perfect when she has issues too than just saying ‘she’s never done anything wrong’.

9. Stop making AIDS jokes.

10. This next one is probably the most iffy on the list. I will never be one to police fandom and creation, you can engage with material in any fucking way you like it literally doesn’t matter to me… but I dislike AUs. Now, I’ll always enjoy a little fun, adding in a twist like lesbian Whizzvin, or enjoying a feel good college AU. But. Especially for Falsettos the canon events are so fucking important and cannot be disregarded as casually as some do. AIDS is an extremely important part of the story, as well as the fact that both Marvin and Whizzer are men. I’m trans myself, but I dislike making them so simply because everything about their characters, all the characters, are so highly specific and important to take these aspects away is to disrespect the message of the musical.

11. It’s very important Mendel is straight. I see some people headcanon him as bisexual or trans or so on, and this just feels so wrong to me. Trina and Mendel are straight and that’s why their acceptance and love for the others in the Tight Knit Family is so important, especially Trina struggles with moving away from the idea that these ‘homosexual tendencies’ are wrong. They are straight but they love Whizzvin and the lesbians just as much as anyone else.

12. This one is so petty and I accept that, but… HIS NAME IS NOT MARVIN GARDENS. GARDEN IS A JOKE CHRISTIAN BORLE MADE BASED ON MONOPOLY. Jesus guys please just stop it it’s so stupid, William Finn didn’t have a last name for Marvin on purpose, and though I can’t do more than theorise what that purpose was, Gardens is so stupid. It’s not even funny. Same goes for Cohen, which just is odd. The only name I could begin to accept is Falsetto, and even then… just work around the last name in your fics.

12 1/2. SIDE TANGENT Jason would never take Weisenbachfeld as his last name. As a child of divorce… no. He’ll never view Mendel as a true father over his own dad, especially after Falsettoland, and he wouldn’t take that name. Hell, I’d known my ex step-father since I was two and I’d never have taken his last name. So, please, I never want to see Jason Weisenbachfeld again. That’s just not how it works.

At the end of the day this is just me alone in my room bitching… I just hope these points resonate with others.

[michaelus]

so fun fact for my public speaking class this year I had to give a speech on something I'm passionate about and why it's important to my entire class so I did mine on falsettos (slideshow attached)

"When most people think of a musical, they think of big jazz hands and kicklines and cheesy plots. What they are unaware of is how a musical can be much more than that. While big dance numbers are entertaining, music can be used to convey deep emotions and stories that just can’t be translated through regular words. Because of this, Falsettos is one of the most important musicals of our decade. It touched on topics most people in its time wouldn’t even talk about, let alone make a musical on. William Finn and James Lapine, its writers, were able to remind us that families can be much more complicated and deep than a husband, wife, and 2.5 kids. A lot of people don’t live inside that norm, yet it’s the primary one that is represented. Then you get a show like this, which explores conceited parents, difficult love stories, coming to terms with things that are hard, and coming of age. All of these are relatable topics. In this speech, we’ll get into the history, the characters, and the representation in Falsettos. “Love can tell a million stories.” This is the main idea of the show. Because there really are countless different ways a family can be. The show has some trigger warnings: AIDS, death, abuse, somewhat sexual scenes, and cursing. Also, spoilers ahead!

First, we’ll get into the history. The creation of Falsettos is rather unique compared to other musicals. It was originally a trilogy of three one-act, off-broadway musicals, all created by William Finn. All the shows take place in New York City, in the late 70s to early 80s. They center around Marvin, and him exploring his sexual identity. This is mostly what In Trousers (1978) focuses on, and how the women in his life helped him accept that. It was critically acclaimed as a flop, largely based on the topic it portrayed in its era. In the second installment, March of the Falsettos (1981), Marvin’s partner Whizzer gets more involved, and this act focuses on how their relationship affects Marvin’s ex-wife Trina and child Jason. Finally, in Falsettoland (1990), the dynamics of the family are shown much more, especially with Trina and Marvin planning Jason’s bar mitzvah. In 1992, the last two one-acts were combined into one full length show, simply titled Falsettos. (This was nominated for seven Tony awards that year!) The show had a broadway revival in 2016, which spread its popularity (and also what I’ll be referencing here). Also, the history behind the name of the musical is fascinating as well; According to a 2019 interview with SFist, Finn says he was “inspired by the idea of the falsetto — a man singing in his head voice outside his range — as a metaphor for people who exist ‘outside the normal range.’”

Next, the characters. Almost every character is a primary one, but the main character is arguably Marvin. He’s a possessive and insensitive man. He left his wife and child after realizing he wants to be with a man named Whizzer. He’s not exactly a good father and wasn’t a loving husband, but over the course of the play, his character development is prevalent and interesting to watch. Second, Whizzer is Marvin’s live-in boyfriend. According to Marvin, Whizzer is “delightful, stylish, and romantic,” but also “spiteful, sorta-kinda mean, and evil.” Marvin and Whizzer’s relationship is pretty toxic, but improves. Alternatively, there’s also Trina, Marvin’s ex-wife. She’s often described as insecure. A lot of her conflict is her coming to terms with Marvin and Whizzer’s relationship. Trina and Marvin’s son, Jason, is 10 years old, and thinks he is “too smart for his own good, and too good for his sorry little life.” Friendless, he plays chess all day, and has anger management problems. Finally, there is Mendel, the family psychiatrist. He was Marvin’s long-term therapist, but after Marvin insists Trina sees him too, Mendel immediately falls in love with her. Mendel honestly is kind of manipulative, but also a fun character to watch onstage. There’s also Charlotte and Cordelia, the “lesbians from next door.” They’re close family friends, and godparents to Jason. A large part of it is showing how real people behave, including the good and the ugly.

Now into how they’re all important as representation. The main theme is the various family dynamics and relationships- most of us can see aspects of our own families within the characters and plot. For example, in my own family my parents divorced then found new partners or remarried later and I have good friendships with them. First, there are three different types of gendered relationships as shown: a straight relationship, a gay relationship, and a lesbian relationship. Oftentimes in the media, the only kinds of relationships that are shown are straight ones. And for them to all be parents in some sort of way to Jason is even more important- it’s showing queer parents can be good ones too, which is a misconception many people hold (this is, that lgbtq+ parents are inadequate). Second, Falsettos touches on the AIDS crisis, which Whizzer contracts and later dies from. During the ‘80s it was a very big problem but now next to no one talks about it. How it’s portrayed in the show represents how it affected real families and people. Third, Jewish households. This year we all were able to read Night, which showed what Jewish people went through during the holocaust, but not what regular cultural home life is like. One of the main plot points is about Jason’s bar mitzvah, and how he’s not sure if he wants one or not. Jewish expectations and customs are brought up throughout the whole show.

To conclude, Falsettos is a fantastic installment to musical theater. It has original history, complex characters, and overall is an amazing testament to different types of American families. Not only that, its music and book are award winning, according to Broadwayworld.com. And this speech is really only the tip of the iceberg–there’s much, much more to it. Falsettos is definitely the musical you’ve been looking for!"

[nsfwmiamiart]

Fun Fact about Stan Lee American comic book writer Also known as: Stanley Martin Lieber

Stan Lee, originally named Stanley Martin Lieber, was born on December 28, 1922, in New York, New York, and died on November 12, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. He was a renowned American comic book writer, best known for his pivotal role in Marvel Comics.

Lee began his career at Timely Comics in 1939 as an editorial assistant and soon started writing under the pseudonym "Stan Lee," which later became his legal name. By 1942, he was promoted to editor. Throughout the 1940s and '50s, he created several series, including "The Witness," "The Destroyer," "Jack Frost," "Whizzer," and "Black Marvel."

In 1961, Lee, alongside artist Jack Kirby, launched "The Fantastic Four," propelling Marvel into a significant position in the comics industry. The following year, Lee and Steve Ditko introduced "Spider-Man." Lee, Kirby, and Ditko used a collaborative technique known as "the Marvel method," enabling a high output of content. Other notable creations by Lee and Kirby included "The Incredible Hulk" and "The X-Men." Lee's characters were unique in combining superhuman abilities with human flaws and emotions.

Lee became Marvel's publisher and editorial director in 1972. In 1999, he founded Stan Lee Media, an Internet entertainment company. Although the company initially found success, it soon faced legal issues and filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Lee continued to create through POW! Entertainment, established in 2004. His work has inspired numerous blockbuster film adaptations, and he made many cameo appearances in Marvel films.

In addition to his comics work, Lee authored several books, including "Origins of Marvel Comics" (1974) and his autobiography, "Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee" (2002). In 2008, he received the National Medal of Arts.

[instrumental-break]

this took way longer than it should’ve but it was worth it

[fyeahinvaders]

MARVEL’S INVADERS WEEK 2022! 

A Comic Fandom Event focusing on Marvel’s Invaders team & associates. 

It’s Invaders Week! Choose to do the whole week or one day, it’s up to you! Just pick a prompt from that day and create an original fanwork to share the day of during posting (August 14 - 20). Fanworks can include: Fanfiction, Fan Art, Character Edits such as comic edits, aesthetic/moodboards, Playlists, Fanvids, etc. Original art/fic commissions are welcome as well. 

Prompt List 2022

Day 1 - Brotherhood / Heritage Day 2 - Lovers / Fighters  Day 3 - Propaganda / Axis Day 4 - Lost / Ambush Day 5 - Dogfight / Foxhole Day 6 - Downtime / Dreams Day 7 - Free Day* / Aftermath / Memorial  For Free Day it is creators choice, do whatever you want!  Works set in any timeline will be accepted, ex: Past or Present. 

What are the Tags?

Please tag works or @fyeahinvaders so we can reblog/share your works!   #invadersweek #invadersweek2022 #marvelinvaders

What are the Rules?

1. Fanworks must be original creations or commissions. 2. The Invaders (and supporting cast) must be the main focus. 3. Light or Dark content is accepted but please be sure to tag appropriately. 4. This is a Comic Focused Event, so MCU works will not be accepted.  5. Racist/Pedo/Incest works will not be accepted. *

(* While we understand that many people ship Steve/Bucky in the mcu, in the comics they have an found family, father and son dynamic so we will not be accepting any works of that pairing nor of any other pairing where it’s established that there is a clear adopted family dynamic.)

I’m writing a Fanfiction and posting on Ao3, will there be a collection?

Yes! Here is the link to the Invaders Week Collection. 

 What is this Event about?

It’s all about The Invaders! A Marvel comic team that was formed during WWll and fought against the Red Skull, Nazis, Traitorous Atlanteans, Vampires and more to save the world!  Other teams also accepted for this event since they have been Invaders members are: Kid Commandos & The All Winners Squad

Who are the Invaders?

Steve Rogers (Captain America), Jim Hammond (Human Torch), Namor the Sub-Mariner, Bucky Barnes (later the Winter Soldier), Toro Raymond (The Flaming Kid), Jaqueline Falsworth (Spitfire), Brian Falsworth (Union Jack), Roger Aubery (Dyna-Mite/The Mighty Destroyer)

Who are the Kid Commandos?

A Teen Superhero team set in WWll era that includes: Bucky Barnes, Toro Raymond (The Flaming Kid), Gwenny Lou Sabuki (Golden Girl), David Mitchell (Human Top)

Who are the All Winners Squad?

WWll and post WWll era superhero team: Jim Hammond (Human Torch), Toro Raymond (The Flaming Kid), Namor the Sub-Mariner,  Madeline Joyce (Miss America), Robert Frank (The Whizzer) Post WWll (after the “death” of Steve and Bucky): William Nasland (Captain America), Fred Davis (Bucky)

[mtdbler]

Limboverse

hello tumblr!

we've mentioned limboverse in our posts before, but we've never really explained what it is. so, here's an in-depth history and explanation of this roleplay/au!

long post incoming...

(let me set the scene. it's october, 2022.)

limboverse started as a ride the cyclone roleplay, (that I MADE (in a caffeine induced energy burst) -🌺) which takes place several years after the canon plot (the choir is roughly 20-21). we added fankids from alternate universes into it, as well-- savannah and donnie (spacedolls), amelie (nischa), and river (blackrose)

...everything started going downhill when dhar mann was introduced (11-10-22). it started off as a joke but soon enough, he was integral to the lore (being presumably a god and ricky's lover.) after dhar mann, we started adding other musical characters. spring awakening and falsettos were the first non-rtc characters.

for the next week or so it was extremely chaotic, with real people being brought in as jokes, leading to the creation of the "normal roleplay" channel. (the retired roleplay channel is still used for shitposting.) it was around here that non-musical characters were introduced in a serious manner.

as more characters were brought in, the setting was brought into question. it was impossible for all of these different universes to intersect naturally, so we made it fit. enter: limbo. (first mentioned: 11-14-22. began being used for worldbuilding around 12-09-22.)

and now for the actual explanation of what limbo is and how it applies to the roleplay!

-limbo is a ghost town with no way out. people (the characters) wake up in the surrounding forest and wander in. there are 3 main streets that have houses and a row of shops.

-it regenerates food and resources weekly. despite this, there is only one working fridge. the Limbo Fridge is located at the town center and is used as a landmark. there is an 82-year-old package of edamame in the fridge that has bad side effects when eaten-- also, it respawns/grows when removed. the victims of the edamame claim to have a psychic connection to it post-food poisoning.

-the actual roleplay portion of it takes place within the "limbo neighborhood watch" group chat. everyone who wakes up in limbo automatically has a phone with this installed. dms also exist for characters who came from the same universe-- groundhog day dms, falsettos dms, omori dms, etc.

-buildings within limbo: the store, mendel's psychiatrist's office/dispensary, the cafe, the marriage hall, and the pharmacy

-there is a giant groundhog.

and now, for the most used/iconic characters of limbo!

-MENDEL WEISENBACHFELD (falsettos). i guess you could say he's the antagonist of limbo? he's violently homophobic due to being a repressed bisexual. played by buddy.

-PHIL CONNORS (groundhog day). he is in constant anguish. married to rita. played by mart.

-RITA HANSON (groundhog day). also in constant anguish but more organised about it. played by theora.

-KEVIN PRICE (the book of mormon). got bullied and now he's not an asshole anymore. works at the cafe as a barista. his only friends are rita and 2 teenage girls. played by me (annie)!

-MARVIN (falsettos). hes a little hater. he's also in looooooove. played by sunny.

-WHIZZER (falsettos). sarcastic ass. he has a talking cat named colonel pumpkin. played by me, pt 2.

-ALL OF THE RTC CHARACTERS AND FANKIDS (will be expanded on later).

-OMORI KIDS (omori). sunny, basil, and kel. they are always up to some shit. played by annie, basil, and yuri.

that basically sums up limbo as it stands now! now, i'll leave you with our limbo documents!

limbo map (made by yuri)

limbo pride parade (made by buddy)

[mormism]

　　 　　　ivan　alnst　graphic　。

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[thosemintcookies]

Hey just a reminder that you can write about whatever content you like. Dark topics and breaking down trauma literally is a good way to expand people's sense of empathy and also a way for victims to feel seen.

I will say that there is a problem sometimes with the attitude with which people write things. The presence of violence and sexual assault in certain creative circles on its face isn't a problem if tagged correctly and honestly might be a good indicator that some people find freedom in writing about such topics.

The attitude behind these things tho is where it gets problematic for me. There's the prevalence of eroticizing of non consent (which again in individual cases might be okay depending), the normalization of and sexualizing of manipulative people, the normalization of pedophilia and incest etc.

Again, I am anti censorship. You can't have a robust and healthy critique of racism without expressly stating the harms it inflicts on people. However. You also can't have a robust critique of racism if you're excusing or fetishizing it. It's not the content or the existence of underage sexuality as depicted in media I have a problem with because let's be honest, underage people do have libidos. But to be voyeuristic of it? To present it as titillating for an adult audience? It gets dicey. There's a difference between writing awkward teens fumbling with getting dates vs. Showing 16 year old characters played by 20 year old actors in their underwear.

A lot of my frustration with mainstream fan creation people is this conflating and strawmanning. It's not me saying certain ships shouldn't exist or that certain themes should be purged. But to treat the realm of fanfic and fanart as a free-for-all where you're allowed to find everything sexy is wrong.

There are laws protecting people and their bodily autonomy. We have these boundaries in larger society for reasons. If you get off on the dual toxic dynamic of a queer person being abused/a queer person being a SuperPredator maybe think about why. I'm not even asking you to stop. Just like. Why is it so important that you protect your ability to write about things that in real life would make you uncomfortable? Why are you more dismissive of something if it happens to people you can't immediately physically identify with? Are any of these perceptions filtering into your treatment of marginalized people in the real world?

One of the more pernicious things that isn't even sexual is the tendency to characterize poc as being "better than" or "more sensible" than white counterparts and thereby excluding poc from the action. As an Asian person, who has been on the receiving end of "positive" stereotypes let me tell you that all stereotypes are dehumanizing heuristics and excuses not to think about people as entire and whole, able to be flawed, able to have ugly emotions and complex joys.

In the same way, treating all male ships as inherently softer or cuter for the consumption of a mostly nonqueer audience is very toxic. Some people actually do suffer abuse by their LGBT partners. Being marginalized doesn't save you from being a bad person. Are we wanting to engage in these things cpmplexly? Do we fully understand the mortifying vulnerability of truly loving another person, beyond blushy first dates and feverish sexual encounters?

I understand that some things are a matter of personal taste and yeah, not everything has to be that deep. There are plenty of published books I could pick up and read. There are non romantic books and media I can get into (and I do! I'm not going to pretend like one person writing for fun should be held to the same standard as people working with publishers, editors, sensitivity readers etc)

But at the end of the day, people are correct. Amateur works are where Wierdness can flourish. How many healthy depictions of polyamorous relationships can you name in popular media? How many works are passionate about depicting even the nuanced hardships of interracial, or even interfaith relationships? How many stories have far too much in the way of corporate propaganda? Where else can you find works with niche playful anachronistic dialogue for works written hundreds of years ago?

These things can legitimately prove to be good outlets for creativity.

I don't know how it got to be this way, but I do think there is something wrong when the primary target for queer relationships turns out not to be queer people.

You know in falsettos Marvin and Whizzer have this wicked intense, sometimes toxic and infuriating relationship which is also full of real love? You know in angels in America where queer death and identity amongst the backdrop of repressive and progressive religious themes is tragic and transcendent? You know in, fucking cloudburst? Big Eden? The lived-in intimacy. The wanting the best for each other. The queer joy in finding your Person. Your People. Why isn't that people are vehemently defending their rights to produce...

[whatdoyoumeanyoudont]

Whizzvin coffeeshop AU

do the kids even go for coffeeshop aus these days anyway

Whizzer as the owner of the most pretentious, most hipster coffeeshop you can think of, the type that names their menus all sorts of poetic and clever and has great pride over his creations (that are duly deserved)

Marvin as the ‘fuck all that, just give me a cup of triple-shot espresso to get me through the fucking day, I’m only here because it’s the closest to my office and I don’t even like coffee’ guy

[chordue]

things that keep me up at night (part 1??)

Jekyll is pronounced ‘Gee-kill’

Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t canonically married

Tony Stark is dead

Daredevil was cancelled

Whizzer Brown is dead

What the fuck happened to ‘The Wolf Among Us’ sequel?

What the fuck happened to ‘District 9’ and why does nearly no one remember it?

Connor’s real name isn’t Connor Anderson

HANNIBAL???

Loki is getting his own show

Why doesn’t Deadpool have his own show?

WHY DOESN’T DAREDEVIL STILL HAVE HIS OWN SHOW??

HANNIBAL???

Voltron Season 8.

What the fuck was the Dexter ending.

Let’s remake Venom but this time Tom Hardy plays every character.

WHEN IS PIZZA TIME?

Frankenstein is VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN NOT HIS CREATION

Hermione can’t draw.

[louthegreatfurrry]

Stardust

A Megamind commission for the absolutely wonderful @justafictionalthing !

Do you want to commission me? My information is here!

Every single person was once a star.

Every single soul, every living creature – they were all cut from stars. The Guardian walks among them, these glowing sparks and dots, carefully picking out the ones who are ready to be given life. He carves souls from them – sometimes only one, sometimes two, sometimes more. A star dies, and souls are born.

Souls of the same star are perfect for each other. In every way, shape or form, no matter where they go, no matter what they do, they will never be complete without the other. They were created together, are several sides of the same coin, and even if they can’t remember that, some part of them will always know.

The souls are sent off to live lives all throughout the world. As family, as friends, as lovers, as pets. And they always find each other, no matter where they end up – for that is the power of the purest form of love.

The process might be boring, at times, and then they seek out the Guardian to ask for a challenge. A test, a way to see how fast and well they truly can find each other.

And now the three of them stand, so close they are almost one, the essence that is them staring up into gentle eyes.

“A test, you say?” the Guardian asks, lowering himself down to be on their level. There are galaxies in his eyes, stars brushed across his antlers, planets in his fur. “What kind are we talking about?”

“The hardest you have,” they say.

“The ultimate challenge,” another adds.

The Guardian leans back, tilting his head to give them a contemplative look. “You will not be in the same universe,” he warns. “And will not recall this occasion, nor your birth.”

“We will find each other,” they say.

They nod. “We always have.”

This, apparently, is the answer the Guardian wanted, for he hums and nods. “Very well. Say your goodbyes.”

“Farewell,” they say. “Survive long for me.”

They laugh. “And the same to you. Live well.”

“As though I can decide,” they say, and they smile.

“Nonetheless.” They smile back, then turns to the Guardian, moving away from them, from each other, until they are three clear separates and not one blur. “We are ready.”

The Guardian inclines his head and does not raise it. “Safe travels,” he says, and on his voice is the distant heartbeat of a different world.

*

Something is missing. Cat is five years old and something is missing. There’s a piece of her, gone, an empty hole where there should be something. No one mentions anything like it, but no one mentions anything different, either, and so she bottles it up and pushes it down.

She thinks it’s normal.

*

Cirrus is torn from his planet when he’s eight days old, is torn from his family, from his budding life, and when he has nightmares about black holes at four, he doesn’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary.

*

The ache grows worse as she grows older. She’s ten, eleven, twelve, watching her classmates and friends finding partners, finding best friends – and when she’s thirteen her older friend travels across half the world to meet their boyfriend. Cat watches, and she isn’t jealous, not really, but – the hole, the ache, it thuds and hurts and screams inside of her.

Then she’s fourteen, and she’s being teased for not having a boyfriend – or a girlfriend, for that matter, an exasperated friend tells her. You’re pretty, they say, sounding confused, what’s holding you back?

Cat opens her mouth, wants to reply, and shuts it again.

How can she explain that the thought of tying herself to someone feels like ripping her own heart out?

*

When he’s twelve he changes his name to Megamind. It’s a play on the bullies – on their harsh calls of mega head, or giga head, and painful remarks about his skin.

(if he embraces it and makes it part of him maybe they’ll stop maybe he’ll stop, maybe maybe maybe)

His name was never written down anywhere and so there’s nothing he needs to change. No official papers, no lawyers or courts or meetings, only a small whisper to Minion and it’s done. Never had he told anyone, never had anyone known, and now no one ever shall.

But there’s something in his heart that stays the same. Some deep part of him is locked down and unable to change. He knows – he knows – he’ll always be Cirrus, that’s never going to change. His true name, the one his parents gave him, the one only one person on this wreck of a planet knows… it’s always going to be his.

His name is Megamind. That’s what they call him, so that’s what he’s going to be.

(and through it all – he never mentions it, not to anyone, but there’s this hollow feeling in his chest – it eases, somewhat, in Minion’s presence, but never enough, never enough, and his sleep is restless and scattered with stars and black holes.)

*

Cat is in class one moment, and they’re watching a video about space –

there’s a glint, a shimmer, and in a rush she’s floating, complete, and there are stars around her and she’s complete, the ache in her chest gone, stars and darkness and safety all around her. A soft laugh, a gentle hand, the glimmer of too huge antlers, and –

someone touches her arm and she falls out of her chair, the floor cold and hard.

She lies there, staring up at the roof, and the spots dancing before her eyes has nothing to do with her fall.

(she’d been complete –)

(and she aches and aches and aches and)

*

Megamind – Cirrus – Megamind runs away from prison for the first time, having found a perfect place to settle down, and he brings Minion and goes there and tries his best to live. At the odd hours of night, he jumps out of bed and beats metal with metal, producing strange creations – robots and machines and guns.

(his heart is empty his body is empty and there’s nothing within him and he needs to fill it)

He’s seventeen when he builds the first brainbot. “Purely out of necessity,” he tells Minion, who hovers worriedly over his shoulder. “To cover more ground,” he assures Minion, and doesn’t explain why he made it sentient, why he made it feel.

(and if the brainbot, and every single brainbot after that, fills the hole – if only for a moment, if only for a day, if only until it adjusts and grows and –)

(he doesn’t mention that.)

*

Cat delves into space. Maybe, she thinks, maybe it’s just that this is her love. Maybe this is what she’s been looking for, maybe this is what will complete her, maybe this is her.

Books and articles and tv-shows and drawings and art and theories and all it does to her is make her feel nostalgic. It makes her long, and more than once she finds herself brushing knuckles across a page, across a screen, biting her cheek against the infected ache within her.

(and sometimes when she dreams, when she dreams of this place in the stars, where she is complete, where she is perfect)

(when she wakes up there’s always this short moment where everything feels wrong)

(it’s like she must teach herself to walk all over again every single time she blinks)

Sometimes there are other dreams as well. Of faces and hands and butterfly kisses, of parental and familial touches and more than that, of eyes and smirks and a happy laughter. Sometimes she sees a face on the street and spins around, an echo of completion in her chest, but the eyes are wrong or the nose is off or the hair is strange and the echo fades.

She’s nineteen, she’s lost, and she needs, she needs.

*

Megamind – Cirrus – Megamind is fretting over his brainbots. Whizzer had gotten in quite the fight the other day, and his claws are unhinged as a result. Megamind has to fix it, but Whizzer’s whirring around and complaining in his own special way, refusing to cooperate.

“Hey – hey, wait now – ” Megamind says, jumping over the couch to go after him. There’s amusement in his voice and a smile on his face – it’s just the claw, not the glass casing, so he isn’t too worried. It’s nothing fatal, and if it had been, Whizzer would be asking to be fixed. Still, he’d like to readjust it before it can develop into something worse. “Whizzer! Wait!” He laughs, grasping after the unruly bot.

He lets out a row of guffawing chuckles, ducking from Megamind’s grasp with a playful bowg.

“Angel, please!” Megamind calls, and in a flash he’s chasing a young girl wearing a nightgown around a room, laughter in his throat and hands reached after her. “Angel!” he begs, jumping over a box with wooden blocks to follow after the giggling girl. “Angel, come on, it’s bed time!”

“No!” the girl cries, in-between bouts of giggles, and her hair floats around her head like a cloud. “No, da, I want to play!”

And Megamind stands stock still in his workspace, wrench clattering to the floor, the chill of the room overwhelming.

He raises a hand to his chest. The ever-present ache twinges.

His heart beats.

“Sir?” says Minion, creeping closer, eyes worried, expression worried, everything worried.

Megamind breathes.

(the ache eases, loosens, Minion’s presence soothing as always –)

(painful, still, but better.)

“I’m fine,” he lies.

(he never is)

Whizzer hovers over, presenting his damaged claw without comment.

Megamind picks up the wrench again, forcing a wobbly smile onto his face. “Well,” he says. “Let’s see about that claw, then?”

*

She tries dating people. Mostly because she sees the way people look at each other, the way they look at another person with utter trust and devotion, love and understanding and such obvious belonging. She wants that, needs it, but every person feels wrong, and none ever work out, no matter what she tries.

(she looks up at the stars and they’re so far away, and she isn’t sure who they are)

She’s twenty-two and she looks down at her own hands and decides that enough is enough.

*

The flashes and experiences continue on like that – a word, a smell, a color, a sound – they set him off and make him remember things that never happened or have yet to exist. He’s a child, he’s an adult, he’s in love, he’s loved, he’s warm and safe and home and trusted and good and –

*

Cat takes to the library first, picking up books on love and soulmates and spirituality. The librarian who checks her out gives her a weird look, but when she offers a glare that could melt stone they hurriedly look away.

Several hours are spent scourging the books. And there’s nothing.

Well, almost nothing – a small paragraph here, a reference there, a mention or call or theory. Most of it is about spirituality, and while it can’t be directly tied to her longing for something, for someone, it can still be applied to her in some way. There’s a mention of soulmates being unable to find each other and that it causes them great pain, but not much more than that.

Cat closes the book in frustration and takes to the internet.

*

“Minion?” Megamind says, from his place in his too-big bed, staring up at the roof he’d plastered full of glow-in-the-dark stars one particularly nasty night.

Minion looks up from the sewing machine in the corner. “Sir?”

Megamind thinks of the ache in his ribs, the longing in his bones, the hope that never quite dies. He thinks of the want, of the hatred, of the desperation.

He thinks of the black hole constantly on his mind.

“Do you ever miss home?” he asks.

It isn’t what he wanted to say.

Minion stops completely. “Uh, well, sir,” he says, “I – don’t have the same memory as you, but – ” He hesitates. “Sir, my home is here with you. It’s all I’ve ever known. But from your stories – what little we know – ” Here he cuts himself off, and Megamind knows him well enough to tell that he struggles.

“That’s enough, Minion,” he whispers. “I understand.”

He turns onto his side, curling against himself, folding into a tight little ball.

(he will never feel at home here.)

*

There is more information on the web, but still not quite enough. Cat clicks and reads and reads and clicks, takes notes in a little notepad she keeps on her at all times. There are a few accounts and stories of people who never feel at ease, of people who feel wrong, of people who feel they are from a different world.

Cat is all of them, but not like they say, and never in the same way.

She discovers witchcraft, and it calls out to her in that peculiar way some things do, but it has nothing to do with her ache nor her emptiness nor the strange flashes and dreams. So she continues on, searching, scourging, looking.

A page talks about shared dreams, and it’s the only thing she’s really felt connected to, in that sense. And so, she brews that cup of tea, and buys that herb, and makes that oil, and does that little ritual, and tries that type of meditation.

And to her great relief and joy it works.

*

They’re discovered by the local police and have to run for their lives. It’s Megamind and Minion and twelve brainbots bolting with whatever they’re able to carry. The place had been perfect, just the right size, in a great spot when compared to the rest of the city… they’d even made the air-condition work after some grumbles and tinkering.

“Well,” says Megamind, his hands on his hips as he stares at the abandoned warehouse, Minion carrying a heap of clothing so tall he can barely see. “It was time to move upwards in the system anyway!”

It’s a good thing he’s always found fun in creative processes.

(he hopes trying to make a home count as a creative process)

*

The dreams aren’t – quite dreams. In the beginning there are no scenes, nothing specific, only short flashes and impressions and feelings that linger. Softness, warmth, belonging – blue and purple and something cool to the touch. Home and safe and the same feeling she’s always felt about space, about belonging. Cat wonders where her soulmate is, what they might be experiencing, if they’re looking for her.

Sometimes in the middle of the day she puts her chin in her hands and wishes for sleep – not to rest, like she usually does, but for the dreams. And even then, less for the dreams and more for the lingering sensation of home.

*

Megamind’s new place takes form slowly but surely. He builds a few more brainbots, Minion sews a few more capes and outfits, and with the help of his growing army of bots he starts painting the walls. They’re black and gray – he prefers the dim calm that settles over a room when the walls are dark colors.

He gets a smaller bed, but comfier, and Minion settles into the room across the hallway. And then, eventually, even his mind calms. His dreams turn from black holes to patience and warmth – no pictures, no scenes, only emotions and senses and half-finished thoughts squashed in between heartbeats.

When he wakes he’s calm. He’s collected. Ready to start the day.

(and he doesn’t notice it, at first, but moving has soothed his aches.)

(well. at least he thinks it’s the moving.)

*

But, however comforting the dreams are, it’s not what Cat wants. She set out to find her soulmate, or soulmates, or whatever, really. She needs to know who it is that makes her feel like this – who it is she’d follow to the depths of hell. She needs to know why they’re so familiar, why these flashbacks that aren’t quite flashbacks keep turning up.

So she looks into lucid dreaming. Records her dreams, starts reading up on dream interpretations. Hangs up posters and looks at courses and reads books, going to bed early and waking even earlier just to find sleep.

Her dreams are too vague, still, to really get a grasp around – but finally, at last, they start to shape forms.

There’s a man, and green eyes, and a blue sky, and a wonderful, beautiful laugh. Blue hands against metal bolts, black silk and dolled up eyes, a theatrically evil laugh.

Cat wakes up and stares at her ceiling.

His presence in her dreams is familiar – it carries the echo of stars, the throb of a heart, the whisper of  a shared past.

And he definitely had blue hands.

“Who are you?” she asks, and the silence in her room gives no answer.

*

When the strange girl starts showing up in his dreams, Megamind isn’t quite sure what to do. She comes out of the heavy, homely haze like some sort of angel – with her pretty voice and her joyous laugh, her quiet grumbling over something that appears to be work-related, the way her hair tumbles down her back, her eyes ablaze with stars.

He shrugs it off. It’s probably just his imagination again – a particularly intense flashback that keeps coming back, most likely. He’s learned to live with them, accepted that they come every now and then and found that the best course of action is to ignore and move around them. But now they’re becoming… disruptive. Distracting. He finds his thoughts wandering to those eyes, to that smile, to that sarcastic remark more and more often. His hands still on his work, his voice halts mid-sentence, eyes flickering to things that aren’t there.

Minion notices. Of course he does. But he says nothing, because that’s the way he is. He changes in small ways, talks more, does more, buys more donuts. Megamind rarely has to ask for anything nowadays – it’s all done as soon as he can think of it.

Megamind supposes it’s because he’s worried for him. And perhaps he should be worried about himself, as well, but – well, he isn’t. How can he be worried, when the outcome is so decidedly positive?

*

And finally, Cat’s dreams become solid enough for her to start manipulating them. She twists, until the man she keeps seeing is standing beneath the stars, turns, until they’re on a hill, morphs and moves and keeps spinning things around to see him more clearly. At first it doesn’t seem like he notices his surroundings – he only sits there, or stands, staring at the sky or the hill. Cat is content to watch him, at first – at the way the stars play across his neck, the slope of his shoulders, the shades and colors of his skin.

Her content-ness doesn’t last forever, though, and during the fourth dream Cat steps forward and touches a hand to his shoulder –

and he turns, eyes meeting hers, and he sees.

*

It takes some time, but the hazy dream landscape slowly takes form into a hill, or a cliff of some sort – and the stars are spread across the sky, too close to be Earth, too far away to be his planet. He admires them, for some time, and while they are stars and this is space it doesn’t bring on that twisted echo of pain he’s always felt at the thought of planets and moons and light-sucking holes.

He wonders where the flashes went, where the woman he saw has gone, if she truly was only a figment of his imagination. Has he been to this place before, he ponders, and if not why does he remember it so clearly? Why – oh, why – does it feel so familiar?

And then there’s a hand on his shoulder.

*

Their eyes meet and Cat –

*

Megamind –

*

breathes, yet can’t breathe, memories flooding on and stopping at the same time, heart –

*

hesitating –

*

then ploughing on, the blood in her veins –

*

in his veins –

*

turning to fire, to ice, to molten lava, and –

*

he opens his mouth –

*

he opens his mouth –

*

and –

*

speaks.

*

The next morning Megamind takes a paintbrush to the black walls. When he leaves the stars are painted on them, the heavens, the hill, and her.

*

She doesn’t remember it all when she wakes up.

“My name is – Megamind,” he’d said.

(and he’d hesitated, had stopped, a flicker of something across his features, and Cat wonders what his real name is.)

He told her he liked the stars, asked where they were. When she’d replied that she didn’t know, he only hummed and nodded. “Perhaps we’ll figure it out,” he’d said, and Cat had taken his hand.

Now she’s awake, sitting bolt upright in her bed and staring at her wall.

She has to find him. How hard can it be? He’s a blue alien man – things like that aren’t exactly common, right?

Forty-seven minutes later she tips her head back and downs the rest of her by-now cold coffee. As it turns out, it’s not only uncommon, it doesn’t happen at all. There’s nothing on him. Nothing. It’s as though he’s never existed. But the clothes he’d worn were modern enough – he can’t have existed so far back in time that he’s been forgotten. But how can she dream of someone who is yet to be?

She can’t.

Has all her research been for naught? Is he not her soulmate, but only – well, a figment of her imagination? Truly?

But the feeling of – completion, of safety – it had been there.

It’s him.

*

Megamind goes to Minion the next day. “Minion,” he says, “what do you know of souls?”

And Minion gives him one of the looks that says he knows exactly what’s going on. Megamind smiles sheepishly and offers an almost-shrug. “Why didn’t you say anything, sir?” Minion asks. “I would have done something.”

“Like what?” Megamind says, crossing his arms with a raised eyebrow. He can’t quite help his small smile, though. “Celebrated?”

“Yes,” Minion says. “Who are they?”

“I… don’t know,” Megamind admits. “I didn’t get to ask her name.”

Minion hums, turning back to the frying pan with a pleased smile. “It will come in time, sir. Just you wait and see!”

*

Cat stretches across the couch, yawning as she pushes herself up. She’s just finished watching the movie Paul, the bowls with chips and fruit pastilles empty on the table before her. Reaching after the remote she turns off the DVD player, getting ready to clear out the bowls and go to bed.

The screen goes black for half a moment, then it jumps over to the channel she’d been watching before turning on the movie.

She’s half-way into the kitchen when her brain catches up to her ears. “ – genuinely scared right now! Oh, I hope no one’s seeing this!”

The bowls clatter to the floor.

Cat spins, staring at the screen.

And it’s him. A bit cartoonish, admittedly, but adorable and green eyed and blue.

“Megamind,” she whispers, and she’s back in the couch before she’s consciously aware of it herself.

*

The next night Megamind is grabbed by the shoulders almost before he can fall asleep, a frantic her in his arms, speaking a hundred miles per second. “Wait, wait,” he begs, brushing a hand through her hair, gently trying to pry her away to stare into her eyes. “Could you repeat that?”

“You didn’t tell me you’re a super villain,” she says, and Megamind’s heart freezes. Then she hesitates, tilting her head to look at the stars above them, clear as ever. “…were a supervillain?”

He swallows, and he doesn’t want to lie, but it’s such a deep ingrained part of him that the words fall out of his mouth before he can stop them. “Why do you think that?”

She looks down at him, and their gazes lock –

(and she’s everything everything everything)

He barely notices when their fingers intertwine.

“We are from different universes,” she says, and she says it so bluntly that he can’t help but believe her. “You’re a fictional character.”

Megamind blinks. “I’m a what?”

Her hands tighten around his, and she tugs him closer, closer, and he can barely breathe, he hasn’t felt this whole since – since –

“A fictional character,” she whispers, “you are – a supervillain in Metrocity but you turn good – and are welcomed with open arms – ” She breaks off, tilts her head only slightly, and they’re so close. “And Deus, you look so much better in person!”

It startles a chuckle out of him. “You think I look good?”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the most attractive man I’ve ever met.” She laughs, too, quiet and dark. She tucks her head under his chin and brings their joined hands to his chest, pressing the back of her hand against his shirt. “Can’t you feel it?” she whispers. “This – thing between us…”

Perhaps she can feel his heart quiver. There’s something heavy in the air between them, something shuddering in apprehension. “I do,” he replies, and he takes his other hand, his free hand, looping it around her back and holding her tight, tight, close. “Say, fair maiden, would you share your name with me?”

She laughs, her nose brushing against his throat. “I’m Cat,” she says. “And I’m no one special.”

Megamind speaks almost before he can stop himself, but something tells him that if she’s here, she must know. “Well, my dear Cat,” he says, “it so happens that you are the soulmate of Megamind,  incredibly handsome criminal genius and master of all villainy – wouldn’t really call that ‘no one special’!”

“Oh! So you do use that!” Cat exclaims. “You say that in the movie, too!” Somehow she manages to snuggle closer. “I’m – I can’t believe I finally found you.”

She’d been looking for him.

“I’ve never been good at searching,” Megamind says, and he trails a hand through her hair, carding his fingers through soft strands. “But sensing this… I’m realizing what I’ve been looking for my entire life.” He shifts, nuzzling the top of her head. “Thank you for finding me.”

“You’ve been looking?” Cat asks. Her voice trembles, and Megamind has never been good with emotions, but there’s awe in there, and wonder, and unbelievable love.

“My darling,” he says, and again the words slip past his walls. Perhaps they are an echo from another time – perhaps their souls recognize each other. Everyone has always been a stranger to him – but Cat, in all the lives he’s known her, has never been. Never. “My soul has looked for yours in every face I’ve ever seen,” he says, and Cat shivers in his arms. “But my heart could never love another.” He doesn’t quite give her time to reply, not properly anyway, for he bends and whispers his name in her ear.

*

Cirrus.

Cat wakes up and the name rings in her ears, whispers, calls, and she doesn’t bother to fight the smile blooming on her face.

Cirrus.

It’s beautiful.

She watches the movie again that day, from the beginning this time, and if she hadn’t been convinced Megamind – Cirrus – is her soulmate, she would have known by now. The animated version holds nothing on the real deal, but it’s still wonderful and amazing and –

Cat runs a hand through her hair with a shuddery smile. She doesn’t even care to be embarrassed by acting like a lovesick teen.

Nighttime and sleep cannot come fast enough.

*

The next time they meet Megamind asks Cat about her universe. He’s curious, since she made it obvious they’re not from the same.

Turns out they’re very similar. The only major difference, it seems, is that aliens are ‘common’ in Megamind’s universe. In Cat’s, many people don’t even believe such a thing as aliens exist. Megamind can’t quite wrap his mind around it, but he supposes it makes sense.

They talk about the strangest of things. Cat’s job, at first, and then moving over to olden times. Megamind is overjoyed to find out she has similar interests to his. History is a common theme in their conversations, no matter what they originally started discussing – it always comes back to that in one way or another.

(it seems, Megamind will later ponder, that they both had sought an escape from reality in the fables of times long passed.)

Whenever the topic goes towards Megamind’s work, however, he quickly and smoothly turns the subject over to something else. He doesn’t want to talk about it, doesn’t want to discuss it, isn’t even quite sure what to do with himself.

It’s not like he doesn’t want to be Bad – he just… he just –

(wants to be loved.)

(and now that he is, he’s not sure what to do with it.)

It’s during one of their usual talks that Cat speaks openly about it for the first time. “Cirrus,” she says, her shoulder warm against his, fingers tangled between them –

(and his name, his name on her lips, that’s him)

“Yes, mia cara?”

“You aren’t evil,” she says, and Megamind’s world freezes. “You know that, right?” He doesn’t have to say anything. Cat knows him like she knows herself. “Love, you’re not a bad person. You’ve never been.”

And he wants her to be right. He needs her to be right. “But – ”

“No buts,” Cat interrupts. She sits up and tugs him with her, before leaning into a gentle peck on his lips. “You are the most wonderful person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

Megamind tightens his hold on her hand. “Yes, well,” he says, “judging by the stories you have told of your home, the bar isn’t very high.”

“Shut up,” Cat says, her eyes hard. “I have never known someone better than you. Never. In all my lives, in all the things I’ve seen…” She leans in again, lips soft and breath hot and she’s so unbelievably real. “You can be a hero. You are a hero.” Tilting her head, she presses her forehead against his. “Cirrus, I love you. So much.”

(it’s the first time she’s said it it’s the first time he’s heard it and)

(he)

(breaks)

He wants to speak, to tell her there’s nothing he wants more than be good for her, that there’s nothing he wants more than to spend his life with her, but –

She meets his gaze and it’s stronger than the first time, stronger than the second, stronger than all of them combined.

(everything everything she’s everything)

“I can see our forever in your eyes,” Cat whispers, and Megamind is frailer than he’s ever been – if she breathes too harshly, now, he might break and shatter and disappear on the breeze. “I can feel it in my bones. I’ve loved you before and I’ll love you again – this is our infinity, Cirrus – this is us.” She speaks with the voice of an oracle, with the voice of someone who knows they are right and will forever be. The hand she puts to his chest is warm and safe and home. “You. Are. Good.”

Megamind draws a trembling breath. “For you, my love, I will be anything.”

Cat smiles, a small shaky thing, and Megamind covers her hand with his. “You aren’t doing this because of me,” she says. “You can’t change your core.”

(it slips into place everything slips into place and he’s whole and she’s right.)

Megamind – Cirrus – smiles back. “Nor do I wish to.”

*

Cirrus tells her a week later he’s dropped the ‘villain’ career. He doesn’t say anything, and Cat doesn’t question him, but she can see the light in his eyes has grown stronger.

She doesn’t say ‘told you so’, but Cirrus can surely read it on her, for he gives her a dry look and says, “Oh, yes, you are a genius” in that teasing, wry voice of his.

The world makes sense when he’s there. She hopes he knows.

(judging by the way he smiles when she looks at him the feeling is mutual.)

A few days later Cirrus isn’t alone when Cat arrives. Minion is with him, a nervous smile on his face and hand poised to wave. Cat doesn’t give him time for that, instead throwing herself at him with a squeal.

(she knows what it means, that he’s here, and she isn’t surprised, not really.)

*

Eventually, after tons of practice and struggling on both sides, they’re able to manifest by the other’s side during the day, as well. Not quite enough to breach the wall separating their universes, but enough to notice the other’s presence. Enough to be seen, to be heard, to be felt.

Megamind goes to Cat more often than she comes to him, but they’re together, and they’re there. They laugh, and they love, and they go through day after day until life feels worth living, until the old and familiar ache of being broken fades into a mere memory.

They marry, despite it all, because while they both know they will never separate, it’s nice to have it official and on paper. And in their still-shared dreams they press close together, hands against hands, skin against skin, hearts beating as one.

(Megamind never dreams of black holes again, and when he dreams of space, he dreams of stars.)

*

Life is good, and long, and despite the distance separating them Cat has never been happier with anyone else. There’s laughter and happiness and warmth, and home and safety and content.

And when all three of them one day, far down the line, pass quietly together, their souls mingle and twist and complete.

“Well,” says the Guardian, his eyes warm and wise as ever as he looks down at them. “Was it worth it?”

And they and they and they look at each other, whole and complete and together, and know that nothing has really changed.

“Yes,” they say, as one, and their forever is held in their hands.

[thecomicsnexus]

The Human Torch

MARVEL COMICS #1 OCTOBER 1939 BY CARL BURGOS, PAUL GUSTAVSON, BILL EVERETT, AL ANDERS, TOHM DIXON, BOB BYRD AND BEN THOMPSON

CONTEXT

Pulp-magazine publisher Martin Goodman founded the company later known as Marvel Comics under the name Timely Publications in 1939. Goodman, who had started with a Western pulp in 1933, was expanding into the emerging—and by then already highly popular—new medium of comic books. Launching his new line from his existing company's offices at 330 West 42nd Street, New York City, he officially held the titles of editor, managing editor, and business manager, with Abraham Goodman (Martin's brother) officially listed as publisher.

Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics #1 (cover dated Oct. 1939), included the first appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero the Human Torch, and the first appearances of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner, among other features. The issue was a great success; it and a second printing the following month sold a combined nearly 900,000 copies. While its contents came from an outside packager, Funnies, Inc., Timely had its own staff in place by the following year. The company's first true editor, writer-artist Joe Simon, teamed with artist Jack Kirby to create one of the first patriotically themed superheroes, Captain America, in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It, too, proved a hit, with sales of nearly one million. Goodman formed Timely Comics, Inc., beginning with comics cover-dated April 1941 or Spring 1941.

While no other Timely character would achieve the success of these three characters, some notable heroes—many of which continue to appear in modern-day retcon appearances and flashbacks—include the Whizzer, Miss America, the Destroyer, the original Vision, and the Angel. Timely also published one of humor cartoonist Basil Wolverton's best-known features, "Powerhouse Pepper", as well as a line of children's funny-animal comics featuring characters like Super Rabbit and the duo Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal.

Goodman hired his wife's cousin, Stanley Lieber, as a general office assistant in 1939. When editor Simon left the company in late 1941, Goodman made Lieber—by then writing pseudonymously as "Stan Lee"—interim editor of the comics line, a position Lee kept for decades except for three years during his military service in World War II. Lee wrote extensively for Timely, contributing to a number of different titles.

Goodman's business strategy involved having his various magazines and comic books published by a number of corporations all operating out of the same office and with the same staff. One of these shell companies through which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). As well, some comics' covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 (Winter 1946–47), were labeled "A Marvel Magazine" many years before Goodman would formally adopt the name in 1961.

SYNOPSIS (FROM MARVEL WIKIA)

Professor Horton is holding a conference with the press, ready to reveal his creation to the world - the first android. He reveals that there is a difficult problem with his discovery. Leading the press into the lab, Horton points to a man in an air-tight, glass cage whom he calls The Human Torch. When air is let into the chamber, the man's entire body catches fire. The press in the room demand him to destroy his creation "before some madman can grasp its principles and hurl it against our civilization!" Horton refuses. Later, he is contacted and visited by The Scientist Guild. They also recommend destruction of the android since the flames cannot be controlled.

They come to a compromise. The Human Torch is sealed within a steel tube which is then sealed in a block of concrete. Horton vows to find the secret to controlling the flame.

However, some time later there is an explosion outside Horton's bedroom window. He finds the Torch gone. It is revealed that there was a slow oxygen leak in the steel tube. The Torch runs through the streets of the city, confused as to why everything he touches catches on fire. Some firemen douse him with water, but it just turns into steam. Realizing he is causing damage, the Torch dives into a pool in an effort to put out the flame.

Inside the house with the pool, there are two men: Sardo, a racketeer, and Red, his not-so-smart lieutenant. Sardo realizes the Torch could be worth a lot of money, if used correctly. The two men go to Acmen Warehouses - Inc. to sell some fire insurance. Sardo threatens that if the company doesn't buy it, they won't have any steel left. Mr. Harris, the company's president, refuses the offer and kicks the man out.

Sardo and Red place The Human Torch in a glass tube filled with water and transport him to a warehouse. There, they place him inside and throw a weight at the glass. As it shatters, the Torch bursts into flame. He quickly realizes what they are up to, and escapes with a mighty leap. The flames make him lighter than air. He burns Sardo's house down, but can't seem to find the criminal himself, who is hiding in the steel underground lab. After taking care of Sardo's men, the Torch locates the lab. Sirens catch the attention of both men. Horton and the firemen arrive on the scene. The professor notices a nitrogen tank in the flames and rushes towards it, but the Torch gets there first and melts it before it can explode. The gas puts out his flames. The fire chief fires a gun at him, but the bullet melts on his super-heated skin. The Torch returns to Sardo, who attempts to bargain for his life. The man ends up throwing a tank of sulfuric acid at the flaming android, but it backfires and explodes before even reaching the target. Sardo is killed in the blast.

After using another tank of nitro, The Torch discovers he can now control the flames and throw fireballs. While walking down the street, covered in flames, he is surrounded by the police. The Torch apologizes and demonstrates his control over the fire. The police take him to headquarters where he explains Sardo's evil plans. They let him live with Professor Horton, who takes full responsibility. The Torch explains his control over the fire to Horton, who sees it as a money-making opportunity. The Torch realizes that humans will only continue to use him for their selfish purposes and escapes through the ceiling to be free.

THE ANGEL

The Six Big Men (consisting of; Dutch Hansen who specialized in extorting protection money from night clubs; Trigger Bolo, who controlled a protection racket for retail delivery companies; Mike Malone who controlled all the illegal gambling dens; Gus Ronson who extorted local restaurants; John Dillon who ran a racket on the subway system; and Steve Enkel who fixed politicians, judges and juries) are terrorizing the city.

Eventually Dr. Lang (really the gang's leader), pretending to be a civic minded citizen gathers a bunch of like minded individuals, and had them sworn in by a mayor as special investigators. They seek to hire the costumed hero known as the Angel to hunt down and eliminate each of the racket bosses. The Angel had already taken up the job and makes his presence known, leaving Dr. Lang to believe that his plan was coming to fruition.

The Angel first goes after Ronson who was acquitted of crimes thanks to a crooked jury. Unaware that the Angel had sneaked into the back seat of his car, Ronson is strangled to death by the vigilante. Going after Mike Malone next, Angel mashes the crook into a pulp. Witnessing this John Dillon attempts to flee the Angel, jumping out a window and falling to his death. Lil provides the Angel with the location of Trigger Bolo and but vigilante is captured by his thugs. However, before Bolo could mow the Angel down, Lil orders him and Steve Enkel to take the Angel out into the woods to be executed. There Lil double crosses Bolo and Enkel, freeing the Angel, and in the ensuring fire fight Bolo and Enkel ended up killing each other.

The Angel next catches Dutch Hansen before he could make a deposit of all the stolen loot and slays him as well. Curious about who would go and pick up the loot from the safety deposit box, the Angel stakes it out and catches Lil and Dr. Lang in the act. He captures them and turns them over to the authorities, learning of their plot to double cross their colleagues in the process.

THE SUBMARINER

A diver from salvage vessel finds wrecked ship's safe empty and just recently dropped knife from shipwreck's deck. Captain orders him back down to investigate with another diver. They are searching the wreckage when attacked by Namor, the Sub-Mariner! He savagely attacks both men, stabbing one and crushing the diving helmet of the other. Namor then turns his attention to the ship, wrecking the propeller and running it aground. He heads back to his underwater home, where he is greeted by the "Holy One" who commends him on his attack against the humans. Namor brings the bodies of the two divers as trophies. His mother, Fen, congratulates him on beginning his war of revenge in such a decisive manner. Namor asks her why their people hate the Earth-men so much.

She explains that in the year 1920, a research vessel called the Oracle had journeyed to Antarctica and was doing "experiments" with explosives that killed many of their fellow citizens. Since Fen looked most like a human, she was sent to find out more about what was going on. She fell in love with Commander Leonard McKenzie, and became pregnant by him. The sailors could not understand how she was able to swim in the freezing water. She learned their language and sent back messages to the undersea army that the white men were too strong for them, but they sent an army to fight those invaders anyway. The white men's bombardment annihilated most of their race, and now, 20 years later, they are ready once again to press an attack against Earth-people, and Namor will begin this war.

Later, he takes his cousin Dorma with him to the Cape Anna Lighthouse. Once there, they attack the guard who stands watch on the lighthouse and wreak havoc on the controls and equipment hoping to destroy some of the ships that use it's beacon for safety. Some naval men come on the scene, and in order to escape, Namor and Dorma commandeer a plane which flies nearby. Sub-Mariner commands Dorma to wreck the plane and swim back home as Namor continues his crusade against humans.

THE MASKED RAIDER

Cal Brunder, a big league rancher has become a menace of Cactusville, using his army of thugs to force the smaller ranchers into selling up their property. One night they attempt to coerce Jim Gardley into giving up his land but he refuses and fights back. Brunder's goons get the drop on him and take him to their boss, who gives Gardley one last chance to surrender his land, a request that is also refused. Cal calls the sheriff to have Jim charged on trumped up cattle rustling charges and he is locked in jail.

Realizing the old sheriff is not cut out for his job anymore, Jim feigns being sick, in order to trick the sheriff into opening his cell and so Gardley knocks him out. Stealing a horse and riding out into the wilderness, Jim lets the horse free and then raids his own ranch for supplies. He spends the next number of weeks practicing his shooting skills until he becomes a crack shot. Seeking a horse, he spots a white stallion running free and one day is surprised to see that it had been caught and penned in. Taming the horse, he names it Lightning. Jim then decides it is time to go after Cal Brunder, and swearing to fight crime he dawns a black mask and dubs himself the Masked Raider.

Meanwhile, back in town Cal Brunder gets opposition from the Bleck Ranch and sends his boys to shoot the ranch owner and burn the ranch to the ground as a warning to the other ranches to give up their properties. When the sheriff confronts Cal about it, Cal warns the sheriff against opposing him. Soon Brunder's reign of terror nets with success as the ranchers prepare to deal with him.

However, just after Cal hears the news he is alerted that one of his men has been shot. Pegged to his corpse is a note, a warning to Brunder and his men that they will pay for their crimes. After gaining the support of the sheriff the Masked Raider rides into Cal Brunder's ranch and begins dusting it up with the aid of the townsmen. As the Masked Raider deals with his goons, Cal attempts to escape on a horseback. However the Masked Raider ropes him in a lasso and pulls him off his horse. He then turns Brunder and his men over to the sheriff to be sent off to jail. After the Masked Raider leaves, the sheriff wonders if the Masked Rider will go after bigger criminals.

JUNGLE TERROR

After Professor John Roberts has been gone for three months searching the jungles of the Amazon to find a diamond that can supposedly enslave people, his friend Ken Masters and nephew Tim Roberts decide to travel out to find the missing scientist. As they fly out from Florida in their own plane, they soon become aware that they are being followed by John Crafton -- a rival plantation owner.

Unfortunately for Ken and Tim, their plane cracks up and they crash, and while they survive they are soon captured by some of the local natives. Crafton and his men land safely and when they are confronted by the natives as well, they try to fight them but one of John's men is killed before they can flee the scene.

In the native village, Ken and Tim are brought to the chief who sentences them to death and sequesters them in a prisoner hut until it's time to be executed. To their surprise Professor Roberts is there as well. The Professor explains that the natives were friendly to him until they realized that he was after the diamond and locked him up. However, he had just recently found a passageway hidden in the floor and the trio decides to use it and escape the natives.

They find themselves in a cavern that leads them to a massive stockpile of diamonds. Before they can start to collect those they are confronted by John Crafton and his goon Slug who have also fled from the natives through escape hatch in the prisoner hut. The natives catch up and kill Crafton and Slug with arrows. Ken, taking Crafton's pistol holds the natives at bay while Ken and the professor flee. Ken catches up to them just as they find Crafton's airplane and the trio uses it to escape unscathed.

When the boys lament being unable to collect the diamonds, the professor shows them a smaller diamond that he managed to grab before their escape.

KA-ZAR

John and Constance Rand, along with their three-year-old son David, are flying from Johannesburg to Cairo, when their aircraft crashed into a Belgian Congo jungle. All three survived the crash but later Constance died of the tropical fever. John decides to take the 200-mile trip back to civilization with his son but a terrible storm causes the mammoth baobab tree to fall at him. Permanently deluded after being hit by the falling tree, he makes the jungle their home. David grows up, strong and healthy, in harmony with the jungle and the creatures dwelling inside it, even saving Zar the lion from the cruel death, trapped in quicksand. One day, they encounter a group of natives led by a fat white man. John tries to make them leave the sacred jungle before they profane it. The white man, Paul De Kraft, is a vicious criminal on a treasure hunt and is not so easily convinced to turn back. He tries to shoot John in the back but David sends an arrow to his arm stopping him. Later De Kraft goes to the Rand's hut and shoots John Rand. Rand's son would have met the same fate if not for Zar. The lion, remembering the young man who saved his life, kills two natives and scares De Kraft away.

John Rand dies of his shooting wounds and the feline takes the boy into his lair, accepting him as brother. He would now be called Ka-Zar, brother of Zar, and earn the respect of all the jungle creatures.

REVIEW

Because comic-books either come from Pulp or funnies, stories in this era were very extreme in their points of view. Morals... were not a thing for heroes. Patriotism, on the other hand, would justify anything.

In this first issue of Marvel Comics, we get Namor, who is hard to relate to (to be fair, he is still hard to relate to). And other questionable heroes, like The Angel.

I think the result is ok. It brought something else to the table (although, Namor would probably be the one character here with more legacy). But I found the stories to be too long (and not that complete).

One quick note: This Ka-Zar has nothing to do with modern times Ka-Zar (X-Men).

I give this issue a score of 7

[bravelyacquiesce]

fun falsettos fact

so i was listening to falsettoland / about time and i started really thinking about the lines. more specifically,

"everybody on their mark

congregate in central park

pretty boys are in demand

welcome to falsettoland"

and i didnt know what that actually meant so i did a few google searches and 

“Central Park has had numerous associations with the LGBT community since its creation in 1857, including many areas popular for meeting and cruising, associations with Gay Pride Marches, and its restoration in the 1980s. Beginning in 1970, the first Gay Pride Marches (then known as the Christopher Street Liberation Day March) followed a route from Greenwich Village to Central Park.”

so all that fanart of marvin/whizzer/cordelia/charlotte at pride? all canon!

[alias-milamber]

Operation Banana Bread

The Means:

Shock Troop Legion Pyrate:

Flour

Baking Powder

Bicarbonate of Soda

Salt

Shock Troop Legion Astound:

Butter

Sugar

Vanilla Essence

Shock Troop Legion Screwdriver:

Bananas

Eggs

Shock Troop Legion Optional Sandwich Toaster:

Sultanas

Dark Rum or Bourbon

The Stuff:

A recyclable carrier bag.

Teaspoons

A large bowl

A smaller bowl

An Optional Even Smaller Bowl

A whisk or whizzer thingy

Bread Loaf Tins

An oven, Preheated to Gas Mark 3

Spoons, both literal and metaphorical. Fewer metaphorical ones than literal ones.

The Madness

Our unit for creation is the Demifish. One Demifish makes two loaves of banana bread. All other units are in Metric, for you can prize the metric system from my cold, dead, 1980s-primary-school-educated fingers. Or translate them using Google.

Shock Troop Optional Sandwich Toaster is, as its name implies, optional. If you want to take its option, do this:

Take the Optional Even Smaller Bowl and put 100g x Demifish of Sultanas in it. Then add about a double-shot per Demifish of either Bourbon or Rum, then leave them alone, soaking up the alcohol like a stereotypical student.

Optional bit ends.

The general format is going to be we make things in the smaller bowl and then add them to the larger bowl. But lets do something else first:

Take your large bowl and add to it the ranks of Shock Troop Legion Pyrate either by simple pouring or by sifting though a sieve, depending on exactly how many spoons (metaphorical) you have, or how much effort you wish to devote to the task. You’ll need about 150-175g flour, two teaspoons of baking powder and a half teaspoon each of bicarb & salt, multiplied by Demifish. If you are me, then you will realise you don’t have enough flour, which is when you take the Recyclable Carrier Bag and take it to your nearest shop that will sell you some. Then, use a spoon (literal) to stir the white powders into each other a bit. Put the bowl aside.

Take the ranks of Shock Troop Legion Astound and combine them in the smaller bowl. Because I am a lazy bastard, I used the whizzer for this, but you are entitled to waste your energy however you feel. You’ll need 125g of butter and 150g of sugar per Demifish. You are reminded that this is cookery and not nuclear science, and that adding too much butter or sugar, or just not enough, is not going to kill anything. Once again, if you are me, you will realise you don’t have enough sugar, take your Recyclable Carrier Bag and apply it.

Also at this point, you can add a half-teaspoon (x Demifish) or so of Vanilla essence. And/or a shot of rum, if you like. AND TO THE CAKE MIXTURE!!

Dump the mutilated goop of Shock Troop Legion Astound into the large bowl and mix with a spoon (literal).

Obviously the final act of this circus is going to be to mash the recruits to Shock Troop Legion Screwdriver together, and add them to the bowl too. This recipe works better the riper the bananas are, up to a point where the bananas are too ripe even for Banana Bread. If your bananas come out of their skins like toothpaste from a tube, this may be true for you. You’ll need about 4 small bananas, or 300g deskinned, per Demifish, and two eggs per Demifish. The eggs, like the bananas, will work best if you remove the contents from all packaging before use.

If you realise you don’t have enough eggs either, once again you will need to apply your Recyclable Carrier Bag. I would recommend going to a different shop this time, though, as you might get funny looks.

Add Shock Troop Legion Astound to the grand masterplan, and if you’ve decided you need more fruit in your diet Shock Troop Optional Sandwich Toaster too. Then attack it with gusto, force, style and a spoon (literal).

Now, my demifish value for making this was 3, and since I don’t have six bread loaf tins, I bought – one one of my many applications of the Recyclable Carrier Bag – a small pack of chinese-takeout-style tin-foil tubs, and used those, and that seems to have worked quite well.

So, take your massive bowl of uneatable (Raw eggs, remember) goop, and divide it semi-equally between your bread-loaf-tin based empire. Then place them all in the oven for about an hour to an hour and a quarter. When you can poke deeply them with a sharp object and it comes back ungoopy, they’re all ready. Then let them cool bef… I SAID LET THEM C