#peter looks like a tired young adult

[sayv3vs]

[soullessjack]

i think jack and mcu peter parker could probably bond over having their entire character be reduced to the precious smol bean lovechild for a popular ship

[spacecadet-ticklesinspace]

hello! this is an IronDad prompt if ur interested. Peter and Tony are having their annual movie night except when it gets late Peter doesn't want to sleep. Peter is crawling on the ceiling and doing parkour across the furniture, being super hyper and won't stop moving. so Tony eventually chases Peter around and ends up tickling him to tire him out. could end with Tony carrying the kid to bed.

Bedtime Tricks

Summary: See prompt above ❤️

(Ahh! I love this! ❤️ This made me feel so soft and fluffy! Thank you so much Anoooon! ❤️ Enjoy!)

"Peter, get down!" Tony glared up at the teen crawling across his ceiling. "I don't want to explain to your Aunt May that you got a broken arm by parkouring upside down like a maniac."

The energetic teen whined. "No! You'll make me go to bed!"

"Pete, it's literally one o'clock in the morning."

"It's early!"

"Half the tower is asleep already. Even Bruce, and he's the worst night owl."

Peter turned. "You're one to talk."

There was a brief pause where Tony debated if it would be illegal to strangle the kid with his Iron Man suit. Or atleast yank him down so he wouldn't have to go up there.

Instead, the older mentor stared down his young mentee. "Pete, get down now."

"Please Mr. Stark? Just one more movie before bed?"

Tony shook his head. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."

"Just ex-assassians and super soldiers."

"Atleast they're adult enough to go to bed at a reasonable hour."

"But that's what makes me so awesome. I keep you young by keeping you up late."

While he didn't hate the kid, Tony did want to grab him by the shoulders and give him a couple of good shakes to clear the cobwebs. "Peter, you get one more chance to come down."

With a smirk, the young teen actually jumped down to the floor. "Okay."

Tony let out a breath. "Thank you. Now we can---."

A moment later, Peter was back up on the ceiling.

"Peter Parker!" Tony scolded. "I told you to get down."

"Ihi did!" Peter dropped from the ceiling onto the floor again. "Sehee?"

"Then why did you---?"

The young teen jumped back onto the ceiling once again.

Meanwhile, Tony rubbed his temples. "Get down and stay down."

"Ohh! That's whahat yohou meant," Peter dropped once again down to the floor.

"Yes, that's what I---Forget it, are you going to bed willingly or do I have to---."

Tony swore he blinked and the kid was now back up on the ceiling.

"Peter Benjamin Parker!"

Peter giggled down at the man. "Yohou look eheven shorteher from uhup hehere."

Tony took a deep breath. "Come down from the ceiling and go to bed or you're going to get it."

"Gehet what? Aha grohounding?"

"Peter, get down."

The young teen grinned. "Noho."

Tony felt something inside of him snap. "That's it!"

With the flex of his hand, Tony summoned the gloves of his supersuit into the room and up to the ceiling.

Peter squeaked and tried to scurry away, but he was too slow. One of the gloves snagged the collar of his shirt before he was pulled away from the ceiling. "Nononono!"

The gloves dangled the teen in front of a glaring mentor. "Bed time."

"But I'm not even tired!"

"Okay, what do I need to do to get you to sleep?"

A smile beamed across Peter's face. "Hide and Seek?"

Tony was surprised. He thought the kid would try another movie bargain again or maybe ice cream before bed. Instead, he just wanted a game. Granted, the amount of candy wrappers did indicate a sugar high . . . maybe a few good laps would wear him out enough to actually go to sleep.

In fact, Tony had an even better idea.

He lowered his young mentee to the floor with a smirk. "Alright, here's the deal. We'll play Hide and Seek, but I have a couple rules."

The young teen whined.

Tony held up a hand. "Before you judge, just listen. Rule number one, you have to stay on this floor. There's plenty of places to hide already and I don't want to go all over this place to find you."

Peter nodded.

"Rule number two, I'm the permanent seeker."

"What?"

"You're younger and smaller so you can fit in more places. Plus this was your suggestion so you should do most of the leg work."

"Fiiiine."

"Rule number three, and this one's most important, when I find you---."

"If you find me."

"Ah ah ah, shush. When I find you, I get to tickle you."

The young teen's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Why tickling!"

"Cause you love it."

Peter blushed. "No!"

Tony smirked. "Can't lie to me Pete."

"W-well . . . You still have to find me first!"

"Oh I plan to." The older mentor covered his eyes. "You've got ten seconds. One, two . . ."

Peter squealed and scurried away to find a hiding spot. He was going to pick the best spot to win this.

Meanwhile, Tony rolled his eyes as he continued counting. The things this kid put him through, but he was glad to do them. When he reached ten, he uncovered his eyes. "Ready or not, here I come."

As Tony searched, he had to admit the kid chose a good hiding spot. He couldn't find him in the living room, the kitchen, or the guest room. He was tempted to check his room when a stray giggle caught his attention.

The older man stopped to look at a nearby coat closet. Sure enough, a few more giggles slipped out.

Tony smirked as he made his way over to the closet. He heard the giggles inside try to quiet down, but it was too late. The older mentor threw open the door and his mentee tried to scurry between his legs.

"Gotcha!" Tony exclaimed as he grabbed the teen's foot and yanked him back.

"Eek! Wahait!"

Tony pinned his mentee's legs. "Too late."

Before Peter could respond, Tony dug into his sides.

"Ah! Tohonyhy!"

"At leheast yohou've gotten past your Mr. Stark eheraha." The older man's hands crawled up to the teen's ribs. "I should tickle you more often."

Peter blushed bright red at the idea. He was still adjusting to the idea that Mr. Stark knew he liked tickling and that he was willing to tickle him whenever. May did it and occasionally Ned, but he hadn't had a father figure willing to do tickle him since Uncle Ben had passed so it was still a bit of an adjustment.

But he had to admit, it was also kind of fun. Atleast until Mr. Stark reached his ribs.

"SQUEE! NAHAT THEHERE! NAHAT THEHERE!"

"Aww, is someone's ribs ticklish? Are this ribbies just too tickly?"

"NOOOHO!"

Tony finally let him go. "Ahalright, you gotta get more creative with thohose spots if you want toho trick me."

"On it."

The determined look on the young teen's face told Tony he was in for a challenge. "Go for it."

The older mentor returned to the living room and recounted as his mentee scurried off to a new place. When he went to search this time, Tony did struggle to pin point the kid's hiding spot at first. It took a bit of squinting to find one singular set of toes peeking out from under the guest room curtains.

A chuckle escaped Tony's mouth as he moved toward the curtain. To his credit, Peter stayed fairly quiet during this round. He only let out a few quiet giggles as his mentor stepped toward him.

With a quick yank of the curtain, Tony revealed the giggling teen. "Ah-ha!"

Once again, Peter squealed and bolted.

Tony tried to grab him, but the giggling teen slipped past him. "Hey! You're breaking rule number three!"

"Yohou nehever made aha ruhule fohor runnihing!"

Tony ran after him. "You and your loopholes!"

"Juhust dohont mahake thehem!"

Tony growled. "Get back here!"

With his mentor hot on his heels, Peter kept up the chase throughout the different rooms on the floor. He felt victorious out smarting the great Tony Stark! Atleast, he did until he tripped turning the corner.

This allowed Tony the chance he needed to pin the kid to the ground. "Got ya!"

"Wahait! No! Ihi trihipphed!"

"You never made a rule for tripping," Tony replied as he pinned the teen face first on the ground so he could tickle his back.

Peter squeaked. "Yohou made thehe ruhules!"

"Aww, does someone have a ticklish back too?" Tony spidered around his shoulder blades. "Poor kiddo."

"Ihi dohon't wahant yohour sympahathyhy ohold mahahan!"

A smirk crept across the older man's face. "Oh you don't? That's fine with me."

A moment later, Tony leaned forward to blow a raspberry into the nape of Peter's neck.

"NAAAAH!" Peter snorted. "TONY!"

"Wow, thahat was a new sound."

The teen turned to pout at his mentor. "Yohou're mehean."

"Aww. What's wrong kiddo?" Tony ruffled his hair. "Did I put the berries in the wrong spot?"

The teen's eyes bugged out. He immediately squirmed until he was able to wriggle out of Tony's hold. "Catch mehe fihirst!"

Tony grinned as he hurried to his feet. "You're on!"

Peter was a mess of giggles as he ran through the different rooms. This brought back memories of when he was a kid. He could remember the countless times his Aunt and Uncle had chased him around their apartment or Ned had tackled him to the living room floor when he slept over. Now he got to have the experience with Tony.

He just wished the pounding footsteps didn't make him so nervous and excited.

To give him some distance, Peter hurried back into the living room.

And Tony came stomping in. "Fe! Fi! Fo! Fum! I'm going to tickle you little one!"

Peter held out his hand. "Stahay ohover there!"

Tony hurried forward. "But you're over there!"

The young teen moved to the other side of the couch. "Cause Ihim stahaying away frohom yohou!"

Tony shrugged. "Could have accomplished the same thing by going to bed. Yet here we are."

Then before the teen could retort, Tony jumped on to the couch to pull him over. Once he had his mentee on the couch, Tony repinned him. "Now to give you some proper berries."

Peter wrapped his arms around his stomach as nervous giggles bubbled out. "Y-you don't h-hahave tohoo!"

Tony pushed his arms and shirt up. "But I will."

Peter became a cackling mess as Tony blew raspberries into his tummy. He couldn't grab onto his mentor's hair either because Tony had wrapped a hand around his arms so he could hold them in place.

"EEEEEK!" Peter snorted again. "Yohour beHEEEEARD!"

The older man stroked his gotee. "Ticklish?"

"Noho fahahair! You hahave aha weapohon!"

"Don't be jealous kiddo." Tony pinched the teen's cheek. "You'll get your own when you grow up."

Peter playfully bit at Tony's hands.

"Ah! Now I have to use my weapon."

The older man's head returned to blowing the raspberries on Peter's stomach.

"NAAAAAH! NO FAHAIR! NOHO FAIR!"

Tony chuckled which sent goosebumps flaring across the teen's tummy. To add to the ticklishness, Tony intentionally rubbed his beard across the teen's tummy just to make it extra tickly.

"Ehehe-EEE! NAAAAAAAAH! YOU'RE THEHE WOHORST!"

"Ihi know, thank you."

With his stomach free from the raspberries, Peter took the opportunity to stick his tongue out at Mr. Stark.

"Carefuhul, wouldn't want it to get stuck like that."

The young teen whined.

"Look, let's do one more round." Tony unpinned the kid. "If I find you in under two minutes, I get to pick the next tickle spot. If you manage to stay hidden for longer than two minutes, you get to pick the next tickle a pot. Sound good?"

Peter nodded. "You're ohon!"

Tony let the teen go before he covered his eyes again. When he opened them, he caught sight of a foot disappearing behind the couch. The older man smirked, but decided to play along. "JARVIS, set a timer for two minutes."

"Timer is set."

Tony stood and started toward the hallway. "Where are you kiddo?"

The older mentor could still hear the stifled giggles from behind the couch as he moved around. He slowly checked behind a nearby chair, under the coffee table, and deliberately passed by the couch to check the other side of the living room.

When he knew the timer was nearing the end, he made his way to the couch. "Come out, come out wherever you are."

The stifled giggles grew even more as he leaned against the couch. Then he popped his head over. "Hello."

"Ahh!" Peter jumped back.

"Timer has ended."

The young teen groaned. "No fair! I was so close!"

"Welp, rules are rules."

Peter squealed as he was pulled over the back of the couch. "Wahait!"

"No can do." Tony wrapped him in a hug. "Too busy getting your neck."

The older man nuzzled his face into his mentee's neck.

"EEE! TONY!"

"Ihi get toho choose kiddo." Tony rubbed his beard across his neck. "And I'm going to use my secret weapon."

As Tony continued his attack, Peter dissolved into snorts, cackles, and squeals. He looked so much younger and even more precious. When the young teen seemed adequately out of breath, Tony stopped the tickles and just held him close. "Dihid yohou have fun kiddo?"

"Yeheah Dahad."

Both parties tensed as the word settled over them.

"I---I'm so T-Mr. Stark . . . I didn't---I mean I didn't---."

As Peter floundered for his words, Tony felt his heart melt. He pulled the young teen as close as he could before squeezing him tight. "You're welcome son."

Peter buried his face into Tony's chest as he wrapped his arms around him. It was one of the best hugs he had had in a while. "Thank you."

"Anytime kiddo." Tony ran his fingers through the teen's curls. "Anytime."

As Tony kept up the gentle touch, Peter slowly relaxed into his hold. The once hyper teen was now replaced with a snuggly kid who was slowly drifting off to sleep.

Tony chuckled as his kid. "Guess it dihid help you goho to sleep."

Peter didn't respond. His eyes were shut and his breathing slowly evened out.

Ever so carefully, Tony stood with the sleeping teen in his arms. He walked down the hall to the guest room where he carefully tucked his kid in for the night. "Night kid. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Peter snuffed in response as he curled under the covers. "Love you."

Tony grinned. "Love you too son. See ya in the morning."

The older mentor quietly headed out of the room and clicked off the lights.

[wolfsuggest]

I just think it would be really funny if it’s AU (I say AU cause I’m not saying post-show because fuck everything after *insert least fave season here for me it’s Ally’s death that made me just give up lmao* so all my faves are alive but like. None of That happened lol) and every two weeks the pack that’s still in Beacon Hills shows up to go camping in the woods. But like, nice camping. So they stick the parents in nice tents with camping mattresses that won’t hurt their backs and everyone else swaps between puppy piles (they lose boundaries closer to full moons) or nice nests.

But like. Peter is still a bitch. So obviously he started off with the biggest and best tent. Lydia and Allison have the second biggest but they’re even less snobby than him somehow. Stiles ends up extracting himself from a puppy pile wrapped up in a blanket and looking annoyed and tired cause they’re uncomfy af only to find Peter sitting in a full ass glamping style setup with an armchair and a book, and just without thinking about it climbs into Peter’s bed to pass out because fuck that Scott keeps running in his sleep and it’s so annoying.

So the next time they go out Peter hands him a nicer camping mattress.

And the next time it’s a better blanket and pajama set. And then it was a couple random comics when Stiles got bored. And fancy coffee during a morning even tho Peter claimed he would never make one of those little feral idiots his 50$ a cup coffee. And then a full ass new tent because Stiles got kept up all night one night and became so cranky even the Sheriff was like ‘kiddo, calm ur shit ur scaring the wildlife’ and Peter found it SUPER funny but also he’s afraid Derek’s bad morning personality would clash with Stiles’ and they’d kill each other. He’d even put money on the little one okay. Stiles looks like he could bite to the bone if tempted. So a nice new tent. And suddenly Stiles is regularly well slept. But, Peter misses those few times Stiles would crankily make his way to Peter’s tent and stink up Peter’s bed with human idiot smell. So he’s gotta get that attention back so he’s getting him new random things. New blanket, new pillowcase (not new pillow, he knows that rule) new pajamas, new slippers, steal an old blanket but it’s okay cause you got a new one lmao we know this trick Peter.

But then Derek is just sitting there wondering why Peter thinks he’s getting away with smelling like human idiot. He doesn’t Peter just also doesn’t care. And then suddenly that really confusing zip on tunnel that led from Peter’s tent to Stiles’ and ended up getting removed after the first time Stiles tiredly climbed into bed with him only to remember he got up to pee and now he barely made it and Peter laughed a lot but allowed the fragile human to keep his dignity and get rid of it but keeps waking up to a young adult on his chest anyways.

Anyways. Their wedding ends up being outdoors at this point okay they’re just gonna get married in the family camping grounds (where they keep the shed with all their camping gear so they don’t have to drag it back and forth and with three fully functional bathrooms in it because Peter is snooty and didn’t wanna be out here to begin with) and Peter’s snobby rich asshole college friends who haven’t seen him in years all got invited because he realized showing them he camps now is literally the funniest prank ever because they’ll think he’s trash now and won’t even realize that this is Peter’s version of being a rich snob too.

[seriousbrat]

I’m roping you into the MILF discourse.

Which marauder had a hot mom?

And who had a hot dad?

Snape and Lily can join the conversation.

Let’s hear what you think!

Wait what is the MILF discourse? 😭 clearly I've missed this.

Anyway. In my opinion the Hot Dad Award goes pretty clearly to Orion, and I also think Sirius resembles him. The way I've written Walburga she might once have been more attractive but her bitterness has soured her appearance over the years. I also think that Regulus resembles her more than Orion.

Lyall is also a contender for Hot Dad, but he'd be Hot Dad in the way adult Remus is a Hot Dad, if that makes sense, kind of greying and thin and tired-looking lol. So it depends if you like that sort of thing. He wouldn't be as classically handsome as Orion.

As for Hot Mum, it's probably Hope Lupin, who is described on Pottermore as being very beautiful in her youth, although she and Lyall later grow "thin with worry and fear" after Remus is bitten.

But I can also see Euphemia as a contender! I think in her younger days she was probably quite good-looking, I'd say she was a 'handsome' woman if that makes sense, in a sort of bookish way. I don't know if she qualifies as Hot Mum since she was older when she had James, but I think she aged quite gracefully and always had that poise and natural elegance to her. Unlike Fleamont who was kind of a lanky bundle of nervous energy. In my mind he started slicking back his (very messy) hair in order to impress Euphemia who was always very put-together, and thus created his hair care empire.

As for Lily's mother (who I've named Rosalind Evans,) I see Rosalind as pretty in a fairly normal, girl-next-door way; somewhere in between Lily and Petunia. In general though I think both of Lily's parents, as well as Peter's were probably quite average looking. Peter's mum, (who I've named Maisie Pettigrew and can no longer see with a different name lol) to me is a very small woman, somewhat plain, mousy, and timid, but very kindhearted.

Since only Peter's mum is mentioned receiving the Order of Merlin, I've always believed that Peter lost his dad when very young. I think he would have been average too, though, as would Lily's dad. (Graham Evans in my mind)

And then both Snape's parents were... not very attractive, unsurprisingly enough.

[daisybellejpeg]

Hello, Daisy. I have a few questions. They are related to the Dr. Bright debacle, so feel free to delete this if that makes you uncomfortable.

First of all, are you okay with people making posts linking to your testimony? I've made some posts containing the Google Doc titled "Skeletons in the Amulet", and if this makes you uncomfortable, I will delete them.

Second of all, there are people with DID that have fictives (alternate personalities that take the form of a fictional character) of Doctor Jack Bright. Many of these people are not comfortable with the use of Elias Shaw, and some have outright stated that Shaw is triggering. What would you suggest for these people in this situation?

Honestly feel free to ask me about adminbright anytime. This goes for anyone who has questions about my testimony or the situation in general. The bastard has me blocked on Facebook but I still have the logs— that and I’ve figured out that being extremely detailed with receipts makes it harder for bright apologist squealers to cry “Political Corectness” or “Buzzkill” without looking like they’re backing up a nonce lol. I’m not a stranger to giving testimony on trauma in general and am more than happy to put on a brave face if it means others can stay safe and informed.

Now onto the two parter:

1. Fuck. Yes. Say no more. It puts AB on edge to hell and back. Actually, Mx. Peters has gone on two Facebook tyrades regarding my testimony before nuking their Facebook to private. They have other victims even irl that they’ve met at faires n cons, I still keep in touch with one actually.

The more this gets out alongside the aht message and Cimm’s video, the more impact it might have in fandom spaces they frequent. As of now they’re banned from two events due to the mountain of evidence that’s now levied against them. More awareness=less future victims. Use my doc as many times as your little heart desires.

2. Imma be real with you chief I am not a licensed shrink nor do I have full knowledge of DID aside from having three really good friends who have it. Actually it worries me quite a bit that there’s bright fictives given the whole possession fetish aspect of the character and how it enticed the sicko who created him. Only advice I can give is that you are in mostly full control to curate your personal experience online. Make use of the tag system here, mute words on Twitter, the works if you’re really that bothered by Shaw.

(Edit to add given that it’s been brought to my attention that this part can be confused for me still talking about people with DID, I’m talking about fully neurotypical people who use the character) I have several people who still use bright despite the trove of info on how that can be potentially dangerous blocked on here. It’s so weird to flex stanning some 40 year olds possession fetish character that they used (along with their position of power) to actively predate on minors and young adults but go off I guess?

If anyone gives me shit about Shaw tho? I bite back. I won’t tolerate being heckled about taking steps to minimize and prevent further damage from my groomer in this community in an attempt to heal from the shit I went through with Peters.

I was taken advantage of as a child when I was 9, once again when I was 16, and finally by bright when I was 20. The latter will be the last time I let it slide. I made a promise to myself that I will protect not only the past victims, some of whom I’m friends with, but also young impressionable fans from this lowlife coomer and their undeserved legacy. I will cyber bully (in Minecraft) anyone who tries to slam me for it. I will be the ultimate buzzkill for any indignant bright stan and call them out for indirectly sheltering the legacy of a predator. I’m not the only person tired of the character either. Many people on the wiki are and will side eye you at best if you complain about the overdue action being taken regarding bright the character.

I hope this answers your ask! Feel free to ask any additional questions if there’s anything I missed.

[scoutverse]

Spider-Scout, era & info

SCOUTS HONOUR: freshly 'bitten' by an organic mechanical spider (with symbiote DNA inside) off to fight crime. Still learning what responsibilities mean as a new hero and the start of the endless web of his mistakes. A completely homemade suit with whatever he had around the house or could buy for cheap

THE ECCENTRIC SPIDER-SCOUT: current era and what I base most of my art around. Fully established web crawling hero with a whole sinister six up on his case and many other issues. This is still a work in progress so that's really it

HUNTERS REST: when you've been a hero since you were 19, you get tired after doing it for 24 years and going through more trauma than you can count. Of course, it's a struggle to stop being the neighborhood hero but it's for the best. Whilst the new upgrades can make him seem more intimidating he has made him abit more likeable to seem more friendly to the people he isn't trying to scare

(more info below)

+ extra character sheet with detailed & simplified version of his suit

Name: Spider-Scout

Real name: Peter Anderson

Hero or villain: hero/ anti hero

Gender: male (trans)

Height: 5'11

Age: 27 (19/20 when started)

Sexual Orientation: bisexual

Occupation: was an assistant at OsCorp then worked for Octavious after he (Otto) became a villain also a superhero, after the separation of him and Otto he is a fully time hero and part time mercenary for hire. Payment is optional (most give atleast some form of payment)

Powers and Abilities: Fear pheromone; able to release a gas from his mouth that makes people perceive him as a scary entity, blurs their Vision and leaves them their brain mildly affected - able to sense he's around after being gassed due to subconscious fear. Super strength (at minimum can lift up to 11 tons, haven't tried to lift heavier yet), speed (faster than average human), agility and flexibility, web shooting from wrists, faster healing than the average human

Power Limitations: can only produce gas when feeling extremely scared or mad - so life or death situations, Due to flexibility does experience alot of aches in his bones, webs come from his body so them being pulled on whilst still attached to his wrists would hurt, mental issues can effect his webs abilities

Weapons: knuckle claws, arm spikes, anything he can pick up and throw, webs

Gadgets/Tech: his 'tail', it's a small Robot spider that curls into itself to create a small bug butt attached to his belt, it's his scouting bot and can perform missions for him if he's busy (has loads but the one attached to him is for emergencies)

Physical Weaknesses: can still be killed and harmed like a normal person

Mental/Emotional Weaknesses: is traumatised asf

Backstory:

Lost his parents at 13, had to live with his grandparents until he was able to move out. He was able to work young and still had to be the adult of the house and had to take care of his himself despite struggling to juggle his education and job. Hence why he quit collage during his 3rd year so he could go into full time employment to keep the rent paid

Ben parker was a regular at the cafe he worked at, he could sense something was wrong with Peter's life and tried to cheer him up. Commenting how much he looked just like his nephew. Ben paid for a trip for his nephews birthday. A trip to the small closed off city where all the best science was - opening their doors for limited time in search for new minds. He had a spare ticket since aunt may couldn't go and gave it to Peter

He accepted and that's when it happened. The incident. Whilst checking out a more closed off area a released robo Symbiote found him and they bonded. The spider bit him and crawled under his skin and fused with his DNA. He was in hospital for a week, everything caught on camera. He was puking up blood and shredded organ. His body completely altering itself, rapidly growing new cells, his body dying from the inside and just as quickly healing. Having to grow accustomed to the alien now changing his entire DNA. Growing new small organs and muscles in his body.

No one understood what was happening to him since his cells looked healthier and stronger than the average person.

Peter became an intern at OsCorp after being infected by one of their spiders. He made a deal that he could be an assistant in the robotics lab, running for coffee and dealing with tasks everyone else is too busy to do. By the time he started he was 20 (his birthday recently gone by)

Otto was made to deal with Peter as his assistant. Basically to babysit this menace who threatened to ruin the company. He obviously didn't like Peter for this and just generally found his personality tiresome. But over time, 3 years ago by, he saw Peter actually had a passion for building, designing and robotics even if he wasn't all that good at it due to inexperience. He starts giving him small tasks, creating a model for him and sees that Peter is a creative and visual learner. Understanding what it's like to not have the right kind of education to support your way of thinking, he takes him under his wing. Their relationship becomes more personal as the years pass and it's become a "we both have crushes on each other and alot of romantic tension but idk what to do or if I should make a move" and this only gets worse when Otto splits ties with Norman and becomes a villian. (Scout is 25 when this happens, he only works with Otto for one more year before they become enemies full time)

Additional, he did run into Ben parker again before he began to work at Oscorp officially. a mugger was following Ben - scout saw when he was about to go on protrol. Recognizing the old man but it wasn't like they new each other, not really. Peter just thought he was being paranoid and ignored the men. There was no gun visible. He was still learning about what his spider sense was and thought it was just his anxiety playing up.

When he heard yelling he immediately rushed back but by the time he arrived, the mugger fired his gun. In panic scout latched a web onto Ben and tried to swing him out the way but it only made things worse. The bullet hit right in an artery.

The mugger ran off and scout ran towards ben, throwing off his mask. He tried to console ben as he died. And ben believing it was HIS peter, Peter Parker and peter Anderson do look very much alike. Almost uncomfortably similar, their biggest differences are their noses and eyes. Pure coincidence. But when you're an old man without his glasses and bleeding out, you can't tell that especially since your vision's blurring from tears. He gave him the "great power comes great responsibility" (a different context obviously for a non spiderman Peter Parker ) and scout promised he'll make things right. He'll be better

Spider-Scout was seen as a menace. Blamed for the death of Ben parker due to a witness who say scout get Ben killed (and fled the scene right after). He found Peter parker and tried to tell him that he tried to save his uncle. That his uncle was a good kind man and he never wanted anything bad to happen to him but things escalated. Poor, scared and furious Peter parker, 17 and still mourning his uncle, gets angry and tries to fight Scout.

Scout, 19 and riddled with issues and intense feelings of guilt and anxiety snaps a little. His fear gas releasing and he sees the effects it has. Shocked that he could even do that. He kept trying to apologize but his presence only terrified the young parker even more. So he left.

[fiction-justanotherstateofmind]

Teen Wolf meets How to get away with murder

I just finished season 2 of How to get away with murder. I'm in love. It has some of my favorite things: found family and blind loyalty.

Idk how I ended up here, I finished the last episode and the next thing I know I was looking for the correspondence between the characters of HTGAWM and those of Teen Wolf. So here I am.

N.B.: it's not always a canon equivalence. Sometimes it's just my favorite headcanon dynamic.

Annalise: Stiles

Frank: Peter; Boyd; (Malia)

Bonnie: Lydia

Nate: Derek

Wes: Scott

Laurel: Allison

Connor: Jackson

Oliver: Danny

Asher: Erica

Michaela: Isaac

Now I'm gonna explain why.

Stiles is the mastermind behind the pack plans, has a different moral compass than the norm and would definitely kill, lie and harm to protect the ones he loves, and -if that was the case- he would feel no remorse. In other words, Annalise. He also has a soft spot for Scott (and Annalise for Wes) and often finds himself making up for the mistakes his friend made in good faith. Furthermore, BAMF Stiles.

Frank is the muscle of the group and so are Peter and Boyd. Both are the kind of people who don't ask questions and would have no problem killing for a person they trust. Frank, like Peter, would sometimes be prone to violence right away and needs to be restrained. Plus Peter would love Frank's sense of style. (We could put Malia here as well, even if I don't feel exactly the same about her).

Bonnie is Annalise's right hand man. She's similar to Annalise: not enough but she understands her better than the others. I live for Lydia as Stiles' best friend. They are also both very stylish.

Nate is Annalise's lover, has a strong personality and doesn't trust very easily. He's also more than "the muscle" but less than "the brain" of the group. Annalise trusts him enough to let him act on his own, but still always goes out of her way to protect him. I love when Stiles is so protective of Derek (sterek of course).

Wes and Scott. Do i really have to explain it? I switch from like to dislike every 10 minutes when both of them are on screen. Great loyalty which, however, is undermined by a moral compass different from that of the group. They always see the good in others and this sometimes leads to problems.

Laurel is the one with the coldest mind of all the young adults. She is able to remain lucid even in stressful situations and is the one most inclined to lead (excluding Annalise). She has a darker mind than she appears to be and has no problem killing if necessary. She also has a dangerous family behind her. Allison is canonically all of these things too.

Connor is the suspicious one, the only one who maintains real contact with the "outside world" and who is not entirely devoted to the cause. When necessary, he plays his part and participates actively, even if he apparently tends to freak out. He also always makes piqued comments and is not ashamed to use his body to get what he wants or needs. Jackson fits perfectly the role.

Oliver is Danny in so many ways: sweet, gets involved with others but underneath he's eager for adventure, computer technician and hacker, canonically gay.

Asher is the perfet mix between an himbo and a very intelligent person. He's loyal and actually caring, even if it might not seem like it at first. He also makes sex jokes and somehow won the heart of a reserved person (lots of grumpy/sunshine dynamics). Erica is very similar to him (in this house we believe in the canonicity of Erica/Boyd).

Michaela is the one with family problems. She has trouble trusting and sometimes ends up trusting just because she's tired of always looking over her shoulder. However, if you show her that she can trust you and that you will protect her, she's very loyal. She likes to be independent, but in times of need she needs the guidance of someone she deems more capable. The same goes for Isaac.

Let me know what you think but NO SPOILER: I haven't seen season 3 yet.

[couldntbedamned]

Goodbye Grey Sky, Hello Blue - 33

Summary: In an alternate universe where trains and zeppelins are still common forms of travel and the internet and cell phones exist, nineteen year old Peter Parker has few options left after he’s swindled out of his inheritance. Unable to pay for college, let alone keep the house left to him by his deceased aunt, he’s running out of time before he’s out on the streets. Desperate, Peter signs his life over to the Bureau of Civic Spousal Selections to take his chances as the selected husband of a complete stranger. After all, he only has to make it through a year and then he can choose to annul.

Dr. Stephen Strange has little interest in marriage, preferring to focus on his career. When his career is threatened by what a nosy board of directors considers a “lack of personal fulfillment and settling down,” he opts to select a spouse through the BCSS and chooses Peter Parker. The young man’s profile he’d briefly skimmed suggests intelligence and compatibility. It’s not ideal, but if after a year it’s not working out, he can always annul the marriage and send Peter on his way.

It’s a marriage neither truly wants, with sharp learning curves for both. It’s either going to be forever or it’s going to go down in flames.

Warnings/AO3 Tags: 18+ MINORS DNI, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s/Modern Fusion, Doctor Stephen Strange, Jewish Peter Parker, Peter Parker is an Adult, Marriage of Convenience, Marriage Contracts, Government Sanctioned Marriages, Domestic Discipline, Dubiously Consensual Spanking, Spanking, Aftercare, Mildly Dubious Consent, Dubious Morals, Dubious Ethics, Asshole Stephen Strange, Smartass Peter Parker, Passive Aggressive Canned Soup, Two Morons Trying to Try Their Best, Borrowing Characters

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Chapter 33

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Breakfast the next morning was far more easy-going than the first breakfast they'd all shared when Tony and Sharon had come to visit. Peter and Tony were the first two awake, as Peter was used to waking up early to cook breakfast and Tony just seemed to be able to run on less sleep than most humans.

"You don't have to cook, you know," Tony said, when Peter asked about where the kitchen was. "I have a staff that will be happy to do everything."

"I don't want to inconvenience them," Peter said.

"Peter, it is quite literally what they are paid to do. They've been briefed on your dietary needs and it turns out that one of them is actually Jewish herself and she's thrilled to be able to cook for someone who also keeps kosher."

"Oh." He supposed that was fine, then. "Then I guess all I'd like at the moment is coffee?"

"That I can help with."

They made their way to the morning room. It was painted a light teal and the woodwork was oak stained a rich golden brown. One wall was simply floor to ceiling windows with goldenrod curtains that were pulled back to either side. An oak sideboard was off to the side and Peter imagined that was where the staff would set the food once it was prepared.

Tony got Peter settled with a cup of coffee and a muffin before he said he was going to check on Sharon and help her get ready. "I'm sure the Doc will be along shortly," he said. "That man loves the waterbed."

Peter blushed, remembering just how they'd made use of the waterbed the night before.

Tony noticed his pink cheeks and chuckled. "Don't stress about it," he said. "We're all friends here and no one is going to say anything about two spouses enjoying each others' company."

When he returned about twenty minutes later, Sharon was with him, dressed in another caftan, this one a lovely spring green. She looked somewhat tired but was still in good spirits as Tony helped her sit.

"I'll be so glad when this part is over," she muttered to Peter, one hand resting over the bump of her stomach. "This little demon decided two in the morning was the perfect time to practice kicking, using my bladder as a dummy."

"Baby Starter is an insomniac just like their dad, then?" Came Stephen's voice as he strode in. He looked at Sharon, taking the cup of coffee Tony handed him. "You have my deepest sympathies."

"The results of my insomnia pay for this mansion and everything else," Tony defended. "Three-time TIMES Person of the Year award winner here, remember?"

"And he's so humble," Peter said with a smirk, sipping his coffee.

"I suppose since you'll be up, you'll have no problem seeing to Baby Starter when I'm trying to sleep," Sharon said easily. She scowled when she realized the drink Tony handed her wasn't coffee, but decaffeinated tea. "What happened to one cup a day?"

"It's only for a bit longer," Tony hedged, not meeting her gaze.

"I'm never doing this again," she said, taking a sip of what she muttered to be "damned hot leaf water."

"In Tony's defense the last thing you need is for your blood pressure to spike when you're so far along," Stephen said. And then, because he felt like being an ass, he took a long drink of his coffee and closed his eyes in appreciation. "Not Arabica?" he asked Tony.

"Liberica," Tony said. "Not too bad, right?"

"It's great," Peter enthused, drinking his own with great relish.

"I hate you all," Sharon said flatly. "My vengeance, when it comes, will be without mercy."

Standing on the perfect tan sand of Malibu Beach, Peter stared out at the ocean in awe.

Around him there were children running around screaming and chasing each other in their play while parents watched indulgently. Teenagers tossed beach balls back and forth. Older folks relaxed in beach chairs, some reading books. A few dogs dug, fetched, and napped alongside their owners.

"What do you think?"

He looked up at Stephen who stood beside him. "It's beautiful," he said. "I've seen pictures, of course, but in person? Beautiful."

"Would you like to swim?" Stephen frowned. "Can you swim?"

Peter nodded. "We used to take field trips to the local natatorium for physical education. I can front crawl, back crawl, breast stroke, and butterfly. I'm really good at the back crawl and butterfly." He studied the beach with its persistent waves. It was incredible to see the start of them out at a distance, then how they’d grow, crash, recede. "But I'm not sure how useful those strokes would be against the ocean."

"They wouldn't be, except maybe a side stroke," Stephen said. "So long as you don't swim out too far and avoid getting caught in the undertow, it should be alright."

"Maybe another day," Peter said finally. "I think just walking along the beach will be enough for me."

That seemed to be just fine with Stephen.

They spent a little over an hour at the beach. Peter collected a couple of shells, much to Stephen's amusement.

"I've always wanted to do this," Peter said, pocketing the yellow cockle shell after brushing the sand off. He studied Stephen and noticed his tense posture. "Am I making you uncomfortable? We can leave," he said.

"I'm fine," Stephen said. "It's not so much being at the beach as..." He shrugged. "I know how quickly everything can go wrong and it is hard to turn that perspective off sometimes. I've made my peace with what happened to my sister. And yet..."

"You still worry."

"I still worry."

"What else is there to do?" Peter asked.

"We could visit The Getty Villa or we could even venture to New Angeles."

"Let's do the Villa. I don't want to be too far away in case Baby Starter decides to make it's appearance."

"They do have their own schedule," Stephen said wisely.

"Have you delivered many?" Peter asked as they walked back up to where they had been dropped off by the taxi.

"Twelve," Stephen said. "Most were when I was a medical student and a few were emergency room deliveries."

"Will you be with Sharon at the hospital?"

"I'm not actually her attending doctor, Peter," Stephen said. "They've asked me to be here but she has a perfectly capable team behind her."

"But-"

"I'll help out however in whatever way I'm needed, even if it's to be here as moral support for Tony," Stephen assured him. "There's no reason for you to worry."

"But the meeting you have on Thursday is-"

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with," Stephen said firmly. "I'm not going to explain myself on this, understand?"

Peter didn't, not really, but he nodded and let the matter drop. Maybe in another life he'd be entitled to an explanation, but there was no point in ruining the day for them both and earning a trip over Stephen's lap with his pants pulled down.

The Getty Villa was incredible to visit and well worth the need to purchase tickets in advance, which Stephen did after they ate lunch at a small cafe.

Peter was enthralled at such a large collection of antiquities though he blushed furiously when seeing Victorious Youth, much to Stephen's amusement. He admired the replica villa, reading up on the history of its construction and where materials were imported and how the collection was ultimately built. (And if he indulged in a well-hidden smirk when reading about foreign governments suing to reclaim some of the looted pieces, well, that was his business, wasn't it?) The Inner and Outer Peristyles were neat to see and he felt somewhat cultured when he could differentiate between the Ionic and Corinthian style columns.

There was no hurry as they walked around and Peter wished he had a camera so he could snap pictures of the fountain in the East Garden. He said as much to Stephen.

"We'll buy some postcards from the gift shop," Stephen said. "Maybe you can start a collection."

Peter liked that idea and was happy with the postcards and the book Stephen bought so he could organize them to show off later.

They returned to the mansion to spend time with Sharon.

Stephen and Sharon had decided to spend the rest of the afternoon reading and were stretched out on loungers around the crystal-clear pool. For his part, Peter was floating on a raft enjoying the delicious warmth of the sun.

He'd been somewhat embarrassed by how thoroughly Stephen had applied sunscreen to his body, as if Peter himself was incapable. But he once again decided it wasn't a battle worth fighting and he had no desire to end up with a sunburn. (Stephen had been much more clinical about helping Sharon with her sunscreen and she hadn't appeared to be embarrassed at all.)

They contented themselves with their books while Peter enjoyed the novelty of a private pool.

He'd never imagined anything like this when he'd been desperate to avoid ending up homeless and made the choice to sign his life over to the BCSS. He'd disliked his time at the BCSS facility and he'd spent the first few weeks of his marriage off-balance. And then...

It was a broken record, even in his head, but he liked his life with Stephen. He was happy and that wasn't something he'd ever expected to truly feel again when his life had come crashing down on him after his Aunt May died and Beck had swooped in as if he'd simply been waiting for-

Had he? Had Beck somehow known?

Peter flicked the water in frustration. There was no way Beck could have really known, clearly. The man had been lucky, was all. And Peter, per usual, had been spectacularly unlucky.

Had been.

Now he a nice home, friends who cared about him and were eager to spend time with him, and he had Stephen. Stephen, who might not love him, but did care for and provided for him. Stephen who was as smart and funny as he was stern and fastidious. Stephen, who made Peter feel safe.

"Peter? Out of the pool; it's been an hour."

He smiled to himself. Who else but Stephen would actually make sure he followed the directions for reapplying sunscreen?

He rolled off of the raft and powered through the chill being submerged brought. Then he surfaced and swam to the steps of the pool. Stephen stood waiting with a towel.

"Are you sure you don't want to swim with me?" Peter asked as Stephen applied more sunscreen to his back.

"I'm not really one for the water," Stephen said quietly. "Even in a controlled setting like this."

Peter briefly turned to face him but Stephen playfully poked him to get him to resume his position.

"I'm sorry this is uncomfortable for you," Peter said. "I don't have to sw-"

"I'm not uncomfortable," Stephen insisted as he rubbed more sunscreen on him. "And you're fine. Just because I don't care to swim doesn't mean that you can't."

Something in Peter warmed. The Stephen he'd married would never have been so patient about it. He'd... not quite softened, but had relaxed, perhaps?

"Ah, my two favorite people. And also, Stephen," interrupted Tony.

Peter snorted and turned to see the scowl on Stephen's face.

"You're hilarious."

Tony grinned and walked over to lean down and kiss Sharon. "I know."

"Did you take over the world today?" Sharon asked.

"Just a few small countries," Tony teased.

"That's nice." Her attention was already back on her book.

Tony smirked and shook his head, properly dismissed.

“How was the beach? Did you do any swimming or surfing?” He asked Peter.

“Have you met my husband?” Peter asked in response.

“Fair point. People might have seen you shirtless!” Tony teased. “The last thing we need is for Stephen to worry about the Beachside Betties.”

Peter snorted.

Stephen sighed and narrowed his eyes at them both before starting on reapplying sunscreen to one of Peter’s arms. “You’re both hilarious.”

“The beach was nice,” Peter said. “And I collected some shells, which I’ve always wanted to do.”

“That’s adorable.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon around the pool, with Tony taking over “applying Sharon’s sunscreen” duties despite her protests that “you rubbing me is what got me here in the first place.”

(Tony did not look remorseful in the slightest.)

“Do you think your chef will tell me how to make this?” Peter asked Tony after taking another bite of the flaky white fish topped with ginger and scallions. “This is so good.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to,” Tony said.

“She can make sushi too,” Sharon said wistfully.

“Just a little longer,” Tony said. “And then you can have some again.”

“After Baby Starter is out, the first thing I’m eating is a greasy burger.”

“I will get you the greasiest burger imaginable,” Tony promised. “And a cup of fully caffeinated coffee.”

Peter laughed at how Stephen winced.

“How was the Villa?” Sharon asked after dessert. They retreated to the gaming room from the previous evening and went to work on the largest jigsaw puzzle Peter had ever seen.

“It was nice,” Stephen said, connecting a few border pieces together.

Across from Peter, Tony worked on piecing together some of the flower field section.

“It’s amazing at how old all of the stuff there is and the condition!” Peter added. “Stephen bought me a collection of postcards, I can show them to you, if you want.”

Sharon looked up from the cottage roof section she was working on. “I’d like that.”

“How was Victorious Youth?” Tony asked with a smirk.

“Tony,” Sharon warned. “Don’t.”

“Naked and appendage-wise, not that impressive,” Peter said absently. “Is it like looking in the mirror for you?”

Stephen and Sharon burst out laughing and Tony took the joke in good humor. “Very funny.”

Peter focused on the lake pieces he’d gathered, both content and amazed that he was spending the week with Tony Stark and his wife in their Malibu Mansion! How was this his life now?

“Any plans tomorrow?” Stephen asked Tony.

“I have to go into the office for a few hours in the morning but I’ll be home by lunch,” he said. “Then I’ll be doing whatever the lady of the manor requires of me.”

Sharon rolled her eyes.

“What will you two get up to?” Tony asked.

"I thought we'd take the train to Long Beach and visit the Pacifica Aquarium," Stephen said.

Peter perked up at that. "Really?"

"There are some nice exhibits," Sharon said. "Otters, penguins, jellyfish... you'll have a great time."

"What about you?" Peter asked. "I don't like the idea of leaving you alone. What if you need us?"

She smiled. "Peter, I'm pregnant, not dying. Just like today, I'll be fine." She glanced over at Tony. "And I'd quite like a few hours to myself because they're about to be in very short supply."

"Tony has contingency plans for his contingency plans if Sharon goes into labor," Stephen said, still focused on the puzzle.

Sharon nodded. "For example, if I happen to be on the yacht and a thunderstorm pops up-"

Peter snorted and Tony looked affronted. "There's nothing wrong with being prepared!"

"Tony, I adore you," Sharon assured him.

Wednesday passed and the aquarium was stunning. He loved everything about it, especially the penguins. Stephen bought him a set of postcards that Peter couldn't wait to tuck into his album.

When they returned back to the mansion that afternoon, Stephen pulled him to their guest suite. There was something different about it, about the way that Stephen urged him to undress as he did the same. His hands were as commanding and reassuring as always, but the way Stephen touched him was as if he thought Peter might disappear.

There wasn't much Peter could say as Stephen overwhelmed his senses and he lost himself in the insistent rocking of Stephen's body into his own. When Stephen removed the cage around Peter's cock his head spun with how fast he grew hard and it wasn't long before he was spilling onto the sheets and Stephen spilled into him.

They didn't join Tony and Sharon for dinner; dinner was delivered to their suite and they ate at the small table.

"Is everything okay?" Peter asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is there a reason we're not eating with Tony and Sharon?"

Stephen smiled. "They're not going to have many more evenings left when it's just the two of them for dinner. I thought we'd give them some privacy."

It was a sweet thought.

Still, as he drifted off to sleep after another round in bed, Peter wondered just why Stephen seemed off.

[princeescaluswords]

I’ve found that the most telling evidence that Something Else is amiss in the broad dislike of Scott is the lack of enthusiasm for Sciles. Compare it to Supernatural, which was also big at that time: 2 young attractive male leads (DOB being 3rd billed aside), good chemistry (both on-screen and IRL as friends), comedic dynamic, unbreakable bond, occasional flirting, etc. Sciles should have been THE pairing by almost any metric. Sterek had the antagonistic dynamic to set it apart, but given how much people water it down to fun banter or erase it altogether in fic, that canonical difference clearly wasn’t all that essential to shippers’ enjoyment. Allison comes up ALL the time as a complaint but other fandoms seem to be able to demonize and/or erase canon girlfriends without much of an issue. It leaves very, very few explanations when you look at it from that POV.

When I first entered fandom, I wasn't very interested in relationships; I focused more on character development in relation to plot. When I wrote, it was primarily gen fiction. As time passed, positive interactions with the fandom (there can be some!) led me to consider relationships as an important part of the greater whole. But one thing I never quite understood is the hostility to both Scott and Stiles's friendship and Scott and Allison's relationship. Unlike some people, I don't think that a non-canon relationship like romantic Stiles and Derek or Stiles and Peter simply can't work. I've written Sterek myself. It's always confused me how fandom seemed to seek validation for those ships by tearing down both of Scott's primary canonical relationships, which are completely unrelated.

Now, you know, I eventually came to several conclusions about why this happens, which I have talked about a great deal and will continue to talk about. But it's always key to me when actually grappling with an issue is an attempt to understand the other side. So I asked myself, for instance, why was Scott and Allison's canon romantic relationship so unpopular? It seems to me that those opposed to it have four major complaints which I have seen expressed in print.

It was heterosexual, and that is somehow bad.

It was stupid and dangerous: a newly bitten teenage werewolf falling in love with the teenage daughter of werewolf hunters was a recipe for disaster.

It distracted the lead protagonist (Scott) from the issues he should be addressing and the people to which he should be listening.

As the primary canon relationship of the first two seasons, parts of the audience felt it was being forced on them.

With the exception of the first one, which still mystifies me to this day, these others could have some value. I mean, the Romeo-and-Juliet trope is an old one, and people may be tired, in this modern age, of seeing it being re-enacted again. So, why don't you take an amble with me over to AO3? If these are legitimate fandom concerns, then it should hold up when we examine Teen Wolf's peer group of supernatural adventure shows.

Let's look at the famous Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003); it seems that the top two ships represented on AO3 are ...

#1 Spike and Buffy Summers

#2 Angel and Buffy Summers

Strange that the heterosexual canon ships of a vampire slayer and a vampire remain two most popular subjects. But that's an old show. We've changed. Let's look at something with more direct relevance. Tyler Posey was up for the role of Jacob in the Twilight film series (2008-2012). What ships are most popular there?

#1 Edward Cullen and Bella Swan

#2 Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale

Okay, interesting but there are still differences. There is less emphasis on inherent conflict, I guess. And those are movies, let's move back to television. (I will now switch from 'heterosexual' to 'man/woman' because some of these characters are definitely bisexual.)

True Blood (2008-2014) was a far more adult television show, so it would expand beyond the mainstream that the fandom finds so cloying:

#1 Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse

#2 Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse

Or maybe not. But that's premium cable targeted at a different audience. Let's look at the competitors, such as The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017) which ran coterminous with our show.

#1 Caroline Forbes and Klaus Mikaelson

#2 Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore

Or its spin off, The Originals (2013-2018)

#1 Caroline Forbes and Klaus Mikaelson

#2 Hayley Marshall and Elijah Mikaelson

It's kind of weird that these all have a certain pattern that the most popular ships to write about are all man/woman ships with built-in oppositional obstacles. Now, there are shows whose fandom are focused on non-heterosexual relationships, such as Supernatural, and while I haven't watched it and never will, I'm told that one of the reasons is that any canon man/woman ship was doomed by the narrative impulse to whack female characters. There's Legacies, which I don't know much about but it seems to be focused on a woman/woman ship and isn't that refreshing?

But I think, to paraphrase my favorite show, if three times is a pattern, five times might be a trend. It seems that fandom doesn't really have any problem exploring canonical problematic supernatural man/woman relationships as long as there is a particular trait among all the people participating in those relationships. Can you spot the pattern for yourself? Can someone explain to me why these are the most popular ships in their respective fandoms but those same characteristics make Scott and Allison's relationship distasteful. Of course, and always, we have to remember one thing

BUT IT'S NOT RACISM.

[jkpfr]

“- I’m tired. I’m bored. I don’t want to be doing this anymore.

- No one’s forcing you to.

- Eugh…”

The boy sighs, then sighs again. He marks a pause, then sighs yet another time.

A young adult woman, right behind him, hits him in the shoulder with the middle of her trash grabber.

“- Are you done yet? Seriously, if you don’t want to help, then don’t come next time.”

Hearing her speak, another teenage girl picks up her pace to invite herself to the conversation.

“- You don’t want to do this? That’s new.

- Do you?!” the teenage boy retorts.

“- What? What do you think I’m doing here?

- Aaaaarghhh…!”

He grabs his head with both hands, but remembering what the tool he’s holding is meant for, he quickly raises his head in a panic to check that he’s not dropping trash directly on his own hair.

Soon reassured – it’s not like he’d grabbed anything before doing this manoeuvre – he looks at the two young women and shakes his head, frowning.

“- You’re hypocrites if you say you don’t know what I’m complaining about. Lately, picking up trash’s all we’ve been good for.

- Ooooh.

- Picking up trash has always been part of what we did.”

The adult refuses to play along. More members of their group pass them by, giving them a glance, but they’re already busy with their mission.

“- I know that’s not what you’re talking about, but the amount of garbage we keep finding is astounding,” the teenage girl continues.

“- Yeah… That’s part of it…”

He sighs yet again, and this time, the adult woman does too. She goes around him to pick a plastic bottle off the ground, nested among the roots of a large tree.

“- We’re doing what we can. Whining isn’t going to bring her back.

- You’re pitiless…

- Whoever’s covering what little nature we have with their disgusting trash is who’s pitiless!”

She raises her tone – and though she hesitates for a couple seconds, she continues with the same velocity.

“- Do you think I want to be doing this? I wanted to explore! I wanted to breathe the good air!”

As she speaks, the teenage girl grabs a used tissue off the dirt. Without losing steam, the woman points to it with her own grabber.

“- Does that look like the good air to you?!

- Gee… And you were saying Peter was complaining too much?”

Both woman and boy groan at the same time, but he takes this opportunity to speak up again.

“- It’s like I said. You’re a hypocrite. When Alice is here, she balances our jobs much better.

- Yeah…

- I know, I know…”

As she accepts her defeat, the adult drops her arm dramatically, letting her tool hit the ground with a small “thud”.

“- But it’s no use… No amount how much we try to push the group to explore, to find contracts… No one has the courage… No one can actually lead a group… Picking up trash is really all we’re good for.

- Is that true?” the girl interjects.

Both other protagonists turn to her with depressed expressions. She grimaces – how is she supposed to even try to cheer herself up in this environment?

“- …I look at it this way. Let’s say Alice had cancelled on us last minute one day because something came up – we would have taken it in stride, done our best job, and probably been alright, even without her. Or… let’s say she were away for a week to visit family or something simple like that, even without her to plan our missions every day, we’d have put plans together to be as efficient as we could.

- But?

- But… Well… Right now, we’re all hopeless.

- …

- …

- …

- Jeez, that’s a harsh way to put it.”

It was the adult who broke their uncomfortable silence, but the boy is the one to interject, this time.

“- But the situation’s what’s harsh, isn’t it? This is fucked up, isn’t it?

- Yes. Yes, it is.

- Part of me just wants to wait for her to be back. But that’s not right. Because… The Earth didn’t stop turning.

- And now you’re being way too deep.

- Clearly, you’re not better than us.

- I know…”

With impressive timing, all three of them sigh at the same time.

The oldest of the three raises her head to look at the setting sun. The boy scratches the dirt with his trash grabber and the girl looks at the both of them expectantly as they let a couple minutes pass in silence.

Feeling calmer, the woman is the one to break it.

“- Our entire group feels truly aimless, but none of us wants to be the one to give up. Doing this… is just what’s easiest. We don’t want to be doing nothing, but we don’t have the strength to do better.”

Both teenagers turn their heads to the ground with a sad pout.

“- I miss Alice. It doesn’t matter how many friends I have here, I feel lonely without her,” the boy eventually complains.

His voice gets weaker with every word, but it’s not like he’s going to cry in public…

���- I want to be doing something that’ll make her happy when she comes back… And I don’t know if only doing this is enough,” the girl adds.

The adult of the three smiles, but she doesn’t know why. Truly, she feels very sad. She’ll never run out of things to say about the sheer amount of garbage they continue to find despite the amount of time they’ve spent clearing it recently, but when it comes to thoughts about the missing Ultimate Trekker, whenever she manages to muster up the strength to form one, she has to try all her might not to let it go.

 “- …You know, I don’t think she’d be the type to look at the negative side of things. Or if it crossed her mind, she’d make a joke of it. I think she’ll be happy that we did our best to keep the group together while she was away.”

[qcomicsy]

I'm seen a lot of people tag this post with speedsters and Wally West, which is fair he is just some guy narrative wise.

But y'all are missing the point. I'm not talking about only being a random person narratively wise. I'm talking about looking like a random person. I'm saying I would love to see super-heros who aren't always designed as Ken and Barbie, The favorite white boy actor of the week and a Kardashian.

I'm saying I want to see designers getting creative with their bodies, getting realistic in adapting their looks to what they do, what they're capable off and from what and where their background is.

I'm saying it will be really cool seen super-heros with a cut from shaving their beard, crooked noses or aquiline nose, bely fat, soft muscles, gray hair, different body shapes from different types of work (running, fighting, swimming). I'm talking about getting out of the box a little and instead of just slapping a bodybuilder body in them.

For example:

This is the body from different athletic who perform different types of sports (and it's not even the entire list).

And I think it would be really cool if some artists took this thought into their work while making their designs. How cool would it be to see Superman and recognize "Hey my cousin from a farm has a built like this lmaaao" or "isn't it cool how the speedsters actually look like runner athletes?"

When I'm saying I'm a normal guy defender a mean it normal guy™ defender.

I would love to see different noses, mouths, heights and weights. Something other than the straight nose (or small nose for the girlies), puffy lips, straight cut jawline, perfect teeth (again unless it makes sense for the character).

I want the audience to see the resemblance of them in their way to the work, in their subway, in the mirror.

If they ever get to draw idk, Peter with a terrible beard, clothed so old you can't see the original color, croaked nose, dark circles under his eyes, a pimple or two and a hell of a hair I would look at it delighted and be like "lmao that's just the spit image of a poor young adult"

Or Lois Lane with marks of age around her mouth, a bad hair day day or a hair in a messy bun (shout out Wattpad), dark circles and a tired face? I would absolutely love it, this is a journalist right there. This is a normal adult going to every other day at work.

And I think this is amazing.

I will always be a normal guy defender, I don't want vigilantes who always look like super models unless it makes sense for their characters (Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Kori Anders). I want super-heros that look like the guy you could stumble on the supermarket. Your classmate. Your coworker. A random face in a ocean of people. Absolutely and completely forgetful unless you love them.

I want super-heros to take of their mask and the person be like "THAT'S JUST SOME GUY." their face leak and people be like "WHO 🗣️🗣️ THE FUCK IS THAT⁉️‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥" enough with conventionally attractive heros who look like bodybuilders more some heros who would be your Uber driver and you wouldn't pay attention to them twice.

[ikigaivibez]

Growing Up Kinda Sucks

Basically, getting older sucks. I'm 25 years old, and now that my frontal lobe is fully developed and I can't date Leonardo DiCaprio, I have realized how we are essentially thrown into being an adult. 

I have never truly felt my age until this point in my life and I'm not sure why. My dad has always said he has peter pan syndrome. He is also super goofy, silly, and carries a youthful energy. I think I also feel the same way and will continue to feel like that in the future. But this idea of growing and aging has been on my mind a lot lately. I recently saw a TikTok of a YouTuber I follow (I’ll link her video in this post), and she was talking about how it is important that when we get older, we should “start to separate our identity from our youth”. And for me, that was so eye opening to hear those words being put together in that way, and to actually make me think that there is a line between those two things that some people don't let go of. Personally I don't think I have held onto my youth as a part of my identity but it made me think if I actually do hold onto things that I'm afraid to let go of because I'm getting older. 

For example, I feel that the way that I dress has stayed the same for a long time. It's very youthful and somewhat modest and I feel that the way I dress portrays me as being younger than I actually am. I always see people online saying "I'm 24 and I dress super colorful and young but I don't let peoples opinions stop me" etc. etc. and I always wanted to adopt that mentality of dressing the way I want because it's the way I want, not because it makes me look a different age. But now that I'm 25 and I am realizing that I already have a younger facial appearance and youthful mentality, that maybe I need to start dressing more maturely without it changing my personal style (only because I am tired of being perceived as younger than I already am). 

My personal fashion choices are also just a small part of the whole growing up conversation that people usually have with themselves and with other people. I struggle with not only looking younger and dressing differently than everyone else in my town, but also having a younger mindset; I feel that something in me besides my personal growth and maturing needs to change. Once I start to surround myself with people that are my age (friends and family members) I feel like I'm behind, and I feel like I'm stuck, and I feel I'm not at the level that they are with maturity. And I know that everyone grows and matures at a different level and at different time frames than anyone else, and I shouldn't compare myself to anyone, but then I hang out with people who are younger than me and act more mature than I am, and that's when the insecurity starts to settle in.

I've been thinking lately that maybe it's because I graduated college recently and I am an older bachelor degree graduate. And I feel like most of peoples maturing is from the age of 22 to 25 which is usually the years following college. But for me, because I was in school for six years, I kept that college/ premature adult mentality for a lot longer than others might have. So since I am a recent college graduate and I’m living at home with my dad still, nothing feels different but everything has changed so much. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's hard to explain since I am currently going through this mental change.

I don't know what I could have done or what I can do to help this growing process start a little faster. I don't know if it's because I am very introverted and have social anxiety that I haven't pushed myself enough. I don't know if it's because I don't have enough friends that live in the same state as me to get me out of the house and to help me socialize with anybody besides, my dad and my sister. But I feel like I've reached a new era of adulting, because I'm still not fully independent, I don't have many bills of my own to pay for yet,  I don't pay rent, and I don't have a career. Everything just feels intense and difficult and rough and lonely and it feels like it will last forever. Whenever there are times when people are in college and they say it's difficult and it's hard to get through, i think hat at least the collage experience will eventually end. Whereas when you start actually adulting, there's nothing to get through, you just have to keep pushing and pushing and pushing and learning things and trying and failing at things; but it just keeps going and there's always mistakes you're making and it just feels like you're never good at doing what you're trying to do. Not to be too negative ... because growing and getting wiser is probably my favorite part about aging.

This conversation of growing up can go in so many other directions, and I could elaborate on so many other sub topics in this main topic of growing up. But I'll leave this post at this. It was actually really hard for me to write this because I was putting pressure on myself and expectations for this post to try and sound coherent, but I've kind of given up and I just want this to be more of a natural, word vomit, thought process type of post. 

Anonymous

[j2memories]

Variety article (November 11th 2024)

‘Supernatural’ at 200: The Road So Far, An Oral History

By Laura Prudom

Nov 11, 2014 10:00am PT

After 200 episodes, “Supernatural,” which bowed in 2005, has been to hell and back (several times), with a few sojourns to heaven, purgatory, Oz, the past, the post-apocalyptic future and even our world along the way. The show weathered the conversion from The WB to The CW, survived the 2007-08 writers’ strike, and transitioned through several showrunners — and there’s no end in sight. Here, the stars and creative team chart the unlikely journey of the “little show that could.”

Eric Kripke (Creator): For me, the core notion behind “Supernatural” was to make a series about urban legends. I think they’re this incredibly rich mythology about the United States, and no one had really tapped into that, so when I started as a writer, one of the first ideas I ever pitched was an urban legend show.

A couple years later I tried to pitch, basically, a “Scooby Doo” rip off of a bunch of kids travelling in a van dealing with these urban legends. It was an idea that I never let go of and kept throwing there every couple years. Finally I had a deal with Warner Bros. and that incarnation was a reporter. Frankly, it was a rip off of “Nightstalker,” but I really fleshed it out and it had mythology.

I took it to Susan Rovner and Len Goldstein at the studio and they said, “We love the idea of doing a horror show,” which no one was really doing on TV at that time, “but we’re not into the reporter, that feels really tired. So no thanks and let’s get another angle.”

So in this moment, when they were basically passing on my idea, as you often do in these kinds of rooms, you start tap dancing. And I said, “forget the reporter, we should do this show as ‘Route 66,’ two cool guys in a classic car cruising the country, chasing down these urban legends,” and literally right on the spot I said “and they’re brothers,” because it popped in my head. “And they’re dealing with their family stuff and they’re fighting evil.” You just start making it up as you go. They were like, “Brothers, wow, that’s a relationship we haven’t seen on TV before.” And from there, “Supernatural” was born… out of a piece of improvisation.

Peter Roth (President, Warner Bros. Television): Eric [had] been with us since about 2002. Sometime in 2004, he came to us with this idea… this extraordinary road show about these two brothers, in which they would be living all of the great urban and rural myths that [we’re all] exposed to as kids. It was a very commercial idea, emotionally driven, which was what I was most concerned about: who are the characters? Why do I relate to them? Why are they worth my while to watch? And once we cast Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, along with Eric’s great idea, along with the script, along with David Nutter, our director on the pilot, the combination of those factors is what made me so excited and I frankly knew, from the moment I saw this pilot, that it was a winner. There wasn’t a person who I work with who didn’t feel the same way. It was a real strong story of young adult siblings that resonated perfectly with The WB audience.

Kripke: When we were casting, you see a lot of people. We hadn’t found our Sam and Dean. David Nutter suggested Jensen because we knew him from “Smallville.” We met with him to play Sam, and we fell in love with [him]. And then Jared came in, and he was a really great Sam too. Looking back, we were such idiots to not see it… We had two great Sams and no Dean and you think it would be obvious to put one into the other role, but it was not obvious. So we [went] to Peter Roth and we said, “We’re not sure what to do,” and Peter was like, “why don’t you make Jensen Dean?” We all looked at each other like, “we’re idiots, of course.” It’s so difficult to find one actor who is charismatic enough to be a breakout character and to support a show. So to find two of them, where there’s only two leads… I didn’t realize what a miracle it was at the time. It’s a miracle.

Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester): They bring us in to the WB lot, and I’m sitting there, and in walks this really pretty dude who I had never seen before. We met and we’re waiting around, and usually in a test situation there are three or four people at least for each character and they’ll do a chemistry read. And so he and I are sitting there waiting for [other] actors to arrive [when] we’re pulled into the room, and it’s 30 big-shots at what was then The WB network and Warner Bros. studio television portion, and it’s daunting. We’re young actors… we’ve got to make our rent payments… We read one of the scenes from the pilot; it takes place at the bottom of a stairwell and Sam says, “when I told Dad there was something in my closet, he gave me a .45.” This great scene between two brothers where we see a lot of love but a lot of pent up anger, and a lot of understanding at its heart. It was a pretty intense scene.

Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester): It was just immediate chemistry. There was an ease to it. There was a familiarity to it. Once we got into it with each other, it just fell in place and it came… not easy, but definitely a little easier than my experiences in the past. I think the importance of that bond and that relationship was verbalized by Kripke when he sat us down and said, “this begins and ends with you,” and not only how we relate to each other on screen, but also off screen. There was an importance stamped into [that bond] very early on.

[...]

Padalecki: Ultimately, “Supernatural” is really a show about two brothers and their relationship and their struggles and their loyalties and their sacrifices, and so I knew in my heart of hearts that even though season eight started out with Sam having gone off to try and live another normal life with the character of Amelia (Liane Balaban), I figured it was a way to remind both the audience and the cast and crew what the show was about. I thought season seven might’ve gone a little off the reservation, but in a strange way, by steering even further off the reservation and having the brothers not even be involved with each other [at the start of season eight], it really reaffirmed for everybody what the bread and butter of the show is, which, in my opinion is the relationship between the two brothers, so it was a nice rekindling and repartnership of Sam and Dean.

Link to the entire article

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Heart’s Choice - Chapter 17 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Carlos Martinez

I stand in a dark, featureless place, a place with no beginning and no end, a place with no way out and nowhere to go.

"Get out."

I spin and find myself face to face with Kyle.

He still looks pissed.

His face is pale as porcelain, his eyes are black as the void and the veins beneath his skin look like they're filled with ink.

"Whoa." I hold up my hands and back away.

"Kyle, it's me, Carlos. Mr. Martinez, remember?"

"I remember."

"Good. I want to help you, Kyle. I want to help. Understand?"

Slowly, he shakes his head back and forth.

"Get out."

"Kyle, just tell me who did this. Tell me who hurt you. If you tell me, then..."

"It's you."

"What?"

Kyle's face contorts with pain, and black tears leak from his eyes.

"This is all because of you."

My mind grapples for an explanation and seizes on the only one that makes sense.

"Because I got mad at you and made you go for burgers? Kyle, I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for what happened to you. But that wasn't my fault. Understand? Someone else did that and I need you to remember who. Can you..."

"It's you. It's you. IT'S YOU," Kyle screams, the sound grating like nails on a chalkboard or gravel in a blender.

"GET OUT."

Just as he'd shoved my physical body, he shoves my astral body so hard I fly off my feet and backwards into the dark.

~ ★ ~

The world spins.

My head hurts.

I blink up at a tiled ceiling, lost in shadow and then wince as someone shines a light directly in my eyes.

The light is withdrawn and as my vision clears I recognize Mrs. Peters' nurse leaning over me.

"Someone call an ambulance," she says.

"He shouldn't be moved."

"No, no," I whisper hoarsely and try to raise my hand, then choke on a scream as pain bites down on my arm with a mouth full of needle teeth.

"Lie still," the nurse orders, resting a hand on my chest.

"Looks like you've got a broken arm and a concussion. You need to go to the E.R."

"No, no. Can't..."

I try to shake my head but the nurse quickly grabs either side of it, holding it still.

"Don't move. You could have a spinal injury as well."

"No, I'm..."

Well, I'm not fine, obviously but I'm not as badly hurt as it might seem.

If only I had the energy to say as much, Kyle drained most of mine.

"What's your name?" the nurse asks.

"Carlos."

"Your full name."

"Carlos... Ángel..."

Suddenly too tired to remember the rest, I give in and shut my eyes.

~ ★ ~

"Fuck."

I flop back against the pillows of the hospital bed I'm still stuck in and stare up at the bright, fluorescent lights glaring down from overhead.

I'd slipped in and out of consciousness as the paramedics arrived, loaded me into an ambulance and took me on a very expensive and in my opinion completely unnecessary ride to the hospital.

I mean, yeah, my arm was broken but other than that I was fine.

Mostly fine.

I'd have to wear a neck brace for ten days but I didn't have a concussion.

If my eyes hadn't responded to light and if I'd been barely conscious for a day and a half and if I had trouble remembering basic facts, well, that was just the effect of taking a little trip to the other side, not brain damage.

It used to happen all the time when Aunt Toni used me as demon bait.

I'd get possessed, she'd trap the demon inside me, then exorcise it and send it back to whatever hell it came from.

Meanwhile, I'd be wandering around in a place like the one Kyle was stuck in now and when I came back...

Well, sometimes it took a while to readjust to my physical body.

Try explaining that to an E.R. doctor, though.

"What are you complaining about now?"

John looks up from the chair he's occupied for almost twenty-four hours.

"You need more pain meds?"

"No," I grumble.

"I need more money."

"What for?"

I roll my head to the side as much as I can from the confines of my human neck cone and glare at him.

"You know how much a ride in an ambulance costs? Like, $1,200."

"You got insurance, don't you?"

I groan.

"I'm a young, healthy, single, self-employed guy. I got the cheapest insurance I could buy. It covers... I dunno. Basically nothing. Fuck."

"Hey, you're alive, that's what matters. We'll figure this out."

"Who's we?" I ask, frowning at him.

There's no 'we' with someone I met barely two weeks ago, at least not when it comes to figuring out shit like paying hospital bills.

John rubs the back of his neck.

"I just mean... in general, you know. Actually... there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah?"

He clears his throat but before he can speak, someone knocks on the door and detective Latoya McKenzie enters, her long braids bound in a knot at the back of her head today.

"Turner, you got a minute?"

"For you? Always. What are you doing here so early?"

"Early? It's nine-thirty in the morning, Turner. And seeing as this is apparently your mobile office now, I figured I'd stop by. Got that file you asked for."

John glances at me.

"Oh, ah... Did you bring it with you?"

McKenzie arches her brows at him.

She holds a manila folder and clip board.

She holds out the folder and John rises and reaches for it with a strange hesitation, as if afraid it might be full of spiders or something.

He takes it, flips it open, stares at it and then his shoulders drop an inch as he releases whatever strange tension he was holding.

"Oh. The Peters case."

"Kyle?" I ask, sitting up with interest.

"No. Mrs. Peters' husband, Richard," John says distractedly, turning pages over in the file.

"Your little encounter with the stairs inspired me to pull the record of his death. Apparently, there was an investigation, prompted by the life insurance company. He'd taken out a sizable policy only a few weeks before."

"Oh. Good timing."

I'd told John of my suspicions regarding Mrs. Peters.

He'd been far more willing to believe them than he was to entertain my other conviction, which was that Kyle hadn't meant to hurt me.

I was almost certain Kyle meant to protect me but John remained highly skeptical.

I couldn't blame him, given my current condition.

"At least according to the coroner, Lucille's story checks out. Richard Peters suffered a massive heart attack, during which he fell down the stairs, which in turn caused a severe vertebral dislocation. His spinal cord separated from the back of his skull, resulting in instant death. He probably died exactly where you landed."

"Nice. Thanks for the imagery."

"The question is... what caused the heart attack?"

"How old was he?"

"Fifty-five and in good health," Detective McKenzie says, leaning against the door with her arms crossed over her generous chest.

"He was a fire chief. Had to take a yearly fitness test and always passed with flying colors."

"Still. Sometimes top athletes drop dead," John says.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"No and toxicology came back null. So his death was ruled to be the result of natural causes, leaving the insurance company on the hook and Lucille to cash in on the policy."

McKenzie blows on her long, sparkly purple nails.

"How much did she get?" I ask.

"Half a million, give or take."

I whistle.

"Shit. That's not bad."

"Nope. Not bad at all," John agrees, closing the file and handing it back to McKenzie.

"So, what?" I ask, propping myself up on the pillows.

"Kyle's aunt won the life insurance lottery?"

"Maybe."

John scrubs a hand through his short, dark hair and sighs.

I catch a whiff of him as he lifts his arm.

It's nothing unpleasant, just the natural scent of his body, subtle and dark, smoke and musk.

Instantly turned on by it and surprised by the strength of my reaction, I cough and pull the hospital bed sheet over my lap.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, yeah. Just a tickle in my throat."

"I got something for you, too," McKenzie says, handing me the clipboard she carries.

"Front desk asked me to bring this to you. They said just sign the highlighted bits and you're good to go. Seems your bill's been paid in full."

"What?"

I sit up, flipping through a stack of forms that make the SAT look like child's play.

"By who?"

"Mrs. Lucille Peters, apparently."

"Fuck."

I look up and meet John's eyes, which do that weird kaleidoscopic thing they do, turning from brown-green to amber-gold with the changing angle of light.

"Maybe she felt responsible," McKenzie suggests.

"Since you got injured in her house. Wanted to avoid a lawsuit."

"Maybe," I allow, reading through the list of charges with my heart in my throat.

The total comes out just short of $10,000.

"The fuck am I supposed to pay her back for this?"

"You don't owe someone for a gift," John says.

A true gift, no. But this?

This feels like a bargain I didn't agree upon and now my soul's on the table.

"Fuck."

McKenzie's radio crackles with voices speaking in code.

John's phone buzzes at the same time.

He answers it and even hearing just his side of the conversation, I know it's bad.

"Yeah. When?"

A pause.

"Copy. On my way."

Disconnecting, he rises and rubs a hand across his jaw, looking down at me as if caught in a snare of indecision, unsure what to say.

"What is it?" I ask, sitting up.

"John... tell me."

"There's been another... someone found a body."

"And?"

"And it's weird. Upside down, throat slit. Drained of blood."

I shake my head.

"It's too early for the second Feast. The full moon isn't for two more days, right?"

"Right."

"So what is this? Practice?"

"I don't know. Look, check yourself out of here. Have Nguyen take you to my place. Lock yourself in and set the alarm. The code is 0405. Got it?"

"0405," I repeat.

"Good. Rest and take it easy. I'll let you know what I find."

He leaves with McKenzie at his side and as I watch him disappear through the door.

I almost call out to him, almost ask him to stay with me, instead but I don't.

I've no right to ask that of him.

We're stuck in this shitty situation together, we've got the hots for each other and yeah, we fucked.

That still doesn't mean there's a 'we' or that there ever will be.

In the meantime, I've got work of my own to do.

It's time to get a hold of Aunt Toni. 

[5-minliteraturethisweek]

The Business Man

“The Business Man” written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1840 is a satire and dark comedy that explores the life of a character named Peter Proffit, who prides himself on being a methodical and systematic businessman. This story is interpreted as a reflection of Poe's strained relationship with his foster father John Allan, himself a successful businessman. 

 This story starts with Proffit narrating his childhood, where he describes the reason why he decided and changed to a methodical and systematic person. When Proffit was still a little boy, rolling himself and playing, he knocked his head into the bedpost. And this he says, made his fortune. A dumb appeared on his head and it turned out to be a really neat bump that looked like it was all about being organized and orderly. Besides this is the factor which made him methodical. 

Soon after, the rising action occurs where Proffit has an unusual obsession with order and organization, 

and where he talks about teenagers, or kids in the city running away from their parents, and about when and how Proffit decided to run away from home. At this point, the readers start to question what he is doing for the business, and what his systematic methods are.

 After that, he narrates the obsession with the methods and orders which are absurd and illogical in the 19th century. Then soon comes the climax, where the author narrates in detail about Proffit’s business, what he earns money for. Proffit is working as a jack of all trades and usually he either asks a person if the person has any concerns about some things such as arranging fights in the street for young boys and he plans these fights adroitly so that it will occur regularly and systemically. Another case is managing a lost and found for dogs. He operates a business focused on returning the dogs however, he is occasionally involved in making the dogs get lost in the first place to profit from their return.

The narrative is framed as Proffit's autobiographical account, detailing his childhood obsession with order and systematization, which he carries into his adult life.

 This short story is not a predominantly traditional gothic novel, besides it is subtle or nuanced compared to the writer, Poe’s famous stories. But there are still many gothic elements covered in the novel such as the dark and irony while the story is more satirical than horrifying, the use of dark humor is ordinary in the gothic stories.

 Another example of gothic elements is the place where it takes place. In the meanwhile the story is taking place in an urban setting not in old desolated castle, this is still a gothic element as the ideas of cities are not explained in a beautiful, pure, unpolluted place and narrated rather in a two sided, urban decay and moral ambiguity way. 

In conclusion this story tells the readers using dark humor and satire that people in the 19th century had an obsession with order and method in business. In addition, it also covers things that occur due to the unyielding pursuit of profit. And the story is going in flashback order which makes the readers feel satisfied after finishing reading the story.

This novel fits the best with people who are getting tired of reading the common, typical gothic novels, as it is different from the traditional gothic novels but it is interesting and entertaining to read for all generations.