#Mary K Franklin | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jamneuromain · 1 year ago

Note

Divorce with either Steve/Andy I'm feeling angsty.

Whether happy/sad ending is up to you :)

Hi bestie <3 I'm sorry it has taken more time than I thought but my drabble turns into a one-shot before I can even realize skjksjskjskjksj

hope you'll enjoy this <3

Lie, Lie, Lie

Steve Rogers x You (Mutant!Reader)

Warning: Swearing, Angst, Divorce, (also asshole-ish Avengers?)

W/C: 5.4 K

Summary: A small leak will sink a great ship. -- Benjamin Franklin

A/N: My first entry to the bingo challenge hosted by @the-slumberparty.

It starts with a minor, insignificant detail.

Just some static in the phone, really.

A snippet of sound that common people would interpret as bad signals, considering that Steve is phoning you from thousands of miles away, while you are using the landline.

For holy Mary’s sake, who the hell still uses landlines today?

Apparently, the academic conferences you attend do.

Steve notices the small static buzzing the call you are having, after which you grumble in frustration, “Stupid signals, can’t even function properly.”

He smiles, knowing that you can’t see the expression on his face. You are cute even when you are complaining.

You sigh deeply on the other end of the phone, your voice slightly distorted from the electronic, or wireless, transmission, “I miss you, Stevie. Can’t wait to come home.”

“It’ll only be two more days,” Steve reassures you with his soothing timbre, “I’ll be waiting for you at the airport, alright? First thing you’ll see after getting off that plane.”

“Okay.” You know he can hear you pouting, but you pout anyway, “Gotta have some sleep now. I’m going to the keynote tomorrow morning.”

“Take care of yourself.” Steve holding on to his phone, wincing again as the static buzzes again, but it appears only on his end, as you seem unaffected by it, “Take care of my favorite scientist and my favorite girl for me, okay?”

“I am your favorite girl. And you know I have my powers.” You try your best to stifle a large yawn, but Steve senses your tiredness right away.

“Sleep tight, okay? I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Steve blows a kiss, hoping that it would travel across oceans and lands via the phone, and reach your forehead.

“Night, Steve.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

You are about to hang up when the static tortures his ear again.

You hang up.

Static isn’t a problem for most people, who, unlike Steve, don’t have super hearing and super memory.

Steve could think that the static is a minor interference, however, static that appears during phone calls are hardly inconsistent. And if he has learned a thing or two during the time that landlines are still fairly popular – 40s, by the way – is that static doesn’t go on and off, nor does it blur on different pronunciations since static should naturally have a pattern.

Since Stark phones issued by the friendly billionaire is certainly off the question, he suspects that someone might be tapping into your landline.

Something is off. His intuition is telling him. So, he called Tony and asked for a favor.

After some analysis that Steve couldn’t fully understand, Tony presses his index finger to his lips tightly, humming to himself.

“Anything?” Steve watched as Tony chugged down the fifth cup of coffee ten minutes ago, and now Tony has been unusually quiet.

Tony spins his chair around, looking thoughtful. He waves his fountain pen in midair, pointing at his screen in general, “This isn’t some sort of prank Bruce asked you to play, is it?”

“Prank? Tony, this is my wife we’re talking about.” Steve is about to lose his patience. He crosses his arm, dead serious, “What is … this? Am I being paranoid or …”

He wouldn’t dare to think about you in actual danger and he’s sitting cozily in Avengers Compound. He could’ve been risking your precious rescue time. Or warn you, somehow.

Even knowing that you have your special powers.

Your mutant powers.

Still, there are hundreds of ways for you to be defenseless.

A collar could suppress all your powers. A shot of the new dose of Mutant Serum could make you lose your X-gene once and for all. And all those terrible things that could happen to you.

Tony scratches his goatee, his expression is puzzled, to say the least, “this static that you provided, looks like the interface Bruce and I were cooking up for a Friday-upgrade.”

“English, please, Tony.”

Tony magnifies the example of static extracted from the recording that is automatically stored on Stark servers, and pulls out a random MRI brain scan from Steve’s health exam last year, “See what I mean?”

Steve watches the two waves on the screen closely, almost stuttering from what he is summarizing, “They look … similar.”

“Exactly.” Tony throws the MRI scan off the screen and points to the static, “This? This isn’t sound. This is human thinking. Hell, thinking, I’m not even sure it’s human. And it has a purpose. The reason you are hearing the ‘static’ – I’ll name that thing later, is that it serves as a relay, that patches you through its – thinking, whatever, and directs your call to Y/N.”

“It isn’t Friday?” Steve blurts out the only AI he could think of.

“If it is Friday, the Nobel committee is handing me the award right this moment.” Tony snorts, but he turns serious as soon as he notices Steve’s worrying look, “but with this fragment, I can locate Y/N,” and with a few taps on the keyboard, a global map appears in front of them.

Tony mutters to himself, “Can’t track the relay itself, but I can … ”

Another few keystrokes and a red dot blip.

“… in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.” Tony isn’t even sure about what the blipping dot shows, “Now this can’t be right-” Tony looks back at Steve, whose eyebrows are tying up like knots, “Where did you say she’s having this academic conference?”

“Leipzig, Germany.” Steve answers without a second thought, “Quantum 2023.”

Tony looks awe-struck.

“I’m sending a team to get her.” Steve stands up from his seat abruptly, heading to the doorway, but Tony’s words make him stop.

“Quantum 2023 is next week, Steve. And it isn’t held in Leipzig.”

“But that’s impossible,” Steve turns on his heels, glaring at Tony, “She told me that she came into contact with some Professor, who invited her to this conference because she was doing so well with her panel back in January.”

“And what’s that panel?”

“CPS Quantum Computer-”

“CPSQ was never held this year.” Tony shakes his head, “The conference was cancelled because a main member of the CPSQ committee passed away last December. What else has she told you?”

“I can’t tell you.” You dare not read his face. Your gaze lands on the marble counter that you and Steve agreed on two years ago, instead of him. You lied. And you know you lied. And the fact that you know that you can tell him nothing, makes you even more scared and frightened, as you are well aware the last things Steve would tolerate are betrayal and infidelity.

Your shared home, once a sanctuary for you and the love of your life, now withering and shaken, cold and gloomy. It no longer is a safe haven for you.

“Did anyone blackmail you with anything?” Steve asks calmly.

He’s prepared for the worst things to come.

He spent the whole night with Tony trying to figure out the so-called “academic conferences” you were supposed to be a part of, and there were eight of them during the last three years.

Some calls were too old to trace, but Tony has figured out it with the recent three conferences, you weren’t doing Keynotes or presenting your results to academia, but in the same spot in the Pacific doing God knows what.

It was undocumented waters. Tony could only gather so much info that the islands in the vicinity were bought by a mysterious wealthy man who paid through his Kaymen Island account.

And you were visiting it almost every four months. Like clockwork.

There were a few heat signatures on the island, but with no visible vehicle, neither ferry nor helicopter in sight, Tony would have to guess that you would need someone who can transport you from where you were to the island.

“No.” You have no excuse. No reasons. No idea what you should say.

But you weren’t blackmailed. You went there voluntarily.

His gaze feels heavy on your shoulders. From the corner of your eyes, you can see he’s looking at you intensely. Trying to figure out whether you are still lying to him.

“Are you cheating?”

The other possible explanation he has thought of. Frightening, if an answer of certainty comes out of your mouth, but it would explain your lies. Steve curls his hand into a fist, the veins on his hand popping briefly onto his skin.

The hands that caressed your hair and your jaw, cradling your face when he leaned in to kiss you. All the gentle moves. Treating you as a soft and delicate being. Now a hard fist on the table.

He didn’t touch you on your way back to your home. Nor did he accept your hugs and kisses at the airport.

He was very disappointed.

“No.” You answer, with your head low.

How could he doubt your relationship? How could he doubt your love for him? Waiting for him to return after every battle, taking care of his wounds, having-

How could he think all of those were lies too?

“Then what are you hiding?”

Steve maintains his best manners not to crush the table under his fist into bits and pieces. He wants you to answer. Something. Tell him why he has been kept in the dark.

Anything.

You open your mouth, but no word comes out.

“I can’t tell you.” You whisper, your resolve of keeping the secret faltering under his piercing gaze. But you can’t tell him.

There’s turmoil in your stomach, wreaking havoc in your guts. You want to throw up when thinking about the truth, but cannot say it. Not with your teeth and tongue. Not with pen and paper. You cannot. You physically cannot.

Nothing remorseful or any expression similar appears on your face, as Steve observes your reaction closely.

“Please, Steve. I promise I’ll tell you, but now is not the time. It was – is an important … deed, to do.”

Steve stands up from his chair slowly.

Not even looking at you anymore, he sounds emotionless. Cold.

“I thought for a moment you were kidnapped. Tortured. Lured into a trap.”

“Steve-”

“I was this close,” he pinches his index finger and thumb together, “sending a full-blown rescue tactical team, to get you out.”

“Steve, please, just listen-”

“And are you talking, Y/N? Are you telling me what I need to hear?” He stands with his back to you, shaking with uncontrollable anger. “The truth, that’s all I want.”

“I can’t-”

“I can’t, either.” He interrupts you. For the entire time you can remember, from his cute and sweet attempts to ask you out on a date, from his chivalry of taking you out and asking you to be his wife, from the start of your happy marriage, he hasn’t once interrupted you when you were talking.

Tears roll down your eyes as you are tongue-tied, unable to utter a sound.

But Steve didn’t see those tears. If he did, he would have some idea that you are truly sorry for what you have done.

Steve stands with his back to you.

“I’ll save us the trouble and ask Tony to wipe our marriage from the system.”

Almost a shriek, your hands and feet are placed in the bottom of the ice pit, “You can’t-! I- You can’t!”

Your sobbing fills the room that was occupied by a dreadful silence. From your husband.

You would never imagine that a lie would go this far.

“Watch me.”

He can’t, not when you are-

Not when you are working on-

Not when you are trying to-

He can’t.

Realization dawns on you that even if you did tell him one thing that you can say to make him stay, he would consider it a lie.

Or an effort you make, trying to be bound to him.

That your trust is broken forever.

With that realization hitting you, he leaves the room.

Five years later, somewhere near Hawaii.

“This is really nice, what you got over here,” Tony comments in honesty, taking a step back to observe the rippling portal gate, “How long has it been put into use?”

Jean, the woman with flaming red hair and a scarf around her shoulders, has an impeccable smile on her face, leading the way as Natasha and Steve boarded the small vehicle up ahead, “Four. We used to transport to and from all over the world with the help of mutants who can create a portal. But as larger machines and construction materials were needed on Krakoa, the very land that you are standing on, our top scientists decided to benefit us all by inventing an instant portal device- Devices, should I say.”

As there are three large portals, each the size of a house, standing next to each other on the founding stones.

“Why are we even here?” Steve murmurs to Natasha, sounding confused, “I thought bargaining was Tony’s specialty…?”

“Smile, Rogers.” Natasha murmurs back, her eyes scanning the tropical island for any anomaly, “It’s a diplomatic event, not a business one.”

“Like a photo Op?”

“Like a peace offering.” Nat lowers her voice as she notices a mutant with bright green hair start the engine of their car, and take the position as their driver, “Krakoa now has the most efficient cancer eradication solution, and if we all behave and act like adults, the world would accept the possibility of the first mutant country. The UN is considering whether to add Krakoa as a new member country as we speak.”

“And if we blew it, WW3?”

“Worse. We will be hanged before we could say ‘assemble’.” Natasha sits straighter when Tony and Jean, the woman with red hair approaches the vehicle, and asks with a louder voice, “Would you mind telling us about the three-day trip planned on Krakoa?”

“Certainly.” With a look from Jean, the green-hair starts the car and drives away from the beach, heading towards a road that leads to the Krakoa city center. “We don’t have anything planned for this evening, so Lorna – our temporary driver - and I will show you around this place in general and escort you to your residence, where you will have dinner with our high council tonight. Tomorrow you’ll visit our university facilities and our most advanced laboratory, with our head scientist Hank. If you would like to visit any place else, feel free to tell us and we’ll try our best to satisfy your demands…”

Their residence is a small building near the city square. After a brief tour of the area, Jean tells them that normally they wouldn’t expect many visitors, so the building, though more well-equipped than most hotels, only resides the three of them, plus Jean for now.

Natasha strides across the room as Tony takes voice notes on his phone.

“… Their technology is at least two decades, if not three, more advanced than our top scientist.” With that as a summary, Tony stuffs his phone in his pocket.

And the room is filled with deafening silence.

“Do you think they cleared this place out when they are expecting us?” Steve sits on the edge of the bed, looking up at Tony and Natasha.

“They are afraid of us, as we are afraid of them.” Natasha says slowly. Not really answering Steve’s question, but hinting at the opinion that she has in mind. Her striding comes to a halt, “The looks we had on our way here? Not all friendly.”

“Too bad we don’t have a mutant as a middleman.” Tony clicks his tongue, moving around his jaw like he has a toothache.

“Tony-” Starts Natasha warningly.

They all know one mutant who helped around in the Avengers a few years ago. They know one mutant was exceptionally close to Steve. Hell, they were even there to witness the wedding of-

“I’m gonna go get some air.” Steve pinches the bridge of his nose, taking a long exhale, before walking out of the room.

Of Steve and you.

You were not a powerful mutant. But you would be helpful, under a circumstance like this.

But Steve divorced you a few years back.

No one knows why. No one knows any information regarding the terrible divorce that made Steve leave you, leave the States for months.

Except that you were “missing” from time to time.

Natasha sits on the other armchair in the room, looking closely at Tony, and his greying beard. She chooses her words very carefully, “Was she…” Were you cheating back then? On Steve?

Tony shakes his head, “He never told me.”

“But is it possible that…”

“I wanted to believe the other way.” Tony nibbling at his bottom lip. In the end, he looks back at Natasha, the former Russian spy, “But the incident right after she left…”

A breach that erased all of your data, along with the data of three staff within the Avengers Compound, happened a few months after you left the Compound and disappeared. Not only the records of your information, but also calls and texts, almost every trace of your presence was erased completely from both Avengers Compound and the government system as well.

The three staff later identified as mutants. They fled from the compound on the same day of the incident.

No one knew where you were. No CCTV or surveillance camera has recorded your prescence ever since.

It's a shame to admit, but no one bothered to look either.

After all, there were no demands or ransoms asked. And they were too busy saving the world to care for such trivia.

Nothing else was missing.

A few printed photos that Steve kept in his office survived. Printed photos of you and him together. That he had kept in the bottom of his drawer ever since your divorce.

A week later, Krakoa was established, announcing itself as a country and providing shelters for all mutants.

Steve suspected that the two events might be connected somehow, but Krakoa banned anyone who isn’t a mutant from entering the territory and has been moving on the map ever since, refusing any prying eyes.

Steve wanders into the patch of green a few hundred inches away from the hotel, heading towards the beach.

He was painfully reminded of you.

Of your happy times together.

And the determination you showed when you refused to tell him about your affair.

Yes, your affair. Even though you denied it. Steve believes that you were lying to him. About your location, about your everything.

About your lover.

“… come on down little monkey!” A familiar voice ghosting his ears.

A little girl screams at the top of her lungs, before giggling and sitting at the far end of a branch on a tree a few meters away, “But it’s out of power-Hi, Uncle Hank!”

The girl has blonde curly hair, bouncing as she jumps on the thin branch that could snap at any second. Steve is about to sprint to rescue when he hears you.

Your familiar voice.

“Come on, Mommy will catch you.” You clap your hand, your back facing Steve, who is hiding in the bushes. Your arms stretched wide open, urging the little girl to come down.

Urging your daughter to come down from the tree? From a branch seven feet in the air? How are you even encouraging the little girl while she could break her neck is unfathomable to Steve. This is stupid. Reckless. Irresponsible. A total -

“Come on, little monkey.” You clap your hand again, “It won’t be half as fun if I have to come up and get you.”

“Sorry, Y/N, I didn’t know that the rocket boots will die so soon,” begins a man on your side, apologizing. A thin man with glasses in his 40s. “The battery is supposed to last five hours when I put them on- Oh.”

“Yes.” Steve hears your grumpiness, “Batteries. Hank. My expertise.”

Steve knows your expertise.

Although you studied quantum physics and its application, your interest in Physics derived from your ability to absorb power and power transformation. However, you were not particularly interested in fighting bad guys, that’s why you weren’t on missions as often as he thought you would.

Batteries. You would absorb electricity from it in an instant, even when you are not intentionally doing so.

“Exhibiting her abilities so soon?” Hank gasps in disbelief, raising his head to look at your daughter jumping on that twig, “Normally it would be until their teen years.”

You chuckle, “Missing out on the latest Bio lab, aren’t you? They just published a paper about how mutant parents would cause a higher rate of mutant children, and as a result, their abilities tend to show earlier. Even so,” you kick the sand under your feet, your voice less exciting, “Hers is showing earlier than I did.”

“You showed your ability when you were five, right?”

“Two months till five. But yeah, pretty early. She made the light in our room flick on and off, starting from a month ago.” You make one last attempt at your daughter, who is having her fun with those thick rocket boots on her feet, “Be a sweetheart and come down, alright? Mommy is getting tired and we haven’t had dinner yet.” You plead softly.

“Alright, Mommy.” The little girl answers.

As Steve watches from afar, worrying sick that your daughter would fall from the tree, she spreads her arms and falls from the tree. But like a piece of paper, descending slowly into your arms.

Absorbing gravity to cancel it out. One of your typical moves too. Steve thinks bitterly. No doubt the little girl is your daughter.

Hank offers something as you three walk further from Steve and the bush he’s hiding. Steve didn’t quite catch what he said, but he hears you reply with a certain “Yes”.

Your voice trails away, “But it’ll be fine. Won’t we, little monkey?”

The little girl giggles again.

“Do you want Daddy back, Mommy?” Your daughter Maddie asks abruptly as you take out the storybook before bed.

“I-” It would be a lie, to say that you do not want Steve. But years have gone by and you’ve built your life around Maddie and Krakoa. While you were desperate, wanting him back when you found yourself pregnant with Maddie, the night when he left your house, you knew that the only reason Steve would stick around, which is knowing that you are pregnant. Despite the responsibility he would be burdened with, he would also doubt whether he’s raising some other people’s child, since he already suspects that you were cheating, and your life would be miserable with his indifference.

You remember your panicking and fearing his leave.

Thinking that he can’t leave you, not when you are pregnant, not when you are working on a home and a shelter for your future children, trying to create a safe haven for you and your family.

But he left.

“I don’t know, sweetheart.” You tuck a strand of her blonde curls behind her ears, gazing into her beautiful cerulean eyes, “I hurt your father really bad when I made the big mistake that we talked about. And he hurt me too. Not that he wanted to, but he left me alone in this world.” You kiss her short chubby hand, placing her hand on your cheek, “We won’t be happy ever again. Because I lied to him. And he will always remember it.”

“Oh.” Maddie sounds disappointed, scrunching her little face together, “But Daddy knows you are doing the right thing, right? Building Kra-Kra-Krakoa and our home?”

She tried a few times to pronounce the word “Krakoa”, making you smile.

“I don’t know, sweetheart.” You explain to her with more patience than you can ever imagine, “I have never seen your father ever since.”

“He should!” Your daughter curls herself up into a ball in your arms, nuzzling your soft pyjamas, “He should be proud of you. And what you did. You help build the island, Mommy. Daddy should know. And he will forget your lying.”

Kids. Always thinking everything in the world is so simple. A small grin creeps up your lips.

But in your heart, the bitterness swirls into a dark pit.

Everyone else understood. Other mutants who had a family, who told their partners they will be gone for a while, who lied to their partners that they were needed for a job.

Their partners did. Their partners understood the cruelty of separation and the pain that those mutants cannot utter a word about their whereabouts, or the details of the job. The worst you’ve heard of, aside from yourself as an example, was a huge fight between Lorna and her boyfriend, but in the end, she forgave him after a week, having enough trust for both of them to continue their relationship and got married two years ago.

But no. Not Steve.

Steve, who quickly jumped to the conclusion that there was no need to continue this marriage.

Steve, after leaving word of divorcing you, left. To some shit-eating place in South Africa, for two whole months.

Two months. Two months of prying eyes and prodding questions from the Avengers, which you knew they were being kind and helpful, but you couldn’t stay there. Not when it brought pain and scars to your chest every time you’d see some possession that belonged to him, and cry your eyes out, nearly losing Maddie as a result. Not when they were also suspecting that you cheated on Steve and scolding you lightly, telling you to “speak to Steve and ask for his forgiveness”.

They were his family. Not really yours.

Yours is here.

You kiss her forehead, tucking her in, “I sure hope so. Good night, sweetheart.”

Your smile fades as your mind drifts to the human delegation that is alleged to arrive today.

You asked to be kept out of the loop and out of the trails that the delegation is visiting. You even confirmed with Hank today that you would take these three days off from the lab.

You blocked all relevant information regarding those visitors.

You were raised by this mutant family, by mutants such as Jean and Hank and befriended them, and you had your heart broken in the human world. You don’t want anywhere near humans ever again.

“These are some state-of-the-art devices. I have to say, I’m very impressed.” Tony tilts his head to the side, reading the metrics recorded on the screen in the up-state Bio lab, “This is not quite my expertise though, the project you are operating here.”

Hank magnifies the part Tony is observing onto the huge screen behind them, “We are trying to incorporate human thoughts into robots, but in a wireless form. With a thought-” Hank, the man in glasses, places two stickers onto his head, and a robotic arm on the far end of the lab begins writing “Welcome”, stopping dead when it comes to “O”. Hank shrugs, not even bothered by the failure of the demonstration, “We have a talented specialist that helps with coding, but there are always some interferences with the transmission.”

Natasha clears her throat to gain their attention, “I’m also very impressed with the construction of the island as a whole. A construction this large should take … what, five years and a couple hundred workers?”

“Two and a half, to be precise.” Hank gestures for them to move forward onto the Physics lab, peeling the stickers off his temple, “About three dozen mutants involved. It would be sooner if it weren’t…” As if he suddenly was reminded of something, Hank let out a short “Ah”, and a brief pause, “if it weren’t some … unintentional held-up with one of our finest mutants.” His eyes land on sulking Steve, only for a few seconds.

Hank said it with a proud smile on his face. It didn’t take Steve forever to recognize the man from the beach last night, who gave your daughter, very irresponsibly, Steve might add, rocket boots.

Your daughter’s father is very irresponsible too. Not even showing up when your daughter is in danger. He thinks, clenching his jaw, praying for strength that he would punch that guy in the face if he ever meets him.

Natasha and Tony exchange a glance behind Hank, failing to notice Steve and his stern expressions.

“But it must have been a huge effort, even with three dozen, to keep them silent?” Natasha jokes light-heartedly, “There’s hardly any secret in the Avengers Compound without the full staff knowing it in three days.”

Hank nods politely, holding the door for them to come through, “Well, yes. But as you are well aware, a few of our best mutants are telepathic, meaning they could plant a gag order in our heads,” Hank taps his temple with his knuckle, “We couldn’t speak to anyone else about Krakoa for three years until it’s established. Our mind forbade us to speak of it because of the gag order.”

“Masochists, and they are proud of it,” Natasha whispers to Tony in a rush.

“It is troubling. Misunderstandings and arguments have aroused based on the gag order and its implementation.” Hank walks them through the long hallway from one building to another, “But we agreed it’s for the best at that moment.”

Tony makes a face that isn’t as obvious, but Steve and Natasha could tell that’s his disapproving face.

As Hank opens another door for them, the first thing they see is a little girl playing with her toy car on a tall chair. She slides the car down from a colorful track, and the track would deliver the toy car back to her hands.

“Maddison!” Hank rushes to her side, looking up and down to see whether the girl got hurt, “What are you doing here?”

“Mommy needs to pick up something.” Maddie points at you, cheering, “Look! Mommy Mommy!” She drops her toy car to the ground, and jumps off the tall chair, running to you and hugging your thigh.

Steve stops breathing. Seeing you, well and alive in front of him, with your daughter, in a rosy-pink dress that you bought while dating him a few years back.

You look … the same.

“Get behind me, Maddie.” You tug the little girl on her arm, to have her shielded fully behind your legs. An undetectable shakiness in your voice.

Maddie peeks from behind you. She doesn’t understand where this tension is coming from, but she understands one thing: “Mommy, is that Daddy?” She raises her head and asks.

You hate to lie to your daughter. But you are not going to let her be exposed to Natasha and Tony, and most importantly, Steve.

“Christ. It’s Y/N.” Tony mutters.

“Mommy, he looks exactly like the photo you showed me.” Maddie asks in confusion, pointing towards Steve, “He looks exactly like Daddy?”

“Maddison, not now.” It takes all your willpower not to push them all out of the lab at once, “Hank, would you mind?” You glance icily at Hank, urging him to solve the problem at hand.

“Yes, of course.” Hank starts to head the other way, “I’m sorry, but we’re behind schedule. If you would come with me-”

“No one is coming anywhere until we deal with this,” Tony announces, one hand already on his wristwatch, which you know contains a small plasma canon if he activates it.

“Is she…?” Steve knows the answer to his question before he asks. The hair and the eyes are similar to his, and the nose and lips resemble yours-

“Boys,” Natasha raises her voice, “Let’s be civil, shall we?”

“How old is she?” Steve feels a lump down his throat, “is she-”

“Civil?” You let out a dry laugh, the exact opposite of amused, “Tony Fucking Stark is ready to attack when he pulls out that wristwatch. And Natasha, long time no see, the same goes for your widow bites too. Yeah, I saw the glowing blue under your sleeves. You are trying to take my child away from me in a heartbeat and call yourself civil?”

“Tony, Nat.” Steve speaks.

Two words that bring the two of them away from their weapons.

You pick Maddie up from the ground, having your back to the Avengers, protecting your daughter from their grasp, “Let’s go, Maddie. I am apparently not welcomed here.”

“Y/N!” Steve calls to your back, “Y/N, please!”

Natasha is tempted to step forward and ask you to stay and talk this out, being blocked by Hank.

“I assume it is best that you stay right where you are,” Hank says politely, though his thin body has no intention of moving.

Maddie hugs your neck, laying her head on your shoulders. Her blue eyes focusing on Steve while you walk away.

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littlemisspascal · 3 months ago

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Today marks the 3rd anniversary of my fic The Infinity Cube. I can still remember posting the first chapter, hoping at least one person out there liked it, and I can still remember how it felt to reach the end, a feat that wouldn't have been possible without the support of so many kind souls 💗 I wanted to make something for the occasion and having seen so many amazing web weavings out there, I thought I'd give it my best shot 😊

THE INFINITY CUBE: a journey home

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis // I Choose You by Adam Melchor // When Did It Happen? by Mary Oliver // First Love by Jennifer Franklin // The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde // The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons // The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman // 10 a.m Is When You Come To Me by Louise Bourgeois // Maybe In Another Universe, I Deserve You by Gaby Dunn // Maybe When the Time is Right You Will Find Me Again - K. Tolnoe // We Were Missing the Present by Mahmoud Darwish // Persona (1966) // Matched by Ally Condie // In the Pines by Alice Notley // It Wasn't Love // La Pointe Courte (1955) // "My better half" by Pablo J. Davis // The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller // Bioshock Infinite // Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar // Oh It Was Meant to Be - Kate McGahan // Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell // If My Body Could Speak by Blythe Baird // Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens // Unending Love by Rabindranath Tagore // The Blinding Star by Blanca Varela // Wild Spirit, Soft Heart by Butterflies Rising // Finding You by Kesha // Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths // Web weaving about the untold story in you // "Feel like making a deal with the devil?" // A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara // Reborn: Journals ad Notebooks by Susan Sontag // I love you like a rotten dog // Sax Rohmer #1 by The Mountain Goats // The Bubble (2022) // Rabbit Hole (2010) // Beginning with O by Olga Broumas // How many times can the same thing break your heart? // War of the Foxes by Richard Siken // On Death in Heartbreak // Lonely Day by System of A Down // This Road (The Mirror is a Trap) by Poe // Memory for Forgetfulness by Mahmoud Darwish // "Do you think we're soulmates in another universe?" // Radio Silence by Alice Oseman // "In one timeline we kiss" - Elizabeth Hewer // Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed // Almond Blossoms and Beyond by Mahmoud Darwish // X // The Collected Poems of Alvaro de Campos by Fernando Pessoa // Excerpt from Moony Moonless Sky's 'I am an observer, but not by choice' // @/lookoflove // Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg // "Do you know what it's like to live somewhere that loves you back?" - Danez Smith // Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros // The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White // Home // You and Me

All Pedro Photos - Pinterest // Reader in my story is physically a blank slate, I just really like the photo of Javi + Gabriela touching foreheads

#marcus pike x reader #pedro pascal character fanfiction #the infinity cube #my poor edit attempt

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 5 months ago

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Young Adult Book Releases - June 2024

🦇 Good morning, my bookish bats. I hope you have a good book, hot cuppa, and sweet snack within reach! No TBR is complete without a few young adult novels, and plenty were released in June! Here are a few YA releases to consider adding to your shelves.

🩷 June 4 🩷 ✨ Looking for Smoke - K. A. Cobell ✨ Moonstorm - Yoon Ha Lee ✨ Now, Conjurers - Freddie Kölsch ✨ Heiress Takes All - Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka ✨ Two Sides to Every Murder - Danielle Valentine ✨ Wish You Weren't Here - Erin Baldwin ✨ Four Eids and a Funeral - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé & Adiba Jaigirdar ✨ Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet - Molly Morris ✨ Past Present Future - Rachel Lynn Solomon ✨ Storm: Dawn of a Goddess - Tiffany D. Jackson ✨ London on My Mind - Clara Alves ✨ The Breakup Artists - Adriana Mather ✨ One Killer Problem - Justine Pucella Winans ✨ Lockjaw - Matteo L. Cerilli ✨ If You Can't Take the Heat - Michael Ruhlman ✨ Louder Than Words - Ashley Woodfolk & Lexi Underwood

🩷 June 11 🩷 ✨ Six More Months of June - Daisy Garrison ✨ Hearts of Fire and Snow - David Bowles & Guadalupe Garcia McCall ✨ Love, Off the Record - Samantha Markum ✨ How to Get Over Your (Best Friend's) Ex - Kristi McManus ✨ The Ghost of Us - James L. Sutter ✨ There Is a Door in This Darkness - Kristin Cashore ✨ The Wilderness of Girls - Madeline Claire Franklin ✨ Dead Girls Talking - Megan Cooley Peterson ✨ Icon and Inferno - Marie Lu ✨ Furious - Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos ✨ The Color of a Lie - Kim Johnson

🩷 June 18 🩷 ✨ Bad Graces - Kyrie McCauley ✨ Old Palmetto Drive - S.E. Reed ✨ Masquerade of the Heart - Katy Rose Pool ✨ With Love, Miss Americanah - Jane Igharo ✨ Hearts That Cut - Kika Hatzopoulou ✨ The Calculation of You and Me - Serena Kaylor ✨ All Roads Lead to Rome - Sabrina Fedel

🩷 June 25 🩷 ✨ Markless - C.G. Malburi ✨ We Shall Be Monsters - Tara Sim ✨ Children of Anguish and Anarchy - Tomi Adeyemi ✨ Crashing into You - Rocky Callen ✨ Six of Sorrow - Amanda Linsmeier

#ya books #young adult romance #young adult books #young adult fiction #young adult #books #reading #batty about books #battyaboutbooks #book releases #book release

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april-is · 8 months ago

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April 14, 2024: The Wordsworth Effect, Joyce Sutphen

The Wordsworth Effect Joyce Sutphen

Is when you return to a place and it's not nearly as amazing as you once thought it was,

or when you remember how you felt about something (or someone) but you know you'll never feel that way again.

It's when you notice someone has turned down the volume, and you realize it was you; when you have the

suspicion that you've met the enemy and you are it, or when you get your best ideas from your sister's journal.

Is also-to be fair-the thing that enables you to walk for miles and miles chanting to yourself in iambic pentameter

and to travel through Europe with only a clean shirt, a change of underwear, a notebook and a pen.

And yes: is when you stretch out on your couch and summon up ten thousand daffodils, all dancing in the breeze.

Also: Dorothy Wordsworth, Jennifer Chang

Another by Joyce Sutphen: Living in the Body

Today in:

2023: Spring Poem, Colleen O’Connor 2022: Red, Mary Ruefle 2021: Bathing, Allison Seay 2020: A Small Moment, Cornelius Eady 2019: You Meet Someone and Later You Meet Their Dancing and You Have to Start Again, David Welch 2018: Henry Clay’s Mouth, Thomas Lux 2017: When Your Small Form Tumbled into Me, Tracy K. Smith 2016: Eve Recollecting the Garden, Grace Bauer 2015: from I Love A Broad Margin To My Life, Maxine Hong Kingston 2014: Gift, Czeslaw Milosz 2013: This Be The Verse, Philip Larkin 2012: We Did Not Make Ourselves, Michael Dickman 2011: Happiness (3), Jean Valentine 2010: When I Think, Jeanne Marie Beaumont 2009: The Poem, Franz Wright 2008: Morning Poem, Robin Becker 2007: Supple Cord, Naomi Shihab Nye 2006: Wish For a Young Wife, Theodore Roethke 2005: The Benjamin Franklin of Monogamy, Jeffrey McDaniel

#re: wordsworth #memory #writing #travel #poetry #joyce sutphen

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deadpresidents · 3 months ago

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How many presidents have had both of their parents alive when they were president?

Three Presidents have had both parents alive when they became President:

•Ulysses S. Grant Grant was the first President with both of his parents alive at the time of his inauguration. His father, Jesse Root Grant, died on June 29, 1873 during Grant’s second term. His mother, Hannah Simpson Grant, survived both of his terms and died two years before he did, on May 11, 1883. •John F. Kennedy Not only were both of JFK’s Presidents alive when he became President, but they are the only parents of a President who both outlived him. JFK was assassinated in 1963. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., died in 1969, and his mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy died in 1995 at the age of 104. •George W. Bush Both of Bush’s parents were alive when he took office and survived his entire two-term Presidency. His father, former President George H.W. Bush, died on November 30, 2018, just six months after the death of his mother, Barbara Bush, in April 2018.

Several Presidents have had either their father or mother still alive when they became President:

FATHER •John Quincy Adams: The first son of a President to be elected President himself was also the first President whose father was still alive at the time of his inauguration. John Adams died July 4, 1826, a little over a year into JQA’s Presidency. •Millard Fillmore: Nathaniel Fillmore lived through his son’s entire Presidency (1850-1853) and died in his 90s during the Civil War, on March 28, 1863. •Warren G. Harding: Harding’s father, George Tryon Harding, lived through his son’s entire Administration and died on November 19, 1928. Harding, who died in office on August 2, 1923, was the first President who was outlived by his father. •Calvin Coolidge: Not only did Coolidge’s father, John Calvin Coolidge, live to see his son become President, but he actually administered the oath of office. Coolidge, the Vice President at the time, was visiting his father when President Harding died in office and the elder Coolidge, a notary public, administered the Presidential oath at the family home in Vermont. Coolidge’s father died on March 18, 1926 during President Coolidge’s second term.

MOTHER •George Washington: Mary Ball Washington died August 25, 1789, a little less than four months after his first inauguration. •John Adams: Susanna Boylston Adams died April 21, 1797, just under two months after Adams became President. •James Madison: Eleanor Conway Madison lived through both of her son’s terms as President (1809-1817) and died February 11, 1829 at the age of 98. •James K. Polk: Polk was the first President who didn’t outlive his mother. She died on January 11, 1852, almost three years after Polk left office and died. •James Garfield: Garfield’s mother, Eliza Ballou Garfield, lived to see him become President and die in office. She died on January 21, 1888, almost seven years after he was assassinated. •William McKinley: McKinley’s mother, Nancy Allison McKinley, lived to attend her son’s first inauguration, but died several months later, December 12, 1897. •Franklin D. Roosevelt: FDR’s mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, lived to see her son inaugurated three times. She died during her son’s third term, on September 7, 1941. •Harry S. Truman: Truman’s mother, Martha Young Truman, lived to see her son succeed to the Presidency in April 1945. She died during his first term, on July 26, 1947, at the age of 94. •Jimmy Carter: Lillian Carter lived through her son’s entire Presidency and was even sent to represent him at events overseas several times, which made her a celebrity in her own right during his Presidency. She died on April 30, 1983, two years after Carter left the White House. •George H.W. Bush: Bush’s mother, Dorothy Walker Bush, lived to see her son become President. She died on November 19, 1992, two weeks after her son lost his bid for re-election. •Bill Clinton: Virginia Cassidy Kelley, Clinton’s mother, lived to see him become President but died less than a year later, on January 6, 1994.

#Presidents #History #Presidency #Presidential History #Presidential Stats #Presidential Data #POTUS Stats #POTUS Data #First Families #Presidential Parents #Parents of the Presidents #Fathers of the Presidents #Mothers of the Presidents #Presidential Families

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whatsfourteenupto · 5 months ago

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For the Doctor Who ask game:

When you could have one trip in the TARDIS where would you go?

What character would you like to see more of?

Do you think the Doctor can cook?

Oh that first one now I know why everyone freezes up when the Doctor is like “so where to first?” I think I would stay on Earth, and go back in time to maybe solve a mystery. Let’s go find out what happened to the Franklin Expedition or Roanoke or find out if George Mallory summited Everest or why the Mary Celeste was abandoned. Either that or go fishing with Ernest Hemingway.

Right now, Shirley Anne Bingham. But there are definitely others.

Different Doctors can and cannot cook. Nine? Great cook! Fourteen? As long as he focuses on one thing and doesn’t start trying to make four dishes at once. Thirteen? B A N N E D F R O M K I T C H E N

#AHHHHH THANKS FOR ASK #ok tbh still hung up on that first one #if I’m being offered a trip in the TARDIS as a thank you for helping defeat The Horrors™️#I’d probably just ask if we could go see some whales #‘does this thing have like. snorkel mode?’#‘yesterday was stressful what if we park next to a big school of krill and just watch a bunch of whales come eat it’#‘but from underwater’

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mysweetmurderina · 8 months ago

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SERIAL KILLER INFORMATION MASTERLIST

RODNEY ALCALA SUMMARY

VELMA BARFIELD SUMMARY

MARY BELL SUMMARY

DAVID BERKOWITZ SUMMARY

KENNETH BIANCHI SUMMARY

WILLIAM BONIN SUMMARY

IAN BRADY SUMMARY

JERRY BRUDOS SUMMARY

TED BUNDY SUMMARY

RICHARD CHASE SUMMARY

ANDREI CHIKATILO SUMMARY

DEAN CORLL SUMMARY

CHARLES CULLEN SUMMARY

JEFFREY DAHMER SUMMARY

ALBERT DESALVO SUMMARY

LONNIE DAVID FRANKLIN JR SUMMARY

JOHN WAYNE GACY SUMMARY

ED GEIN SUMMARY

ROBERT HANSON SUMMARY

DONALD HARVEY SUMMARY

MYRA HINDLEY SUMMARY

H.H. HOLMES SUMMARY

PATRICK KEARNEY SUMMARY

ED KEMPER SUMMARY

RANDY KRAFT SUMMARY

DERRICK TODD LEE SUMMARY

PEDRO LOPEZ SUMMARY

HENRY LEE LUCAS SUMMARY

PATRICK MACKAY SUMMARY

CHARLES MANSON SUMMARY

IVAN MILAT SUMMARY

DENNIS NILSEN SUMMARY

ANDRAS PANDY SUMMARY

CARL PANZRAM SUMMARY

ROBERT PICKTON SUMMARY

STEPHEN PORT SUMMARY

DOROTHEEA PUENTE SUMMARY

DENNIS RADER SUMMARY

RICHARD RAMIREZ SUMMARY

GARY RIDGWAY SUMMARY

ARTHUR SHAWCROSS SUMMARY

HAROLD SHIPMAN SUMMARY

PETER SUTCLIFFE SUMMARY

OTTIS TOOLE SUMMARY

WAYNE WILLIAMS SUMMARY

AILEEN WUORNOS SUMMARY

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igottoomuchtime · 18 days ago

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Presidential facts.

BANDS/MUSIC

George Washington – English folk songs. +Hated the quality of the army’s songs. +Only president who didn’t hear a marine band.

John Adams – Classical Music.

Thomas Jefferson – Opera/Mozart.

James Madison – Mozart again/Classical, basically with a hint of rock.

James Monroe – We don’t know for sure, but he did have a piano.

John Quincy Adams – Ballads. +Played the flute!

Andrew Jackson – Ballets/’Auld Lang Syne’ song. +At one of his receptions, the Marine Band played this song while guests ate a 1,400 lbs. "Mammoth Cheese".

Martin Van Buren – I literally don’t know, I forgot this guy was a president, all I could find was lullabies and ballets.

William Henry Harrison – Couldn’t find anything again, but apparently, he inspired a political song in 1840, so maybe folk songs? Ha-ha, zinger!

John Tyler – Traditional folk, classical and national anthems.

James K. Polk – I’m personally guessing classical cause he took formal violin lessons.

Zachary Taylor – Polka!!

Millard Fillmore – Jenny Lind = Famous Diva, and Thomas Greene Bethune = Black Concert Piano Performer! + Ms. Fillmore enjoyed playing duets with her talented daughter, Mary Abigail, a fine amateur musician, proficient on the piano, harp and guitar.

Franklin Pierce – National Anthems, Patriotic, Classical.

James Buchanan – Polka and National Anthems? (Don’t take that accurately, he’s still a old fart so he might be into classical too.)

Abraham Lincoln – Operas! Who would’ve guessed he’s a theater nerd. +Couldn’t play a instrument to save his life.

Andrew Johnson – Children’s voices…and war/patriotic.

Ulysses S. Grant – Marine Bands and folk. +Did not enjoy military music!

Rutherford B. Hayes – Gospel.

James A. Garfield – Don’t know, but he was a keyboardist/bassist.

Chester A. Arthur - Fisk Jubilee Singers. +Their performance of "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" moved President Arthur to tears.

Grover Cleveland – Traditional American Folk.

Benjamin Harrison – Marine Bands. +Known for adding music to the White House Easter Egg Roll in 1889.

William McKinley – Jazz. +McKinley and First Lady Ida enjoyed ragtime music and dancing, including the American two-step, which they introduced at a White House Valentine's Day concert in 1901.

Theodore Roosevelt – National Anthems, and classical. +Enjoyed playing for his family and even composed his own pieces. He believed that music was one of the most forceful instruments for refining manners and softening character.

William Howard Taft - Enrico Caruso records, +Taft also had a gifted amateur pianist wife, Helen, who practiced almost every day.

Woodrow Wilson – Classical. +Was a violinist and sung Tenor, During World War I, he famously said, “Music now, more than ever before, is a national need”.

Warren G. Harding – Operas. +“I played every instrument but the slide trombone and the E-flat cornet.”

Calvin Coolidge - Couldn’t find anything, but he was known to play the harmonica in his free time. +After the breakfast, the White House lawns hosted impromptu entertainment by 40 stars from stage and screen, including Ray Miller's Jazz Band.

Herbert Hoover - The Hampton and Tuskegee choirs. +The Hoovers also hosted concerts and "musicales" at the White House, often after important dinners or receptions.

Franklin D. Roosevelt – Country.

Harry S. Truman – Didn’t like “modern noises”, preferred classical. +Truman was known to play piano for guests at the White House.

Dwight D. Eisenhower – Military music and Guy Lombardo. +In 1958, Eisenhower and his wife Mamie became the first presidential couple to bring Broadway musical theater to the White House.

John F. Kennedy - Broadway show tunes and Irish ballads. +First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy actively promoted the arts in the White House, organizing concerts and performances.

Lyndon B. Johnson – Musical Theater and country.

Richard Nixon – Classical and Touch of rock. +Played the piano, violin, clarinet, saxophone, and accordion, also granted Presley a federal narcotics badge during this visit.

Gerald Ford – Blues and Jazz.

Jimmy Carter - The Allman Brothers Band. +"Rock & Roll President.”

Ronald Reagan – Classic Rock.

George H. W. Bush – Classics.

Bill Clinton – Elvis Presley and Rock. +Had a music room in the White House for playing his saxophone, loved Rock and Roll of the '50's and '60's.

George W. Bush – Country.

Barrack Obama – Lizzo, Shakira, and Beyoncé. +On several occasions, he has burst into song, to the delight of his audience.

Donald Trump – Guns ‘N Roses. +Beyoncé, Foo Fighters and Jack White all expressed their dismay at Trump's team appearing to use their work without authorization. (Valid.)

Joe Biden – Adele.

ALL information is off Google, I tried not to use any Wikipedia or easier edited sites, but if anything is wrong, blame the internet, not me.

#us presidents #presidential history #presidents taste in music #we do nothing in class that I do creative essays on my own time #class #sophomore slump #high school sucks #no friends is even worse but chill #presidents are hot #anyway #kamala for president #embarrassed to be American

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wolfgabe · 1 year ago

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Now I want to see Nintendo do their own Once Upon A Studio style short.

Some day I would love to see Nintendo do their own little short film similar to Once Upon A Studio with all the different Nintendo characters gathered together with a giant group photo at the end.

My ideas for who could appear.

The Super Mario Series

Mario

Luigi

Peach

Toad/Captain Toad

Toadette

Bowser

Bowser Jr

Koopalings

Petey Piranha

Daisy

Wario

Waluigi

Rosalina

Luma

Pauline

Wart

Tatanga

Cackletta

Fawful

Goombas

Koopas

Lakitu

Goombella

Count Bleck

Dimentio

Olivia

King Olly

Cappy

Piantas

Kamek

Foreman Spike

Starlow

Broque Monsieur

King Boo

The Legend of Zelda

Link

Zelda

Ganondorf

Tingle

Midna

Zant

The Skull Kid

Navi

Prince Sidon

Mipha

Daruk

Yunobo

Teba

Revali

Riju

Urbosa

Purah

Robbie

Master Kohga

King Daphnes

King Rhoam

Linebeck

Anjean

Byrne

Chancelor Cole

Agahnim

The Happy Mask Salesman

Marin

Talon

Ingo

Lord Girahim

Metroid

Samus

Ridley

Kraid

Phantoon

Raven Beak

Metroids

Mother Brain

Space Pirates

Dark Samus

U-Mos

Rundas

Ghor

Gandrayda

Adam Malkovich

Sylux

Kanden

Trace

Noxus

Spire

Weavel

Fire Emblem

Marth

Roy

Ike

Lucina

Chrom

Lyn

Ryoma

Xander

Takumi

Camilla

King Garrin

Robin

Corrin

Tiki

Medeus

Gharnef

Alm

Celica

Ashnard

Black Night

Dmitri

Claude

Edelgard

Byleth

F-Zero

Captain Falcon

Samurai Goro

Dr Stewart

Pico

Blood Falcon

Black Shadow

Mr. EAD

The Skull

Jody Summer

Earthbound/MOTHER

Ninten

Ana

Lloyd

Teddy

EVE

Gyig

Ness

Paula

Jeff

Poo

Porky

Buzz Buzz

Mr. Saturn

Starman

Flying Man

Dungeon Man

Master Belch

Lucas

Claus

Kumatora

Duster

Boney

Flint

Kid Icarus

Pit

Palutena

Medusa

Eggplant Wizard

The Reaper

Hades

Viridi

Phosphora

Magnus

Dark Pit

Phosphora

Dyntos

Wario Land/WarioWare

Captain Syrup

Rudy the Clown

The Shake King

Queen Meralda

Spritelings

The Black Jewel

Princess Shokora

Mona

Jimmy T

Ashley

Dribble

Spitz

9-Volt

5-Volt

18-Volt

Lulu

Pyoro

Orbulon

Kat

Ana

Young Cricket

Master Mantis

Dr Crygor

Pikmin

Olimar

Louie

The President

Alph

Brittany

Charlie

Shepard

Russ

Dingo

Bernard

Collin

Oatchi

Moss

The Ancient Sirehound

Various Pikmin

Bulborb

Emperor Bulblax

Animal Crossing

Tom Nook

Mr Resetti

Copper

Booker

Tortimer

Kappn

Isabelle

Digby

Pelly

Phyllis

Tommy and Timmy Nook

Crazy Redd

Gracie

Franklin

Dr Shrunk

Blanca

Gulliver

Leif

Mabel

Sable

Labelle

Jingle

Zipper T

Lyle

Lottie

Wardell

Blathers

Celeste

Brewster

Reese

Cyrus

Jack

K.K. Slider

Harriet

Harvey

Wilbur

Orville

Pascal

Joan

Porter

Daisy Mae

Lloid

Resetti

Don Resetti

Rover

Splatoon

Inklings

Capn Cuttlefish

Dj Octavio

Octarians

Callie and Marie

Sheldon

Marina

Pearl

Shiver

Frye

Big Man

Mr. Grizz

Salmonids

Commander Tartar

Crusty Sean

Annie and Moe

Spyke

Murch

Judd

Lil Judd

Aunt Flow and Craymond

Jelonzo

Jelfonzo

Bisk

Mr Coco

Harmony

Gnarly Eddie

Donkey Kong

Diddy Kong

Dixie Kong

Cranky Kong

Funky Kong

Candy Kong

Kiddie Kong

Swanky Kong

Rambi

Squawks

King K Rool

Kritters

Tikis

Tiki Tong

Snowmads

Lord Fredrick

Party Monkeys

Dread Kong

Ninja Kong

Karate Kong

Sumo Kong

Cactus King

Donkey Kong Jr

ARMS

Spring Man

Ribbon Girl

Ninjara

Min Min

Master Mummy

Mechanica

Twintelle

Helix

Kid Cobra

Byte & Barq

Max Brass

Lola Pop

Misango

Springtron

Dr Coyle

Biff

Yoshi Series

Yoshi

Poochy

Burt the Bashful

Roger the Potted Ghost

Naval Piranha

Hookbill the Koopa

Raphael the Raven

Baby Mario

Kirby Series

Kirby

King Dedede

Bandana Waddle Dee

Meta Knight

Whispy Woods

Kracko

Mr Shine and Mr Bright

Nightmare

Rick

Kine

Coo

Gooey

Nago

Pitch

ChuChu

Dark Matter

Adeline

Ribbon

Zero

Marx

Dark Mind

Drawcia

Magolor

Landia

Taranza

Queen Sectonia

Susie

President Haltmann

The Three Mage Sisters

Hyness

Elflin

Gorimondo

Clawroline

Sillydillo

Leongar

Punch Out!!

Little Mac

Doc Louis

Glass Joe

King Hippo

Von Kaiser

Soda Popinski

Bald Bull

Don Flamenco

Great Tiger

Piston Hondo

Bear Hugger

Mr. Sandman

Super Macho Man

Xenoblade Chronicles Series

Shulk

Reyn

Fiora

Sharla

Dunban

Riki

Metal Face

Rex

Pyra

Mythra

Morag

Tora

Poppy

Zeke

Malos

Jin

Lora

Amalthus

Noah

Mio

Eunie

Sena

Lanz

Taion

Riku and Manana

Star Fox

Fox

Falco

Peppy Hare

Slippy Toad

General Pepper

Wolf O Donnell

Andross

Leon

Panther

Krystal

Prince Tricky

General Scales

Early Nintendo/NES Era

Mr Game & Watch

Professor Hector

R.O.B

Smick

Dr Mario Viruses

Mach Rider

Ice Climbers

The Condor

The Polar Bear

Topi

Bubbles

ExciteBike Racers

Duck Hunt Dog and Ducks

Wild Gunman Outlaws

Sable Prince

Devil

Tamagon

Eggplant Man

Diskun

Takamaru

Balloon Fighter

Other

Wii Fit Trainers

Ring Fit Trainees

Dragaux

Miis

Dillion and Russ

Rusty Slugger

Ryota from Wave Race

Sebastian Tute from Wii Music

Chibi Robo

The Arcade Bunny from Nintendo Badge Arcade

Nikki from Swapnote

The Flipnote Studio Frog

#nintendo #video games #once upon a studio #crossovers #ideas #seriously I am surprised Nintendo hasnt done a crossover anniversary special.

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thoughtfulfangirling · 2 years ago

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2023 Reads

A new year means a new book list! I don't think I can top my 2022 count, but that's okay! I'm not totally sure what my reading goals this year will actually be, but I guess I'll sort it out on the way! XD For future reads, here's my 2024 list!

Four Treasures of the Sky - Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass+

The Bear and the Nightengale - of the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

The Secrets We Keep - Mia Hayes

Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal - Patty Loew+

The First Sister - Linden A. Lewis^

The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury~

Fin Mac Cool - Morgan Llewlyn^

How Long 'til Black Future Month by N. K. Jemisin

Lavinia - Ursula K Le Guin^

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin*

Black Cowboys of the Old West: True, Sensational, and Littke-Known Stories form History - Tricia Martineau Wagner+

The Mysteries of Thorn Manor - Margaret Roberson%

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space - Amanda Leduc+

Her Majesty's Royal Coven - Juno Dawson^

She Who Became the Sun~ - Shelley Parker-Chan*

The Witch King - H.E. Edgmon^

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree*

Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin^

The Adventures of Amina El-Serafi - S.A. Chakraborty

Humankind: A Hopeful History - Rutger Bregman+

The Folk Keeper - Frannie Billingsly*%

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens - (Suzy) Eddie Izzard+

Juniper & Thorn - Ava Reid

Upright Women Wanted - Sarah Gailey%

I Await the Devil's Coming - Mary MacLane+

Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut~

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights - Molly Smith & Juno Mac+

The Woman in White - Wilke Collins^

King of Battle and Blood - Scarlett St. Clair

Sarah - J.T. LeRoy^

The City Beautiful - Aden Polydoros^

Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi

Always the Almost - Edward Underhill

All Systems Red - Martha Wells%

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

Nevada - Imogen Binnie

A Dowry of Blood - S. T. Gibson

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

The Second Rebel - Linden A Lewis

Get a Life Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert

The Hero and the Crown* - Robin McKinley

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Bruce D Perry & Oprah Winfrey+^

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne

The Eye of the Heron - Ursula K Leguin

Artificial Condition -Martha Wells%

The Kraken's Sacrifice - Katee Robert%

Crown Duel - Sherwood Smith*

Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells%

Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self Involved Parents - Lindsay C Gibson+

Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West's Most Notorious Woman Bandit - John Boessenecker+

The History of Wales - History Nerds+%

Ander & Santi Were Here - Jonny Garza Villa

The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls^

Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire^

The Gilda Stories - Jewelle Gomez

Irish Fairy and Folk Tails - Various+

The Dead and the Dark - Courtney Gould

Haunted Wisconsin - Michael Norman and Beth Scott+

The Other Black Girl - Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Ruins - Scott Smith

He Who Drowned the World - Shelley Parker-Chan

Fledgling - Octavia Butler

Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend - Mark Collins Jenkins+

The Vampyre - John Polidori%

This is Halloween - James A Moore

Sorrowland - Rivers Soloman

The Lamb will Slaughter the Lion - Margaret Killjoy%

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Love Her or Lose Her - Tessa Bailey^

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston*

The Last Hero - Linden A. Lewis

Lovelight Farms - B. K. Borison

Reindeer Falls Collection: Volume One - Jana Aston

Currently reading: One Last Stop (Audiobook to help me sleep XD)

Nonfiction is annotated by + A Re-read is annotated by * A book completed from the list below is annotated by ^ A Read with Empty will be annotated by ~ A Novella %

My current, loose and not that interesting goal for this year is to really work on the books I have current access to right now... at the start of this year. Because it's a lot XD This means books currently favorite in Scribd, on my StoryGraph 'to read' pile, or a book I currently own on my shelves. Main goal is at least one of these a month.

For my own personal reference, I'm putting a list of such books below to hold myself accountable.

Edit: Now the end of 2023, and here's a breakdown of my goal to read books I already had access to at the start of 2023:

I didn't read one a month per se, but I got more than 12 done, so I call this a win. These books are:

-Can't Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorn -The City Beautiful - Aden Polydoros -Finn Mac Cool - Morgan Llewlyn -The First Sister by Linden A Lewis (proceeded by the other two in the series) -Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert -The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls -Haunted Wisconsin - Michael Norman & Beth Scott -Her Majesty's Royal Coven - Juno Dawson -I Await the Devil's Coming - Mary McClane -The Kraken's Sacrifice - Katee Robert -Lavinia - Ursula K Le Guin -Love Her or Lose Her - Tessa Bailey -Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin -Nevada - Imogen Binnie -The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli -Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire -The Ruins - Scott Smith -The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller -Sarah - J.T. LeRoy -Vampire Forensics - Mark Collins Jenkins -What Happened to You? - Oprah Winfrey -The Witch King - H. E. Edgmon -The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

The books I did not get around to reading from this list are as follows: Black Water Sister by Zen Cho; Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye (o); The Book of M by Peng Shepard (o); Charity and Sylvia by Rachel Hope Cleves (o); The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (a); The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (s); Fallen by Lauren Kate (o); Fanny Hill by John Cleland (o); Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (s); The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea (s); The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith (o); Helping Her Get Free by Susan Brewster (o); The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang (s); Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (o); The Merry Spinster by Daniel Lavery (o); On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (o); The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (s); Radiance by Grace Draven (a); Watching the Tree by Adeline Yen Mah (o); The Willows by Algernon Blackwood (s); Wings of Fire (o); Witches Steeped in Gold by Clannon Smart (o); The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid (s)

23/46 Whoa! That's exactly 50% of the books I had on my list! That's pretty cool! All in all, I consider this 2023 goal successfully done!

#tf reads #2023 reads #books #yearly lists #long post #well it will be ok even without the readmore eventually #reading #my reading index

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popentertainment-concertphotos · 1 year ago

Photo

K Flay – Franklin Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA – June 4, 2023

#K Flay #2023 #Concert Photos #Franklin Music Hall #Philadelphia #Kaylee Marie

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snackerdoodle · 11 months ago

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books I read in 2023

I had a huge reading year this year because of my gruelingly long commute. The list below the cut is mostly for my own edification, but I’m a nosy person who supports other nosy people, so if you want to know what I’ve been up to, have at it. Almost everything I read this year was from the library.

1/12 A Charmed Life, Diana Wynne Jones

1/18 The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, Sonora Reyes

1/24 The Life-Changing Magic of

Tidying Up, Marie Kondo

1/25 Hotel Magnifique, Emily J. Taylor

1/30 Spark Joy, Marie Kondo

2/2 The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune

2/8 The Golden Enclaves, Naomi Novik

2/8 Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Ashley Herring Blake

2/15 The Nile, Toby Wilkinson

2/23 The Painted Queen, Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

2/28 Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine

3/5 Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters

3/12 Lord of the Silent, Elizabeth Peters

3/16 Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home, Marie Kondo

3/20 Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, Ruth Franklin

3/20 The Art of Simple Living, Shunmyo Masuno

3/26 The Bird’s Nest, Shirley Jackson

4/11 Life Among the Savages, Shirley Jackson

4/12 A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn

4/18 The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories, Charlotte Perkins Gilman

4/21 Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto, Tricia Hersey

5/1 Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Malinda Lo

5/3 Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Ashley Herring Blake

5/10 Fight Like Hell: The Untold Story of American Labor, Kim Kelly

5/11 Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, Joy Harjo

5/12 Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge

5/15 The Lottery and Other Stories, Shirley Jackson

5/18 The Lives of Christopher Chant, Diana Wynne Jones

5/29 A Little Devil in America, Hanif Abdurraqib

6/3 A Marvellous Light, Freya Marske

6/6 Ducks, Kate Beaton

6/8 Wild and Wicked Things, Francesca May (awful. Every character was an idiot. Why did I finish this)

6/10 Breathing Lessons: A Doctor’s Guide to Lung Health, Meilan K. Han, MD

6/19 The Three Body Problem, Cixin Liu

6/19 A Fortune for Your Disaster, Hanif Abdurraqib (I liked this even more than the last one I read. Maybe because it was an audiobook read by the author.)

6/22 Disjointed, Diana Jovin (ed) (skipped parts that were totally unrelated to me and some things that were also too technical)

6/22 The Lavender Scare, David K. Johnson

6/26 Enquête au collège, Jean-Phillipe Arrou-Vignod

6/28 The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner

7/3 Last Call, Elon Green

7/12 Cache Cache Petit Fantôme

7/13 Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-

Exupéry

7/13 La fille qui navigua autour de féérie dans un bateau construit de ses propres mains, Catherynne M Valente

7/14 Lost in the Moment and Found, Seanan McGuire

7/14 Ich mag dich gesund sagte der Bär, Janosch

7/25 The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch

7/31 The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty

8/10 A Restless Truth, Freya Marske

8/16 Camp Damascus, Chuck Tingle

9/6 The Body in the Garden, Katherine Schellman

9/11 Silence in the Library, Katherine Schellman

9/13 When Things Get Dark, various

9/19 Death at the Manor, Katherine Schellman

9/25 Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

10/3 The Grand Tour, Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

10/6 Murder at Midnight, Katharine Schellman

10/12 The Mislaid Magician, Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

10/18 Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies, Elizabeth Winkler

10/18 Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen, JK Rowling

10/25 Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA search for Mind Control, Stephen Kinzer

11/1 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, Ashley Herring Blake

11/3 Nothing But Blackened Teeth, Cassandra Shaw

11/9 Unfuck Your Habitat, Rachel Hoffman

11/11 Safe and Sound, Mercury Stardust

11/12 Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD (revised and updated), Susan C. Pinskey

11/18 Red Seas under Red Skies, Scott Lynch

11/20 In With the Old: Classic Decor A to Z, Jennifer Boles

11/23 Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating, Lauren Liess

11/24 Vermeer: The Complete Paintings, Norbert Schneider

11/29 The Conscious Closet, Elizabeth L. Cline

12/4 Leech, Hiron Ennes

12/6 The Star that Always Stays, Anna Rose Johnson

P12/14 The Republic of Thieves, Scott Lynch

12/15 An American Sunrise, Joy Harjo

12/20 The Wife Upstairs, Rachel Hawkins

12/22 How to Keep House While Drowning, KC Davis

12/30 The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Margareta Magnusson

Gave up on: The Woman Who Would Be King, Kara Cooney (too speculative/fictionalized)

A Scatter of Light, Malinda Lo (nothing really wrong, it just wasn’t holding my attention at all)

14 histoires pour avoir peur mais pas trop quand même (turned into full cast audio and the music between stories was really annoying)

Manhunt, Gretchen Felker-Martin (not in the right headspace maybe, maybe just not for me)

American Cozy, Stephanie Pedersen (got annoyed at how much of the information hinged on living in a huge suburban home with 18 closets and a husband and multiple children you can make do your chores for you)

The Curated Closet, Anuschka Rees (not bad just not what I was looking for)

#Snackerdoodle actually makes a post #Books read 2023

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deadcactuswalking · 1 year ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 30/09/2023 (Nines/Tom Odell/blink-182)

Content warning: References to sex, emotional abuse, cancer and outdated memes

It’s the fourth week for “Paint the Town Red” by Doja Cat at #1 on the UK Singles Chart - welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, like clockwork, we start with our notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 - which is what I cover - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40, and we do have some pretty notable losses this week. We see the end of two awfully premature two-week runs for hits-that-could-have-been team-ups, those being “Bongos” by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion and “My Love” by Leigh-Anne featuring Ayra Starr, and we also say farewell to “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, “Seven” by Jung Kook featuring Latto, “Talibans” by Byron Messia, in no doubt assisted in its run by a sequel / remix with Burna Boy, “UNHEALTHY” by Anne-Marie featuring Shania Twain, and finally, “Dancing is Healing” by Rudimental, Vibe Chemistry and Charlotte Plank.

What’s also interesting are our notable gains and returns, and whilst we don’t get a third song from Kylie Minogue’s newest #1 album Tension - with a new single stalling outside of the top 75 - we do get the return of “Padam Padam” at #72 and a big gain for the title track “Tension” up to #47. As for the rest of our list, we see the return of RAYE’s “Escapism.” featuring 070 Shake for… some reason and a much clearer return to #49 for Bakar’s “Hell n Back”, thanks to his recent album release, though the album didn’t make the top 10 of the albums chart and only features the song in the form of a remix featuring Summer Walker so it’s honestly just as inexplicable a return. As for our gains, it’s a mixed bunch, as there are boosts for “Another Love” by Tom Odell at #61 thanks to residual streams from his new release which we’ll get to, “ecstacy” by SUICIDAL-IDOL of all songs at #52 probably thanks to an okay remix with syris and 6arelyhuman, because of course, those guys are certified hitmakers, then “Back on 74” by Jungle at #41 again probably in part thanks to a remix by Joy Anonymous but still awesome nonetheless, “PARK CHINOIS” by Headie One and K-Trap at #39 thanks to the album release which we’ll also get to later, “My Love Mine All Mine” by MItski at #34 (this four-way streak of gains is pretty great actually), “City Boys” by Burna Boy at #17 and “Water” by Tyla continuing to be a surprise hit at #16.

As for our top five, well, as I kind of expected, “greedy” by Tate McRae continues to do well as it scoots to #5 off of the debut, and then we see the usual: “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo at #4, “Prada” by casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe at #3, “Strangers” by Kenya Grace continuing up to #2, and finally, of course, “Paint the Town Red” at the top. Now to get to our business as usual.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 - “Would You (go to bed with me?)” - Campbell and Alcemist

Produced by Campbell, Alcemist and Franklin

For some context, Campbell and Alcemist are both drum and bass producers, and they released this song back in July. It’s not exactly inaccessible but definitely not the typical drum and bass hit, with a piercing horn line that just blares over all the production mist clouding around it, as well as a spoken word sample that’s purposefully awkward about finding someone attractive and wanting to sleep with them. These are all sampled elements from a song called “Would You…?” by the jazz group Touch & Go, and with the organic percussion, that insanely infectious jazz hook hits even harder - it hit #3 in 1998 and is in my opinion, a perfect song. By the way, “Believe” by Cher was #1 that week. Now how well does it translate to drum and bass? Pretty naturally, given the fast-paced jittery feel of the original and the memetic nature of the vocals. As someone who is into jazzstep, best genre name ever by the way, it’s pretty great to see drum and bass that uses horns directly influenced by jazz on the charts, and even if it’s in a harder, bass-heavy jump-up style rather than cribbing from atmospherics, the sample flip - though admittedly kind of a copy-paste job in some ways - sticks the landing incredibly well. Now why is this drum and bass remix of a forgotten jazz single from 1998 with no real chorus charting? I have no idea, but what may help it next week is the fact that the day I am writing this, they released a Caity Baser remix, and I have no idea why anyone told her she could rap. She is incredibly awkward, somehow deflated-sounding despite putting all of her energy in it, and ultimately cringeworthy, clashing against the intended subtle awkwardness of the original vocal so hard that it’s almost impressive how far they missed the point. Now speaking of obvious samples to rip from…

#56 - “Got Me Started” - Troye Sivan

Produced by Ian Kirkpatrick

Troye. Troye, Troye, Troye. One of the loveliest elements of “Rush” is the fact that there is no sample, seemingly, and that instead its filtered hook is completely original yet made to emulate the French house style through editing. It’s a brilliant work of songwriting, even if the song has slightly soured on me since release. So I know for a fact you and your co-writers didn’t need to do whatever the Hell this is. If you were on the Internet in 2017, you probably remember the weedy synth line from “Shooting Stars” by Bag Raiders, a song that was originally released in 2009 and became a very minor dance hit in Australia, the group’s native country, but never charted here. “Get Me Started” takes that Internet meme melody and essentially just drops it to the most “memorable” or “TikTok-worthy” parts of an otherwise completely average cloudy dance-pop jam about doing it. It’s in the intro to catch your attention, and the transition into the actual song is fine, but then it completely disappears, and the melodies they bring through the pads don’t really replicate the original lead or anything, so it seems like a troll… but then the pitch-shifted chorus ends and abruptly, almost as if it were a mistake, you get the “Shooting Stars” melody played completely straight over the song’s rhythm section. Then as if he’s hurrying to try and make sense of it, Troye delivers an awfully manipulated vocal take of incoherence in an attempt to harmonise with the synth lead. This is pathetic, desperate and just sad to hear in a year that has relied so much on these recognisable samples. There’s little to no attempt to effectively sequence this sample into the song. It’s just there, because you remember the song, right? Or you remember the meme from six years ago? Let’s just redo the meme, that was already taking a seven-year-old song’s chorus, and repackage it in marketable Troye Sivan form. The original song is so good because it is from 2009, and it goes for a purposeful clash between the despair present in much of the song, especially the lead vocal, and that earworm of a hook, until the chorus comes in by the end of the song and the synth line finally makes sense. It’s incredibly satisfying. Repackaging it to be as straightforward as possible with no respect for the source material outside of its meme factor is almost YouTube Poop-esque, which I would respect and find fascinating if it was clear that any passion was involved in the rest of the seemingly unrelated song. There is no comedy in the shock of that drop, just exhaustion.

#31 - “TRIPLE THREAT” - Headie One, K-Trap and Clavish

Produced by M1OnTheBeat, Likkle Dotz OTB and Ghosty

I have not listened to that Headie One and K-Trap collaborative album yet - been a bit too busy for new releases - but I am pretty impressed it got to #4. I know Headie’s big but he was kind of the decline right up until he took K-Trap under his wing for STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, with this cut getting the video push, and well, I’ll give it to Clavish, this is the first verse I’ve heard from him that I think he does very well on. His flow is tighter, he comes in with more energy than I think he ever has before, and there are honestly some pretty good lines, with his usual problem of leaving too much empty space really not here, which is impressive considering how this beat is pure menace with the waves of synths under particularly metallic drill percussion. Hell, he’d have the best verse here if Headie One wasn’t so effortlessly sick with his looser rhyme schemes, rich voice and memorable punchlines. With all of that said, the beat gets dryer overtime - the song’s not too long but the instrumental is pretty unmoving and copy-paste for it to work when K-Trap comes in and he has the loosest flow of all of them, leading to more awkwardness than there probably should be in his otherwise decent verse. Outside of that brief issue, I think this is still very solid drill, I’m honestly glad there’s still drill charting that’s as intense and dark as this.

#29 - “Agora Hills” - Doja Cat

Produced by Earl on the Beat, Gentuar Memishi, Jean Baptiste and Bangs

It’s no surprise to see that Scarlet, a fascinatingly bad self-immolation on Doja’s behalf, is under-performing compared to Planet Her, and whilst the fall isn’t drastic - this album still made it to #5 on the albums chart - it is telling that this of all songs is what is being pushed and what fans are gravitating to. First things first, this song samples “All I Do is Think About You”, a song originally cut by the Jackson 5 in their declining last few years on Motown before being popularised by Troop in 1989. It was a minor hit on the pop charts but very big on the R&B charts, and Troop’s is the version sampled because I mean, she can’t afford good mixing on this project two thirds of the time so I assume a Michael Jackson sample was also too much. The song never charted in the UK. Second things second, this song is pretty explicitly about Doja Cat’s current boyfriend who has some harassment allegations lept towards him, as well as some edgy X posts, with Doja emphasising the appeal of people not appreciating their relationship, sexualising the idea that they might get caught and harassed or trolled. There are sarcastic interludes about how she lives in a mansion, verses comparing herself to Fortnite and him to Jesus, a chorus threatening to tie the knot all delivered playfully as if she’s dangling keys in front of children and, considering that Mr. Cyrus allegedly had manipulated and emotionally abused several women and members of his Twitch community, a particularly striking line about how she doesn’t care where his penis has been - there aren’t sexual misconduct accusations as far as I’m aware but I feel like Doja jumped the defensive gun with that one and hints towards levels of discomfort I don’t think is actually even there. Third things third, Earl’s on the beat - this is a gorgeous production. Sure, the bass is mastered strangely, but the filtered 80s R&B synths skate under the expected trap skitter really well, and whilst Doja doesn’t do much R&B in this record, this song features her best vocal harmonies possibly ever during the refrain. Fourth things fourth, I have to ask the question: do I care more about how a song sounds or what it’s trying to convey? Can I really separate them? Last things last, I really don’t know.

#28 - “ONE MORE TIME” - blink-182

Produced by Travis Barker

blink-182’s comeback single, “EDGING”, was a horrible and misguided attempt at replicating their older humour. However, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was a purposeful “sellout” or troll moment just to excuse the high ticket prices and get some viral bombast to their comeback record with the original line-up. This song goes for nostalgia in the video but is also a pretty genuine reflection on how tragedies and hardships in the members’ lives have brought them closer, such as how Mark Hoppus fought cancer quite recently. So I feel kind of like a terrible person for thinking this song is pretty bad. It’s a rote acoustic guitar line accompanied by really rough vocals from Tom DeLonge and stock pianos that sound straight out of the 90s, but not blink’s 90s, more like the adult contemporary and dream trance of the 90s. The lyrics carry weight but not in a way that is all that poetic or hard-hitting, and the melodramatic “emo” delivery isn’t doing the already whiny vocal melodies all that much justice. The vocal mixing - especially for Mark - is unacceptable for a band asking that much for a concert ticket, and Travis Barker isn’t left with much to do, especially not in that underdeveloped outro which lets a final “I miss you” sit there in the air before an increasingly sappy instrumental passage. I know this is human, I know this is genuine and to a lot of fans, going to bring back some memories, I’m sure. For me, I’m just sad the boys don’t have it in him to make a genuinely crushing single like they used to.

#21 - “Black Friday” - Tom Odell

Produced by Tom Odell and Cityfall

Thanks to the bizarre longevity of “Another Love”, Tom Odell is a mainstay on the UK Singles Chart, but he’s finally got another single in the top 40 and it does indeed have an acoustic guitar line. It has strings, a vocal take from Mr. Odell that implements reverb and softer vocal delivery, singing lyrics about love and relationships in a particularly frail cadence. In fact, so frail that I have to get out of ChatGPT mode and wonder what actually is going on in this song. It starts with an obscure soundscape that ends up being drowned out by the typical folk-pop, and even then it isn’t all that typical given the distance the mix gives the guitar and the subtle squeals before the first verse. Odell seems a bit checked-out and paranoid, not able to enjoy the time he’s spending with his partner, as he feels like a burden due to his inability to truly be happy and have fun, feeling like he’s being carried by his partner - or really friend as there’s not that much romance here - through life. Spending time with them almost confuses him, it seems, due to his perceived inability for self-improvemnet, with that falsetto warble in the chorus as he asks what is happening to him wavers on the drumless forest like he’s calling out for help. Sure, some of the lyrics may feel a bit cliché or stunted, but the performance definitely makes up, especially in that second chorus where he starts belting over a swell of strings and rushijng percussion that so cathartically crashes into a symphonic Britpop-esque instrumental, never fully erasing his yelped question: “what is happening to us?” It could be mixed a bit more dynamically at times during that impactful bridge, but otherwise, um, this may be a fantastic song. Colour me kind of confused and very corrected about Tom Odell, this is beautiful.

#20 - “Daily Duppy” - Nines featuring GRM Daily

Produced by Karlos

And we end, somehow, with a Nines freestyle. Huh. Well, you know the drill by now, GRM Daily is a YouTube channel that invites UK rappers to freestyle in this Daily Duppy series, and the biggest guest stars end up having their single officially released and charting. This beat from Karlos is one of the best I’ve heard from Daily Duppy freestyles, given the smoothly-blended 90s R&B loop being very effectively chopped up under a very hard trap beat. Oh, and Nines is here. I’d prefer if he weren’t. Yup, that’s it. What did you expect? It’s Nines, he doesn’t say anything interesting, and his dull flow actively detracts from a beat that deserves so much more personality. This is also just one long verse as usual, so there’s not a catchy hook or anything to latch onto sadly. Just kind of a wasted beat - and even that overstays its welcome a tad.

Conclusion

I feel like “Agora Hills” sums up this week pretty well because it really was kind of a binary clash between good and terrible for the most part. As a result, these titles fall out pretty easily. Best of the Week goes to Tom Odell of all people for “Black Friday”, as the Honourable Mention ends up in the hands of Alcemist and Campbell for “Would You (go to bed with me?)” though that sample is doing a lot of lifting. As for the worst, Troye Sivan gets the Worst of the Week handedly for “Got Me Started”, it’s practically insulting. I do feel bad for saying it but blink-182 get the Dishonourable Mention and really aren’t that far behind with “ONE MORE TIME”, sadly. As for what’s on the horizon, I don’t think it’ll be too busy of a chart outside of maybe Ed Sheeran but my predictions are pretty awful so take me with a grain of salt. For now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

#song review #uk singles chart #pop music #nines #tom odell #blink-182 #doja cat #clavish #headie one #k-trap #alcemist #campbell #caity baser #troye sivan

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