#*stephen. damnit.

[curiosityschild]

Company is a very good musical that I never ever want to see again. I've never had a least favorite musical before. I feel like I am the target demographic for that musical and I have never related less to a story.

I was just reading a reddit thread about the musical and there were mixed opinions, which makes sense. But there was more than one person who said they saw it in their 20's and didn't get it and then saw it again later in life and realized they knew every person on the stage and I'm just like. Please let that never be me.

Knowing this musical is from 1970 helps. Knowing Sondheim was gay but dated women into his 30's, came out at 40, and claimed to have first fallen in love in his 60's helps A LOT. It is a very good musical and I think there is probably a lot to pick apart and say about it. Like if I sat and thought about it for a long time there would probably be some cool analysis I could come up with! And I'm sure people have! But I hate it, it's horrible, and I never want to think about it again. Good night.

[scary-white]

oh, dramatic irony. my beautiful beloved ❤️

[matcheadz]

hot take, I think Richie low-key IS the listener. That’s why he cracks stupid ass jokes, so people feel better about shitty situations. They have to tell him to shut the fuck up sometimes, but I’ve always firmly believed that Richie is probably the most able to “put himself in someone else’s shoes.” I think it’s fits the fact that he “plays” so many different characters but can’t be himself.

if someone legit has an issue and is in immediate need of help, I think Richie shuts the fuck up and tries. That’s just especially true with Eddie.

listen richie is obviously the Yapper. but i think when with eddie (yapper 2.0) he undergoes divine transformation into the Listener

[la-gotica-fantasma]

visions

characters - newt x gn!reader

setting - the safe haven (i just love the angst of being okay but stuck in a time you weren't. that, and i love writing newt to be okay.)

word count - 645 (SHORT AS HELLLL)

warnings - hallucinations, blood/gore, panic attack, slight cussing

summary - You've been hallucinating lately, from just little things like smells or sounds to the faces of the people you lost on the way to this newfound home of yours. Newt finds you struggling and comforts you (as best he can).

authors notes - been hallucinating a little more recently so i just thought this one up.

It was just supposed to be a break, you just wanted a break from people. Everyone has seemingly expected you to be back to how were in the Glade, but you've changed.

You sat on your cot, taking in whatever alone time you could get. But you didn't feel alone - you didn't seem alone. - You sat with that dreadful feeling. The strong smell of something burning filled your nose, but you knew it wasn't real, you knew it was just another one of those hallucinations you've been having. The sound of buzzing began crowding the room, another hallucination. They stayed there for a few minutes, you were already overwhelmed from before, these were not helping whatsoever. But you're strong. Nothing you can't handle, right?

Until the image of Alby appears beside you, only for a split moment, but so realistic it was like you could reach out and touch him. You turned away from where you saw the glimpse of him, only for your eyes to find what looked like a pool of blood, crawling towards you. This was all becoming too much. You snap your head back to where it was before.

Alby. Zart. Stephen. Chuck. Ben. Jeff. Winston. Nick. Teresa.

All appearing in a carousal-like manner.

They disappeared just as quick as they had come, but that didn't shake the feeling they left. Tears rushed to your eyes just as guilt had reached your mind. Frantically grabbing at your shins, scooting quickly across your cot to the wall. Your lungs felt like they were getting too much air and not enough simultaneously, making your breathing erratic. Your hands felt tingly and numb, you felt numb, but you also felt nothing alike to numb, all at once. It felt like the world was too big and your hut far too small.

You thought you heard a knock, but you couldn't trust what you may have heard. The knock came again, then an accented voice, "Y/n?" Damnit. You would have gotten up and pretended nothing was wrong, but you felt like you couldn't move. You were stuck. "Love, I can tell something's wrong, I can hear you sniffling from here. I'm going to come in and immediately shut the door, okay?" He kept to his word, opening the door as little as he could to slip through the crack, and immediately shutting the door after himself. Turning around from the door he rushed over to you like he never had to do something more. Wrapping his arms around you and letting your head rest on his chest. "Hey, hey Y/n, c'mon we got to try and fix that bloody breathin' of ya's." Hugging you a little tighter, but careful not to hurt you or discomfort you. "C'mon just breathe with me- you're okay, I'm here, nothing bad'll happen. Just copy my breathing, please." He tried his best to sound held together, but seeing you break made it harder for him to stay as calm as he wished to.

Your breathing began to slow, but your mind was still in the same place it was moments prior. "I saw them- I saw them Newt. I see them everywhere I go." You trembled. "Saw who, love?" Newt urged. "Everyone we've lost." The morbidity was palpable. "I can't stop hallucinating-" Choked sobs escape as you turn and hide yourself in arms. "Every night, every damn night is a fight" Another sob. His arms slightly repositioning, to let you know he was still there and listening. "I'm exhausted- I'm tired. I just want it to stop." You were pleading, at this point. "I- I can't take it away, but I'm here, whether you need it or not. I'm here and I won't leave, I promise. And we'll work through it, okay?" He was muttering by now, saying whatever he thought would help soothe whatever was happening. "Okay."

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Hooker

M. Lopes da Silva: Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this the tale of the hooker da Silva: it’s about a hooker da Silva: who hooks back

da Silva: Let me set the scene for ya da Silva: 1984. Los Angeles. The city of angels. da Silva: how ironic cuz there ain’t no angels in this neon hellscape of vaporwave squiggles and da Silva: you know da Silva: floating tiger stripe triangles against an electric checkerboard grid

da Silva: but watch out! da Silva: there’s a killer stalking the city of angels da Silva: a killer targeting sex workers Stephen King: but surely they could go to the police for help! da Silva: oh my sweet summer child

da Silva: there’s a beast terrorizing los angeles da Silva: a beast with a badge George Romero: ACAB da Silva: yeah that’s right da Silva: ACAB indeed

da Silva: until one hooker da Silva: decides she’s had enough and she’s not gonna take it anymore da Silva: she’s cleaning up the streets, one hook at a time King: Poe: Koontz: Lovecraft: Barker: da Silva: i mean, that’s her weapon of choice da Silva: a big hook

da Silva: see, you just spin it like this [drops scythe] da Silva: no wait, let me try it again [drops scythe] da Silva: no wait here, i got it [drops scythe] King: i guess that’s a lot harder to wield than the movies let on da Silva: GODDAMNIT i' almost got it [drops scythe]

da Silva: ok check it out da Silva: watch, the avenging hooker’s all [drops scythe] da Silva: DAMNIT da Silva: well, just imagine i’m posing twirling it da Silva: it would look real badass King: oh yeah i can see it Poe: that would be badass

[aheathen-conceivably]

1, 9, 27, 41, 73 and 88 >:)

AHAHAH! My girl really said "Damnit imma get that spoiler one way or another!" (Spoilers for the spoilers: she succeeded and then some)...

Welcome to Hard Times - Charley Crockett

The late ���30s promo was inspired by this song, and it appears I really did have it on repeat in the background, didn't I? Being that we're still early-ish in the arc, I’d say we're on the Hard Times path, but we ain't really in the thick of the drama yet, so you can maybe count this one as a half spoiler if you're so inclined...

Welcome to hard times And feeling low Do you like sinning, no? Well you will before you go

9. Arsonist's Lullaby - Hozier

ALERT ALERT! You did it! You officially hit the spoiler roulette! Make of it what you will, baby girl...

When I was a man I thought it ended When I knew love's perfect ache But my peace has always depended On all the ashes in my wake

27. The Man From Waco - Charley Crockett (again, I love him yall what can I say?)

GIRLLLL! You are onto me! Not only is this a spoiler, its a song that inspired a whole scene, and its one of the scenes I’m most excited to shoot in the future...

A moment of burning anger Can curse the living through the days You can let that river take you But you will never get away

41.Twistin' The Night Away - Sam Cooke

Another one!! This one is just sorta general spoiler vibes that tell you maybe, somewhere in a decade not so far away, the vibes will begin to shift...

Man, you oughta see her go Twistin' to the rock and roll Here you find the young and old Twistin' the night away

73. Something About Her - Stephen Sanchez

At this point I lowkey think you're just raiding the whole spoiler mine, aren't you? This is perhaps the nearest spoiler to where we are now...

It'd be wiser for me to run away from all I see I can't resist, what good is love if not to miss Your hands or your eyes or the way that yours just look in mine? I'd die to live for any little part of this

88. F.D.R. Jones - Judy Garland

GIRL! May I suggest you go buy a scratch off? I mean 5.5/6 is absolutely uncanncy. Takin' us a wee bit into the general vibes of the future again with this one…

My friends, my friends, let's all shout hooray! We'll be proud to affirm When he serves his fourth term Just you wait and see He'll make history Cause he's Franklin D. Roosevelt Jones!

Whew! If anybody still has song spoiler roulette guesses even after Beth blew the lid wide open, feel free to send 🤗

[helifreds]

Just some shitty examples to prove that 4:3 ratio had nothing to do with these two, cause they fit perfectly anyway:

Look! It's also mathematically provable!

Can someone explain to me why Face need to be so ridiculously close to Murdock in every single episode?

Well I know why but this is some serious fruity territory pal

[strangeofficial]

Serena soared high above the city, her Iron Sorceress suit glinting in the sunlight as she executed a series of aerial maneuvers. Suddenly, without warning, the suit's systems malfunctioned, the once-reliable technology glitching as alarms blared in her ears. Before she could react, she plummeted from a height of over 2,000 feet, the ground rushing up to meet her in a terrifying descent.

The impact was jarring, and one of the suit's jagged components broke loose during the fall, impaling her pulmonary vein. Pain shot through her chest, and she gasped, blood seeping from the wound and pooling around her hand. Desperate to escape the agony and the impending darkness, she fumbled for her sling ring, her fingers slick with blood.

"Focus, damnit..," she whispered to herself, blood dripping down her arm. With her last bit of strength, she managed to slip on the sling ring and visualize the Sanctum. The portal wavered as her concentration faltered, but she willed it to open.

The swirling gateway finally appeared, though it flickered as she staggered through, blood soaking through her suit and staining the floor. “Stephen!!”

@serenastank-official

//This reminds me of that one scene from Doctor Strange where he gets a cardiac tamponade and yells for Christine.

*he looked up upon hearing his name, being interrupted from reading his book for about the 6th time today. He froze as he saw her and he dropped everything immediately* "Serena!!" *he called out as he rushed to her*

[defensivelee]

Alien Alien: Day 3 of Whumptober

The prompts I've chosen today are 'set up for failure' and 'wrongfully arrested.' What could I do with these prompts but write for Marlborough? I think you can tell that I was very inspired by TFC to write this scene...

CW: public humiliation, objectification.

“Visions only show you the surface, my lords. They are never clear.”

That was Sunderland speaking now. If it were not his voice that Marlborough could recognize, the spikes of his tail were easy enough to spot, for they moved one by one, so quickly that they sounded like the descending keys on a harpsichord.

“Why look only to the future?” There was that Dutch android, Bentinck. There was a voice Marlborough could never forget. “Will you rely on it to solve everything that is put in front of you? Look at the truth in the present.”

“They’ve served us well in the past,” Carmarthen’s voice hissed back. “This is the way of the Bocca della Verita, my lords.”

“There is some sense in what Lord Portland says,” Sunderland said. “It doesn’t mean that we shed our old ways. New truths in the present may lead to better predictions of the future.”

You would say that, wouldn’t you, my lord? Marlborough had to stifle a laugh. He stood above them all, glittering under the red sun’s light, his head bowed and his arms crossed over his chest. It tired him so, for he had to hold up the golden cuffs on his wrist as well, but he was so perfectly still that the chains in between them did not even rattle.

For a moment he opened one eye to gaze upon the scene before him through the veil he wore. There was Sunderland, of course, lounging on the table with a lashing tail before the Privy Council like a pleased, fed cat. Even with his mane and tendrils obscuring his mouth he looked like he was smiling, staring right at the agitated Stephen Blackhead through his glowing pink eyes. He was huge, too, nearly the size of the late King James, Marlborough noted with a slight shudder.

Below him, under the table, lay Godolphin with his head resting on his tail. On occasion he would glance up at Marlborough, but he looked as unassuming as any tendril-tooth could, with his dull eyes and slanted horns. Beside him was the accused Bishop of Rochester, his ears flicked down warily.

Bentinck was the only one who sat plainly on a chair, and it was he who looked up at Marlborough with that empty, plastic gaze of his. Marlborough closed his eyes again, but it was too late.

“Lord...Marlborough is listening,” he said, the illustrious title on a human clearly paining him to speak. “Did we really need him here?”

“Nonsense, he’s a good view while we work,” Godolphin said at last. “Besides, he’s a mere human. There has never been anything that forbids them from being here. Look at him, Blackhead, isn’t he beautiful?”

At this Marlborough’s face flushed. The lashing of a tail stopped; it must have been Blackhead, for he answered, “Why, yes, but—”

“It was a yes or no question,” Sunderland said pleasantly.

“No, then.”

“Liar.”

“I, for one, am inclined to agree,” Bentinck said. “But what does that matter?”

“What does the word of an android matter?” Godolphin muttered.

“Very well, then, does anyone want to look?” Sunderland asked, cutting them both off. “Are any visions tugging at the edges of your minds?”

“Of course not,” Bentinck scoffed.

“Nothing new.”

“Same as yesterday for me.”

“Queen Mary might have given us something...”

“You are the strongest seer after the Queen, my lord,” Godolphin said. “What have you seen?”

“I told you it would not be clear,” Sunderland said.

Damnit, just look! Marlborough took a deep breath. It was hot up here; he could feel the hair resting upon his shoulders clinging to him with sweat. The gold was no help, either. He knew the moment that he moved again he would feel it burning more acutely on his skin, and slipping it off every night was an agony.

He cursed his home planet of Forte Solaria now— fools if they thought they were any match for these creatures, if they thought they had any right to call themselves the alien-slayers. And worse, fool himself, for believing in all of it.

But if he could not kill a single one that would have been pleased to make him their dinner, then he could join them, make them know power like they never had before. His reward? This disgrace! If only the King knew of how his own species were treated on Forte Solaria; how Marlborough would have liked to see his face upon hearing it.

He heard talons tapping against the floor, getting closer to him, but he did not dare open his eyes. Not until he felt the warm breath of a tendril-tooth upon him did he look up.

It was Sunderland. He leaned in, lifting himself up on his hind legs to examine Marlborough.

“Are we hungry, my lords?” he asked.

“Not particularly,” Godolphin said. “Will you just look? Will they turn out to be forgeries?” He flicked his tail dismissively. “And don’t touch the King’s art.”

“I’ll gain nothing from my own future,” Sunderland said. “I must look into his.” He lifted a single claw up to Marlborough’s throat. “Have you ever wondered where you would be tomorrow?”

Marlborough nodded once, swallowing.

“Ah. Well, for better or for worse, you’re still here.”

[lewis-winters]

tumblr nuked my answer to your ask @ronsparky ANYWAY--

9. worst part of canon

I've talked about this at length here, here, here, here, and here!

and I had another post about why I don't like the tonal shift between ep.9 and ep. 10 of bob but I can't find it so I'll get back to you on that!!

but yeah. I'm still salty about the Augusta Chiwy thing. like. it's like the BoB writers didn't even try 🙄🙄🙄 oops, maybe they didn't. I mean, they were already operating on the logic that if Stephen Ambrose didn't bother to exercise proper historical research, why should they? 🙄🙄🙄

10. worst part of fanon

because fanfiction is the medium in which I interact the most with fandom, the ills of it are the ones I encounter the most. some of ya'll don't know proper characterization if it bit you in the ass. it's like. did we even watch the same show? each one has 10 episodes each!! how could you POSSIBLY get any of this wrong????

sometimes, you read a fic, and already you can tell the author has an agenda just by how terribly wrong a fic is. they villainize random boys so much to make others look better. the amount of times I go "he would NOT say that!" is infinity.

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

ensemble fics with stupid grp of friends level shenanigans. exploration of platonic relationships fics (though there are a few of these already that I really like, I want more). queer platonic relationships. POC OCs; asexual, aromantic, lesbian, and trans OCs. there are a few already that I very much like, I know this. I have a trans OC myself. idc. I want more.

.......... honestly sometimes I get the feeling that some hbo war writers are afraid to make aroace OCs, trans OCs or POC OCs bc they themselves are cis, allosexual/alloromantic, or white and therefore they might get it wrong. to which I say banish the thought and EXPLORE, damnit.

also like. let's trans some genders. I've said this before. but I think. we should be allowed!! to trans some dead american soldier's genders. more transmasc paratroopers!! more transmasc marines!! c'mon now.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

lewis nixon's alcoholism. my dude. apart from dick winters, EVERYBODY was an alcoholic, ok? harry welsh had to be dragged out of enemy fire bc he was passed out drunk in the middle of the road. they were ALL alcoholic. ALL of them.

I'm not saying stop exploring lewis nixon as an alcoholic, oh no. I love that shit. I'm saying start exploring EVERYONE ELSE as an alcoholic. could be fun!

[opheliajupiter99]

Random Fandom Thoughts

I feel bad that I don't agree with my mutuals on so many things (specifically my OUAW) mutuals. I know they don't mind, if they minded they would've stopped following me by now lol.

But still, I can't help but feel like such a killjoy when I can't comprehend headcannon after headcannon after headcannon. And of course, anybody following me for any length of time knows how I feel about shipping.

But I just want to say: you guys are fantastic, and unlike some fandoms I've been a part of, still care about things like context, lore, and the story.

Like...it's hard not to hate shipping when you've survived things like the Stephen King's IT fandom. You guys know how much I adore horror, and yet whenever I try to look anything up about IT, damn near all I get is 'Eddie x Richie' which yes, I agree, they make sense together, and those pieces were laid clearly in the story.

But even with it being canon, people obsess over it to the point that if you just took a glance through the fandom, you'd be genuinely convinced it was a fandom about a romantic comedy, not a horror story. I'm -from- Maine damnit, you can have all the romance you want as long as you still give a shit about the story.

Let Stephen King's IT be horror, damnit!

[bonesandthebees]

I also got Priory of the Orange Tree!!! I’m currently reading a the new hunger games book (or I would be if school wasn’t killing me, I was enjoying reading that damnit). But that one is next on my TBR. Also, the same day I got it, I got like 2 other books from friends + the book I had on my to read on the train, so I was just walking around Brussels with 4 books like a champ (I really need to spot buying books now). (Also, on of the books was Fairy tale by Stephen King, so as you can imagine, my bag was very heavy.)

Anyway, yeah I don’t know what it is about the Dutch accent that makes it sound so goofy. It’s the intonation pattern or maybe the hard g’s Idk. The accent very much stands out among our Flemish Dutch and all those accents. Another big difference it that Flemish Dutch has a lot more loaned words especially from French. Like in the Nederlands they say jam (which I guess is the same as in English) but we use confituur like the French word. But then there’s also Belgian French which is different from French French. Like we say pistole in both Dutch and French and it’s a round type of bread. But if you use that word in France, it very much means the same as pistole aka the gun. Languages are so much fun.

Anyway, I need to go to sleep cuz I’m dead tired, but I will think on the Dutch songs, because there’s so many to chose from. Do I take the classics? The famous ones? Or just the ones I like? Which genre? Which artists? Oh the options. (I can also do French songs btw, cuz we have some very famous French singers no matter how many times France tried to claim them).

-🌲

oh my god you were carrying around 4 books including a stephen king book and priory??? both of those are huge your arms must've been so sore

aaaaa so happy you have that though!! very excited to hear your thoughts spruce :D also the new hunger games book was so good too. funnily enough it was the book I read right after I read priory. hope you enjoy it!!

yeah I definitely think it's how much harsher the Dutch accent is compared to the softer Flemish Dutch accent. also I've heard that Belgian French (Wallonian French I guess? do you guys call it that or just Belgian French?) has a few differences from French French. I also heard you guys actually have a normal number counting system? so like instead of France French's '68, 69, 60-10, 60-11, 60-12' to the amazing '4-20' for 80, you guys just have like. normal numbers. my Belgian friend told me that once and I think it makes so much more sense

well usually with music my taste is a bit all over the place but for the most part I'm very into indie rock, a bit of alt rock, sometimes indie pop, and a bit of folk. but then also one of my favorite songs is an 80s synth pop and I also have a playlist for heavy metal so my taste varies lol

[bugisbonkerz]

god fucking damnit i just broke my favorite bowl. rest in pieces stephen

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week?

Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #6 - Final fight could have been longer but overall a solid series... which DC apparently already is in the process of forgetting judging by that Action Comics backup which reset Conner back to his post-Flashpoint default.

Spirit World #5 - Still good, nothing else to say really.

Miracleman #6 - Totally forgot this came out and this series has not lived up to the hype. Gaiman does his best Moore impression here - Young Miracleman isn't gay, he was just molested as a child! - and it all feels rather rote.

Batman #138 - In an utterly shocking turn of events, the highly trained thieves left Catwoman the minute another villain made a better offer. No one saw that coming.

Blue Beetle #2 - Hey Traci is showing up next issue! Good job balancing synergy and comic history here.

Dr. Strange #8 - Damnit Strange, how much of your soul is even left to barter with at this point? Next story arc should be all the devils Stephen has bargained with claiming their cut.

Fantastic Four #12 - Had a giggle at North having the F4 casually solve the Incursions problem here. Franklin has a "big secret" to share - gears already moving to make him a mutant again? Sue as an archaeologist is a cool idea. Like her being a genius in fields where Reed isn't, aligns with my approach to reinventing Lara and Martha for Superman.

[stewardofningishzida]

Chapter 4: Hello!

The meta-fic continues! Enjoy!

TW: Panic attack mention and pandemic mention

*After fixing the things that Cloak had knocked over, I rejoin Trix and Stephen, who are currently sitting on the couch in the living room.  I’m incredibly nervous from all of the activity and about how the situation might continue to develop.  As a result, I’m pacing back and forth, trying to take slow, deep breaths and stay calm.  Though now I’m thinking about what else could possibly happen.*  

Stephen:  Catastrophizing won’t help.  Sit down with us before you wear a hole through the rug.  I’ll think of something and now your group is backing us up.  Relax before you give yourself a panic attack.  

Trix: Seriously, panic attacks are no joke. For now let’s take things as they come. 

Me:  Okay…Okay…It’s just that if you can come through to here, anyone or anything else can too.  

Stephen:  I can still protect us.  The Sling Ring is merely an item used for transport.  

*I sigh and sit down, breathing in deeply before releasing it slowly.  Then, I glance at the door, listening.*

*four quick knocks*

*I open the door and look.*

Fox: Steward, hi! *unsubtly looks over your shoulder* May I come in? I… *face blanks* ...I should've brought something, but I didn't because I have zero working braincells at the moment. Sorry. 

*I let her in.*  

Me:  It’s okay.  We’ll have plenty of supplies coming in soon.

Fox: *awkward thumbs up* Sounds like a party! 

*Stephen looks at Fox and waves awkwardly.*

Stephen:  Doctor Stephen Strange…and you are…?

Fox, noticing Stephen and waving back: Hi, Stephen! Hi, Cloak! *nervous laugh* So, huh. I'm Fox. Nice to meet you in person? 

Stephen:  Thanks.  *He’s not completely sure how to respond yet.  Everything is still new to him.*

Fox: *looks at both Steward and Trix for help in this awkward social situation. "I am not prepared for this send help" look lmao*

Trix:  Listen, I was just as awkward as you are. Don’t look at me!

*The cloak waves back.*

Fox: Oh!! Hi!! *smile* oh my God you look so warm and comfy. The best blanket in the multiverse. Must have your hands full with helping Stephen. *short laugh*

*Stephen curls his lip, slightly amused.  Cloak practically jumps off of the sorcerer’s shoulders to float in front of Fox curiously, almost like a friendly dog.  It reaches out a corner to shake “hands”.*

Fox: *tentatively reaches forward to shake its "hand", but once contact is made and she does not spook the Cloak she's a bit more confident and smiles* You are so soft… 

*Cloak looks “happy” about this…or as happy as an object without a face can look.  It whooshes back to Stephen.*

Trix: God, relics are awesome.

*The doorbell rings.*

*I pause.*  

Me:  Who is it?

Hana: It's me! I brought Crème Brûlée!

Me:  Oh, Hana.  All right.  Welcome!  

*I open the door to let Hana in.  Stephen and the others greet her.*

Trix: Another for the Stephen Protection Squad!

Stephen:  Who else is coming here again?

Hana: *kind of still in shock* Are you sure you haven't like… dispersed some drug in the air, like that hound of the Baskerville episode?

Me:  As crazy as this is, no.  *Tries to make a joke to diffuse the tension.*  Damnit, Jim!  I’m a cell biologist anyway, not a pharmacologist.  *Small, stupid grin.*

Hana: *actually does laugh at that* *looks at Stephen* wow. *Really doesn't know what to say* um… Crème Brûlée?

Fox, under her breath: Eheh… Crème Brûlée… 

Stephen:  Erm…Maybe in a bit when everyone’s here.  *He shifts awkwardly, composing himself.*  I assume we’ll gather some background information about each other and our respective universes first to determine the best course of action.

Hana: Sounds valid. But we already do know a lot about your universe. 

Me:  Though we need to pinpoint which variant you are without messing up your timeline.  I have a few questions to figure that out.

Trix: I don’t know much about the comics but for the MCU, I’m your gal.

Hana: Well. We could start by how you got here. 

Me:  He said that he was fighting Shuma-Gorath earlier.  The monster managed to smack him through a portal with one tentacle and steal his Sling Ring with another.

*Stephen groans.  This was still rather embarrassing for him.*

Fox: That is a pretty big L…

*Stephen gives Fox a look. Fox looks mortified for a moment and quietly apologizes.*

Stephen:  *Sighs*  It’s fine…That was a rookie mistake.  Wong will never let me hear the end of this.

Hana: *looks at him, thinks. Yup, he's definitely real* Can you do magic here? Our universe isn't really big on it.

Stephen:  I can, yes.  

Hana: Huh. There's probably some cult out there that does this stuff. We could look into it. I suppose they have websites? Or Discord servers in the least? 

Me:  Laer’s on the case.  She’s looking via Tor so we don’t attract too much unwanted attention.

Trix: I know more about psychics and tarot and crystals but no one has mentioned any eldritch magic. Though I’m curious to see if they feel a change in the energy after this.

Hana: Good. Well, I had the most ridiculous day. Just spent the whole day standing in the hallway of the dormitory cuz the warden never showed up. *Sits heavily on the couch* *looking at Stephen*

Stephen:  You go to boarding school?  *He’s curious.*  How did you get here, then?

Hana: *smiles* med school actually. I took a flight.

Fox: Yoooooo, fellow med student! High five! *raises hand for high five*

Stephen (slight smirk):  Heh…Which specialties are you both aiming for?

Hana: *high fives Fox* None, yet. It's my first year. Thinking of Gynaecology though. I don't know yet. Subject to change.

Fox: It's my fourth year and to be honest? Everything looks interesting. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to specialize in. Maybe after some more hospital training I'll get a clearer picture. 

Hana: In which year do the postings start in your country? (US?)

Fox: I technically should have started in a blood withdrawal center during the second year, but COVID happened, so that got… you know…*vaguely gestures*

Hana: I don't know if I am pissed or relieved Covid took my high school years tbh. In my country, postings start from the third year.

Stephen:  Huh.  Good luck, you two.  Wait…Covid?

Trix: Ah yes, the pandemic of the century. Hopefully. I don’t trust other humans at this point.

Fox: Sars-Cov-2. Uhh probably keep an eye on the Hong Kong Sanctum. Wouldn't want to start a pandemic by portaling all over the world… 

Me:  It’s a long story, but basically, there’s a global pandemic going on.  We’re all vaccinated here, thankfully.  You, on the other hand, need to get your shots or just stay away from anyone outside.  Wear a mask, social distance, etc.  Seeing as we’re helping you go back home quickly, let’s just make sure you don’t go near other people as much as possible.  Oh, you might also want to isolate yourself for 10 days after getting back just to be safe and not infect anyone if you become a carrier.

Stephen (highly concerned):  Point taken.

Fox, zoning out: Would our COVID tests work in your universe or would the virus be different enough to not be picked up by the test…? 

Stephen:  Our viruses are probably very similar if not the same.  However, the mutations could be wildly different.  So, your virus and tests would work in my universe, but any mutations in my universe might change that.  Honestly, I don’t know for sure.

Fox: Hmmm makes sense. I just wondered if we could give you some tests so you get a head start in finding who's infected if your universe also gets that virus. 

Trix:  I have some at home tests as well. We don’t need to set a plague upon another universe.

Stephen:  Probably a safe bet.  I’ll take them back with me.

Hana: Is the cloak here too? *Is decidedly more excited to see the cloak than Stephen*

*Said Cloak gently flutters on his shoulders to make its presence known.  It’s currently gripping the sorcerer slightly more tightly, as though concerned for his well-being.  Stephen gives it a reassuring pat.*

Hana: *starry eyes* It's real!!!! *Waves* Hi~

*It waves back at her.*

Fox, whispering to Hana: It's so soft. *turns to the Cloak* Everyone's going to want to touch you, I'm pretty sure. So… Prepare yourself? 

*The Cloak nods.  It’s still holding Stephen at the moment.

Fox: Unless that Shuma-Gorath is on his way here, there's no threat at all! *peeks at the closest window to check the curtains are drawn* I hope. So… safe enough. 

*The curtains are drawn.*

Stephen:  For now, but once certain entities figure out where I am, there’s a chance they may either attempt to devastate my universe or break into this one to get at me and subjugate its inhabitants, including you.

Fox: Well. That's… Not great. *turns to Steward* So this is an "eldritch monster might level my house" situation, but worse! 

Me:  It appears so.  Though we don’t know when that could be.

Trix: I mean, look at the bright side though: we still get to meet Stephen and Cloak and know they exist! My therapist said to focus on the positives rather than spiral into a pit of existential anxiety! *chuckles nervously to herself while fidgeting with her hands*

Fox: Trueee… *awkward thumbs up*

Hana: I know this is just me making things up but is there some kind of cloaking spell that exists that can… i don't know… hide your magical signature? 

Stephen:  There is, but then Wong wouldn’t be able to find me either.

Fox: Fair. Hmm… What about creating a sling ring? Or, well, enchanting something to work like a sling ring. Maybe. I don't know, movies didn't go that deep into magic. 

Stephen:  I could attempt it, but I’ll need to do some research first.  If there’s any material on such a relic here.  Even then, it’ll probably take a while for anyone or anything to find me since this universe doesn’t have magic.  That’ll act like a sort of dampener.  So, there’s that, at least.

Fox: *finger guns*

Hana: *thinking* This… reminds me of something. Something like this happens in the comics. Well, not exactly this. But close enough. You *looks at Stephen* wake up one day to find Earth has lost its magic. So you go to Tony. He gives you a lovely speech and a pretty spaceship. So basically, in that segment, you don't have any relics. So you make the relics yourself. You made this sword that can cut portals.

Fox: Is this the, y'know… Spacesuit Stephen? And I might not know the comics, but that one panel of the sword I do remember for… Reasons. *short laugh*

Hana: *fully understanding the Reasons* Yeah, it was good. So, can you make relics?

Stephen:  *Raising an eyebrow*  I’ve never done it before, but if I was able to do it in another timeline, I suppose it’s worth a try.

*They ponder quietly for a moment.*

*the doorbell rings*

*someone knocks on the door* 

Alexis: *yelling slightly* “Hey, it’s me, Alexis! I brought soup and some snacks!” 

*I go to answer the door and let her in.*

Me:  Thanks so much!  Erm…Stephen, Cloak; Alexis.

*They both greet her.  Cloak goes to help her put stuff down.* 

Alexis: *looks at Stephen in amazement* “Huh. He’s actually real. Nice to see you, Stephen and Cloak. Have some soup.”

Stephen:  *To Alexis*  Thank you.  *He turns to me.*  Is that everyone so far?  

Me:  For now.  There are others online and those we’ll need to go visit ourselves.  A total of nine people in the loop.  *I get up to place the various foods on the dining table.*  Thanks, everyone.  Let’s have some food for now.  We’ll need energy to keep our heads and figure stuff out.  *I go to get some plates and bowls.  Stephen and Cloak help me set the table.*

Stephen (to us):  Thank you again for your hospitality.  I don’t intend to stay long if I can help it.

Me (smirking):  Just don’t blow up the house or anything else and we’ll call it good.

Tear: *After a couple hours of inactivity, I finally send a new text message.* Hey guys! The last client has finally left, so the bakery is officially clear of any strangers (heh). I just wanted to check in and see if you’ve decided what to do this evening. I want to know if I should turn off and clean the espresso machine or if I should expect your visit after all. No pressure! Thor knows you all are probably still reeling about what happened ;;;;;

*I feel my phone vibrate and check it, reading the message.  Trix, Stephen, the others, and I had an early dinner an hour or so ago and cleaned up.  I reply.*

Me (text):  Awesome!  As tempting as espresso is, it’s probably a bit late for that.  However, Stephen might want some.  I’ll ask him…He’s okay with it.  Caffeine doesn’t really affect him as much as it used to.  He’d like to meet you.  So, I’ll be there in a moment.  See you in about 20 minutes!

**To be continued**

[askatrigenderlgbt]

Marvel Prompt! (⁠･⁠–⁠･⁠)⁠ ⁠\⁠(⁠･⁠◡⁠･⁠)⁠/

(At the sanctum, Stephen is learning a new spell. While quietly reading, Cloak happens to float into the room- silent as always- and spots its sorcerer)

Stephen: *reading*

Cloak: *floats over*

Stephen: ...

Cloak: ...

(The Cloak wraps Stephen up into a hug, pinning at least one arm to his side. It wraps on tight and refuses to let go. Stephen had yelped the moment Cloak did it, a manly yelp mind you, and tried to escape.)

Stephen: *shaken* Damnit, I thought I told you to stop sneaking up on me- Can you let go!?

Cloak: *Ignores him and hugs tighter*

Cloak: (Mine.)

Stephen: *Struggling* Why are you this way!?

Cloak: *Picks up Stephen*

(Stephen protests being carried away, trying with everything thing he could to unwrap the pesky Cloak. He was running out of steam quickly, however, his hand becoming sore from frantic pulling and struggles against his tight bounds.)

Cloak: (My sorcerer.)

Stephen: *Tired and panting* Why do you always do this on the rare days when it's peaceful!? I'm trying to be productive but no, a sentient cloak decided that it wants cuddles and attention. It takes priority. Can't you wait till tonight?

Cloak: (No.)

(Stephen doesn't receive any answer. He doesn't need to. This has happened enough times that he knows the drill at this point. He remembers the first time the Cloak kidnapped him for cuddles, how startled and spooked he was being trapped. How the past him was scared of what the hell was happening, why the Cloak was wrapped tightly around him, only to be told later that he was being cuddled. And apparently the first person the Cloak ever cuddled with.)

Stephen: Can you at least lessen your grip, please?

Cloak: (No.)

Stephen: ...yeah, I didn't think you would.

Cloak: (Mine. My sorcerer, friend. I'll protect you, for as long as I can. I love my sorcerer.)

(Settling into Stephen's bedroom at last, the Cloak lets Stephen rearrange himself into a more comfortable position. Then it wraps itself back around him more gentle, practically vibrating with joy at the closeness.)

Stephen: *amused* you really like to cuddle don't you?

Cloak: (Yes!)

Stephen: I guess I can take a break, maybe a nap too.

Cloak: (I'll protect you! Rest and relax.)

(Stephen smiles, fondness and gratitude filling his heart at the cloak's excitement. Laying back to sleep for a while, he can't help but think of one last thing: I have the best Cloak ever.)

Cloak: ( My adorable sorcerer.)

If anyone makes this a fanfiction I'll love you forever!!! This was something adorable I had in my brain for a while, and now I'm sharing it with you guys, gals, and thems!