#happy ten years to Pompeii!

[zalaznyart]

oh where do we begin? the rubble or our sins?

[whereserpentswalk]

People don't realize how liminal it is to be a time traveler. How you don't ever really feel like you're in the time you are. Even when you're in your own time, everything is off, your coat was something you bought in interwar France, the book you're reading on the train is from a bookstore you had to visit in Victorian London, even your necklace was given to you by a Neolithic shaman, from a culture the rest of the world can never know. You find yourself acting strange even when in the present, much less in the past you have to work in.

You remember meeting a eunuch in 10th century China, and having him be one of the only people smart and observant enough to realize you were from a diffrent time. You could talk honestly with him, though still you couldn't reveal too much about your time. And it was still so strange hearing him talk casually about work and mention plotting assassinations. You're not allowed to but you still visit him sometimes.

You remember that the few times you were allowed to tell someone everything it was tragic. You knew a young woman who lived in Pompeii, who you had gotten close to, a few days before she would inevitably die. On your last day there you looked into her eyes, knowing soon they'd be stone and ash, that the beauty of her hair would be washed away by burning magma. And you hugged her, and told her that you wanted her to be safe, and told her she was wonderful and that you wanted her to be comfortable and happy. And you let her tongue know the joy of 21st century chocolate, and her eyes see the beauty of animation, knowing she deserved to have those joys, knowing it wouldn't matter soon. And you hugged her the last time, and told her she deserved happiness. And when you left without taking her it was like you were killing her yourself.

You want to take home everyone you're attached to. There's a college student you befriended in eighteen fifties Boston. And you can't help but see him try to solve problems you know humanity is centuries away from solving. And you just want to tell him. And it's not just that, the way he talked about the books and plays he likes, his sense of humor. There's so many people you want him to meet.

You feel the same way about a young woman you met on a viking age longship. She tells stories to her fellow warriors and traders, stories that will never fully get written down, stories that she tells so uniquely and so well. She has so many great ideas. You want so dearly to take her to somewhere she can share her stories, or where she can take classes with other writers, where she can be somewhere safe instead of being out at sea. She'll talk about wanting to be able to do something, or meet people, and you know you're so close to being able to take her, but you never can, unless she accidently finds out way too much then you can't.

You remember the longship that you met that young storyteller on. You were there before, two years ago for you, ten years later for the people on it. The young woman who told you stories wasn't there ten years later, you had been told why then but you only realize now, her uncle, who ran the ship, had been one of the first people to convert to Christianity in his nation. He killed her, either for not converting or for sleeping with women, you're not sure, but he killed her, and bragged about it when you met him ten years later.

You talk to the storyteller on the longship, ask her about the myths you're there to ask her about, the myths that she loves to tell. You look into her eyes knowing it's probably less then a year until her uncle takes her life. You ask her if you think that those who die of murder go to Valhalla. She tells you she hopes not, she doesn't see Valhalla as a gift but as a duty, she hopes for herself to go to Hel, where she wouldn't have to fight anymore. You slip and admit you're talking about her, telling her that you hope that's where she goes when she's killed. You hope to yourself you'll be forced to take her to the twenty first century, you're tempted even to make it worse, you want to have ruined her enough to be able to save her.

[afafmasoud]

Today is the birthday of my beloved niece, Marmar, who has turned four years old. Little Marmar, who always fills our hearts with joy, was eagerly waiting to wear her new dress and cut her favorite birthday cake. However, this time, due to difficult circumstances and rising prices, we couldn’t celebrate as she deserves.

The cost of cakes has surged to more than ten times its usual price, and even the simplest things like dresses and gifts have become out of reach. Yet, little Marmar still dreams of a birthday cake, a new dress, and a gift to make her happy on her special day.

If you care about Marmar and have a place for humanity in your heart, we ask for your help in raising funds to send Marmar a birthday cake, a new dress, and a simple gift to bring a smile to her innocent face. Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a big difference in Marmar’s life on this special day.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and kind hearts. Let’s make Marmar’s birthday an unforgettable memory.

https://gofund.me/c3e162db

@fricklefracklefloof @ramshackledtrickster @gasterofficial @pompeii-for-elephants @ponpasta @pomeg-glitch @atlas-of-galaxies @mxwhore @mstormcloud @saintlauhrent @saiwestfield @saintence @samwinchesterblog @sam-the-panda-hero @samwinchesterappreciation

@andvakandi @autisticats @quaternion-group @queenofglitch @electricbluebutterflies @entraptasboobwindow @wadewilsonparker @vialism @memelovingbot @lilliesthings @prinnay @catbushandludicrous @chilewithcarnage @daxdraggon @slutdge @xenodile @xeneric-shrooms @xxang3l-trapxx @froginakettle @fallingtowers @fallingtowers @felix-the-snow-cheetah @sumikatt @ponpasta @turtletoria @unfunnynascarfan @ultimatecryptid @vampyretaemin @zombeesknees @ziilosdiidu @zukoromantic @fierycavalier @pkbunny @jadedisaster

[denimbex1986]

'In its 60-year history, Doctor Who has seen a number of wonderful companions go on incredible adventures with the Doctor. While many have left the TARDIS with their own fairytale endings in hand, others have not been quite so lucky. It’s hardly the worst way to end an adventure with the Doctor — as some paid the price with their lives — but there’s something especially tragic in the original ending of Donna Noble’s (Catherine Tate) time in the TARDIS. Once the most important woman in the universe, Donna Noble was left without a single memory of her time among the stars.

When Donna collided with the regeneration energy of the Doctor (David Tennant) her mind took on all the information in his brain, creating a human-time lord meta-crisis. To save her life, the Doctor wiped her mind of all her memories with him and everything that would send the meta-crisis into a cascading failure. Now, to quote the Doctor in "The End of Time," "If she ever remembers [him] her mind will burn, and she will die."

Doctor Who is on the cusp of a new era, with Ncuti Gatwa set to take over as the Fifteenth Doctor, but before he arrives, the face of Ten must deal with some unfinished business with his best friend. The series often bridges the time between new doctors and companions with a special episode, and this year’s specials fall upon the 60th anniversary of the franchise. Writer Russell T. Davies has returned as showrunner to celebrate the event with three special episodes that see David Tennant return as the Fourteenth Doctor as he’s set on a collision course with Donna Noble.

Donna Noble Made Ten a Better Person in 'Doctor Who'

The curse of the Doctor’s immortality means that he’s hardly a stranger to loss. After losing Rose (Billie Piper) to an alternate universe in “Doomsday” and later, when Martha (Freema Aygeman) chooses to walk away, he becomes understandably jaded. When Donna Noble suddenly appears in the TARDIS thanks to some wibbly wobbly space magic, the Doctor is forcibly reminded that with all that power, he needs someone to keep him grounded. And Donna, with her good heart and good intentions, is exactly the kind of person he wants to be.

From her very first (intentional) trip in the TARDIS, Donna immediately prioritizes saving people. When the Doctor and Donna end up at Pompeii, days before the volcanic eruption, Donna’s immediate goal is to evacuate the city and save everyone from the horrible fate she knows they’ll face when the volcano blows, timeline be damned. Over the course of the episode, Donna and the Doctor come to realize that they have to sacrifice the people of Pompeii in order to save the rest of the world. Even in the face of that devastating decision, Donna begs the Doctor, “Just save someone.” Later, when the Doctor regenerates into Twelve (Peter Capaldi), he chooses the face of the man they saved in “The Fires of Pompeii,” as a reminder of what Donna taught him. “I’m the Doctor, and I save people,” he says. She brings out the best in him even thousands of years later.

For the entirety of Series 4, Donna is constantly going out of her way to help people. She’s essential in liberating the Ood — an innocent race of alien creatures turned into slaves by future humans — rescuing the citizens of the library, and putting no less than 27 planets back in their rightful places in the galaxy. As the Doctor tells Donna's family after he’s wiped her memory:

“There are worlds out there, safe in the sky because of her. There are people living in the light and singing songs of Donna Noble, a thousand million lightyears away. They will never forget her, while she can never remember. And for one shining moment, she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe.”

'Doctor Who's Original Ending for Donna Noble Is Devastating

While it’s a blessing that Donna makes it out of Series 4 alive and with a standard happily ever after — she gets married, wins the lottery, and eventually has a beautiful daughter named Rose — the great tragedy of Donna being the only one to not know what she’s lost is heartbreaking. She’s saved the universe, not just her own planet, and she’s the “most important woman in the whole of creation,” but she can’t even remember having saved them all.

All Donna ever wanted to do was save people and see the galaxy, traveling in the TARDIS and making the universe a better place. When she realizes what the Doctor will have to do to save her life, she begs him not to damn her back to a life of being ordinary, a life where she’s always missing out on the things everyone else gets to enjoy. The real clincher for that scene in "Journey's End" is the way that Tennant and Tate play Donna’s final moments in the TARDIS. Tennant is devastating as it breaks the Doctor’s heart to have to take her memories away, but he’d do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant never seeing her again. And Tate imbues Donna with this innocence that makes the audience ache for what she’s losing.

Donna Noble Deserves to Know She's the Most Important Woman in the Universe

Over the course of her time with the Doctor, Donna found a confidence in herself that she didn’t have before. Sure, she was always loud and a little bit unapologetic, but before she saw the galaxy she was always the first person to disparage her own value. “I’m no one,” she’d say, not knowing the fate of the universe rests in her hands. While the Chekov's Gun of Donna's memories serves as a heartwrenching narrative device, that angst will only pay off in a satisfying way if the Doctor finds a way to save her from that fate once and for all. And well, he's the doctor, and he saves people. The impact Donna Noble had on the universe was unparalleled — and if the series wants to bring her back, the most important woman in the whole of creation deserves to know just how special she truly is.'

[a-wolf-at-the-door]

Hi, I would like to preface this rant by saying that I am a huge fan of your work even though at the moment it is breaking me emotionally and spiritually. In a good way if that's possible. But this is more of a generalized question, about the Doctor Who series as a whole during Ten's era. For context, A friend of mine recently brought up an idea, that hasn't really occurred to me until now (Not sure how the fandom as a whole feels about it, if I'm just late to the party or if this is something that hasn't been brought up yet).

He mentioned that the series as a whole would be so much better if Martha and Donna were just switched as companions in their respective seasons. At first I thought he was crazy, but then as I really thought about it I could see where he's coming from.

He personally doesn't care much for shipping (and I am attempting to turn him to this side but no luck so far). So it was kind of annoying to him to see Martha pine after the doctor for an entire season, after arguably having a good platonic relationship with Donna. But he enjoyed the storylines enough that it didn't bother him too much, to have romance kinda "forced" into it as he claims.

As he argued: "You kind of lose some context and you might have to change a bit of back story, but imagine instead of 'sad romance' you get Modern and outspoken Donna in Human Nature and the joke you can play with that, or Martha coming to terms with The Doctors Dark side in The Fires of Pompeii so early in the series."

Now my brain immediately turned to the shipping side of this. And I can see some slight merit. Like what if after the gut punch of losing Rose he kind of just needs a platonic best friend. (Which I am so happy you're doing anyway, but not a lot of people do so I'm by passing that). And after spending years grieving and healing from losing Rose. Having adventures, Gaining friends, coming to terms with his loss of his best friend/ worst enemy. He finally gets a companion who's interested in him again, and he has to come to terms with if he can/will love again. And you can do some interesting love triangle stuff with that (Not my cup of tea but I see the appeal) imagine Martha falling in love with him and then seeing his past girlfriend. Or even his future one with River! (God, I so can't wait to see what you do with that bombshell) The wenches that can be thrown with that.

IDK, I thinks it's a cool little food for thought, about how switching around too awesome (and in Martha's case sadly controversial) companions. Let me know your thoughts, if I'm absolutely wrong about posting this or if it was a fun little thought experiment!

TL;DR: You're awesome and Could Season 3 and 4 of Doctor Who be benefited if Martha and Donna switched seasons?

First off thank you! Glad you are enjoying my work :)

Now, to your friend’s suggestion and your ideas: very fascinating thought experiment! I haven’t considered that either, but now that you’ve mentioned it I want to give it some serious consideration.

Switching Martha and Donna’s order like that is interesting, but ultimately I personally don’t think that it would work. Like you and your friend, I’m not a huge fan of the unrequited love plotline of S3. However, with OR without it, I don’t think the Doctor that Donna meets in “The Runaway Bride” is the same Doctor she meets in “Partners in Crime,” and a large part of that is because of Martha. He goes from being a suicidal mess to having at least a little bit of hope. He’s ready to make the hard decisions again. He’s not totally healed but he’s getting better about how he handles it. And I don’t think that happens without Martha first.

But let’s get into the thought experiment.

Say Donna decided to travel with the Doctor at the end of “The Runaway Bride.” Let’s say “Smith and Jones” doesn’t happen yet because it makes more sense to keep that as Martha’s intro episode. So we toss Donna into the deep end with Shakespeare and getting kidnapped on New Earth (lol) and facing down Daleks. Some of that could work. Harder to see how she gets into the gala for “The Lazarus Experiment,” but maybe Nerys invites her or something.

Donna in 1913 would have a hard time fitting in because unlike Martha, Donna doesn’t suffer silently. She complains, loudly, and I could see her very quickly getting fired. She’d have absolutely no patience for those boys and for Nurse Redfern. This is a story I’d enjoy in fic but I’m glad it isn’t canon tbh… Donna in 1969 could be interesting, she’d definitely complain about having to work to support the Doctor but I could also see her having fun with the fashion and making friends etc.

BUT. Can you imagine her in the Year That Never Was? We got a tiny taste of this vibe in “Turn Left,” I suppose, but I still have a much harder time seeing Donna staying hidden, walking the Earth, and telling the Doctor’s story to people everywhere. I love Donna dearly, but she is loud, and abrasive, and would have a much harder time getting through to people than Martha does, I suspect. But the real reason I can’t see her doing well in this time is because the way S3 Doctor treats his companion (Martha in canon, Donna here).

S3 Doctor is big about comparing his companion negatively to Rose. Imagine him doing that to Donna rather than Martha. The thing about Martha is that, despite the unrequited feelings, she seems to have decent self-esteem. She’s good, and she KNOWS she’s good. Donna, on the other hand, has suffered a lifetime of belittling, largely from Sylvia but also from other people too. She’s abrasive BECAUSE she’s insecure, deciding to push people away rather than let them see her vulnerable, because she’s afraid that it’s all true. She might initially fight back about the Doctor comparing her negatively to Rose, and that might push him. However, she is empathetic, and she knows he’s grieving, so I think she might actually just let it slide, and that’s heartbreaking. S4 Doctor tells Donna she’s brilliant, she’s important, she’s his best friend. But S3 Doctor wouldn’t have patience for her slip-ups, for her imperfections, for her not being Rose. And so maybe that would push her away in the end, and as much as Donna’s canon ending (at least until the 2023 specials, who knows what’s coming?!?) pains me, I think this would hurt worse. A Donna Noble who NEVER knows she’s brilliant, rather than a Donna who learns it then forgets it.

Now for Martha. In many ways I do think she would personally benefit from traveling with a later, somewhat-healed Doctor, but I don’t know that the story overall would. So now, post-YTNW, the Doctor finds Martha in a delayed “Smith and Jones” and then takes her to Pompeii and the Ood Sphere and she gets to see the real complicated choices and dark side out there. Assuming he’s done the same degree of healing in S3 (which I’m frankly not sure he would have), it’s still a lot to throw at this poor medical student who wants an escape from her dysfunctional family for a bit. I know Martha puts up with a lot of shit due to her crush, but doing a genocide and hearing the telepathic song of colonialism and slavery (especially considering she is a Black woman) might be a bit much to endure for a crush. But say she does. Now imagine they get called back to Earth in her time for the ATMOS situation and the Sontarans, but her role and Donna’s are reversed. She’d definitely be focused on her family like Donna was, and while I have no doubt she could handle being trapped on the Sontaran ship too, it’s still jarring to see her whole family at risk this soon in her travels (and would make Francine’s dislike for the Doctor feel more justified).

But the kicker, for me, is “The Doctor’s Daughter.” Imagine Martha and Donna swapping places for that episode: Donna is off trapped with the Hath and Martha is the one who names Jenny and gets to see this man she has a crush on totally destroyed by this unintentional fatherhood thrust upon him. After how her father left her family, I think Martha would be really disgusted by the Doctor’s initial rejection of Jenny and that it would change her view of him at least a little bit, but then as he comes around only to watch Jenny die, it’s a bit like losing a family in speed run.

Then the Library, where if we adhere relatively close to canon we get a glimpse of the Doctor’s future wife and give Martha even more competition, and then also potentially a non-Doctor love interest in the computer simulation. Would she come out of it still in love with him? Would she even still want to travel?

She’d do fine with Agatha Christie (and I’d assume have a lot of fun, provided the show did what it usually does and glossed over the contemporary racism especially among the upper classes… less fun if actual period-typical racism was included). She’d probably want to run tests on the Doctor after “Midnight” to make sure he was okay.

A Martha-centric “Turn Left” would indeed be fascinating. I’d love to see her and Rose interact in that context, especially as Rose would essentially be sending “competition” back to the Doctor in order to save his life (and the multiverse). I don’t think their interactions would be nearly as catty as when Rose met Sarah Jane since Rose matured a lot since then, but I also think Martha would be baffled by Rose. The Doctor always makes her sound so perfect, so impossible, and he never really canonically tells Martha very much about her at all. And Martha is middle class, much posher than Rose, and would likely have at least a little bit of initial judgment there (even if she gets over it quickly due to her compassionate nature). I think this would be what would cement Martha’s decision to leave, though, except it would be interrupted by the reappearance of Bad Wolf. I honestly have no idea how this would change the S4 finale except that I have a hard time imagining “The DoctorMartha” being a thing and the metacrisis happening than with Donna…

Ultimately I think Martha would get more plot if she were in S4, but I think she and Donna helped the Doctor grieve in different ways, and that the sequence of events was important. Say he’s lost Rose, travelled with Donna, but she’s left him because he completely eroded her self-esteem. He’s conscious not to do that to Martha BUT this leads her on, and personally I don’t think he’d be over Rose yet enough to try to move on romantically, so instead he’s just in even more hot water trying not to lead her on but also not to crush her spirit like he did his prior companion, and it would just be enormously awkward. I think he’d have more trouble talking about Rose to Martha in any iteration where she has feelings for him, and the man needs to talk through his issues or he won’t process them!

Anyway all this to say, it was really interesting to think about this but personally I don’t know that it would fix the show’s structural issues or the characters’ relationships really. But I invite other responses and opinions, would love to know what other people think about swapping Martha and Donna’s order and storylines like this!

[hoperays-song]

Marcus Playlists PT.1

This playlist isn’t purely about Marcus, it’s actually about his and my version of Johnny’s mum’s relationship. So warning, there is a mix between happy love songs and pretty sad ones. 

Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0puK1brZRLnSkm01vul6Cl?si=ce5e8d53a0e64b43

The Songs I Most Closely Associate With These Two Are: 

Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips

Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi

Kids Again by Artist vs. Poet

Hold Me While You Wait by Lewis Capaldi

Slight Relationship Explanation For Those Confused: 

Jia and Marcus met when he was 23 and she was 21 and started dating soon afterwards. Marcus was permanently disowned from his family and moved in with Jia (who had recently lost her only living relative and was now living alone) within a year as he had nowhere else to go. They were pretty happy together despite everything and got married a few years later. 

However, Jia’s LGMD (limb-girdle muscular dystrophy) kept getting worse, eventually leading to her death when Johnny was just 6 years old and Jia herself was 34. Marcus never fully recovered emotionally or mentally from her death and it worsened his abandonment issues (which went on to cause issues with him and his son down the line).

Basically, they were both there for each other during really rough times in their lives and helped the other person grow stronger. They had a loving  relationship that was cut off far too early with Jia’s untimely death.

Song List:

Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips

Home by Phillip Phillips

Raging Fire by Phillip Phillips

Kaleidoscope by A Great Big World 

Don’t Give Up On Me by Andy Grammer

Pompeii by Bastille

Out of My League by Fitz and The Tantrums

Two Birds by Regina Spektor

See You Later (Ten Years) by Jenna Raine

1990something by Sub-Radio

Brave by Sara Bareilles

Line Without A Hook by Ricky Montgomery

Mr Loverman by Ricky Montgomery

Kids Again by Artist vs. Poet

Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi

Hold Me While You Wait by Lewis Capaldi

Like Real People Do by Hoizer

It’s Alright by Mother Mother

Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons

The Archer by Taylor Swift

Part of Me by Cian Ducrot

[sarah-dipitous]

Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2023 Day 1

It begins

“Pilot”

Man, not to bring my hero academia immediately into my viewing of supernatural, but is Dean proof that even if Touya had been able to follow in his dad’s footsteps, he still would never feel like he was enough??

“I swore I was done with hunting for good” oh. Oh, Sammy. You poor naive young man. You’ve got fifteen years of this ahead of you

(I’m literally not going to be able to watch this as NOT a todobros au, huh. Haven’t decided if I’m mad about it, though. The whole exchange about 9yo Sam telling their dad he was afraid of the dark? So John gave him a 45? Tell me that’s not a “he’s already 5, he can take it”)

Dude, the guy this ghost lady picked up is a total ass, but can you imagine deciding to cheat on your girlfriend and the girl you wanna cheat with takes you to a CLEARLY long abandoned house?? Power fucking mood

Ok I did right by myself deciding to watch Doctor Who second because I fucking hate jumpscares and we’re in the VERY monster of the week era

I will say the tension of “kid who did once know, however briefly, a happy family life” vs “kid who’s trying to get out from their constantly, almost since birth, family life” is really good in this episode.

Also that Dean just FULLY threw himself off that bridge? It’s…it sure is something compared to Sam hanging on to the ledge for dear life. It says something

(There’s these guitar licks that play every once in a while that make me think I’m gonna be watching a Home Depot commercial or one of those fake large truck commercials tiktokers sometimes do…..which is fitting but it’s still really funny)

Girlie, I don’t think you can call Sam unfaithful in his relationship if you force yourself on him…play by your own rules, love.

Ghost kids are creepy af, aaaaaaaand the VERY 2005 special effects. Brilliant. Love it.

Oh poor Jessica’s about to get got…but also how did Dean know to come back? He drove away?!

All in all, aside from fridging two women in the pilot, it’s a solid episode

“Rose”

That post about old new who having such realistic settings for the companion’s home is so real…Rose’s room is EXTREMELY 2005

Nah, because why are they preparing me for a jumpscare too???? Y’all I’m so easily scared lmaooo

But now nine is here telling her to run so all is good in the world

Nine didn’t get enough appreciation in his time. I know we all love him now but…I definitely was more meh 10 years ago

Jackie Tyler is an icon. And BRUTAL. She really just told her daughter there’s no point in getting up today due to Rose’s job being burnt to the ground

And her flirting with the doctor I caaaannooooot she’s amazing “I’m in my dressing gown” “yep” “there’s a strange man in my bedroom” “yep” “well….anything could happen” “no!” You KNOW Jackie’s read all the cheap and twisty romance novels she could get her hands on

Rose gets a Shigaraki moment

Ok it’s 2005, what is in Mickey’s emails that he’s worried about?? I mean, could just be a general privacy thing but still

How come there aren’t more people like Clive in this show? If I remember correctly, later on people are just like “ah yes, our favorite time traveling alien, The Doctor. This is normal”

The makeup job they did on plastic Mickey is just the right amount of creepy

I forgot how much running through the back halls and rooms of shops and whatnot there was

I’m also loving the tension of The Doctor loves humanity but constantly forgets Mickey’s existence so much so that Rose has to call him out on it. The greater good vs very real human people aspect is a good tension for The Doctor and their companion to have. It’s part of what also made Ten and Donna so good, especially in episodes like The Fires of Pompeii

Oh the warm fuzzy feeling of seeing Nine smile and say “Fantastic!”

Clive didn’t deserve that, man!!

(Watching Jackie get almost attacked by the bridal mannequins, I’m also thinking about how Donna been somehow oblivious to this)

Mickey’s fears and suspicions about The Doctor are completely understandable, rational, and valid given all he went through in this episode. Man was kidnapped and copied by another alien who wanted to devour his entire planet, basically. And I hate how he gets treated by the narrative. That said, watching Rose run toward the TARDIS at the end is everything

[madlori]

Songs that are ten years old:

Shake It Off

Timber

Pompeii

All of Me

Turn Down for What

Happy

Dark Horse

Royals

Story of my Life

Demons

Chandelier

Bang Bang

Anaconda

Wrecking Ball

A Sky Full of Stars

Radioactive

'you still listen to music from 10 years ago 🤨?' bitch if prehistoric humans had audio recording technology id be sat up here listening to grog and unga bunga's greatest hits don't play with me

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #612

Top Ten Doctor Who Companions (2005-2023)

Happy 60th Birthday, Doctor Who! Yep, technically it was Thursday 23rd but Who’s counting, eh? The Doctor is now Bus Pass Age, not a bad achievement for someone who’s either 900, 1200, or over two billion years old, depending on how you’re working it out. Timey-wimey and all that.

To celebrate the anniversary of what is probably my favourite British TV show (just pipped at the post, I’d say, by The West Wing, classic Simpsons, and maybe – depending on my mood – Star Trek: The Next Generation) I’ve decided to look at that essential component of Doctor Who-ness, the Companion. The companions are great, because the Doctor is almost unknowable; an ancient cosmic being who has all sorts of weird powers and capabilities, who’s seen and done so much. It’s not just the two hearts and the time travel; they’re frankly weird, at times sage and wise, other times naïve and childlike. So the companion is our point-of-view, our entry-level look at the universe; they’re also a great leveller, bringing out the Doctor’s best qualities and humanising them. And, frankly, they serve that Watson function of allowing a brilliant character who knows everything to exposition all over somebody; they’re there to get talked at.

But, of course, the Companions are so much more, helping to bring Doctor Who to life in untold ways; they can be the heart and soul of the show, the even if a new companion comes in with a familiar Doctor, the dynamic can change enormously. Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor is very different with Bill Potts than he is with Clara Oswald, for instance; and Ten’s relationship with Rose was unique despite David Tennant sharing the TARDIS with several other people.

Now, whilst I did watch Who when I was a kid, I didn’t really get into it properly till the 2005 reboot; so, to keep things simple, I’m just going to focus on companions who’ve been in the show since then. Sorry, Ace! I love ya! But I don’t feel I can parse my Sarah Janes from my Bonnie Langfords with particular grace. Also, I needed to define exactly what a companion was; I settled on someone who travelled with the Doctor across multiple episodes, with the intention of remaining in the TARDIS. So this meant I had to, very sadly, discount River Song; she’s a guest star, and obviously a huge part of the Doctor’s life and Moffat’s grand over-arching storyline, but I don’t think she was ever a for-real in-TARDIS capital-C Companion. Captain Jack, on the other hand, did remain on Team TARDIS for a few episodes before buggering off to Cardiff. So he counts.

Anyway, enough waffle; let’s light up our sonics and celebrate.

Amy Pond (Karen Gillan, 2010-2012/13): feisty, funny, and flirty, Amy wasn’t a wide-eyed naif nor a grumpy sourpuss, but a someone who was just really enjoyable to watch. Her chemistry with her Doctor is some of the best in the series, but it was the stories that put Amy through the wringer – from a universe-defying romance to an impossible baby – that made her so compelling, and the deft way Gillan responded to the outlandish, hilarious, and ultimately tragic events. There was something about her performance right from the off; we were watching a movie star born before our eyes.

Donna Noble (Catherine Tate, 2006/08-2010/23): prior New-Who companions had mostly been besotted with the Doctor; Donna was pissed off by him. A human who saw the very alien nature of the Time Lord, she was often his conscience – such as in the episode The Fires of Pompeii – but chiefly Donna will be remembered for the humour she brought to the role. Tate was a tremendous comic double act with Tennant, and it’s going to be very exciting to see them together again.

Rose Tyler (Billie Piper, 2005-2006/08/10/13): a companion so important that the very first episode of the rebooted show was named after her. She was the show, arguably the main character in that first season; a woman from humble origins who was destined to change the galaxy. Her growing feelings for the Doctor – especially when he regenerated into David Tennant – were subtly drawn, but in so many ways Piper defined what a modern companion should and could be. So iconic they brought her back for the Fiftieth as a different character cosplaying Rose Tyler.

Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie, 2017): a bit of a milestone in Who history as the first queer female companion and only, I believe, the second woman of colour. Her dynamic with the Doctor was different to what came before; there didn’t seem to be the deep spiritual connection, but she was a funnier, more free-wheeling sort, who loved the adventurous life among the stars. She got to have her own mini-tragic-romance play out over the series, and was the centrepiece of storylines dealing with race and gender politics. A great companion, sadly underused.

Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman, 2012-2015/17): a companion who suffered a little bit with some flakier plots and character arcs, which is a shame as Coleman is a great actor who had terrific chemistry with two different Doctors, and very different relationships with them, too. A kindly soul with a fun spirit who masked a steely core, she was excellent in the anniversary special The Day of the Doctor.

Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill, 2010-2012): wow, the first bloke on the list. Mr. Pond is just, well, really nice; a massively nice guy. His total love for Amy is such a beautiful thing, spanning eons (he waits for her for two thousand years!). It’s uncomplicated but strong and fiery, and yet he’s totally trusting. He knows he’s the second fiddle in the relationship, forever overshadowed by his brilliant wife, yet he remains unthreatened and trusting and supportive. Plus, rather nicely, they fancy the pants off each other, so their fate – Amy choosing to be trapped forever in the past with him – is utterly believable. A great guy!

Jack Harkness (John Barrowman, 2005-2011/20-21): I’m a bit squiffy putting him on the list because Barrowman is, well, a touch problematic. However, Captain Jack was a great character, injecting a huge does of sex to the usually straightlaced Who. A phenomenal space-flirt who’d “how you doin’” every biped he came across (steady), he was fun in a wartime greatcoat. Torchwood gave him added depth and complexity. I imagine it’s unlikely we’ll see him again for some time, although I suppose he’s no Mickey Smith.

Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill, 2018-2022): New-Who had done variations on the “companion loves the Doctor” story, but this was the first one to give it a queer lens, without any sensationalising. In a crowded set of companions, Yaz was always the stand out: young, funny, with a great family to draw on, but the smarts and steel of a police background. Sadly – like many characters in that era – she didn’t really get the strength of story to justify her character, and as groundbreaking and well-handled as the developing romance was, it likewise fizzled out to nothing.

Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh, 2018-2021/22): most companions are young a sprightly; Graham was a resolute old duffer who provided a nice amount of grandfatherly charm and twinkle to such a propulsive show. You got the sense that Walsh was loving every minute of it; and whether he was just easier to write for, or Walsh was just a more experienced performer, he did the best out of some weaker scripts, always shining and giving the show a lot of comedic pep.  

Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman, 2007-2008/10): coming after Rose was a huge ask, but Martha delivered a nice twist by falling in unrequited love with the Doctor, a thread of tragedy running through her whole arc and giving it steel. She was also just really capable and heroic throughout, even as her Doctor became an angrier, more bitter character, weighed down by his losses. She got to fight the Master! When the Doctor got turned into Dobby the House Elf! She’s badass!

Edit: now with fixed formatting! I went back in time and did it. Yay.

[uh-velkommen]

I love Bastille for such a peculiar reason 

They make such smooth, easy listening music that I just feel happy listening to them. Like there’s not a single stressor in the world that could bother me with Dan’s voice in my headphones. It’s strange because Fall Out Boy is my favorite band for many reasons; their instrumentals hit all the marks when I was searching for emo bands to get into, the talent is there, the lyrics are so raw and relatable, their concepts are creative with the pop culture references and the soulful influences, not to mention the years of drama and history that followed that band leaving plenty of new things for me to discover over the years. Bastille, I couldn’t even tell you the names of the other members yet every time one of their songs pop up in my playlist, my brain goes “Omg my favorite band!” Now that I think of it, my discovering Bastille and Fall Out Boy almost happened in the same way. I heard the song for a second (Pompeii and My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark) and without hesitation went, “Who sings this I need to look into them” But when it happened with Fall Out Boy, I had the means to actually look into them. When it happened with Bastille (and I love telling people this story) the most I could do was turn my radio on every day at 3 p.m. exactly to catch the stations “Top ten hits” play Bastille until Pompeii was no longer a top ten hit. And just like that, they left my brain. Years later I got a job and with my first paycheck I didn’t go “Finally, I can get Fall Out Boy merch!” No, I bought a Bastille Album. It was Wild World and I love that album to death but still not more than Fall Out Boy...

As I write this post, I had finally listened to their new song (two months old now because it had been sitting in my “Watch Later” since it came out) Shut Off The Lights and it nearly had me in tears by the end. I wish I could tell you why. It’s such a simple song and Dan doesn’t do anything particularly amazing with his voice. But I was so happy that it was so good. I think I had started to fall off the band wagon when the album Doom Days came out. I thought, “Man I spent money on this band and now all their music is starting to sound the same.” I’ve only found one band that was able to switch up their sound but still sound like them and that was Pierce The Veil. Where each album feels fresh, new, and exciting but doesn’t feel like a part two to their previous album or an entirely different band (which Fall Out Boy had admittedly, fallen subject to). However, Pierce The Veil isn’t even in my top 3 favorite bands. But Doom Days man, I can’t remember if every song sounded way too similar to the next or if the album as a whole had reused too many sounds from their previous ones. It was such a let down and then the Goosebumps EP came out and by then I gave up my loyalty. I mean I really hate that EP. I’m really disappointed that they drifted away from that experimental indie-alternative band sound to songs that follow such a boring poppy song structure. Also, if a band pumps out a bunch of music too quickly (which is an issue I’ve found with Dance Gavin Dance whose music is also starting to sound all too similar) or consecutively bad music over the course of a long period (because imagine waiting years for new music just to be disappointed over and over again) then I get frustrated and eventually lose interest. 3 strikes. Now as I sit here listening to Give Me The Future for the first time, I’m not impressed. 

First of all, is the amount of auto tune a stylistic choice? My favorite Bastille songs have been the ones with minimal music, Two Evils, Four Walls, even the orchestra version of Warmth because Dan’s voice is that good. That’s also why I hate Novocain by Fall Out Boy. I absolutely love Patrick Stump’s voice and the effects on top of it completely take me out of the experience. Don’t get me wrong, I like that some of the songs have a clear 80s influence (that’s a trope I’ll never get tired of) but that doesn’t automatically make the song good. So why is it that I got to Shut Off The Lights and I’m immediately made happy again. Is it the looming melancholic vibes of the instrumentals? The romantic lyrics? The passion you can actually hear in Dan’s voice? The clear harmonies or the easy bobbing of my head to the beat? What is this formula that Bastille is so good at achieving yet only does 50 percent of the time? Why is it that I always forget how much I like them until I play Wild World and immediately become enamored? How can they be so close to my favorite when I don’t even like half of their discography? I just don’t get it.

[alwaysmarveling]

Sticks and Stones

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x fem!Reader

Warnings: death (it gets pretty depressing)

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: I do recommend reading Chapter 1 before this one, which you can find here.

Fair warning, I normally don’t read angst, let alone write it, so this could all be a failed attempt at a depressing storyline. But hey, I tried :) And thank you so much @vancityfire13 for helping me out with this chapter!

“Mama, I don’t want to go to school. I think I’m sick,” Igor trudged into the kitchen, his steps heavy and his brows knit together.

“You don’t feel warm, Igoryok. Why don’t you sit down and have some breakfast and then we’ll see how things go, yeah?” Igor nodded reluctantly as Natasha carded her fingers through his hair, trying to tame the bee’s nest that had formed on his head while he was asleep. When you entered the kitchen, you quickly adopted a look to match the frown on Igor’s face.

“What’s wrong, Iggy?”

“I don’t feel good.” You copied Natasha, feeling his forehead but finding it perfectly normal.

“What doesn’t feel good, Igoryok?” Your frowns only deepened when he shrugged.

“If you don’t tell us, we can’t help you.”

“I just don’t feel good, okay?” Both of you flinched slightly at his anger. Although he could get rambunctious and excited at times, Igor was generally sweet, always offering to share his toys with other kids and giving you and Nat random hugs “just because I love you.” Plus, he was four, and you weren’t expecting the attitude for another couple of years at least. After sharing a concerned glance with your wife, you knelt down and held Igor’s hand in yours, noticing his bottom lip wobbling and his eyes beginning to shine.

“Igor, sweetheart, what’s the matter? Why don’t you want to go to school?”

“It’s okay, Igoryok, you can tell us anything,” Nat reassured him when he started to cry, gently rubbing his back in an effort to soothe him.

“I don’t want to see Jackson.” You squeezed his hand, urging him to continue. You knew Jackson and his family; Jackson had even come over to play a couple of weeks ago. While you tried to keep the conversation going, you saw Natasha tense up the second Igor finished the sentence.

“Why don’t you want to see Jackson, honey? Did something happen?”

“Jackson said I’m stupid because my letters don’t look right, and he said I was a baby for having light-up sneakers. And he pulled me down when we were playing tag.”

“And your teachers didn’t say anything?” Natasha gritted out. It was obvious she was trying to stay calm for Igor’s sake, but any second now and Mount Vesuvius was about to explode, bringing all of Pompeii with it. Igor shook his head, his whole body trembling as he cried.

“They didn’t see it. He waited until recess and we were in the back of the playground behind the slides.”

“Igor, sweetie, why didn’t you tell them?” You tried wiping the tears off of his face as they fell, but they were quickly replaced by new ones.

“He said if I did he’d tell the whole class I was a weirdo because I wet the bed.” You butted in before Nat could start yelling, placing a hand on top of hers to try to remind her of the situation.

“I see. Igor, do you think any of the things he said were true?”

“No.” The muttered answer was hard to hear, but it was there.

“That’s right, they’re not. So don’t let that boy get in your head for one second, okay? For every bad thing that he says to you, I want you to remind yourself of at least one good thing about yourself, okay?”

“Okay, Mom.”

“Why don’t you start right now? Tell me three things you like about yourself.”

“Um, I draw good dinos.”

“That’s right,” you smiled. “Mama and I love when you give us dino pictures.”

“Maybe I can draw you one today in school.”

“We’d love that, Igoryok. Two more, buddy.” The redhead had relaxed slightly, her fingers beginning to comb through his hair once again.

“I’m good at soccer. And I have cool cleats.” You nodded at him, rubbing small circles over the back of his hand to encourage him to continue. By this point, his crying stopped, and he only paused every so often to let out a hiccup.

“I can read some of the big kid books in the library. Mr. Goldman says that it’s very impressive for a four-year-old.” Natasha chuckled as Igor puffed out his chest, Jackson’s insults long forgotten.

“It is very impressive. So-”

“Wait, Mama, I have one more!”

“And what would that be?” the redhead smiled.

“I have the two best mamas in the entire world. And they love me so much, and I love them so much too.” It took everything in you not to cry at that moment, and one look at Natasha’s face told you she was struggling as well.

“That’s right, Ig. Mama and I love you more than anything or anyone in the entire world, more than you could ever imagine. You never forget that, promise?”

“I promise, Mom, but don’t cry! It’s happy!”

“I’m very happy,” you whispered, giving him the tightest hug you could without crushing him.

“Igoryok, I need you to listen to me.” The four-year-old nodded as he turned to give your wife his full attention. “When Jackson says mean things to you, you tell him to stop, okay? Don’t be mean, but tell him firmly.”

“Firmly,” he repeated.

“And if he doesn’t stop, you tell your teacher. Okay?”

“Okay, Mama.”

“Miss Olivia is going to pick you up from school today, but Mom and I are going to talk to your teachers about Jackson as soon as we can, we promise.”

“Okay, Mama. Does that mean you and Mom are going to fight the bad guys again?”

“Yes, but just for a little bit. We’ll be back in time for dinner. Which means you have to be good for Miss Olivia or you can’t have any dessert,” Nat winked.

“Now, group hug and then it’s time to go to school,” you ordered, wrapping your arms around the two of them.

-

Igor remained mostly quiet on the car ride to school, which wasn’t unusual for him, but you and Nat found yourselves checking on him regardless.

“Mom, in school, Miss Taylor told us ‘sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.’ Is that what she means, with Jackson?”

“Well, yes. Basically, it means that when people say mean things about us, like the things that Jackson said to you, we shouldn’t let it hurt us.”

“How do you do that?”

“You do what we did at breakfast. You know in your heart that what he says isn’t true, so you ignore it. And then you remind yourself of all the good things about yourself.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“We love you, buddy,” Natasha reminded him as she brought the car to a stop. “If anything else happens, you tell us and we’ll help you, okay?”

“Yes, Mama. I love you too.”

“Alright. Then you have the best, most amazing day at school, okay, lovebug?”

“I will, Mom. Bye bye!” With a kiss on each of your cheeks, Igor put on the Avengers backpack that was half his size and jumped out of the car to meet his teacher and friends at the front of the school. With Igor out of the car, Natasha’s anger returned ten-fold.

“‘Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me,’ huh? That’s the best they can teach?”

“Nat-”

“You know it’s outdated, and it’s totally not true at all! Of course words can hurt, you know that, Y/N!”

“I know,” you murmured, thinking back to all the pain and chaos a bunch of reporters had caused over some rumors about the Avengers.

“And who does that kid think he is talking about Igor like that?”

“Natty, he’s four.”

“Being four doesn’t give you an excuse to be a bully!”

“You’re right, it doesn’t,” you sighed, “but being four means he has time to change. You know that at this age they usually get it from seeing other people do it.” Two minutes of driving in silence passed before Natasha spoke up again.

“You’re right,” she sighed, her shoulders slowly dropping. “It just makes me so angry that he’d do that to him. And Igor didn’t do anything about it. What if something else happens in the future and he doesn’t protect himself? Igor doesn’t even wet the bed anymore. He knows that and he still let that kid scare him. Or what if Igor doesn’t want to tell us when bad things happen?” The longer she spoke, the softer her voice became as anger dissolved into sadness and concern.

“Well,” you placed your hand over hers that rested on your thigh, “the good thing is Igor is also four. It’s good that something like this happened now rather than later because we have time to talk to him and teach him that we’ll always be there for him. Today was one step towards that. It’ll be okay, Nat. We’ll make sure it is. Especially if we’re going to have another little one on the way.” Your wife smiled at that.

“Igor’s going to be an amazing brother.”

“He really is,” you laughed as you picked up her hand and linked her fingers in yours.

“I will admit, though,” your eyes returned to your wife’s face in time to notice her quirk an eyebrow, “I thought we’d have some more time before we had to deal with the ‘sick to get out of school’ trick.”

“You and me both,” you giggled. “That kid is too smart for his own good.”

“How much do you want to bet he learned it from Tony?”

“Well, he definitely didn’t learn it from Steve.” All the remaining tension in the car dissolved as you two chuckled at the thought. 

When the car became quiet once more, you brought her hand up to your lips. “I. Love. You,” you murmured, each word punctuated with a kiss to her knuckles.

“I love you more. And everything’s going to be okay,” she repeated, more so reassuring herself than you.

“It is. Now, let’s go over that mission plan one last time. We have some butts to kick.”

---

“Okay, Steve’ll meet you guys at the rendezvous point. Get in, and get out. And don’t let yourselves get caught. It’s just an info grab, but it’s an important one.”

“Got it, Hill. See you later.” After ending the call with Maria, you turned to Natasha. “You ready, hon?”

“Yeah, I just can’t help but shake this feeling. I know the mission’s short, but…” You tilted your head slightly to meet her eyes, which was a bit difficult since she’d lowered her gaze to the floor.

“No, I get it. I think it’s just the events of this morning, yeah? And it definitely doesn’t help that we can’t have outside communication.” After a recent mission gone wrong, Fury had temporarily prohibited all outside communication on missions unless absolutely necessary, meaning you and Nat would only be able to communicate with each other until Steve picked you guys up. “Let’s just finish this mission and get back to Igor. Things’ll be better after that.”

“You’re right,” the redhead agreed, giving you an uneasy smile. You rolled your neck once before giving your wife a quick peck on the cheek.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

---

“Where have you guys been? I’ve been waiting for two hours!” His check and money was lying on the table, his meal eaten long ago.

“Sorry, Rogers, a minor complication meant we had to be a bit more careful. But we got all the info, and there’s no trouble.” Natasha slid a small flash drive across the booth. He simply nodded, pocketing the device and standing up.

“Let’s go.”

“Everything okay, Steve?”

“Um, yeah. Fury asked that you guys stop by the tower first though.” You frowned, prompting Nat to slip her hand into yours.

“Is it important? We wanted to get back and see Igor. We told him we’d be back for dinner, and we’re already late.” Before Steve could respond, a waitress walked up to the table.

“Oh, hey! I see your friends are here. Do you guys want to place an order?”

“Um, actually, I’m so sorry. Something came up and we have to go. Thank you so much, though.”

“Of course, have a nice night, guys.” You flashed the waiter a smile and handed her two twenty dollar bills as an apology before following Steve out of the restaurant.

“Steve, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” he responded, his voice void of emotion.

“C’mon, you know neither of us is buying that. Is everyone okay?”

“Just hurry up,” he muttered. He was walking so quickly that you and Nat were practically jogging to keep up. You shared a worried glance with Natasha, but neither of you spoke up again.

-

After a thirty-minute drive, you’d reached the tower, and Steve sent the two of you up to Fury’s office without another word.

“Do you think we did something wrong, Natty?”

“I don’t see what we could’ve done wrong. We’ll find out soon enough, though,” she sighed. She sent you a small smile in an effort to calm you, as she could tell you were becoming quite anxious, but she was rather nervous herself.

Fury was waiting for you guys when the elevator doors opened, which only served to make the two of you even more on edge than you were before.

“Romanoff, L/N, follow me please.” He led you to his office, his demeanor stoic and unreadable as per usual, but something was off. As you placed a hand on Nat’s lower back, you found her spine to be stiff. She must’ve sensed it too. “Sit.” The three of you sat in silence for about thirty seconds, during which you realized what was wrong. The twinkle he always had in his eyes, whether from playfulness, determination, or something in between, was missing. That realization was enough to make you crack.

“Fury. Why’d you call us in here? I hate to rush you but we’ve got a kid to go home to.” You and your wife noticed when he flinched at your last sentence.

“Right.” Both of you stared at him expectantly but quickly became agitated when he didn’t seem to make any move to continue.

“Fury. What is it.” You placed a hand on Nat’s arm before she could jump out of the chair, but if he didn’t speak in about two seconds you’d be right there with her.

“We received a call about three hours ago about a car crash. A massive pileup caused by a drunk driver during the school rush hour. Two people were seriously injured.” 

“I- I don’t understand. You want us to help with a car crash?” you asked, your voice shaky but light. “Fury, with all due respect, this is ridiculous. This isn’t our area of-” 

“Why are you telling us about this?” Natasha cut into your rambling.

“Romanoff… this was three hours ago. Just outside of the elementary school.”

Three hours ago. What was three hours ago? Three hours ago would’ve been when Olivia was bringing Igor back home from school. But that couldn’t be what Fury was talking about. It was a different kid, a different family, maybe even a different school; Fury hadn’t been specific. No, you and Nat would go back home and they’d both be there. They had to be there. 

“By the time the ambulance got there, paramedics suspected that they were both gone. They called time of death at the hospital. I’m so sorry.” You couldn’t tell when exactly your heart stopped beating, when all the blood left your face. He couldn’t be talking about what you thought he was. He wasn’t even looking you in the eye, dammit.

“Gone? What do you mean by gone? Who’s ‘they’?” You spoke in a whisper, not able to speak any louder. With each second that passed, you could feel Nat’s forearm getting tighter as she clenched her fists harder and harder.

“Fury,” Natasha finally spoke, her voice gravelly, “If you’re telling me what I think you’re telling me, you’re going to have to be very clear with me. So what. Are. You. Saying.”

“Igor is dead. Your son is dead. I’m so-”

“Stop saying you’re sorry!” This time it was Nat’s turn to hold you back, grabbing onto your waist when you slammed your hands on Fury’s desk. “You have no reason to be sorry, he’s not- No, you’re wrong. That doesn’t make any sense. How in the hell would there be a drunk driver at 3 in the afternoon? No, you’re wrong! Nat, he’s wrong, right?” You looked at your wife, eyes shining, but her expression was unreadable. Her arms were crossed against her chest as she stood in the center of the room, and you couldn’t help but remember the last time she looked that alone—at the SHIELD party all those years ago.

---

She was standing in the corner with her back to everyone in the room. You didn’t believe it was her at first—sure, redheads weren’t that common, but how could it be her? You hadn’t seen her in months, although it wasn’t from lack of trying. Besides, this woman looked so unbelievably… small. And sad. And alone. This was a party, for heavens’ sake, and she looked like she was stuck in solitary confinement. None of those sounded anything like the woman you’d met.

But with a shake of your head, you turned back to the bar, taking a sip from your drink with the intent of clearing her from your mind. You got over her months ago, Y/N. It was literally just one date. Stop thinking about her. Besides, what are the chances she works for SHIELD anyway?

Yet, ten minutes later, the woman remained in her place and looked just as pitiful as she did when you first saw her. Your mind couldn’t stop your legs from swinging off of the chair and walking over to her.

“Um, excuse me?” Your heart stopped when you saw her face. It was her. She was glammed up for the party, but it was Nat, and she looked just as beautiful as the first time you’d seen her. 

“Y/N?” Your heart caught in your throat for a second as if you hadn’t thought that it could be her, not allowing you to respond until after you’d taken another sip from your drink.

“Nat.” You didn’t know what else to say. You hadn’t really planned it out, to be honest. Your body just kind of… brought you here. The two of you just stared at each other, neither of you too sure of what to say. Suddenly, all the anger you’d had towards her over the past few months pushed its way to the surface. “Did you lose my number or something? Get a new phone?”

“Y/N, I- what are you doing here?”

“Really? We had an amazing first date, you told me you can’t wait for the next one, and then you didn’t talk to me for months? And then, when I do find you, that’s all you have to say? I mean, obviously I was the fool for believing yo-”

“Are you stalking me?” Her eyes narrowed.

“Are you serious right now? No, I’m not stalking you! I work for SHIELD now, which you would know if you didn’t freaking ghost me!”

“You- you work for SHIELD?”

“Yes, I’ve been working for SHIELD for six months.”

“Y/N, I’m sorry, I… I have to go.” You watched her, your eyes blazing and nostrils flaring, as she walked out of the room. She never came back that night.

---

“I have to go,” Nat interrupted the silence.

“Natasha, wait. You really shouldn’t be going anywhere like this.” Fury stood from his chair but remained behind his desk.

“I’m going home.”

“Natasha, please, just hold on a seco-” Unlike that night, you followed Nat out of the room. The two of you were out the door before Fury could stop you.

-

When you got home, the house was dark and Olivia’s car wasn’t there. That didn’t deter either of you, though.

“Igor! Igor! Mom’s home!”

“Igoryok, it’s Mama!” When neither of you heard a response, the two of you frantically began running through the house. You searched room after room, checking each one and the hallway closet at least three times. When your legs turned to lead and you couldn’t breathe any longer, you dropped to your knees, completely unaware of what part of the house you were in.

That’s how Natasha found you—in Igor’s room, sobbing, your knees digging deep into the hardwood floors and your head resting on his pillow right next to his stuffed pig and the green baby blanket he refused to sleep without.

“Y/N,” she murmured, her voice broken and tears trailing down her flushed cheeks. Your wife stumbled her way over to you and collapsed by your side. Wrapping an arm around your shoulder, she pulled you as close as she could, and you let her.

-

The two of you cried for what felt like a million lifetimes, not stopping until you physically ran out of tears, your eyes so dry that it hurt to open them. Your head leaned against Nat’s shoulder. Both of you stared at the wall ahead of you with an empty gaze, the only sound heard in the room being your shallow breaths.

“You were right,” you whispered, your throat dry.

“About what?” Nat’s voice was as quiet and hollow as yours.

“Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Miss Taylor had told your son that words could never hurt him, but she was wrong. Hearing the words that Igor was dead; that your son was gone; that you would never get to see him earn his high school diploma, or get a job that he was passionate about, or grow up to be a happy adult, or even hug him one last time; that you would never get to see him become an amazing warrior like you’d predicted just five years ago—those words caused you the most pain you’d ever felt in your entire life.

-----

Tagging: @xxxtwilightaxelxxx

[angelwiththeblue-box]

so why don't we go somewhere only we know

lokius being in love throughout time | ao3 link

@thedragonemperess @the-bi-fangirl-biatch i think both of you wanted to see this <3

79 CE

Explosions rattled their house. Loki looked around, frantic to find Mobius.

“MOBIUS!” He screamed. They had to go, they had to get out. “MOBIUS!”

Rocks smashed into their house and Loki flinched, sliding under the table.

“Loki? Loki, are you here?” Loki lets out a breath and scrambles up, wrapping his arms around Mobius.

“Mobius! Are you hurt, are you okay? What’s going on?” Loki demands, inspecting his partner.

“Loki, I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Loki drops his head on Mobius’s shoulder. “I was worried.”

“I know. But we need to go, right now.” Loki nods and the pair grab shoes and head out the door. Loki spares one last look at their house, before following Mobius out the door.

Outside, Loki shields his eyes. Smoke fills the air, and Vesuvias thunders.

“We’re not gonna make it.” Loki says, tugging on Mobius’s arm. “Mobius, we aren’t gonna make it out.”

“Yes, we are. Come on!”

“Mobius. Mobius!” Tears fill Loki’s eyes. “We aren’t gonna make it.”

“I don’t want to die.” Mobius says, his voice breaking. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t, Mobius. I promise. You won’t lose me.”

Tears fall down Mobius’s face and he falls into Loki.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The two of them stand there, not wanting to let each other go, as Pompeii is destroyed around them.

London, 1601

Loki smiles widely, watching as the actors take their places on stage.

“That’s my brother!” Loki whispers to the man sitting next to him as his older brother storms on stage. “Playing Hamlet.”

“Really?”

“SHH!” A woman behind them hisses and Loki hides a laugh.

“I’m Mobius,” Mobius whispers.

“Loki Laufeyson. Pleasure.” Loki responds.

“SHH!”

Loki turns in his seat. “Shh!” He hisses back, before facing front. Mobius hides his laughter and Loki smiles softly, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“After this… would you maybe want to go for a pint?” Mobius whispers.

Loki turns to him.

“I would love to.”

New York City, 1929

“Sylvie, hurry up!” Loki says, pulling his sister down the sidewalk. “We’re gonna be late!”

“Calm down, your boyfriend is not going to break up with you because we were five minutes late.” Syvlie says, rolling her eyes.

“He’s not my- Sylvie!” Loki whines. Sylvie laughs and the two of them walk down the steps to the speakeasy.

Loki knocks on the door.

“Password?”

“Crystal glasses.” Loki answers.

The door opens and Sylvie and Loki walk through, jazz music playing from the stage at the back of the room.

“Do you see him?” Loki asks, scanning the crowded room.

Sylvie shakes her head. “Let’s get drinks.” She leads Loki across the dance floor and orders them both drinks.

“Mobius said tonight, right?” Loki asks, looking around.

“Yes, Loki. He’s probably running late.” Sylvie says, before getting pulled onto the dance floor. She hands Loki her drink, laughing as she gets spun around. Loki sighs and downs the drink.

“May I have this dance?” Loki looks up to see Mobius standing in front of him, holding his hand out. A wide grin breaks over Loki’s face, and he grabs Mobius’s hand.

“Of course.”

California, 1987

“We’ll be fine, right?” Mobius asks, as he and Loki lie in bed.

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

“They- you’re-” Mobius cuts himself off.

“Because I’m dying.” Loki says, calmly. Mobius’s silence confirms it. “Why wouldn’t we be fine. They might find a cure.”

“They won’t. They don’t care.” Mobius responds coldly.

“Moby.” Loki whispers. “They don't matter. We matter. Here and now.”

“You’re right.” Loki burrows himself in Mobius’s oversized sweater, not wanting to miss a moment of peace.

Mobius wraps his arms around Loki, his body weak and trembling.

“Loki?” Mobius asks.

“Yes, my love?”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“Idiot. I’m not going anywhere.” Loki responds, fondly. “You’re stuck with me forever.”

America, 2015

“Loki! Loki! Loki! Did you hear!” Sylvie bursts into the bookstore that Loki works at. Three people shush her, and she glares at them, before heading behind the counter.

“You’re not allowed back here.” Loki reprimands, knowing it won’t do anything, since Sylvie’s dating his supervisor.

“That’s not important, right now. Look!” Sylvie shoves her phone in Loki’s face.

Loki grabs it and scans the article. “Is this for real? Is this real?” Sylvie nods, bouncing on her feet.

Loki takes off his nametag. “I have to go find Mobius. Can you tell Hunt I’m taking the next two days off.”

“You owe me!” Sylvie says.

“I know. If this works out, I’ll let you be my maid of honor.”

“Thank you. Now GO!” Sylvie pushes him out the door, handing him his phone and his coat.

Loki races to his car, calling Mobius, but it goes straight to voicemail. Loki drives way over the speed limit in his attempt to get to his boyfriend. Ten years. Ten years they’d been together, and now Loki can do what he’s been wanting to do from the beginning.

Loki parks and makes sure that he has everything, before racing into Mobius’s building. He gets five steps in, before crashing into someone, knocking them both over.

“Hey!” Loki accuses.

“Loki?”

“Mobius. You’re here! Did you see the news?” Loki asks, pulling them both up so they’re standing.

“Yes, Casey showed me! Can you believe it!” Loki nods, leading Mobius away from the center of the lobby.

“I- Mobius. We’ve been together for ten years. Those ten years have been some of the best ten years of my life and I’ve never been happier.” Loki lowers himself onto one knee. “I know this isn’t the best place to do this, but Mobius, will you marry me?”

“Yes! Yes!” Mobius cries. Loki stands up and slips the ring onto his finger. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

The Ruins of the TVA, outside of all Time and Space

“Are you sure you don’t want your memories back? You might have had a life, Mobius. A family!” Loki cries. He doesn’t want to give Mobius his memories back, he doesn’t want to lose the first friend he ever had, but if Mobius has family to go back to, who was he to stand in his way.

“Loki, I don’t need my memories. I have all the memories I need. They might not all be good, but they’re mine.”

“But-”

“I’m sure.” Mobius says. “Plus, I already have a family. Right here.” Mobius pokes Loki in the chest. “I have you, Sylvie, and B-15, and Casey. All the family I want.”

Loki hides a smile, and reaches out to grab Mobius’s hand. The former agent looks down in surprise, before interlocking their fingers.

“See. I don’t need anything else.” Mobius leans in and kisses Loki.

Green sparks flash, and images fly through Mobius’s head, of different time periods, of him and Loki, falling in love over and over again. They’re happy.

Mobius pulls away.

“I’m so sorry, I know you said you didn’t want to see anything but I can’t really contr-” Mobius kisses Loki again, wrapping his arms around Loki’s waist.

“I love you. I always will.”

“I love you too.”

[crazy-random-bookworm-17]

I posted 2,550 times in 2021

138 posts created (5%)

2412 posts reblogged (95%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 17.5 posts.

I added 1,343 tags in 2021

#meme - 359 posts

#funny - 269 posts

#relatable - 159 posts

#world heritage post - 115 posts

#tumblr - 108 posts

#writing - 99 posts

#six of crows - 67 posts

#soc - 64 posts

#books - 61 posts

#for later - 42 posts

Longest Tag: 132 characters

#im not eqyptian and i dont worship their gods (no offense to anyone who does im just making it clear i dont wear it for religious or

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

You know you're fucked when the entire class is on a document attempting to work and the font is being changed every two seconds

32 notes • Posted 2021-10-05 17:05:25 GMT

#4

Okay imma start a tag game

Write one quote from one of your fandoms that makes a lot of sense to the fandom (big feelings: anger, sadness, laughter, awww-ness) but makes no sense to anyone who isn't in the fandom.

I'm totally expecting this to fail

I'll go first:

"I didn't want to lose the boy with the bread."

When you add the fact that this is from The Hunger Games, I can imagine what non-fandom people will think-

No-pressure tags:

@rrruthless @rune-and-rising @twelve-kinds-of-trouble @adams-left-hand @solangelo-is-my-otp @kazoo-the-demjin @nevada-and-the-birds @matthias-is-alive

33 notes • Posted 2021-09-29 21:17:06 GMT

#3

@confused-as-all-hell ARIAAAAAAAA

THE. THE. THE CHOCOLATE MAN.

HE.

HE-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M4ucqsAPKI

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

43 notes • Posted 2021-11-15 23:27:05 GMT

#2

Okay okay okay I'm bored and I've been wanting to post this for some time so here we go.

Hear me out:

The song Pompeii in an edit for the Maze Runner.

I mean it makes sense!

"And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we loved."

When the Maze blew up at the end of Death Cure...

"Gray clouds all over the hills bringing darkness from above."

When the clouds came up and covered the sun...

"But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?"

Self-explanitory...

"And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you've been here before?"

When Thomas got the vibe that he's been here before, again, self-explanitory.

Like,,, I need to see this edit,,, (but I have no skills) someone please do this!

48 notes • Posted 2021-09-22 13:56:15 GMT

#1

When you get this, respond with five things that make you happy! Then, send this to the last ten people in your notifications. Spread the positivity ❤️

Thank you!! <3

1. Music

2. Books

3. Pinterest

4. My friends

5. Baking

Tags:

@natalieironside @nevada-the-bookwyvern @thebonecarver @always-bi-myself-moon-sky @nomass45 @twelve-kinds-of-trouble @the-blackdale @confused-as-all-hell @willothewhisper @sarcasticnightmareblaze

I think two of those didn’t tag… really sorry!

117 notes • Posted 2021-07-19 15:17:04 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[chilling-in-the-dark]

The Batboys As Vampires: Part 1 Bruce Wayne

This is a yandere story; it mentions elements of obsession, possessiveness, death, and it hints at noncon If any of this is triggering for you, I understand, and you don’t have to read it.

Bruce had been given another name when he was ten days old, but he had forgotten it long ago, as was often the case with those of his kind, as they took on new names to blend in often they would forget the ones they were born with.

Bruce’s father had been from a long line of purebred vampires, but he’d veered off tradition when he’d fallen in love with a woman from the Greek village he’d been visiting. Themis (Thomas as Bruce would refer to him much later in life) had been so sure about his love that he’d turned her the night they’d meet, and after a century together, they’d had a son. Bruce was born in Pompeii just eight years before the volcano erupted.

The small family had been happy, that is until the day the volcano blew erupted, his father having been quite old knew what was going to happen as soon as he felt the ground rumble below his feet. They’d sent Bruce on ahead because, at the time, he was still young enough to travel in daylight. After all, the magic in his blood wouldn’t truly sink in until he was older. Typically it was somewhere around age twenty, but Bruce was a bit of a late bloomer and hadn’t turned until he was thirty-five.

Nearly two millennia passed before he’d meet you, Alfred had been by his side for almost all of that time, though seeing as Alfred was one of the first vampires, he chose to serve him. Bruce wasn’t under any illusions the man before him was more powerful the Bruce could ever hope to be, the only reason Alfred listened to Bruce was that he’d chosen to.

Though you didn’t know anything about the dynamics of vampires when you came to be a maid in the Wayne household, it was not the first manor house you’d served in after being born in Victorian London, there had been no other choice for your lot in life. You were the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, one who couldn’t let your birth sully his good name, so he’d done everything in his power to see that the only place your mother could go was the workhouse. Luckily by the time you were old enough to be put to work, they’d started sending children out to smaller homes where they could be trained in a trade.

For the girls of the workhouse, that meant becoming a domestic servant, while the boy’s learned to be all manner of things, such as tailors and carpenters, among other things you couldn’t quite remember. Having tried your best to suppress all memories of that place, of the cruelty you’d faced there, and of the night’s, you couldn’t sleep because you’d longed for a mother you’d only seen in passing.

You learned quickly why Lord Wayne couldn’t get his servants from the nearby village, some of the more superstitious locals whispered things about him secretly being a monster, but you’d never really believed in things like that. People were monsters enough on their own.

Things had gone well enough for the first year of your service to Lord Wayne, even if it’d taken you a while to get used to doing your job at night, because of Lord Wayne’s apparent allergy to sunlight. He wasn’t the harshest Master you’d ever had; in fact, when it came to his servant’s, he was one of the least strict you’d ever seen, though that isn’t to say he’d tolerate laziness or jobs half done. Still, if a servant finished their work early and did their job well, they were more then welcome to spend their extra time however they liked.

You favored wandering the grounds, though your preferred spot was the pond out back, its calm clear waters mirrored the heavens in such a way that it almost looked like they had fallen to earth. It was there that you spoke Lord Wayne for the first time, sure you’d seen him in passing while doing your work but had never had a conversation with him. Lord Wayne had been sweet and charming, but something about him made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Bruce had fallen for you fast, and hard it seemed because, after that first meeting, he’d found himself drawn to you when he’d told this to Alfred the old vampire just smiled. Bruce knew you were meant to be his, and he’d tried to court you the normal way, but it seemed that you were immune to his charms.

It was time for Bruce to move on anyways because the Locals were growing more and more suspicious of him as time went on, so Bruce devised a plan, one that would kill two birds with one stone.

It was a few months later that Bruce informed his staff that he was going to America where he intended to be the founder of a new city, Gotham, he’d planned on calling it. Lord Wayne had written all of his staff recommendations, nearly everyone except for you. You watched as your colleges found new employment and left one by one until you were the only member of staff left. Well, there was Alfred, but Lord Wayne intended to take with him to America.

You made you your mind to confront him about it as soon as you finished your duty’s today, only you never got the chance to because Lord Wayne appeared before you in the familiar servants’ quarters, just as you were getting ready to start your work. Your face turned beet red when you looked over at him and found that he was naked as the day he was born.

“My Lord, what are you doing?” you squeaked and tried to turn away from the scene only for Bruce to grab your chin with near bruising force and make you look into his eyes. The vibrant blue of his eyes seemed to be replaced by a glowing purple, which you found yourself praying was just the moonlight playing tricks on your eyes, because the rumors around town about him being some sort of demon couldn’t possibly be true, could they?

You didn’t get long to linger that thought; as a second later, you had much bigger things to worry about, like the fact you couldn’t even control your own body. You stood there frozen in place until Lord Wayne took your hand and started to lead you down the stairs and through the main door, all the while your mind was screaming at you. Why was this happing to you? This was just a bad dream right, any moment now, you’d wake up in a cold sweat and let yourself have a laugh about allowing the rumors get in your head.

After what seemed like an eternity, you stopped before the small pond where you’d first spoken to Bruce. Tonight, it seemed as if someone had scattered an entire kitchens worth of herbs across its typically mirror-like surface, but you didn’t have long to take it in as Bruce removed your cap and unpinned your hair. When he was satisfied he’d gotten all the pins out, Bruce grabbed your bodice and tore it clean in half shift, corset and all leaving your upper body exposed to him while the lower half was still mercifully covered by your petticoats.

If you could move, you’d be shivering, and not only from to chill that always seemed to invade the air around your Master. Though you could still cry, it seemed as tears started to stream down your face as he removed the last of your garments. This was worse than anything you’d ever been forced to endure.

Satisfied with his work Bruce turned his attention back to the pond, he used his fangs to draw a single drop of his own blood, letting it fall into the water, watching as it died the whole pond red. He smiled with satisfaction, but if you could move, you’d be trembling with fear.

Satisfied with the condition of the water, Bruce turned to look at you and produced another drop of blood using the same method as before; he was old enough that a single drop of blood is all it’d take. Vampires had to be at least two hundred before they gained the power to turn another, but the older they were, the more potent their blood would become, and the less it would take.

Still not knowing what was happing, you found your mouth opening against your will so that Bruce could force his blood into your mouth. It tasted acidic, and it burned as it went down your throat. The second the blood settled in your stomach, you could feel that something was wrong, but you couldn’t tell what.

Bruce smiled, knowing that in a few days’ time, you’d be fully turned and by his side forever. Bruce took you by the hand and lead you into the water, where he’d perform the ritual that would tie your souls together for all eternity.

That night you lost everything, your innocence, your hope, and worst of all, your humanity.

Tags:

@yanderepeterparker​

@idkmanicantenglish​

@prettyafghan

@neon-phosphorecsent​

[scribble-blog]

Soulmate AU part 14!!!

First • Previous • Here • Next

“We’ve got a few minutes,” Abeille said as they sat on the roof of a nearby building. “Let’s have some fun while we’re sitting here! I don’t know- swing around a few buildings. Beat up some thugs. Gotham’s gotta have a few of those snooping about.”

“No, Abeille.” Marinette shot the idea down immediately. “It’s our first impression with them. They need to see us as real heroes, not a bunch of kids fooling around.”

“You’re no fun ever since you got back from your date with Wayne,” Chloé pouted, igniting Marinette’s sigh of- “yeah, yeah, no identity stuff. But still. Go on one afternoon outing and now you’ve got just as much of a stick up your ass as he did.”

“Maybe they traded out.” Adrien grinned at her, cat eyes brilliant in the darkness. “Somewhere, Damian Wayne is being fun and happy and probably shocking everyone who knows him. And we got stuck with grumpy pants over here.”

Marinette groaned. “I just want this to go well, guys. I don’t think we’ll have a second shot at reaching out for help like this-“ she cut off as movement caught her eyes. The building she’d been watching now had three figures atop it, small but silhouetted against the night sky. Quickly, one vanished just as quickly into shadow again.

“I think we’re up,” Marinette breathed to the other two. “Chat, you’ve got Trixx?”

The Kwami poked his head out. “I’m ready. Just say when.”

“Now,” Marinette ordered, and with the kwami’s power Chat flickered invisible. With a look at Chloé and the count of three, they both leapt from the building, making their way to Wayne Enterprises. She could hear Chat’s movement if she tried, but she was looking for it. She just hoped their arrival would mask his, and that he could hide well enough that they wouldn’t see him immediately when the illusion ran out.

The Wayne Building was tall, and Marinette bounded up it, propelled by her super strength and the retracting of her yo-yo, wrapped around some jutting piece of architecture at the top. Chloé was right beside her as they vaulted the edge, landing neatly on the rooftop, and she just barely heard the soft landing that indicated Adrien had made it. In sync with them, it was unnoticeable.

There were two heroes waiting for them. Red Robin again, who looked almost- excited to see them. And the other had to be Robin, with the red-green-yellow ensemble. She assumed immediately that the third figure had been Batman himself- and that they had been trying to play the exact same game as them, in bringing a hidden extra party. She kept herself from smirking. Reputation or no, they had magic to hide Adrien. And she already knew someone else on their side was there.

“You must be Ladybug. And Reine Abeille.” Red Robin started, voice warm and welcoming. It set Marinette off immediately. “I’m glad Miss Dupain-Cheng was able to set up this meeting for you. From what I’ve gathered, there’s been some pretty terrible things going on in Paris.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. He’d known absolutely nothing about it last night. So he must have been doing his research in the intervening hours. What all had he found?

“Then you know about the magical terrorists, Hawkmoth and Mayura,” Marinette let her inner Ladybug out, her voice commanding.

“Well, not so much,” Red Robin tilted his head, and Marinette suddenly pinned it in her mind: this was some sort of- gimmick. A test? They wanted to see how much she’d just go spilling to them. “There isn’t much that makes it onto accessible news sources. Everything I know comes straight from your LadyBugOut App.”

“Tt. The app barely tells us anything, Red Robin. For all we know, they could be playing us for fools.” Robin leaned away from his casual, dismissive stance on the wall, in towards them. “Why should we believe you when the only proof you have is your own word and videos that could have been created and edited by you?”

As he stood up and walked closer, Marinette felt anger thrumming in her veins. So this was their strategy- one of them open and ready to listen and believe, the other derogatory and making them angry so they revealed more than they wanted to. “I suppose when you put it like that, the evidence doesn’t hold up,” She said coldly. “But if you wish, I also suppose I could bring you back to Paris and wait a bit. Proof comes just about once a day now, and the last akuma was almost twenty hours ago.”

The boy didn’t answer her, but under his mask she could practically feel the weight of his disinterest and disbelief, whether or not it was an act to pry information from her.

“No need for anything like that,” Red Robin soothed.

“No,” Abeille cut him off. “I think there is a need. We didn’t come here to be baited for information by you. If you want to know something, ask. But don’t play games and don’t try to trick us. We’ll pull our third out of hiding, if you want to bring your other two members up here and actually talk to us.”

“Two?” Red Robin gaped. ��But-“

Marinette gazed at him coolly as he floundered. If Chloé was bluffing, she’d bluffed wrong. But both her senses and Chat’s were a bit higher strung than hers...

She said, “Chat?” And out of the darkness her partner sprang, vaulting off the roof and returning half a moment later with Red Hood clutched beside. As he did so, Batman slunk out of whatever corner of shadow he’d hidden in, and immediately Chat separated himself.

“That’s what I thought,” Chloé smirked, and Marinette turned back to Red Robin, who’s face was open and bemused, and Robin, whose face didn’t give nearly so much away. But all of the hostility that had been there before had melted away, so she felt it prudent to stop glaring.

“Now, if we could all behave like adults and actually discuss the situation in Paris,” Chat Noir dusted himself off. “It’s getting late, and this cat has a nap he’d like to get back to.”

“Late?” Red Hood looked up at the sky, which had only just lost the last color from dusk. There weren’t any stars.

“In Paris,” Marinette said dryly. “We’re a bit ahead of you.”

“Tell us about Hawkmoth,” Batman ordered, and she felt herself almost snap to attention. The man had a voice that made you want to listen, funnily enough for his seemingly reclusive nature as a vigilante.

“We’ve been fighting him for four years now,” Marinette started. “Our abilities are powered by the jewelry we wear- called the Miraculous- and Hawkmoth has two that we believe were stolen at least ten years ago, but it is quite possible that he has possessed them for longer. The Butterfly Broach gives him the ability to find people with large amounts of emotion- he generally targets those who are sad or angry- and he turns them into monstrous versions of the victims called Akuma. His partner, Mayura, uses the Peacock broach. It grants a similar ability, but it is able to transform items and not people into Sentimonsters that usually assist the Akumas Hawkmoth creates. She appears much less frequently, and her monsters are less reliable- they’ll disappear before battles are over, without warning.”

“And what do they want?” Robin asked, face hard.

She faced him again. “Hawkmoth’s ultimate goal is to claim both mine and Chat Noir’s Miraculous. They grant us, individually, the powers of Destruction and Creation. With the two combined, he would be able to rewrite the world in any way his heart desires- which is terrible enough, but each wish also comes with a severe price. The kind of price that once started the Black Plague, or sank Atlantis into the Sea.”

“He could rewrite history, crown himself King of everything, and then the world might split in two to balance it out or something?” Red Hood chuckled. “Kid, pull the other one.”

He was met with three faces of stone.

“We have watched Paris burn.” Chat said coldly, voice like ice. “We have watched it’s people drown. The whole city, reduced to rubble, people enslaved by the whims of this madman. Maybe, at the beginning, we laughed it off like you did. But this- monster- has attacked people for years, with no repercussions, and it is only by the grace of my Lady’s Miraculous Cure that Paris still exists.”

“Each time he does this- each time someone dies in battle, each time the Eiffel Tower is obliterated, each time we have to usher our people into safe houses and subways so they don’t have to see the bodies and the destruction-“ Abeille shook her head. “Each time could be the time he wins. Each time could be the time Ladybug can’t cast the Cure. Each time is another layer of proof that no matter what he wishes for, Hawkmoth could never wish for anything that wouldn’t be hurting someone, in some way, that he would never care or even think about.”

“And the Wish itself, Monsieur Hood,” Marinette took up, “is as ruthless as it is fair. Balance between luck and misfortune, between good and bad, between creation and destruction is the balance the fate of our world relies on. One man’s wish for a successful harvest after several lean years resulted in the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii. With what Hawkmoth has shown he is willing to do- I would not trust him with these jewels if he were the last living hands on earth to place them into.”

The three heroes watched, silent, as their words sank in to the stunned vigilantes of Gotham.

TAGLIST:

@the-fusionist @rebecarojas07 @lowandco @kotaleartzu @resignedcatservant @alenee13 @mystery-5-5 @ladybug-182 @actual-disaster-human @loysydark @rumbelle18 @magic-miraculous @vixen-uchiha @athena452 @mochegato @ash-amg @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @thestressmademedoit @sassakitty @doriebell @toodaloo-kangaroo @myazael @theatreandcomicfreak @mer-mel @dahjokester @northernbluetongue @abrx2002 @area51qt @jessigurl-design @renscorpio @cici-schnee @multplelifes @redscarlet95 @razzledazzle247 @rosep16 @emotionalsupportginger @kceedraws @tired-butterfly @kuroko26 @catthhay @moonystars14 @shamefullove @shreky-boi @imanerddealwith @chaosace @captainmac6 @purple-people-eaters-productions @crazylittlemunchkin @weird-pale-blonde-person @bigpicklebananatree

[arizonapoppy]

Hey Poppy! Happy week between holidays! For the ask game, I want to know the best things you watched this year - 24 & 25! 💕

Hi Sunny! Happy meld-with-the-sofa-week to you too!

#24: best episode you watched this year

Oooo.... I'm going to say Episode 2 of Loki, "The Variant." I really liked the mystery aspect, and Loki trying to infect Pompeii with time deviances was hilarious. Plus, the scenes of the TVA as the Atlanta Marriott in disguise warmed the cockles of my DragonCon heart.

#25: best movie you watched this year

I really really really like Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I loved the bromance between Shaun and Katy. The martial arts were great, I love Morris the hundun, and I thought it was really cool that the first 15 minutes were entirely in Mandarin. Hopefully this will make the locals more accepting of things that are not in English.

Send me an end-of-year fandom ask!