#mj meta

[felassan]

one thing I wanna say is that 4 years ago after Tevinter Nights was released I wrote,

[Solas'] ritual site has surely gotta be somewhere the Veil is thin or weak. The Veil is almost certainly thinner/weaker in areas which have experienced or feature extensive bloodshed, death or use of magic. Callback implies that it is also thinner/weaker in areas which have born witness to many significant/important events in a general sense. Known places in the lore where it is thin or weak include the Brecilian Forest, where the bloodshed of many battles weakened it beyond repair, and Skyhold, which has seen more than its share of “ripples”. Both of these locations are in the south, and we’re heading north. [...] In Tevinter Nights we learn the Veil is thin in Arlathan Forest, and thinner in such a way as to be different to the way it is thin in other places. The Forest is wracked by ancient lingering elven magic, which is is slick, dangerous, heavy, leaping, and comes to mages easily and with little resistance. “Something else” also lurks at the edges of mages’ awareness there, sensing them pulling at threads of magic when they cast spells. You can hear the whispers and breaths of something huge just out of view. Since the Veil was made to imprison the Evanuris, maybe this is Evanuris lurking on the other side and the Forest is the site of their prison? [...] In any event, the Forest is in the north, and it would be easier to go unnoticed doing a long ritual deep in the woods. For one there is tree cover, for another not many people go in there, believing it to be haunted. Arlathan Forest therefore seems like a good candidate for the ritual site.

[districtfourmermaid]

Just to be clear, I don't completely hate Peeta. He's not one of my favorite characters, but he does have some good moments and qualities. It isn't all his fault, even though I can be harsh.

Mostly, I kinda resent him because I do not like any kind of romance for Katniss. I understand the value of the romance and love triangle for publicity and market value, but we can all see how it took away a bit from the meat of the story, the brilliant social commentary. It feels so meta, Katniss faking the romance for Sponsors is a 1:1 for the emphasis on the romance in HG publicity for readers or viewers.

And the debt-focused attitude that drives Katniss to help him feels uncomfortable. His weird comments during the Games don't help, but again, he is buying her act. He doesn't know that she feels obligated for all but one or two kisses and intimate moments because of her understanding with Haymitch about the sponsors. He's awkward and thinks she likes him, so maybe he doesn't really understand how creepy it can look to someone who knows Katniss's inner monologue.

And the MJ epilogue just grinds my gears so much. As a woman who has never wanted kids and never will, I was just disappointed by Peeta winning Katniss over, getting her to change her mind about it. I would love a story where the female protagonist who doesn't want kids actually doesn't have kids.

[riaraa]

I’m rewatching Mixte/Voltaire High to keep working on my Josèle (Michèle Magnan x Joseph Descamps) fanfiction No Angels and there was one scene in particular that has spurred on many thoughts:

Something I didn't notice before was how quickly Joseph follows Michèle out of the shop where they run into each other in Episode 7. We saw Michèle race out of there after getting the bleach and how she immediately went to Laubrac pretending she didn’t know he was there. To me, this shows that Joseph was right behind her and she knew it. Did Joseph intent to speak to her, or intimidate her further? Was he going to be soft or harsh? Could we have gotten a proper conversation between without any classmates around? Was Joseph disappointed to see Laubrac at first but then it gave him his new plan to get back at the Michèle and Jean-Pierre? A part of me wonders, was he jealous of Laubrac and Michèle, and that was a motivator to only act now, at the end of the year when he had a long time to do something in retaliation? Like, why now when they have been avoiding each other for so long? Now I have so many questions that will never be answered!

And, it bothers me because this moment between Michèle and Joseph should have happened soon after the prank on her and him losing his eye. You mean to tell me it’s been almost an entire school and yet they’re just now having this weird confrontation? They have been in classes together for MONTHS. It was so strange to see such a pivotal scene (prank and losing eye) involve both of their characters and it gets completely disregarded until the end of the show to simply serve a plot point for another relationship. It lacked depth because it should have been their (Josèle) relationship being explored. It was a high stakes moment that was essentially dropped when it could have so much more.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the tension of eye contact throughout the school year, but it should have come to more than that. I was convinced their rivalry would be a central part of the show and it was lackluster without it, which means Joseph should have been a main character, not a side one. He was a main antagonist that wasn’t explored and, to me, it hurt the development of the show—especially Michèle as a character (but I could write an entire post about her character and how the writers dropped the ball with her). Even the lack of confrontation between Joseph and Jean-Pierre until the finale where they bump into each other at the party just didn’t add up.

To end my rant, I love this show and I love Josèle, but it still makes me sad to see immeasurable amounts of wasted potential between these two characters that could (should) have been explored.

[spider-xan]

Thinking about how one of the themes of Insomniac Spider-Man 2 is balance and how one of the big differences between Peter and Miles is how Peter has a habit of isolating himself (doubly so when he has the symbiote) and Miles is all about community and support, and during the climax, the effort to defeat Venom is very much a team effort that would not be possible without Peter, Miles, and MJ working together to support each other and play the role they are most suited for given their skill sets - and it goes beyond just them bc Harry's efforts to fight back even when he's perfectly fused with the symbiote gives Peter the opportunity to use his Anti-Venom powers to purge the symbiote (and kill Harry as the host until Miles revives him), and that wouldn't have been possible without Martin Li using his powers to purify the symbiote remnant in Peter, and the knowledge that Peter still has some of the symbiote inside him comes from Connors, and the idea that the meteorite can be destroyed by the particle accelerator comes from Peter's observation that Connors had done it before, and I'm sure there are many more examples of how so many characters come together to help save the day in their own ways instead of one character taking on that burden and responsibility.

[artbyblastweave]

In the same way that it’s possible to parse Worm as a superhero setting which consolidates all of the big-two superhero setting tropes in a satisfying way, I think it’s possible to similarly parse Invincible as an attempt to model all of the character beats and status-quo shake-ups that an individual DC or Marvel property will hit when the character is published for long enough.

[65ths]

WHAT WILL I TELL ANNIE HE SAYS!!!

[gwensy]

her teammates are happy to follow her she is friendly and kind ☺️. she like abandoned everybody in her own world with no further qualms. she was 100% willing to leave everything behind at the drop of a dime, she Said That infront of the mary-janes as though it'd have no affect on them. did the "im sorry im always leaving" monologue while em jay was out mean nothing to you

[deathishauntedbyhumans]

my sleep meds have kicked in so this might not be comprehensible. sorry,

i just had the thought cross my mind that… peter b’s MJ doesn’t know miles. i’m sure she’s heard abt him, i’m sure she knows that miles is the reason that 🅱️eter wants to have a kid (especially since it seems fairly clear that MJ is in the know re: spider shenanigans, i’m assuming peter told her all abt his dimensional travels or at least enough to have her understand what it is he’s done and is currently doing with miguel) but!!! but!!! she’s never met miles and miles has never met her!

obvious in retrospect now that i’ve had the thought, but. man. i think mj would WANT to meet miles v badly. she’s probably asked B if she can meet him. B is probably uncomfy with the topic 😅 yk, since he’s aware that miles is an anomaly and stuff ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

but yeah petition for miles and MJ to hang out. i think they’d vibe.

[amyriadfthings]

I love the two scenes and transition in ep 3 before the party where Mary Jayne and Thomas look like they´re about to dance with each other in the dining room as Varian leaves (bestie behavior! they are so cute, i love their fast friendship so much💗 ) and then it cuts to Paul and Petit arriving for the party and Petit actually does start to dance and also sings in Fon and French and it´s so lovely and happy-making and joyful but also poignant and hits you in the feels

[felassan]

this post is under a cut in case anyone would consider it to be DA:D spoilers, as the things it mentions came from the leak a year ago (spoiler warning for link) that included screenshots and a gif of the game. (the things this post mentions are therefore not new information and this does not reference a new leak)

I'm just thinking again about Rook (which seems to be the PC's name or title) and the imagery conjured by the name. ◕‿◕ this post is just speculation and overanalyzing for fun. also this post is a now-finished draft from my draft section from a while back.

I think it would work as a surname (like "Hawke") or a codename (think Leliana's spies and contacts such as "Butler", "Farrier", "Butcher", "Charter", etc although these are all professions that end in "-er" or "or" iirc). it could also be a title (like Warden, Hero, Champion, Inquisitor, Herald) or a nickname - like maybe it's short for "Rookie", it's a Varric-assigned nickname and it references how the DA:D PC is the newest member of the team after he recruits them?

I think it sounds catchy, and cool - it's snappy and short, Hawke-like in this way. and it sounds like the kind of name a spy or secret agent might have in a fantasy, superhero or sci-fi-type setting.

a rook is a black bird, Corvus frugilegus, a member of the corvid family. rooks have been perceived as vermin and nuisances by people in the past, and persecuted due to this. they bear a resemblance to their crow and raven relatives, both birds which have a large cultural footprint and lots of symbolism in areas such as folklore and art. Hawke obviously also had a bird motif going on from their surname and associated art pieces. corvids also bring to mind the Antivan Crows (assassins, thieves, & spies), reminding of the stuff about how in this game the PC may be trying to operate under the radar, and the reporting on a previous iteration of DA:D which had the game concept as being focused on spies and heists. rook plumage is inky black, bringing to mind darkness and shadow.

from the bird angle, a "rook" sounds neat opposite a "wolf" imo. wolves are obviously another animal that have large footprints in culture, myth and folklore. in the natural world there is symbiosis sometimes between wolves and corvids when hunting/feeding. there are lots of photos of wolves and corvids together.

a colony of rooks is called a rookery. of course, the fortress of Skyhold has a rookery. it's from there that Inquisition Spymaster Leliana operates (operated) sending her black birds on missions with letters and messages to her many agents and spies throughout Thedas. what if Rook is one of Leliana's... "rooks"? a spy or agent of the remnants of the Inquisition.

A rook is also defined as "A cheat or swindler; someone who betrays" [noun], "mist, fog" [noun] and "to cheat or swindle" [verb]. it's also a type of trick-taking card game. these sorts of things bring to mind a rogueish, stealthy aspect, and the shady, shadowy dealings and card-game played in Minrathous Shadows.

a rook is also a chess piece. they're castle-like (since "rook" can also mean a castle or fortification) and usually have their top in the shape of a battlement. they can move in any direction along a rank or file on a chessboard on which they stand (horizontal/vertical, not diagonal). they can also do the "castling" move. in history, rooks have also been called towers, castles, rectors and marquesses. in chess, each player starts the game with two rooks at opposite ends of the first rank. chess itself is a game of strategy and tactics. "the chessmaster" as a trope is a character type who manipulates events, tugging on strings and moving 'pieces' into place on a metaphorical chessboard. [Solas' DA:I dialogue about his past, like the one he has with Sera about cells of spies/agents, hark to this]

in the castling move,

"Castling is a move in chess. It consists of moving the king two squares toward a rook on the same rank and then moving the rook to the square that the king passed over. Castling is permitted only if neither the king nor the rook has previously moved; the squares between the king and the rook are vacant; and the king does not leave, cross over, or finish on a square attacked by an enemy piece. Castling is the only move in chess in which two pieces are moved at once."

castling rules often cause confusion, even occasionally among high-level players. historically the move has its roots in the "king's leap", of which there were two forms and which arose in part it seems due to increasing importance of king safety as other pieces were given increased powers through time as the game developed. "the king would move once like a knight, or the king would move two squares on its first move. The knight move might be used early in the game to get the king to safety or later in the game to escape a threat." basically it moves the king away to safety and the rook to a more active position. there is also kingside castling and queenside castling. I wonder, symbolically.. is Rook more the king's rook, or the queen's rook? (reminds me of the Left Hand and Right Hands of the Divine hh). who or what is the king in this hypothetical analogy? the World of Thedas itself? as a castle or fortress.. Rook is the bulwark against what's to come? [over-thinking ik ik, tis just for fun hh].

by now we're all familiar with the chess game Solas plays in banter dialogue with Iron Bull during DA:I. in the in-world chess game, rooks are called towers. Solas moves his right-hand tower once. at a later point in the game, Iron Bull's "Arishok" piece takes Solas' left-hand tower, getting a check and leaving him feeling triumphant. Bull asks Solas wth he is doing as Bull takes Solas' remaining tower. "Your last tower, by the way". Bull, a spy and liar himself, bears down on Solas' pieces "with his full army", thinking a win is in sight. Undeterred, Solas executes a few moves in a sneaky plan and entraps Bull in a checkmate, winning the game after sacrificing various pieces to enact his plan.

rook also brings to mind the Tower tarot card and its meanings. it's associated with sudden, disruptive revelation and potentially destructive change. it connotes danger, crisis, sudden change, destruction, higher learning, and liberation, as well as adversity, calamity, deception, ruin and unforeseen catastrophe. reversed, it connotes things such as negligence, carelessness, apathy and vanity (vanity.. pride). in this depiction of the Tower tarot, lightning strikes from the sky, striking a crown (hubris) off the top of a tower and setting it alight as people fall from the tower to their doom. this imagery and the upright meanings of the card bring to mind the sudden massive change Solas seeks to bring about (destroying the Veil), the revelations and liberation for some that it might bring, his identity as Fen'Harel Lord of Tricksters (deception) as well as the destruction he seems to think the Veil destroying action will cause ("as the world burns in the raw chaos"...). the 'Tower scene' has also already played out once before in Thedosian history, when Solas created the Veil and sealed the Evanuris away, leading to the fall of Arlathan and its wonders. in modern Thedas, Morrigan and Flemeth (as well as possibly some side 'prophecy' type things) both allude to a big change coming to the world.

in DA:I, the Tower tarot card is ofc none other than Solas' ending card, if he is not romanced. in the DA:I version of the card, we see Solas, cloaked in a dark robe and holding a mage staff under a half-moon or eclipse. darkness seeps from his shadow, stark against the orange sky, and blends with the giant black Dread Wolf, looming ominously and open-mouthed above him with its many eyes. (the Tower tarot card Solas scene is later referenced in DA:D promotional art and DA:D-era in-world murals). it makes sense to have assigned this to Solas given the above discussed meanings of the Tower tarot card, but it's a verrry inchresting choice imo to then give "Rook" as a name/title for the DA:D PC.

and most inchrestingly, there's the symbol from the front of Mark Darrah's mysterious Red Book. this mysterious red book shows "a flaming rook" on the cover. the book was an internal guide for developer and publisher eyes only that summarized the vision for DA:D, in its Joplin iteration. we know that the Joplin project has since been revised to an extent that it was the newly codenamed Morrison instead, but the red book is known to still contain plenty of ideas likely to appear in DA:D. most pages of the book remain highly classified. it's the symbol on the front that's of most interest to us though for the purposes of this post. there is a castle, tower, or rook, like a fortress or the chess piece. above the tower, a fire burns, reminding us of the burning tower from the Tower tarot card imagery and what that symbolizes, as well as Solas' "world burning in the raw chaos" line from Trespasser. inside the fire is a wolf, the Dread Wolf, in a now very-familiar and repeated motif in DA:D art, merch, murals, teasers etc. whatever else "rook" may connote, it feels like it's not an accident at all that the PC's name is apparently "Rook", given this depiction of a fiery rook and the Dread Wolf together.

what do you think? ^^

[katkit-42]

I can't stop thinking about Gwen in ATSV. She mentioned about how she, in every other universe, died when she was loved by spiderman/Peter Parker. Peter B., Noir, Ham, and Peni didn't talk about it, but I can't help but think about how Gwen is in this organization where literally thousands of people were in love with her and she died. When she walked through Neuva York, every Spiderman was tripping over themselves to call out to her specifically and receive a "hey :)" back. Not Spider Jess or Hobie.

And then there's Pavitr and, love him of course, but I wonder how it felt to see him talk about Gayatri. I know it's a joke but how does it feel to see yourself put on this pedestal. You can't help but compare yourself and wonder "did my Peter see me that way? How would I have acted if he did?" To see her dad in Officer Singh. To see herself trapped in a bus, desperately pounding on the window as she dangled above certain death again.

In the original Spiderman India comic, they skipped over Gwen/Gayatri entirely, and instead had Meera Jain. Which I get why they did from a meta perspective, but in universe, how does it feel to know your replacement is out there. Every Spiderman is happy with their MJ, and they think of Gwen fondly, but like.... Gwen is replaceable. She is the first love, but she doesn't get a future. It's a canon event.

The horror of being a fridged woman.

[academyofbrokenhearts]

Everything about this scene is hilarious, from the accidental kiss to Kavin and MJ exclaiming "oh my God" in unison to Thyme's reactions.

 Bwahahahahah! I especially love how it takes a second for his brain to catch up with what happened and you see his face go from his ready to brawl “what did you do to me” to giddy “what did you do to me” and then he bolts trying to hide a grin and ahahahahahah

[riaraa]

Analyzing the Kiara and Rafe Moments in "Outer Banks: Dead Break" by Jay Coles

Over the weekend, I read the book Outer Banks: Dead Break by Jay Coles. I bought this book because I was happy to see that we would be getting a story from Kiara’s POV and I found early excerpts for the book that name-dropped Rafe as one of the competitors in the surf competition that Kiara signs up for. As a riara shipper, I had to read it to see if there would be any interactions between them (and I was not disappointed)! 

Fellow riara fans, enjoy!

This post is GIANT, so everything is below the line!

Summary of the Book from the Dustjacket:

The waves are off the hook, and Pope and the other Pogues are betting big on Kiara blowing the Kook competition out of the water. What could possibly go wrong? It's summer in the OBX, and a big surfing competition is bringing in pro surfers from around the world to Kildare Island, along with plenty of Kooks and tourists. Meanwhile, a storm has delivered massive waves, making for perfect—yet challenging-surfing conditions. But Kiara, who has been training, is up for the challenge. As for Pope, he just started his summer internship at the city morgue—his dream job! When Kiara strikes up a flirtation with one of the pro surfers, Pope, John B, and JJ can't help but get a little jealous at the attention she receives. Meanwhile, the visiting surfers are treating Pope's dad, Heyward, like some kind of hero, but he won't explain why. When one of the professional surfers washes up dead on the beach, everyone assumes he got crushed by a wave. But Pope, Kiara, and the rest of the Pogues aren't so sure…

Quoted Moments and My Thoughts:

“The sound of heavy metal rips through the air. Rafe Cameron drives onto the sand in his expensive Jeep, multiple surfboards hanging out the back. I shake my head as he parks, pulls his t-shirt off, and heads toward the water, board at his side.” (Page 32)

Rafe's first mention is during Kiara's POV when she is at the beach with a professional surfer named Gabriel who came to OBX for the surfing competition. Is it now canon that Rafe is a heavy metal fan? Because I was NOT expecting that, but I totally love it. I like that the author wrote that he drives a Jeep, because that's what I have him drive in my riara fics (I can't remember if it's canon in the show or not). Kiara doesn't say much about Rafe in her thoughts during this moment but she saw him shirtless (which he only is once in the show I think), so a win is a win in my book.

“I’d heard that Rafe was planning to enter the competition, too. Ward has probably bought Rafe lessons with the best surf instructors money could buy from the time he could walk. He’s a decent surfer, but next to Cole [a professional surfer who is in OBX for the surf competition] and Darren [a professional surfer who is in OBX for the surf competition], he looks like a littel kid beside giants. I hope that’s not how I’ll look next to the pros in a few days. Unlike Rafe, I am entirely self-taught.” (Page 32)

I find this moment interesting because despite both being rich and living on Figure 8, Rafe and Kiara live very different lives. A big plot point in this book is how her parents don't support her dreams of becoming a professional surfer and I find it interesting that Ward is supporting Rafe's because that doesn't seem like something he would do in the show. It makes me think Rafe wasn't as bad at this point with his mental illness and drug abuse. I also like that the author used Rafe as a talking point for Kiara to compare herself to, no matter how small (we are hardly scratching the surface here), because I think there is a lot to compare between them as characters.

“I see Ward and Rafe Cameron saunter in [to The Wreck, where Kiara is waitressing] and join Darren and Alan’s [Darren’s manager] table. By the time I bring Alan and Darren their (raw) oysters, Ward is deep into his pitch for Alan to take on Rafe as a client. I try to listen in. I gotta admit, I’m jealous [...] it must be nice to have a parent who supports your dreams.” (Page 43)

This paragraph expands on my above thoughts. I find it super interesting that both Rafe and Kiara have dreams of becoming professional surfers. The rest of the Pogues aren't the same way. JJ even states, "This is why I don't think surfing should be competitive. It's all about the experience, not the medals." (Page 8). Which makes Kiara and Rafe the two competitors of characters we know that have the same dreams with surfing, and Kiara even states that, knowingly. It's also fascinating to me that Kiara would admit to being jealous of Rafe and his relationship with Ward, because once the canon of the show begins, we definitely know that would all go down the drain.

“Not only do I feel like a failure, but I also embarrassed myself in front of everyone: Gabriel, my friends, Sarah, Rafe and people from school. The entire island just saw me royally screw up. They all saw that my parents are right, surfing is a waste of my time. I’m no better than Rafe, another Kook wannabe who’s never going to travel the world surfing professionally.” (Page 86)

This moment takes place after Kiara falls off her surfboard during the competition. I just like that she name dropped Rafe, because you would usually think he is irrelevant to her, but right now, it matters to her that he saw her wipe out. AND THEN, she compares herself to him. Although, this comparison confuses me. She calls Rafe a Kook wannabe, when he is the Kookiest-of-all-Kooks. Does she think on some level he is pretending with his life status, like she is? And then she groups herself in with him, never going anywhere with their shared dream of becoming professional surfers.

And later on, in Pope's POV, JJ texts him saying, "Rafe fell almost as soon as he stood on his board. He drove off so fast he left his fancy surfboard behind." (Page 92). This makes me wonder why the author had Kiara and Rafe parallel each other even further by having them both fall during the competition and then storming off in anger over their failure.

“Rafe is here for questioning. He’s under eighteen, which means the police aren't allowed to ask him anything without a parent present.” (Page 121)

This moment is from Pope's POV, but I thought it was interesting enough to note. He says Rafe is under eighteen years old, but this since this is the summer after Kiara's Kook Year where she was a freshman at the Kook Academy, that means Rafe is either a school year younger in this story compared to show canon, or his birthday is really late in the year for his age. So, I am assuming he is seventeen in the current timeline of this story, while the Pogues are fifteen. Although John B is old enough to drive the Twinkie, so it must be passed July for him to be sixteen. Overall, this make's it a canon timeline where Rafe and Kiara's age difference is two years, instead of three.

“Kie’s the sort of person who gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, who believes that deep down, no one is beyond redemption.” (Page 128)

This is another moment from Pope's POV that I thought was really sweet. I think it is a great note about Kiara as a character. Pope later then notes that Kiara is looking at Sarah like she did something horrible (the Pogues don't know what happened between them, like in the show) and despite what Sarah did, Kiara forgives her. It makes me wonder how her and Rafe's relationship would pan out if they talked more.

On Page 154, when the Pogues (plus Gabriel, the surfer who Kiara has a crush on) are trying to figure out what happened to Cole (a professional surfer who was found murdered and also Gabriel's best friend), Kiara simultaneously defends and condemns Rafe when they look into going to him for answers since he was at the beach where Cole got murdered the morning before it happened. Rafe had gone to the police with Ward to tell them everything he knew and Pope overheard, but the Pogues think he is hiding something.

Defending: “Unless [Rafe] was lying," I interject. "Think about it: Ward was trying to get Darren’s manager to represent Rafe. Ward would never let Rafe say anything that might turn Alan against him—and implicating Alan’s star client [Darren] in a murder is hardly a way to stay on Alan’s good side.” Condemning: “In fact, maybe that’s why Rafe told the police he’d been surfing at the Evergreen Bayou to begin with—so that he could specifically say that he hadn’t seen Darren there. Maybe Rafe thought that protecting Alan’s star client would get Alan to rep him, despite his mediocre surfing skills.”

The way Kiara phrases how Ward and Rafe went to the police is important and shows she is much more observant than she thinks. She says that Ward would never let Rafe say anything. She has already noted the control Ward has over Rafe. She defends Rafe in this moment saying he might have not been able to say anything that he knows because Ward is more worried about his shot with Alan as a manager.

She then gives Rafe the power in the scenario by saying he might have thought that protecting Darren would give him a shot at having Alan as a manager. I find it interesting that she thought of Rafe in both ways.

Pages 174-185 are a GOLD MINE for riara shippers. During this sequence, Kiara infiltrates a Kook party to find Rafe and lure him outside so that the Pogues (and Gabriel) can interrogate him about the murder of Cole. I have noted my favorite passages:

“Okay, then how’re we going to get Rafe?” “We’re not going to get him,” I correct. “I am.” (Page 174)

The Pogues had pulled up to a party where they know all the Kooks are, but haven't figured out how to get Rafe. When JJ asks how they are going to do it, Kiara volunteers herself. When I tell you I almost passed out when reading this moment because I was so excited! So dramatic!

“The fact that this party is exactly the same as the one I went to months ago means I know exactly where to find Rafe. Rafe doesn’t go for plastic cups and cheap beer. He’ll be upstairs, in Ryan’s dad’s study. Last fall, Ryan called it the ‘inner sanctum’ and invited Sarah and me there.” (Page 176)

Once again, Kiara keeps noting things about Rafe that you would think she wouldn't care to remember. To me, this shows how observant of him she was during her time at the Kook Academy. And I want to know what happened when Kiara and Sarah would party alongside him!

“But at least tonight, I'm turning the power dynamic around, using the fact that [the Kook guys at the party] see me as an object, as pleasing to the eye as wall sconces and chandeliers against them. I’m using it to get what I want. And what I want is for Rafe to leave with me. Just the thought—I want Rafe to leave with me—is enough to make me gag…” (Page 179)

And what I want is for Rafe to leave with me. I AM SCREAMING, WHAT IN THE FANFIC. I love how disgusted over it Kiara is. She is a girl on a mission.

“I see Rafe and walk over to him. I can already smell the alcohol on him, like a strong odor, which tells me he’s been drinking for a while. It’s not unusual for Rafe; I’ve known him long enough to know that this is how he forgets he is Ward’s son.” (Page 179)

This paragraph made my jaw DROP. First off, it's sad to see how drunk Rafe is and then KIARA SAYS WHY HE DRINKS LIKE HE DOES. It's because of Ward and he wants to forget. She knows this information about him and I want to know how and why! It shows even further how observant she is of him. She has noted things that others fail to see. And this is why I think their relationship dynamic is important and interesting.

“Hi, Rafe,’ I say. “Hi . . . Kie,’ Rafe says (well, slurs).” (Page 179)

HE CALLS HER KIE! But, what was that pause? Did Rafe need a moment to remember who she was? Or was it surprise at seeing her? I NEED TO KNOW. I am interpreting it as surprise at seeing her and this part also emphasizes even more how drunk Rafe is; if he is slurring a simple "hi" and name.

"I sit on the shiny leather couch beside Rafe and ask if I can have a sip of his drink. He hands me a crystal tumbler etched with diamond shapes. I take a sip of the brown liquid, recognizing the flavor of good Kentucky bourbon, but I act like I’ve never had something so strong before. Rafe laughs as I pretend to have trouble swallowing. "We can get you something more your speed, little girl," he promises.” (Pages 179-180)

Rafe is WHIPPED. Immediately handing over his drink when she asks? Also, how cute, they have the same taste in alcohol lol.

AND THEN HE CALLS HER LITTLE GIRL? LIKE SIR WHAT? I seriously need to know what was going through the authors mind when he chose that pet name. In this story, Rafe is at most 2 years older than Kiara so it's not like he is way older than her or something.

“Then he literally snaps at a girl sitting on the other side of the coffee table to pass me her drink.” (Page 180)

Like, damn Rafe show your favoritism some more, please? LOL. So demanding when Kiara is in need (and this is demonstrated in show canon, too, with the entire trapped in Singh's mansion plot-line).

“I sip my sticky drink and lean into Rafe, sneaking a peek at his hand. He has two pair. ‘Fold,” I whisper. “Why?” I nod at Ryan across the table. “Ryan’s got something big.” “How can you tell?” “See the way he’s tapping his thigh?” Rafe nods. “He did it in algebra last semester when he cheated on his test. He knew he was going to get an A no matter what.” Rafe looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. I can feel his gaze taking in my tank top and short shorts.” (Page 180)

This is like the longest and most normal conversation Rafe and Kiara have and it literally melts my heart. They are just playing poker together and THEN we get the trope of character A looking at character B and seeing them for the first time after a pivotal moment in their relationship?? Thank you Jay Coles (author)! Also, Rafe is turned on by a smart woman, confirmed!

“Whatever the lady says,” he promises, placing his cards facedown on the table. When Ryan reveals a full house, Rafe gives me a high five.” (Page 181)

Can you see Rafe initiating a hive five with anyone? This is so heartwarming to me that he wanted to high five her out of genuine excitement. I would love to see Drew Starkey and Madison Bailey act of this entire scene, it would be so entertaining.

“Looks like I found my lucky charm,” he says. “Kiara Carrera, the half-Kook wonder.” I pretend being called a half Kook doesn’t offend me. That’s how Rafe and his friends thought of me for the year I went to school with them: not entirely a Pogue or a Kook.” (Page 181)

First off, it's so cute that he calls her his lucky charm. BUT THEN I like the deep dive into Kiara's character here. I'm surprised she is offended by something Rafe said, but it goes to show how the half-life she is living really effects her. She is adamant she is a Pogue, yet still feels in-between. And it's interesting that she notes that Rafe had previous thoughts about her. Did he explicitly tell her this, or was this something she concluded based on his actions? I wish she expanded more on her thoughts to give concrete evidence. Because that means that she and Rafe must have communicated at least a little bit during her Kook Year and I want to know it all!

“I advise Rafe for a couple more hands. But on the fourth hand, when he has three of a kind, I tell Rafe, “Go all in.” He grins at me. “Whatever my lucky charm says.” I have to keep myself from shuddering when he refers to me as his anything. Rafe pushes all his chips into the center of the table. Ryan calls. Rafe doesn't notice that Ryan's tapping his thigh again.” (Page 181)

Rafe is so oblivious to Kiara's actually feelings and I think it's so funny. He is just having a good time. Also, I love that it's canon in the show and this book that he grins at Kiara. I also think it's interesting how Kiara makes note that Rafe isn't noticing the clues she pointed out earlier. Is it because he is drunk?

"Crap!" Rafe shouts, throwing his cards down. He turns to me angrily. "Why'd you tell me to go all in?" I swallow the urge to point out that he has no right to be angry at me. I was just giving him advice; I'm not actually a magic lucky charm. But instead I say, "Look on the bright side." "What bright side?" Rafe pouts. “Now we can get out of here.” Rafe’s scowl twists into a smile as he catches my meaning. He grabs my hand and pulls me up to stand, like I’m a prize instead of an actual person.” (Pages 181-182)

I honestly wish Kiara could have called him out, because I would love to know his reaction, but I understand she had to keep playing along to accomplish her goal. BUT! We have a full confirmation that Rafe has the hots for Kiara!!!

“No way,” I shake my head. “I’m not hooking up where anyone could walk in. Your sister’s around. You know what she’ll say if she sees us together?” I make a face like I’m horrified. “I don’t care what she says.” (Page 182)

I think it's an interesting note that Rafe doesn't care about Sarah's thoughts on him and Kiara.

“I lead Rafe down the stairs and out the front door, rolling my eyes as soon as my back is turned. Boys like him are so easy.” (Page 182)

In this entire book, I do not remember a time where Rafe's love life is brought up. The Pogues joke about Topper and how he messed around with every Kook girl before getting with Sarah, but Rafe is a mystery. And, there is no mention of any girls sitting near him when Kiara found him in the study. It makes me wonder how much of this is that Rafe is easy, or that if he actually just really like Kiara.

“Where are we going, gorgeous?” Rafe asks. He holds my hand, his fingers playing on my inner wrist in a way I’m sure he thinks is sexy and suggestive. “You’ll see,” I promise and Rafe grins, his teeth white in the moonlight.” (Pages 182-183)

RIARA HOLDING HANDS!

JJ stuffs a rag in Rafe’s mouth to keep him from shouting. “Where’d you find that?” I ask. “The floor of the Twinkie,” JJ answers, which is almost enough to make me feel sorry for Rafe. I don’t think John B has ever actually cleaned the van.” (Page 183)

Kiara expresses no regret or guilt over kidnapping Rafe except that he might have a dirty ass rag in his mouth lol.

“And also? Don’t be so stupid as to leave a party with a girl who’s inexplicably interested in you after never having given you the time of day.” Rafe’s eyes go wide as it dawns on him that my flirting was all an act.” (Page 184)

Rafe has literally been gagged and thrown into the Twinkie. Is being held by Pope and JJ and JUST NOW REALIZED THAT THE FLIRTING WAS ALL FAKE? Oh yeah, he is down bad for Kiara.

"Rafe continues, his breathing slowing. “He said there wasn’t enough money in the world for him to represent me. I didn’t want my dad to know that I couldn’t close the deal with Alan.” (Page 191)

This is from Pope's POV as they interrogate Rafe, but I thought it was interesting to note that we can see bits and pieces of how much Rafe looks up to Ward and doesn't want to disappoint him, which will eventually lead to their turbulent relationship in the show.

They like to complain that I left them for Kook Academy last year (as if my parents gave me any choice in the matter), but the truth is, when they saw that I was actually making friends with some of my classmates, the guys pulled away from me, not the other way around.” (Page 194)

THIS MOMENT. This is probably the most important one in this entire book because it completely contradicts the show canon. In the show, we are meant to believe that Kiara left the Pogues in favor of her Kook friends and that is what caused a rift between them and explains why she is so loyal to them, to make up for leaving them. But, NO they left HER. This will change how I look at all of John B, JJ, and Pope's interactions with Kiara when I watch the show. She had wanted to kill herself over being at the Kook Academy, and now I wonder if she felt this way after the Pogues cut her off? My heart breaks for Kiara. Her best friends she grew up with turned their backs on her when she was forced into going to another school and happened to be friends with some of her classmates. Nobody wants to be alone at a new school. And it's probably why her relationship with Sarah hurt so much, too. Because Sarah had been her one true friend at the time, and Sarah left her, too. It changes how I view all the show dynamics, now. I wish we could dive more into Kiara's Kook year because it's such a pivotal part of her character but we only get glimpses (in the show and the book).

“[Pope] wasn’t holding Rafe tightly on purpose. He didn’t want to hurt him. Realizing that makes me love Pope more than I already do.” (Page 195)

This moment is definitely meant to focus on how Kiara admires how good of a person Pope is, but I think it can also be viewed that she didn't want Rafe to be hurt, either. And it's interesting because JJ loved hurting Rafe in this scene stating "I can do this all night and all day." as he laughs (Page 190), which probably explains why Rafe has it out for JJ n the show which leads to them fighting.

“Thanks to Rafe...” (Page 196)

This moment is so small and means nothing, but I just thought it was funny that Kiara would ever be "thanking" Rafe.

"And I'm not here to debate the finer points of toxic masculinity--" “That’s a first,” I interject, yawning. She’d somehow managed to fit in Rafe’s kidnapping.” (Page 201).

This is from Pope's POV after Kiara as snuck through his bedroom window. I just think it's funny that Kiara did use Rafe's kidnapping to give the Pogues (and by proxy, Rafe) a lesson on toxic masculinity lol.

“Tonight, I was barely home long enough to take a shower and change my clothes—my tank top and cutoffs need to be de-Rafed in the washing machine, ew…” (Pages 209-210).

AND this is the last mention of Rafe in the book and it's the funniest.

Conclusion

This book was a MAJOR win for Rafe and Kiara lovers because it confirms Rafe's liking for her further. It also gives us background on their relationship. Rafe still likes her after she lied and kidnapped him? This man is in love with her. This book further proves that the creators/writers/showrunners of OBX just love having Rafe and Kiara interact! They must see the potential if they keep teasing it! We can only hope for more moments in s4!

Let me know your thoughts! ❤️

[spider-xan]

I don't have the greatest memory, so while I still have the thoughts in my head, I want to write down some of the new thoughts and observations I had about Spider-Man 2 (2004) after tonight's special screening so that I can return later to expand on them:

The Peter and MJ romantic conflict is way better written than it's given credit for and is honestly just really good in terms of being complex and balanced - there's no good guy and bad guy here, both of them have very understandable feelings about the situation, and both of them are mature enough to admit what they did wrong; it's frustrating how much fan reaction, esp in the wake of the more 'perfect' romance in TASM, has twisted it into MJ being an unreasonable bitch while Peter never did anything wrong - as an adult, it really hit me how much sadness there was behind MJ's 'nothing to me but an empty seat' that even I myself have been guilty of reading as angrier than it actually is.

Doc Ock is actually treated as a serious character with interiority and a fully rounded person, as well as a serious threat as a villain who is actually intimidating and a real challenge for Peter to defeat - starkly contrasted with how in NWH, he's written as a jokey comic relief character who yells a lot while being completely ineffective and then gets magically 'cured' instead of going through a character arc where he has to self reflect and make active choices about his behaviour.

Raimi technically does the thing the MCU does a lot where a serious moment will be followed by a joke right afterwards, but somehow, Raimi makes it work where the humour does not undercut or negate the drama and emotional sincerity? I still need to think about this one, but I think it has to do with him holding the serious moments for longer and how the humour feels organic and earnest rather than meta and cynical.

[irondadfics]

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

Here is a list of fics we’ve collected for Turkey Day!

An Unforeseen Guest - A Thanksgiving Story  by Chris_Kaabye

Peter has no idea how it happened, but the fact remains that he accidentally invited Tony Stark to Thanksgiving dinner.

Aunt May Forgets the Pie by panicatthecisco

It's Peter's first Thanksgiving since May found out he was Spiderman. As such, the only thing to do is invite Iron Man over for dinner. What could go wrong?

A Stark Family Thanksgiving by losingmymindtonight

Tony spends some time with the people who make him feel the most thankful.

A Spidey Thanksgiving by thwip_thwip10

Tony takes Peter to the Macey's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but things go a little...out of plan.

How Long Does it Take to Cook a Turkey in the Microwave? by aceschwarz222

After losing a bet with Ned and MJ, Peter Parker is tasked with asking the Avengers the most ridiculous question ever. And during the week of Thanksgiving, no less. Shockingly, they give Peter the most unexpected answers...

Sweet Potatoes & Stitches by whumphoarder

Peter tries to assist Tony in cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the Avengers, but his culinary skills are a little lacking, and his knife skills even more so. Thankfully, the team is there to help.

Thanksgiving by Emily_F6

Peter is sure that Tony wouldn't really want to come to his apartment for Thanksgiving. He invites him anyway.

The Best Thanksgiving Ever by niniblack

Thanksgiving, 2024. It’s a year post-blip and Tony Stark has invited all his family and friends over to his idyllic lake house for a perfect holiday. It’s gonna be great. Perfect. Absolutely nothing is going to go wrong. --- “No,” Happy says. He steps towards the turkey, hands raised as though to ward them both off. “You two are not blowing up another turkey.” Peter turns to him, eyes wide. “But… it’s for science.” Happy raises a finger at him. “No.” “Hap–” Tony tries. “No.”

A Pack of Petered Parkers by peppypear

“So, let me know if I have this right.” Tony said, setting down half of his burger. “Your dad, after having three sons, each with a different woman, had the bright idea to name them all Peter?”  He tried to imagine three Spider-Men swinging around the city: quipping at supervillains, charging headlong into trouble, being too trusting for their own good - Tony felt his blood pressure begin to climb. “Are they- are they like you?” “If you mean superpowered, then no.” Peter shrugged. “They’re kinda boring; Tobey’s been married for years, and Andy's married to his job. Not exciting enough to get us our own reality show.”   -- When Peter invites his mentor for Thanksgiving at May’s, Tony learns a Parker family secret. (canon AU set between Hoco and IW). Crack, fluff, and meta jokes

Of Fevers & Thankfulness by awesomesockes & whumphoarder

Peter comes down with mono just before Thanksgiving.

[garpen]

if ur still doing the Q&a I have one.

Tim drake to me gives andrew Garfield's peter parker vibes. Skateboarding, photography, troubled teen vibes, etc. Why isn't Tim an actor??? Why hasn't he made a special appearance or smth on a highschool tv show like?!

Unfortunately, can't answer this one in the Q&A since it's a question related to Tim and not one of the vigilante personas.

But I love this!! I have TOO many unfinished fics but this scratched my brain in just the right place and now I have to stop myself from writing this ahhh

Like right before he confronts Batman and inserts himself as Robin, he's on a school field trip to someplace like Lex Corp, gets bitten by the radioactive spider, and becomes his universes Spiderman??? I love this idea so much!!

And bc of Batman's "no meta's" rule, he doesn't insert himself into Bruce's life and actively hides his civilian identity from him. Tim as Spiderman though still looks out for him and tries to help as he would have as Robin.

And Spiderman is on the scene now helping out, and Batman has to take a second to figure out if this is another rogue. It takes a while but relents that the kid is not a bad guy. But Batman also sees that this is a KID, a kid not too much younger than Jason was when he dies. And after the recent loss of Jason, Batman does not want another kid on the scene. So Batman is actively trying to figure out this kid's identity and trying to get him to stop.

Eventually of course identity reveal would happen, Bruce realizes like "Hey where the fuck are this kids parents?" and they develop a father/son relationship (but bc of how fucked Bruce is mentally at this time bc of Jason's death, sometimes it's Tim parenting/taking care of Bruce and vice versa)

Spiderman!Tim would probably take on Lex as his Green Goblin since LexCorp is where he got bitten. Plus green and tech guy. OOh!! and with Kon as Harry!! Son of the evil guy!! Fits so well!!! (won't make kon evil of course I love Kon, maybe a little mind manipulation arc that made him go off the rails)

Starting to think too of how Jason would react to this new dynamic since Tim wouldn't be taking the Robin mantel? Probably still angry bc his emotions were everywhere at this time + manipulations by Talia (I love Talia and don't agree with a lot of what the writers have done to her character, but yes to an extent she did manipulate Jason to a degree). Jason would probably just be more angry about being "replaced" as a son versus as a Robin. Titans Tower probably wouldn't have happened the same. Maybe more so he went to Spiderman!Tim to fight, but it ended in a really heated verbal fight.

Stephanie as his Gwen!! She "dies" like Andrews, Gwen (but like in the comics Steph doesn't actually die so no sadness forever). And then Kon or Bernard as his MJ. I'm an indecisive multishipper ahh. However if Kon fits the role of Harry, that would more likely make Bernard MJ. (but there is tons of shipping between Harry and MJ AND MJ and Peter so it could of course be a poly situation).

So many ideas running through my head now HOW DARE YOU do this to me. And now I wanna do art I can't ahhhhh