#kamala was a very fun character

[minothtime]

just watched the marvels and it's not a bad movie. I'd even say it was good? The relationship between Carol/Monica/Kamala is very fun to watch and they bounce off of each other perfectly by the end. Plot is generally OK, and ending is good. Characters are also good. Idk how people can hate this movie?

also for reference i have NOT watched ms marvel at all, I barely remembered monica was in wandavision and i genuinely forgot half of the events of captain marvel and YET i enjoyed it! couldn't say this about other marvel projects i fear

[leighlew3]

I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MARVELS.

But I’ll refrain from direct spoilers for now. It’s mildly spoiler-y maybe but very generalized and I’m gonna talk around some stuff. 😅

The nutshell?

It’s legit SO fun. It’s a fun, funny as hell, really ENJOYABLE time at the movies. I laughed. Got misty. Felt feels. And wow… THE CAMEOS!!! 🔥

This movie is for everybody. Families should have a great time. But fangirls especially will LOVE. Highly recommend for a SMILE. 😸

Cool action. Great music. Lovable cast (I will adore Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan forever). Laugh out loud moments. I loved it. It didn’t unnecessarily waste time nor stretch anything out. It’s just under 2 hours and it WORKS.

Look, yeah it’s blah blah random plot lore lore etc but it opens up for the future while giving a blast of a ride in the present (and nods to the past). 😉

Go. Now. 👍

And stay for the mid-credit scene!

Lastly, IMO, it’s all very queer coded. Baity even. THAT 🎶 scene was the one iffy thing for me. Kinda silly, and really felt like a “no homo” for the straights but a wink wink and super coded for the LGBTQs. “Marriage of convenience” … 🤐💀 Anyway it’s pretty clear Carol and Valkyrie definitely hooked up. And we all know Maria was so totally her partner before, because come on already… Monica is her dang daughter, that “Aunt” shit ain’t flyin’. And Kamala is hardcore CRUSHIN’ on Carol. 😂

Also one of the cameos at the end. Of all characters they chose the one people are also shipping with another female character, played by an actress beloved by the sapphics for her previous queer roles? And the cats?! So many cats. 💀 Plus Valkyrie in a suit? SAPPHICS RISE.

This entire movie was a whole fruit basket but in a way that slides past heteronormative audiences so “families can still enjoy” (🙄) but that’s a whole other ramble (or rant) for another day.

In the meantime… it’s so fun, y’all. Please GO. It’s important to support projects like these or they’ll keep pulling back on women and POC in these things. Even though the strike impacted promotion and the butthurt fragile misogynists are trying to review bomb (as always). It’s legit a fun time and if you hated it I have to just assume you hate fun, so. Go. See it. Spread the word. 🙏

[imhereformarvel]

The Marvels was so damn good. Well balanced, good pacing for a quick film, lots of humor, and some seriously exciting surprises. So many thoughts, keeping it non-spoiler:

-Kamala is a precious angel baby that had everyone in my theater in stitches of laughter the entire movie. If you watched the series, you already know that the actress is phenomenal, however, she manages to bring serious star power to the big screen in a way that feels truly magical. I see big things for Iman Vellani’s future.

-I love that we got to see a very human side of Carol in this film. She is funny, vulnerable with her found family, and still an absolute ass-kicking badass nonetheless.

-Monica is such a strong character. She never falters in the face of adversity, and I really admire it. She is smart, fair, brave, and levelheaded when others can’t be. A great role model for the younger crowds seeing the film. 

-THE FLERKENS!!!!! 🐱🐱🐱🐱

-UM the end of the film sets up some seriously big shit and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but all I can say is DAMN.Y’all gotta see for yourself. Major plot points for the future direction of the MCU are established with some shocking cameos. Both the end-of-film cameo and post credit scene cameo made my entire theater gasp!

-1 official (awesome cameo) mid credit and an audio end of credit (just for fun).

-Gorgeous fight scenes. Smooth, well choreographed, and successful in highlighting everybody’s unique powers.

Phase 4 had its rocky moments, but I feel like this week Marvel hit two big homeruns with the Loki season 2 finale and The Marvels. This film really felt like we are getting back to our roots with great action and exciting promises of things to come. 

[cogentranting]

The Marvels is a delight.

It's a fun little character piece with likable characters having wacky space adventures and at its core it is very sweet and warm. And I think that that core covers over a variety of things that things that might be perceived as either faults or just unremarkable aspects, and preserve the whole as something thoroughly enjoyable.

Assorted spoilers free thoughts:

Putting Carol alongside the other two (but particularly Monica) and also some of the specifics of the plot, bring out a more vulnerable side to her that is really nice to see. And because of that I think that if you were previously lukewarm on Carol, you'll probably like her better in this movie

Similarly, where the first movie maybe came off a little impersonal by taking Carol's memories and mostly separating her from anyone she had a long term connection with, this one seems to bring the heart to the forefront and really focuses on relationships.

Iman Vellani is a treasure, and if you guys blow this for her by not going to see this movie, I'm going to be mad at you.

What an abrupt but welcome change to see Fury go from whatever was happening in Secret Invasion to having a zany good time over here.

This really is Captain Marvel 2 in a way that I wasn't sure it was going to be. There's plenty of Kamala and Monica too, but Carol really is at the center of it.

Dar Benn is not going to go down as one of the better Marvel villains but she's not bad by any means and Zawe Ashton can pull off some crazy eyes.

The three leads balance each other really well and have very good chemistry.

This movie has hijinks. If you are looking for friendship and hijinks and cats, this is the movie. (And to be absolutely clear, that is what I'm looking for).

It is, dare I say it, sisterful.

[daresplaining]

Mattea Murdock, the Daredevil Drummer of Philly

In celebration of the forthcoming new Spider-Punk: Arms Race series (not to mention Hobie stealing scenes in "Across the Spider-Verse" last year), I wanted to finally write up my long-overdue overview post on Mattea Murdock! If you haven't read her introductory run yet, check it out here.

Mattea truly stands on her own in the wide canon of alternate universe DDs. She is a female Daredevil, she is Latina, and she somehow managed to escape Marvel's NYC gravity and base herself in Philadelphia, where she defends its citizens from violence and exploitation. Hobie and his self-styled Spider-Band encounter her in Spider-Punk (2022) #3, when they make a detour to fix the busted Spider-Van. They are all immediately-- and correctly-- impressed.

Mattea: "Yo, Kam!" Hobie: "Wait, you know each other?!" Kamala: "Duh! You think I wouldn't know the Daredevil Drummer of Philly?" Hobie: "You're a drummer too?" Mattea: "Best in town." Hobie: "Oh man, my friend Gwen is a pretty dope drummer too. I think y'all would definitely get along." Mattea: "Hope they're ready to get outplayed by a pretty, blind girl." Spider-Punk vol. 1 #3 by Cody Ziglar, Justin Mason, Jim Charalampidis, and Travis Lanham

I talked a little about her killer character/costume design when she was first introduced (I was a fool; of course she's blind), and my love for her look has only grown. It's badass, distinctive, and it slots her beautifully into Hobie's punk rock world while still evoking that trademark Daredevil image (red, sticks, pointy bits...). Her irises are red, which is a visual choice I enjoy in more heightened, fantastical DD stories/art styles, and I think it works for Mattea. Heck, I could even imagine them being colored contact lenses she's chosen to wear for the aesthetic. Also, one detail that wasn't in the previews is the fun little laughing devil face on the back of her jacket (I'm not punk rock enough to get the reference if it is one, but it reminds me of Darkdevil):

Of course, always a big priority for me is Daredevil's power-set, and Mattea provides a quick primer on her unique perspective, mostly focused on hearing and the radar sense:

Mattea: "What? You think just 'cause I'm a blind girl, I can't see? Echolocation, my abuelas used to call it. But it's more intimate. Instinctual. Can hear a kick drum from ten blocks away. Can see it too. If I think hard enough, I can even see what the garage it's being played in looks like." Hobie: "Yo, are you doing it right now?" Riri: "She's definitely doing it right now."

This is not my favorite description of Daredevil's powers, nor-- to be honest-- a particularly informative one. She can gather spatial information through walls...from ten blocks away? I also never love an overuse of visual language in any explanation of these powers, especially as it's implied that Mattea, like Matt, is completely blind. Surprisingly, no direct mention is made here of the hypersenses as a whole, beyond the reference to hearing a kick drum from ten blocks away. Even her hearing doesn't receive that much attention in the story overall, which feels like a missed opportunity for such a musical character. Her blindness, too, is pretty much irrelevant to the story, and never comes up again. But I do LOVE that she uses the term "echolocation", though is still very clearly the radar sense, in all its vague, undefined, semi-magic glory.

And visually? This is great. I'm always a fan of the cross-hatching visual, especially against a black background, and artist Justin Mason doesn't go too overboard on the detail, which is another preference of mine. And thematically, I love the ways in which Mattea's drummer identity is tied into her superheroics-- not just for laying a beatdown on bad guys, but also for channelling and enhancing her echolocation/radar sense. One of my favorite scenes in the comic is when she plays a drum solo on a roof edge to scope out the Kingpin's lair. I'm willing, in that moment, to ignore any gripes about radar sense irregularities out of respect for the coolness and thematic heft of the concept. I mean, this rocks:

Mattea: "Come on, show me the good stuff."

At the end of the day, though, this is not a Daredevil comic and Mattea is not the main character. Plus, it's only five issues long, and introduces a bunch of other new characters as well. There was only ever going to be room for the creative team to offer a cursory introduction, hopefully generating enough interest to prompt these characters to appear again in other comics. In that, I think they fully succeeded with Mattea; we get a cursory sense of her powers (or at least, enough to show that they're the normal DD set), her personality (delightfully cocky, playful, tough, fearless), a few hints of her backstory, and some truly kickass fight scenes. There's a bit of suspension of disbelief required to believe she can use drumsticks as a stand-in for billy clubs (unless her drumsticks are made of something really hefty-- and hey, maybe they are), but this is Spider-Punk. Hobie killed Norman Osborn with a guitar--twice. It's not about realism, it's about style.

Mattea: "Been waiting for this for a long time, Fisk. Real long time." Fisk: "I'm going to break you, li'l girl--AWGGH!" Mattea: "Big, strong man who sends out his band of wackos to push over people too weak to fight back." Fisk: "Wouldn't get too cocky, girlie...you're not the only one who's fast! I'm gonna hurt ya. A lot. Then I'm gonna kill ya. And I'm gonna love every second of it. You know, this is the same look you had when I had your old band clapped a few years back. I like it. Brings out your eyes--GAAAH!" Mattea: "There's something you need to understand about me, papi. I'm not the kinda girl who goes down without a fight."

I can't wait to see more of Mattea and learn more about her, her world, her friends, and her enemies. In particular, she seems to have a history (possibly romantic?) with this world's Kamala Khan, and I would love to see more of that relationship. While Mattea Murdock clearly has a lot in common with Matt Murdock, she also seems happy to be a team player, unlike Matt, and I really enjoy that. Though I guess it's not that surprising a distinction. After all, every drummer needs a band.

[starryoak]

Apparently we’re going to be seeing more of Hobie’s universe and I am SO pumped about that because I have so many questions about how they’ll change it from the official comics, because a lot of Hobie’s universe is so intrinsically American that I can’t wait to see how it changes.

See, Spider-Punk’s universe is one where Norman Osborn became president by either creating artificial copies of or allying with Symbiotes (like Venom), dubbing them Variable Engagement Neuro-sensitive Organic Mesh, or V.E.N.O.M, both bonding with them himself and distributing them to cops and law enforcement everywhere to create super soldiers who could, and in his own words, “Make America Great Again.” His introductory comic depicts this in four pages (one of them a two page spread) where it shows Hobie and his band leading a riot against a wave of cop-Symbiotes called the Thunderbolt Department and using 5,000 watts worth of amps blasting punk music to vaporize the Symbiotes (being weak to loud noises), then personally bashing Norman Osborn’s skull in with his guitar.

Obviously while cops are fucking fascists everywhere, the symbolism of “Make America Great Again” is, well, quintessentially American, so I think it’s pretty clear some of the rhetoric will change, and I really can’t wait to see how it will, honestly. As well, when Hobie says “I hate the PM”, he can be seen tearing a poster of not Norman Osborn, but Kingpin, indicating that he likely is this universe’s equivalent to President Osborn.

As well, his teammates/the Spider-Band are also worth examining, and I really, really can’t wait to see what’s done with them, especially Karl Morningdew.

Karl Morningdew, AKA Captain Anarchy, is obviously intrinsically connected to Captain America, as his universe’s equivalent, but also because he’s Native American, specifically named as the Sentinel of the Cowlitz People. He’s got a not-a-superhero boyfriend named Rick, but that’s not important to this conversation. He’s obviously pretty tied to America, not just in his being very obviously a variant of Captain America with the same powers, but also because his people have lived in America before there was an America to live in, and their oppression by the American government is inextricable to his character. So how they will, or, I suppose, if they will, translate Karl into a British setting is obviously a big question! While not as intrinsically tied to an American identity, he has other teammates who are variants of other Marvel universe characters; Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart, is known as Riotheart in this universe, Mattea Murdock, AKA the Daredevil Drummer of Philly, a counterpart to Daredevil, Kamala Khan, who seems to be pretty much the same + brass knuckles, (will she have her powers changed to fit the new Ms. Marvel show?), and Robert “Robbie” Bruce Banner, a reluctant member of the team who doesn’t actually really want to be there, having tried to give up on that part of his life.

I really, really hope these guys show up, I want to see how they translate these very American characters into the UK, and I think, frankly, they’re really cool and fun!

[musclesandhammering]

Unpopular Phase 4 & 5 Opinions

Quantumania is the worst Phase 4/5 movie. And it wasn’t even because “kang got beat by ants.” (I liked kang in this movie). It’s just that the Spy Kids aesthetic & bad acting & overall weird vibes just weren’t for me.

Love and Thunder is no worse than Ragnarok. I would argue that it’s better in a lot of ways, actually. I really liked it.

Taika Waititi ruined thor with bad humour all the way back in Ragnarok tbh, but y’all weren’t complaining about it then 😒.

BuckySarah is better than sambucky every day of the week.

The Marvels was a good ass movie & they’re one of my favorite teams in the mcu. I’ll never forgive cbm sites & online dudebros for killing the hype from the moment the film was announced.

I adore America Chavez & Kamala Kahn and I want to see them in everything. They must be protected at all costs.

Multiverse of Madness had shitty characterisation & basically just copy-pasted the ‘grief made me go off the deep end & hurt people, then I realised and stopped myself’ storyline from Wandavision… but Wanda was extremely selfish & apathetic to other people’s suffering from the time she was introduced in the mcu. MoM didn’t make her like that.

Wanda should’ve been looking for Vision (her actual real life boyfriend whom she spent years with irl) in MoM instead of the kids that weren’t even real that she spent like a week using as characters in her sitcom.

Making everyone forget Peter Parker wasn’t profound or poetic in any way- it was just frustrating and needlessly cruel.

I’m begging marvel to understand that heroes don’t have to be in constant suffering to be heroic & villains don’t have to sacrifice themselves to achieve redemption. Let characters heal and atone, you absolute weirdos.

What If…? is the most boring show ever. I’d rather watch Secret Invasion or She-Hulk.

Season 2 of Loki is, in a cinematic & artistic sense, the best marvel project period.

Loki season 1 was meh- more of a fun au than anything because his characterisation kinda sucked. Season 2 fixed it, though, and made it way easier for me to incorporate this version of Loki back into the larger mcu.

Having Steve stay in the past with Peggy was stupid af.

I don’t hate Peggy (or Captain Carter), though. I actually think she’s pretty cool.

I don’t really love Steve. He’s arrogant & they never really let him have flaws & something about him being a perfect metaphor for the American military industrial complex (and marvel painting that as a good thing) doesn’t sit right with me.

The Illuminati got done dirty and the only reason they went down so fast was because Wanda had all that plot armor.

I thought the retcon of having Wanda be “destined” to become the Scarlet Witch since birth was an annoying cop-out. Her powers originating from being experimented on with an infinity stone was way more interesting.

Loki & Wanda have almost the exact same powers.

Nebula deserved a bigger rule in killing Thanos & everything else moving forward.

I love Kathryn Newton but her acting as Cassie Lang was the worst acting I’ve ever seen in the mcu, like it was outrageously bad.

I’m glad Sam is the new Captain America and not Bucky.

The fact that Bucky probably isn’t gonna be one of Thee lead characters in the upcoming avengers movies feels sick and twisted.

Secret Invasion was actually passable until the G’iah scene at the end. That ruined it. And Nick Fury deserved way better for his solo series.

Kang is so much more interesting than Doctor Doom. I really hope they just recast him.

Carol Danvers does NOT deserve the hate she gets.

I actually disliked Carol until The Marvels. That movie made me a stan.

The way people treat Monica as Wanda’s little inferior pet creation or smth & then brag about it is uhh very sus.

I don’t like sylvie (bc she’s an amalgamation of 3 different comic characters- which killed any hopes of them appearing individually in the mcu, the creators used her existence to butcher Loki’s genderfluid rep, & she was written poorly) & I HATE sylki (bc it’s weird & unnecessary).

Marvel isn’t dead. I actually love where they’re taking things. But that’s just me.

[burningfudge]

“It was funny watching when the whole Kamala stuff was going down,” Ziglar says in the interview. “He (Wells) had told me months before the plan, which was, Feige was like, ‘Hey, I don’t do this very often but, can you please do this to make things in line with Marvel because we have some stuff we want to do with Kamala,’ so he (Wells) was like, ‘F***, I’m the guy that drew the short straw? People are going to be very mad that I have to kill Ms. Marvel.”

No way. Everyone knew Kamala died for MCU synergy, but FEIGE himself made the decision? That's so stupid, ohmygod. Kamala being a mutant in the MCU should not affect an already established character in the comics. Besides, shoving her into the X-Men side of things isn't doing her any favors, in my opinion. Did Feige also decide to make Yelena the absolutely awful character she was in White Widow or that recent trash Guardians of the Galaxy run that had MCU synergy written all over it?

I don't understand why the Champions haven't been brought back yet, especially since both Kamala and Miles are at the height of their popularity at the moment, but instead, they're putting Kamala in NYX. I like that Kamala, Laura, and Sophie Cuckoo are together but Kamala shouldn’t be in it.

But it's also interesting that the interview mentioned this:

Generally, Marvel Comics brass have said Feige is largely hands off with the comics, such as when Marvel Senior Editor Jordan D. White told AiPT in 2022: “They always tell us, ‘We’re not looking for you to change what you’re doing to fit with what we’re doing. We want you to stay 5-10 years ahead of us because we want you to be doing fun and interesting stuff that we can do down the line.’”

Historically, that hasn't been the case 🙄 Wanda, Pietro, and Magneto say hello.

[amageish]

From Ms Marvel: Mutant Menace #4

The "Marvels" line here is maybe a little much, but I love this exchange overall.. Kamala's made so much progress over the last decade of appearances!

Honestly, the basic elevator pitch of "Kamala Khan goes to college and realizes she is queer a mutant, then comes back home only to find out that not everyone is as queer-friendly mutant-friendly as she expected" is just very fun and solid mutant metaphor content to me... I have quibbles with how we got there of course, but that's some classic X-Men stuff that it's cool to see Kamala - the character who got me interested in comics in the first place - go through.

[i-have-not-slept]

Less than a week til Chain of Thorns is released!

To keep myself entertained I’ve decided to examine and review the official character art by @nicole.deal.art on Instagram to see if the clothing fits with the Edwardian period. I’ve always been interested in historical fashion and I thought this might be fun and interesting for people to read. I’m reviewing the girls’ outfits first and the boys later in the week.

Cordelia

We’re off to a good start with Cordelia! She’s wearing what looks like a very period-typical walking dress. Compare it to this one from 1903:

Most day dresses had high collars and long sleeves, so this looks good. My only quibble is that her hair should really be pinned up, but since this picture is obviously set during a fight it’s entirely possible that her hair just came loose. It’s not a major issue.

Accuracy: 8/10

Lucie

Also pretty good! Hair looks great, compare it to the Edwardian hairstyles below:

and the cut of the dress is period accurate. I wasn’t sure at first if puffed sleeves were a thing for the Edwardians, but then I found this dress, also from 1903:

which has very similar sleeves.

The only non-Edwardian thing is the steampunk collar-type thing she’s wearing, but that could be part of Shadowhunter protective armour.

Accuracy: 9/10

Ariadne/Kamala

This one’s not quite so accurate. Her hair is perfect— in fact, the headband looks like it was directly inspired by this picture of actress Lily Elsie from 1908:

The dress, however, is more Victorian than Edwardian. It has a very square neckline, which wasn’t common during the period— day dresses generally had high collars, and evening dresses had wide, scooped necklines, often draped.

The skirt isn’t quite accurate either. It looks like she’s wearing an apron skirt with a bustle, which is a style that was popular in the mid-to-late 1880s, around fifteen years before The Last Hours is set. Compare it to this one from 1889:

and you’ll see that the draping in front is very similar. It’s a lovely dress, but it’s not at all Edwardian.

Accuracy: 4/10

Grace

When I first saw this one I was disappointed because it looked like a major historical blunder. Her hair is good, but the dress isn’t Edwardian at all— the neckline is too low, sleeves are too puffed, waistline is too high.

BUT THEN. I did some digging and found this dress from 1810:

Grace’s dress is very obviously inspired by this one. The two are almost identical. But it’s such an obviously Regency dress that I don’t think Grace’s dress is meant to represent the Edwardian era at all.

TLH isn’t set during the Regency era, but who lived around that time and is relevant to the plot in Chain of Thorns?

Annabel Blackthorn.

Grace is a Blackthorn, at least by adoption. We know that at the end of Chain of Iron, Malcolm wanted to use Lucie’s powers to resurrect Annabel. My theory is that this art shows Grace in a situation where she’s linked to Annabel somehow, maybe through time travel or a dream or vision. She’s wearing similar clothes to what Annabel wore when she was alive, and I am so excited to see if this really does happen in ChoT.

Accuracy: 3/10 for Edwardian, but 10/10 for Regency.

If you bothered to read all this, I hope you found it interesting and maybe even a bit informative. Can’t wait for Chain of Thorns!

Image sources: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Brooklyn Museum, House of Worth Archives, Manchester Art Gallery.

[gaypyro]

Rating the New Champions Variant Covers

So marvel recently revealed a bunch of Varient Covers of "What if every hero had a sidekick/youth counterpart" and while I love most of the designs, some definately are better then others

#22

I hate the Vision Design and I dont know why. Something just feels fundamentally off about it/ Maybe its the fact its a pitch white, skintight 8 year old? Maybe its the posing? The Debris? IDK Man is feels weird.

#21

and

#20

These two get paired together for a single reason

It's just Billy and Teddy. I love Billy and Teddy, their some of the only actual Gay Men in Marvel, but come one guys. Certainly you can do a young Dr. Strange and Young Hulk thats different? Strange goes higher if only because I like the art more, the Young Hulk I just dislike entirely

#19

Speaking of uninspired, the only reason Miles is above Billy & Teddy is that at least shes a different gender then her mainline counterpart. Other then that its probably the laziest design here. Also, you may notice the webbing seems off, that will be a recurring trend here where limbs or background elements were layered improperly or something.

#18

I actually really like this character design. It looks like a fun character in a superhero elementry school spin-off book. The only issue um... thats Storm. Its the next gen Storm and she's white. That's basically my only issue, and why shes above the 3 I actively somewhat dislike designwise, but... Storm is one the premiere Black Superheros. Having her next gen counterpart be white feels so weird. I

#17

On one hand, I can 100% see normal Deadpool wearing this. On the other, the My Boy adds way to much charm for me to rate it with the other uninspired ones, and at least I dont feel like its whitewashing anything. We are at the point where I'd unironically love to see any of these designs in a book, even if its an Elseworld instead of main universe one.

#16

Teen Female Wolverine has been done to death, but I do like how this one goes for a more monstrous Angle compared to Laura and Gabby. The tattered, beast up costumes, beastial feet, large Ponytail giving off the deelling of a mane, nasty looking teeth, and BONE CLAWS very much makes it feel more like a feral forest mutant then the more clean, assassin design Laura had.

#15

The big thing I like here is it isn't a reimagining of Carol Danvers current, captain marvel outfit, but her Miss Marvel ones. We already have Kamala for a new gen version of Carols current design, so a reimigining of the old one, in a way that doesn't feel super fetishy is nice. First I thought it was a dude, but it might be a girl? Unsure.

#14

I really love this design, but it doesn't really scream Black Panther... and I honestly dont care. I love bright colors, makes my brain go byr, and the fact she has a completely different powerset most likely intrigues me.

#13

I have a weakness for fishpeople of all types ok? I find the designs naturally appealing. Even still, Starlord's Chibi Starfish Successor is neat, but not amazing. The ideas done a lot better later on.

#12

He looks like he is having so much fun with his Mentor. I also like how, unlike everyone else, Black Cat's Apprentice is kinda chubby. I don't know man he just seems like he'd be a fun guy to hang out with at college.

#11

Whats better then a succesor to one hero? a Succesor to TWO HEROES! The Captain America Succesor I feel very much has some elements of Wasp design, and I always am down for High Tech Wingspans even if they weren't intentionally going for it.

#10

Instead of being the Scarlet witch they made her the Magenta Witch. All in all I just really like the sorta sorceror design, especially the chosen color scheme. Also ghostly mystical fire is fun you should follow it into the swamp.

#9

Listen I love this design. Its in the top 10 for a reason but man... that arm. Every time I see the image I cant help but notice how insanely small his arm is, like he was supposed to have both arms resting but they decided "Have him twirl a stake so people know its blade."

#8

Moon Squire is here to kick ass and pass third grade math! I just like the Cowl mixed with baseball cap design lol. Moon Knight always fucking kills it with the drip though so im not surprised.

#7

A Friend told me It's Gwen Tennyson cosplaying Magneto and now I cant not see it. I do like that shes implied to have a different powerset then Eric as well, always fun when they did that.

#6

The better Chibi Venom. Only missed the top 5 since I dont think he'd be able to carry a book as the main protag, he is the perfect sidekick though. Just this mildly creepy cutie pootie handing with the fairly creepy Symbiote. After Extreme Venomverse shouldn't be surprised the Venom varient is amazing, but I am suprised thats the direction they went.

#5

If Next Gen Storm and Next Gen Moon Knight are in the Elementary School book, Wee-Hulk is the main god damn character. She's just a very fun little kid hulk, I especially love how shes doing the Iconic "She-Hulk holds a Car Above her head" pose with an electric scooter.

#4

Listen, Non-Binery Latin America Iron Man with the Criminally Underused Grey Armor design is great. They gpt Green Hair, Pronouns, and the backing of Americas #1 Arms Dealer, ready to take on the world!

#3

The Thing has become one of them Yancy Street Kids, and the Fantastic Four are his gang. I just love the design, Spiky Rock person is always a favorite of mine.

#2

Miku Ghost Rider. On Roller Skates. With a fucking Hellfire Flail. I am imagining she has an entire like, Magical Girl Transformation Sequence whenever she transforms, just with a lot more demons and fire then normal.

#1

Listen, I get it. Legs dont bend like that. She is objectively less creative then the last 3 or 4. But, I like Crows. I like Ravens. I like Thor. And this Thor looks like she wont take any of Odins BS when he goes shit dad mode.

[ao3-shenanigans]

My thoughts on The Marvels and Suggestion for an Alternate Ending

Oh thank goodness @yalocalfanficaddict you’re my new bestie, I’m proposing right now/lh

So… The Marvels

A lotta people think that it’s Bad™️ and I won’t say that their wrong per se but also think there’s more to it then that

Spoilers for the movie, obviously

Here’s who should watch it

1. People here for a silly goofy time; with low expectations

2. People who like cats eating people

3. People who like women

4. People who like muscular women in tank tops

5. People who had a musical phase and aren’t quite as over it as they’d like everyone to believe

6. People who think Kamala’s brother is attractive

7. Ms Marvel fans

8. Did I mention the cats?

If you’re coming to watch a serious Avengers: Endgame type movie, I’m sorry but this ain’t it. However- However, I do think it’s a very enjoyable film.

I went to see it with my sibling and we had a lotta fun, where there plot holes? Yeah and I’ll get into it a bit, but like the characters for the most part where very likable and fun to watch; there were some well done fight scenes and some character development that I think was pretty darn okay.

Here’s what I think didn’t work- the pacing felt at times a little off but I believe that’s because they could’ve lost their battles a little harder. The first few losses are devastating but the second half of the movie they had a pretty easy time and lost with minimal damage to themselves (physically and emotionally) and the civilians/cities.

Captain Marvel as a character is generally over powered. Thats kinda her whole deal. Which is great for Captian Marvel fans but bad for writers because how does one set up any sort of stakes for that?

The answer is to pull emotional punches - if you can’t level up physically, it has to be emotionally- which the movie *almost* manages to pull off. Carol struggles because she feels like she doesn’t measure up to the hero Monica saw as a child and the hero Kamala thinks she is. She thinks she has to earn her place with family, and the only way to do that is by solving everything and saving everyone on her own, but everything she does just ends up making things worse. She feels like she is responsible (and kinda is) for the genocide of an entire race and a half of people and has to shoulder the weight and grief of that on her own.

Which is A GREAT CONCEPT!! I love that!!!

The movie only half way fallows through with that though. At the three-quarters point of the film where the interpersonal conflict comes to head (where it always does), it doesn’t quite hit as hard as it should. It doesn’t make me feel it, I want the gut punch and stab in the back while you’re at it.

I think they apologized just a littttle too quickly, which *is* in character, but doesnt necessarily make for the most entertaining screen drama

Over all though, there was some very fun fight scenes- the characters basically have this thing where they switch locations if they use their powers so the first fight is actually three fights on like different planets before they meet and that was cool; really fun cinematography

The cgi was well done (in my unprofessional opinion) and the costumes looked pretty good over all

Kamala is my favorite as she’s a teenaged character who actually feels like a teenager

She’s also an artist and fangirl who animates and writes fanfic so obviously I love her but yeah she totally stole the show; her family is amazing as well; 20/10 for them

It is briefly implied that Valkyrie and Captain Marvel have some sort of relationship (platonic? Romantic? No idea, there were cheek greeting kisses)

Carol Denver is technically married to some random prince though she makes it abundantly clear that it is completely platonic and only for a political advantage, he belongs to a race of people that can only communicate through singing and musical improvs, there’s this whole bit and I freaking love it.

The prince gives off Conan Grey vibes, no I can’t explain, no there will be no further commentary on that.

There’s also a sequence where the flerken (space kitties with tentacles in their mouths) are eating crew members. It’s shot like a horror sequence but has the most beautiful operatic music behind it- ten out of ten, I absolutely adore every second of it

Things that I think could’ve been changed for a more satisfactory ending:

⁃ Carol has too darn of an easy time, here’s how I’d change the ending:

I would have her flying into and restarting the sun as WAY more of a big deal. I’m sorry but that was to easy, she was completely unscathed by that.

I would’ve also had that be the final sacrifice of the film, instead of Monica. Like I get that Monica’s set her up for multiverse nonsense but I would’ve rather her stayed and Carol being the one to give up everything to atone. Of course it would need a little more lead up, but Monica’s did as well.

Together with that, I wouldn’t have had the villain chick attack again after being impaled, I would’ve let it play out and given her a second look into her character and whether or not she’d forgive Carol. I probably wouldn’t let her ultimately live either- have them both die (or ‘die’ in carol’s case most likely knowing marvel).

I think this would give Kamala and Monica a satisfactory point to their character arcs as well- Monica having forgiven Carol and accepted her as family contrasting where the villain doesn’t, and Kamala to a point where she both recognizes her hero’s humanity and fallibility but also great sacrifice thus motivating her to do start a team and do better to live up to the name she’s picked for herself.

Overall I rate the movie an 8/10, Kamala stole the show, I loved Monica, there were some great scenes, I had a lot of fun and I totally recommend it to anyone who’s into that sorta thing <3

[poppetsisters]

I'm gonna challenge myself: I have to say ONE good thing about every MCU thing since Endgame:

Spider-Man: Far From Home: Mysterio's Mocap costume is one of the most genius, galaxy brained adaptations of his comic book costume I've ever seen.

Wandavision: Incredible miniseries with the coolest formatting mechanic. Genuinely the best MCU thing to come out of phase 4, and still the best MCU TV show of them all.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier: US Agent's characterization (before the finale) was incredibly well realized as a critique of American foreign policy and American exceptionalism

Loki S1: The design of the TVA is one of the strongest aesthetics in the MCU.

Black Widow: Haven't seen it, but Florence Pugh is a great actor and I'm glad she's the new Black Widow.

What If...? S1: Some of the episode concepts are interesting.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Retconning the Mandarin to be Tony Leung Chiu-wai while keeping Ironman 3's message of "not assuming all foreign people are terrorists" was a good move. They get to have their cake and eat it too.

Eternals: Any time they're talking about philosophy is my favourite part of the movie.

Hawkeye: Didn't watch it, but I like the Kingpin.

Spider-Man: No Way Home: The suit worn in the final swing is my favourite live action Spider-Man costume.

Moon Knight: I liked the episode that was a specific reference to Jeff Lemire's run on the character.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Elizabeth Olsen slays as a villain, also the entire section where Strange astral projects into his zombified body is genuinely one of my top 10 MCU moments.

Ms Marvel: Very colourful and stylish show with a perfectly cast Kamala Khan.

Thor: Love and Thunder: I liked it when Thor wore the classic costume when he was doing that running montage.

I Am Groot: Didn't watch it, but looks cute.

She-Hulk: The gag where we saw an 80s TV Movie version of She-Hulk got a chuckle out of me.

Werewolf By Night: Getting jumpscared by the Marvel Studios intro was incredible. The whole presentation was visually and audibly fantastic. they should let Michael Giacchino cook more.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: The entire adaptation of Namor and Atlantis becoming a Mesoamerican culture genuinely makes it way more interesting than its comics counterpart.

Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special: I can't believe they let James Gunn do this. Very fun special with Mantis being the clear highlight.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: I like that this movie didn't make a whole lot of money at the Box Office.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: I could say several good things about this movie but I'll say that Chukwudi Iwuji's performance as The High Evolutionary is one of the best MCU performances. He should've been Kang.

Secret Invasion: Didn't watch it, but I remember Fury had a decent speech about the civil rights movement I guess.

Loki S2: I still think about the scene in the record store a lot.

The Marvels: This film is just a very fun time and handled its three leads well. It finally made me like Captain Marvel as a character.

What If...? S2: Kahhori is a cool character and should be in future movies.

Echo: Didn't watch it, but Alaqua Cox deserves the world.

Deadpool and Wolverine: The bit where Handsome Deadpool said "The Proposal" and Default Deadpool got personally offended made me laugh.

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Thursday, August 15, 2024 - Kamala Harris & Tim Walz

The Vice President and Governor Walz joined forces together today on the campaign trail. They were making their way through the state of North Carolina. The Governor of the state, Roy Cooper joined them on the campaign trail today. Today was a busy day with 4 campaign stops.

Event #1 (Raleigh, NC) Event Location: Steps of the North Carolina State Capitol Event Type: Call for Policy Change and Activism Event Time: 9:00 - 10:00 ET

Event #2 (Raleigh, NC) Event Location: North Carolina State University Event Type: Get Out the Vote Event Time: 11:00 - 13:00 ET

Event #3 (Greensboro, NC) Event Location: NC Agricultural & Technical State University Event Type: Interview moderated by a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, Alpha Phi Chapter Event Time: 15:00 - 17:00 ET

Event #4 (Charlotte, NC) Event Location: Bank of America Stadium Event Type: Campaign Rally Event Time: 19:00 - 22:00 ET

Raleigh, NC Full-text of speech from event #1 to be released shortly. The event on NCSU's campus was well received and numerous student clubs were present for the kick-off of the event.

Greensboro, NC Here are 2 questions that garnered a very positive response from the audience: Q: "In today's environment of racial and identity politics, do you feel that you were forced to pick a white man as your running mate?" A: "No, unequivocally. My decision to choose Coach Walz as my running mate was not influenced by racial or identity politics. It was about finding someone who shares my vision, my values, who has a proven track record of bringing people together to get things done, and can be a little fun while doing it. Tim is an experienced leader, a former educator, and a person who has dedicated his life to public service. I considered many exceptional individuals for this role, including leaders like Governor Whitmer, clearly if I considered a second woman identity politics weren't at play. What mattered most in my decision was finding the right person to help lead this country, someone who understands the challenges we face and who can help unify our nation during these divided times.Moving forward, I hope we can reach a point where questions like this are no longer necessary because our focus should be on qualifications, character, and the ability to lead, not just the identity of the individuals. Tim is the right choice!" Q: "Is HBCU funding for schools like NC A&T a priority for your administration, given your personal background?" A: "Well, let me just say, I think it’s pretty clear where my priorities lie, considering I attended an HBCU myself! I'm thankful for my Howard experience every day. And let’s not forget, my running mate, Governor Walz, is a former educator. So yes, HBCU funding is not just a priority—it’s a personal commitment. HBCUs have played a crucial role in shaping leaders, innovators, and changemakers in our country for generations. They provide not just education but also a sense of community, pride, and identity. Our administration is committed to ensuring that HBCUs have the resources they need to continue their legacy of excellence."

Charlotte, NC Below are one quote from Governor Cooper, one from Governor Walz, and two from Vice President Harris that are from the remarks made at today's rally. "North Carolina is not just a battleground state; it’s the proving ground for our democracy. We’ve been underestimated before, but we know that when we stand together, nothing can stop us. We’re going to fight for every vote, every voice, because the future of our country depends on it. Now let me welcome to the stage the next Vice President of the United States of America, Tim Walz!" - Governor Roy Cooper "We are the underdogs in this race, but we’ve got something far more powerful than any poll or pundit’s prediction: the will of the people. We’re not going back to the days of division and chaos. Together, we’re building a future that unites us, and we’re not backing down from the fight because every American deserves a better tomorrow." - Governor Tim Walz

"Donald Trump is a threat to everything we hold dear—our values, our democracy, our future. But let me tell you this: we are stronger than fear, stronger than hate, and we’re going to prove that in every corner of North Carolina and across this great nation." - Vice President Kamala Harris "We’re not here to make America go back to some imagined ‘great’ past. We’re here to build a future that’s better for everyone. We’re not MAGA, we’re moving forward, and we’re not going to stop until every North Carolinian has a voice in that future. We’re not going back!"- Vice President Kamala Harris

~BR~

[trainsinanime]

The Movie - The Bad Parts

Based on discussions with @emsylcatac earlier today, let's talk about Miraculous Ladybug & Chat Noir - The Movie (also known as Miraculous Awakening), and specifically what sucks about it. I want to clarify that this post is meant to be unfair on purpose. It's all about complaining because complaining is fun! Overall I think the movie was perfectly fine, I had fun and I recommend watching it on a big screen because it is really pretty. This post is full of spoilers, and I'll put it in the queue for the 29th so people who watch on Netflix can see it then.

Let's get to it. There are a number of different directions from which you can criticise the movie. Too many fart jokes. Too many Volkswagen cars. Not enough metro trains. Uninspired songs. I'd like to pull it back a step, though, and ask fundamentally: What was the movie trying to do, you know, as a story? Because I don't think it knows.

About something

The movie has set itself a fairly difficult task, trying to fit a monster-of-the-week show into a single cohesive narrative. This isn't impossible, other superhero movies from Marvel and sometimes Sony and even the odd DC one do that all the time. They do that by finding a core story to tell about the people involved. Tony Stark goes from war profiteer to taking responsibility. Shang-Chi fled his father and must now face him. Jessica Jones faces her trauma. Kamala Khan must figure out who she wants to become and what it means to be a hero. Hawkeye must shoot an arrow out of a bow. Stuff like that.

As a show, Miraculous Ladybug doesn't really have that. Marinette isn't standing on the wrong side of a central dramatic argument and must learn to find and believe the correct answer. Her only real problem is that she isn't kissing Adrien right now. Similar things go for Adrien, who has plot attached to him, but not really any arc beyond going from not kissing Marinette to kissing Marinette. And that's perfectly fine for a show like that, there are plenty of arcs for each individual episode. And sometimes you don't even need that and can just save yourself with twenty minutes of being fun.

The movie is exactly like the show in this regard, and in my opinion, that's a mistake. Marinette is clumsy and afraid of being awesome, but that is just basic hero's journey stuff, that isn't a real character arc. Adrien doesn't have an arc at all. So really, there is nothing here, no theme, no arc. Stuff just happens. The stuff that happens is very adorable in my opinion, but most of it doesn't mean anything.

And really, that seems to be the main point of the movie: Have adorable stuff happen. There are a lot of great trailer moments, but then if you see how they fit together in the movie, well, they mostly don't. There are some cute Adrinette scenes, but they are just here to be cute, they don't actually matter. There's some excellent Ladynoir banter, but it doesn't actually change anything or tell us anything about the characters, it's just here.

The movie certainly pretends that there's an arc here. Marinette gets an "I want" song that tells us she's unhappy about being clumsy, and she'd like to design clothes. We have a bit of a hero's journey. We have a tiny bit of a conflict when Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug, but she can't be in love with him because she's in love with Adrien, and he reacts poorly to that (oh god, are we going to get Adrien discourse again? Please, anything but that!). We defeat the villain, and Marinette learns the "Miraculous Ladybug" healing power. It feels like an arc, but the things don't connect to each other in any thematic way.

And sure, the movie pretends there is a theme here, which is "we're stronger together". Except being together is not really that relevant for the conclusion, and besides, nobody ever said they weren't stronger together.

Weirdly enough, there is one character who gets an arc, which is Gabriel, who realises his mistakes when he sees that Chat Noir is his son. That's nice but comes a bit out of nowhere. And the way Adrien forgives him that easily also feels unearned to me. If you go strictly by which character learned the most and changed the most, you could technically argue that this is Gabriel's story more than anyone, which is just silly.

So it all feels a bit lifeless. Many subplots start and stop at random, and many scenes in between the trailer moments feel too short and lifeless.

The Changes

The other thing that feels weird is all the ways that the lore was changed. I'm totally okay with changing the lore to fit into the movie, but so many of the choices just feel less interesting.

Most crucially, when Marinette falls in love with Adrien in the show, it's the culmination of a mini-arc in which she was wrong about him, and he was bad at social interaction, which they resolve with a ritual umbrella exchange. That is really meaningful. In the movie, Marinette falls in love with Adrien because he's handsome and he asks her if she's alright after she drops some books. That's less interesting.

A smaller detail, but in my opinion even more important, are the Akuma villains. There's no doubt that the gargoyle looks great… but it's a random person who we don't know. We certainly didn't know Ivan that well at the end of season 1 either, but we had at least some connection to him. Most importantly, Marinette had a connection to him, and so her fear for this guy she knows felt real and important. That's gone here. Same for the other villains. They're all just some guys Hawkmoth found somewhere. They don't matter to us or to the heroes, they're just around. In their fight for great visuals, they made the story less interesting.

There are plenty of other examples where the show weirdly forgoes personal moments. The Adrinette montage, for example, is sweet, but it passes by way too quickly. And it's not like the movie didn't have the time, I mean, have you seen these fart jokes?

When it comes to the superhero fights, I am mostly stumped. The movie invented completely new rules, but these rules are for the most part not better or worse, just different. It feels like they feared they'd infringe someone's copyright, but doesn't Zag own the copyright? I think the lack of insane plans prompted by a lucky charm was a bit sad, but I wouldn't call it a dealbreaker.

The Music

I think the songs were alright, I'm just mentioning them here because I know others hated them. My main issue with them is that they felt so unmotivated. It felt like someone had said, "this is where a Disney movie would have a song, so we'll put one here as well".

The Ending

Cutting there? Come on. Not gonna lie, that part got a big groan at my cinema.

The Nachos

Mine didn't taste that great.

In Conclusion

I really should have written this Sunday or Saturday when my memory was still fresh. But I think you get the gist of it. It was a fun experience, but I think it squandered most of its opportunities. There were fun moments, but the connection between them wasn't really there. Most importantly, the movie just didn't really have any story to tell other than "that Ladybug one". But while that is a fine story to have as the premise of a show, it doesn't really work well for a single movie.

[somerandomjewelleryonthefloor]

Unpredicted Couple

Summary: A writing Drabble in which through the POV of Myra, starts a small personal private investigation on SolChael and if they're together or not.

Word count: who fucking knows, it's long as shit tho. And I mean ESSAY long.

Rating: teen

Warning: teens being teens, implied hickeys.

(Main) Characters: Michael H, Solrin J, Myra K.

Note: this is a writing Drabble I started at 4 AM so like I'm very much kind of tired, also I'm just a youngster having fun, don't take this seriously or I'll send "Kamala is Brat" at you. Enjoy! (No I'm not taking criticism as I don't care for writing RIGHT NOWWWWWwwww... So don't pls)

Tags?: for the 2 people who might be interested- @cadybear420 @lover-also-fighter-also

I knew I had a 6th sense about romance, it was almost like it was a radar. If anyone had chemistry together, I would be able to see it immediately before everyone else. I could see potential dynamics between people, and I could always match couples with tropes.

Though there was one pairing I liked, who always got me off guard- Michael and Solrin. They always looked like they hated eachother and I thought that too, though I'd see this look in their eyes when they argued that something was going on between them, and it made me confused for the first time this year and incredibly curious about them. They always argued, usually small disagreements and glares full of hate but... There was always something off about it...

Today was Monday, 14th of October. The halls were slowly getting decorated with fake black cats and cobwebs and pumpkins, the classrooms were getting spooky fake spiders and a cauldron that contained mints and other candy that replaced most typical mint/candy jars. The teachers sometimes added really crappy Halloween puns into their teaching, and no one would admit it but it was honestly such a nice time.

It was before class started, I had gotten on my laptop and was going through my Tumblr, all I could smell was cupcake frosting as I went through my feed. the smell from the dehumidifier was on by the teachers desk at the front, and in the corner of my eye I could see it change colours from red to orange to yellow to green, you get the idea. When Sydney came by and sat next to me, I shut my laptop and turned to her.

"Hey Syd" I smiled at her, she smiled back and waved wildly at me as she sat down.

"Hey! Wanna hear something fun?" She spoke low, leaning in towards me, she looked around us before continuing.

I listened intently, although I never liked hearing gossip that much- when it came to Sydney, it at least related to me or someone we knew.

"So apparently from Emma: she was waiting by Solrin's locker this morning when Michael was power walking through the hall, holding a hand to his neck and silently cursing. He bumped into her, apologized, and went into the bathroom."

Okay. This was interesting, Michael holding his hand to his neck? Suspicious... I kept listening.

"Apparently, uhm, because he lifted his hand when he bumped into her, there was like glitter there? Like a glittery lipstick looking mark..." Sydney continued, whispering even quieter. "And when Solrin came to her locker and greeted Emma, her lipstick was the exact shade of what was supposedly on his neck, glitter colour and all..."

I had to restrain myself from gasping because I wasn't exactly expecting THAT. Did they have some confusing tension? Yeah, I did see that sometimes, but I didn't expect something between them ACTUALLY going on. I thought for the first time at Berry, I'd have been wrong about signals between them.

She sat back up right, and nodded to me.

"I can't say, but it would make sense why they look like they're flirting when they're fighting... Also!-" Sydney got a little charm that had a tiger on it out of her cardigan pocket, talking about how she got it at a thrift shop yesterday and how she adored it. It was very very cute, and I really wanted to hear her and her thrift shop adventures, but I couldn't take my mind off of that surprise information earlier... I had to think of a ship name for them, as they could very well be together behind the scenes and nobody knew it!... I didn't want to think of prying into their lives, but damn it! they were leaving treats out for the curious cat in me- and I wanted to eat them all and figure them out!...

Hmm... Maybe SolChael?

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

It was October 18, 4 days after Sydney told me about that SolChael moment. It was on my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about it as it was still so shocking... I couldn't tell anyone else though as I felt it should be somewhat private.

It was another day, period 6, last (technical) class of the day. It was english, and we were tasked with finding a partner and re-enacting a dramatic part of any act in 'Romeo & Juliet' as it was our subject content for this quarter.

Solrin was partnered up with Caleb, and they were doing a really dramatic reading of 'Act 1: scene 5'. They were doing it in the hallway outside, with a few others, and they looked like they were having fun. When they came to the kissing part, they were just holding hands and moving their heads and saying "mwah mwah mwah" before laughing their heads off at how stupid it felt. I was seated right by the door so I had a 1st class viewing of it all. I didn't really care much though as I didn't really feel like acting that day.

Michael didn't seem so either. He was sitting next to me, face on the table and resting. However, I noticed how he would clench his fists tightly when he heard them laughing and having fun outside...

"You okay Michael? You seem a bit tired..." I asked, trying to be subtle.

"Myra, shush please, I'm trying to shut my brain off..." He responded dejectedly.

I playfully tapped the back of his head.

"Wow, I feel so much better, thanks Myra..." He gave a thumbs up, before sitting up and going on his phone.

I didn't know how to feel about him seemingly having jealousy. Or was he just incredibly annoyed hearing the repeated "Mwah"'s?... Who knew... Because I didn't.

He did glance up though at them two times before keeping his eyes glued to his phone...

The curious cat in me was about to get run over by a truck at this point of how much I was itching to interrogate them about how they were behind the scenes. UGH.

✩✩⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆✩✩

It was lunch, and I was sitting back with everyone at our table. It seemed short of 2 people, but I didn't know who.

I was eating a fruit bowl and a Capri Sun, looking at everybody. There was Caleb, Aiden, Sydney, Emma, Luis, Maria, and... Where were Solrin and Michael?

where were they? Ever since October 14th, they've always been having coincidences with eachother. They definitely had something going on now, and my thought only intensified when Solrin came by with her lunch box. Her face flushed. Wearing her dark grey leather jacket over her tank top and distressed denim shorts. It was a bit cold now, it made sense...

She looked like she was out of air though. Her face was red and she was breathing slightly heavy, she was telling everybody that she was running from the bathroom, to her locker, to here and it was taking a lot of time... But I couldn't bring myself to believe her. She was touching her collarbone I think through her jacket a lot, her lipstick was slightly smudged, and she looked a bit dazed. I didn't want to ask though.

"I'm guessing Michael is spending time with Wes & co?" Caleb asked, rhetorically, I couldn't help it though.

"You mean, Wes & *Koh*?... Okay I'll stop before I stop." I went back to my fruit bowl.

"Thank fuck for that, I don't want to see his ass" Solrin responded bitterly

"Solrin, please, let's not today..." Emma spoke up. Solrin looked at her, before sighing, and apologizing.

She looked so worked up in a way, and because of Michael and her being late, I couldn't help but think that maybe they had a little moment before going their separate ways...

Jeez... This SolChael affair has been getting to me. I love you, but I'm kind of mad you told me about them Sydney, now I must go through with staying my subtle investigation on them.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

23rd of October, and there were TOO many coincidences of events happening between SolChael that I had seen by accident, that were confirming my thought process.

Michael had accidentally pulled out Solrin's usual lip balm from his bag during English right beside me on Monday, and for lunch they were both late again and also Solrin was wearing jeans that looked an awful lot like Michael's jeans that got shredded when he slid on concrete after a skateboard fail, and this was only Monday.

On Tuesday, they had a really intimate stare down as they were 'talking' in homeroom and giving jabs at eachother, I glanced only once and felt my face flush with how it felt like I was intruding on them. They're so together that it's obvious.

Today was Wednesday, and apparently there was a big Halloween party that was being held. Everyone in our year was invited, and I decided that I'd go to catch a glance of them, just one more incident and I could put my SolChael investigation to rest.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

On the day of Halloween, I dressed up in my costume. Big black boots, green skin, long fake nails, big dress, and a nice witch hat. I picked up my cauldron themed bag, and held it in my hand before leaving my house.

Getting to the party, it was pretty tame. The music was clearly from a 2014 playlist on Spotify, the refreshment table was just a mix of sickening sweets and savoury snacks, and there were only cordials for drinks. Though there were a bunch of game tables playing uno and monopoly, hearing the yells of betrayal as I wandered around. Many complimented my outfit, as I traversed the house.

My legs were aching after a good 40 minutes of looking at everything, I needed a break.

Going over to a door and opening it, it revealed a nice chill out room that had been bags in the corner and- OH.

To my surprise, I walked in on Michael and Solrin kissing aggressively. Her arms over his neck, his hands tightly holding onto her waist, they were in their own world before they heard the door softly hit the wall. Looking at me with wide eyes as I did to them, yeah, no doubt about it was it confirmed they were together or at least had something going on.

I backed away and went shut the door, until Solrin called out for me. Pushing Michael off gently and going over to me.

"Wait!" She looked at me, a bit nervous, "Myra, I know this was a lot to see, but can you... Can you please not tell anyone?... We're..."

She looked back over her shoulder at Michael, I couldn't see his expression since she blocked my view of him, but she looked back at me with a sheepish smile.

"We're a bit complicated... So please... Just keep this like an oath to yourself, okay?" She then gently shut the door on me.

I hadn't expected to find exactly what I was looking for, well more than what I was hoping to find anyway.

I kept my promise though. I kept their relationship like an oath and spoke nothing about it. No hints, I even dismissed allegations about them from people.

My curious cat has died, but it revived from the satisfaction of knowing that they were indeed together... In a way at least.