#she uh...she looks a little sinister doesn't she?

[1misscircle1]

Need some help?

"Alright class, here's your homework." Miss Circle said as she passed out the papers. "I expect you all to pass, and if you don't- well you know what happens." She gave a quick sinister smile before sitting back at her desk. You looked down at the paper she just handed out and gently wrote your name in the corner of the paper.

From what you could tell, the assignment didn't seem to hard. At least that's what you thought. You quietly answered each question, most being simple 'find the answer of x' type of questions. It was all pretty simple, until you got to number 15.

"Find the answer to x." You mumbled quietly, reading the instructions for this problem again for the fifth time. "But...that doesn't make sense." You said to yourself, panicking internally. Letting out a shaky sigh, you raised your hand. "What?" Miss Circle asked, sounding annoyed.

"Uh- may I use the restroom, please?" You asked her, nervousness trembling in your voice. You just needed to step out for a moment, then maybe the problem won't be as hard.

Miss Circle narrowed her eyes at you. "Fine, but make it quick." You quickly got up, left the classroom, and speed down the hallway and into the bathroom. There was about 30 minutes left of class, so you knew you couldn't stay in here for too long.

You sat on the bathroom floor, thinking to yourself. Until a thought hit.

What if you failed?

That definitely didn't help your state. You tried to slow down your breathing as it sped up at the horrid thought. You knew what happened when a student fails, everyone did. And it was something you never wanted to risk. That's why you tried so hard in class, to not get that brutal treatment.

But what if all of it went to waste because of a simple question?

You couldn't breathe properly as your mind raced on the thought. You closed your eyes, trying to calm yourself down but it wasn't working.

Until you felt a hand gently rest on your shoulder.

You looked up to see Miss Circle, she genuinely seemed a little worried. "Just take deep breaths." She said softly as her hand gently ran through your hair. "Just focus on your breathing."

You took a deep breath. Your breathing was less heavy now, but still pretty improper. Miss Circle gently sat next to you and ran her hand through your hair, helping you to calm down. After a few minutes your breathing went back to normal. Miss Circle continued running her fingers through your hair.

"I-I didn't kno-" You were instantly cut off by Miss Circle sushing you, telling you that she understands.

"This isn't the first time I've seen this happen, now c'mon, let's get back to class. I'll help you on the problem, but you better not fail." She said, keeping her usual brutal composure.

You nodded and gently stood up with her and you both walked back to class.

Maybe Miss Circle isn't such a terrible teacher after all. (Ignore the fact that she kills students, they all do, just enjoy the moment😌)

[rei-ismyname]

X-MEN #7 From The Ashes

Possibly the biggest downside to the circular, repetitive nature of X-Men comics is that real life is awful enough. Jettisoning the hope of the Krakoan age for the misery porn of From The Ashes feels kinda callous and depressing in a world where there are multiple ongoing genocides and the USA just said yes to fascism again. Nevertheless, join me in some light escapism - a little Magneto goes a long way. Spoilers for X-Men #7.

I've also been spelling Jed Mackay's name wrong. Sorry

Running throughout this issue is Magneto's flashback to The Iron Night. The 'this is Logan behaviour' exchange from the previews has been all over my dash and it's great to get more of this dynamic. It's fantastic to see someone in universe say it out loud - Logan is a whiny little bitch, often a hypocrite, and can be blind to his immortality privilege. Scott knows that better than anyone - his wife's boyfriend throws a tanty like no other. They love him, but it's another reason why he's not the best Wolverine. I hope 'Logan behaviour' sticks around in the fandom.

This is Logan behaviour, Idie

I appreciate the informal nature of the Piper discussion. For one, you don't want to scare the kid or make her feel unwelcome. Idie said that she 'couldn't wait for you (Cyclops) and Magneto' re: Idie - having Psylocke be the one to spell it out for her is effective. The X-Men IS a team and the stakes are incredibly high. Besides, as Beast said in my first screenshot they have a Cerebro. This test could have been done from afar without the risk, and it's implied that it was.

I'm enjoying seeing Idie behaving compassionately, but it looks like she's got some serious anger and mistrust of authority (both justified) from Krakoa. It's great she's getting this kind of character focus and I hope it's followed up on. So many threads and beats have been setup that are likely to be disrupted by the Raid on Graymalkin event kicking off next week, but I'll reserve my judgement on that for when this first arc is concluded.

This is Logan behaviour, wild sentinel.

Gotta love Max and Scott's friendship being shown as they drink crappy beers and bask in Magneto rhetoric. I don't want to question the expert, but is this sentinel Wild or wild? It's clearly not an ORCHIS Iron Man model, but Wild Sentinel has a very specific meaning.

Okay, clearly Wild. It's not attacking either of them, though. Kind of Cyclops to spell out the Star Trek Borg adaptive schtick they've got going on. This is the action scene of the issue, the mandated violence.

I don't mean that entirely pejoratively either. I'm just as susceptible to the Magneto and Cyclops power fantasy as the next person, though it's a bit of a dirty trick to wait until issue 7 to show it.

This is NOT Logan behaviour, Magneto.

Sigh. I love your sense of drama Magneto. Play to the crowd, old man. I hope your monologue doesn't become ironic. Oh wait, we already know it has. This could have been a clever moment.

Uh oh, looks like his knees are weak and arms are heavy. Vomit on his sweater already...

So we see the moment Mags' powers start to shit the bed, right after a Wild Sentinel attack. I'd be suspecting Cassandra Nova's involvement just off these two data points tbh. Which idiot resurrected her anyway?

Oh, fuck off. Logan behaviour, Mackay.

R-LDS sounds like horse shit to me. Scott says 'we don't know that for sure' so how does this speculative condition have an acronym already? Mags is speaking as if it's a fact, but he doesn't even have the same body The Five resurrected. Maybe he has Umari-Key-Waiting Room-Brashear Portal Syndrome. Obviously he's scared but this feels like an idiot ball moment, and a cynical jab at Krakoa. The Five was something they got right, even with Sinister in the mix. The implications would be insane. 16 million Genoshans were resurrected, 250k Krakoans (give or take), a whole bunch of vulnerable human children via The Phoenix Foundation, Captain America, and 1000 fucking years of Sinisterized clones etc that had nothing of the sort.

No, there's way too many data points that apply to Magneto alone to make seriously considering The Five's resurrections as the source of patient zero's malady. It would be scientifically irresponsible to get to the point of naming it and then an acronym for that. Mags is good enough at science to know this, and Beast is too. I'm no scientist, but it manifested during a fight with a Wild Sentinel. I assume they have better resources than the Marvel wiki I'm using, but that robot/Cassandra Nova is my prime suspect - the lady they know for certain to be involved in ongoing genetic fuckery - activating X-Genes. Though not Piper Cobb...

Or yes Piper Cobb? Smash cut cliffhangers aside, this would be a great time to retcon Homo Sapiens Superior right the fuck out of existence. It's never made sense, and not just the 'Superior' part. Again, I'm not a scientist but I'm certain that's not how phylogeny works. They're mutated humans, but I don't live in 616 which canonically operates on impossible physics, so idk. My fingers are crossed but my expectations are nil.

That is Logan behaviour, masked kidnapper

Okay, we'd known from solicits that Beast would be getting beat down in captivity at Graymalkin. I had speculated he'd give himself up to get inside, but the ol' bag over the head works too. I dig his outfit.

X-Men #7 is worth reading IMO, and it's one of the better ones based off Magneto content alone. Last issue I wrote that the formula was becoming easier to spot, and I stand by that. A handful of character moments, some new information about one of the ongoing mysteries but it piles more questions on top of half answers and speculation. For example, we get to see Scott and Max fight a sentinel and be friends. There's new information there but a LOT more questions. The characters are at the point of absurd speculation which raises tension but doesn't make them look very competent. To kick off the event 'Raid on Graymalkin' they went with a final page bag over the head instead of any choice and comic book events notoriously derail everything so friends can argue and punch each other.

All that said, it's only *just* acceptable in my opinion - and that's the best I can say for the rest of the line too. We know that there's been ongoing issues with writers simply not knowing major Krakoan plot points, though they probably have the excuse that they were writing before FOTHOX/ROTPOX ended. Surely there's someone in charge of overseeing all this, like Hickman was as Head of X. *Looks at the credits* Tom Brevoort - Conductor of X... That's a fancy way to say 'line editor/hatchet man.' I'll stop there and save it for the From The Ashes piece I'm doing, but spoilers: I'm not impressed with how this guy keeps failing upwards.

What did you think? Thanks for reading.

[blindmagdalena]

Customer Service

1.2k, f!reader x homelander. a cathartic and indulgent little gift fic for @irenadel! You work in customer service, and unfortunately, one customer has decided you're the perfect outlet for his consumer rage. What this customer doesn't realize is that that none other than Homelander himself is waiting right outside for you, and he doesn't like what he's hearing.

Another day, another one of these assholes. “Sir, if you’ll listen, I–” You try to reason, but to no avail. You’re interrupted again. “No, no, no! I’ve had enough, your policy is ridiculous!” The man snaps, waving his rolled up form in your face like a newspaper at a misbehaving dog. It’s not even your policy. You just work here, and yet you’re the one forced to take all the abuse. This man has been yelling at you for the better half of ten minutes, but everyone around you is so desensitized, not even the glassiness in your eyes seems to matter. It’s just customer service. It’s normal. “You’re the one who needs to listen! I’ve told you what I want, and your job is to do it, alright? I’m the customer, so unless you’re too fucking stupid to–”

“Whoa, whoahhhhohoh there, champ,” a familiar voice cuts in, followed by a flash of crimson as a gloved hand falls on the man’s shoulder, cutting him short. The man whirls, prepared to maintain his fury, but the words evaporate from his tongue the instant he sees who has intervened. “H-Homelander?” The man stutters, bewildered. Uh oh, you think, but it takes everything in you to not smile. He did say he was going to pick you up today. Your eyes flicker to the clock, and you realize your shift ended five minutes ago. The store is closed, leaving just the three of you and a handful of your coworkers, who evidently would prefer to hide in the back than help you deal with an angry customer. “The one and only,” Homelander confirms, smiling jovially, though you alone recognize the undercurrent to his expression. You see the snarl in his toothy grin. Meanwhile, the man smiles with a dumbstruck kind of awe, a lamb wholly fooled by Homelander’s sheepskin. “What in the world is all this yelling about?”

“Oh, I– uhm,” the man fumbles, gesturing vaguely with his tightly rolled form. The redness from his anger is beginning to drain from his face, and with it he’s beginning to look smaller and smaller, as if he’s just drunk a particularly potent shrinking potion. Homelander often has that effect on people. He makes them seem so… insignificant. You feel your own eyes beginning to dry already. “Just, uh, these policies, you know? They’re so against the consumer, right? And it’s just–it’s ridiculous, you know? Like I pay her fuckin’ salary and she can’t even–” The man begins to point that sinister roll of paper towards you, but Homelander catches him swiftly by the wrist, gripping hard enough that the man drops it with a startled little gasp. “Don’t do that,” Homelander says, voice sharp as the crack of a whip, maintaining that chipper smile. “Y’see, real men don’t yell at pretty little ladies, much less go around waving sticks at them,” he says, the words sounding venomous even in the bright commercial timbre of his voice. “It’s all about having self control. Have you ever been at the mercy of someone stronger than you? Someone who, I don’t know… lost that control?” He asks, tone growing colder with every word. You can hear the threat in his question loud and clear, but you don’t intervene. You find yourself watching with a kind of distant fascination, like you’re watching these events unfold from somewhere outside yourself. No one has ever stepped up for you like this. “I–I–I didn’t–I wasn’t– y-you’re right, I–I lost my cool,” the man sputters, beginning to lean away, attempting to twist slowly out of Homelander’s iron grip. “Listen, I’m just gonna–” “Apologize,” Homelander interjects. His smile never budges, but you think the man is starting to understand just how unfriendly the gesture really is. There’s sweat prickling all along his forehead, rolling down his temple, passing his wide, frightened eyes. “Go on. Tell her you’re sorry.”

Looking back at you, you’re amazed that anyone this pitiful ever had the power to make you cry. “I’m sorry,” he blubbers, looking at you now like you’re his only salvation, his wrist still upheld firmly in Homelander’s gloved hand. “I’m sorry for yelling, and calling you stu–” the man attempts to finish, but the unmistakable crack of his wrist snapping in Homelander’s grasp robs him of anything other than a cry of pain. Immediately, Homelander releases him, and starts to laugh, his first genuine smile emerging as the man screams. “Ohh, golly! Jeeze, that was just so clumsy of me. Oof, that’s a nasty pinch, huh? I’d go get that checked out if I were you,” he says, patting the man so firmly on the chest that he stumbles backwards, clutching his wrist with wide, watery eyes. He looks pathetic, red and weepy, shocked by the turn of events. “You broke my wrist! You broke my fucking wrist! Why would you do that!?” The man asks, voice climbing quickly into hysteria as he stumbles away from Homelander, towards the door. “Well,” Homelander sighs, lifting his hands in a helpless kind of gesture. “I dunno, I guess I just… ‘lost my cool,’ ” he says, making quotation marks around the words with his fingers, watching the man fumble his way out the door. Meanwhile, you stand behind Homelander in a mix of awe and a devious kind of delight mingling in your expression. There was a time you might have felt guilt, or horror. Not anymore. “That was… really bad,” you whisper, hands over your mouth, concealing your smile. Homelander turns around to face you, his arms clasped behind his back. His eyes soften when they land on you, and his smile looks a great deal more boyish than it does that of a wolf. “Mmm, but it felt good, didn’t it?” He asks, leaning in close. He bumps his nose against yours in a quick little nuzzle. “No one talks to my girl like that,” he tells you, bringing his hands up to cup your face. His words sound like a promise. The juxtaposition between this man, who cradles you in tender hands, as though you’re made of glass, and the one who just snapped someone’s wrist on a whim, is a dizzying one, but you’ve grown to really love it. You’ve never been so certain of someone’s love for you.

You get butterflies when he kisses you. Slinging your arms around his neck, you hang off of him just to enjoy the way he makes you feel weightless when he straightens up, bringing you nearly off your feet. “C’mon,” he purrs against your lips, lifting you up properly into his arms. “That moron made us late for our date.” “Okay,” you say softly, burying your face into the crook of his neck. You inhale deep the minty evergreen scent of him, brushing your fingers along the closely shorn hair of his undercut, savoring the feel of it against your fingers. Everything about him brings you a peace that you didn’t know another person could, filling your senses with warmth, with the thrill of his devotion. You rest your cheek on his shoulder as he carries you out of the building, holding on tight for what you know is to come. Homelander launches straight up into the sky with you, above and beyond all of the problems that felt so big a few moments ago, but now feel so very, very small.

[allwormdiet]

Interlude 7

Hi Miss Militia, sorry your superpower is just being a living weapon

No dancing around on this one, huh, just straight into the meat of it

Is Kovan our first dead kid/teen in this story? I feel like the child violence is steadily increasing over time. Vista, the ABB conscripts, Dinah, now this.

Also this shit is brutal

Fuck.

Sometimes you just have that sudden, instinctual understanding that something bad is nearby. Not usually something so devastating as a pit trap or landmine, but just that moment of the hindbrain screaming at you that something's not right.

Hey fucker, you sure showed up early, huh

So. Fucked up geometric crystalline entity that exists in multiple overlapping states or realities at once. Piece of it comes off and impacts her, bada bing bada boom she has powers and, conveniently, no recollection of the vision.

Ladies, gentlemen, and those of you who know better, cosmic horror has entered the chat, and it's giving out free goodies to unsuspecting participants

Crystal Superpower Cthulhu legitimately looked at this child and was like "oh I know how to turn the circumstances of your trauma into a superpower! I'm just going to give you Gun."

This feels a lot more on the nose than it's been for everyone else so far, but what do I know

Yeah here we go

"Good news, you never have to sleep again. Bad news, your brain will be on at all times and when you try to shut it off you will remember the worst day of your life in fucking IMAX quality"

Also feels very appropriately sinister that nobody can remember Crystal Superpower Cthulhu except in dreams of their trigger event, if you can even call it a dream.

Wow! Even more reason to doubt the Wards program, huh? They just dropped this kid into that life without her say-so and that cooked her for however long it took to graduate, at which point she obviously became a lifelong member.

Miss Militia is fully in it, huh? That's the kind of indoctrination you straight up can't pry yourself out of unless you have a damn good reason to suspect that's what's up, and it sounds like she never got that reason.

Yeah of course she's a dutiful little daughter and student and soldier. What else has she got? Not even the other kids from her hometown. Fuck me. Isolate and steep in the propaganda.

Oh no. Oh no she believes the American Dream exists. Oh Hana I'm so sorry, they just made that up to sell houses in the suburbs.

...Fuck, that's just it, isn't it. Hana was a victim of the grinding machinery of empire, and that was the pressure cooker situation that made her trigger. And now she's a component of a different, larger empire, grinding more of its targets into the same fuel that she almost became, but she doesn't even see it.

She didn't have a chance.

Speaking of chances. Hana, do you want to live in a world where God favors Kaiser as much as he favors you? Like that's just the problem of evil times a hundred.

Oh hey you two

Colin you have got to be careful what you wish for, man, you live in a world where superpowers are built off of fucking monkey's paw logic

Pity.

Haha uh oh

This is the first time we've heard Case 53 used, yeah? Same as Newter and Gregor? Hmm.

Now this is kind of an interesting conversation, having to figure out what the hell to do about what junior members you can or else have to give away

Okay so they know Shadow Stalker is trouble

...How much do they know beyond that, and how have they been dealing with her? Because I don't think it's working, and at least one person is just straight up not doing their job

I'd love to feel sorry for Armsmaster in this moment, but my dude is in desperate need of some fucking humility, and honestly I'm not sure he was ever meant to be in a leadership position. He just doesn't have the temperament for it.

So, first off, insane that the Endbringers are keyed in enough to human civilization to know what hurts most for them to target

Second off: Coil you stupid fucker your gun jumping on the Empire accelerated the entire city into apocalypse! Arrogant bastard wants to run Brockton Bay so bad that he just tripped and dropped his little city diorama all into a trash can full of rotting fish. Fucking jackass.

The Endbringers can bring media response into consideration for their attacks?? What the fuck kind of operation are these kaiju running?

Oh god fucking dammit.

Armsmaster is going to try and get his glory by killing an Endbringer.

Current Thoughts

Somebody needs to tell these people the genre of story that they're in for real. This isn't gritty sci-fi, this isn't something about the power of faith, this is about an alien intelligence using Earth and humanity for purposes that are, at best, utterly ambivalent to the ongoing existence of either of those things.

Also I feel a lot worse for Miss Militia but it seems like she hasn't reflected on like, any of her baggage beyond the most surface level stuff of "boy I'm sure fucking glad I'm not in that village anymore"

[unfortunately-obsessed]

So let me give my own addition to the House of M: Delilah Lehnsherr

Context:

Magneto wanted Rogue to be his queen. She didn't want to be his queen, but still wanted to do more for Genosha and mutants. So the council appointed her as the first prime minister of Genosha, making the country a constitutional/parliamentary monarchy

(which actually happens when a democracy is new)

After Rogue's mandate ended, she and Erik married. This was less shocking to everybody involved

Delilah was born after Genosha was fully established independent country. She's the first daughter of Rogue and Magneto

Born around the 2000s. Girl is exactly like her mother; same lips, face shape, eyes shapes. You can look at her and see that's Rogue's daughter. Her roots are white, but auburn when closer to the tips. The only physical aspect she got from her father was the shiny blue eyes

Miss princess is a little brat that is trying to get herself killed or give her parents an aneurysm. She got half a braincell that is focused on giving a heart attack to the adults around her

She mastered manipulating electricity, but the best she can do about eletromagnetism is controlling ferromagnetic materials. Not as skilled as her father or Lorna. But! She can use strong nuclear force if she focus really hard

So, little rebellious brat, raided her mother's closet one night with the intention to go to a party downtown

That's when the fun happens! As all X-Men kid oc, she was bought to the past (by Apocalypse), helpfully on 90s clothes but unfortunately still got the same face. I imagine her teleporting to the middle of a battle against Mr. Sinister

Looking at her, Logan can see it's Rogue's. Almost same smell, same face.

"Maybe that's a clone?" is what goes through their minds. But then she must say a snarky remark, heavy southern accent, burn one of Remy's cards (with electricity) before passing out

They bring her to the manor after the battle. Xavier can't read her mind, but Remy assumes that his kids with Rogue, because if Rogue was to have a kid with someone, it obviously would be with him.

She doesn't have the black-red eyes, but maybe Remy father got blue eyes? So yeah, he wrongly assumed Delilah is his daughter from the future

The X-Men are, after all, used to time travel shenanigans. And everyone kinda thinks Rogue and Remy will eventually date anyway

When Delilah does wake up, she got no recollection of her life. All she knows is that Rogue is, in fact, her mother. Not so sure about Remy though (that's a weird uncle maybe)

Thus, memory loss + time travel and communication misunderstanding shenanigans ensue! There's no time traveller around so they all gotta accept what this 17yo teenager says

I see Delilah screaming, "MOM!" thru the manor, and Rogue going:

"Don't call me mom!" but answering her calling anyway

Also:

"Maybe Mr. Sinister made her?" Jubilee asks, shifting her weight between her feet, but eager to help

"Are you implying I was made on a lab?" Delilah shakes her head. "Nuh uh. I might not remember much, but I know I was the cutest baby ever."

Delilah talks like a southern quoting Shakespeare btw

[astra-galaxie]

*spawns in t-posing maliciously*

Can I get a uh...🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️👽🦾💔🎭😬 for Elliot Clayton please?

K byee *evaporates*

You come into my inbox T-posing maliciously and expect me to give you headcanons?🤨

I’m just pulling your leg!😉 Of course, I will! On to the Elliot headcanons!

🏳️‍🌈 A sexuality headcanon

Bisexual. Maybe Aroace, but that headcanon could be because Elliot strikes me as one of those teens who complain about love being gross. So, I’m not sure how much that influences the idea, but I could see it working for him, too.

🏳️‍⚧️ A gender headcanon

Well, while my instinct is to go with a cis-gendered male, another possible option for Elliot would be transgender. He reminds me of a friend of mine who started transitioning while we were in high school (coincidentally, their name is Elliot), and while my friend isn’t a tech genius, I see similarities between them. They have similar styles and personalities (though my Elliot is a little more upbeat), and while I can’t explain it well, I can say that’s where the headcanon comes from.

👽 A headcanon about a weird quirk of there

Elliot has a detailed routine for maintaining his equipment. He NEVER lets anyone else do it because he knows they'll mess it up somehow. It's a multi-step process where he cleans his equipment inside and out to keep his tech working perfectly. He cleans the hardware and the software to prevent anything from glitching or slowing down. He does it in the same order every time, and when he’s on a cleaning spree, people avoid entering his lab unless absolutely necessary.

🦾 A disability headcanon

Elliot is high-functioning autistic and has also been diagnosed with ADHD. He can easily hyper fixate on a topic but also needs to keep himself occupied by doing something. Hacking was one of his hyperfixations that he never grew out of and always returned to. He doesn't like telling people about his disabilities because he’s been bullied for them, but the Bureau doesn’t treat him differently because of them. They all took the time to educate themselves on autism and ADHD and learn about what it means for Elliot. They know how to help him through meltdowns brought on by overstimulation, and while Marina is the expert, the others are good at helping when she’s unavailable.

💔 An angsty headcanon

Elliot was traumatized by his time being captured by Anbu Devanesan. He talks to Marina about the ordeal, but the physical and mental scars still hurt him. He gets nightmares of being kidnapped and a twisted version of the night where the Bureau doesn’t save him. He also has a scar on his right temple from where Anbu cut him with his gun. Elliot hides it with his hair as best he can to avoid remembering having a gun against his head, and sometimes, he can’t even bring himself to look at his reflection. When he sees the scar, he’s imminently brought back to the dockyard in Singapore, where he nearly became SOMBRA’s newest recruit.

🎭 A headcanon about what they lie about

How late he stays up at night. Elliot has an atrocious sleep schedule; he barely sleeps. He enjoys staying up until at least midnight, but he usually stays up until later. Of course, in the past, he could sleep in as late as he wanted, but after joining the Bureau, he needed to wake up to an alarm. It's the main reason you’ll almost always see a cup of coffee or an energy drink on his desk in hopes of keeping him awake.

😬 A headcanon about the worst thing they’ve done

Elliot used to take hacking requests on the dark web before he joined the Bureau. Most were innocent enough, like hacking a client’s ex’s computer or messing up the software of evil companies. However, one of the requests he got seemed harmless enough at first, but it soon turned sinister. He was hired to hack and lock down an organization’s system and hold it for ransom. He did as asked, hacked the network his client provided him access to, and locked everyone out. It wasn’t until he was a couple hours into the mission that he found out the organization he had attacked was a children’s hospital in London after he heard about it on the news.

Elliot felt sick to his stomach at allowing himself to be used for something so horrible. He might seem heartless, but he would NEVER prevent someone from receiving medical care, especially not children. So, Elliot immediately released the hospital’s systems before they could pay anything to the one who hired him and covered his tracks. But not well enough. A few days later, the Bureau knocked on his door, and he was brought in for questioning. After hours of interrogation and making a deal with Chief Ripley, Elliot joined them in exchange for not going to jail and helped them arrest the mastermind behind the attack.

And that’s a wrap on my headcanons for Elliot!

Thank you for the request!

[winxanity-ii]

⌜No Hoods Attached | Chapter 24 Chapter 24 | fractured delusions⌟

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❘ prev. chapter ❘༻✦༺❘ next chapter ❘

As the backstage area becomes a blur around you, Taehyung's arms tighten, lifting you off the ground in a celebratory spin, your laughter mingling with his in a shared bubble of joy. His voice is warm, a melodic whisper close to your ear, "I knew you could do it," he says, his laughter vibrating through you. As the spinning slows, you find yourselves locked in a gaze, the world around fading to a distant hum.

Your feet touch the ground again, but you hardly notice, caught in the gravity of Taehyung's gaze. The space between you narrows, each breath you take seems to draw him closer. His breath, a warm caress against your face, sends shivers down your spine. Your heart pounds so loudly you're convinced he can hear it, its rhythm syncing with the lingering notes of your shared performance.

Just a breath away, his gaze drops to your lips, then back to your eyes, a silent question hanging in the air. Before the two of you can kiss, you instinctively turn your head, his lips brushing against your cheek instead.

The moment is suspended, a mix of surprise and bashfulness enveloping you both. Putting space between you, Taehyung and you share a moment of awkward laughter, the tension dissipating into the air.

"Uh, I should probably go get changed... and get back to the crowd," Taehyung stammers, a flush creeping onto his cheeks, mirroring your own.

You nod, words jumbling out in a clumsy rush, "Yeah, yeah, good idea, go... do that."

He lingers for a heartbeat longer, his eyes flitting to yours again, laden with unsaid words, before he turns to leave. As he walks away, you catch him throwing glances over his shoulder, each look sending a flurry of butterflies through your stomach.

Standing alone now, you touch the spot on your cheek, the warmth of his breath still lingering on your skin. The mixed feelings of relief and disappointment tangle inside you, leaving you to wonder about the 'what ifs' as the backstage area slowly empties, and the echoes of applause fade into a distant memory.

Still basking in the afterglow of everything, your solitude is shattered as Alex approaches you. Her expression is a mix of contrition and unease. "Hey, I... I just, uh, wanted to say congratulations," she begins, her voice tinged with a forced cheerfulness that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

You nod, wary but polite, as she steps closer. "Thank you, Alex," you reply, maintaining a cautious distance. After a brief pause, a pang of empathy nudges you to add, "And I'm sorry that things didn't turn out as you hoped with the YaNi role. I know you were really excited about it."

Alex's demeanor shifts, a playful squeal escaping her as she waves off your apology. "Oh, don't worry about that! I'm just glad to have been part of the journey, you know? Plus, you were absolutely amazing out there!" Her excitement seems genuine, but there's a flicker of something else in her eyes; she leans in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face, her voice a mix of admiration and something darker, more sinister. "Really, I mean it. And that little moment between you and Taehyung," she teases, nudging you playfully. "...it was something out of a fairy tale."

Before you can react, she envelops you in a hug, but the warmth you'd expect is missing. "...Still... That should have been me," she murmurs as she she clings to you, her voice turning cold, venom laced with every word.

You stiffen, taken aback by the sudden shift.

She pulls back, her eyes locking with yours, and the mask falls away, revealing the raw, unfiltered jealousy and bitterness. "I recognized that jacket, you know, from the fan-meeting," she confesses, her voice laced with resentment. "I knew it was yours the moment I saw Taehyung wearing it on one of his Twitter posts. I couldn't believe it... that you, of all people, were connected to him."

Your heart begins to race, a sense of dread washing over you as Alex's revelations unfold.

"I couldn't stand it," she continues, her words coming out faster and her voice rising, fueled by a festering anger. "At first, I refused to believe that you two could be dating, clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, you weren't together. But then the email leak happened. And just the thought of you, so close to him, to all of this... I knew I had to do something."

You're speechless, your mind racing to piece together her words.

"I was the one pushing Han-jiyoo to go to HYBE. I was the one to suggest that they tighten security, hoping it would trip you up, make things harder for you. I even nudged those... those stupid fucking fans, hinting about the connection to the jacket, hoping to stir the pot... I wanted to see you fall, to take your place beside Taehyung."

"And it almost worked," she snarled with piercing eyes, stepping back as her mask completely sheds. "But somehow, you still ended up here, in the spotlight, with him. You still got your fairy tale ending, while I'm left with nothing." Her voice cracks, a mix of fury and defeat. "I refuse to let this stand, you know. Your little fairy tale... it won't last. I'll make sure of it," Alex hisses, venom in her voice as she turns to storm off.

But before she can leave, a sharp voice stops her in her tracks. "What did you just say?" Yoongi's voice, icy and filled with barely contained fury, echoes in the otherwise quiet backstage area.You turn to see Yoongi stepping from the shadows, his eyes fixed on Alex with a glare that could freeze fire. "I knew there was something off about you," he spits out, advancing toward her with a determined stride.

Alex's composure breaks, her voice sharp with desperation. "Stay out of this, Yoongi! It's none of your business!" she snaps.

Yoongi's eyes narrow, and he steps closer, his presence commanding. "When it involves my family, it becomes my business," he retorts, glancing at you, emphasizing the word 'family' with a protective edge.

He doesn't hold back, his voice tinged with disdain. "Desperate, aren't you? All that scheming, all that plotting, and for what? To fail miserably in the end?" He shakes his head, a mix of anger and pity in his eyes.

Alex's eyes flash with a mix of defiance and desperation as she scrambles for some semblance of dignity, facade beginning to crack. "I did what I had to do! You don't understand what it's like, always being the second choice, always in the background!" she spits out, her voice quivering with a cocktail of emotions.

With a venomous glare directed at you, she hisses, "And you! You just waltz in and steal the spotlight without even trying. What makes you so special, huh?"

Yoongi steps between you and Alex, his posture radiating protectiveness. "Enough," he commands, his voice brooking no argument. "Don't make this about her. I've seen a lot in this industry, but you..." He trails off, shaking his head with a scoff. "You're a new low," he continues, his voice dropping to a low, menacing growl.

Yoongi leans in closer, his gaze fixed on Alex. "You orchestrated this entire thing. Planned it all out, only to end up humiliating yourself in front of everyone. Pathetic." He sneers, letting out a humorless chuckle. "The delusion is strong with you. Taehyung wouldn't never even touch someone as desperate and manipulative as you with a ten-foot pole."

Yoongi's words hit a nerve; at the mention of Taehyung, something snaps within Alex. Face contorted with rage, she lets out a banshee shriek and lunges at him, nails bared. Before she could actually land a hit, security guards materialized seemingly out of thin air, alerted by the commotion. They move with practiced efficiency, quickly restraining a thrashing and screeching Alex.

They grasp her arms, restraining her as she continues to hurl insults and threats, her eyes locked on you. "This isn't over! It's not fair! He should be mine!" she screeches, struggling against the security's firm grip.

Yoongi watches coldly as she's escorted away, her desperate cries echoing off the walls. Once she's out of sight, he turns to you, his expression softening. "Are you okay?" he asks, his concern genuine; Yoongi's hand is warm on your shoulder, grounding you as you try to process the rapid unraveling of events. "It's over now," he assures you, his voice steady and calm. "She won't be able to harm you or anyone else." You nod, feeling a mix of relief and residual shock. "I just... I never saw it coming," you admit, your voice a mere whisper. He gives your shoulder a gentle squeeze. "People like her are good at hiding their true intentions. But remember, you're not alone. We're all here for you," Yoongi says, his gaze sincere. The backstage area slowly regains its usual controlled chaos. The earlier tension dissipates, replaced by the quiet hum of roadies dismantling equipment. Suddenly, a familiar voice pierces the newfound calm, "Y/N!" You look up to see Seora barreling towards you, her face etched with worry. Your father follows close behind, his expression uncharacteristically grim. Relief washes over you as you throw your arms around Seora in a tight hug. She holds you for a long moment, her hold a silent expression of comfort and support. Finally, you pull back, tears welling up in your eyes. "Seora, you won't believe what just happened," you stammer, the events of the past few minutes tumbling out in a rush. As you recount the entire ordeal to them, every word of Alex's demented plan, Seora's face contorts with rage. Her eyes narrow into slits, and she clenches her fist so tightly her knuckles turn white. "Oh, on God and on my mama, I'm about to fuck Ji-yoo up! Fucking sell-out," she hisses, her voice barely a whisper. Just as quickly, the fire in her eyes softens, replaced by a wave of protectiveness; she pulls you into another hug, burying her face in your hair. "I can't believe you had to go through all that," she mutters, her voice thick with emotion. "Just ridiculous." Your father steps forward, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. His expression is a mask of steely resolve. "Don't worry, Y/N," he says, his voice firm. "We'll handle this. Alex will not get away with this." He cups your face, his touch gentle yet firm. He leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead, his eyes filled with a father's unwavering love and protectiveness. "We'll make sure she's held accountable," he continues, his voice leaving no room for argument. "This isn't over." "Thank you guys, for being here." In that moment, surrounded by the people who matter most, you feel a surge of gratitude. Despite the chaos, you're reminded that you're not alone, bolstered by the support of your loved ones, ready to face whatever comes next with them by your side.

***not alex being the bad guy...whaaa??? DUN DUN DUUUNNNNNNN!

[domripley]

Object Insertion

pairing: cecilia pederson x reader

warnings: verbal humiliation, dubcon, cecilia is maniplative, face slapping, she fucks reader with a hairbrush. kind of spoilers for saw x, threats of anal, cecilia isn't nice in this but its uh canon

kinktober 2023 day two: object insertion

summary: you tell cecilia that you don't want to be part of her scam any more. she doesn't take it too well.

edited by my lovely girlfriend @specialinterestshows 🥰

this is a repost

“You were such a good girl for me this week, but now? Now you want to go against what I’ve planned?” Cecilia sighed, shaking her head as she walked around her desk. “What’s gotten into you, baby girl?”

“I don’t think I can do this to anyone anymore, Cecilia. I’m going to turn myself in tonight,” you admit, knowing that she wasn’t going to take what you said well, but feeling guilty. You knew everything about her operation and even though you only played a small part in it, you still felt terrible.

“You’re going to what?” she asked, getting closer to where you were sitting on the couch in her office, “Do you want to repeat that for me?”

You shook your head, not wanting to give in to what she wanted. You knew if she pushed you just enough, you’d agree to anything - but it wasn’t going to work this time.

“You heard me, Cecilia. I don’t need to repeat myself,” you said, playing with your fingernail. You didn’t want to look at her, knowing she was angry and that you would fold once you saw the look on her face.

You jumped when she grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at her. She was visibly angry - seething even - and as she held your head in place, you grew even more anxious than before. “I think you’re trying to lie to yourself, baby; but you can’t lie to me, no matter how much you try. You want me. You need me.”

“I-I don’t need you,” you whispered as she brought her other hand up to your face. She let go of you before slapping you as hard as she could. You gasped, jumping up from your seat - only to be pushed back down onto the couch.

“Oh you don’t? I don’t believe you. You’re a pathetic little whore who needs me to take care of them and I'll prove it to you,” she stated, watching as you held your face in your hand.

“What are you talking ab-” you began, but she cut you off by pulling you to your feet. You grunted, finding your footing once she pulled away from you.

“I’m not going to repeat myself because I know you heard me the first time. I’m going to run to my room and grab a few things; when I come back out, I want you naked and standing where you’re at now. Do you understand me?” Cecilia asked, but you ignored her. No matter what she was going to do, you were still going to turn yourself in. She grabbed you by the neck, causing you to let out a surprised whimper as she began to squeeze hard.

“You know how much I hate repeating myself, (Your Name), but if I have to, I will,” she said, studying your face as she waited for your response. When it never came, she let out a laugh. “I said: Do you understand me?”

“Y-Yes, I-I un-understand!” you choked out, earning a sinister smile from Cecilia.

“There’s my good girl,” she praised you. It made you sick to your stomach and all you could think about was everything you’ve done for her. You hated yourself and how easy it was for her to get you to do things she wanted.

You watched as she walked out of her home office before hesitantly beginning to take your clothes off. You pulled your shirt off and folded it neatly, just the way Cecilia always made you. You repeated this with your other clothes, hoping she would take her time with whatever she was doing. After five minutes went by, you were surprised when she came out with nothing but a hairbrush. She was naked, but you were used to her using some kind of toy on you.

“A hairbrush?” you questioned, watching as a cocky smirk formed on her face.

You watched as she sat down on the couch without saying a word, and when she tapped her thigh with the hairbrush, you took that as your cue to sit on her lap. As you moved to sit on her, she stopped you before you could. “Lay across my lap,” she instructed. You gave her an odd look, but did as you were told.

Cecilia let you get comfortable, giving you some time before she spoke up once more. “You say you don’t need me, but who else will take care of you? Take care of this needy cunt?” she asked, lightly slapping the back of the hairbrush against the back of your thighs.

“I believe I asked you a question, whore,” she said, but you shook your head.

“I-I can find someone who would treat me a lot better than you,” you said as firmly as you could, but it didn’t come out the way you wanted it to. You hoped that Cecilia hadn’t noticed, but unfortunately for you, she noticed it.

“You’re so fucking pathetic, it’s cute. Can you find someone who can give you everything you want? Lie to me again and this hairbrush is going in your ass. But, hey, who knows, you might like it.”

“Please no. I can’t find someone who would treat me a lot better,” you whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. But that wasn’t good enough for her.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you,” she laughed, bringing the hairbrush up to her face. You winced as you heard her spit on it, and when she brought it to your entrance, you couldn’t help but tense up. “Relax.”

“I can’t find someone who would treat me better than you,” you said just above a whisper, silently hoping that that was enough for her.

To your surprise, it was.

Sliding the handle of the hairbrush into your pussy, she held it in place as she brought her other hand to your hair. Gripping your hair, Cecilia leaned down and asked, “I’d fuck you with my strap or fingers, but you don’t deserve it. But by the looks of it, you don’t seem to mind that you’ve got a hairbrush in your cunt. Do you?”

You shook your head defeated, “N-No, Mommy, I don’t.”

“That’s a good girl,” she praised.

Cecilia began to fuck the hairbrush into you at a rough pace, not bothering to warm you up. You let out a moan, gripping the armrest of the couch as she continued to fuck you with it.

“You’re making such a mess on me, you’re going to have to clean it up afterwards,” she said, moving her hand to her mouth. Sucking on her fingers, Cecilia watched the hairbrush go in and out of you. As much as she wanted to fuck you with her strapon, she knew she had to make you want it. The hairbrush was nowhere near as thick as any of the toys she would use on you. She pulled her fingers out of her mouth, quickly bringing them to your ass. Cecilia rubbed at your entrance, smiling to herself when you flinched.

“I told you all I was going to do was fuck you with the hairbrush, but I thought you might like having your asshole played with,” she sighed. You couldn’t help but moan embarrassingly loud. You were growing closer to your orgasm - you tried your best not to give in, but it all felt too good. “I never realized you were going to be this fucking pathetic. You’re going to come for me, aren’t you?”

You nodded frantically and began to beg, “Y-Yes, Mommy, yes. Please let me, m’need it.”

“Good girl! You’re such a good girl, you can come for me. Come while I’m fucking your pussy with a hairbrush like the pathetic slut you are,” she snapped.

You came with a cry, whimpering as Cecilia fucked you through your orgasm. As soon as you relaxed, she pulled the hairbrush out of you and threw it onto the floor. “Such a good girl for me.”

“Th-Thank you,” you whispered, moving off of her lap.

You looked up at her, eyes widening as she leaned down to get closer to your face. “You’re not going to turn yourself in, got it?”

You sighed, “Got it.”

[jekde04]

Questions and Answers

Gruvia Week 2023 | Day 2: Whisper

Summary: Gray decided to ask the one thing he had always wondered about Juvia, especially during nights when his demons caught up with him.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima

Read it on: FF | AO3

"What is Gray-sama reading?" a familiar voice whispered in his ear.

Gray jumped, immediately closing the book he was so engrossed in and trying to hide it from Juvia's view.

"Juvia! Where did you come from?" he hissed, trying to level down his voice as his words echoed in the vast chambers of Sabertooth's library.

Juvia placed her hands on top of her lips, eyes wide. "Juvia is so sorry for scaring you, Gray-sama!" She plopped down beside him, eyes all apologetic and hands reaching out for his. "Juvia was just curious what's got your attention so much. Gray-sama doesn't usually read, you know."

Gray scratched the back of his head. "Uh, it's nothing," he answered, looking away. "I just saw this book on a table and I thought — oi, what are you doing?!"

His face turned beet red as Juvia caught hold of the book he was reading and stared at the title, a little frown creasing her forehead.

"How to treat women..." she trailed off, confusion written all over her face as she looked up at him. "Why would Gray-sama read such a book?" Her brows scrunched up some more as her brain obviously went into overdrive.

Gray sighed. This girl has a wide imagination, but sometimes she couldn't connect the dots even if it was staring at her point blank. Not that he was complaining, as it would save him the embarrassment of the situation...

He watched with droopy eyes as recognition lit the bluenette's eyes and her hands flew back to her mouth.

"Could Gray-sama be thinking of how he should woo Juvia's love rivals?"

"B-but why? Is Juvia not enough? Juvia thought she got rid of all the love rivals already!" Despite her attempts to keep her breakdown quiet, Juvia's voice was already on the brink of reaching a fever pitch, threatening to destroy the library's quiet slumber.

.... And there goes her imagination, Gray thought. Juvia was now in full-blown panic mode, her eyes so round they were almost bulging out of their sockets as she cradled her cheeks.

Gray rolled his eyes and muttered "idiot" under his breath, ignoring his curiosity on how exactly she 'got rid' of her nonexistent love rivals. Reaching out to her, Gray rubbed her lower back gently while whispering, "You have no love rivals, Juvia." It had the intended relaxing effect as he saw her tense shoulders slump a little, but her next words caught him off-guard.

"Then why is Gray-sama reading this book and cheating on Juvia?"

"Ch-cheating?!" Gray sputtered. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Gray-sama is not wooing girls behind Juvia's back with this book?

"No! There aren't even any pick-up lines in that book!"

Wrong answer, he realized too late as Juvia's eyes narrowed into slits, a deathly aura suddenly emanating from her.

"Is Gray-sama looking for pick-up lines?" she asked in a sinister whisper, barely audible if not for the silence of the library.

"Of course not! Quit putting words in my mouth," he growled, getting increasingly annoyed by the second. So before Juvia could conjure another ridiculous question, Gray covered her mouth to shut her up.

"Look, Juvia. I just found this book lying around and thought it was interesting," he explained. "You'll find it interesting too, if you just read the whole title." Gray removed his hand covering Juvia's mouth as he shoved the book towards her.

Juvia's breath hitched in her throat, and at that moment, Gray knew everything finally clicked in her hyperactive brain. He watched as her face turned a tinge of pink before she asked innocently, "But why would Gray-sama read something like this when he's already got Juvia's heart forever?"

"How to Treat Women: An Idiot's Foolproof Guide to Navigating the Emotions of Rain Women and Winning Their Hearts Forever"

It was now Gray's turn to blush at Juvia's bold words. She may not realize it, but she had a habit of sputtering out confessions out of the blue that would greatly fluster Gray. For Juvia, it was just another fact of life, but Gray doubted if he'd ever get used to the feeling of warmth blooming in his chest, spreading out to every fiber of his being, all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes.

He always got caught off-guard when he would get hit with the reality that this beautiful, sweet, and loving girl in front of him was his.

"Well..." Gray started, racking his brain for words. "It's not like I got you all figured out. There's still a lot of things I don't know about you."

"You could ask," she replied with a smile. "What does Gray-sama want to know about Juvia?"

Everything, Gray wanted to say, but she would probably go on a litany of everything about her... and who knows when that would end? So he decided to ask the one thing he had always wondered about, especially during nights when his demons caught up with him.

"How could someone like you fall in love with someone like me?"

A thoughtful look passed over Juvia's face before she let out an amused chuckle. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she said, "Is it weird that Juvia does not know the answer to that?"

She paused for a moment before continuing. "If Gray-sama had asked this a year ago, maybe Juvia would say it was because he took the rain away. But that was a long time ago, and so many things had happened since then. Juvia felt rejected by Gray-sama more times than she could count."

Juvia giggled to lighten up the mood, but Gray felt his heart drop at her words. Of course, he knew how difficult he was in the past as he tried to fight his growing feelings for the water mage to no avail. But not once had he ever thought of placing himself in Juvia's shoes to figure out how his attitude affected her.

While he was busy sorting out his feelings, driving her away only to pull her back in — she bore the brunt of his indecision and put on a brave face as if nothing fazed her. Only when she admitted feeling rejected did he realize how much she endured, and it hit him like Erza's armored punch in the gut.

"But the thought of giving up was something Juvia just couldn't take," Juvia whispered, bringing Gray back from his musings. "Juvia couldn't imagine a life without Gray-sama. And even if Gray-sama loved someone else and only treated Juvia as a friend, Juvia thought it was better than not having him in her life at all. So Juvia kept showing her love because she knew, deep in her heart, that there would be no one else."

A melancholic smile graced her lips.

"Juvia had long given up on understanding how she fell in love with Gray-sama, but she knew that she loves Gray-sama for all that he is and all that he isn't."

She had this faraway look in her eyes as if he was no longer in the room and she was just talking to herself.

After a while, she turned back to him. "Sorry if Juvia does not have an answer to your question, Gray-sama. But she —"

Before she could say another word, Gray cupped her face and crashed his lips to hers in a passionate lip lock.

Why did it matter why Juvia loved him? She loves him, and he loves her — it's that simple.

The only question he needed to answer was how to show how much she really meant to him so that she would no longer have any fears or doubts in her heart. And he knew the answers wouldn’t be found in any book in Sabertooth's vast collection — or anywhere else in the world, for that matter.

Gray gently pushed Juvia so he could look her in the eyes. "I asked the wrong question." He kissed her again, short and sweet and tender. "What I really wanted to ask was, even after everything... will you please be mine forever?" And before she could reply, he dove for another kiss, full of warmth and feelings he often communicated through actions rather than words.

When he finally let her go, Juvia couldn't help but giggle, her face all flushed. "How could Juvia ever say no after that?"

Gray smirked, tucking a loose blue tendril behind her ear. "Well, the plan was for you to say yes," he whispered.

"Then yes," she whispered back and kissed him once again. Gray reveled in the feeling of having Juvia in his arms, all traces of sadness or doubt gone as if they never existed in the first place.

He had a more important question lingering in his mind, one that he had been dying to ask Juvia for some time now and would open up the bright future ahead of them. Gray made a mental note to start looking for the ring that would go perfectly with it.

*

A/N: Sorry for the late Gruvia Week entries! I've had this in my drafts for a while but didn't get the chance to edit it until now. Will post more stories in the next few days.

[fun-k-board]

Some extra information on my universe's Sinister Six members.

First post here

I'm tempted to do entire fics on them but- I need to stop before I start overwhelming myself and getting too excited.

Doctor Olivia Odell

Likes - She's always had a strange fascination with ballet, always adores any dances that include sea themes, or long flowy silk.

Dislikes - Any vehicles, cars, helicopters, even bicycles make her nervous and uncomfortable because she has no control. Olivia used to walk everywhere, now, her tentacle situation can help with that.

Favourite food - Fruits, specifically strawberries and blueberries, she loves salads because they can be so diverse with what foods are included.

Least favourite food - Anything spicy, she's always preferred colder foods, and so something hot in temperature let alone flavour is just not her thing.

How does she text? - Usually her texts have very good grammar, even in crisis, she doesn't text often and prefers to use emails in which they're very professional and well structured.

Nationality - English.

What does she think of her fellow Sinister Six members? -

I... Have mixed feelings on the Green Goblin, I believe that his obsession with perfecting... Whatever he was trying to do, was rather immature, and not well thought out, but, I can understand his need for scientific discovery.

Frederick? His connections are useful, and his dedication to his family is admirable, but it gets in the way. He has a soft spot for those younger than him, which, to be fair, is a lot of people.

Marlene is far too bright, my eyes sting just looking at her. She's also very young and unsure. Her powers, however? Now, that's interesting.

Miguel, much like Frederick, has family issues that are too distracting, but, at least he's much more willing to be a firm leader and get the job done.

Mysterio... What do I say about Mysterio?... He's... His illusions are definitely useful...

Norman Osborn

Likes - He likes shiny objects, anything that can spin, and screams. They're loud, they drown out the voices.

Dislikes - Those two boys... He can't remember how he knows them, but he knows it's painful to see them.

Favourite food - Steak.

Least favourite food - Anything with too much grease.

How does he text? - Doesn't bother to check for spelling errors, punctuation, or grammar, and he's barely coherent. Yet, he insists on texting the Sinister Six group chat regularly.

Nationality - American.

What does he think of his fellow Sinister Six members?

Pretty hair, like little tentacles.

Sand is irritating, all over my skin... He does it on purpose, I know it.

Bright, loud... Perfect to listen to... Not fun to talk to.

Too quiet... He reminds me of... Of...

Shiny, I like the helmet, it spins.

Frederick Miller

Likes - Playing dolls with his daughter, he can't afford much, but his wife passed down a dollhouse with some cute little wooden peg dolls that they play with after school.

Dislikes - Soft beds, he's always preferred a hard surface to sleep on, maybe that's why his back is so horrible.

Favourite food - He likes cereal. It's cheap, the most important meal of the day, they give you a lot of what you need, plus, you can add anything to it.

Least favourite food - Honestly? Anything with an expensive price tag, the cheaper, the better it tastes.

How does he text? - He can't actually write too well and so uses the speech to text feature, it makes his texts get misunderstood regularly.

Nationality - American.

What does he think of his fellow Sinister Six members?

Olivia is strange, she's not a bad co-worker but she's intense. I don't know if she likes me, and I don't know if I like her. At the end of the day, she's just another criminal I gotta work with.

Uh... That guy...? Green Goblin, was it? He's... He's definitely a... Uhm... Person...?

Marlene reminds me of my kid, they're bright, fun, and honestly? I feel bad for them, they shouldn't be in this business, at all, from what they've told me, it was a complete accident.

Miguel, he's strict, commanding, but that's until you share a beer with the guy. He's damaged, I feel for him. Although, that doesn't make me like waking up at five AM any more.

I don't like how Mysterio acts around Marlene. He's just... Weird... At least his technology is useful.

Marlene Diegel

Likes - Ballet and classical music, they're very important to the history of theatre and the entertainment industry in general.

Dislikes - Dull colours and costumes that aren't flashy, in their opinion, if you're going to be a villain you may as well dress the part.

Favourite food - Cake, the ones with heavy icing and cherries on top.

Least favourite food - Chicken, especially with bones in it.

How do they text? - Lots of emoticons and exclamation / quotation marks, she's never professional texting even when it's about a serious mission.

Nationality - German.

What do they think of their fellow Sinister Six members?

I wish I was as smart as Olivia, I admire her, really, but she's honestly not very fun to be around. She's quiet, and kinda boring, but at least her tentacles can hold stuff for me.

Green Goblin gives me the creeps, he's literally green, I thought he was some kind of alien at first. I can't imagine purposefully doing that to yourself.

Frederick is nice to me, I don't know why, but he feels like my dad, or my brother, or just my friend, even if we never get to sit down and talk much, I always enjoy when we do.

Miguel also reminds me of my dad, but how he actually was, and not the feeling of a dad. He's very strict and he kinda scares me sometimes, but he's not doing it in a bad way, or at least I don't think he is?

Mysterio's got a fish bowl for a head, I admire the flair, especially the cape, but it is a little ridiculous, and that's coming from somebody with lighting patterns all over their clothes. There's something about him though, I can't place my finger on it!

Miguel Dominguez

Likes - Taking videos and photos, he originally wanted to be a photographer before joining the army, and he's never managed to get back into the hobby professionally.

Dislikes - Watching sports, he despises how boring it is and how you aren't even doing anything while watching.

Favourite food - Pizza, specifically with jalapenos, barbeque sauce and pineapple, it adds a spicy kick and an interesting flavour combination, which boosts his energy.

Least favourite food - Spaghetti, it was his wife's favourite, even the smell makes him sick to his stomach.

How does he text? - He uses emojis a lot and isn't well versed in how people typically use them, so tends to come off as strange. Very good grammar, but occasionally he will sacrifice a bullet point or capital letter once and a while.

Nationality - Mexican.

What does he think of his fellow Sinister Six members?

Olivia's smart, she put this scorpion tail on me, but, I know what it looks like when someone is being told to do something. That's all I'm sharing.

Green Goblin's more like a pet than a human, why would a man reduce himself to such an animalistic state of mind is beyond me. At least he follows orders, I suppose.

Frederick is a good, hardworking, man. Despite how he acts at first, he is very family centered, and I feel as if we both have an understanding of our relationship as co-workers.

I don't think Marlene's cut out for this line of work.

I appreciate Mysterio and his illusions, the technology is impressive, and he's even added advancements to my tail on more than one occasion. But, he's a bit too... Eccentric, for our missions.

Quinlan Blanchfield

Likes - Baking, specifically after a long day of working behind the stage, the lights, the music, it all gives him a rush, and baking cools him down.

Dislikes - The colour blue, it's always just annoyed him, it's too soft.

Favourite food - Cokie dough, and cookies, but, he's working on trying to convince Olivia to help him find a way to safely consume cookie dough, so far she's uninterested.

Least favourite food - Anything that's salty, he never adds salt to his baking, no matter how much it'll improve it.

How does he text? - Uses words that any regular person would need a dictionary to decipher, he's never had a spelling error or incorrect grammar, yet he also uses emojis occasionally.

Nationality - French.

What does he think of his fellow Sinister Six members?

Olivia is impressive, her advancements are far beyond any others, and I'm not just saying that because her boss funds us and our living situations.

Green Goblin interests me, his state of mind, or lack thereof, his costume, everything is such a point of intrigue, I can't wait to learn more when he starts to regain his memories.

The sand guy? He's annoying, I'm starting to think he's spilling sand into my costume on purpose.

Marlene...? No comment.

Miguel is a great leader, he's strong, strict, everything about him is intense, I admire him, I really do, but his schedules and god, the diet? Don't get me started.

[mcflymemes]

MURDER, SHE WROTE PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the television show

suppose you tell me what happened here last night.

i'm looking for motive.

back home, we have a saying. flowers that bloom too quickly are fair game for a late frost.

i don't want to alarm you, but something very sinister is going on here.

all right. we come to an understanding, or one of us doesn't leave here alive.

there are three things you can never have enough of in life: chocolate, friends, and the theatre.

a good guest is like halley's comet. seen and enjoyed seldom and briefly.

you can never nudge the moral compass far from its true north without losing something vital.

i've gotta talk to you.

half the country had reason to kill him.

they do say a new experience broadens the mind.

it's a job requirement.

lie down, dear. lie down. it's a dream, that's all.

that is a marvelously interesting recipe.

send me a copy of the book when it's finished?

you always do, don't you?

you must do quite well.

it's hard to know yourself.

were we ever that innocent?

uh, there's just one slight problem.

there will be two house seats waiting for you the next time you're in town.

in our business... you never know.

i was bored out of my mind.

you are trouble.

now you wait right here.

would you do me the honor of dining with me this evening?

time for you to get back to work.

out for some early morning air?

it's hard to know yourself, let alone another person.

not funny, friend.

funny thing about having your name in lights. when the power fails, you learn a lot about yourself and your "friends."

three more paragraphs and i can go to bed.

the party tonight? we're coming as our favorite fictional character.

i doubt that any of us despised him enough to kill him.

that's what you're all thinking, isn't it?

what's wrong with this phone?

who ever heard of framing someone with the wrong gun?

at least... i don't think i did.

well, how about a toast for later?

how soon can you get down here?

i don't know. i haven't made up my mind yet.

is that you?

look, it's an interesting puzzle. i'll give it a try.

i've got the name of a very good lawyer.

they've told me absolutely nothing about you.

i'm so sorry. i should have told you.

you haven't got a thing to wear.

you have my word on it.

i do believe you're offering me a job.

don't you go to the movies?

you've been seeing too many stephen king movies.

rudeness does not become you.

people do seem to enjoy it.

just as i suspected. when under stress, the english always head for the teapot.

i'm not used to being refused.

i haven't read any of them.

permit me the pleasure of educating you.

television is your business, not mine.

i don't usually give advice, but in this case, i say... go for it.

you must be a real book lover!

how good of you to come.

is there anything else you need?

they asked if maybe you wouldn't mind bending the truth just a little.

yeah, that's nice... but no thanks.

hey, isn't that something.

that isn't what i meant at all.

there's not much to tell.

now i may be wrong... but frankly, i doubt it.

we didn't have much in common.

i'm sorry honey, but we're just dying in here.

help is on the way!

i can be very persuasive.

how about a pair of pants?

i sure know how to pick 'em, don't i?

how could i refuse?

why don't you take some advice?

i haven't eaten a thing since breakfast.

slander can be an expensive indulgence.

[archiveikemen]

Ikemen Villains Prologue: Chapter 3

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by downloading and playing their games.

read this before interacting with my posts

(Making deliveries at night isn’t too bad once you've gotten used to it. … My next stop is the last one for today.)

It was one of the most magnificent townhouses in the entire estate.

(Huh… this house doesn't have a mailbox.)

(It’s nighttime, so I shouldn't shout… what should I do?)

I lightly pushed the gate a little, and it creaked open inwards.

(It's not locked. The owner’s pretty careless.)

Kate: Excuse me, I’m from the post office. … Is there anyone home?

I entered through the gate and peeped into the dimly lit entrance hall that had its lights off.

(Is that the sound of a piano…?)

There was a soft tune playing out of nowhere.

The joyful and rhythmical tune that echoed through the air was giving me a strange feeling.

(... I’m sure the person playing the piano lives here. But if I just hand the letter to a random person, it might get lost.)

(I should deliver it properly, to its rightful recipient.)

Feeling fearful, I stepped into the hall.

The sound of my footsteps resonating as I walked through the polished hall mixed with the piano's tune.

(I’m getting kind of uncomfortable.)

I’m just trying to get my job done, but why does this feel like I’m doing something horribly wrong?

(I’ll pass the letter to them quickly and head straight home.)

(The sound… it seems to be coming from that hall in front.)

I knocked on the door, but the music never stopped playing. … I was getting impatient.

I anxiously placed my hand on the doorknob.

Kate: Um… excuse m—

Kate: — mmph.

(... huh?)

— A bright red liquid spurted out right before my eyes.

That thing the liquid was gushing out from fell onto the floor with a thud.

(W-What…?)

“That thing” rolled to my feet, and our eyes met.

“He” had a painful look on “his” face and held a knife to “his” neck— “he” was dead.

Kate: —!?

I gasped and felt a warm liquid drip down my cheeks, a shiver ran down my spine.

(Why.)

???: I wasn’t expecting an audience tonight.

I turned to look at my surroundings—

Eight shadows, darker than the darkness of the room, stared silently at me under the pale moonlight.

They seemed to be wondering who I was. Or rather…

They were trying to lure me into a trap.

One of them slowly stood up from the piano placed in that hall.

Red Eyed Man: Now look who we have here, aren't you the little robin I met earlier today?

Kate: Um…uh… eeh…?

He was that man with red eyes I met in London at around dusk.

I stared blankly back at the men, unable to process anything else other than that fact.

Cat-Like Man: She’s acquaintances with Will? Does she know about us?

Red Eyed Man: We merely exchanged a few words on the streets, Liam. She doesn't know about ‘Crown’.

(‘Crown’...?)

Cat-Like Man: Then we’re in trouble. What should we do…?

Out of proportion to the dark atmosphere of the crime scene, a man gazed at me with a tender smile.

His friendly pink eyes were sparkling with a look of curiosity.

Aloof Man: My apologies if it’s freaking you out. That thing is actually just a stage prop used for a play.

A man with the aura of a playboy briefly pointed at the corpse with his chin and threw me a sidelong glance.

Kate: Y-You’re lying…

I couldn't help but recall the feeling of a warm liquid dripping down my cheeks.

Aloof Man: … It would’ve been better if you at least pretended to believe me.

Aloof Man: What do we do about this, Will?

Red Eyed Man: Of course we should — take her to “The Palace’s God of Death”.

Sinister-Looking Man: Tch… I told you to lock the gate.

Man Carrying a Shotgun: Haha I didn't think anyone would trespass. You’re a naughty girl, aren't you, young lady?

Tall Young Man: Why don't you come over? It’s not like you can get away with this.

“It’s not like you can get away with this.” — I was filled with fear when I heard those words.

(W-What should I… I… I have to escape…!)

I cursed my trembling legs and was about to back away, when—

A pair of blood-red eyes caught me.

Red Eyed Man: "Come here, poor little robin."

(Huh!?)

The moment he whispered in a sweet voice — my legs seemed to gain a mind of their own and I found myself walking towards him.

(What the… why is this happening!? I can’t stop…!!)

Kate: I don’t want to…!

My legs continued moving on their own and I soon stopped right before him.

Red Eyed Man: Pardon my discourtesy.

He pulled me closer to him by the waist like we were waltzing.

(He’s going to kill me—)

As soon as I closed my eyes… the smell of roses tickled my nose, and something soft touched my cheeks.

(Huh…?)

Red Eyes Man: Done.

(Ah…)

He smiled and released me from his arms.

(Did he… the blood from just now…)

He wiped it off for me.

My legs suddenly gave way, causing me to fall onto the ground.

Red Eyed Man: A late self-introduction. My name is William. William Rex.

Against the pale moonlight, he bowed to me respectfully and extended his hand.

(William Rex…)

His bloodstained fingers slowly opened invitingly.

William: I’m inviting you for dinner tonight. What is your name, dear guest?

[mxstball]

Cynthia's Birthday

Undella Town, Unova

Hilda showed up in front of Caitlin's house. While Caitlin was still a part of the Elite Four, the lull in travelers and the warmer weather meant that she was free to nap more... and also hang out more. So, Hilda was excited to see her again so the two can spend the time talking. Heck, maybe they could both sneak in a nap or something at the same time.

Hilda didn't bother to knock on the door. Instead, she just let herself in.

"Caitlinnnn~" The trainer shut the door behind her. "I'm here! Thanks for letting me--"

Hilda stopped talking as she looked around. No one seemed to be home.

"... Huh? I'm sure she said that she'd be here." Hilda pulled up her C-Gear as she turned back around to leave....

... but the door was locked??? She couldn't get out!

However, before Hilda could take the time to be confused, the lights went out, causing the entire house to be pitch black. Then, after a second, the lights went back on.

... and sinister music could be heard--

"Oh, Hiiiildaaaaaa~"

"!!!" Oh, she knew that voice. "C--C--C---Cynthia--" Hilda slowly turned around to see the woman calling her name.

"You didn't think I'd forget about you, now... did you?"

Hilda could feel the last of her warmth leave her body. Oh, she has the worst feeling in the world right about now. Hilda looked around her. On the far end was the source of the sinister music: Cogita and Seth doing a duet on a piano, with Bede giving accompaniment. They really were setting the mood of this encounter.

But why? Ever since Cynthia retired from her position as champion and gave her role to some kid, she's been hardly seen from since! Encountering her has been like encountering a ghost, both in Sinnoh and Unova.

"My, my... did you forget what day it is today, Hilda?" Cynthia chuckled as she slowly rose out of her seat and walked to the center of the room.

"Wh--What uh... what day is it today, C--Cynthia--"

"Today's my birthday, of course.... And you know what I enjoy doing on my birthday, don't you~?"

"!!!!" Oh no. Not today. She wasn't prepared for something like this today! Hilda reached for the door again to try to open it. No use. The door was still locked.

"[Garchomp.]" Garchomp joined her trainer at the center of the room. There's no running from her, Hilda.

"Garchomp!" Oh, Hilda's so screwed. Please, let her out! Please! She doesn't want to battle Cynthia's team now! Let her bring Victini or Enamorus or something more than just Zekrom! She's going to be destroyed!

"...oh? Not feeling up to the challenge today, Hilda? Intimidated by little old Garchomp here? I thought you were always ready for a battle."

"Eep!" Hilda jumped. Oh, she's so screwed.

"She's missed you, you know? She missed battling you and crushing old Zekrom to bits. You're not going to wish to entertain my little girl, or any of my friends today? How about a friendly match for old time's sake?"

"....." Oh, why her? Why her why her why her? There was no way out of this... and no hope for her or her friends.

It was best to just get it over with.....

Hilda... slowly reached into her pouch and shakily took out a Pokéball.

"That's more like the Hilda I know. Let's catch up, shall we?"

You are challenged by Pokémon Trainer Cynthia!

---

Meanwhile, from the outside, Caitlin has been using her psychic abilities to keep the door shut and locked. She was starting to feel the tides turning.

It seems that this prank was all worth it in the end... and all she was required to do was to wait an extra day or two to get her nap partner back.

[prettyflyshyguy]

Ok place your bets how angry am I going to get at spn for their handling of S4 Sam because Dean's right.

"So far all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who uh, screwed you, played mind games with you and did everything in the book to get you to go bad."

Yeah babey I'm tired, it's my day off, and I've braved myself up to tackle the tumultuous S4 because it's giving mixed feelings!!!!

You know the drill. Unhinged thoughts, commentary and screaming under the cut. I've been in full media analysis mode for the last week so it might get a little academic too, who knows.

A warning - I'm not enjoying the Heaven x Hell sub plot. I know, I'm sorry (not really.) I will persist as long as I can but you can't rip seasons 1-3 out of my cold dead hands because I'm clinging to them too strongly. They just hit the spot near perfectly. World's biggest fandom member disappointment, and proud, over here.

Anyway commentary bellow!

S4E9/10 - I Know What You Did Last Summer & Heaven and Hell

Ok so, this is a real topic, and I'm going to tread lightly here, but I appreciate the sinister undertones of Ruby coming onto Sam and him actively pushing back - he's vulnerable, abusing a substance, and she's actively taking advantage of that and doesn't stop after he makes it clear he's uncomfortable the first time. A boundary is broken and pushed through. Very icky. I have seen spoilers for Ruby's character (unfortunately!) and like, have to say, she got me. But I think I'd start to really clue in with this episode that something is deeply not ok - based on that one scene alone.

I am however, deeply worried, that the emotional manipulation is not going to be handled with the consideration it needs (especially with regards to a woman coming onto a man and being too pushy) and it'll be played off lightly. I guess we'll find out. But I'm getting defensive already. Appreciate that Dean clocks it immediately however.

On a lighter note - go psychic boy go

Anytime Dean makes this face I go mental. He looks like a concerned version of the Eyes emoji. Top 10 expressions I have too much fun trying to replicate in art. Buddy being dead for 6 months must've sucked you've missed so much Oh No.

Supremely embarrassed that it ONLY JUST CLICKED that they're doing a whole Sam's with the Demons, Dean's with the Angels thing.

I'll focus in on the most specific shit and then something so blunt will fly over my big idiot head. Amazing.

Ironic of course, and clearly intentional that its cause Sam was always appointed the 'better one' but that's only cause Dean purposefully inserted himself as the moral-fall character as a way to try and protect Sam. Obsessed with that concept, not so much with the heaven v hell stuff.

REGARDLESS, two angels rocking up and Ruby's immediate response being to turn on the demon eyes makes me wonder - is this intentional - did she choose to do this, was an otherworldly force compelling her to do it?

No I'm not just asking these cause I'm cooking up ideas for Sam to get more demonic nooooooo what're you talking about noooooooo

Hilarious that Cas and his mate rock up like "Hello we are literal fucking angels, we want this human woman please we're going to kill her now, please hand her over"

like they can't just yoink her regardless.

And this is starting to stray into "Why Shy really isn't enjoying the heaven-hell stuff in spn" - which I should save for an entirely separate post, but most of it boils down to the stakes don't feel serious anymore, the comparative power levels of character's feels unbalanced, it takes away ANY weight to Sam's personal faith as a character trait, and--

I'm sorry I just cannot get behind any of it. Really dislike it. Unfortunate. Oh well. Sozzles.

Heaven and Hell was a real hard episode for me to watch for a number of reasons and overall, I deeply disliked it, but the ending scene of Dean breaking down was extremely well done so huge props for that. Fantastic writing and acting all through. Much to consider!!

S4E11 - Family remains

The summary for this one looks. Fun.

"And what am I running from?"

"What you told me. Or are we pretending that never happened?"

OUGH. OUGH. AUGH. OOMF. ACK. AUGH.

I appreciate that unlike every ghost hunter I've watched on youtube, this show recognises that EMF readers cannot be completely trusted. 10/10 thank you supernatural. One small little line about the needle being wacky, and Dean noting that there's power lines right next to the house. Love it.

Nice.

I can sense I'm going to enjoy this episode.

I LOVE A GOOD GHOST-HUNTING EPISODE!!

Also love that this episode forcibly made the boys reconcile with the confliction of killing humans vs killing creatures, but the humans were in a way like the creatures (monsters), the same way the monsters can be like humans.

Anyway, tonal whiplash, yet again with this show:

S4E12 - Chris Angel Is a Douche Bag

The Winchesters need worksafe inspector fake ID because It'd be perfect for this episode specifically

I LOVE the three older magician characters. These guys are great.

WHAT

Anyway this is a good bit. This is a really good bit.

Yeah Sammy what kind of kool aid are you drinking?????

That was.... A weird one but a fun one.

Anyway I'm really starting to feel like I want to cherry pick eps but I'm going to hold off. Till I hit S5 at least.

Like I rabidly consumed seasons 1-3 like a starving animal and now I'm reluctant to watch episodes cause I know there's good shit in here, and each episode has some important development moments for characters, or relevant plot that I want to know about so I don't feel like I can start picking and choosing episodes based on descriptions yet. But damn. Lot more misses than hits for me this season. Seriously considering buying a dvds of just S1-3 cause GODDAMN. Loved almost everything about the first three.

[e-adlirez]

So as we know the girls have a superhero AU now, and uh I forgor to mention this when I learned of this, but uh we have the girls' official powersets now thanks to the Thea Sisters' official blog

(These screenshots are from a Discord server because I can't use my VPN to access the blog in school--)

(And here's a piece that better showcases their powers, ye Italians this is a screenshot from a party invite)

Anyway so uh now we've got a rough idea of their powersets as well as one of the girls' moves (Colette's "SuperTornado"), y'know what that means :]]]

HEADCANONS GO BRRRRRRRR

This time around it's gonna be a little different since uh I don't have enough info on their powers (screw you Scholastic), which means it's really an AU of an AU, enjoy :D

(Context for the girls' powers, their powers are in their supersuits)

Colette: Kinda the most simplistic, in the sense that Colette doesn't need that much practice with it. Doesn't help that uh her usage of it is either lifting small things up, using it to fly, or spamming SuperTornado like an errant Dragonborn left with Unrelenting Force five seconds too unsupervised. She's very graceful and dramatic with it tho, which makes her the cover girl of the squad. Not a lot to say here besides that, if she'd just learned that her power is moving objects around instead of Unrelenting Force spam, maybe she can do more with them. For now, she fly and she FUSRODAH

Nicky: Her florokinesis is limited to plants that exist in the area she's in-- she can accelerate their growth to crazy proportions (think weeds but like human-sized), but if the plant's not there, then she's got nothing to work with. Much to her later chagrin, her power is the most situational. If she were stuck in a fully concrete city, a desert or the tundra, she's basically screwed. The Sinister Seven (the Sinister Six to the SuperSisters' Spider-Man) have learned to reinforce their fortresses with carbon fiber, steel and other things plants can't get through. If she's not keeping watch outside and restraining enemy guards with plants, she's OHKO melee-ing her opponents like crazy.

Pam: She can make fire with her powers and hypothetically make as much as she wants, with the only caveat of draining her suit's energy very quickly if she has to keep it burning too long. Her power is the most underutilized because of its dangerous nature and the girls' intense no-injuries/casualties challenge during their missions. Poor woman gets stuck in the getaway driver's seat most of the time, and the time she isn't, she is paired with Violet just in case something goes awry. She figured out that any sort of outside friction when conjuring her fire actually saves a bit of her suit's energy, so sometimes she rubs her hands together/snaps her fingers when summoning fire.

Violet: Has the most utilitarian power of the girls. She's figured out a technique that makes it look like she's materializing water out of thin air, but it's actually a long game of grabbing a droplet of water and shaking it around in mid-air to catch more water molecules. Yeah, raiding the enemy base's sprinkler system is far preferable for her. Her magic overall is very waterbending vibes, but she has yet to figure out that moving her body with the direction she wants to move the water is significantly easier than standing in one place with both hands forward and letting her brain do all the work. She also does the ice surfing thing Shoto Todoroki does, how she doesn't slip and crumple on the ice while wearing heels in her costume is a mystery even to her. As of now she's at a bottleneck with her powers (because of the no-movements thing), and it's driving her crazy.

Paulina: Has the gimmickiest powers of the group, and has spent the most time training with them. See uh magnets right, y'know how they have north and south, and uh lightning is just a manifestation of negatively-charged electrons moving down to the positively-charged ground? Paulina has the ability to saturate any object with positive or negative charges, which allows her to strike that thing with electricity/lightning; but that's just the big smooth brain surface-level aspect of her power. Blahblahblah science stuff, woman can make electromagnets out of anything, which means that she's got all sorts of silly things she can do. Need to open a metal door that has two sides close into each other? Make like poles out of the two halves so they push themselves apart. Need to block the same door off? Make opposite poles out of door halves so they stick together with the strength of neodymium magnets. She can also do this on non-metal things like uhh herself, but it takes a lot of concentration and energy to do that for prolonged periods of time. Her suit's visor allows her to keep track of the electric/magnetic fields that she's creating, as well as ones that already exist. Hypothetically yes this means you can give her sensory overload by putting too many magnets in one room/place. The most broken thing she's made so far is an electromagnetic railgun.

Okay that's it for now bye

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 044: Peter's Graduation (ASM 181-186, Ann 12)

MASTERPOST

Len Wein's run finished with an astounding Green Goblin story, what will Marv Wolfman bring to the table?

Oh wow, we're not wasting time, huh!

I also know some little kitten is coming soon...

Our story begins a grave. Uncle Ben's grave!

And what a striking first page. Beautiful colors, smart positioning for the artists, overall really impressive beginning.

This issue is just a recollection of how our hero came to be, with a subtle retcon of Harry Osborn existing back when Peter was in high school. There's an entire page about Jameson's various ways to attack him--he really tried his best! The issue features really nice art, and there's a page where it recounts Spidey's foes... including Will O'The Wisps and Stegron. Uh, sure. Not gonna let me forget the latter now, are we?

My boy the Prowler also gets a cameo, which is quite lovely.

At the end, a penniless father steals Peter's old microscope he just dropped to Ben's grave. That's another kid who'll be happy!

#182 time!

Marv Wolfman's first tenure is to bring beloved supervillain Rocket Racer. Huh! Paying respect to your predecessor, I can appreciate that.

More importantly, this issue starts with one of these panels that Ross Andru seems to love and that, for me, have come to define his tenure:

Mindbending perspectives.

And you know what?

I think Ross Andru loves Rocket Racer, because their chase gives him the occasion to have fun angles and draw specific buildings, and i'm sure it was pretty much Christmas in his head, hahaha. Good for him!

So Spidey loses RR, who blackmails his employer who wants incriminating evidence against himself to make it disappear.

First off: those angles in the first three panels are a rare kind of thing, I feel! And secondly: Hmm, who might that be? A small, thin figure... I'm intrigued!

At the hospital, May tells Peter that married life is really cool. Uh-oh... Are we going to get a proposal, folks?

I didn't notice that right away, to be fair. It's MJ who lampshades it as they leave the room, and she's even about to say she's sad she doesn't have anyone like that (at least, before she gets cut off: where's Anna in all this?) when Peter, who doesn't care in the slightest, has a bad feeling. Doesn't notice anything though, although we definitely see some focus on a character...

Later, the blackmailed guy tries to end things, but Rocket Racer saves him--he wants money after all.

There's a fun scene where two police offers try to catch RR, to no avail. It channels Spidey's chase with the Tarantula through the city a bit. Just a bit.

Interestingly, Spidey says that he'll be graduating "in a few months" and he's been offered a scholarship to teach at ESU and pay his PHD. Nice!

While chasing RR, Spidey notices that his web has been getting weaker for months now... something affecting the original formula (um sure Peter, let's go with that). Set up! Set up!

Anyway, RR escapes once again, but it doesn't matter because...!

Aww that's cute! I admit the scene made me smile.

You know, that was a fun issue. The hero side was fun, and the human side was fun as well!

In #183, Spidey tells us that MJ hasn't answered the proposal yet (oof, that "gulp" was sinister enough...) and we get this...

Lmao, why does Peter look so smooth in the middle panel? Get outta here with that omega man stuff, hahaha.

So Weele, the guy blackmailed by RR, goes to the Tinkerer and decides he wants to be a supervillain too. So the Tinkerer's effectively becoming "that guy every villain comes to to become a supervillain", given that he already built RR's suit.

At the hospital, May's gonna be fine, but "Robert" is there too. His mom is not fine, and the hospital bills keep piling on. He's definitely doing something shady to pay stuff, but what?

Turns out Robert is Rocket Racer. Nice, we get backstory and motivation! Interestingly, both heroes fight while wanting to protect their mother figure in the same room, it makes for a nice moment.

You know what is bonkers?

Weele's new alter ego: Big Wheel. The famous one. I'd heard he was pretty remarkable, and. Yes. I can see that.

The fights ends with Big Wheel rolling into the Hudson. Oops. It was nice to know you!

More importantly, Spider-Man's appearance at the hospital has put May in need of intensive care, says the most asshole male nurse I've ever seen. And then MJ comes... to give back the ring. Oof.

Poor Peter. Who is this in his apartment? That era where you let anyone go to your place, I swear...

Anyway, good issue too! I definitely enjoy the tighter focus on the personal lives of the characters.

Hehehe. A lot of people had guessed it was him! I think having multiple months during the storyline definitely was in their favor.

Some people are NOT happy, but I personally am. They're not yet ready!

In #184, Betty Brant is back! Is she gonna be a serious romantic candidate? I don't feel like Peter's ready for a new partner just yet... and isn't she with Ned Leeds?

Look, if I'm putting this here, it's because Peter Parker is fine as fuck. I think he looked better some 50 issues ago, but he's fresh regardless. He doesn't look as cute anymore... Then again, he's been through some stuff.

Oh right. The plot!

So Betty just left Ned, which means Peter and Ned can finally start dating. I've been waiting for this!

Her story is kind of sad, but also, I really understand it. Not speaking the language can be pretty isolating.

Peter quickly thinks that hey, Betty and him could rekindle their old romance, but he immediately thinks that's not a good idea. She's still married, and he's a good Jewish man.

...I kind of want to see that, though. A bit of drama. Scandal!

And she's into it too, clearly, because she's not going to let Peter go alone to his graduation practice. Is that a thing? I don't have my high school diploma, and I'm still not entirely sure how/when I'll be able to get my university diploma hahaha. Oh, Americans.

Nice to see Marla's still here. And continuation of the Man-Wolf storyline, that's great!

At university, Peter and Betty have a nice time, at least until they cross the path of Philip Chang, who obviously has some PTSD.

Let me enjoy hot Peter in peace.

There's Spidey business for a bit, then back to our betrayers! Betty says Paris is depressing, and she's entirely right. It sucks! It has beautiful things, but it sucks!

Oboy.

Unfortunately, their water is Philip from earlier! Philip is not jazzed up about it, but Peter once again tries to reach out to that lonely figure that calls back to his past self. It's heartwarming, I like it!

So turns out Philip is threatened by this gentleman below.

The White Dragon kidnaps Philip and in consequence, Peter quickly gets rid of Betty, but she seems enamored still, and he has to admit he's also not indifferent to her.

Turns out, Philip has to choose between one of 4 gangs to belong to. Oh. Spidey gets rekt by the White Dragon, and if he wants to save him, Philip has to pick a gang.

But Philip can't, and Spidey's thrown in a gigantic vat of burning oil. Poor guy.

In the comments on *a certain website*, one guy tells his own horror story, about how he also proposed to his girlfriend, who accepted the ring without saying yes or no... then they gradually stopped talking. Oof. That's rough. Hang in there, buddy.

In #185, Spidey gets off fine because while the oil burns his chains, it somehow doesn't burn HIM. Suuuuure. After drowning in the nearby river, he goes back to free Philip. Turns out Philip's dangerous activity back in Hong Kong caused the deaths of his parents, and he vowed to never use violence again. Naturally, that means he can't enter a gang.

These are fun panels. The White Dragon is easily defeated.

Now, onto the graduation! Robbie brings a TV to May's room so she doesn't miss anything, that's sweet!

All of Peter's friends are there (well, not Ned, nor MJ), but there's bad news... he's not on the list! No matter, he still goes to the ceremony. Jameson does a speech that literally lasts "several hours" until, at last... he concludes with "Excelsior" and a reminder that everybody should subscribe to the Bugle.

Peter's name is never called though. The dean tells him he misses one credit, for his sports class. How ironic!

Well, at least, he can always catch up in the summer.

...Wait. What is that.

Is Ross Andru leaving? Is he gone? Was it his final issue? It's a great issue to end on, with a sense of finality, but god damn it, to say I was so happy to have him all this time! Are you kidding me?!

#186 time! Hello, Keith Pollard. Let's see how you're faring.

It's like Ross Andru never left.

Spidey saves a guy from this burning building, to Jameson's despair, but the guy's not happy...

Ooh, that outfit has aged terribly. But the Chameleon seems gay for Spidey so I'm invested.

Anyway, Peter needs money because May needs to be treated and the US health system sucks. So...

Oh my god, they actually fucked.

This is awful, I love it.

The next page helpfully informs me that no, they didn't, they just spoke all night while very obvious sexual tension threatened to ruin their lives. I'm into this too, but it's a bit disappointing, I'm not gonna lie.

Spidey is fed up with being considered public enemy, so he goes to the feds, but...

What. DOC OCK "DIED" IN A SIDE NOVEL?!

Spider-Man is starting to look dangerously like Danganronpa.

Oh well.

Spidey gets an interview in Central Park, but the Chameleon tricks him and his reputation is once again ruined.

It looks right out of a horror movie, I love that left panel hahaha

Aww, Flash, baby! My babyboy

Hmm, we haven't seen Electro in a hot minute... Okay, alright, why not!

So that was alright, this issue. The artists did a good job!

If you're wondering, Annual 12 is ASM #119 and #120, so nothing special. I covered them here already!

Overall a really good batch, I loved the amount of social life we got to see, and I'm curious to see what happened in Spectacular throughout this batch. Next time, folks! I do seem to recall we've got a mystery...

Should be fun!