#hes off to the side telling marc to be nice to peter

[stiffyck]

was thinking about the fact that peter currently has like absolutely no one (fuck no way home) and i just think that he should get attached to moon knight.

(i need to see marc accidentally adopting a very lonely teenager okay. steven would love peter i know this in my heart.)

[themculibrary]

Swimming Pools Masterlist

A Little Room to Sway (ao3) - dollylux wanda/natasha E, 20k

Summary: Wanda and Natasha make a list of five things they have never done and always wanted to do. (post-Age of Ultron/pre-Civil War.)

Drain You (ao3) - apodiopsys steve/thor E, 1k

Summary: It's unknown if there's a connection between having sex with Thor and the thunderstorm happening simultaneously.

everything the water can be (ao3) - jehans steve/bucky E, 5k

Summary: “Tell you what, big guy,” Bucky purrs, matching Steve’s tone, “if you win this thing—”

“This is practice,” Steve interrupts like a dumbass, “there is no winning.”

Bucky’s lopsided smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah,” he concedes, still in that slow molasses drawl, “but you guys all keep track of your time, right? I’ve watched you all compare notes after practice.”

Steve laughs. They’re a team of competitive little shits, they absolutely do that. “Yeah, okay, fair enough,” he relents.

“So,” Bucky continues slowly, his blush deepening, “you get the best time today...,” he takes a breath, drops his voice even lower, and soughs, “I’ll let you take off my clothes. All of ‘em.”

Shit.

Steve suddenly realizes what a fucking moron he is for having initiated this line of flirtation here at the pool and right before practice.

Going Under (ao3) - missbecky steve/tony E, 4k

Summary: When it was too hot for even Captain America to go for his morning run, that was just too damn hot. But Steve just shrugged and said he would have to find some other way to get his morning exercise.

Which is how he and Tony ended up in the pool.

Hydrotherapy (ao3) - BlossomsintheMist steve/tony E, 5k

Summary: It was nice, floating, like this. Not being terrified, not worrying about it, even though the water of the pool was washing over his belly, soft and cool at the sides of his face, damp at his temples, at the edges of his closed eyes. “I’ve got you, Tony,” Steve muttered, and it was so sweet, so soft, in his ears, washing over him like the water of the pool lapping at his body, cool at his ears, tugging at his hair.

In Summation (ao3) - geckoholic steve/natasha E, 3k

Summary: The location of their latest mission has a private pool for upper-scale guests. Natasha and Steve grab the opportunity and put it to good use.

Las Vegas (ao3) - elcapitan_rogers steve/natasha E, 219k

Summary: Steve was freaking out over his own wedding and the gang decided to take him to Las Vegas to unwind him.

Lonely Christmas (or The Jacuzzi Date) (ao3) - lunaemoth darcy/steve T, 2k

Summary: Darcy stared at the red lingerie spread on her table and said “Merry Christmas Darcy” with as much cheer as she could muster. Offering herself a Christmas gift was sad... pathetic even, she mused. Of course it was that or no gift at all, so the choice was easily made... but that was truly pathetic. She sighed and ate one more chocolate.

moments like this (ao3) - Pericardiaca steve/tony E, 4k

Summary: A day in the life of our superfamily: Peter gets a swimming lesson, Tony motherhens a little and then there's some adult alone time when the little menace is finally in bed. Steve also makes an interesting fashion choice.

Moving Home (ao3) - loves_buckybarnes layla el-faouly/steven/marc E, 38k

Summary: Layla is missing living in Cairo so she asks Steven and Marc if they want to move to Cairo, her father left her the house in her name, the house she grew up in, so they decide to go visit and see if they want to live there.

Nice For What (ao3) - grimeysociety bucky/darcy E, 3k

Summary: “Well, maybe I want to hang out with Bucky for once. We’ll wear black and roam the streets looking for victims. And then we’ll eat candy by the pool.” “Sounds like a date,” Bucky said, not quite believing she meant what she said.

Night Swim (ao3) - vespertineflora steve/bucky E, 3k

Summary: "What are you doing down here?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Wanted to swim.” Bucky flicks a few drops of water at Steve’s legs and says, “You should join me.”

“Didn’t bring a suit,” Steve replies as he holds his arms open a bit helplessly. Honestly, he’d come down here to let Bucky know he was back, hoping to go back to their apartment so that some snuggling and sleeping could follow. He hadn't really planned on swimming.

A wicked grin spreads over Bucky’s face as he says, “Neither did I.”

Pool Therapy (ao3) - cooper_west clint/phil T, 3k

Summary: The YMCA three blocks down the road from SHEILD’s New York offices is the most security conscious YMCA in the country.

road trips and sliding (ao3) - orphan_account G, 3k

Summary: peter finds out tony has a awesome pool in california. A road trip and lots and lots of slides and swimming!

Spring Break '87 (ao3) - CrunchySalad rhodey/tony E, 4k

Summary: For this prompt on avengerkink. Tony is desperately trying to seduce Rhodey, but Rhodey resists because Tony's just a lonely seventeen-year-old and Rhodey doesn't want to take advantage of that. Unfortunately for Rhodey, spring breaks aren't exactly known as bastions of good judgement.

Swimmy, Shackled, Sated and Shagged (ao3) - 51PegasiB darcy/steve, maria/darcy, darcy/pepper/tony E, 5k

Summary: Darcy's dreams are having an impact on her ability to enjoy her days as a live-in sub, but not as much of an impact as keeping up with the emotional roller-coaster that is serving several very different people per day. Will she settle in? Or will this all turn out to be too much? And will she ever get a good night's sleep.

Weekend Away (ao3) - Emily_Davison G, 5k

Summary: Tony takes his Little, Peter, on a small weekend away in a luxurious villa he recently bought by the sea and some of the Avengers tag along.

Whose Pool is this? It's my Pool now! (ao3) - M_Bella_lib peter/wade E, 5k

Summary: On a late-night patrol, Spider-Man stumbles upon Deadpool who invites him to take a dip in his pool. The cover of night encourages Spider-Man to take him up on the offer. Many things are encouraged in the darkness.

[atlasscrumpit]

Could you do a Dad moon knight Yandere where child reader always talks to there stuffed animal, making stories (kind of like Wendy from Peter Pan) and wishes every night to be taken away.

I wonder if the child could be an accidental source of info for moon knight with there stories are based off what narrow said in the meeting.

And could the child mispronounce Ammit as Armpit and Khonshu is like, “We’re keeping it.”

Then one of the boys says ‘Khonshu’ at one point and the child says “Bless you.”

And Marc’s like, “Yes. Yes we are keeping them.”

A new addition

You lay in your bed with your stuffed animal clutched to your chest as you let tears slowly fall from your eyes.

“I don’t understand why he’s always so angry. Especially at me.” You whispered, stroking your hand over the soft fabric of the toy.

“I wish…I wish one of those superheroes from tv would help me. Maybe even one of the villains.” You whispered, closing your eyes and imagining what it would be like to have one of those superheroes wrap you up in their arms and tell you it was all going to be okay.

But they were just dreams, this was reality.

—

“I don’t know what to do. This guy has no connections, but all connections. Argh!” Marc shouted, grabbing his head in frustration.

“He has one connection that could help.” Khonshu said as Marc sighed and looked up at him.

“He has a daughter.” Khonshu said, Marc nodded but it did sound a bit sketchy.

“How old is she?” Marc asked, sitting down on the couch.

“I think she’s six.” Khonshu said as Marc’s eyes widened.

“Six! Are you serious?” Marc shouted, standing back up just as quick as he’d sat down.

“You’re suggesting we kidnap a six year old and interrogate her?” Marc growled as Khonshu just looked down at him.

“Yes.” He said simply as Marc groaned and covered his face.

“Fine.”

—

Marc stood outside an apartment complex, looking up in thought.

Was he really going to interrogate a six year old?

He sighed and scaled up the side of the building to where he knew your bedroom was.

He crept up to the window and peaked in to see you curled up in the corner on your room, with your teddy bear clutched to your chest.

He could see the blood and bruises from here. He knew your father was corrupt but he didn’t know he was that evil.

Marc and even Steven and Jake decided there and then that they would take you away for good.

This life wasn’t what you deserved.

He opened the window and saw your head peak up in the dark.

You gasped and smiled, running up to him.

It wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.

“It came true!” You shouted in excitement running up to him and hugging his legs.

“Um, hi.” He muttered awkwardly petting your head.

“Marc, she’s a child not a puppy.” Steven said as Marc looked down at you, if he was being honest he was more scared of you then you were of him.

“Are you here to rescue me?” You asked as Steven took control, his outfit changing making you gasp in excitement.

“Woah! You’re so cool!” You shouted making him chuckle, he knelt down to you and retracted his mask so you could see his smile.

“We are here to rescue you, love. Did your father do this to you?” He asked, gently reaching up to brush his finger over your cheek.

“Yeah…he was angry.” You muttered making Steven look at you sadly.

“Well, he’s not a nice man. But, it’s okay. We’re going to take you away, you’ll be safe. Do you want to pack up a little bag to take with you?” He asked as you nodded excitedly and began running around your room, mainly grabbing toys.

When you were done you secured the backpack and went back to Steven.

“Okay! I’m ready!” You shouted making him chuckle.

It was a little sad that you were so eager to go with anyone.

Steven picked you up in his arms and you wrapped your smaller arms around his neck.

“It’s not exactly what we planned, but Khonshu will be happy.” Steven muttered as you looked at him in confusion.

“Did you sneeze?” You asked making him laugh.

“Oh, yeah. We’re definitely keeping you, love.”

[80pairsofcrocs]

baby scarab || 27

flo flo - hellooo, flower anon here. could we possibly get the reader meeting Peter Parker, or them seeing him on the news and trying to reach out?

~~~

anon - Do you think I’m an upcoming chapter the boys can comfort a reader who’s breaking down and terrified that the boys are gonna leave her like everyone else so she starts pushing them away as a defense mechanism?

~~~

anon - Could we get some grandpa Khonshu cuddles and comfort maybe 👉👈

~~~

A/N : teeny weeny angst and some fluff <3

masterlist - marvel masterlist - series masterlist

A/N : dude ive been getting so many requests for meeting peter so here you go!

playlist

please enjoy, and don't be shy if you want to be in the taglist, just ask <3, sorry for the long wait

pairings : steven grant x (platonic)reader, marc spector x (platonic) reader, khonshu x (platonic)reader, jake lockley x (platonic)reader

TW : medicine (pills), language, spidey stuff, sad ending(?), mentions of violence. let me know if i missed anything

~~~

you’d been nodding off while marc and layla chatted about god knows what.

it was nice, just listening. marc and layla made a nice couple, sure it was a bit strange that there are three different people in the one body, but she puts up with it just fine.

except when steven told you about when he and layla kissed and how marc punched him in the face.

all being in the same body, too.

you would’ve payed to see steven punch himself in the face, you would’ve never let it go either.

you tried to get marc to do it again but no amount of money could convince him.

you see, marc and steven had gotten fine with the whole ‘sharing a body’ thing.

it took a little time to get used to jake being there, but they assure you that it’s all going to work out.

it honestly surprised you how well they all got along considering the obvious.

you know for a fact you’d go bonkers if your reflection talked to you.

well, more bonkers than you already are according to over half the people you know.

you felt something poke your shoulder. “kid, you gotta stay awake right now” marc says, and you figured that he was the one that poked you.

you nod and keep your eyes open, sitting up fully and bringing your knees to your chest.

you hear layla chuckle softly. “you two should probably head home” she advises and you see marc nod.

“nooo but i wanna stay” you whine and marc gives you a look.

“not tonight” marc responds and you groan.

he scoffs and flicks you in the side of the head. “come on, it’s time to go. it’s getting late” he says and you begrudgingly get up as slow as you can.

marc and layla were already standing while you dramatically sighed.

“you’re still in your work clothes, you need to come home and change” marc says.

“i have clothes she could borrow” layla quietly speaks up and marc darts his head to her while you grin to yourself.

“no- don’t encourage her” marc tells layla and you get pouty again.

marc nudges you so that you’re in front of him, while you walk towards the door, layla following.

you make it to the door and slip your shoes on, then you turn back to glare at marc, who’d been waiting arguably patient for you.

“say goodbye, then go wait in the car” he tells you and you squint your eyes at him.

 you tear your gaze away from marc when layla comes to stand in front of you, putting a hand on your shoulder before pulling you into a light hug, you reciprocating it almost instantly.

“don’t worry, little scarab, i’ll see you soon” layla says to you and you smile at the nickname she’d given you.

you and layla shift out of the hug, you waving as you open the door and leave, knowing marc would be out soon.

you sat in the car for about 45 seconds before marc came out, getting in the car and starting it without a word.

“what were you doing in there?” you ask suspiciously.

marc doesn’t say anything still and pulls out of the parking spot, starting to drive back the way you came, excusing the traffic since it was late.

“they were snogging” steven says suddenly and marc groans.

you snort and shake your head.

“i knew it” you mutter.

“no you didn’t” marc counters and you scoff.

“hey, why do you get to kiss people on the mouth and i can’t?” you ask, glaring in marc’s direction.

“because you’re too young”

“but steven said-“

“fuck steven”

“ouch, mate”

“don’t be mean to him, he’s sensitive” you whine, and steven laughs at you.

“but even jake said-“

“fuck him too” marc interrupts and you scoff again.

“you’re just jealous of him” you tell marc and he’s the one to scoff this time.

“don’t drag me into this” jake cuts in, and you wave him off.

“what’s there to be jealous of?” marc asks genuinely and you sigh.

“his hat”

“fuck his hat”

“nooo but i love his hat”

“yeah, she loves the hat, spector” jake cuts in yet again, and marc doesn’t say a word.

“yeah, stay quiet mansplainer” you mutter, and feel the car jerk to a quick stop before going again, while you feel like you just got whiplash.

marc chuckles at your spooked expression, and you debate on whether to smack him on the shoulder and possibly have him crash the car, or let him finally win one.

you let him have it.

you just slouched back in your seat and lent your head back on the head rest.

~~~

the rest of the ride was quiet, due to you and marc being pretty tired.

it was the most action filled day you’ve had in a while.

you two had gotten back to the apartment complex at almost 11 at night.

you were now in the elevator, marc clicking your floors button and then looking to you.

“i have something to tell you” he says hesitantly and you can tell he’s nervous by the way he’s unconsciously shifting from leaning on one foot to the other.

“yeah, what is it?” you ask gently, as to not make him more nervous.

“…” he takes a breath, and the elevator dings, you two only stepping out and not going any further.

“i’ve noticed- and you’ve told me that you wanted things to be ‘normal’ after.. the incident.. so if you want you can now walk to and from work by yourself” he ends the rant quietly and starts to speak again.

“and if you want, you can go to your own apartment whenever you want” he pauses.

“well- not that you couldn’t before it’s just that you can go by yourself” he corrects himself and looks away from you, starting to walk to his door.

you smile and make your way inside once he opens the door.

“you mean it?” you ask and he turns around from where he’s standing.

“well.. yeah” he shrugs.

you manage to smile even wider and get closer to him and give him a quick hug before moving to sit on the counter.

“why the sudden change of heart?” you ask, and he turns around to face you properly.

“he felt bad because he thinks you hate him” jake answers for him and you raise an eyebrow.

“you thought i hated you?” you ask quietly and marc shrugs.

“not hate, just..” he doesn’t finish his sentence while you let out a breath.

“marc” you start, and he finally gains the courage to look you in the eye.

“i could never hate you. any of you” you pause for a second. “what made you think that?” you almost hesitate in asking.

marc doesn’t answer, he just stares.

“he-“

“don’t, steven” he says in a softer tone than before, while you look at him with surprise.

it’s dead silent for another couple minutes, until you decide to break it.

“do you have any idea how much i love you?”

he says nothing- none of them do, they all just stared in a nervous type of surprise.

“you guys are my life now” you say and you begin to smell a certain scent of salt that only tears produce.

marc shifts his gaze to anywhere but you, so you slide off the counter to make your way to him.

“hey- are you crying?” you turn him around to see him wipe a tear off his cheek.

you soften your gaze and pull him into another hug, marc immediately reciprocating while trying his hardest to keep his composure.

you just silently rub his back while you hear steven and jake talking to him, but you don’t notice what they say due to your own thoughts.

after a minute, you gently push marc away, and seeing that he wasn’t actively crying, but did look like he just was.

you see his eyes roll back into his head before a more stern expression takes over.

“he just needs a minute” jake waves you off, while you nod understanding, not seeing him in any of the reflections that steven are in.

“come on, princesa, you’re tired” jake starts and you groan, followed by a small yawn, which just proves his point.

jake and steven both chuckle before putting a hand on your shoulder and leading you to bed.

you slip off your jacket and shove it into jakes chest, and flopping down face first onto the bed.

you hear jake chuckle before setting your coat down on the kitchen table before doing the same with his and shoving you aside to sit down beside you.

you sit up and reach behind jake to grab his hat, which was hanging on the edge of the bed frame.

you put it on his head and yank it down so that it covers his eyes, making him smile.

“come on, go to bed” jake shuffles so that he’s laying down, you following and letting him pull you over so that you were laying your head on his chest.

“night, princesa” he readjusts his hat, and leans his head back.

“night, jake” you pause.

“night, steven. night, marc” you finish, hearing them both saying the same back, marc a bit quieter than usual.

and not too long after that, sleep overtook you.

~~~

*tap tap tap*

you wake up to the sound of tapping coming from somewhere, as you try to fall back asleep.

*tap tap*

and then, ringing.

your spidey senses were going crazy all of a sudden, and you shoot up, careful not to wake jake.

you look around the room and see nothing unusual, but when your eyes scanned over the window, the ringing became louder.

looking to jake, you decide to slowly get up to go check it out, wrist pointing towards the window.

you hear another tap, and think you’re about to go crazy when you pull the curtains back and see nothing.

you let out a sigh and open the window quietly, looking to jake to make sure he didn’t wake up.

after opening the window, you peak your head out and look down, seeing nothing so you decide to go back inside, but that was before you heard something coming from above you.

you were on a pretty high floor, but you had no problem since you could literally stick to walls.

you give one last look to jake, mentally promising you’d go check this out and head right back to bed.

climbing out the window, you stick to the wall and crawl up until you’re at the roof, looking around at all the huge fans and vents.

your spidey senses stopped, and you scoffed to yourself, shaking your head and moving to leave when an arm wraps around your waist and arms, and another hand around your mouth tightly.

you struggle in the grip, trying to turn around to see who it was but this persons grip was too tight on you.

you stop and take a couple deep breaths as the person shushes you and you hear a weird clinking noise.

“heyheyhey, clam down” the person says, and you register the voice to be male.

he takes the hand off your mouth and you take a few breaths before trying to pry his other hand off you.

you’d just now realized that the entirety of his hands and arms were some type of metal.

“hey- listen i just want to talk” he says calmly and you scoff.

“yeah, that’s what they all say” you say, and still struggle in getting him off of you.

you debate on calling jake, but you feel like you could handle this since this guy might actually just want to talk.

“i’m being serious” he scoffs and slowly let’s go of you, so you throw yourself away from him and turn around with your hands out in front of you.

you see his face and see that he just looks like a normal boy, just in a.. suit with a spider on it.

you look at him confused, and he takes that as his cue to explain.

“i should probably explain myself” he says almost guiltily and you nod.

“my names peter. peter parker” he gestures to himself, and you purse your lips.

“i’m.. im spider man” he stutters and you just blink at him.

he sighs. “edith heard about you- she knows what goes on everywhere-“

“who’s edith?”

“my glasses- just listen” he answers and you nod.

“i’m here to help you” he starts. “so i hear that you go around stopping.. convenient store robbers?” he asks and you nod hesitantly.

“okay so what exactly are you here to help with?” you ask and he sighs again. 

“better control with your abilities” he starts. “it took me a while myself, and you’re pretty much the only hero here in london” he explains and you nod.

“that’s nice” you begin. “i have to get back to bed” you blurt out.

“oh- for sure, i just- i just found you and got antsy- sorry” he apologizes and you snort.

“well. okay, spider boy. i’ll.. i’ll see you around” you give him a two fingered salute and jump off the roof to slide down the wall and back into jakes room.

you see that he’s still asleep, but has an arm around one of the pillows due to your absence.

you sigh and close the window and curtains before climbing into bed again, replacing the pillow with jake.

you didn’t fall asleep right away, you just stayed awake thinking.

who the hell did peter parker think he was? does he not have a family that misses him while he’s out here wanting to help a random girl that his glasses heard on the news?

none of this made sense. whenever this guy shows up again you’re going to have him explain everything.

the full truth.

you’re just going to have to dodge the guys’ questions.

you wanted to go back to sleep, but you simply couldn’t.

so you once again got back up and moved to the couch, scrolling on your phone.

“what’s wrong, spiderling?” khonshu shows up perched on the back of the couch.

“nothin’. but you saw that whole thing didn’t you?” you ask and khonshu nods.

“shit” you mutter. “please don’t tell any of the guys” you request and khonshu nods again.

“you’re the best” you smile. “this is why you’re my favorite” you say and he laughs quietly.

“that is nice of you, but you’re dodging my question” he says and you groan quietly.

“it’s just… why did marc think the i hated him?” you ask quietly, mood going down.

khonshu doesn’t say anything, hey just moves to sit next to you, leaning on the armrest.

“he doesn’t really think that” khonshu starts. “he’s just scared”

you furrow your brows. “what? scared of-“

“of doing something wrong” he elaborates and you look up at khonshu in confusion.

“but he-“

“he took your thoughts into consideration” he pauses. “and he thinks that he should give you some time before you want to be around him again”

you feel your eyes tear up at this.

marc didn’t want to be around you because he’s scared of fucking up?

let me rephrase that- he didn’t want you around him. 

khonshu taps your shoulder and you blink away your tears.

“he’s just like a woman” he starts. “so emotional and full of dumb ideas” he says and you scoff, hitting khonshu in the arm.

“he is” you agree with the ‘emotional’ part. not the woman part, because you now want to beat up this stupid death bird.

nothing else is said as you yawn again, and you carefully lean on khonshu, who doesn’t react.

after a minute, he slowly reaches an arm around you and pats your shoulder.

once again, you fell asleep again.

this time, with khonshu. your angry grandpa.

~~~

jake woke up to an empty bed, which worried him until he saw you on the couch.

he was confused to see you leaning against khonshu while he ran his wrapped fingers over the stickers on his moon stick.

“khonshu, what the hell is this?” jake asks, adjusting his hat so that he can actually see as he gets up.

“she was distressed” he answers simply and jake scoffs.

“did she go out again?” he asks and khonshu shakes his head.

“no, just came over here and scrolled on her tiny box” khonshu said and jake seemed to believe him.

you stirred in your sleep, throwing your hand up while stretching and hitting khonshu in the face.

“fuck-“

you gasp and shoot up from where you were laying on khonshu. 

“khonshu just said a no-no word!” you exclaim, and you hear jake scoff from where he was in the kitchen.

you felt bad about leaving him in the middle of the night, but you pushed it to the back of your mind as you got up.

“listen, i uh.. i think i’m going to go back to my place for a bit” you say, and jake looks at you confused.

“by myself.” you elaborate. “just for a while” you mutter, fidgeting with your fingers.

jake stares at you from where he’s standing, an emotion on his face that you could register.

“that’s alright” he nods, and you gather your jacket in your arms and slip on your shoes.

“i’ll see you later” you say quietly and unlock the door to leave.

jake didn’t know what just happened. you’d woken up.. and just left.

none of them knew what to feel right now. they were ultimately confused.

“what in the bloody hell just happened?” steven cuts the silence, and marc is heard taking a couple deep breaths.

“i fucked up didnt i? it’s what i said last night” he says and jake goes to deny that claim.

“you didn’t do anything”

“yeah, mate it’s just.. maybe she’s all in her head about something” steven suggests and they all nod slowly, still not feeling normal without you there.

~~~

they didn’t know that you were a couple doors down, knees to your chest against your door.

not crying, just sitting there.

you were the scared one now.

why did marc tell you that he thought you hated him? was it to subtly hint that he didn’t want you around anymore?

was it to push you away?

you don’t know.

you never know.

you just needed a minute.

just a minute.

~~~

A/N : sorry its late, but here :) peter parker will return, for this is only the first quick meeting

hope you all enjoyed <3

taglist ---

@alexloveskili @ihatemyselfmorethanmydepression @thebiggestsimpshrimp @guyinachair27 @astrobuzzsstuff @mooonlight-and-stars @moonlighting87 @mateihavenoidea @inactive-things @alondrashultz @femalemarvelself @queenthorin1 @haileymorelikestupid @jvdethirlwall @justtiredandvibing @winterfrostsarmy @themapoftinyperfectthings @littlebird101 @atzlena @httpslinow @arrowurboat @m-brekker @lifeandbandmembers-blog @adamcarlsenslvr @violet-19999 @seninjakitey @bestgirlpip @panic-in-the-multiverse @in-between-the-cafes @branolagar @bl6o6dy @annoyingmarvelreader @bee-a-cool-kid @buzzitsbeee @wintergirlsoilder2 @crow-carcass @you-bloody-shank @distinguishedmakerpandapatrol @magnificentcreatorpenguin @50shadesofcrocs @hutaos-gh0st @kayane28

[multi-fandom-freak0221]

If Your Done With Embarrassing Me On Your Own Won't You Go Ahead and Tell Them

Oh my god y'all have just blown me away. I was not expect so much positive feed back. I was screaming so much I could not Believe how much you guys liked that. And so many people are asking to be tagged in the next part thank you guys so much. Also can I just say moving from Google Docs to Tumblr was a bitch to do and I hated it. But y'all inspired me so much that I decided to just go ahead and type it up on tumblr and move it to Google Docs afterwards.

This part's title is from "Impossible" by Shontelle. The song in this part is "Young Volcanoes" by Fall Out Boy

This is Part 2 of my fic based on @misashabunbun 's Love of Three.

Part 1

Tagging List (I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I NEED ONE.):

@thestressmademedoit @colorfulmongerpsychicranch @lizziejay @indecisive-mess-named-me @captainmac6 @luveverything12 @kris-pines04 @brokenwordsarehard2

To say Marinette was busy would be an understatement. Between working with Luka and Uncle Jagged producing her album as Neon Titanium and her friends insisting that they help heal her brokenheart she felt like she was caught in a whirl wind. But it was nice she had fun. Luka and Uncle Jagged knew how to turn the hard work of producing music into a fun experience while still being efficient. And her friends they had her laughing harder than she laughed in while and smiling brighter than their resident sunshine child. They did everything they could think off.

She went shopping with Chloe and Kagami. She watched horror movies with Alix, Nathaniel, and Adrien. Marc and Luka let her rant to them which turned into a crying session which then turned into a meditation session. And on top of that her and Peter hung out as well. Whether they just worked in silence together on their respective projects or they were pranking Uncle Tony, kwami did she have fun renaming the protocols on the Iron Man suit. Soon Peter easily fit his way into her group of friends abd he fit in perfectly. Everyone got along with him.

But he wasn't the last to join their ragtag group. Everyone was shocked when Felix Graham De Vanily came to their group offering Marinette condolences on her lost engagement. He was sincere and courteous so of course no one was surprised when Marinette invited him to join in the currently planned game of dodgeball, except maybe Felix himself. But nonetheless he joined in the competition and found himself hanging out with the rest of the group as well. Soon his cold off-standish demeanor was traded for sly smirks and slick humor that nobody caught at first except Marinette and Peter who would laugh openly at his responses.

Soon enough Felix was a part of the group and felt comfortable letting his guard down. It help that they didn't treat him as the Graham De Vanily heir or Adrien's asshole cousin. They treat him like Felix, the boy who while very proper cried watching Big Hero 6. Also the boy who slam dunked on Adrien without breaking a sweat. Yet he still is the master of backhanded compliments and insulting people with a smile and having them thank him. He could truly be himself and he was thankful.

And while he easily was getting along with everyone, anyone with easy could see he had a soft spot for Peter and Marinette in general. It was in the way his face would soften when looking at them. Or the way he would smile when Marinette would get excited over something. Or the way he always paid attention to Peter when he was geeking out. It was the way he softly teased them over their height, Marinette being the shortest of the group and Peter only being taller than Marinette and Alix. And everyone knew Marinette's heart was still healing, so it came no surprise when Felix and Peter started dating. And while everyone was happy for them no one, but Marinette herself missed the looks of longing both boys would send towards her.

Believe it or not Felix was not the most surprising addition to their friend group. No the last addition came soon after Marinette formally did an interview after too much press took notice of Damian Wayne's fiancee being seen for the first time in almost a year, in New York of all places.

She remembered Uncle Tony setting up the interview with someone he trusted. She was glad that this was only an interview as Damian Wayne's (ex) fiancee and not MDC or Neon Titanium. She can only imagine how big a deal it will be when she reveals. But that was future Marinette's problem. Present Marinette had to focus on what to say without giving too much details because no matter how much he deserved it, she didn't want to throw Damian to wolves like that. She settled on saying that she was going through some things and no longer was content in Gotham. She claimed that she decided it was in her best interest to leave, but she didn't want to make a big deal about which is why nothing had been said until now.

The interview went well and everyone accepted her answers. It was released about a month after she left Damian and two weeks since Peter and Felix started dating. She still got news alerts for Gotham so she was waiting with baited breath for her interview to reach the Gotham, but it never seemed to. No announcements from WE or the Wayne family in general. She couldn't say it didn't hurt that no one even realized she was gone yet. But what hurt more was when 2 weeks after her interview she got an alert from Gotham Gazette saying the Damian claimed they set a date for their wedding. She cried that day. How could he not even notice she was gone? Was he so used to lying about her and their relationship that he didn't even give a second thought to what he was saying any more? And while she despaired, she relished in the fact that her friends did not let her be alone. Her face was buried in Peter's neck, she was sat on Felix's lap, Chole was threading her fingers through her hair, her feet laid over Peter legs and settled on Marc's, Adrien sat on the floor in front of Felix a hand rest on her back and everyone gathered around as close as possible trying to physically reassure her. Luka was even humming softly. She appreciated all the love amd support she had and soon she was feeling much better. Eventually it turned into a puppy pile napping session and if she ended up curled up between Peter and Felix? Eh, nobody said anything.

It was these series of events that led to their newest and by far strangest addition to their friend group. Here it was, two days after Damian's announcement and here in front of her stands no other than Jonathan Kent, Damian's best friend.

"Hey, Mari. It's been a while, huh?" She could admit Jon looked nervous. The way he wouldn't meet her eyes and how his hand was rubbing his neck. But him bring nervous did nothing to calm her nerves about why he was even here.

Marinette took a deep breath and drew as much of her inner Ladybug as she could. "Why are you here, Jonathan?"

Jon flinched at how she used his full name. "I'm so sorry, Nette. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I didn't push harder. You were my friend too. I should have checked on you. Damian was such a good liar, I never knew. I should have known but I didn't and that doesn't excuse the fact that I wasn't there for you." Jon took a deep breath and finally met her eyes before speaking again. "But I'm going to do better, Nette. Whatever you need just say the word. Even if it means leaving. When we saw your interview Dad told Uncle Bruce to make sure his family was in order especially his youngest. He didn't give any details and Uncle Bruce got offended. I guess he did end up talking to Damian, but Damian doubled down on his lies and his family is believing him. But I know better because I saw what you said and I know even that wasn't the whole truth. So I want you to know I'm on your side."

Marinette was silent for a minute she study him and his words. The way she was looking at him made Jon feel like his whole soul was being judged, but he didn't dare look away. He needed her to know he meant it and that he was truly sorry for not being for. After a minute that felt like hours Marinette smiled softly at him. "I could always appreciate a hug from a friend." She held her arm open and Jon surged forward and hugged her tightly lifting her off the ground.

Marinette giggled a bit before he set her down. "Thanks, Jon for being here for me. I know Damian is you best friend-"

"He lost that right when he decided to lie to me repeatedly for his own benefit." Jon looked uncharacteristically upset at the fact.

"Well if you're in need of some more good friends, I know a group you should meet. Come on, we're about to have a pool day. I'm sure I have some swim trunks I've designed that you could probably fit. "

After they changed intl their respective swimwear, Mari led Jon to her Uncle Tony's pool where the rest of her friends were already waiting. "Hey guys! I'd like you to meet my friend Jon. He's in need of some good company."

Those who recognized Jon looked up surprised before see his nervous fidgeting and hearing Marinette's last sentence before nodding in understand. It was Peter who spoke up first. "Well any friend of Mari's is welcome with us. Come on we were about to play chicken fight!" And just like that their pool party was in swing. The played a couple pool games and had some snacks before Marinette decided to play some music. Soon a familiar tune was playing over the speakers.

When Rome's in ruins

It was Chole who started singing along first sitting laying on one of the pool chairs. In between Alix and Kagami.

We are the lions

Free of the colosseum.

In fields of poison

We're anitvenom

We're the beginning of the end.

Soon Alix was singing the next part as Chloe finished the first part.

Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds

It's all over now

Before it has begun

We've already won

Luka was quick to pick up the chorus while trying to get everyone to join in with him.

We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

While everyone was distracted with singing Luka had Adrien and Jon sneak with him behind the girls in the pool chair. Each of them grabbed one and threw them in the water. Luka grabbed Kagami, Adrien grabbed Chloe and Jon grabbed Alix.

We are wild

Americana, exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby?

As everyone else's singing tapered off into laughing, Marinette picked up the next part solo as she walked to the diving board and climbed up.

Come on, make it easy, say I never mattered

Run it up the flag pole,

She ended her singing with a cannonball into the pool. Peter picked it up from his place in Felix's arms.

We will teach you how to make boys next door out of assholes

He sung his verse looking at Felix the whole time, who scoffed jokingly when Peter winked at him, but gave a him a kiss after he was done singing. Marc and Nathaniel picked up where he left off dueting together.

Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds

And it's all over now

Before it has begun

We've already won

Soon everyone was singing along again to the chorus playing around splashing each other.

We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

We are wild

Americana, exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby?

Soon everybody had calmed down slightly singing a little quieter. Marinette her self was floating on her back towards the center of the pool. Smiling at all her support around her.

We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

We are wild

Americana, exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby?

As the song ended Jon was the first to speak. "What the fuck is in the water in Paris that makes y'all so talented?"

Peter laughed as he easily agreed, "That's what I said!"

Adrien chuckled at the Americans in their group antics. "To be fair, Felix is from London and Kagami is from Japan."

"Still! That is crazy. And Marinette I never knew you could sing like that!" Jon looked over towards the bluenette, his eyes softening at her.

Marinette giggled. "Neither did the rest of the world until Neon Titanium featured in Luka's last single."

"What?!" Jon exclaimed. "You're Neon Titanium?! I loved that song! Nette you're even more amazing than I thought."

Luka threw his hand up saying "Here, here." Making Marinette blush as all her friends joined in on complimenting her.

About a 3 weeks later, Marinette found herself working on a dress for her debut as Neon Titanium which uncle Tony insisted she do at a gala he's throwing. Which she suspects he's throwing just for her to debut because there was absolutely no gala planned before.

That was what she was doing when Jon, Felix, and Peter found her. It didn't take long for Jon to fit in with group. And with how often he stayed with them in New York instead of going back to Metropolis, no one was surprised when he started dating Peter and Felix. Marinette was happy for them even though it seemed like everyone was in happy relationships but her. But she knew she still had some things to work out before returning to the dating scene.

As they approached Marinette paused her sketching to look at her friends. "What's up guys? You needed something?"

The 3 boys looked at each other before Peter spoke up. "Yeah, actually. We wanted to tell you something." He rubbed the back of his neck before letting out a sigh. "We like you Marinette. A lot. And we would love for you to date us."

Marinette could feel the rejection on her tongue, but before she could say a word Jon cut her off.

"Let us finish first Nette. Please. After we're done you can tell us to never bother you again, but just let us get this out." Jon pleaded at her. Marinette just nodded and let them continue.

"We all like you a lot," Felix started his words very sincere. "But we all know that your still healing. We only told you because we thought it would be fair for you to know."

It almost seemed as they had planned and rehearsed for this because Peter effortlessly picked up after Felix. "We're not trying to guilt you into dating us because at the end of the day it is still you decision. And we know it may be some time before your ready to even consider dating us, but we're willing to wait."

Jon grabbed her hands as he prepared to finish them out. "We just want you to know how amazing we think you are. We'll be beyond lucky if you decide to date us when you're ready to make that choice. And until you are we're still your friends and we'll continue helping you heal and be better how ever you want us to. And if you decide you don't see us that way we'll still be some of your closest friends because having you in our lives is a blessing Nette."

Soon they all seemed to be holding one of her hands as they finished what they had to say. Marinette had silent tears streaming down her face, but the big smile she had eased away their worries. She pulled them into a tight hug for a moment before pulling back.

"You guys are the absolute best friends a girl can have." She smiled at them gratefully. "You're right that I'm not ready yet, but when I am, you guys will be the first people I consider dating. Promise. Now do you guys wanna see the designs I'm considering for my reveal?"

As the boys gathered around Marinette for her to show them her sketchbook she thought to herself with a smile.

I might not be quite okay yet, but with all the great people I have on my side, I know I will be soon.

[lemondoddle]

how good tpp characters are at hugging

because i really like hugs and love thinking about what it would be like to hug fictional characters

Junoverse/Ruby 7 Crew

Juno Steel: secretly like hugs but would never offer/admit that so you just gotta go for it and let him accept it. Hesitant at first but will lightly wrap arms around you or awkwardly pat your back but in a cute way. Broad sturdy chest good for clinging onto.

overall rating: 7/10 surprisingly comforting

Rita: LOVES HUGS. THE BEST AT HUGS. Has a sixth sense of knowing when you need one and might ask beforehand or might just tackle you and make you accept it (see above). Small enough to really wrap your arms around but also round and soft and shaped like a friend. Surprisingly strong and would definitely make that “MMMM!” noise when you really hug someone.

overall rating: 12/10 a pure delight every time

Peter Nureyev: Gives light but firm hugs. His air of pure confidence makes hugging him seem like an incredibly special privelege and his cologne is enough to make you feel intoxicated in the short moment the hug lasts. Hugging peter is also a mistake because while you’re drunk on perfume he’s going through all your pockets.

overall rating: 6/10 he took your wallet but it was kinda worth it

Buddy Aurinko: Slightly stiff but maternal-esque hug. Gives out hugs like a strategic reward but you’ll take what you can get. What are you gonna do, refuse a hug from Buddy Aurinko?? didn’t think so. Cradles your head in a way that kind of makes you feel like crying and she is aware of this.

overall rating: 7/10 you have mommy issues

Vespa Ilkay: Only lets Buddy fully hug her. She probably gives really strong hugs but it’d be a miracle to get a side-hug and get out unscathed.

overall rating: 3/10 great if you’re Buddy Aurinko but you’ll probably get stabbed if you’re anyone else

Jet Siquliak: Hugs are a very rare commodity from Jet, but are heavenly when given. He’s huge and strong and might lift you off the ground a little. His arms completely encompass you and his jacket is surprisingly soft and smells nice, like an old favorite blanket. Incredibly comforting and if you maybe cry a little bit he won’t say anything (unless you’re Juno in which case he Will point it out).

overall rating: 10/10 wonderful when you can get em

(bonus) Benzaiten Steel: Incredible. Peak bro hugs, strong and full of love and never lacking affection. Lightly teases you if you lean into it a little too much but its okay. Gives them all the time but also the type of hug you miss as soon as it’s over.

overall rating: 15/10 ive made myself sad

Second Citadel:

Sir Angelo: Another Prime bear hug candidate. Will loudly ask if you need one and then proceed to scoop you up into one anyways. So strong and squeezes a little too hard and makes it slightly difficult to breathe but in a good way. Can and Will pick you up if you’re small enough

overall rating: 9/10 it’s worth bruising a rib for

Sir Marc: Not the easiest to hug on account of being on a horse but WILL ruffle your hair and pat you shoulder or back and lightly punch your arm and generally make a lot of small touches to show affection. Will also offer to let you hug Dampierre instead (after he asks Dampierre’s permission of course).

overall rating: 2/10 for the hugs but 8/10 for lil affectionate pats

Talfryn: Tall and lanky but i think that’s great criteria for the hugger’s end, easy to wrap your arms around him. probably smells earthy in a nice way, clearly nervous about giving a hug and it seeps into you a little bit.

overall rating: 5/10 he probably needs it more than you tbh

Sir Damien: Does the “Mom friend instinct overriding anxiety” thing when he can tell you need one. Strong but gentle, probably lightly rubs your back and mumbles calming words to help you relax. might also let a few “Saint Damien”’s slip but it’s okay. 

overall rating: 9/10 himbos are great for hugs

Lord Arum: Seems theoretically nice to hug if you can manage to get one from him. The more arms, the better the hug, right? And then you remember he has scales and is cold-blooded but still probably needs one and would vehemently pretend he did not enjoy it but you know he did.

overall rating: 4.5/10 but you should do it for the bragging rights

Amarillis: Gives a nice sisterly hug. Quick but firm and might peck you on the cheek too. Can also give really soft gentle hugs when you’re down.

overall rating: 7/10 might tell you a really cool science fact afterwards

Sir Caroline: Does not hug. Will not hug. Any information on the quality of her hugs as told by Sir Angelo is to be disregarded immediately.

overall rating: ??/10 Sir Caroline u do realize this makes us wanna hug u more right

[ginnyweasleywannabe]

Treasure Hunt

Please enjoy the first chapter of my new fic "Treasure Hunt"

I will reblog with some authors notes. You can also read on AO3 under the username "inthemiddle2" (If I link it doesn't show up on tags, sorry) Final Word count:4499!!!!

Start:

“And you came to me for help because……?”

“Because you’re a greedy asshole.”

Two weeks prior….

“Marc, I don’t understand why I can’t just come with you!”

“Because Marlene, you’re about to finish up Uni, there’s still a lot of stuff for you to wrap up here… and you have the ceremony in two weeks”

Marlene let out a huff throwing her arms to the side, “Why do I even have to walk in that stupid ceremony, I’ve already done it once before. Besides what’s the point if you’re not going to be there, you’re the only one who cares about it.”

Marc stopped his packing with a quick roll of the eyes before turning around to face her, “Marley, I’ll be back in time for the ceremony, which is a big deal because you’re becoming a master!” He tried to get her excited, throwing his hands up and punctuating every following word, “Marlene McKinnon, Masters of Cryptology and Ancient History’, becoming an curse- breaker, like your ol’ bro.”

Marlene had to fight the sides of her mouth from twitching upward, “You’re the only one who calls themselves a ‘curse-breaker.”

Marc zipped up his duffle, “Marley, I’ll be back for the ceremony and then you’ll be done and you can join me on my next adventure.” He walked to the front door and gave her once last glance “I promise, finish up with your studies and then you can come with me.” He tried to give her a look of hope and understanding.

Marlene muttered a quick “fine” under her breathe and then lunged into his arms. She wouldn’t tell him but she was really going to miss him these up coming weeks. Curse-Breaking, as her brother liked to call it, was a bit of family tradition. Both her parents were in the field, which meant they were constantly traveling during her childhood. Gone for long periods of time of trying to chase down one ‘treasure’ or another. Marc was 12 years older than her which meant as soon as she was born her parents felt he was old enough to care for her while they were away.

“Stay out of trouble okay, kiddo?”

Marlene rolled her eyes, “I’m 23 years old you know, I can handle myself for two weeks.” She gave him a light shove out the door. She quickly checked her watch and saw she was running late to meet James. James was Marlene’s best friend, when Marlene was 11 Marc was getting to the age where he was having to travel more for work so Marlene was enrolled in a boarding school. Her mom’s best friend, Mia, had a son Marlene’s age who had been going to a boarding school since he was eight so off Marley was shipped away to Scotland. It was like no time had passed for her and James, they were instantly inseparable again. They spent the next seven years getting into all kinds of trouble but when it came time for Uni James went back home to London, to Hogwarts and Marlene went to a school in Glasgow. She had finished up her history and exploration degree there but had returned to London to attend Hogwarts for her yearlong master’s program. She was glad she had Marc and James to return home to, she need people to hang out with in the city and so began their tradition of getting a pint every Friday.

Marlene scanned the pub for James, she quickly found him because of the unmistakable red head with him. James had met Lily at Uni orientation and had been pining over her ever since, they had finally gotten together the winter holiday before Marlene had come back. You wouldn’t know it had only been a year in half though, they were perfect for each other. Marlene happened to know that James was hoping to pop the question this coming Christmas, Marlene however didn’t think he’d be able to wait the 7 months. She felt a sudden rush of nerves as she approached the group, doing a quick scan to see if he had shown up. She hadn’t expected him to, he never did if she was going to be there but still any time it was more than just her and James, she wondered if he would finally buck up the courage.

“Marley!!” Well, James had definitely spotted her, and had already had a couple pints it seemed. He was out of his seat and arms around her lighting fast. James was a professional football player for Chelsea.

Marlene let out a giggle, only Marc and James called her Marley, “Hiya Jamie! Had a few, have ya?”

James just gave her that dazzling lopsided grin, “Yeah well you’re late,” Marlene was always late places, “Marc left today, yeah?”

“Yeah”

James could tell she was a little down about the whole thing, even after all this time, she always was when he left.

“We’ll lets grab you one and you can tell me all about what treasure he’s chasing this time.” Marlene said a quick hello to the rest of the group; Lily, Remus, Mary, and Peter. She hadn’t know them before moving back to the city, they were all James’ friends from uni but they quickly accepted her into the group. With the promise of bring back some for everyone she and James made their way to the bar.

“Another round please Tom, and an extra for Marley here,” With a nod from Tom, James turned to Marlene, “So? What’s the gold this time? And how long will he be gone?” James and Marlene used to love hearing the stories her parents and Marc would tell them when they were little, usually a little embellished with Pirates, witches and wizards. James had idolized Marc growing up, he believed everything that came out of his mouth as fact.

Marlene turned to James with a big grin and said “Oh Jamie, you’re going to love this one! Its real, like really real! The Hogwarts treasure, Marcs figured it out- well mostly, but he sure of it. The sword, diadem, cup and even the locket! And with it gold, lots of it!” Marlene had rushed it all out almost in one big breathe. She was staring at him wide grin and big eyes waiting for him to react.

James just stared at her, “Marley, what are you talking about? That’s an old ghost story, and even if it was true its rumored that some Riddle guy stole it all like a couple hundred years ago. No one alive, heck most people dead, haven’t seen that treasure.” He gave a little laugh, “There’s no way it’s real or could even be found.”

“Come on James, its Marc, you know how he is, he doesn’t actually leave the office himself unless he’s sure!” Marlene pleaded with him. Marc had mostly done code translating desk work. Marc claims that’s just what he’s best at and gets more done if he hops from translation to translation rather than solving one and chasing down a lead for weeks that might go nowhere, Marlene knows it’s because of her though, he always needed to be close by to care for her.

James glanced at her hopeful eyes, he had always been bad with telling her no, taking a drink from one of the pints Tom had brought, “Alright let’s say it’s not some old witch tale, what’s he got that makes him so sure?” He said it with just a hint of a smile that let Marlene know he hadn’t truly grown out of their pirates and treasure hunting days.

Marlene was giddy, “Last week they were cleaning out old archives down in the ‘dungeon’ and I guess no one’s really cleared it out in a while but you know how it used to be an old dorm? Well between boxes and things, there was still stuff past students had left behind. So they sent all that stuff to the archives office to see if any could be displayed for ‘Hogwarts History’, kind of an invasion of past students privacy and property if you ask me-“

“Marley, focus.”

“Right, sorry, anyway I guess Marc was sorting through the stuff and he came about an old diary, like really old. And it belonged to….” She took a dramatic pause, really wanting to build it up for James “Tom. Riddle.” She waited for his reaction eyebrows raised in anticipation.

James loved seeing her getting excited about this kind of thing, she had had a rough spring semester, “You’re serious?” She gave a quick glare but for another reason, he was quick to apologize, “Sorry, but I mean Tom Riddle, you mean the guy who supposedly stole all of the treasure. I didn’t even think he was a real person..”

“Well, believe it Jamie. He’s real and his diary gave some clues as to where he hid all the treasure!” She squealed, James wasn’t sure when it happened but he had just realized she had already drained her pint, and Marley was a light weight. After finishing her excited squeal she went to start on another pint, taking big sips.

“Oi! What’s taking so long, some of us are trying to get a nice buzz before the long weekend!”

Remus was shuffling through the crowd, he always worked the graveyard shift at the library on full moons for extra cash because it was said to be haunted and nobody wanted to work it. The full moon was tomorrow night.

Marlene turned, after downing half her second pint, “Lupe!!” Throwing her arms around him.

“Hello again, Marlene, what’s taking you two so long?” he was ever so slightly holding her up, she seem just a tad off balance.

“Just talking ghosts and long lost treasure.” She stated matter of fact. At this Remus quirked an eyebrow over her shoulder to James who just gave a smile and a shrug. Grabbing the pints they could, not letting her carry any, they made their way back over to the group.

“Oh finally, you’re back, Pete passionately telling us about how they switched the detergent for the towels at Stamford” Mary said with a roll of her eyes, James had gotten Peter a job at the stadium.

The group let out a collective laugh while Peter had a blush creeping up his face, “Well I just worry the change in scent with mess with guys head, that’s all. Don’t you agree James?”

James turned at the sound of his name, previously whispering something Lily’s ear. He gave a quick shrug, “Yeah, sure I guess, really its whatever Petey”

The night continued on in much of the same fashion, by the time it was winding down James had just returned from walking Lily out, her and Mary sharing a flat just a block away. He could tell from across the bar he was going to need to walk Marley home, he would walk her anyway but she was talking wildly with her hands and leaning very close to poor Peter, who looked a little afraid of her.

“-And then I want to use it to go to Peru for a few month you know, live off the grid, no electricity, even no pluming!” She looked so excited for the prospect of having to go into a hole in the ground but Peter just stared right back at her.

“Alright Marley, let me walk you home” James said with a sigh

“Oh Jamie really, I’m fine,” She stood from her chair and rocked nearly tripping and falling flat on her face but his quick reflexes caught her.

“Oh I know but Marc would kill me if he knew a let you walk home alone besides, I basically pass it on the way to my place” Marlene knew she needed the help but she was glad he just blamed it on the Marc thing. Bidding Peter a goodbye, she wrapped an arm around James and they strolled home.

As they walked the few block home, they talked about this and that and had somehow landed on the stars. As Marlene looked up she let out a deep sigh, “I’m sorry if I ruined things. But I tried to be civil.”

James still had an arm wrapped around her shoulder and he just pulled her closer, with a quick kiss to the top of her head, he began to reassure her, “Marley, you didn’t ruin anything. He’s been a real asshole lately. And a coward, I love the guy but I’m proud of you for what you said.”

He was one Sirius Black. James’ best friend from Uni, they had been random roommates freshman year and continued to live together until the graduated, then James moved in with Remus and Sirius got his own place. Marley had met him briefly over the years when she would come home for the holidays but really didn’t know him. When she moved back a year ago and James brought her into their group she got to know him better. He was funny, and careless but she liked that about him. Marlene, working on her masters, was often stressed and uptight so it was nice that he was carefree. Nothing had ever happened between them besides a little flirting until after the past winter hols.

Marlene would go out with James early on Fridays but would often skip the later, wilder group hangs because of school. One night James had gotten her to stay out and well one thing led to another and pretty quickly her and Sirius were seeing each other. Marlene didn’t want to think too much about it with trying to finish school so she figured it would just be this fun thing to help ease stress until she finished uni but honestly things started to move fast and not because of her. Sirius was pursuing her, constantly talking about how much he liked her, talking about all the fun things they would do during summer once she finished school, he was the one who brought up being exclusive. Marlene had started to let her guard down, and then one day out of the blue, he calls her up and tells her ‘he doesn’t have time for a serious relationship right now but he hopes they can still be friends because of the group.’ Right. He wouldn’t want things to be weird for the group, he’s worried about their feelings.

Marlene was hurt by the conversation but she wasn’t going to let carefree playboy know that, she quickly told him it was no big deal they had only been going out for like a month and a half. He wouldn’t need to worry about things being weird on her end. It was a 3 minute conversation and that was it.

Honestly Marlene was more mad than sad about the situation. She decided to call him the next day, all she wanted was a simple apology for being tossed aside like nothing. So She called explained how she felt she deserved at least an apology when he was the one pursuing the relationship, he didn’t apologize. He just said “sorry for the mixed signals”. Sorry for the mixed signals? It wasn’t mixed, it was one signal and then dramatically the opposite signal. Marlene was so infuriated that that was all he had to say but she also didn’t want to cause drama in a friend group that she joined late. When he clearly wasn’t going to give her more, she said that now that was out in the open and she (kind of) said what she needed to say they could be cool, there wouldn’t be any weirdness and hung up. That whole conversation lasted 5 minutes and Marlene is pretty sure she rambled for the first 3. They hadn’t spoken since, he hadn’t gone out with group once when Marlene was there.

“Mar? Earth to Marley?” James had pulled her from her thoughts, she hadn’t even realized they had made it back to her doorstep.

“Huh, sorry I just got zoned, you were right I might have had one too many” She said with a small smile, hoping he would believe that was all it really was.

“Alright beautiful, I was just asking are you sure you don’t want me to stay the night?” James said it with a teasing smile, when Marlene was younger she was terrified of staying home alone so anytime Marc had to travel she would go stay at James’ house (she did this well into her 20’s).

Marlene rolled her eyes and gave him a shove, “Yes, you dolt. I haven’t been scared of staying home alone in like two years.”

With a ruffle of her hair and a quick hug, she was up the stairs in bed.

The next week passed by rather unceremoniously, she finished up her final studies and worked on the last of her paper. She was going to skip Friday night drinks this week because she wanted to focus on getting her paper done, besides James and Marc were planning quite the pub crawl for the Saturday following her graduation ceremony.

She hadn’t heard much from Marc, which wasn’t unusual on his trips. He had sent her a quick text letting her know that he made it to his first stop last Friday night and this morning she received a letter. Marc loved to write letters and Marlene loved to tease him about it, telling him it made him old. The letter didn’t say much, just that he thought he was on to something and the diary seemed to be leading him in the right direction. He was looking forward to her ceremony and he had talked to mom and dad, they wouldn’t be able to make it, shocker. With that small but expected disappointment she refocused on her work.

Before she knew it, it was Saturday morning. She ran down the stairs, on special occasions Marc would always bake her blueberry pancakes but when she rounded the hall into the kitchen it was empty. That’s odd. She had assumed Marc had gotten in after she went to bed.

“Marc?” She gave a quick shout but no response. Maybe he was still asleep, he did just have a two week trip so she padded up the stairs to his room but no it was also completely untouched.

Marlene had a frown on her face and pulled out her phone. It rang like it was on and charged but still went to voicemail.

“This is Marc, sorry I missed your call, I honestly don’t know how to work this thing but leave a message and Marley will show me how to listen and call back”

“Hey Marc, its Marley and its Saturday. I just wanted to touch base before the ceremony but I’m just going to assume you’ll meet me there. Remember 10 o’clock sharp. You still owe me pancakes, see you soon.” She ended the voicemail and checked the time, if she got ready now she would have time to stop at the diner on the way in and grab a muffin.

Marlene peaked around the curtain hoping to spot Marc. She was bundle of nerves, she hated this kind of thing. The only reason she was walking in this dumb ceremony was for him. As she scanned the crowd she was beginning to think that no one had shown. I mean sure, she hadn’t invited anyone because again, dumb ceremony but still felt a twinge of disappointment that she was alone.

“Samantha Mathis”

Oh shit, she was next.

“Marlene McKinnon”

Straightening her shoulders she walked out on stage. As soon as she stepped out from behind the curtain there was a loud cheer from the back left corner. She took the diploma shook hands and turned out to the crowd for her picture. Rather than looking at the camera man she zoned in on the cheering group in the back. There was James, jumping up being the loudest as usual, and the rest of their group. She smiled for the first time that day and continued of the stage. The rest of the ceremony seemed to pass quick.

Marlene was bidding Samantha goodbye when arms scooped her up from behind and twirled.

“James stop, you’re going to make her sick” Lily admonished lovingly

“Yeah besides you have to share her with the rest of us!” Mary said before lunging for hug. The whole group had come, minus two of the usual boys. Marlene hadn’t expected him to show but maybe a congratulations text at least would have been nice. James had also mentioned that Peter had some family thing come up but he said ‘congratulations’.

Marlene just laughed and said her thank you to the group. She was looking around with a frown on her face.

With a huff she turned to James, “Have you seen Marc?”

James gave her a confused look, Marc would never miss this, “No? you haven’t seen him today?”

“No, you think I should be worried?” She was biting her lip into bits.

“I’m sure he just got held up and forgot to charge his phone. You know how he is” James was doing his best to reassure her, “Look we made a reservation for lunch and maybe he’s just planning on meeting us there. If we don’t hear from him after lunch, then we’ll worry ok?”

Marlene still felt hurt that he would miss this after he made it a big deal but she gave a shrug and headed to lunch anyway. Everyone tried their best to help get Marlene’s mind on other things and she did her best to let them. About halfway through lunch she felt a buzz, she quick grabbed her phone from her bag. It was a text from Marc!

“Hey Marly, got held up. Gonna b longer than I thought. Not sure when I’ll b home. See u soon XX”

Marlene read the text again, he didn’t even mention the ceremony. Sure she hadn’t wanted them to make a big deal about it but still she worked really hard for this. She really wasn’t in the mood anymore. James had just paid the bill and the group was gathering up to go to the next place, He glanced over to see what Marley was staring at. He felt a wave of relief when he saw it was a text from Marc.

“See Marley, he’s just chasing down a treasure for you. I know it sucks he wasn’t here but he knows how excited you were about the Hogwarts treasure I bet he didn’t want to come back empty handed.” He was giving her the best encouraging face he could.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, he can be so hyper-focused sometimes. He probably doesn’t even realize what day it is.” She was trying not to show how let down she was feeling, “listen Jamie, I’m really thankful for lunch and all but I was up early this morning and the ceremony really took it out of me. I think I’m just going to head home.”

“Oh Marley are you sure? I could come with you? We could build a fort and watch a movie.” He could tell she was trying to hold it together.

“Yeah I’m sure but you go and have fun, honestly I’m probably going to go home and take a long nap.” Marlene gave James a sad smile.

Marlene really was exhausted by the time she got home. She took a quick shower and changed into her favorite lounge clothes, as soon as she hit the bed she was out like nox. When Marlene woke she glanced at the clock on her nightstand to see it read 6pm. She could believe she had slept for that long, but then her stomach growled and she knew sleeping through dinner had been a mistake. Pulling out some left over take out from the week before she sat down and decided to give Marc a call. It went straight to voicemail again. She flipped over to the text he had sent her.

“Hey Marly, got held up. Gonna b longer than I thought. Not sure when I’ll b home. See u soon XX”

It was odd but it the more she read it, the more paranoid she got. I mean “Marly” that’s not how Marc usually spelt it. And the “b” “U”, she was constantly teasing Marc about how he texted like an old man, always full sentences and proper grammar. AND he hadn’t even mentioned the ceremony. She knew she was being paranoid but she just couldn’t get it out of her head that something was wrong. Maybe it was that she was alone in this big house or the talks of ghost and pirates but by the time she had finished her orange chicken, Marlene was sure that this was not a text from Marc.

Ok, so somebody had taken Marcs phone and texted her. Now what? She was pacing around the kitchen island, her lip beginning to bleed from biting. She needed to confirm her suspicion, she decided when he didn’t answer yet another call she would try a text.

“Hey Marc! No worries on getting home, Mom happened to be passing through and decided to stay a few days. See you soon X”

Alright that would work, Marc knows him mom would never stay a few days, also she was in the Andes for the summer. Now we wait.

Her phone buzzed almost instantly, odd she thought, if he was near the phone why couldn’t he just answer her call?

“Great! Glad she can keep u company!”

Definitely not Marc. Happy she hadn’t been going crazy and making theories in her head, but also NOT Marc. Marlene quickly grabbed her things and went down to the station.

“So you’re telling me, that your brother was off to find the long lost treasures and gold of some old university and he’s been kidnapped. And you know this because he texted you the letter ‘b’ instead of the word ‘be’?”

The officer was looking at her with a unimpressed face.

Marlene gave him a sheepish smile, “Well, yes.”

“Right. Ok, do you know where your brother was going?” His voice was full of disinterest.

“Well no, not exactly. He didn’t say, just that he had a lead he wanted to check out, and he would be gone for a couple weeks” Marlene at least had the decency to look like she knew it was far-fetched.

“Ok Ma’am, he was only supposed to return yesterday so it’s likely he just got held up. If you don’t hear from him in a week, come back and I’ll see what I can do.” With that he got up and ushered her to the door.

Marlene stepped out into the rain with a disappointed frown. Fine. If he wasn’t going to take her seriously, she would just find Marc herself.

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: G

Summary: Luka's replaced his broken guitar with a kazoo. Marinette realizes just how important that guitar was to their burgeoning relationship....Maybe she should've made sure no one was around before she ranted about that to Tikki.(Set during/after the end of Miracle Queen)

Word Count: 2569 | Chapter 1/2

Notes: No Luka bashing is intended with this fic, but it is lovesquare endgame Disclaimer: I love kazoos and if someone tried to woo me with a kazoo I would probably swoon. Rip to Marinette but I’m different Disclaimer 2: I didn't come up with the idea for kazooka, @bugaboo-n-bananoir did in this post ). sorry for all the shoutouts lately bud lol you're just an inspiration Special thanks to @botherkupo for betareading!

XXX

“Are you okay?”  Luka asked when Marinette returned from getting ice cream.

It took some effort to pry her gaze away from where Adrien and Kagami were sharing at the other end of the ledge, but she promised herself she wouldn’t be jealous.  

...Or at least, she wouldn’t show it this time.  Both of them were her friends, and they deserved to be happy with each other.  

Did that mean she was okay?  No, not really.  But she didn’t really want to get into that, especially since Luka had already seen her so vulnerable last time.

“So, uh… where’s your guitar?”  she asked instead.

“Oh.”  Luka blinked, as if surprised his instrument wasn’t there either.  “Remember the last time I saw you?  When you were… crying in the street?”

She’d really been hoping he forgot about that.  It definitely wasn’t her most awkward moment, but Adrien at least tended to ignore the worst of hers.  He hadn’t even breathed a word about the whole constipation incident.

But comparing Luka and Adrien wasn’t fair to either of them.  

She shook her head.  “Um, what about it?”

“I dropped my bike when I went to hug you.  My guitar fell out of the basket and… yeah.”  He moved his hands as if to strum a chord, only to slump when they just stroked the air.

“Oh, Luka, I’m so sorry.”  She winced.  She knew his guitar was basically an extension of himself; she hadn’t intended for him to sacrifice it for her.  Was she really that important to him?

“It’s alright.  I’ve almost saved up for a new one.”  He shrugged.

She couldn’t tell if he was actually alright or if he was just faking.  “Well, I’m still sorry.”

“It really is alright.  You’re the music that’s been playing for me since we met, anyway.”

She blushed and looked away.  Luka had always been more forward, but she really didn’t know how she felt about his love confessions, especially considering…

No, she wasn’t going to glance back towards Adrien.  (Not that she could do that subtly, with all their classmates packed between them.)

But the point was, she couldn’t return Luka’s confession while her heart still hung somewhere in the balance.  She could try to move on—she should try to move on—but no matter what Luka said, she didn’t want him to feel stuck as a second choice.

“Well, um… thanks, I guess.” 

She took a bite of her raspberry ice cream to fill the awkward silence.  Normally his guitar did that.  Ivan’s hand drum sort of helped, but it was too far away (and too sporadic) for her to pretend she was focused on his music.

“I guess you can’t play that song for me now,” she added when he didn’t speak up.  It was too bad, because she thought she might actually want to hear it, if only to give them something to connect over.

Had she really listened to his music that often?  It was painfully obvious now that his guitar was absent.

“Were you ready to hear it?”  Hhe asked.  “I still can, if you’d like.”

Her head tilted, her eyebrows scrunching together.  “But you don’t have your guitar.  Unless you’re going to borrow Ivan’s drum.”

He chuckled a little at that.  “I’ve got something else.”

His hand reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out…

“Is that a kazoo?”  

Was this a joke?  Was he playing a joke on her?  He’d never shown that much of a sense of humor before.  If Juleka hadn’t been in the middle of the group sharing ice cream with Rose, Marinette would’ve flagged her down for help.

“Yep.  Juleka got it for me as a replacement present, you know, until I can pay for my new guitar.”

“Oh.”  She forced a grin.  “That’s… sweet of her.”

So no help from Juleka then.  Maybe this wasn’t such a big deal.  Maybe Luka would be an amazing kazoo player, and sweep her off her feet with his buzzing melody and help her forget all about Adrien and— 

Yeah, even her normally-vivid daydream couldn’t paint that picture.

“It really is.  She’s the best.”  He smiled.  She hadn’t heard him talk about Juleka often, honestly.  It was a little weird to remember that he was her friend’s older brother, but Juleka hadn’t seemed to mind Luka showing an interest in her.  

Well, unless the kazoo was more of a warning than a present.  But that was branching into conspiracy theory territory.

“Are you going to play it, then?”  she asked before she could lose her nerve.  Maybe hearing the melody, even if just on the kazoo, would give her the answers her heart was looking for.

“Right.”  He nodded and raised the blue piece of plastic to his lips.

She didn’t wince at the first high-pitched buzz.  She might have just… cringed a little.  Kazoos weren’t really meant to be played at close distance—at least that’s what she assumed, because could anyone really want to unironically listen to that?

The melody was… hard to pick out with all the screeching.  She tried to smile through it—he’d written this for her, and it wasn’t really meant to be played on the kazoo—but then Marc and Nathaniel looked up in shock-slash-horror, and Mylene just about fumbled her ice cream into the river, and Juleka let out an uncharacteristically loud cackle.

Luka’s playing petered out with a sad doot doot.  He still looked up at her expectantly.

And because he was staring at her, of course the rest of their group did too.  Including Adrien, the green mint of his ice cream still staining his lower lip.

“Um… that was…” Marinette’s face burned as she sprung to her feet.  “W-well!  Look at that I have to go—buy a birthday present for my grandpa’s mouse!”  Wait, had she used that one before?  It didn’t matter, her legs were already wooshing her away, leaving only the cherry from the top of her ice cream behind.

She hurriedly shoved the rest of her ice cream into her mouth to cool her burning face.  That was… probably an overreaction.  Luka had just tried to play her a song.  It wasn’t her that everyone else was laughing at.

A horrible feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t just the odd mix of raspberry and cotton candy ice cream.  She should’ve stayed to cheer him up, right?  

“Tikki, what’s wrong with me?”  She groaned, dropping her forehead against the side of the alley.  “Why did I run away like that?  I probably made Luka hate me!”

The kwami flew out from her purse.  “I don’t think he can hate you, Marinette.  He still liked you even when he knew you were in love with Adrien.”

“For some reason.”  She sighed.

“Do you want him to like you?”  Tikki prodded gently.

“I don’t… I don’t know.”  She bonked her head against the wall again. Ow.  “He likes me, and he’s nice, and we… have absolutely nothing in common.”

There.  She admitted it.  They both liked Jagged Stone, but lots of people liked Jagged Stone.

(Adrien liked Jagged Stone.  He’d asked for her autograph, and she’d just about melted.)

What she felt with Luka was nothing like that.  It was nervous usually, until he started playing his guitar.  The chords, if simple, were still soothing.

“Did I just think he made me comfortable because he played the guitar?  Am I really that shallow?”

“Of course you aren’t.”  Tikki rubbed her cheek to hers.  “A boy liked you, and it sounds like you liked him at least a little bit.  Even if it was mostly because he played guitar.”

Marinette groaned.

“But now he plays the kazoo and I don’t want to hear his song!  And I really can’t think of anything else we have to talk about.  And I won’t go on dates with him and move on from Adrien and I’ll end up old and alone with a tarantula instead of a hamster and—”

“Marinette, you know that’s not going to happen.”  Tikki patted her face again.  “There are plenty of other boys besides Adrien and Luka.  And you don’t have to move on with a boy.  You have plenty of time to just be you.  Maybe that’s for the best, with you being the guardian now.”

“Don’t remind me.”  She squeezed her eyes shut.  She wished she had someone to rely on as the guardian.  Luka had been there that one time when she couldn’t take it anymore, but she couldn’t actually tell him anything.  If only she could talk to…

“Chat Noir,” she whispered, eyes going wide.

“What?”  

She paced back and forth across the width of the alley.  “I want to talk to Chat.  I can do that now, can’t I?  I’m the guardian.  No, but Master Fu did what he did for a reason.  I can’t go sharing important secrets.  But if Fu did tell us more maybe we could’ve protected him better.”

“Um, Marinette—” 

“Either way he’s gone and I don’t know what to do, Tikki!  He didn’t finish teaching me everything and here I am worried because of a boy playing the kazoo!”

She spun, breaths coming too quickly, hoping to hear Tikki’s words of wisdom to help her calm down.

Instead, she came face to face with Adrien.  Adrien, whose eyes were practically bugging out of his head.  A cute smear of ice cream still clung to his parted lips.  That was easier to focus on than the fact that he’d almost certainly heard every word she said to Tikki.

His mouth opened and closed again.  “Uh.”

“Oh no.”

“You’re…!”

“No, no, of course I’m not!”  She waved her arms frantically.  Tikki’d had the sense to dive back into her purse, but the damage was already done.

“You’re Ladybug,” he breathed.  “It’s you.  Of course it’s you.”

Tears pricked her eyes.  One day into being the guardian, and she’d already let someone figure out her secret identity!  And it was Adrien, and while she thought he could keep a secret, she couldn’t ignore the incident with the beret, and if he told anyone and that awful future happened— 

“Marinette, hey, hey, it’s alright.”  He stepped towards her, too close, not close enough.  “I’m not going to tell anyone.  I swear.  I—I didn’t mean to.  I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and then I heard and I can’t unhear and—please don’t be mad.”

He looked down at her with such a distraught expression, she couldn’t imagine him ever breaking that oath.

“I’m not mad at you, Adrien.”  She bit her lip and looked down, afraid she might actually start crying if she had to see his pain any longer.  Which was ridiculous, because it was her identity that was compromised.  “You were just trying to help, and—and it’s my fault for not being careful enough.”

Her voice choked.  His arm reached towards her, hesitated, fell back to his side.  Of course he wouldn’t pull her into the hug that she craved.  He was dating Kagami now; it was surprising enough that he’d left her just to come make sure she was alright.  He really was a wonderful friend.

Maybe that was all she needed right now.

“It’s not your fault, my—Marinette.”  He swallowed.  “It could’ve happened to either of us.”

“Yes, but it’s not a big deal if someone finds out you once used the snake miraculous.  Nearly all of the other heroes were compromised yesterday, anyway.”

Her fault again.  She was back to square one, just her and Chat Noir against the world… and possibly Adrien too.  He hadn’t been revealed yesterday.  Maybe it would be worth it to give him a miraculous again?

He laughed awkwardly.  “Yeah. Of course.”

“So… yeah.”  She nodded.  “I’m just going to.  Go home now.”

Where she could cry in peace and Tikki could lecture her and she could find someone else to pass off the miracle box to because clearly she wasn’t ready, only there was no one else who could possibly do it except maybe Chat Noir, and he didn’t deserve that kind of pressure either, and— 

“Marinette, wait.”  

This time Adrien did grab her hand.  She did her best to control her flush.

“I know you didn’t want me to know, but… I’m still your friend, okay?  You can tell me anything.  Especially now, if you need someone to lean on…”

She did.  Oh, she did, and any other day she would leap headfirst into that offer.

But all she could think of now was Adrien smiling softly as he wiped ice cream from Kagami’s cheek.  It wasn’t like he couldn’t still be her friend when he was dating someone else, but she wasn’t sure her heart could take trusting him with all of her secrets except the one she’d actually wanted to tell.

She loved him.  Even now, knowing he had just become a threat to her identity, she loved him.

And it was too late to say it.

“Thank you, but I’d actually rather talk to Chat Noir right now.  I hope you’ll understand.”

He blinked and opened his mouth before shaking his head.  “Right.  Of course.  I’m glad you trust him.”

“I do.”  She looked towards the sliver of sky above the alley as hope blossomed in her.  She did trust Chat.  He would be able to help her through this, just like he’d supported her during Miracle Queen’s short reign.  “I wish he’d been the first to know my identity, but if anyone else had to… I’m glad it’s you, you know.  I lo—I trust you too.”

Really?  Now she almost said it?  He didn’t seem to notice, though.  His expression softened into a smile.

“Thank you, Marinette.  That means a lot to me.”

She smiled back, palm braced against the alley wall to make up for the weakness in her knees.

“Oh, um—is Luka alright?”  She barely remembered to ask.  It was probably the least of her worries, but it was still worth checking.  “I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.  The whole kazoo thing was just—I was so embarrassed and I ran away without thinking.  He was just trying to be nice, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I didn’t like it.”

“You never seemed to have a problem telling that to Chat Noir,” he said.  Was that a hint of… jealousy she detected in his voice?  No way; she had to be imagining that.

“That’s because I know Chat Noir.  He knows I don’t return his feelings…”  she trailed off, blinking at the ground.

Chat had been the first person she wanted to talk to when she was upset.  The one who always supported her, who knew all her weaknesses and flaws and still looked at her like she’d hung the moon in the sky.  Who wouldn’t hesitate to risk everything for her, who trusted her even when she was wrong but was always, always there to make things right.  

He was the one who called her his Lady.  He was the one whose hug felt like home.  

“Marinette?”  Adrien asked.

“Oh,” she breathed.

“Oh?”

She looked up and met his eyes, and before she knew it, she was confessing to the wrong crush.

“I think I’m in love with Chat Noir.”

[captcas]

Summer Clothes

SUMMER CLOTHES by capthamm

Killian Jones finds unexpected memories when searching for his winter jacket.Inspired by the song “Summer Clothes” by Marc Scibilia

read on ao3

The air coming through his open bedroom window has the indicative bite of winter’s dreaded arrival. While he was hoping to get a bit more use out of his leather jacket, he’d be a fool to try and brave Maine winters without his obnoxious (but warm) winter coat. Killian notices the lace-like pattern frost has woven along the window sill and lets out a hearty sigh. He rolls out of bed reluctantly and instantly feels the chill as his bare feet hit the hardwood floor. Shivering, a war rages in his head, back to bed or find the coat. Another gust of cold winter air whips through the open window, he hastily shuts it, and he swears the room warms up at least five degrees immediately. Killian turns to the rarely used storage closet in the back of his room, groaning loudly, as he’s almost certain the entirety of its contents will fall as soon as he opens the door. It’s not that he’s hiding from anything, it’s just sort of become his collection closet for things he’ll “deal with later” but never actually does. He adjusts the thermostat and throws on his wool socks before deciding this Saturday is as good as any to finally tackle the dreaded closet.

One and a half hours later and he’s finally found his jacket under a pile of other winter gloves, hats, and mittens that he hasn’t seen since March. He pauses when he realizes it’s thrown over a bin he doesn’t recognize. Killian drags the bin over by his bed and his knees buckle when he lifts the cover off. Her smell fills the room as memories flood his mind.

Killliiannn, I need somewhere to store this summer stuff.  

Just put it in the storage closet, love, that’s where I throw my off-season stuff.  

She left a few short weeks after that, saying she had a job offer in Boston she couldn’t refuse. She assured him it had nothing to do with their shared kiss at the town harvest festival and that he shouldnt uproot his life because of her.

She had no idea that she was his life.

Scratch that— is his life.  

Bloody hell.

He wished she had realized his life was promptly “uprooted” the moment she wasn’t a daily fixture in it. At first she called, texted, and FaceTimed him on a semi-regular basis but their schedules were no-longer synced and her life kept getting busier while life in Storybrooke was simple as ever. Slowly her absence became a new normal but even a year later he just feels like he’s going through the motions without purpose.

He’s thought about calling her more than once but couldn’t imagine what he’d say short of begging her to come home. He’d go see her if he had an address but she’s never been one for permanence.

If only his dumbass had remembered that before he fell head over heels in love with her.

He realizes he’s clutching her old sleep tee shirt she used to wear pretty much every night. She was always fascinated with the concept of a Neverland, a place of hope and trust and magic, so he bought her an oversized sleep shirt covered in Peter Pan regalia in hopes her dreams would take her far better places than her life had. She teared up when he gave it to her, J.M. Barrie’s stories apparently meaning more to her than he realized, and then she wore it to bed every night without fail. He liked to think it was because she felt safe in it… with him.

He smiles at the thought and decides to shoot her a text now that he finally has a coherent topic of conversation.

Hello, Swan. Hope all is well. Looking for my winter jacket, I found your summer clothes. I can send them to you or donate them? Let me know, love.  

He types an “I miss you” at the end but deletes it quickly, hoping the simplicity of his message will warrant a response. He’s surprised when she answers right away.

Killian! Hi! I knew I left that somewhere… it doesn’t happen to have my old running sneakers in there too? If you don’t mind sending it, that’d be great. I can pay you back for the shipping or whatever. I hope you’re doing well, too.

It’s more chipper than Killian expected and that’s probably what prompts him to pick up the phone and actually call her.

“Hello?”

“Hi, love. Forgive me but I don’t seem to have your address.” 

“Killian.”

He swears she whispers it, almost as if she’s telling a secret to herself and he does everything in his power to record it to memory. She hasn’t said anything else so he responds.

“Yes, Swan?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Address, right yeah, do you have somewhere to write it down?”  

“Shit, hold on.”

Killian scrambles to find any piece of scratch paper he can as fast as he can. He dreads the thought of returning to the line and finding she’s given up on him again.

“Hello?”

“Yes, Killian, I’m still here. He can practically hear her eye roll. I’m not that impatient.” 

“My memory must betray me then.” He hears her huff on the other side of the line and they easily fall back into the comfortable banter he’s missed since the day she said goodbye— or rather didn’t say goodbye. She had told him she was leaving obviously, but he didn’t expect it to be that night.

She just… left. His eyes water at the thought but he chokes it back.

“Ready when you are, Swan.”

“710 Nautica Drive,  Apartment #815,  Boston, Massachusetts 02108″

“Got it, love. Thank you.” 

“Of course! I mean, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll–”

They start to speak at the same time.

“How is everyone?” 

He hears nonchalance in her voice but can tell it’s forced. If he wasn’t positive his heart was playing tricks on him, he’d say she almost sounded homesick. “Everything’s right as rain here, Swan. You know nothing much changes around Storybrooke. They did get a new bar though! Aesop’s Tables but the ‘t’ is always burnt out so everyone calls it ‘Aesop’s Ables’. It just sounds like bloody horrible alliteration but I suppose it’s free marketing for the guy. “

He hears her chuckle on the other end, but it seems sad— or nostalgic— although he’s not entirely sure there’s a difference.

“Sounds same old same to me, Jones.”

“How are you, Swan? How’s the job?”

“I actually have to go, Killian. He swears he hears her sniffle but chalks it up to shotty reception. Thanks again for sending the clothes. We should— shit I gotta go. Bye, Killian.”

She hangs up before Killian can argue. He whispers his goodbye to no one as he hears the line go dead. Rubbing his hands over his face he tries to pinpoint where it all went wrong.

“Win me a prize, Killian.” She’s smiling at him with the brightest eyes and he swears if he died in this moment, he’d return to it for the rest of his life as this is surely what heaven feels like.  

“As you wish, Swan.” He’s a good shot, and while the rigged games are good, he’s better. It takes no time at all for him to win her one of the big prizes. “What in bloody damnation are you going to do with a huge ass bear, Swan?”

She chuckles at his teasing but proudly carries her bear through the fair, until it gets too heavy and Killian ends up carrying it on his back like an oversized child. Her eyes light up when she sees the short line at the ferris wheel and she grabs his free hand, urgently dragging him towards the ride.  

The operator reluctantly allows Henry (she named the damn thing) to ride with them so when they get into the seat, Killian and Emma are squished as close as humanly possible.  

As they reach the top, she looks at him, “I want to feel this way forever.” He’s stunned by declaration, Emma not being one for emotions of any shape or size. 

“Then that’s what shall be.” She rolls her eyes at his ‘fancy british speak’ and then makes eye contact again.  

“You can not possibly guarantee that.” Their faces are close, a hazard of their stuffed friend riding along.  

“Your heart’s desire, Swan, that’s all I want.” Her eyes soften and then flicker down to his lips. She leans in, softly pressing her lips against his. If Killian didn’t know that they were on a ferris wheel, he would’ve sworn he was flying. She doesn’t say anything after that but cuddles close into him until they arrive at the bottom. They hold hands for the rest of the night and it feels like the entire world has shifted on its axis.  

Two weeks later the world shifts again, leaving Killian feeling like he’s stuck in the aftermath of a category five earthquake.  

It hits Killian like a tidal wave, sudden realization washing over him. All this time he thought letting her go was the best decision, giving her space and time to come home, but he knows now he should’ve ran after her.

He refuses to be another crack in her heart— another love who up and left. While he didn’t technically leave, he let her go, and he’s not sure what’s worse. In hindsight, he should’ve fought for her, but all he has is the present, and he’s going to make things right.

Scrambling for his phone he plugs in the address she gave him.

2 hours. He grabs the bin and his car keys.

He throws on his winter jacket to return her summer clothes.

. . .

Killian is sure the two hours spent in his car are the longest two hours of his life. He pulls up in front of her apartment and lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It’s not luxurious by any means, but it’s nice and he’s grateful she’s been safe in her time here. He drags the bin out of his backseat and walks to the front door of the building. He scans the buzzer for apartment 815 and finds it with the name Swan scrawled messily beside it. He presses it and the door opens without so much as a word from the other line— so much for safe. If this were normal circumstances, he’d scold her for just letting anyone in her building, but he’ll deal with that later.

He jumps in the elevator to the 8th floor and books it down the hall so quickly that he’s out of breath by the time he reaches her door. The adrenaline pumping through him right now is the only thing that gives him enough energy to knock. When she opens the door, clearly stunned, Killian feels like the air is knocked out of him again.

“Killian?! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

“Swan, I’m a damn fool and I’m sorry this took me so bloody long.” He drops the bin to the side and closes the space between them. Her eyes soften, the worry instantly evaporating the moment he rubs his thumb over her cheek.

“You came back?” She hesitates, almost as though she’s expecting to wake up from her daydream at any moment.

He knows the feeling… perfectly.

“Well, I had to get you your bin and shipping would’ve been outrage—“

Emma cuts him off with a kiss. It’s messy, the antithesis of their first, yet behind the desperation he feels an overwhelming sense of peace.

“I missed you, Killian Jones.”

“There’s not a day that went by that I did not think of you. I apologize for taking so long.”

“Yeah, I had to buy a whole new summer wardrobe because of that damn closet of yours.” She’s smiling now, that same smile she held when she begged him to win her a prize.

“Aye, love, a true tragedy.” He smiles at her and hopes his eyes can convey everything she’s not ready to hear out loud. “Are you going to let me in or should I just leave the bin out here?” He winks, knowing an eye roll is inevitable.

. . .

He’s invited in, and he stays… for three more days. And as they leave to turn her key into the landlord she runs back inside apologizing for forgetting something.

When she rounds the corner again she’s clutching a giant teddy bear and beaming with the brightest smile he’s seen in years.

“Do you mind carrying Henry?” She kisses him on the cheek and then gently on his lips, a bribe he’s positive will never get old.

“Your heart’s desire, Swan, that’s all I want.”

[aion-rsa]

The Best Comics of 2020

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It has been a year, hasn’t it?

The year started with such tenuous promise, and is ending the same way: slivers of hope among rivers of misery. But even with all the chaos, all the changes forced by the pandemic and that were coming anyway, we still got some incredible comics in 2020. 

Let us be abundantly clear: every work of art made in the last year is a small miracle. Every comic creator who put irons in the fire in a year that certainly didn’t lack fires deserves gratitude and commendation. Picking 20 comics doesn’t do justice to the herculean work and dedication that everyone who works in comics demonstrated – from the creators, to the back office folks who kept the trains running on time and let us know they were coming, to the people who actually put the books in our hands, we should be immensely grateful to all of them. 

To those creators we say: Thank you for giving us a few minutes on Wednesdays (or Tuesdays) to escape…all this. 

With that said, there really were some excellent books, and we’re very excited to talk about the best comics of 2020.

20. Loneliness of the Long Distance Cartoonist

Adrian Tomine (Writer/Artist)

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Adrian Tomine is here to share his sadness with readers and inspire it in anyone who has ever tried to make art and present it to the world. In what might be his greatest work so far, the cartoonist collects his own diary comics about being an artist and trying to release a book.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Cartoonist is painfully raw, uncomfortably authentic, and impressively hilarious. It takes guts to make yourself the butt of the joke and to do it so well, but there is such heart and humor here that it’ll speak to any reader whether or not you’ve ever had the (mis)fortune to make your own comics or not. 

19. Witch Hat Atelier 

Kamome Shirahama (Writer/Artist)

Speaking of wonderful manga, this series is one of the best books on shelves in any genre, format, or language. It’s hard to overstate how inventive and imaginative Witch Hat Atelier is but for the sake of this list we’ll try.

Kamome Shirahama paints a wonderful world where magic is real but only a select few can use it. Coco is our heroine and when she accidentally learns the secret behind using magic she’s inducted into a witch’s coven and is thrown into a vibrant world of sorcery, spells, and uneasy friendship with her fellow students. 

18. Daredevil

Chip Zdarsky (Writer); Marco Checchetto, Mike Hawthorne, Francesco Mobili, Jorge Fornes (Artists); Marcio Menyz, Mattia Iacono, Nolan Woodard (Colorists); Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Chip Zdarsky’s Matt Murdock is terrific. His Wilson Fisk is Hall of Fame.

Fisk is attempting to go legit after discovering as Mayor of New York City that there is a much larger pond he could be swimming in. But the big fish in that pond (the Stromwyns – think Marvel’s Koch Brothers) don’t much get along with someone as insignificant as Fisk. What they do to him, and what Fisk does back, is incredible. 

The art on this run has been the real deal. Jorge Fornes and Marco Checchetto have handled the bulk of the pencils this year, and their dramatically divergent styles do a great job of showing the two sides of Murdock’s world – Fornes excels at the quiet investigatory work that Daredevil does, while Checchetto blows the doors off of some monster action set pieces. No lie, Stilt Man has never looked this good. This run is shaping up to be one of the best Daredevil stories of all time, a very high bar to clear.

17. The Department of Truth

James Tynion IV (Writer), Martin Simmonds (Artist)

What happens in a world where all conspiracy theories are actually true? Or that reality actually warps to accommodate new “truths” as they come into being? Such is the premise of The Department of Truth, which delivers on all the unsettling promise of its premise. The fact that it tells its story in a way that aesthetically calls to mind Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz’s 1988 collaboration Shadowplay: The Secret Team, which told some unsavory details about how the CIA conducted some real world foreign policy only adds to the eerie feel.

With more and more people getting internet brain poisoning thanks to wilder and wilder conspiracy theories somehow becoming mainstream every day, The Department of Truth feels like one of the more timely comics of 2020. We only wish it could be a little less timely in some ways, though.

16. The Green Lantern Season Two

Grant Morrison (Writer), Liam Sharp (Artist), Steve Oliff (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer)

Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp have been quietly making one of the best superhero comics in decades over at DC, and although we can’t quite believe we’re saying this, it’s about Hal Jordan. The most boring Green Lantern of all has come to life in this trippy, experimental, and beautiful series which transcends space and time, showcasing the best of what Morrrison and Sharp do.

If you think that superhero comics are all the same, The Green Lantern will change your mind (and likely expand it) as Hal adventures through Sharp’s sprawling and stunning cosmos.

15. Immortal Hulk

Al Ewing (Writer); Joe Bennett, Mike Hawthorne, Butch Guice, Nick Pitarra, Javier Rodriguez (Pencilers); Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Mark Morales, Tom Palmer, Marc Deering (Inkers); Paul Mounts, Matt Milla (Colorists); Cory Petit (Letterer)

Over at Marvel, Al Ewing and Joe Bennett have been equally delighting and horrifying readers with this reinvention of Bruce Banner and the hulking hero he becomes. This is about as close to a horror comic as a mainline superhero title can get as the team delve into the multiple manifestations of Hulk and the man behind them.

Just like The Green Lantern, The Immortal Hulk both reconsiders and revisits the lore that has made the character so iconic, and also features an impressive collection of Hulk-centric characters from throughout history. 

14. Shadow of the Batgirl

Sarah Kuhn (Writer), Nicole Goux (Artist)

DC Comics has been doing a great job bringing new visions of some of their best loved characters to the spotlight and Cass Cain got that treatment this year in this gorgeous graphic novel. Taking the one-time Batgirl and teaming her up with Barbara Gordon’s Oracle was a genius move, but the real magic here comes from the sweet natured take on the hero that Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux offer up.

Shadow of the Batgirl is a superhero comic with real heart and a look that feels far more like an indie comic than anything coming out of the big two. Just lovely!

13. Hedra

Jesse Lonergan (Writer/Artist)

Hedra is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and probably the same goes for you. It’s a completely silent comic, but it’s a massively dense, intricate storytelling experience. It’s light and cartoony, but it’s got panels that would look at home in an old Wally Wood comic. It’s got so many panels, and yet it’s full of moments that will take your breath away.

Lonergan manages the pace and flow of the storytelling so well that you have to experience it yourself to fully appreciate it. Hedra is a beautiful, smart, fascinating comic.

12. John Constantine: Hellblazer

Si Spurrier (Writer); Aaron Campbell, Matias Bergara (Artists); Jordie Bellaire (Colorist); Adita Bidakyar (Letterer)

Si Spurrier doesn’t seem like the type who gets mad often, but his John Constantine was fucking pissed, and goddamn if it wasn’t the best Hellblazer comic in decades. This too-brief run of comics starring everyone’s favorite dirtbag street mage was as much about England being a dumpster fire as it was about Constantine being a dumpster fire, and that low-key seethe gave this book an edge that many of Constantine’s more recent exploits have been missing.

Campbell and Bergara are gifted at depicting grimy fantasy, and Bellaire continues to be one of the greatest colorists who ever lived. In a sane, just world, a second volume of John Constantine: Hellblazer is being planned as we speak. Let’s hope.

11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin

Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird (Writers); Esau & Isaac Escorza (Artists); Luis Antonio Delgado (Colorist), Shaun Lee (Letterer)

When we saw a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic called The Last Ronin, we had no idea they meant Frank Miller Ronin. The art on this comic is astounding. 

The story is almost irrelevant, in part because it’s only just getting going (only one oversized issue has been released at the time of this writing). But it’s excellent set up – the last living Ninja Turtle assaults a city controlled by the Foot Clan to try and end their long battle once and for all. It’s set in the future, and heavily influenced by the cyberpunk ninja aesthetic so common to the genre, but filtered through a strong Miller lens that makes it a joy to discover.

10. Captain America: The End

Erik Larsen (Writer/Artist), Dono Sánchez-Almara (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer)

The superhero comic one shot is an underrated – even lost – art form these days. Annuals are often fill-in stories, and unless Marvel or DC are putting out an oversized issue to herald a line wide relaunch or a similar event, it’s rare that you get a nice thick single issue telling a self contained story of any real “importance.” Fortunately, there’s Captain America: The End.

Marvel’s The End line is exactly what it sounds like: an excuse for creators to tell not-really-in-continuity “final” stories for the biggest Marvel heroes. And while Captain America: The End ostensibly presents itself as the “final” Captain America story, it’s way more fun than that. Erik Larsen uses this opportunity to pay tribute to Cap’s greatest creative periods: specifically Jack Kirby’s two-fisted, acrobatic stint on the character in the 1960s, and his socially conscious and psychedelic late ’70s return to the book.

Wall to wall action, with Kirby-esque idea factory energy and dynamism at the forefront, Captain America: The End is one of the most purely fun superhero issues in years. But don’t mistake this for an exercise in nostalgia, as Larsen blends timely (and timeless) messages that help sum up what made Captain America great in the first place, and why we’ll never truly see the “last” Cap story.

9. Maison Ikkoku

Rumiko Takahashi (Writer/Artist)

We can’t make enough noise about how great Viz has been doing recently at making some of the harder to find manga classics available to bigger audiences. This lovely reprint of Rumiko Takahashi’s joyful slice of life comic technically came out decades ago, but most Western comics fans likely only came to it via this new printing.

Maison Ikkoku follows the misadventures of a young apartment building manager and the tenants that she has to keep in check. In turns sweet, silly, and saucy, this is truly a masterwork of manga that you must read. 

8. Billionaire Island

Mark Russell (Writer), Steve Pugh (Artist), Chris Chuckry (Colorist), Rob Steen (Letterer)

This is not Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, and Chris Chuckry’s first time on our lists, but it’s definitely the angriest they’ve been since showing up on here. If we’re really being fair, it’s entirely deserved. 

Billionaire Island is a wild fantasy story definitely based on nothing in reality about the world’s uber wealthy, who control the world, building their own island to ride out climate change while the poors all die off and suffer on the mainland. It follows a reporter with the Miami Herald, and an ex-mercenary who lost his family to Aggrocorp’s sterility experiments in Angola, as they try and bring down the aforementioned billionaires, are trapped on the island, and work to escape. 

It is every bit as hilarious as you would expect from the team who brought us The Flintstones, but there’s an edge to it that wasn’t there in Russell, Pugh and Chuckry’s earlier work. That’s probably because of the villains – The Flintstones skewered society, while Billionaire Island takes aim at the shittiest people in the world. Several of them by name.

Despite the undercurrent of anger, Billionaire Island is still packed with genuinely hilarious moments. Pugh’s sight gags remain incredible, and the comedic timing on display is outstanding. I had high expectations for Billionaire Island coming into it, and it exceeded all of them.

7. The Magic Fish

Trung Le Nguyen (Writer/Artist)

Feel like crying a lot? Because The Magic Fish got almost everyone we’ve seen read it. It’s an incredibly powerful yet quiet comic about a 13 year old coming to terms with who he is and how to talk with his parents about it. 

Tien, the aforementioned 13 year old, is a first generation Vietnamese-American with a crush on a friend and a mother who is still processing her move to the States and the family she left behind. Much of the story is about Tien trying to figure out how to broach the subject with his mother.

What stands out about The Magic Fish is how Nguyen tells the story. Much of it is is told by retellings of fairy tales – two modifications of the Cinderella story, and one of The Little Mermaid. The colors are especially effective in setting up the mood and tone of the sections of story, elegantly communicating so much about Tien’s emotional and intellectual state. And the fashion and hair are magnificent. Nguyen draws Alan Davis-good hairstyles. 

Nguyen’s The Magic Fish is accessible, deeply moving, and beautiful, a book that should be shared with friends.

6. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen

Matt Fracion (Writer), Steve Lieber (Artist), Nathan Fairbairn (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

It’s probably good that the prank war issue, where Timmy Olsen stole the wheel off the Batmobile for Youtube clout, was published last December, because otherwise this entire entry would be the Den of Geek reciting bits to each other like this was comics Anchorman. And all that time we’d spend telling each other we sure have created some…content…would distract from the fact that Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen is one of the nicest, most thoughtful, best put-together comics in years. 

Beneath all of the gags – and there are a ton – Fraction, Lieber, Fairbairn, and Cowles put together a deceptively complex character study of Jimmy, Superman and Metropolis. This is a book that is as much about what Jimmy Olsen means to the people of Metropolis as it is about Dex-Starr puking blood on the remnants of Jimmy’s Gorilla City wedding, or the army of Kevins attacking him.

Lieber and Fairbairn were the perfect choices for art on this story: Lieber’s facial expressions and Fairbairn’s bright color palette sell every joke and set every mood that the story requires, and the way the creators play with time and information release is masterful. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen is essential reading, both because of its importance to the Superman universe as a whole, and because it’s just that damn funny.

5. Once and Future (READER’S CHOICE!)

Kieron Gillen (Writer), Dan Mora (Artist), Tamra Bonvillain (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)

Turns out letting Dan Mora draw his way through an English lit degree is a really good idea.

Joking aside, our readers have excellent taste, naming Once and Future their top pick for comic of the year.

Kieron Gillen takes the “story about a story” formula, smashes several more stories into the first one, and then lets Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain go ham on the whole thing, and the resulting comic is breathlessly exciting, and gorgeous to look at. It remixes Arthurian legend and this year added a sprinkle of Beowulf and developed the magic a little more, while juxtaposing that rich fantasy world with the mundanity of things like a senior living facility.

Mora draws monsters exceptionally well, and Bonvillain gives several scenes an ominous glow that sets a hell of a tone. Once and Future is a great pick by our readers, and is comfortably one of the best books of the year.

4. Dracula, Motherf**ker!

Alex de Campi (Writer/Letterer), Erica Henderson (Artist)

You may not realize that you need a grindhouse ‘70s story about Dracula’s brides being extremely done with his shit, but trust us, you need Dracula, Motherf**ker! in your life.

This book isn’t especially long, nor is it terribly complex. We get a lot of echoes of the original Dracula story updated to a dingy 1970s Los Angeles, and a lot of what you’d expect from a grindhouse horror comic, but it’s done exceptionally well by two incredibly talented storytellers. 

In retrospect, it’s hard to believe this is the first time de Campi and Henderson have ever worked together. Dracula, Motherf**ker! felt a lot like someone discovering peanut butter cups for the first time – there’s that dawning realization as you’re reading that it really works well, and then a secondary shock that nobody had ever done it before.

De Campi is a pro’s pro and a veritable cluster bomb of ideas. Henderson is a gifted sequential artist who gets to show off her mastery of color art as a storytelling device in these pages. The final package is outstanding. 

3. Far Sector

N.K. Jemisin (Writer), Jamal Campbell (Artist), Deron Bennett (Letterer)

The quality level of Far Sector is almost impossible to believe. Jamal Campbell doesn’t have an enormous comics resume, and this is N.K. Jemisin’s debut comic story. And yet the skill evident in every panel screams that this was made by a team of master craftsmen. 

Far Sector is the story of Jo Mullein, a new Green Lantern with an experimental, self-charging ring, dispatched to a floating megacity run jointly by three alien races; the Nah, a group of spacefaring fishtailed/winged bipeds; the keh-Topli, a group of carnivorous plants; and the @at, a race of sentient ethereal memelords. Jo is there at the request of the ruling council to investigate the City Enduring’s first murder in centuries. 

Her investigation is our way into Jemisin and Campbell’s vibrant imaginations.

This is a stunning book to look at – at least once an issue, Campbell draws something completely mind-bending. And Jemisin writes with the easy confidence and command of the form that people who have been writing comics for 50 years can’t match: there isn’t a wasted word on a single page of this entire series. It’s elegantly topical, stunning to look at, and a ton of fun to read. Far Sector is handily one of the greatest Green Lantern stories of all time.

X of Swords

Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, Leah Williams, Benjamin Percy, Vita Ayala, Zeb Wells, Ed Brisson, Gerry Duggan (Writers); Pepe Larraz, Carlos Gomez, Viktor Bogdanovic, Matteo Lolli, Carmen Carnero, Rod Reis, Phil Noto, R.B. Silva, Mahmud Asrar, Leinil Francis Yu, Stefano Casselli, Joshua Cassara (Artists); Marte Gracia, Israel Silva, Matt Wilson, Edgar Delgado, David Curiel, Nolan Woodard, Sunny Gho, Guru-eFX, Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorists); Clayton Cowles, Joe Caramagna, Cory Petit, Ariana Maher, Travis Lanham, Joe Sabino (Letterers)

X-Men fans are not commonly known for our penchant for consensus. We can and will argue over everything, from who’s a better partner for Cyclops to which story arc in the ‘90s was actually rock bottom. So when you get near unanimity that X of Swords is the best X-Men crossover since Inferno, you can pretty much take that to the bank. 

The culmination of the first phase of the X-universe’s post House of X/Powers of X plan, X of Swords tied all the mutant comics back together to take on a couple of the biggest ideas dropped in and immediately after HoXPoX. It did something that was nearly impossible: it paid off a year’s worth of stories from ten different series, with satisfying climaxes for more than a handful of storylines. 

It did this in part because several creators are making the jump to superstardom. Larraz somehow managed to do even better work than on House of X, delivering massive beat after massive beat in the final issue of the crossover. Tini Howard spent a year making Excalibur the best book in the line, and wove her plot threads through the crossover she co-shepherded (with Boss X or whatever they’re calling Hickman) to give us a foundational Otherworld and Captain Britain story. All the while, Howard also made sure that this Excalibur-centric crossover paid homage to the first Excalibur series – packing it full of magical silliness and genuine heart. Vita Ayala only got one issue in the crossover, but that issue will go down as one of Storm’s best stories of all time. And Joshua Cassara drew two issues of fights and competitions, and dropped multiple staggering spreads.

The X-Men line as a whole is the best it’s been in decades, and there’s no better proof of that than in X of Swords.

Blue in Green

Ram V (writer), Anand RK (Artist), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer)

Fiction is especially tough when the storyteller isn’t up to the subjects. If someone is writing a book about the smartest person in the world, the writer has to be smart enough to believably put brilliance in that character’s mouth. If someone is making a comic about a drug that makes everyone indescribably beautiful, then the art has to be angelic, or the book falls apart. 

But when a creative team IS up to the task, the end result can be sublime. That’s what Ram V, Anand RK and Aditya Bidikar gave us with Blue in Green. A comic about jazz that so perfectly evokes the form of its subject matter that I’m willing to bet this comic is taught in years to come. Blue in Green is incredible comics. 

Blue in Green’s story is broadly familiar: it’s the crossroads tale, where the Devil meets a gifted musician and trades the musician’s life for magnificent talent. Erik is a talented saxophonist with a rough family history who’s pissing away his talents half-heartedly teaching kids how to play. He goes home for his mother’s funeral, makes his deal, and wakes up days later, after a fugue state that included him blowing the doors off of a jazz club with his sax. Eventually, the bill comes due. 

The presentation has a uniquely loose flow to it, moving from rigid grids to collage with prose attached, with surreal, disorienting colors that match the mood of the section of story marvelously. The way the storytelling shifts from section to section, the way the form changes so that it can tell the story as much as the words or art can, is one of the most skillful feats of comics creation I’ve read in years. It’s like its own kind of visual jazz. Blue in Green is an astounding piece of comics storytelling, and I can’t wait to read what’s next from everyone involved.

The post The Best Comics of 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[ernmark]

do you feel at all frustrated that they knighted sir marc offscreen? i just feel like everybody else got a nice, clear resolution of their personal arc, and they just sort of... dropped him, and then picked up next season saying that it had all been resolved offscreen. but it’s very possible that’s just me having a weird attatchment to him as a disabled character? if you have any writerly insights/narrative reasons they might have done that, it would be much appreciated. thanks!!

(For some reason this ask was only accessible to me on my phone, and there’s no way I was gonna type up everything involved on that tiny screen.)

Admittedly I haven’t paid too close attention to the past SC episode-- stories focusing on kids really aren’t my jam, though I was pleasantly surprised to hear Marc’s return.

Hopefully we’ll see more of him in the next episode-- likely he’s going to chase after Olala after she wandered off to keep her safe. 

To address your concerns, though, I think you’ve got plenty of reason to be anxious about this. In mainstream media, this sort of thing would absolutely be resolved offscreen without the weight it deserves. I personally trust the Penumbra folks to do better than that, but even well-meaning people can fuck up badly. 

Based on that trust, though, I do think that there’s a bit more to what’s gong on with Marc, particularly in this quote right here:

And let me tell you, as a brand-spankin’-new Knight of the Crown with a lot of experience: no great quest ever got finished after one little adventure.

I think it’s meaningful that he’s fought alongside Sir Caroline, Damien and Angelo and proved himself beyond capable to all of them. Whether or not the latter two had much direct influence, Sir Caroline now has a position of major authority and ready access to the queen’s ear. With the three of them vouching for Marc, he was able to finally get past the artificial hurdles that the other knights had made for him.

But their influence didn’t change the very real hurdles that are still in place. Right now Marc is probably the oldest “new” knight in the kingdom, and that’s going to come with some biases. He’s been maligned by a whole bunch of knights for years, particularly by high-ranking knights with a lot of social capital to throw around. And that’s not even getting started with the ableism that he’s going to deal with on all sides.

(Also: there have been multiple references to the Citadel’s many towers, which I’m guessing aren’t exactly accessible to Dampierre. Just having meetings in upper floors is going to naturally exclude Marc from a whole lot of things, both out of malice and ignorance.)

So my read on it: Marc thought that this chapter of his life would be neatly resolved with a big climactic battle, followed by a spectacular party in which he’s knighted. And... kinda? I mean, he had a climactic battle alongside his lizard-in-law, and then he got knighted, but people’s lives are rarely so neat or tidy. So what he thought was going to be the end of this story turned out to be a middle point, at best.

And we’ve seen that elsewhere, too.

I think the most obvious example is Final Resting Place-- the heroes save the day and fall into bed together, roll credits. But saving the planet didn’t fix Juno’s depression and self-loathing. Sleeping with Peter didn’t fix any of that. It took a long, long time and some false starts and really bad backslides before he was able to actually deal with his trauma directly, and even now he’s not ‘fixed’-- but he is working on it, and he’s in a place where he has the support to help him do that.

We saw similar with our dear Bouquet, where they pointedly don’t get a happily ever after-- they get tension, hurt feelings, confusion, but a resolve to try, with the intention from the crew to keep exploring that story later. 

I suspect that’s more or less where we are with Marc right now. 

I should also add:

They absolutely did drop Marc in the final inning of the last episode, but they were pretty public about the reason behind that. Marc’s voice actor was hiking the Appalachian Trail during the recording, which made him entirely unavailable during the time when they would have been recording those episodes. Apparently the original outlines had to be altered to remove Marc from the script because of it. It really sucks, but with as many moving pieces as they had to coordinate, I can understand it not being possible to keep him in there. 

It’s still not great, but at least I can assure you it didn’t have anything to do with Marc as a character. 

[seasonofthegeek]

And Then There Was One: Competition

Written for Kagami Appreciation Week at @wearemiraculous <3

In an alternate dimension, there is a different set of Miraculous holders from the ones we know that are facing an ongoing threat of citizens being infected with a Miraculous-created illness that gives them powerful abilities but drives them mad until they are akin to zombies. This is that team’s story, and it is not a happy story.

“The probability of you getting a higher count than me at this point is laughable.” Firefox held out his hand and his robot assistant dropped a grouping of blood-filled syringes into his gloved palm.

Onyx huffed as she dropped another betabug to the ground, pinning the struggling woman’s arms behind her back. “All I need are my own abilities to beat you. I don’t have to rely on help.”

“Foxtail counts as my abilities,” her teammate shot back. “I created him; therefore, I’m still beating you.”

“Cut it out. We have work to do.” Sting’s voice carried over their communicators and both heroes shared a look before getting back to work breaking up the mob of super-powered victims. _______________________

“Nice of you to finally show up,” Kagami commented as Luka dropped heavily to the couch. “You have a responsibility to this team. Where were you today? I thought I saw you when we started fighting and then you disappeared. Max and I had to take out thirty or so by ourselves.”

Jagged cleared his throat pointedly from his spot across the room and Kagami pursed her lips. “Not entirely by ourselves,” she amended.

“I had to take care of some other things,” Luka murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Did everything go okay?”

“As okay as it ever does.” She noted the way Duusu draped herself over her holder’s shoulder, fanning her tail feathers over him in an almost protective manner. There was a small part of her that wanted to ask what was wrong but she’d learned her lesson about trying to get involved in teammates’ lives more than absolutely necessary. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“She’s simply sore she can’t get a higher body count than me.” Max entered the room with a tray of the blood samples he’d had Foxtail procure during the fight. The floating robot followed behind him, digital eyes downcast as Trixx slept soundly on his head. “The illness seems to be spreading. These samples are significantly more infected than the last we took nine days ago.”

“Which means someone is still using the Ladybug Miraculous to power them,” Jagged sighed, leaning back in his chair. “The abilities should’ve petered out by now without a source of power.”

Kagami felt herself stiffen and tried to appear relaxed and unaffected. He was dead. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him.

“We saw Adrien die,” Luke said tiredly, voicing her thoughts. “He created the betabugs and it killed him and destroyed the earrings. There was nothing left after the explosion. It has to be something else.”

“We saw a lot of people die that day,” Jagged added softly, closing his laptop and leaning back in his chair. “So without the Ladybug Miraculous, there���s no way to reverse this?”

“The betabug abilities are connected to the power they were created from,” Max explained for what definitely wasn’t the first time. “The likelihood of finding another power source that would be able to override it without the earrings is—“

“Possible,” a quiet voice interjected. “I mean, I think anyway.” Marc stood in the doorway as Nooroo hovered by his shoulder.

Luka stood abruptly. “Where’s—“

“Contained for now.”

Kagami looked between the men with a frown. “What are you hiding?” She felt Plagg stir and he blinked up at her with sleepy eyes from his place tucked in on the couch beside her. She reached down to run a finger along his head even as her attention zeroed back in on Luka and Marc.

Marc’s eyes widened. “Not hiding!” he swore, holding up his hands. “It was just something I needed to see for myself and I thought this was the best way since I’m not much of a combat fighter.”

Jagged was suddenly standing and crossing the room in long strides, Pollen hurrying with him. “Tell me you didn’t bring one of those things here, mate. Please tell me that.”

Nooroo nuzzled his holder’s cheek as Marc shrunk in on himself. “I don’t like to lie,” he whispered. “So if that’s what you want me to tell you…”

“Where?” The older man loomed over him.

Kagami noticed the way Marc tried to hold his ground. He wasn’t very brave. She’d argued with Jagged about giving him the Butterfly Miraculous but they needed the help and in the end, she’d been overruled. So if he was willing to stand up against Jagged and possibly she and Max, this was something he found incredibly important. She watched his eyes cut back toward the hall as if he was going to make a run for it. 

Not just important then; this was someone he wanted to protect.

Kagami tried to think back on the things she’d learned about Marc. Years ago, she wouldn’t have bothered since she considered him a coward and a liability but she’d found that there were advantages to paying attention to even the little things. She’d learned it too late, but she’d learned it nonetheless.

There’d been a boyfriend. It was coming back in snippets now. Some kind of artist or writer; some occupation Kagami had never had the leisure for. He’d been one of the first infected and Marc had been forced into hiding before Luka and Jagged came across him during a patrol and brought him to the safehouse.  

“Nathaniel.” She pulled the name out of the recesses of her mind and saw Marc flinch.

“I spotted him in the crowd.” Luka joined the other man’s side. “We just thought—“

“You didn’t think,” she cut him off. “If either of you had thought, you would’ve realized what an absolutely terrible idea this was.” She finally stood and crossed the room. “Take us to him, Marc.”

“Wait! I just need to explain!” Marc backed up with raised hands. ”I think I can help him with the butterflies. Please, you have to let me try!”

“Sorry, mate. I know you’re new to the team but this isn’t how things are done.” Jagged glared at Luka. “Some of us should know that by now.”

“I love him!” Marc cried out and then covered his mouth with a soft sobbing sound.

“We all loved someone, and they’re all gone now. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.” Jagged moved past him and toward the hall and Marc hurried after him with pleading words.

“Say something,” Luka urged, glaring at Kagami. “He’ll listen to you.”

In that moment, what Kagami really wanted to do was knock Luka to the floor. She wanted to scream and shout and hit him until he finally understood. They’d lost everything, everyone. She’d watched Adrien spiral after he found out everything his parents had been doing behind his back. He’d been seen as Lucky Beetle, the hero of Paris, and all the while, Gabriel and Emilie had been using the other Miraculous in their possession to conduct experiments to try to gain more power beyond what the artifacts offered. They’d been creating the monsters Lucky Beetle had to fight. They’d caused deaths and destruction and all in the name of progress.

And it had broken him.

Kagami watched her partner’s light dim. His parents had been arrested and justice had been served but it left them both feeling empty and uncertain about their position in the world. Kagami had taken the opportunity to strive to be better, to help more people, to take steps to prevent anything like that happening again. She made sure the citizens of Paris saw Onyx patrolling the streets to keep them safe.

Adrien had gone in another direction.

She looked at the fire in Luka’s eyes and it was a painful reminder of who and what she’d already lost.

“There are rules for a reason,” she replied, voice quiet but strong, as she moved past him to follow Jagged and Marc.

Buy me a cherry coke?

[stocrostrefa1985-blog]

4.11 Google Play allows users to rate and review Products. Only users who download the applicable Product will be able to rate and review it on Google Play. Product ratings may be used to determine the placement of Products on Google Play. Side note: I a black woman who has mixed heritage, I have yet to find a match in lines made for african american women. Fashion Fair, Cover Girl Queen, Nacara, Black Radiance. Nothing. He gave them nothing to work with. There was no kernel of truth from which to lay the foundations of their conspiracies. He had no minor scandals for them to blow out of proportion. Marc Jacobs highliner in Jazzberry. It not on the MJ website anymore, though it is still 철원출장마사지 on Sephora. It a lovely raspberry purple with some shimmer, I wear it several times a week and have for years; it one of the few products that I like all over again with every use. I mean everybody had their shtick and it clearly works for abh but what pisses me off is when they describe the palette or their vision for it. This new palette isn cool toned it a ton of shimmer and some misplaced colors and a few Browns. A green or something else wouldve been nice to see instead of the odd purple that has been in the palettes lately. That's the one issue I take with Spider Man. With great power DOES NOT come great responsibility. Peter doesn't have to risk his life every day just because some bug bit him on a school field trip. It's no surprise that those with 철원출장마사지 higher salaries have saved more. Those older households who earned more than $171,000 a year had saved a median of $600,000 while those who earned less than $35,000 a year had saved a median of $18,000. (The report considered assets in all defined contribution accounts, including both 401(k) and IRAs.). She been past that since Evolution at least. They trying to force her back into a role that no longer fits because, well they don know any other way to tell stories.I don understand how they think any of this helps the build. The Man is not an underdog. Kitty came a piece of the way but she wouldn't come any further than Uncle James Frewen's gate. She said it was because it was so windy she was afraid she would get the tooth ache and not because she was frightened of the ghost of the dog that haunted the bridge in Uncle James' hollow. I did wish she hadn't said anything about the dog because I mightn't of thought about it if she hadn't. They are all crooks, keeping the public bickering about whose party is right, or whatever the ridiculous hot button issue of the week is, but push comes to shove, they are all helping each other line their pockets behind closed doors. With the public divided they can get away with whatever and no one takes notice, because their fighting amongst each other. Shady things happen in government, corrupt things, whether you acknowledge their existence or not is up to you. But it is fairly easy to create separation until you figure out where you want to go. The Christmas noobs have chilled out a bit. I find a lot of low level players attempt to grief/troll, but they scurry off fairly quickly. I was struggling for months with severe dry, cracked, red, painful, flaking and bleeding on the skin directly around my lips. It started a cycle of forming thick plaques of skin over the inflamed and irritated areas that would eventually break and fall of to reveal cracked and painful puss and bleeding from pustules and patches of dry, raw skin. Once the plaques fell off, they would form again, fall off, etc in a vicious cycle.

[rebelsofshield]

Panels Far, Far Away: A Week in Star Wars Comics 1/16/18

One comic but three different stories make up a Prequel heavy week for Star Wars comics.

Star Wars Age of Republic Special #1 written by Ethan Sacks, Jody Houser, and Marc Guggenheim art by Paolo Villanelli, Carlos Gomez, Caspar Wijngaard

Part of the appeal of the Age Of... line of Star Wars comics has been getting to shine a light on a wide variety of heroes and villains from throughout the franchise’s history. However, in addition to full one shot comics, it’s now nice to see that each era will also sport a special anthology issue that will feature multiple tales. Age of Republic’s installment is a dream for fans of The Clone Wars animated series with the likes of Mace Windu, Asajj Ventress, Captain Rex, and even Jar Jar Binks getting the time to shine.

The inevitable problem with anthology comics is that very rarely do individual stories get the appropriate time to shine. Each writer must be economical with their allotted pages and as a result some stories may feel less fleshed out than others. In this case, only Ethan Sacks and Paolo Villanelli’s Mace Windu story feels like a full success with Jody Houser and Carlos Gomez’s Ventress story feeling more like a deleted scene from an episode of The Clone Wars and Marc Guggenheim and Caspar Wjingaard’s Captain Rex/Jar Jar team up ending too early.

Regardless, this proves to be a fun experiment and undeniable treat for fans of this era especially the cult favorite animated series. Iconic clone characters pop in and out of Guggenheim’s script and Houser’s Ventress story takes place in between the scenes of one of the show’s best stories.

As mentioned before, Sacks and Villanelli’s pre-The Phantom Menace Mace Windu story is the strongest of the bunch as it follows the famous Jedi attempting to shut down a child soldier employing warlord. Sack’s script may not reveal much new about Windu, but it functions well as a self-contained adventure. Villanelli designs a great one-off villain and set ups a rather fun clash between the light and dark side that has a satisfyingly bittersweet conclusion.

Houser and Gomez cover familiar ground in exploring the slow redemption of Asajj Ventress (especially considering where it falls chronologically), but it plays as an entertaining enough story of a decidedly feminist anti-hero. Gomez’s art is maybe some of the best of the bunch with characters that feel stylized and exaggerated without sacrificing the detail and personality you would expect from the Coruscanti underworld. It proves to be a fitting visual choice given its close proximity to its source material.

Finally, Guggenheim and Wjingaard tell a buddy war story between the galaxy’s most infamous Gungan and most iconic clone trooper. Guggenheim’s script, even if it plays into a certain popular meme-y fan theory, is unlikely to win over any Jar Jar converts but it makes for a fun Clone Wars romp all the same. As mentioned earlier, it does end too quickly though with what feels to be the most entertaining part of the narrative coming after Guggenheim closes out. Wjingaard’s art is strong as ever, but with another artist (Cris Peter) doing the colors it lacks the distinctive pop that it usually carries. Peter does an adequate enough job, but it’s hard not to wish that Wjingaard had been given the chance to fully put his creative stamp on an energetic script like this in the way he has past stories like the outstanding second Doctor Aphra annual.

Overall, at the perfectly reasonable price tag of $4.99 this Age of Republic special issue is worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of the characters or time frame present.

Score: B+

[siempre-bucky]

Murder at Stark Manor: Peter Parker X Reader

PART 1 of2

Midtown High Students have come to participate in Liz’s live action role play. The reader wants to confess her feelings for Peter but knows about his crush on Liz. No one actually dies, it’s ok :)

Word Count: 1.8k (OMG I’M SORRY T.T)

Peter Parker x Reader

Based on the board game Clue

It was the middle of the beautiful month of April, and around this time a grand party was about to be announced by the popular Liz Toomes. It was an annual gathering, only certain students were invited to partake in this year’s party. For it would be a party to die for.

“What do you think her party theme is this year?” Y/F/N Y/L/N asked her best friend as they walked through the crowded halls of Midtown High. Peter Parker looked down at her and shrugged, reaching his locker. Y/N picked at her army green sweater as she leaned against the locker next to Peter’s.  She took a moment to admire the spider boy, he was perfect, his hair, his body, even his fingers as they graced the lock.

Upon opening the locker, a white envelope fell out, making a soft noise as it collided with the ground. The light brown haired male was oblivious to the envelope as he continued to stuff his books in his messy locker. “You dropped something,” Y/N told him. Peter looked down and gasped, picking up the envelope.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked her excitedly, pointing at the red wax seal. Y/N shook her head, although, in reality, she knew what it was. And frankly, she was afraid, this was Liz trying to get Peter to be hers “Read the initials! LT! It’s an invite to the biggest party of the year,” he nearly squealed. Y/N put her pointer finger up to her lips to silence the overly excited boy. Everyone was aware of the crush Peter has had on Liz since forever grade. Peter sighed to calm himself down, this is too exciting.

“I’m going to open it,” he said as he broke the seal and hurriedly took the thick and shiny invitation:

                                  You are cordially invited to participate in…

                                             A Party to Die For

                                         Presented by Liz Toomes

                                        17th of April   7:00 pm sharp

                                                   Boddy Manor

               (Please attend in 1920s fashion and speak with an English accent)

Y/N rolled her eyes, of course, Liz would pull out all the stops for her parties. Boddy Manor was the old mansion upstate, recently bought by an unknown owner. A party to die for? So cliché, she thought as she looked over at the invitation in Peter’s hand. If this was a cartoon, Y/N’s skin would be turning green, but she would never admit it.  “I’m going to class, don’t drown in your own drool,” she laughed as she walked off for class. Peter wiped the bead of drool of his chin and wiped it on his dark blue jeans.

The grumpy girl stood in front of her gray locker and slowly started to turn the numbers on her small lock. Suddenly a shadow appeared behind her, she breathed in, slightly cringing at the overwhelming smell of Marc Jacobs perfume.  Y/N ran her hand through her choppy neck length hair before turning around to look at the girl.

Behind her was none other than Liz Toomes holding out a white envelope exactly the same as Peter’s. Liz’s frosty pink lips turned up into a knowing smile as she looked down at Y/N’s unimpressed facial expression.

“This is for you,” she spoke. Y/N hesitantly reached out and took the envelope from her manicured hands.  

“Uh, thanks, Liz,” Y/N said in disbelief, why would she give her an invitation? Y/N studied the indecipherable look on the taller girl’s face. What has possessed the daughter of Satan? What kind of trick was she trying to play on her… or Peter? Liz broke the eye contact and took a step back. It was no secret that you and Liz didn't like each other, especially since you were both competing for Peter's attention

“Anything for you Y/N! Remember don’t be late,” Liz said, flipping her long curly dark hair over her shoulder and walking away. Y/N didn’t bother reading the invitation, I’m only going because Peter is, she reminded herself, shoving the envelope into her bag.

The evening had come, the grand party was about to take place. The sun had started to set and the air had become cooler. From the other side of the street, Y/N stood there and watched the other people standing on the porch, dressed appropriately for the occasion. She tugged on her sparkly lavender drop waist dress and sighed deeply.

She took clumsy steps with her high heels, slowly managing to walk across the wet street.  Glancing up at the large door, Y/N took her place next to Peter. “Y/N! You got invited,” Peter whispered as he draped his arm around her shoulders. As they chill of the night settled in Y/N leaned into his embrace, observing those around her. He looked amazing in his black tux and thick red tie.

Standing across from the pair where the other players, Ned, of course, was invited but stayed far away from the group...he was really into this. He blew his pipe, and out came bubbles, Peter let out a laugh and nudged  Y/N to look.  On the other side of Ned was Michelle Jones  Liz’s best friend, her nose in a book, Scratching her hand which was in a dreadfully itchy white lace glove.

And of course, there was the girl of the hour, Liz with her green dress and brown faux fur coat. She was the best dressed there, twirling her pearl necklace as she talked to Michelle.

The guests waited anxiously for the opening of the doors, but finally, they had opened to reveal the maid character, Peter's eyes opened wide as he recognized her as Wanda “Welcome, welcome! Ms. Toomes and Mr. Stark welcome you all to this live action game of Clue at the Boddy Manor!” Mr. Stark? Peter whipped his head around to the street to see the billionaire standing there with his velvet lounge outfit, his hands nicely tucked in the large pockets. With Pepper Potts on his arm, wearing a skin tight red dress and hair in classic curls.

“Actually my dear, it's now Stark Manor,” he corrected with his fake accent. He was the buyer of the old mansion? Wanda rolled her eyes “ Our rules state that you must act in character and stick to your character descriptions,” She told them, stepping aside to let them into the entry way.  Peter let Y/N go in front of him as he stopped to talk to Tony.

“M-Mr Stark? How did you know about this?” he asked.

“That Liz girl has good bribery skills. I don't like her,” he muttered in a hushed tone. “Listen, kid, just enjoy and ask Y/N out ok, she's better,” he winked and gave Peter a firm pat on the back before walking into the mansion.

The room was barely lit, setting off a creepy vibe within the younger patrons. The maid walked and stood behind two large glass bowls with pieces of paper “Please come forth and select a paper, this will be your character description, one is for the gentleman and the other is for the girls,” she told them. Liz tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked up to the bowl twirling her hand inside before pulling one out with two fingers.

“Heiress to a large fortune, newly engaged to the heir of the large hotel in Manhattan,” she read aloud, smirking. Y/N rolled her eyes in annoyance. Michelle followed her lead and picked from the bowl.

“Daughter of the wealthy business man, heavily sheltered. Bite me” she spat, walking back to Liz.  Ned walked up to the bowl and stuck his hand inside the bowl for the men’s side.

“Ah, the business partner to the CEO, choice,” he laughed in victory, taking his place back in the group. And so it went on the other patrons found out their places in the game, Peter was to be “married” to Liz, Y/N was ironically the best friend to the heir of the hotel. Tony was naturally was cast as the CEO, while Pepper played the wife of Tony.

The guests walked into the living room for drinks, Y/N stood in the corner as she watched Peter sit on the couch in between Liz and Michelle, hamming it up. She furrowed eyes as her painted nails tapped the glass in annoyance.Tony took the last sip of his drink, noticing it was empty he left the room, to grab another bottle of champagne.

Minutes have passed, the same old record had played over and over, the sound had become nauseating. Suddenly the record player stopped and the lights went out. Everyone gasped. “Y/N!” Peter yelled, his spidey senses going wild. Jumping from the couch to find Y/N.

“I’m ok,” she said, looking around in complete darkness, trying to search for her friend. Peter followed her voice and slowly made his way over to her, bumping into the edge of the coffee table with his shin. He let out a groan bending down to grip in throbbing shin.

There was a sound, a bottle had broken in the other room and it earned everyone’s attention. “What was that?” Michelle shouted out, starting to get scared. The room was silent once again, the sounds of their heartbeats were the only things to be heard. Until the lights flickered back on and the maid rushed into the room, crying hysterically with blood all over her delicate hands.

“Someone killed my Master,” she cried, falling to the floor. Ned rushed over and sat beside her “What happened to my friend?” he asked, staying in character. The maid slowly stood up and walked the guests into the kitchen.

There on the floor was Tony lying on the ground, with blood covering his upper torso. Pepper pushed her way up to the front “Tony,” she sobbed, pulling out a handkerchief out of her dress, wiping her eyes. She leaned her head against Liz’s shoulder, who hesitantly tapped her shoulder in comfort.

“I came in after cleaning the master bedroom and he was found dead… one of you did it,” the maid’s demeanor changed. There were no more tears, she was angry, and everyone could tell.

“She has great acting,” Peter whispered to Y/N. She nudged his side, making him laugh and look at the crime scene.

“On the table behind me, there are envelopes for each of you. They contain a magnifying glass, a notepad, fingerprint dusting equipment and a map to the house. We will check in every hour… you have 3 hours to find out which one of you killed Tony Stark. I wish all of you good luck,” She informed before beginning to break down and cry over his body with a white sheet.

“Do you think Liz wants to pair up with me?” Peter asked.

“I don’t know,” Y/N looked over at Liz who was already arm and arm with Michelle, “I think she may have a partner already.” Peter looked at the pair that just left and pouted. Y/N looked at him in disbelief, they had been best friends since 1st grade and this is what she gets? She’s his second choice. I’m his second choice, this is ridiculous, she thought as she grabbed her packet off the table. If only he could see how much she loved him.

[longforgottenunofficial]

Ravens and One-Eyed Cats, Oh My!

The unseen Ghost Host acts as a sort of ambassador, a go-between, someone equally able to speak to us in the mortal realm as well as to his fellow spirits (presumably).  Other than a few directives from the Cast Member Butlers and Maids, telling us to get to the center of the stretching gallery, the GH is our only narrator and guide.  He never really tells us what his motivation is in taking us on this little tour.  Right up until the end of the ride, you don't know if he's good or evil. We're so used to this arrangement by now that we forget that doing it this way was a choice.  As it turns out, it was a choice made only a few months before the Haunted Mansion opened.  Some of the rejected alternatives would have made for a very different ride experience if they had been implemented.  One of these is fairly well known and has left traces behind in the ride.  There is another one, far less well-known, which has left nothing behind.  One thing they have in common is that both of them add an additional character who interacts with both the Ghost Host and with you, the rider. Very different chemistry.  This was not a trivial decision, as we'll see. The Raven Died in the wool Mansionites know a lot about this character, so if you're one of those, and you're impatient, you might scroll down to the Cat section, which includes stuff you've never seen, I promise. Riders can hardly help noticing that there is a raven which accompanies them throughout the ride, starting with the Conservatory scene and ending at the entrance to the crypt at the end of the graveyard scene.  There are five all together, but they are all supposed to be the same character.  All it does is caw at us.  Especially at DL, particular attention is drawn to it as we descend into the graveyard.  Despite having our focus obviously directed at it at that point, we're gettin' bird noises and that's it.

Originally, the WDW raven sat on the branch right above you too, as you tilted back, but due to "guest abuse" it was moved back and put on a branch well off to the side.  Ketchup packets, I imagine. Caw-caw.  At least the bird sounds real.  According to Stacia Martin (The Sounds of Disneyland [Disney, 2005] 31), he was voiced by "Candy" Candido, best known as the go-to guy for basso profundo in cases where even Thurl Ravenscroft couldn't get low enough.  (Candy must have had freakin' bridge cables for vocal cords.)  What is less well-known is that Candy was extraordinarily versatile and could do very high voices as well.  The same source says that Candy did the raven in Sleeping Beauty and simply hauled out his raven cry again ten years later for the Mansion. Be that as it may, originally there were going to be several more ravens, including one in the stretching room and one in the foyer.  (You can read about the latter one HERE).  This was still going to be the case going into the spring of 1969.  The raven was going to talk to you, along with the unseen Ghost Host.  The 1968 show script which provided the basis for the "Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion" album preserves a lot of the raven's dialogue.  The bird criticizes the stretchroom advice given by the GH ("He chose the coward's way! Caw-caw").  I guess the GH is a little miffed, because shortly afterwards he responds by warning you that the raven is a possessed creature, and its "restless spirit" may be looking for an opportunity to "better itself."  This bickering leaves you wondering which (if either) of these voices from regions beyond should be trusted.  But the raven is also the one who warns you about the ghostly hitchhikers at the end, so by that point you have probably come to trust the little guy.  He even calls you "my friends," so you see?  He cares.  I guess there was no caws for concern.  (Oh shut up; it's my blog.) The eerie raven first appears in a Ken Anderson concept sketch.  Marc Davis liked it and kept it, and it seems that there was never a time when it wasn't going to be part of the show.

Is the talking raven taken from the famous Edgar Allan Poe poem?  If we're speaking of an indirect influence, the answer is an easy yes.  Poe is indeed responsible for adding the raven to the short list of recognized Halloween critters (bats, spiders, black cats, owls).  But even in a direct sense, the answer is yes.  In an early script, the raven warns us about itself (huh?) and the hitchhikers, with "nevermore's" and "evermore's" sprinkled everywhere.  The lines were recorded at one point by the incomparable Eleanor Audley (Lady Tremaine, Maleficent, Madame Leota).  Warning!  If you're an admirer of Ms. Audley's work (yes, yes, I see those hands), this excerpt is painful to listen to.  But we historians cannot afford the luxury of pity. Beware of Eleanor's Raven, Forevermore [Audio Link]

Oh geesh, that was bad.  Anyway, it proves that X. Atencio was directly influenced by "The Raven" when he tried to script the character.  One problem with the raven—besides being annoying—was that it was too small to command your attention in some of the larger scenes.  Maybe a bigger animal would work.  Let's see...no, you can't have an elephant in a haunted house.  How about a black cat?  More specifically, how about an Edgar Allan Poe-inspired black cat? The One-Eyed Black Cat "The Black Cat" is one of Poe's better known tales, often anthologized, and read in many a high school English class.  If you've forgotten how it goes, here's a severely abbreviated summary: The narrator had a beloved black cat for a pet, but one day in a fit of alcoholic rage he gouges out its eye with a knife.  Later on, guilt at the sight of the one-eyed black cat turns to resentment and he kills the animal.  Later he finds (or is found by) another one-eyed black cat and takes it as a pet.  In yet another one of his fits of rage he murders his wife and walls her up in the cellar.  When the police investigate, however, the narrator is betrayed by the howling of the cat inside the wall, where it had been walled up with the corpse. A much creepier Poe animal than the raven, certainly.  Most Mansion fans know about the existence of the one-eyed black cat only from a couple of Paul Frees outtakes, in which he tries out his note-perfect Bela Legosi and Peter Lorre voices while using a revised HM script.  Dude, when Count Dracula sees fit to warn you about a kitty, it must be one bad motorscooter. Ghost Host Bela warns you about a nasty cat [Audio Link]

Ghost Host Peter warns you about it too [Audio Link]

As you can gather from those, X's cat was much scarier and more demonic than his raven.  None of the cat's dialogue has survived, but X did a series of concept sketches.  The notion that the cat would be co-narrator may even predate the notion of putting the earlier raven character into that specific role.  It looks as if the black cat might first manifest itself at first as nothing more than an eye:

Apparently, the eye would morph into a shiny point of laser-like light, and a cat face would appear with only one eye.  The first eye you saw turns out to be the missing one.  From the looks of it, this loud and angry feline is looking for more than just a Little Friskies num-num.

The morphing continues, and the face rots into a more human form.  Not surprisingly, this does nothing to improve its mood.

Good Lord.  And how was this thing going to be presented?  A projection?  That isn't clear.  It's possible that the "cat" was going to just pop out unexpectedly along the way in its various stages of demonic materialization.  The face above looks a lot like a blast-up head in another X concept sketch.  A quick look at some actual blast-up heads (inset) confirms that this is what the artwork is about.

So maybe our creepy "cat" was going to jump out and surprise us here and there throughout the ride.  Good Lord. When neither the demonic one-eyed black cat nor the "nevermore"-squawking raven ended up being used, the HM lost its only clear Edgar Allan Poe allusions (although you could make a case for a Tell-Tale Heart allusion in the bride's beating heart).  It would have been nice if someone had told the composer of this WDW pre-opening publicity poster that the Haunted Mansion could no longer be accurately described as "Edgar Allan Poe-styled."

The black cat was a short-lived idea, with good reason.  By having the Ghost Host warn you about a clearly malicious and dangerous creature like this one, he cast himself into the role of protector.  He was there to help you.  Similarly, in the 1968 script, the GH graciously informs you at the outset that you will not be harmed.  That's very decent of him. Too decent.  Who wants Santa Claus for a Ghost Host?  A haunted house is an allegory of life itself.  You enter here and you exit there, and in between is a dark twisted corridor filled with frightening sights.  You may get advice along the way, but you never have quite enough evidence to be sure that those voices have your best interest at heart.  Do you really want to go into that haunted house that the neighbor kid put up in his garage for Halloween—the one who's a minor league juvenile delinquent the rest of the year? Enter if you dare. The Haunted Mansion is no different than any thirteen-year-old's spook house, and it's no different from life.  Once you're in, you don't know if the Host is benign or malicious, so you have no choice but to go ahead, even with insufficient data.  When you're stuck in a haunted house, the secret is to not panic and to keep your wits about you and to just keep going.  If you do that, you're likely to make it. Kinda like life. So the trouble with the villainous black cat is that it made the Ghost Host much too unambiguously a good guy.  It's important that he make you a little nervous, a little unsure. What was the trouble with the raven, then, aside from being a tad too small?  With the cat, we had a bad guy co-narrator and a good guy main narrator.  With the talking raven, we had a morally ambiguous co-narrator along with a morally ambiguous Ghost Host.  At first, you don't really know if either of them can be trusted.  But in that case, why do you need two narrators?  The real problem with the raven was that it was redundant.  Turn off its dialogue and give its few substantive comments to the GH, and ta da, nothing is changed.  Just make sure the GH never really tells you what he's up to. .

Originally Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 Original Link: [x]