#i did use wandavision as a reference

[serenastark-writes]

One Last Touch

Loki stood in the shadow of a dying universe, watching the energy of Serena flicker with the dying light. She was not the same Serena from the timeline where they had shared moments together, where they had fought side by side in the chaos of the Avengers' first battle. This Serena was from a different time—one where he never got to say goodbye. A timeline he had no right to be in, a timeline that he could never stay in.

She had been the one constant through the storm. When he had fallen to the darkness, she had been his anchor. Her sharp wit, her sarcastic smile, her warmth—it had been enough to pull him from the edges of madness. He had loved her once, deeply, with a love so real, so raw, it had burned through the years and all the trials they faced. But now? Now, in this moment, they were strangers from two worlds that should never have met.

Serena, looking up at him, her soft brown eyes mirroring the ache in his chest, whispered, “You shouldn’t be here, Loki.”

The weight of the reset charge in his hand felt unbearable. He had come to destroy the timeline. He had to. If he didn’t, everything—everything they had fought for, everything they had built—would collapse into oblivion. It wasn’t just about saving this world; it was about saving all of them. But that didn’t make the task easier. Nothing could erase the pain of seeing her like this.

“I know,” Loki said softly, stepping closer to her, his voice breaking as he allowed himself one last glance at the woman he would always love. "But I couldn't stay away. Not without seeing you... just one more time."

Serena laughed softly, a tear sliding down her cheek. "You always were the reckless one."

Her hand reached out, brushing against his cheek, as if grounding herself in the very fabric of the universe he could no longer touch.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his words heavy with regret, the air between them thick with the unspoken history of their love. “I never thought I’d have to leave you like this."

Her hand lingered on his cheek, a soft connection that felt too fragile to last. "It was never your fault," she said, her voice filled with understanding, the pain of their situation not lost on either of them. "You have to do this. For all of us."

Loki closed his eyes for a moment, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. “Serena… I…” He didn’t know what to say. How could he express a lifetime of love in a few fleeting words? How could he explain the depth of his feelings for someone who would soon vanish forever?

But Serena, the woman who had always seen through his lies, seemed to understand. “You don’t have to say anything, Loki.” Her voice was gentle, a whisper against the chaos. “I already know.” And then, in that brief instant, they were just two people. Two souls who had loved each other in another time, in another place.

It was a fleeting moment. A fragment. A whisper of the life they could never have.

Serena's hand trembled, but she held him there, her warmth radiating against the cold inevitability of their separation. The moment was precious, delicate, as if time itself was holding its breath.

"I wish we had more time," she said softly, her voice a ghost of a dream.

Loki’s heart shattered as he leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. It was a soft, gentle kiss—a promise of all the words left unsaid, of all the love they would never be able to share. His hand cradled her face, as if trying to hold onto the moment for just a second longer.

As their lips met, the world around them began to flicker and fade, the timeline starting to reset. Serena’s form began to blur, the edges of her body vanishing as if she were nothing more than stardust being swept away. Her touch lingered, a trace of warmth on his skin, and he clung to it with everything he had.

“I will always love you,” Loki whispered against her lips, feeling the last fragments of her slip away.

Serena smiled softly, tears glistening in her eyes as she pressed one last kiss to his lips. “And I’ll always be with you, Loki. In whatever world, in whatever timeline, I’ll always be there.”

And then, she was gone.

Tears blurred his vision as he stared at the empty space where she had stood, his heart heavy with loss. The charge in his hand was still warm, its power now spent. He had done what he had come to do. The timeline had reset. It was over.

Loki fell to his knees, the reset charge still humming in his hand, the weight of everything pressing down on him. She was gone.

But her love would never fade.

Tears fell freely down his face, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Loki allowed himself to mourn. For Serena. For the timeline they would never share. For a love that would never be.

He stood, the reset charge in his hand, and with one final glance at the place where she had once stood, he activated it.

The timeline reset. And so did his heart, breaking piece by piece.

And somewhere, across every reality, the echoes of their love would live on forever.

Requested by: @random-hufflepuff-marvel-girl

[the-psychopathist]

Is Agatha Harkness a sociopath?

I wanted to make this post ever since I finished Agatha All Along, specifically after Agatha was referred to as a “sociopath” in the series. Now, “sociopath” is not an actual diagnosis and most of the time, what people refer to when it comes to sociopathy and psychopathy is actually anti-social personality disorder (ASPD). In this post, I’ll attempt to “diagnose” Agatha with ASPD and see if she fits the criteria for a diagnosis.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional, I’m only “diagnosing” Agatha because she’s a fictional character. Do not attempt to do the same for any real person. This post isn’t meant to stigmatize any real person with that condition, this is simply a character study. None of what I’m writing should be used in a real-life context. 

1) Failure to obey laws and norms by engaging in behavior which results in criminal arrest, or would warrant criminal arrest

Agatha is quite literally a serial killer. She has been luring witches to their early graves for centuries. We don't know exactly how many people she has killed, but her body count is definitely quite large. I don't think she was ever arrested for her crimes but it definitely warrants a criminal arrest. If it wasn't for Wanda trapping her in the Agnes persona at the end of WandaVision, she would have most likely been arrested, especially since she attempted to kill multiple S.W.O.R.D. soldiers. 

2) Deceitfulness, indicated by continuously lying, using aliases, or conning others for personal gain and pleasure.

This one is a given. Her primary means to steal magic was through a con. She deceived and manipulated unsuspecting witches who trusted her with the intent of stealing their magic and killing them. And even before that, she used her own son to lure witches and do the same. She does it primarily for profit, to get more magic, but she does seem to genuinely enjoy deceiving others and gaining pleasure out of it.

In both WV and AAA she was lying, deceiving and manipulating the rest of the cast from the very beginning for her own benefit. She infiltrated Wanda’s hex and posed as her nosy neighbour “Agnes”, graining Wanda's trust with the intent of stealing her magic from the start. She did it primarily for profit but there was also some enjoyment for her when she revealed the truth to Wanda, so much so that she created her own intro song. She was enjoying putting up a show almost as much as getting Wanda's magic.

This pattern of behaviors is seen throughout AAA too, especially upon rewatch. On your first watch, you might not notice but after rewatching a second time fully knowing the end, you can notice how much Agatha has been lying the entire time. Not only did she lie about the road and always intended to murder the cover in her basement, but when the hex road appeared she kept the lie that she went to the road before going. One could say that she had to keep the lie going because she never intended for the road to appear, so those weren’t lies she intended to tell, but at the same time, we can see how easily she can lie and deceive others. She knew all along that Billy created the road and that said road was deadly, yet made no attempt at stopping him. She knew people would die but she kept the lie going because she hoped that she could get back her powers at the end. So she lied, deceived and manipulated the group the entire time for her own gain.

3) Exhibiting impulsivity or failing to plan ahead.

Agatha is someone who likes to be in control, and does give off the illusion of being in control. But the truth is, she isn’t as much in control as she thinks she is, and is quite impulsive. Lots of her shortcomings are a direct consequence of an impulsive decision (fuck around and find out). Being impulsive doesn’t mean she can’t make elaborate schemes, because she sure does. But a lot of those are made impulsively. She sensed Wanda’s magic and decided to join her hex without knowing exactly how Wanda’s magic worked. She even started messing with her without knowing how Wanda’s magic would respond. Then in AAA we see more of her impulsive nature. She doesn’t think through whenever she makes a decision and ends up needing to improvise in order to compensate for her reckless decisions. She told Lilia about how her ability to steal magic worked, she picked a bound witch to be part of her coven, as well as a non-magical woman. The only one in the group that seemed to have the ability to blast was Alice. Not the greatest group if she needed to steal as much magic as possible. On the road, she made a lot of impulsive decisions that were quite reckless, like attempting to break the window and throwing her wine glass during the first trial, suggesting to summon another green witch, pretending to be possessed by Sharon, or messing with the tarot cards. There’s also the way she provoked Billy right after he nearly killed her. Those were all decisions she took without thinking about the consequences, out of impulsivity. But she’s not only impulsive when it comes to being reckless with others’ safety. She was also shown to be impulsive when it comes to helping some of her coven members. When Rio first emerged from Sharon’s grave, Agatha’s first instinct was to get in front of the coven as if she wanted to protect them. When Billy got thrown into the window, Agatha rushed to go check on him, or when Lilia was about to get impaled she jumped to push her out of the sword’s trajectory. 

4) Irritability and aggressiveness, indicated by repeatedly getting into fights or physically assaulting others.

Once again, this one is a given. Agatha is easily irritated and very aggressive, she’s quick to anger, losing her patience and snapping at people. She had no issue hurting Wanda when she had her captive in her basement, slamming her against the wall when she got irritated with her. I’d argue that the mass murdering she did over centuries also count as frequent assaults. She’s also quick to engage in physical fights with Rio (although those are mutual on both sides), and there was a moment at the end of episode 3 where Agatha randomly kicked Jen when she was already down after they all went through the water slide. 

5) Reckless behaviors that disregard the safety of others.

Agatha did not care how her actions affected the resident of Westview when she was purposefully messing around with the hex. She did not care either on the road. She knew from the beginning that it was a hex and even after seeing they could actually die in the trials, she made no attempt to try telling the others the road was fake. She could have tried to let Billy know he made the road but she didn’t. Because she didn’t care if some of them might die. She had no concern for their safety. She endangered the coven in the first trial by trying to break the window and by refusing to drink the wine. She did so too in the third trial by pretending to be possessed, making the group lose precious time. Same with the fourth trial by messing with the tarot cards and not stopping even when the swords were dangerous dropping on both her and Billy. 

6) A pattern of irresponsibility

This is probably the only criteria I’m not sure would apply. There are instances of Agatha being irresponsible, but I don’t think we have seen enough of her personal life to establish a pattern. So until further notice, I’ll consider this criteria doesn’t particularly fit. 

7) Lack of remorse after hurting or mistreating another person.

Agatha does not seem to have any remorse for all the people she murdered. She may have some remorse regarding her original coven, including her mother, but that was a much younger Agatha. The Agatha we know now does not seem to feel bad for the people she had killed for centuries. It’s even something she will be really flippant about whenever she talks about how many people she has killed.

She didn’t feel remorse when Sharon died either. Agatha might not have directly killed her, she is still responsible for her death by recruiting her into the coven. And it’s not like Agatha didn’t intend from the start to put Sharon in harm’s way. If her initial intention was to kill the coven, it’s very likely she would have killed Sharon too, or Sharon would have been killed by the Salem Seven. Billy may be indirectly responsible for Sharon’s death because he created the road, he was not aware of that nor did he intend for this to happen. Agatha on the other hand always intended for Sharon to die and did not feel bad when she actually did die. She acted extremely callous after Sharon’s death and never bothered to learn her name, even forgetting who she was later on.

And it’s not just about murder. She didn’t feel bad when she got Alice fired, nor did she feel bad when she learned she was the person who got Jen bound for a hundred years. She didn’t feel bad either about attempting to kill the coven from the beginning and had no qualms about using them to get to the end of the road even if it meant sacrificing them.

The coven’s members aren’t the only people who suffer because of Agatha’s actions. If we go back to WandaVision, Agatha orchestrated Sparky’s death. And she seemed pretty proud about causing a dog to die. It may have been revealed in AAA that Ralph poisoned the dog, but it was under Agatha’s order. He was under her magical control, so the blame is entirely on her. She did not feel bad at all for killing a dog. Speaking of Ralph, as much as his character is played for laughs, what she did to him was also pretty atrocious. She took control of his life, stole his house, and forced him to commit awful acts, causing psychological damage to him to the point he is completely paranoid now. It’s unlikely Agatha knows how Ralph ended up after what she did to him, I highly doubt she’d feel an ounce of remorse for that. 

Now, lack of remorse does not mean lack of regrets. Agatha does not feel bad for hurting others and how her actions affected them, but she does have regrets. She does feel bad if her actions negatively affect her, like personal loss or missed opportunity. She did seem to feel regret about killing Alice, but I don’t think she felt remorse. She did not feel bad for Alice, she felt bad because of the consequences she had to face after. She did not intend to kill Alice at that time, and now she has lost any potential trust she could gain from the coven. Not only that, we know Agatha became a ghost because she couldn’t face Nicky in the afterlife, so the regret might also be that she thought her son had seen her kill Alice. I don’t think she felt remorse for what she did to Jen either. When Jen did the unbinding ritual, getting told over and over that she “holds nothing” worked on Agatha possibly because deep down, Agatha knew it was true. She no longer has her son, she has no magic, and she has driven away Rio. She did hold nothing anymore. 

Having ASPD does not mean Agatha is incapable of love, or caring about others. She undoubtedly loved and cared about her son. So much so that she developed a soft spot for Billy because he reminded her of Nicky. She loved Rio too. Same for her pet rabbit. Unlike popular belief, lack of empathy is not a criteria for ASPD. It does usually result in low empathy, and that can vary from person to person. Agatha probably has little to no empathy for most people except the rare people she does manage to bond with. You can see it as a selective empathy for those she did love and care about, which included Nicky, Rio, Señor Scratchy and later possibly Billy.

If Agatha does have ASPD, how did it start? Even if sometimes genetics can play a role in developing that personality disorder, you aren’t born with it. Most of the time, it’s caused by the environment, mostly trauma experienced as a child. We know Agatha’s mother hated her. She thought she was born evil. She, with her coven, attempted to have her executed when Agatha was only 18. I do believe the accusations made at her were mostly true. She probably did steal knowledge and practiced dark magic. But Agatha did beg her coven to teach her, so I think it’s very likely that since her mother thought she was born evil, she didn’t allow Agatha to properly learn magic. If Agatha wasn’t taught magic and had this power she couldn’t control (siphoning), it’s not surprising that she would have to steal knowledge in order to learn. Agatha learned from a young age to break the rules in order to get what she wants or needs. And without proper guidance, it’s reasonable to think she might have practiced dark magic.

So yes, even if the accusations were true, her coven and mother are not blameless. Agatha is the way she is because of how she was raised, how she was treated as a child and growing up, and what she had to do in order to learn magic. She never had a healthy support system growing up, there was no possibility for therapy at that time, she was a witch living in the worst era for her kind, and she couldn’t even rely on her fellow witches to protect herself. After accidentally killing her original coven (including her own mother), which was definitely a traumatic event for her regardless if it was self-defence, she kept doing what she did so far to survive; steal, lie, deceive, kill. All the antisocial traits she exhibits as an adult are learned behaviours. Of course, it does not justify her crimes and horrific actions she later committed, but it does explain why she is that way. She wasn’t born evil, she became evil. She’s the product of her environment, experiences, circumstances and era.

[holyblanchett]

okay but the ‘Agatha being a lesbian is biphobic’ is crazy considering Agatha literally wears lesbian bracelets in her trial!!!

This!!!! No where did anyone say being bi is wrong. We just said Agatha is a lesbian and suddenly we're all biphobic. Some people just throw the word around and don't even know what real biphobia is. & if I see one more person say the colors were off on Agatha's bracelet..... Agatha has never shown interest in men. She had Ralph locked in her damn basement during wandavision and stole his house. Even in the comics she has never been paired with a man and created her son with magic!!! & for the people that are using that deleted scene from wandavision where she's sitting on the bench and flirts with the paramedic as evidence she was cursed btw :) Please let's use critical thinking here people for once it's not that hard to figure out. Literally had someone tell me Agatha and Rio were friends yesterday and they only kissed bc of the kiss of death. Why are we always questioning a woman's sexuality?? Billy kissed a boy i don't see anyone calling him bi?? The collective outrage for Agatha being referred to as a lesbian needs to be studied.

[passionateseadruid]

Charlastor

CW: Bewitch (1964)/WandaVision references, Older Woman/Younger Man, Friends to lovers, Roommates to lovers, cannibalism, dead dove: do not eat!

Notes: I Might make a part 2 if this one does well and theirs enough demand for it.

It’s a normal family sitcom.

Except whoopsie! Two demons just moved into the neighborhood and they have to hide their identities from their neighbors.

Then double whoopsie! One of them is an ex serial killer cannibal.

And whoopsie number threesie! The other is that daughter of Lucifer herself.

How did this happen? After all the chaos—everyone else at the Hazbin Hotel had been redeemed and sent to heaven, and Alastor was freed from his deal—Alastor used his one favor from Charlie to ask her to live a simple human life with him in New Orleans.

Charlie was admittedly a little nervous to Leave Lucifer, Vaggie and Niffty in charge of the hotel (it was still their home after all, she figured they'd go back to it once Alastor grew bored of Earth). Though that was three years ago today.

"Good morning my dear!" He stands in the kitchen cooking her some breakfast.

"Good morning Al!" She yawns and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. 

Admittedly it was a bit of a rocky start. Charlie couldn't bring Vaggie with and eventually the two drifted apart. Sure they're still good friends but distance makes love fade, and a certain deer was waiting for that exact moment to happen...

"PANCAKES?!" Charlie exclaims in surprise. "But you never make pancakes! You insist that they are "common trash that you wouldn't ever let get near your mouth."" She quotes.

Alastor roles his eyes. His permanent smile still on his face. "Well my dear it's our three year anniversary."

"What?" She blinks rapidly trying to figure out what he was talking about. They weren't together... were they? They were just living together! And it's not like they shares a room or anything! They were just roommates... right?

Before Alastor could respond the doorbell rings. Charlie uses her powers to put on her human disguise and walks towards the door. 

It's their neighbor. "Hi... I'm Izzy... your neighbor to the left..." Her voice's nasally and she draws out her words. "And I just wanted to inform you that your husband has broken the law..." 

Charlie scrambles to respond. "Who Alastor? Oh he's not my husband!" She blushes.

The annoying neighbor scoffed. "Ugh! So you two are living in sin?! How could a man and a woman be living together and not be married! No wonder he's a criminal! Well you're both going to hell!" She responds and Charlie just chuckles. 

Oh if only she knew...

"Are you mocking me?!" The woman yells in Charlie's face. "I will have you know that I am the leader of the HOA and I will be calling the police and the city council to report them of your crimes!"

"What crimes?" Charlie take a step back in confusion.

"Firstly, living together when you're not married! I mean there are children here! You should have a little more decency! And secondly he used the express lane in the grocery store the other day when he had 14 items instead of 12!"

"Okay... good for him?" Charlie shrugs in confusion.

"The cut off is 12! He broke the law!" Izzy puts her hands on her hips.

"Well if the grocery store employees weren't complaining I don't know why you are! You must have a really boring life if you're here worrying about two little items. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get back to my anniversary-"

This rude bitch cuts Charlie off. "What anniversary?" She laughs to herself.

"The anniversary of us moving in together-"

Again Charlie is being cut off. "That's not a real anniversary! Anniversaries are meant for married couples!" 

"Not true! Every couple can have an anniversary for anything they want! Though you wouldn't know that considering that you've probably never been in a relationship before! Now have the day you deserve!" Charlie slams the door in the woman's face.

Her human disguise falls as Alastor comes over to hug her from behind.

"She's worse that Susan!" Charlie turns around and hugs him back.

Alastor chuckles. "Don't be ridiculous! No one is as bad as Susan. But she certainly is close. Now come on! Eat you breakfast!"

She sighs and nods. Alastor leads her back to the kitchen, wrapping his arm around her waist, and sits her down at the table.

"Now eat your breakfast." He hands her the pancakes and bacon. He then hands her the syrup. "Might I relieve some of the tension in your shoulders dear?" He placed his long, boney fingers on her shoulders. 

"Honestly that would be lovely Alastor." She leans into his fingers as he starts to kneed the muscles in her shoulders. He had always been rather touchy with her but ever since they moved in together he seems to take advantage of her closer proximity and their solitude to get even closer with her. She was sure it was just to manipulate her. Alastor has never had feelings for anyone. But oh how lonely the nights had been without Vaggie. And a very small part of her did wish that he liked her, if only so that she could ask for physical affection more often. If only she could ask him to stay with her at nights. His touches being more frequent didn't exactly help when they were so brief as well.

"Hey Al?" Charlie hesitantly started the new conversation after a long pause.

"Yes my dear?" His saccharin smile fixed to his face.

"That horrible lady at the front door actually thought we were dating! Can you imagine? Us? Dating?" She giggles

He smirks. "Why yes, I can."

Charlie blushes softly, her normally red cheeks turning darker... almost as if they were glowing. Something stirs in Alastor... maybe pride... maybe something else... either way he knew the feeling grew when he looked at her. Oh No... Charlie was changing him... changing for the better! He hasn't hurt anyone yet. He hasn't killed and eaten a single pathetic soul. He hates it. He hates what she was doing to him, what she was making him feel. He needs to fix it. And he knows exactly who his first new victim will be...

////////////////////

Alastor set up the perfect little anniversary dinner for them. He set up rose petals and candles and a smally fuzzy blanket for them to sit on as they ate.

"Alastor this is beautiful! And... strangely romantic! Also a fire hazard.

"Sweetheart... I'm dead and you're the daughter of Lucifer... fire can't exactly affect either of us." He took her hand and lead her over to the blanket.

"Okay well... like I said this is romantic."

"I'm glad you noticed!" He smiled widely before it fades into something that seems genuine. "Charlie... I know you're probably homesick... and touch starved so I want you to know that I'd be fine with being an... outlet of sorts for you if you needed a hug... I'm normally not that comfortable with touch but... I did uproot you from your family and home... so as long as you keep it wholesome... you may touch me whenever and however you like."

Her eyes sparkle in hope. "Really?"

"Yes, dear." Was this partially a ploy to debauch her? Undoubtedly. Or at least that's what he told himself. He scoops up a piece of his mothers jambalaya recipe and feeds it to her.

Her eyes light up at the flavor. She chews it up and swallows it all. "MMM! Alastor! This is delicious! But... this doesn't taste like venison... what's the name of this meat?"

"Izzy..." Alastor smirks.

"..."

"Do you like it?" He tilts his head. His tone in teasing as he props his head on his hand.

"...Did you clean up the shed?" She asks monotonously, as she scoops another piece of jambalaya.

"I put down tarps before hand." He took her other hand and intertwined theirs together.

"Then I'll let it slide for tonight..." She ate more of the poor woman once known as Izzy.

...

"Thank you Al..." Charlie smiled at him. 

He smirks... three years ago she was so pure... and now she's leaning into his touch and enabling his bad habits. He was corrupting her day by day, Lucifer's little princess would be no better than him. He'd make sure of it.

[agentoffangirling]

I feel like we need to discuss how creators' respect for a character influences the project they're doing

If you don't know what I'm talking about, I don't blame you, I had no idea how to word that, but you'll get it in a sec. Let's take a look at both "WandaVision" and "Loki"

See, when Marvel started production on WandaVision and brought in Jac Shaeffer and Matt Shakman and all those people, it was very clear that there was a singular goal among the team: how can we depict Wanda Maximoff well? How can we treat her character with dignity and grace? How can we discuss her psyche in a respectful manner? And everyone delievered

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany gave downright beautiful performances, the supporting cast played their role well. The writers did research on Scarlet Witch's character and her comics, everyone fully understood what type of project this was and they used it to its full potential. I'm no fan of Olsen for numerous reasons, I'm not even a big Wanda Maximoff fan. But I can fully admit that "WandaVision" is a stellar story, and every person on the team poured their heart into it

And hey, let's also look at the promotions for this show. When Schaeffer and others were interviewed, in no moment did they mock Wanda's character or what she goes through in the series. They treated her very similarly to how they treated her on the show, discussing the deeper parts of her character with an obvious interest. They like Wanda. They want the best for her. They want to make a story Wanda would be proud of

But now to "Loki". I've said my pieces on the Loki series too many times to count, so I will keep this brief. From the very beginning we know that Waldron was not interested in developing "Loki", only to develop his original script (which is pretty shitty anyway). He wanted to make a time-travel, sci-fi, romance type story, and Loki was the character he was saddled with

Now, this doesn't mean that he still couldn't develop his script, in fact he did, and I could think of dozens of ways that type of story could work with Loki. There's a lot of potential there. But Waldron never cared. He never cared to develop Loki. He never cared to examine his character past pop culture. He never cared to make Loki fans happy, only himself

Look at the promos he gives! He refers to Loki as a "little shit" multiple times, talks all about how they're taking him in a different direction (aka completely tearing down his character), it is so obvious he just wanted to fulfill his own personal fantasies. At least Kate Herron treats the subject material with some ounce of respect; Waldron proudly proclaims he's never seen it

And to quickly switch gears here, it's very similar to Kevin Feige vs Brad Winderbaum's view on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Where Feige dismisses it, giving it general statements and never hinting at a possible future, Winderbaum speaks of it with a clear love of the series. He's all but admitted that he wants the characters back in the MCU, and if someone like him is heading that, I just might trust him with it. Feige is Waldron. Winderbaum is Schaeffer

In the end, it all just makes me wonder, why didn't Loki fans get their WandaVision? Why did we get the creator who puts down his characters? Why did we get the story that only existed to introduce a multiverse? Why did we get the short stick?

Loki fans deserve a WandaVision. After a literal decade of waiting for a solo project, we should've gotten the respectful, genuine creator. Pretty much every other character got it-- why not us?

[anki-of-beleriand]

The House At The Edge Of The World Ch. 14

Summary: Y/N is the owner of an Airbnb at the edge of the world, a place in which Wanda would either heal or become what everyone is afraid of.

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff/SW! x Female!Reader

Warnings: Minors DNI! +18, angst, jealousy, drama, slow burn, hurt and comfort, friends to lovers, pregnancy, romance, fluff, mentions of depression and self harm, healing, R owns an Airbnb that welcomes many known characters from Marvel, R has powers, Wanda needs healing, and so does R, R sometimes is an asshole but for a good reason. More warnings as the story progress.

Author's Note: The story follows up the events of Wandavision right before the twins birth. Since I didn't like the fact Natasha died in Endgame, she is alive as well as Tony everything else just happens the same way it does in the movies. We will see some Eternals and mentions of all the new members of the cinematic MCU.

The end looks like a good conversation, and decisions to be made. R is ready to do so, but will Wanda want to stay with her?

English is no my mother tongue so I do apologize for any grammar, spelling or funny mistake.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Epilogue

Chapter 14

Stay with me

Whatever had happened after you left, you didn't care. 

Your main priority had been Wanda, and all through the flight you and Ajak had been tending to her injuries and her general state. Yelena had been observing from afar, but her eyes never left your form while you worked on the redhead. She had known about your power, about the strangeness behind your family and the world surrounding you. Yet Yelena never imagined she would fear the power hidden inside you. 

The gate of the Quinjet opened to show the image of a dark-haired woman with fair skin and kind features. She locked eyes with you almost instantly, your heart leaped at the sight of Sersi coming over to you to wrap her arms around you. 

"Y/N, are you okay? How is Wanda?" Sersei asked looking behind you to see the redhead woman still unconscious being carried on a stretcher. 

"She is still unconscious. Her magic has been greatly affected by the device they use on her." You were trying to hide your real emotions, your eyes never leaning those of Sersei who merely offered a comforting smile. 

"Well, she is in luck, right? Ajak and I are here, and you will be there as well." Sersi stepped back, turning to Sprite who was coming onto her with the same concern written in her face. 

"Sersei!" 

"Hey, Sprite, how is it going?" 

The conversation between them faded away while you let your feet take you inside the house and followed the women leading Wanda to the closest room. You could see as they settled her down making sure she was comfortable before setting the medical bay for the redhead. 

"Her nervous system has been affected by the electric shocks." Ajak said to your right, she stood there overseeing everything while never losing sight of your persona. "She was sedated so it will take a while for her to wake up."

"She needs magic, and…" 

"I know." Ajak placed a hand on your forearm, the tenderness behind her gesture almost made you break. "It's going to be okay, she is far stronger than you gave credit for."

You crossed your arms, tilting your head to the side. It wasn't as if you didn't know how strong Wanda was, you have known for a long time. It was more the fact that you feared what would happen when she woke up. 

Would she stay? 

Would she leave? 

So many questions roamed inside your mind, and the uncertainty of the situation was almost unbearable. Never in your wildest dreams did you imagine you would fall in love again. Much less with a woman that, by all accounts, was just like you. 

"They will come, and they will have questions." Ajak intervened again, you didn't need to ask who she was referring to. "Are you ready for that conversation?" 

"Are you?" This time around you did face Ajak with an unreadable expression. "I could lie and get away with it."

Ajak softened her features by nodding at Wanda, "but you won't lie for her, or else, whatever chance you get to be together may slip away."

You opened your eyes, raising your eyebrows at this. Following Ajak's stare you realised Wanda had changed a lot of things in a bubble world you had built around yourself. You were not a hero, you never were, but you couldn't ignore the world any longer… you couldn't ignore the world Wanda was living in. 

"Think your words carefully, and be ready."

"What about you and the others?" Your secret might be out, but the rest of the Eternal should keep their own secrets for themselves. 

"We are family, Y/N, whatever you decide we are here for you."

Ajak gave your forearm a light squeeze before turning around and leaving you alone with Wanda. You hesitated before stepping forward and sitting beside her, your hand found hers and the warmness of her touch brought comfort to your soul. 

______________________________________________________________

Night had already fallen by the time you exited her room. 

Wanda was still asleep, and during all that time people had come and gone after making sure the redhead was not in danger and that her recovery was a matter of time. 

You knew the meeting with the people who had come to her rescue could not be postponed any longer. Wanda had on her peaceful expression, her magic was still flickering and and out of reality, and the pain in your heart was a longing for her to be better, for her to put you out of your misery. 

With a kiss to her forehead, you knew there was nothing else you could do. Not until she woke up, and not until you had spoken with everyone. 

It was time for you to face the world. 

The noise coming from the study told you where you should go. It wasn't difficult to find everyone waiting for you, the many faces you had known personally or by the TV news were all staring at you. 

The first person you noticed was Sersi, her tender smile warmed your heart giving you strength to enter the room. To your left were the people you had called family since you were a teenager Ajak and Sprite sat comfortably on the sofa with Thena and Gil hovering behind them. To your right were the women you had helped at some point, friends and people you had trusted with some secrets but not all of them. 

Natasha and Yelena wore their Widow garments, with Nick Fury and Tony Stark wearing casual clothing that hide the real power both of them possess. 

"She is still asleep." Your words echoed into the room, your eyes falling upon Ajak. "Her strength is coming back, and her magic is not as erratic as it was a couple of hours ago."

"Erratic?" Tony asked, leaning back, his posture relaxed and open. "What do you know about that? More importantly, who are you besides a dirty secret from Romanoff over here?" 

Natasha growled at the man, but her eyes were just as curious as those of Yelena. They thought they had known you, but after what you did on that island they were not so sure anymore. 

"I'm Y/N, and I'm merely the owner of a destroyed Airbnb." You shrugged, cracking up a smile. "That's gonna cost you an extra, you know that, Mr. Stark?" 

Tony returned the smile, "I'm aware. Though I would say you already got a good deal out of this mess, Maximoff seems to be very fond of you, from what I heard."

The comment made your eyes flickered gold, a hand placed itself on your shoulder and you knew Sersi had come to the rescue. 

"I pride myself to be well-informed of what is happening around the world, and who are the people I should watch out for." This time around it was Fury the one to speak, he placed his elbows on his knees, his hands wrapping around one another and his sole eye pinning you to the spot. 

" You and your friends were certainly a surprise for me today."

"That made you nervous, Agent Fury?" You retorted eyeing the man with a blank stare. "We've met before, you know?" 

This time around Fury was shocked by the news, he narrowed one eye as if trying to place you in his memory. You chuckled tilting your head. 

"You won't remember me, I was different back then and you were just being recruited into the secret organisation that works for your government." 

"How…" Fury started but trailed off when Sprite created a scene right in front of them. 

A young Nick Fury with both eyes, talking with a man that looked nothing extraordinary. Yet they exchanged words, a handshake and soon Fury had a piece of paper. That was it, they both parted ways, Fury went straight to what seemed like an office building, the other man went inside an old car and drove away. 

"What were you doing there?" 

You smiled, "I was following him, and old debt to settle. He was the son of a friend, I was making sure he was not killed that day."

"He died, though." Fury stated narrowing his good eye at you. 

A flash of sadness crossed your face at the memory. 

"He did. I couldn't make it on time. And, at the end of the day, I am not a hero." You leaned back glancing at Fury then at Tony. "I am a mere owner of an Airbnb at the edge of the world."

Silence settled around the living room for a moment, you could see the observant eyes of the heroes of the world observing you and your family. For the very first time in a very long time, your world and the real one crashed in a single moment in time. 

You could see the possibilities forming in the mind of Fury, the questions pouring from Stark's mind and the many unsaid things you had between Natasha and Yelena. 

At the end of the day, she was the first one to speak. Her tone revealed how hurt she was for the situation, her eyes never leaving yours. 

"You never told me you were this…" Yelena trailed off for a moment, her gaze dropping. "This powerful."

"Y/N powers are not something you play with." Thena said, settling her eyes on Yelena. "None of you had seen what they can really do, and it is something Y/N have always been careful with."

"Having powers doesn't mean you have to put them to work for the greater good." Gil continued lifting his chin. "The world can be an ungrateful place."

"That's true." Natasha chimed in uncrossing her arms. "But sometimes, it needs to be saved either way."

"You guys are young." You said shrugging. "The world, people… Some of them will never change. I fight only for my loved ones, Natasha. As long as my family and friends are fine, I am fine."

"Which will explain why you came to the rescue, right?" Tony intervened tilting his head and settling his eyes on you. "You love Wanda, you couldn't allow her to get hurt."

"I do, yes." You replied simply, Tony nodded leaning back on the chair. 

"Are you a threat?" The man asked and you couldn't help but laugh at his bluntness. 

"Oh, I am." You replied, your eyes gleaming a dangerous shade of gold. "I can be your worst nightmare and none of you would know what happened or how it happened."

"But you are not interested in fighting us." Fury didn't even flinch, his words were just as neutral as yours had been a moment ago. 

"Or protecting you, no."

"At some point the world would come crashing down on you, don't you think?" 

You turned your head to Ajak, the older woman offered a single smile matching the one Sersi and Thena were wearing. You knew the world, the real one had come to you in the form of Wanda Maximoff. She had broken the icy facade you had worn for so long, that right now it was almost impossible for you that her world was starting to be a part of yours. 

"It already has, Fury." You sighed, lifting your eyes to the ceiling. "I am not a threat to you or your government. I'm not interested in power or fighting, I only want peace."

"And Wanda." Tony mentioned with a teasing tone. 

You flared at him looking away until you saw the same teasing glint in Natasha's eyes. 

"I guess, we will see."

Fury nodded, crossing his arms, "I guess we will."

"Well, now that the conversation is over, how about something to drink and eat. I bet everyone is hungry." 

Ajak stood up with many agreeing to her sudden change of topic, you sat there for a moment watching as Ajak left the living room with Fury and Tony following them and everyone soon scattering around the house. 

Yelena came to you slowly, she sat down with a frown on her face trying to catch up to what she just heard, to the things she had seen. 

"I'm sorry, Lena. It was never my intention to make you feel…"

"Cheated?" Lena snorted, shrugging. "I knew there was something else about you, but you had never raised any bells in my head or Natasha's… We knew you were not a threat."

You smiled at the young woman leaning over placing your elbows on your knees. 

"I never intended for this to happen." You lowered your head thinking hard over the last couple of months. "But she… I

I don't know…"

Yelena swallowed down her emotions, she nodded curtly placing her hand on yours. 

"If she hurts you, I'm gonna kill her."

You couldn't help the laughter leaving your lips, your arms wrapping around the young woman with tenderness. For some reason, you knew she and you would be okay, and whatever had happened with the rest of Earth's Mighty heroes… Well, that also seemed to be okay. 

Now, all you had to do was wait for Wanda to wake up. 

______________________________________________________________

It happened at dawn. 

The world was sleeping, the sky was changing its colours with shades of blue, purple and red igniting the horizon. There was a cold breeze biting at your skin, sitting by the balcony you had allowed time and weather to invade your thoughts and insecurities while trying to forget what you feel. 

The soft footsteps brought you back to reality. Your heart beat fast, hitting your ribcage the moment you sensed her and your eyes found those of hers. 

"Hey." She didn't rush her feet, her dopey and tenderness made you gasp in affection. 

Standing up from your position, your hands wrapped around her, putting her against your body and feeling at peace knowing she was there. That she was okay. 

"You shouldn't be up, love." You whispered, her hands playing with your hair while you felt her smile against your neck. 

"You weren't there." Her words were tender, a mere whisper in your ear that told you of her doubts. “And I thought…I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me, Wanda. I’m here.” And you meant it in more ways than one, you made sure to look at her the wounds on her neck, the ones on her wrists and then her tired expression.

You almost lost her. 

And your heart broke into a million pieces thinking you wouldn’t be with her anymore. And now that she was back, that she was in your arms, the fear had doubled. What would happen if she didn’t want to stay? What if she had to go?

Wanda softened her stare, she didn’t need to hear your thoughts because those same thoughts were inside her head. Being with you had been so different, falling in love with you had been…what she needed.

“You won’t lose me either, Y/N. I’m here…for you.”

At that moment you realised she wasn't the only one feeling the uncertainty the recent events had brought to your lives. It took you but a second to notice her lips against yours, the neediness behind her gesture, her hands travelling down your body. 

The flash of crimson told you Wanda ws not alone, and soon you were being dragged inside the house and you gave in knowing that moment could end up in a heartbreak. 

By the time you woke up again, the clock on the table was showing it was past midday. The warm body to your side stirred, you lowered your faze to see Wanda snuggled against your side with a content smile playing on her lips. 

She was awake, and probably had been for quite some time. The place was completely silent, and you couldn't even make the sound of people outside the room. 

"Everyone went to visit the town." Wanda mumbled without opening her eyes. "It's only you and me."

As soon as she said this, her body trembled and her hands grabbed you tightly. You sighed looking at the ceiling, the arm you had around her midsection wrapped tightly around her. 

"So, it's only you and me in a big empty house? Whatever can we do?" 

Her giggles made you look down and find her green eyes looking at you. You smiled back but your eyes were finally showing how you were feeling with the whole situation. Wanda tensed lightly, turning around she sat down letting the blankets fall to the bed. 

"I think we should get ready."

"I think we need to talk."

You watched as she merely stood up and left, the emptiness in your chest made your body ache with longing. Tilting your head to one side, you knew that falling into bed with her had not been the best of decisions when there was so much left unsaid between the both of you. 

"I made you something to eat, and there was some orange juice and some wine but I wasn't sure what you may want so early…"

You observed the redhead walking around the kitchen, babbling non-stop while evading your eyes and trying to make it impossible for you to bring the white elephant in the room. 

Wanda gasped, halting her actions, finding herself looking into your golden eyes. 

"Y/N…" Wanda whispered your name with fear and longing. 

"I am in love with you." You all but whisper, your left hand cupping her cheek but you never did anything to shorten the distance with her. "I thought I would never feel this again, and you came into my life showing me this was possible… That I could feel like this again…"

Wanda's eyes watered at your words, she was trembling by now with her lower lip quivering under the weight of your words. 

"Wanda, I…"

"I'm sorry." Wanda whispered with a sob escaping her lips. 

She leaned in hiding her face on your chest, something inside broke for you knew her life was out there in a world filled with danger and heroism that you were not ready to be a part of. Whatever you could offer to Wanda was a life of tranquillity and solitude in a place that was almost forgotten to the rest of the world. 

It hurt knowing you would lose her. 

"I couldn't… I tried… I just…" Wanda cried softly, holding onto you. "He… He was there… And I just…" 

"It's okay, it's okay… I know." You whispered, hugging her comfortingly. 

"No! No, it's not." Wanda finally said, she stepped back wiping her face. "I should have seen it, I could have prevented it… but I left him there, I thought…" 

"Stark recovered his body, and he won't be used anymore." You commented softly. Wanda shook her head but you didn't stop there. 

"They were waiting for you to recover, but as soon as you're fine you can go back…"

Wanda stopped her passing, she winced at the memories coming into her; she placed a hand on her face while trying to collect her thoughts and you couldn’t help but close your mouth and remained silent watching her without knowing what to say. Or what to do. 

“I thought Vision was my everything.” Wanda tried to hold onto her tone of voice, her eyes completely lost in the memories and the situation she had evaded moments before she was taken from the Hill. 

Wanda remembered the time she had been tied to that room, her eyes seeing the dead body of Vision while she thought of her life in the most recent months. She had been happy, not having to fill out anybody's shoes, or trying to hold herself for fear of triggering someone, or messing up while trying to help someone. Wanda and Scarlet had gone through her memories and her past, and everytime she thought about the end well…

It all came down to Y/N, to her smile and the warmness behind her words. I never thought love would feel like this…

And if she was honest with herself, Wanda never thought it would be like that; the young woman dried her tears while her lips broke into a tentative smile she dedicated to you. You didn’t dare to dream about her thoughts or her choices, waiting too much about the people around you could be painful at the end of the day. 

“Then you came into my life and…” Wanda shook her head putting her arms around herself while biting her lower lip. “And I found myself falling so hard, and so deep for you…I know…I know it would be impossible for me to live away from you.”

“Wanda…”

The fact that the home was empty, and that this conversation happened right after you and her had shared a dawn filled with passion and tenderness should be the indicator this was going through the right track. But you didn’t dare to hope, a lot of things had happened in the past for you to think this could be different.  

The young woman came onto you, and your world stopped for a moment when she cupped your face in her hands with her lips curving slightly. At that moment, it was Wanda and Scarlet all in one sending you a stare that made your soul tremble in a way you hadn’t done for so long. 

“Everybody is waiting for me to go back, to be better to…” Wanda trailed off for a moment, her eyes flashing with the memories of how her life had been up until that point. “When I had to come here I was mad, and sad and ready to leave everything for a glimpse of normality, to recover a life I never really had but dreamt of.”

“And now? What do you want, Wanda?” You finally asked in a whisper, Wanda turned to you and you realised you hadn’t been this vulnerable in front of anyone in a while. 

“Now, I want a normal life…I’m tired of what am I and what I can do I only want…” Wanda bit her lower lip, a flash of fear crossing her green eyes. Your hand placed tenderly under her chin lifting her stare to look at you. 

“What do you want?” You could give her the world, if necessary. She just needed to say it and there was nothing in the world you wouldn’t get for her.

Wanda sighed showing the vulnerability you had come to appreciate from her, those moments in which she would stop pretending in front of you.

“I want to stay here, I want to…I want to be with you and see what will happen.” Wanda all but declared, you stood there for what seemed an eternity and the other woman was starting to step back, her face falling with a crack of uncertainty.

“Then, stay with me.” You stepped forward wrapping your arms around her, giving her enough space to leave but letting her know you wanted her with you. “I can’t promise you it will be easy, but I can promise you I will do everything I can to make you happy.”

Wanda stepped forward, and without any more words she sealed the deal with a kiss.

______________________________________________________________

It was past midday by the time everyone was back into the house. 

At another time, and perhaps in another place the moment of peace you and Wanda had enjoyed during the day would have been cut short by the needs of the people filling out Ajak’s living room. Wanda was taken to the side by Tony and Nasha and soon you found yourself under the watchful eyes of Thena and Sersi.

Wanda stood on the balcony leading to the kitchen, the world in the coast of Italy was something she had come to appreciate in her soul. It was peaceful, and her heart found comfort in knowing this could be her new home.Her body turned lightly, and she and Scarlet stirred uncomfortably when her green eyes found the form of Thena leaning close to you.

Jealousy was something Wanda had learned recently, and the fact she had to be on the balcony while you were inside with a former lover was making her restless. 

Tony stood by her side, his dark shades reflecting the afternoon sun while the sound of laughter filled out the streets. Fury rested the weight of his body on the rails crossing his arms while letting his good eye pinned the redhead on the spot. Natasha sat down playing with the drink Ajak had given her, enjoying the cold breeze of winter, and the strange silence amongst the group. 

“This went a little out of hand.” Fury broke the silence talking to the group, his good eye moving from Wanda to Natasha. “Monica is trying to gather all the evidence she can, while Rhodes is helping out with some other bases around the coast.”

“Hayward was not working alone.” Tony commented lightly, his lips pressing together while his hand helped him out of his glasses. “But the fact he thought he would get something out of stealing the body of Vision and getting to you…”

“I thought about it.” Wanda finally said, looking away while wiggling her hands. “When I came back…I…he was alive because Thor gave the mind stone and his body the charge he needed to be alive. I thought…my magic could do something similar.”

“That’s why you started the whole Westview thing?” Tony asked, Wanda offered a broken smile shrugging.

“I wasn’t thinking when that happened, Tony.” Wands sounded tired all of a sudden, her body giving up on the tension she had been accumulating as of late. “But the moment I went to get his body, I knew it was a possibility.”

Fury narrowed his head leaning forward, “why didn’t you?”

“I was afraid, and I didn’t know if it was possible.” Wanda stepped forward until she was standing beside Tony and observing the blue of the ocean in the distance. “But I knew I could find a way to do so, perhaps…perhaps if I got to know my powers and who I was, I could use my powers to do it.”

“Then you just finally explode.” Natasha had seen the state Wanda had been in during Steve’s funeral, the way she had fought during Thano’s attack from the past and how she had been when she realised everything had been lost.

Wanda lifted her shoulder turning slightly, she locked eyes with Natasha and her smile was different. Without a doubt, Wanda had changed, and that was all Natasha needed to know at the moment. 

“Are you ready to go back, or do you think you will explode once more, Maximoff?” Fury asked, straight to the point while uncrossing his arms and stepping forward. “We are trying to build the team from scratch and…”

“I won’t go back.” Wanda said firmly, her eyes hardening as they settled on Fury. 

Tony and Natasha interchanged glances, while Fury merely lifted a single eyebrow at the bold declaration. Wanda dropped her arms, tilting her head to the side.

“It took me so long to get to where I am right now.” Wanda stated simply, Tony snorted, nodding towards the house.

“You mean, with a lover girl? Never peg you for a lesbian, Maximoff.”

Tony chuckled under the glare of Natasha and Wanda, he lifted his arms in a sign of peace but instead of mocking all Wanda could see was understanding, something she never thought Tony was capable of.

“It’s not about Y/N.” Wanda satiated turning to Fury who was looking a little sceptical. “You sent me here to heal, and get better. For the first time in my life I was able to be just…me. Someone who didn’t have to keep with anyone’s expectations, who didn’t need to jump every morning to save the world.”

Tony held back the smile threatening to leave his lips, he could see Wanda had changed in the last months she had been away from the life she had lived during her time as an Avenger and a runaway. She seemed relaxed, and the gleam in her eyes told Tony she was happy, happier that he had ever seen her before.

“I don’t want to give this life up, Fury. Not now,not any time soon.”

“Is this you talking, or is this what happened to you a few days ago talking for you?” Fury inquired, tilting his head and making sure Wanda could not look away from him.

The young woman pursed her lips shaking her head, “it is me talking, Fury. Before this…I just…I thought I had to go back to everything I left behind. This was supposed to be a holiday so I could get better.”

“It wasn’t about that.” Tony intervened, stepping forward, he placed a single hand on Wanda’s shoulder and Natasha nodded briefly, giving Tony the heads up to go right ahead. 

“What do you mean? What was that?” Wanda pointed at Tony then at Natasha, both of them stirred lightly while Fury leaned back waiting to hear the story.

“We thought about getting you out of the States and really out of commission for some time.” Tony revealed glancing at Wanda with a tenderness she had only seen in him whenever Morgan was around. “What we saw when trying to get you out of Westview told us that you were just asking for help.”

“A help we never provided because we were too busy saving the world.” Natasha said simply. 

“So you never thought I would be better?” Wanda asked, crunching up her nose.

“No, we never thought you would be back to do the same things you have been doing over the years. We thought you would be back changed.” Tony waved his hand around smiling. “And you did.”

Wanda knitted her bros together, she set her eyes on Tony first then on Natasha and finally on Fury.

“So you were expecting me to stay here?” 

“Not here, exactly.” Tony replied. “But perhaps telling us you didn’t want to go back into the hero world. Which, we would have understood, we actually got you kid.”

Wanda was kind of surprised at some point they thought she would choose a life different to the one she had been leading up until the Blip. She had been lost, and with some many broken thoughts inside her mind, so angry at the world it had been quite difficult to try and find a way back to what she really wanted or needed. Her powers had been part of that confusion, and her misused of the magic had created so much conflict inside her and in the world that she never thought she had a choice. 

“We lost track of you after Westview.” Fury started passing around the balcony, his hands in his pockets. “And Hayward came over to try and start an illegal operation in Italy that we stopped just on time.”

Wanda stood there for a moment, confused as to what Fury was saying exactly.

“As far as I know, Wanda Maximoff dropped off the face of earth, and we are one venger down.” Fury snorted. “Just my luck, gotta start looking for new talent then.”

Wanda stood there with her mouth hanging open, “Are you saying…?”

Fury shot her a pointed stare, ignoring the smiling faces of Natasha and Tony. He knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it from Tony, but for now he could give away what he knew would bring peace to Wanda. It was the least he could do.

“Just try to not break anything around here, and try to not make yourself noticeable.” Fury stepped forward walking towards the entrance of the house. “You know how to find us, Maximoff. I hope you find what you are looking for. Good-bye.”

Wanda stood there for a moment, still shocked by what had just happened. Tony and Natasha turned their eyes on her waiting for her reaction, Wanda just shook her head passing her hand through her hair looking first at Natasha then at Tony.

“Is he serious?”

“As serious as Fury can be, yes.” Natasha commented leaning back on the chair she was occupying. “So, you want to stay then?”

Wanda broke into an easy smile, and this time when she lifted her eyes you were looking back at her. The smile on your face, and the wink you sent her way was everything Wanda needed at the moment.

We really are staying here.

“Yeah, I’m staying here.”

______________________________________________________________

Night had already fallen, and your footsteps were taking you to the edge of the cliff.

The smell of the ocean reached you out, and the wind caressed your skin lightly while the moon shone a silver light above your head. The town was a golden paradise you could oversee from your position in the Hill; and the silence around you was enough to make you feel at ease. The woman on your left shivered, and you turned to her, passing your arm around her shoulders, putting her closer to you.

Wanda snuggled closer, her hands dropping around your hips leaning in the place of her face on the nape of your neck. Your heart jumped in your chest, your body tingling all over while you placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

“I’m thinking of a new setting for the house, perhaps something bigger for both of them.” You commented lightly, Wanda pursed her lips watching what used to be your guest house.

Your breath was taken away when she lifted her face with a brilliant smile, she grabbed your hand dragging you around the backyard towards the ruins of the house. You chuckled watching as her hands gleamed red and the idea you had in your mind became more real right before your eyes. 

“Like this?” She asked teasingly at you, you shook your head putting her closer brushing your nose against hers.

“You know Gil is gonna be mad he couldn’t help around?” You whispered putting some strand hairs behind her ear, Wanda closed her eyes for a moment only to open them filled with unshed tears. 

“He can help, this is only so he knows what you want.” Wanda bit her lower lip, enjoying the closeness of your body and the sight of your smile. 

“And what about what you want?” You asked leaning in to plant kisses on her cheek. 

Wanda closed her eyes tilting her head to wrap your lips with hers, a soft caress of lips while the kiss turned into an intimate moment of shared emotions. You broke the moment by spinning her around, your arms surrounding her waist making her laugh at the silliness of the moment.

“Go on, Wands, tell me what you want.” You whispered in her ear, your eyes gleaming gold showing off a big house with people coming in and the sight of you and her as a family. 

Wanda and Scarlet jumped at the sight, her breath caught in her throat when they noticed the sight of a bump in their abdomen. You could sense the woman in your arms tensing, disbelief filling up her senses as she stepped away from you turning with green and red eyes glancing at you.

“What did you…?” She started and you shrugged looking away for a moment before looking back at her. 

“Magic without intent, Wanda, is not magic.” You replied, stretching out your arms around the hill. “But if you put your heart in it, well it can work miracles.”

Wanda placed a hand on her abdomen, the dreams she had about her life back in Westview and what chances were coming onto her made her dizzy for a moment. She jumped when you grabbed her hand tentatively, you chewed on your lower lip before dropping your shoulders.

“I….I am in love with you, you know that.”

“I do.”

You nodded as if confirming her words, “I want to be with you.”

“I want to be with you, too.” Wanda replied suddenly understanding what you were trying to say.

“There is still a lot we need to figure it out but…I just want you to know I wouldn’t miss this new adventure with you for anything in the world.” Your voice was almost trembling as you opened up to her, Wanda was glancing at you completely serious hearing every word with a beating heart.

“I want to grow old with you, and if you allow me I want to build a family with you. Whenever we are ready, whenever you ar…”

You were cut off by the woman crashing her lips against yours, she held onto you with the same passion she had done so those first times you two were together. She kissed you with love and neediness, and her magic reached out to yours in ways you had learnt for years but that came out naturally to her.  You smiled into the kiss, a game started with you trying to cut it short while she chased after you laughing as you tickled her and soon both of you were just kissing and playing around until, little by little, you went into your destroyed home and enjoyed one another under the night sky above your room.

______________________________________________________________

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@cowboyboots236 - @kacka84 - @alurajordyn - @mrscromanoff - @trikruismybitch - @njavezan - @alwaysgoodnight - @mrsmaximoff21 - @casquinhaa - @kyaraderuwez

[doll-shaped-cyanide]

Update (10/18/24)

What I'm Into Now

MCU (Wanda Maximoff, Agatha Harkness)

Progress Update (Knitting)

Finished the shawl! Casting off took like three hours lmao. I'd never done an i-cord cast off before, and there were probably well over four hundred stitches on that damn thing.

Finished two "first drafts" of the gifts I want to make for my beloved friends and am working on the first gift! Hooray!

Progress Update (Writing)

Knitting has consumed me, I had a lot of work to do, and I'm going through some writer's block, so no writing got done this week :(

Video Recs

And there we go! See y'all next week!

As always, Agatha All Along thoughts under the cut. I am losing my mind.

THE SCREAM I SCRUMPT (wait, I said that last time)

THE BILLY CONFIRMATION??? AND THAT HE'S THERE FOR TOMMY???? BRO!!!!

The amnesia, the bar mitzvah, LILIA PUTTING THE SIGIL ON HIM!!!

Love the queer representation, though I have no idea who Eddie is, he seems cool!

@trickofthelights put forward the theory that Billy is that black heart (Eddie, the bf, used a black heart emoji to refer to him) and he's supposed to be in the coven all along, and honestly, I agree! I love Rio in the coven, and she is (supposedly) "the" green witch, but I like the inclusion of Billy as a witch more. And it fits his aesthetic lmao. I like how he went from very basic and "cookie cutter" to emo boy after Billy took over William's body.

THE RALPH BOHNER CAMEO??? At first I thought it was the mailman for some reason, but Ralph Bohner makes so much more sense. I was wondering what happened to him and where he was if Agatha was still in his house, but it just looks like he fled directly after WandaVision, leaving everything behind. I did like the detail of Agatha wearing a Bohner family reunion shirt, indicating that Ralph left everything behind.

As a side note, I do write these pretty much directly after I watch the episode on Wednesday nights, so if my thoughts seem scattered or if I'm just freaking out over what happened in the episode, it's because I'm still processing!

[rems-writing]

Pirate vs. rapper. Allegedly

Pairing: pirate!Hongjoong × gn!reader

Summary: Hongjoong never knew what jealousy felt like until he and you won free tickets to go see famous rapper I.M in New York

Warning(s): jealous!Hongjoong, featuring I.M from Monsta X, mayhaps I.M isn't what he says he is? 👁👁

Genre: Fluff with a bit of angst

Nets: @mirohs-aurora-society

"Ok Emma said it was here..."

"Yeah this is it."

You and Hongjoong were currently in New York, standing in front of the Savior's old apartment.

This is where she and Henry stayed after Regina erased their memories before Peter Pan's curse swept them up and took them back to the Enchanted Forest.

That felt like yesterday to you.

As you and Hongjoong settled in, you flopped down on the couch and he flopped down beside you before immediately putting his arm around your shoulder so you can snuggle into him.

"Want to order take out? I'm too lazy to cook."

"Whatever you want, my baby."

You could never get used to that nickname Hongjoong gave you despite him saying it multiple times. It always gets you flustered.

"What do you feel like getting?"

"I feel like getting breakfast for dinner. Like how Wanda did it in WandaVision."

You had to pat yourself on the back for introducing the cute pirate to Marvel.

"Breakfast for dinner it is. I think we passed by a restaurant that does breakfast all day every day."

"I think you're referring to Denny's."

"That's what it's called?! How did I miss the bright yellow sign with the obvious name painted in red?!"

"Maybe you were busy admiring me."

"Damn right I was."

You didn't have time to react when Hongjoong pulled you in for a quick yet passionate kiss. You had to hold onto his collar to stabilize yourself. He soon pulled away and grinned mischievously before kissing your forehead. You shook your head and had a tiny smile on your face before snapping your fingers to make a Denny's menu appear.

"Aight so what you want?"

---------------------------------------------------

The Next Day

You and Hongjoong were walking to the designated concert venue to go see your favorite artist.

Im Changkyun. Aka IM.

You were dressed in a shirt from his official merch website, blue ripped jeans, and beat up Converse. Hongjoong opted to borrow his captain's wardrobe, which would explain the black outfit.

He topped it off with black eyeliner, gaudy rings on each of his fingers, and one nail painted in black nail polish.

You had one finger painted as well but it was a light blue color instead.

You checked your tickets it, went through security, and find your spots.

Which were right in front of the stage.

You only had a few minutes until the show started so you used that time to either make a few friends

Or make out with Hongjoong.

The venue was packed and no one seemed to care so you went straight in for the pda.

Soon, the concert started.

---------------------------------------------------

It had been only a couple of hours since it started, but to you, it felt like eternity.

Hongjoong was the same way, except he felt an unfamiliar feeling growing inside him.

It wasn't dread or anger.

He thinks it's jealousy, but his subconscious kept denying it. However, it would explain why he felt uncomfortable when IM kept glancing at you and smirking as he rapped and sang.

The jealousy grew when IM directly kept eye contact with the love of his life as he sang 'Happy To Die'

You noticed the way Hongjoong's hand tightened on your hip as he pulled you closer to him. You were also unfamiliar with the pirate's jealousy since he always trusted you with his heart and soul whenever you interacted with guys like Leroy, Killian, David, and so on.

You covered your hand over Hongjoong's and momentarily broke eye contact with your favorite artist so you could kiss your partner on the cheek.

"Hey. It's ok. You know I love you and you only. Right?"

"Yes, my baby. I'm sorry. I just... never felt this way before. I love you and trust you. But throughout the night, this nagging feeling kept gnawing at me."

"It's ok to feel like this from time to time."

"It's an ugly feeling."

"I understand, but as long as you trust in me and our love, it will go away."

Hongjoong smiled his pretty smile and kissed your cheek before shouting along with the crowd for IM to do an encore. You joined in on the shouting shortly after.

---------------------------------------------------

Soon, the concert ended and you and Hongjoong waited until everyone was gone so you could leave the venue without any hassle. As you waited, you noticed a familiar figure walking towards you. Hongjoong must've noticed as well since he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. A shy smile appeared on the rapper's face and he spoke.

"Hey. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for staring at you the entire night. You're honestly so attractive and I couldn't help myself. It still isn't right though so here's my apology."

You didn't know how to respond since your favorite artist just complimented you so you hid your face in Hongjoong's neck so Changkyun wouldn't see the redness grow on your face.

"And I wanted to say I'm sorry to you for the same thing, man. They belong to you and I should've stayed in my lane."

"It's fine, IM. I appreciate the apology though."

"I have these for you guys."

Changkyun handed the both of you free tour shirts and you happily accepted one while Hongjoong accepted the other. You practically sprinted out of the venue so the cool air of the New York nighttime could cool down your face after you said goodbye to Changkyun haphazardly.

Hongjoong stayed behind for a little while longer, his smile turning into a snarl. Changkyun kept up the smirk on his face.

"You may have fooled everyone, including my love, but I know exactly what you are. So I suggest you back up and not follow us back to Storybrooke. Unless you want to feel the cold sharp metal of Killian's hook pierce your skin."

"Oh trust me. I wouldn't dare go near the pirate of the most feared pirate crew in all of the Enchanted Forest. I'll stay out of your way."

"Glad we reached an understanding of this situation. Have a nice night, Changkyun."

"You as well, Hongjoong."

Hongjoong walked out slowly from the venue, narrowly missing the way Changkyun's scales shimmered under the dim lighting of the venue and the way the rapper hissed quietly as his fangs poked out and his eyes turned from brown to silver.

Good thing the pirate saved you from the clutches of a siren.

[scarlet--wiccan]

Do you have any criticism on how the Darkhold was handled in the Multiverse of Madness?? And the lore building in general if you want to rant more

Yeah, although, honestly there's not much to say besides "it sucks." To date, the Darkhold has been used in three different M C U/ M C U-adjacent properties-- Agents of SHIELD, Runaways, and now Wanda/Vision and the subsequent titles-- some of which contradict each other, and none of which have attempted to adapt any aspect of its canon history or lore.

The Elder God mythos does not exist in these continuities. Chthon is only mentioned once, and is described simply as a "demon." The Darkhold is otherwise just referred to vaguely as the "book of sins" or "book of the damned." Without the context of Marvel's unique cosmology, it becomes either a cheap stand-in for the Necronomicon, or a stock horror prop that relies on an implicitly Christian worldview of sin, damnation, and "dark magic" to make sense. WV, MoM, and Agatha have specifically leaned really hard into that treatment, despite ample opportunity to do otherwise, and it's disappointing. Honestly, I think it speaks to the disdain that these filmmakers and showrunners have for the source material-- they can never just take it at face value, and they often do away with the things that make it imaginative and unique.

This is especially problematic for Wanda, whose relationships to chaos magic, Chthon, and the Darkhold are central to her character and to the major themes of her narrative. None of those relationships are carried over, and the M C U undermines and betrays those themes at every turn. It creates a narrative that, I think, is actually less sympathetic to Wanda, although you can tell that the writers believed they were doing something progressive. She has more autonomy in this storyline, but she also has fewer things to overcome besides her own poor behavior. Although the Darkhold appears to have a corruptive influence, Wanda's lucidity and control is repeatedly affirmed, even in the midst of the Hex. At the end of the day, she's responsible for her own actions.

You could argue that her descent into villainy in MoM is a product of the Darkhold's influence, but even that just feels like cruel moral determinism. She becomes the Scarlet Witch through a combination of trauma and prophecy, and as the Scarlet Witch she's apparently destined to claim the Darkhold and the temple on Mount Wundagore-- which will, apparently, lead to inevitable moral decay. Or perhaps the temple was always meant for her to destroy-- the movie is frankly unclear. Either way, it was built for her, and it led to her downfall. It seems excessively cruel, and without a possessor or abuser to overcome, Wanda has no way to free herself from this cycle besides suicide. Maybe it's stale, but I'd prefer a standard possession storyline over that any day.

And anyways, the whole corruption thing is moot, to me, because there is already an established pattern in which Wanda uses her grief to justify harm. Years before she began to manifest her magical powers, Wanda's grief and outrage led her to volunteer for HYDRA, and she continued aligning herself with a fascist robot until his violence reached her own (white) community. That wasn't magic-- she just got radicalized by neo-Nazis! And again, we're repeatedly shown that she's aware of the situation and has the ability to control her actions, and the conditions of the Hex, in WandaVision. Yes, the viewer empathizes with her grief and inability to let go, but she crosses too many lines, and she doesn't learn from it. She's locked in this pattern from day one and never grows. Maybe that's not her fault, but at the end of the day, her story in the M C U is tragic and cruel in the ways the comics never were, and it offers far less hope of redemption. If and when she is redeemed, it won't feal earned or plausible like it did in the comics.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

I am not really watching what if season and just see a few clips each ep but I have to say it's disappointment. I meant what without Peggy Carter that exist in almost each ep?

It's so annoyed, in season 1 it was good because each eps are different from each other it's like analogy but make Peggy exist in each ep it's destroying it. Also what with strange supreme that became evil again?

I know he in grief and he not thinking straight and he have literally demons in his body but why so sudden? I meant in what if season 1 strange supreme look depressed but he somehow still polite and decent and he no want destroying other universes again to restore his universe but they made him be villain in what of season 2 with same motivation bring back Christine ( and universe), that just lazy writing

Also Peggy in season 2 look to much have pride and all arrogant, in season 1 she look decent. Ugh, I know the good thing in mcu will end up disaster

I'm probably biased here but I always thought Saint Maggie was extremely arrogant in the way she handled herself. I haven't seen S2 but from what I've heard, she's even worse now. She always had narrative protection but this is nonsense, they doubled down and their obsession with her is off the charts (three appearances in two years? Seriously?).

They have reduced Stephen to a character obsessed with Christine. Steve is a sexy lamp with the only purpose of kissing Saint Maggy's ass. And this is supposed to be empowering? For who?

When we complain about love interests we usually refer to female characters, yes. But if it's done to male characters it doesn't make it any better, especially when both Steve and Stephen have so much more to give.

It's not just the unacceptable disregard for Sam, what exactly is Steve's legacy at this point? A dumb statue of Liberty with the shield? One foolish and slightly insulting musical? Gossip talk about his virginity? Everything Steve did for over a decade... all that for this?

And with Stephen, his countless sacrifices, the fact that the universe still standing is thanks to him and him alone, the thankless nature of his work, his solitude... all reduced to an obsession with an ex. There's nothing wrong with grief and when told well it can make for a glorious story (like WandaVision) but from what I've been told they didn't do that with him. They simply took Strange Supreme, acted like he had been playing the long con all along and the ep focused on other characters fighting him like he was a villain, and of course no one cared when he died (so, basically like Waldron did with Wanda in MoM).

Dunno, What If was supposed to be something else. It was meant to address the characters we know, change something about their story, and give us a glimpse of what could have been if they hadn't experienced the same things they did in the MCU. But Feige got carried away and now What If is just another 9-long ep trailer for the upcoming phase. And they still wonder why it's not working...

[l-egionaire]

I will admit, there is ONE issue I'll admit to having with Strange's relapse into grief. I think it's why so many people see it as an act of character assassination and it's an issue I have with a lot of modern Marvel: The time-frame is so damn weird!

Like, I can buy Strange having a relapse and becoming an anti-villain again, but both in-universe and out, the last time he appeared, he was doing fine. There's no indication a large amount of time has passed, especially since, using Captain Carter as a reference, it's only been maybe a few days since the battle with Ultron. Meaning that, in the course of maybe four or five days, Strange would have:

Built the Sanctum Infitum

Had a relapse into his grief over Christine before or after he started capturing people (the show never explicitly says that he started doing that for his plan, so I could see him doing that first and then relapsing)

Get the idea for the plan to recreate his universe

Build the device to recreate his universe

Start capturing heroes in addition to villians

Find Kahori

Kidnap Kahori

Have a fight with Kahori

Have Kahori escape

Decide to go looking for Captain Carter

Find Captain Carter

And bring her back to his place

That's just....too short a time-frame for all that. Even if he has the time stone, all of that feels like something that should take MONTHS and we're essentially being told it all happened in the few days since the fight with Ultron.

At least with Wanda, you could GET why she was acting the way she did. The events of Wandavision put her through the emotional ringer and going off alone with the Darkhold made things worse. But for Strange, the show seems to imply that it's only been a few days since he both gained some new friends and helped save the multiverse and he's...already back to being a villain and having a big evil master plan. It just feels like it all happens too damn fast between these two events. Like, maybe it'd have been better for his relapse to happen IN the episode if they're going to do that. Maybe have another villain to start with who already built the Forge to create universes to start off the episode, but then Strange sees a Christine of another universe or something, his grief demons flare up and he just decides to take the device and use it to rebuild his own. That way we SEE him fall to grief again as opposed to just...having already fallen back into grief after a small amount of time.

[the-haunted-star]

My humble thoughts on The Marvels

The Marvels is a fun, brisk (perhaps too brisk), light-hearted buddy super-herione adventure. However, the things that Marvel has been struggling with lately are unfortunately still in the play with this sequel. The plot is pretty thin and the villain is another of Marvel's typical shallow, one dimensional type baddies. While we can certainly understand and even sympathize with Dar-Benn's motivations and why she's doing the things she's doing in this film there just isn't enough meat on the script bones for actress, Zawe Ashton to work with although she well with what she's given. The same goes for the plot. The acts that the villain is perpetrating on the planets and its people in this film definitely qualify as high stakes material but the film's pace is so rapid that it ignores any opportunity to show some emotional stakes for the victims of the villain's atrocities.

So while the film downplays these aspects it chooses to focus more on the relationships between the three heroines. In that respect it does a decent job of bonding these three young women along the course of the film into a sisterly dynamic. Each have issues with each other positive and negative and by the end they've been able to work through their issues and understand each other better. Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani have good chemistry together with Iman continuing to charm and delight as Kamala Kahn/Ms. Marvel. Sam Jackson is great as Fury as usual and has some of the funnier lines in the movie. And let's not forget Goose the cat/flerken who kinda stole the show in the first movie. She's back and is involved a lot more this time to equally humorous results.

I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the fights in this film. I thought they were hard hitting, well choreographed and fun to watch. The fight between Monica and Kree soldiers in the Kahn's house was a stand out sequence which I thought made clever use of her powers. The end fight between the trio and Dar-Benn was also equally exciting . The visual effects were very good and consistent throughout which is another area where Marvel has been struggling lately. With this film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Loki Season 2, the VFX quality appears to be back on track.

Honestly my biggest gripe would be with the marketing department for this film. The amount of trailers, tv spots and clips released for this film was ridiculous. I only watched the first two trailers and maybe a couple of the tv spots and I felt like I had seen most of movie already. I watched the rest of the clips afterwards and was shocked at how much more of this movie was spoiled in the clips I hadn't watched beforehand. Even the surprise cameo and part of the fricking post credit scene was shown in a couple of the spots! If you're someone who did watch every bit of footage that was released I can honestly say you saw most of the movie beforehand and that's unfortunate. Given the film's short runtime you can rest assured there was a lot of material cut from the final film. I've already noticed a few things that were in the marketing footage and test screening leaks that were missing from the final cut.

Overall, despite a simplistic story and a forgettable villain this movie is still a lot of fun. While it is mostly standalone in nature, it is also very much a sequel to not only Captain Marvel but WandaVision and Ms. Marvel as well. (Surprisingly there's zero reference to Secret Invasion despite the Skrulls having a role to play in this film but that's probably for the best given how poor that series turned out to be.) The post-credit scene however is a game changer and hints at some exciting possibilities to come. ⭐⭐⭐

[moonstone27ls]

This one of things I agree with CBR. Mostly because I'm gonna be blunt sine the retcon. Disney/and anything else has been giving mixed signals with the Twins.

From what I hear the twins were retcon because of that stupid Disney/Fox thing going on. But then Disney bought Fox, soooo the whole retcon was literally for nothing.

But even when Marvel comics forced us to say goodbye (Magneto technically) to the twins. TV and others still refer to them as Magneto's. When I say others I guess I should just say CBR did. And thats from what I can tell one article.

They referred to Wanda twice as Magneto's daughter and Polaris' sister in two articles. I was "Oh did they retcon"... nope. So I'm "dude why write an article like that".

Then TV itself... only gonna say this once. Wandavision brought Evan Peters as Quicksilver. We all know movie wise he got to be Magneto's son. Soo... considering they went with that route. It annoyed me we're getting teases of the Maximoff twins being mutants/and Magneto's again but Marvel's still "Nahhhh".

Come on Marvel just do a stupid retcon again. I've grown fond of the twins as Magneto 8B.

[wanderingmind867]

Hey, just so you know, the popular name for Vision and Wanda's ship name in comics is ScarletVision! A lot of fans prefer that name, given WandaVision has a lot of poor connotations with the MCU show which did Wanda specifically dirty by casting a white American despite the fact that Wanda had been pretty solidly established as a Romani woman for at least 30 years at that point from the 1980s. Sorry if this comes across as saying you did something wrong or anything, I just thought I'd mention most bloggers use ScarletVision instead 🙂

I was thinking about that when I made the post, actually. And this knowledge will be useful should I have to make a post about them again. I simply went for the first possible tag I could think of when I made the earlier post, even though I was vaguely aware of it's implications. But yeah, this is good to know. I'll try to keep it in mind for future reference, should I need it.

[zalrb]

what did you think of they cloned tyrone

It had a cool visual style. It's been referred to as neo-blaxploitation and I think that fits.

I really liked my husband's performance and it was cool to see him in a neighbourhood specific, unapologetically Afam scifi movie considering he got his start with Attack The Block which is a very neighbourhood-specific, South London scifi movie. It was also cool to see Teyonnah in this role because it was a very different role from Dawn in Mad Men or Monica in Wandavision so it was nice seeing her range. Jamie Foxx is always interesting for me to watch because he has great comic timing and I will watch him like that is a good joke or lol nice delivery but I rarely actually find him funny, he doesn't appeal to my sense of humour.

There were definitely things I did laugh at in the movie, like when they're formulating their plan to rescue Yo-Yo by simulating sex and then going over the script

and the gospel rendition of Back That Azz Up especially since it sneaks up on you I was like, wait what?

and I chuckled when they're in the elevator singing especially with my husband being the straight man in the scene (the reactions of the straight man are usually what make me laugh more than the goofiness)

but for most of the movie I was like, I can see how and why this is funny but I'm pretty unmoved, like the thread with Kevin Bacon but I find it takes a lot for me to feel like running gags work. I didn't find the running gag in Don't Look Up about how JLaw's character was made to buy snacks that were free funny either.

In terms of the themes and messaging, I mean yeah. Like there are very direct callbacks to history of Black people being experimented on in the States (Henrietta Lacks, the Tuskegee Experiment, James Marion Simms experimenting on enslaved Black women) so that's there with the experiment plot

Government cloning Black men to repeat the same cycles over and over is akin to the systemic barriers in Black marginalized neighbourhoods that keep communities in the same cycles.

Yo-yo as a Black woman and a sex worker being considered disposable and worthless

despite the fact that she's the one leading the charge to get her community safe and when her being taken actually prompts Fontaine and Slick Charles d

to galvanize the neighbourhood to come to her rescue and the rescue of others so the community will not forget Black women

Using things like perms with slogans like straight is great (I think that's what it was) are propaganda designed for white aspiration, which further makes sense when the goal is more than complacency but complete assimilation. There's been a lot on twitter about the [positive' parallels with Undercover Brother with the conspiracy of the chicken. There's also the book The Other Black Girl (haven't read it) and spoilers I guess, there is a plot line about indoctrination through hair products so I kind of shrugged at these aspects.

I wish they teased this out a bit more.

because the way the neighbourhood is now is a trap but gentrification isn't better either and I'm not saying that the movie is making the argument that it is because it isn't but I found it interesting that this was the line of dialogue they used and I get you can't get to everything in a movie but it also kind of felt like we didn't actually get to anything or really arrive anywhere? Like, in the end the pimps, the dealers, they all come together to save and therefore do some good in their community, which is meant to showcase that there's humanity and community and love in places that have been written off and it's better to band together but I was left wondering so what now, in a way I don't think the movie intended. Like it's an open-ended ambiguous finish, which is cool, I don't need things to be wrapped up neatly but it didn't feel like getting the clones out and being like they can't cover this up! was enough of a resolution with all of the different things the movie was pointing at.

[thehotelpod]

As a special Double Stuff October treat I am posting this Hotel Halloween Watchlist episode of 'We Made The Hotel!' to the public. If you are looking for good spooky stuff to watch this month with distinct Hotel vibes, I have you covered.

This is from last year so I'm still he/himming and going by Travis, but I think that makes it an interesting time capsule. Mark and I are clearly having a lot of fun, we have fun together.

I think I'm going to post the audio version to the main feed later this week, and I'm also putting the full list under the cut for easy reference.

All 8 hour+ episodes of We Made the Hotel! are now available to all Manager, Owner, and Hotel tier patrons so if you want to hear Mark and I talk about how the sausage is made, join us!

I. HOTEL VIBES

Silent Hill (2006)

The Love Witch

The Lighthouse

The Cell

MAD GOD (Shudder exclusive)

Possibly in Michigan (on youtube)

II. Meet Joe Black

III. Hotel Transylvania 1-3

IV. Wizard of Oz/Spirited Away

V. Hellraiser 1-3

VI. Gravity Falls/WandaVision

VII. House (1977, Nobuhiko Obayashi)

VIII. Tales From The Crypt/Creepshow (2019 - S2E4 Pipe Screams - Within The Walls)

IX. E.T.

X. Bryan Fuller's Hannibal

Honorable Mentions Because The List Format is a Lie

Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Where Silence Has Lease,The Royale

Star Trek The Original Series - Charlie X

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (not scary but I love it and we did talk about it SO!)

The Shining (Book, movie, and miniseries)

Doctor Sleep (movie)

Before the Play (unpublished prologue to The Shining)

Video Games

System Shock

Fatal Frame

Silent Hill PT demo